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Sample records for tissue equivalent proportional

  1. Neutron dosimetry using proportional counters with tissue equivalent walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kerviller, H. de

    1965-01-01

    The author reminds the calculation method of the neutron absorbed dose in a material and deduce of it the conditions what this material have to fill to be equivalent to biological tissues. Various proportional counters are mode with walls in new tissue equivalent material and filled with various gases. The multiplication factor and neutron energy response of these counters are investigated and compared with those obtained with ethylene lined polyethylene counters. The conditions of working of such proportional counters for neutron dosimetry in energy range 10 -2 to 15 MeV are specified. (author) [fr

  2. Study on the neutron dosimetric characteristics of Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nunomiya, T.; Kim, E.; Kurosawa, T.; Taniguchi, S.; Nakamura, T. [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center; Tsujimura, N.; Momose, T.; Shinohara, K. [Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Environment and Safety Division, Tokai Works, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan)

    1999-03-01

    The neutron dosimetric characteristics of TEPC (Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter) has been investigated under a cooperative study between Tohoku University and JNC since 1997. This TEPC is a spherical, large volume, single-wire proportional counter (the model LETSW-5, manufactured by Far West Technology, Inc.) and filled with a tissue equivalent gas in a spherical detector of the A-150 tissue equivalent plastic. The TEPC can measure the spectra of absorbed dose in LET and easily estimate the tissue equivalent dose to neutron. This report summarizes the dosimetric characteristics of TEPC to the monoenergetic neutrons with energy from 8 keV to 15 MeV. It is found that TEPC can estimate the ambient dose equivalent, H*(10), with an accuracy from 0.9 to 2 to the neutron above 0.25 MeV and TEPC has a good counting efficiency enough to measure neutron doses with low dose rate at the stray neutron fields. (author)

  3. Determination of dose equivalent with tissue-equivalent proportional counters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dietze, G.; Schuhmacher, H.; Menzel, H.G.

    1989-01-01

    Low pressure tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPC) are instruments based on the cavity chamber principle and provide spectral information on the energy loss of single charged particles crossing the cavity. Hence such detectors measure absorbed dose or kerma and are able to provide estimates on radiation quality. During recent years TEPC based instruments have been developed for radiation protection applications in photon and neutron fields. This was mainly based on the expectation that the energy dependence of their dose equivalent response is smaller than that of other instruments in use. Recently, such instruments have been investigated by intercomparison measurements in various neutron and photon fields. Although their principles of measurements are more closely related to the definition of dose equivalent quantities than those of other existing dosemeters, there are distinct differences and limitations with respect to the irradiation geometry and the determination of the quality factor. The application of such instruments for measuring ambient dose equivalent is discussed. (author)

  4. Construction of a self-supporting tissue-equivalent dividing wall and operational characteristics of a coaxial double-cylindrical tissue-equivalent proportional counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saion, E.B.; Watt, D.E.

    1994-01-01

    An additional feature incorporated in a coaxial double-cylindrical tissue-equivalent proportional counter, is the presence of a common tissue-equivalent dividing wall between the inner and outer counters of thickness equivalent to the corresponding maximum range of protons at the energy of interest. By appropriate use of an anti-coincidence arrangement with the outer counter, the inner counter could be used to discriminate microdosimetric spectra of neutrons at the desired low energy range from those of the faster neutrons. The construction of an A-150 self-supporting tissue-equivalent dividing wall and an anti-coincidence unit are described. Some operational characteristic tests have been performed to determine the operation of the new microdosimeter. (author)

  5. MCNP modelling of the wall effects observed in tissue-equivalent proportional counters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoff, J L; Townsend, L W

    2002-01-01

    Tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPCs) utilise tissue-equivalent materials to depict homogeneous microscopic volumes of human tissue. Although both the walls and gas simulate the same medium, they respond to radiation differently. Density differences between the two materials cause distortions, or wall effects, in measurements, with the most dominant effect caused by delta rays. This study uses a Monte Carlo transport code, MCNP, to simulate the transport of secondary electrons within a TEPC. The Rudd model, a singly differential cross section with no dependence on electron direction, is used to describe the energy spectrum obtained by the impact of two iron beams on water. Based on the models used in this study, a wall-less TEPC had a higher lineal energy (keV.micron-1) as a function of impact parameter than a solid-wall TEPC for the iron beams under consideration. An important conclusion of this study is that MCNP has the ability to model the wall effects observed in TEPCs.

  6. Errors in estimating neutron quality factor using lineal energy distributions measured in tissue-equivalent proportional counters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borak, T.B.; Stinchcomb, T.G.

    1982-01-01

    Neutron dose equivalent is obtained from quality factors which are defined in terms of LET. It is possible to estimate the dose averaged quality factor, antiQ, directly from distributions in lineal energy, y, that are measured in tissue-equivalent proportional counters. This eliminates a mathematical transformation of the absorbed dose from D(y) to D(L). We evaluate the inherent error in computing Q from D(y) rather than D(L) for neutron spectra below 4 MeV. The effects of neutron energy and simulated tissue diameters within a gas cavity are examined in detail. (author)

  7. Performance tests and comparison of microdosimetric measurements with four tissue-equivalent proportional counters in scanning proton therapy

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Farah, J.; De Saint-Hubert, M.; Mojzeszek, N.; Chiriotti, S.; Gryzinski, M.; Ploc, Ondřej; Trompier, F.; Turek, Karel; Vanhavere, F.; Olko, P.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 96, JAN (2017), s. 42-52 ISSN 1350-4487 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 662287 - CONCERT Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : tissue-equivalent proportional counters * microdosimetry * proton therapy * stray neutrons and prothons Subject RIV: JF - Nuclear Energetics OBOR OECD: Nuclear related engineering Impact factor: 1.442, year: 2016

  8. Development and Characterization of Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter for Radiation Monitoring in International Space Station

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uk-Won Nam

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC can measure the Linear Energy Transfer (LET spectrum and calculate the equivalent dose for the complicated radiation field in space. In this paper, we developed and characterized a TEPC for radiation monitoring in International Space Station (ISS. The prototype TEPC which can simulate a 2 μm of the site diameter for micro-dosimetry has been tested with a standard alpha source (241Am, 5.5 MeV. Also, the calibration of the TEPC was performed by the 252Cf neutron standard source in Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS. The determined calibration factor was kf = 3.59×10-7 mSv/R.

  9. Development of a drift tissue equivalent proportional counter for radiation protection personnel dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bordy, J.M.

    1992-04-01

    A new multicellular geometry for proportional counter has been developed. It is made of several drift regions which are some holes drilled in the cathode in front of anodes wires. The present work is made of 3 parts: 1) A theoretical evaluation of the multicellular counter characteristics: the sensitivity increases by a factor 15 vs the Tinelli Merlin-Gerin counter; the chord length distribution study shows the possibility to use a Dirac function for the dosimetry calculations; a tissue equivalent gas mixture based on argon and propane is designed. 2) The production of a monocellular prototype made of a hole and a needle shaped anode. 3) An experimental study of the prototype electrical characteristics and a computation of the electrical field in the counter. The focalization and the electron drift into the hole, the proportional operating mode are shown. Irradiations in front of photon and neutron sources verify these results

  10. Simulated Response of a Tissue-equivalent Proportional Counter on the Surface of Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Northum, Jeremy D; Guetersloh, Stephen B; Braby, Leslie A; Ford, John R

    2015-10-01

    Uncertainties persist regarding the assessment of the carcinogenic risk associated with galactic cosmic ray (GCR) exposure during a mission to Mars. The GCR spectrum peaks in the range of 300(-1) MeV n to 700 MeV n(-1) and is comprised of elemental ions from H to Ni. While Fe ions represent only 0.03% of the GCR spectrum in terms of particle abundance, they are responsible for nearly 30% of the dose equivalent in free space. Because of this, radiation biology studies focusing on understanding the biological effects of GCR exposure generally use Fe ions. Acting as a thin shield, the Martian atmosphere alters the GCR spectrum in a manner that significantly reduces the importance of Fe ions. Additionally, albedo particles emanating from the regolith complicate the radiation environment. The present study uses the Monte Carlo code FLUKA to simulate the response of a tissue-equivalent proportional counter on the surface of Mars to produce dosimetry quantities and microdosimetry distributions. The dose equivalent rate on the surface of Mars was found to be 0.18 Sv y(-1) with an average quality factor of 2.9 and a dose mean lineal energy of 18.4 keV μm(-1). Additionally, albedo neutrons were found to account for 25% of the dose equivalent. It is anticipated that these data will provide relevant starting points for use in future risk assessment and mission planning studies.

  11. Use of tissue equivalent proportional counters to characterize radiation quality on the space shuttle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braby, L.A.; Conroy, T.J.; Elegy, D.C.; Brackenbush, L.W.

    1992-04-01

    Tissue equivalent proportional counters (TEPC) are essentially cavity ionization chambers operating at low pressure and with gas gain. A small, battery powered, TEPC spectrometer, which records lineal energy spectra at one minute intervals, has been used on several space shuttle missions. The data it has collected clearly show the South Atlantic anomaly and indicate a mean quality factor somewhat higher than expected. An improved type of instrument has been developed with sufficient memory to record spectra at 10 second intervals, and with increased resolution for low LET events. This type of instrument will be used on most future space shuttle flights and in some international experiments

  12. Radiation protection instruments based on tissue equivalent proportional counters: Part II of an international intercomparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alberts, W.G.; Dietz, E.; Guldbakke, S.; Kluge, H.; Schumacher, H.

    1988-04-01

    This report describes the irradiation conditions and procedures of Part II of an international intercomparison of tissue-equivalent proportional counters used for radiation protection measurements. The irradiations took place in monoenergetic reference neutron fields produced by the research reactor and accelerator facilities of the PTB Braunschweig in the range from thermal neutrons to 14.8 MeV. In addition measurements were performed in 60 Co and D 2 O-moderated 252 Cf radiation fields. Prototype instruments from 7 European groups were investigated. The results of the measurements are summarized and compared with the reference data of the irradiations. (orig.) [de

  13. Preparation of A-150 tissue-equivalent plastic films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saion, E.B.; Shaari, A.H.; Watt, D.E.

    1992-01-01

    A-150 tissue-equivalent (TE) plastic is widely used as a wall material for tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPCS) used in experimental microdosimetry. The objective of this note is to give a technical account of how A-150 TE plastic film can be fabricated in the laboratory from commercially available A-150 TE plastic. (author)

  14. The response of a spherical tissue-equivalent proportional counter to 56-Fe particles from 200-1000 MeV/nucleon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gersey, Bradford B.; Borak, Thomas B.; Guetersloh, Stephen B.; Zeitlin, Cary J.; Miller, J.; Heilbronn, L.; Murakami, T.; Iwata, Y.

    2001-09-04

    The radiation environment aboard the space shuttle and the International Space Station includes high-Z and high-energy (HZE) particles that are part of the galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) spectrum. Iron-56 is considered to be one of the most biologically important parts of the GCR spectrum. Tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPC) are used as active dosimeters on manned space flights. These TEPC's are further used to determine average quality factor for each space mission. A TEPC simulating a 1 micron diameter sphere of tissue was exposed as part of a particle spectrometer to iron-56 at energies from 200-1000 MeV/nucleon. The response of TEPC in terms of frequency-averaged lineal energy, dose-averaged lineal energy, as well as energy deposited at different impact parameters through detector was determined for six different incident energies of iron-56 in this energy range. Calculations determined that charged particle equilibrium was achieved for each of the six experiments. Energy depositions at different impact parameters were calculated using a radial dose distribution model and the results compared to experimental data.

  15. Tissue equivalent detector measurements on Mir space station. Comparison with other data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bottollier-Depois, J.F. [CEA Centre d`Etudes de Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92 (France). Dept. de Protection de la Sante de l`Homme et de Dosimetrie; Siegrist, M. [Centre National d`Etudes Spatiales (CNES), 31 - Toulouse (France); Duvivier, E.; Almarcha, B. [STEEL Technologies, Mazeres sur Salat (France); Dachev, T.P.; Semkova, J.V. [Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (Bulgaria). Central Lab. of Solar Energy and New Energy Sources; Petrov, V.M.; Bengin, V.; Koslova, S.B. [Institute of Biomedical Problems, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    1995-12-31

    The measurement of the dose received by the cosmonauts, due to cosmic radiations, during a space mission is an important parameter to estimate the radiological risk. Tissue equivalent measurements of radiation environment inside the MIR space station were performed continuously since July 1992. Interesting results about radiation measurements show (a) the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) crossing, (c) the increase of radiation near the poles and (d) the effects of solar eruptions. These data are compared with solid state detector (SSD) and other tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) results. (authors). 4 refs., 7 figs.

  16. Tissue equivalent detector measurements on Mir space station. Comparison with other data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bottollier-Depois, J.F.; Duvivier, E.; Almarcha, B.; Dachev, T.P.; Semkova, J.V.

    1995-01-01

    The measurement of the dose received by the cosmonauts, due to cosmic radiations, during a space mission is an important parameter to estimate the radiological risk. Tissue equivalent measurements of radiation environment inside the MIR space station were performed continuously since July 1992. Interesting results about radiation measurements show (a) the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) crossing, (c) the increase of radiation near the poles and (d) the effects of solar eruptions. These data are compared with solid state detector (SSD) and other tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) results. (authors). 4 refs., 7 figs

  17. A Bayesian equivalency test for two independent binomial proportions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawasaki, Yohei; Shimokawa, Asanao; Yamada, Hiroshi; Miyaoka, Etsuo

    2016-01-01

    In clinical trials, it is often necessary to perform an equivalence study. The equivalence study requires actively denoting equivalence between two different drugs or treatments. Since it is not possible to assert equivalence that is not rejected by a superiority test, statistical methods known as equivalency tests have been suggested. These methods for equivalency tests are based on the frequency framework; however, there are few such methods in the Bayesian framework. Hence, this article proposes a new index that suggests the equivalency of binomial proportions, which is constructed based on the Bayesian framework. In this study, we provide two methods for calculating the index and compare the probabilities that have been calculated by these two calculation methods. Moreover, we apply this index to the results of actual clinical trials to demonstrate the utility of the index.

  18. Realisation and qualification of a tissue equivalent proportional counter with a multi-cellular geometry for the individual neutron dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoflack, Ch.

    1999-01-01

    The present day dosimetry means for radiations with a strong ionization density cannot fulfill the future radioprotection regulations which will require an individual dosimetry with active dosemeters. The aim of this work is the study and development of an individual dosemeter based on a tissue equivalent proportional counter and with a multi-cellular geometry allowing to reach a sensibility equivalent to environmental dosemeters. A pressure regulation bench has been added to the detector in order to reduce the degassing of the detector parts and to reach a sufficient service life for the implementation of the characterization tests. The hole counter system has been adopted for the first prototypes in order to reduce the sensibility of the wires multiplication system with respect to mechanical vibrations. Tests performed with an internal alpha source have shown that a better electrical efficiency can be reached when more severe mechanical limits are adopted during the construction. The dose equivalent response of the prototype for mono-energy neutrons of 144 keV to 2.5 MeV is analyzed experimentally and by simulation. During experiments with normal incidence neutrons, the prototype fulfills the requirements of the CEI N O 1323 standard for energies comprised between 400 keV and 2.5 MeV, while the simulation indicates a satisfactory response up to 200 keV. A preliminary study of the behaviour of the detector with respect to the neutrons incidence indicates that the multi-cellular geometry is efficient for large angles (the sensibility of the prototype is increased by a factor 3). Finally, simulation studies have to be made to optimize the electrical operation and the geometry of the next prototype. (J.S.)

  19. Operation and application of tissue-equivalent proportional counters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerdung, S.; Roos, H.

    1995-01-01

    The application of TEPCs during the past decades in dosimetry, radiation protection and radiation therapy has revealed their large potential but also the necessity of careful operation. This paper reviews the experience gathered in the past and summarises the experimental procedures to ensure proper TEPC operation. The measurement system is described including detector, electronics and quality assurance. The pulse height analysis and its interpretation in terms of microdosimetric spectra and mean values are presented as well as the variance method. On the basis of these evaluation procedures, the second part of the paper presents some typical examples of TEPC applications: dose spectrometry, time-of-flight techniques and the measurement of dose equivalent quantities. Special attention is paid to possible extensions but also to limitations of the use of TEPCs in the various fields of application. (Author)

  20. Gas electron multiplier (GEM) operation with tissue-equivalent gases at various pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farahmand, M.; Bos, A.J.J.; Eijk, C.W.E. van

    2003-01-01

    We have studied the operation of two different Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) structures in both methane and propane based Tissue-Equivalent (TE) gases at different pressures varying from 0.1 to 1 atm. This work was motivated to explore the possibility of using a GEM for a new type of Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter. In methane based TE gas, a maximum safe GEM gain of 1.5x10 3 has been reached while in propane based TE gas this is 6x10 3 . These maxima have been reached at different gas pressures depending on GEM structure and TE gas. Furthermore, we observed a decrease of the GEM gain in time before it becomes stable. Charge up/polarisation effects can explain this

  1. Dose distribution around ion track in tissue equivalent material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Wenzhong; Guo Yong; Luo Yisheng

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To study the energy deposition micro-specialty of ions in body-tissue or tissue equivalent material (TEM). Methods: The water vapor was determined as the tissue equivalent material, based on the analysis to the body-tissue, and Monte Carlo method was used to simulate the behavior of proton in the tissue equivalent material. Some features of the energy deposition micro-specialty of ion in tissue equivalent material were obtained through the analysis to the data from calculation. Results: The ion will give the energy by the way of excitation and ionization in material, then the secondary electrons will be generated in the progress of ionization, these electron will finished ions energy deposition progress. When ions deposited their energy, large amount energy will be in the core of tracks, and secondary electrons will devote its' energy around ion track, the ion dose distribution is then formed in TEM. Conclusions: To know biological effects of radiation , the research to dose distribution of ions is of importance(significance). (authors)

  2. Operation of gas electron multiplier (GEM) with propane gas at low pressure and comparison with tissue-equivalent gas mixtures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Nardo, L., E-mail: laura.denardo@unipd.it [University of Padova, Physics and Astronomy Department and PD-INFN, via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Farahmand, M., E-mail: majid.farahmand@rivm.nl [Centre for Environmental Safety and Security, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, NL-3720 BA Bilthoven (Netherlands)

    2016-05-21

    A Tissue-Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC), based on a single GEM foil of standard geometry, has been tested with pure propane gas at low pressure, in order to simulate a tissue site of about 1 µm equivalent size. In this work, the performance of GEM with propane gas at a pressure of 21 and 28 kPa will be presented. The effective gas gain was measured in various conditions using a {sup 244}Cm alpha source. The dependence of effective gain on the electric field strength along the GEM channel and in the drift and induction region was investigated. A maximum effective gain of about 5×10{sup 3} has been reached. Results obtained in pure propane gas are compared with gas gain measurements in gas mixtures commonly employed in microdosimetry, that is propane and methane based Tissue-Equivalent gas mixtures.

  3. Effective atomic numbers, electron densities, and tissue equivalence of some gases and mixtures for dosimetry of radiation detectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh Vishwanath P.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Total mass attenuation coefficients, µm, effective atomic number, Zeff, and effective electron density, Neff, of different gases - carbon dioxide, methane, acetylene, propane, butane, and pentane used in radiation detectors, have been calculated for the photon energy of 1 keV to 100 GeV. Each gas has constant Zeff values between 0.10 to 10 MeV photon energies; however, these values are way far away from ICRU tissue. Carbon dioxide gas shows the closest tissue equivalence in the entire photon energy spectrum. Relative tissue equivalences of the mixtures of gases with respect to ICRU tissue are in the range of 0.998-1.041 for air, argon (4.5% + methane (95.5%, argon (0.5% + carbon dioxide (99.5%, and nitrogen (5% + methane (7% + carbon dioxide (88%. The gas composition of xenon (0.5% + carbon dioxide (99.5% shows 1.605 times higher tissue equivalence compared to the ICRU tissue. The investigated photon interaction parameters are useful for exposure and energy absorption buildup factors calculation and design, and fabrication of gaseous detectors for ambient radiation measurement by the Geiger-Muller detector, ionization chambers and proportional counters.

  4. Tissue equivalence in neutron dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nutton, D.H.; Harris, S.J.

    1980-01-01

    A brief review is presented of the essential features of neutron tissue equivalence for radiotherapy and gives the results of a computation of relative absorbed dose for 14 MeV neutrons, using various tissue models. It is concluded that for the Bragg-Gray equation for ionometric dosimetry it is not sufficient to define the value of W to high accuracy and that it is essential that, for dosimetric measurements to be applicable to real body tissue to an accuracy of better than several per cent, a correction to the total absorbed dose must be made according to the test and tissue atomic composition, although variations in patient anatomy and other radiotherapy parameters will often limit the benefits of such detailed dosimetry. (U.K.)

  5. Tissue Equivalents Based on Cell-Seeded Biodegradable Microfluidic Constructs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah L. Tao

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available One of the principal challenges in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is the formation of functional microvascular networks capable of sustaining tissue constructs. Complex tissues and vital organs require a means to support oxygen and nutrient transport during the development of constructs both prior to and after host integration, and current approaches have not demonstrated robust solutions to this challenge. Here, we present a technology platform encompassing the design, construction, cell seeding and functional evaluation of tissue equivalents for wound healing and other clinical applications. These tissue equivalents are comprised of biodegradable microfluidic scaffolds lined with microvascular cells and designed to replicate microenvironmental cues necessary to generate and sustain cell populations to replace dermal and/or epidermal tissues lost due to trauma or disease. Initial results demonstrate that these biodegradable microfluidic devices promote cell adherence and support basic cell functions. These systems represent a promising pathway towards highly integrated three-dimensional engineered tissue constructs for a wide range of clinical applications.

  6. Mixed field dose equivalent measuring instruments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brackenbush, L.W.; McDonald, J.C.; Endres, G.W.R.; Quam, W.

    1985-01-01

    In the past, separate instruments have been used to monitor dose equivalent from neutrons and gamma rays. It has been demonstrated that it is now possible to measure simultaneously neutron and gamma dose with a single instrument, the tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC). With appropriate algorithms dose equivalent can also be determined from the TEPC. A simple ''pocket rem meter'' for measuring neutron dose equivalent has already been developed. Improved algorithms for determining dose equivalent for mixed fields are presented. (author)

  7. Characterization of tissue-equivalent materials for use in construction of physical phantoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, Edvan V. de; Oliveira, Alex C.H. de; Vieira, Jose W.; Lima, Fernando R.A.

    2013-01-01

    Phantoms are physical or computational models used to simulate the transport of ionizing radiation, their interactions with human body tissues and evaluate the deposition of energy. Depending on the application, you can build phantoms of various types and features. The physical phantoms are made of materials with behavior similar to human tissues exposed to ionizing radiation, the so-called tissue-equivalent materials. The characterization of various tissue-equivalent materials is important for the choice of materials to be used is appropriate, seeking a better cost-benefit ratio. The main objective of this work is to produce tables containing the main characteristics of tissue-equivalent materials. These tables were produced in Microsoft Office Excel. Among the main features of tissue-equivalent materials that were added to the tables, are density, chemical composition, physical state, chemical stability and solubility. The main importance of this work is to contribute to the construction of high-quality physical phantoms and avoid the waste of materials

  8. Microdosimetry of 14.7 MeV neutrons in tissue equivalent phantom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amols, H.I.

    1974-01-01

    An experimental and theoretical investigation has been made of energy deposition in tissue by neutrons. A one-half inch diameter Rossi type proportional counter was used to simulate a one-micron sphere of tissue. Event-size spectra were taken in air, and at various positions in a large volume of tissue equivalent fluid. From the raw spectra, LET distributions were determined, as well as dose fractions for protons, alphas, and heavy ions, and dose average and track-average LET values. The shape of the D(L) vs. LET curve is found to undergo significant change in the phantom due to moderation of the neutron beam. In addition, previous calculations of LET spectra in air are shown to be in error, and theoretical RBE and OER values, based on data from this experiment are in better agreement with biological results. A two-step theoretical calculation has also been carried out. An original Monte Carlo computer code was used to calculate neutron fluences in phantom (1), which were converted to LET distributions via standard algorithms (2). Agreement with experiment is very good, both in air and in phantom. Edge effects, backscatter effects, and effects of phantom size were also studied

  9. Quality measurement by proportional counter with B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onizuka, Yoshihiko; Endo, Satoru; Tanaka, Kenichi

    2005-01-01

    The dosimetry of air and the tissue-equivalent phantom made of acryl are carried out by the tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) and TEPC with wall contained B, and both results were compared. The changes of quality with distance from the beam center are determined by the frequency mean renewal energy y F (y)and the dose mean renewal energy y D (y) as indicators of quality. Both y F (y)and y D (y) of tissue-equivalent phantom are larger than air, but very large change was not observed in all distance. The dose rate is determined by y D (y), the number of events and measurement time. Change of dose rate was larger than the change of quality. The maximum value of dose rate depended on γray and neutron beam showed at the point 2 cm away from the center. (S.Y.)

  10. Evaluation of a tissue equivalent ionization chamber in X-ray beams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perini, Ana Paula; Neves, Lucio Pereira; Santos, William de Souza; Caldas, Linda V.E., E-mail: aperini@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Frimaio, Audrew [Seal Technology Ind. Com. Ltda, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Costa, Paulo R. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP/IF), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica

    2014-07-01

    Tissue equivalent materials present a variety of uses, including routine quality assurance and quality control programs in both diagnostic and therapeutic physics. They are frequently used in research facilities to measure doses delivered to patients undergoing various clinical procedures. This work presents the development and evaluation of a tissue equivalent ionization chamber, with a sensitive volume of 2.3 cm{sup 3}, for routine use in X-rays beams. This ionization chamber was developed at the Calibration Laboratory/IPEN. The new tissue equivalent material was developed at the Physics Institute of the University of Sao Paulo. In order to evaluate the dosimetric performance of the new ionization chamber, several tests described by international standards were undertaken, and all results were within the recommended limits. (author)

  11. Evaluation of a tissue equivalent ionization chamber in X-ray beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perini, Ana Paula; Neves, Lucio Pereira; Santos, William de Souza; Caldas, Linda V.E.; Frimaio, Audrew; Costa, Paulo R.

    2014-01-01

    Tissue equivalent materials present a variety of uses, including routine quality assurance and quality control programs in both diagnostic and therapeutic physics. They are frequently used in research facilities to measure doses delivered to patients undergoing various clinical procedures. This work presents the development and evaluation of a tissue equivalent ionization chamber, with a sensitive volume of 2.3 cm 3 , for routine use in X-rays beams. This ionization chamber was developed at the Calibration Laboratory/IPEN. The new tissue equivalent material was developed at the Physics Institute of the University of Sao Paulo. In order to evaluate the dosimetric performance of the new ionization chamber, several tests described by international standards were undertaken, and all results were within the recommended limits. (author)

  12. Detection of ultraviolet radiation using tissue equivalent radiochromic gel materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bero, M A; Abukassem, I

    2009-01-01

    Ferrous Xylenol-orange Gelatin gel (FXG) is known to be sensitive to ionising radiation such as γ and X-rays. The effect of ionising radiation is to produce an increase in the absorption over a wide region of the visible spectrum, which is proportional to the absorbed dose. This study demonstrates that FXG gel is sensitive to ultraviolet radiation and therefore it could functions as UV detector. Short exposure to UV radiation produces linear increase in absorption measured at 550nm, however high doses of UV cause the ion indicator colour to fad away in a manner proportional to the incident UV energy. Light absorbance increase at the rate of 1.1% per minute of irradiation was monitored. The exposure level at which the detector has linear response is comparable to the natural summer UV radiation. Evaluating the UV ability to pass through tissue equivalent gel materials shows that most of the UV gets absorbed in the first 5mm of the gel materials, which demonstrate the damaging effects of this radiation type on human skin and eyes. It was concluded that FXG gel dosimeter has the potential to offer a simple, passive ultraviolet radiation detector with sensitivity suitable to measure and visualises the natural sunlight UV exposure directly by watching the materials colour changes.

  13. Detection of ultraviolet radiation using tissue equivalent radiochromic gel materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bero, M. A.; Abukassem, I.

    2009-05-01

    Ferrous Xylenol-orange Gelatin gel (FXG) is known to be sensitive to ionising radiation such as γ and X-rays. The effect of ionising radiation is to produce an increase in the absorption over a wide region of the visible spectrum, which is proportional to the absorbed dose. This study demonstrates that FXG gel is sensitive to ultraviolet radiation and therefore it could functions as UV detector. Short exposure to UV radiation produces linear increase in absorption measured at 550nm, however high doses of UV cause the ion indicator colour to fad away in a manner proportional to the incident UV energy. Light absorbance increase at the rate of 1.1% per minute of irradiation was monitored. The exposure level at which the detector has linear response is comparable to the natural summer UV radiation. Evaluating the UV ability to pass through tissue equivalent gel materials shows that most of the UV gets absorbed in the first 5mm of the gel materials, which demonstrate the damaging effects of this radiation type on human skin and eyes. It was concluded that FXG gel dosimeter has the potential to offer a simple, passive ultraviolet radiation detector with sensitivity suitable to measure and visualises the natural sunlight UV exposure directly by watching the materials colour changes.

  14. The golden proportion in facial soft-tissues of Vietnamese females.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Minh Son; Saag, Mare; Le, Van Nho; Nguyen, Thuy Trang; Nguyen, Bui Bao Tien; Jagomägi, Triin

    2016-01-01

    Objective of the current study was to evaluate proportions of frontal facial soft-tissues of Vietnamese females correspond to the golden proportion (GP). Sixty frontal facial photographs of Vietnamese female students aged 19 years were selected. The selected participants had symmetrical face, a Class I relationship occlusion, complete lip closure, and no history of trauma and orthodontic treatment. The photographic record was set-up with a white backdrop, fill light, a reflector, a camera Canon 650D and subjects were asked to sit in a standard position. Trichion (TR), Temporal soft tissue (TS), Lateral canthus (LC), Lateral nasal (LN), Chilion (CH), and Menton (ME) point were used for photometric measurements on CorelDRAW Graphic X3 software. The vertical facial proportions (mean, percentage compared with GP) were significantly higher than the GP including: LC-CH:CH-ME (1.661, 102%), LN-ME:LC-LN (1.729, 106%), TR-ME:LC-ME (1.739, 107%), TR-LN:LN-ME (1.759, 108%). Whereas TR-ME:LN-ME; CH-ME:LN-CH; LC-LN:LN-CH had ratios of 84% - 92% and were significantly smaller in comparison with GP. The horizontal facial proportions of CHR-L:LNR-L, LCR-L:CHR-L and TSR-L:LCR-L deviated from the GP with mean values of 1.221, 1.922 and 1.229, respectively. The new mean values of TR-ME:LC-ME (1.733), TR-LN:LN-ME (1.732), LC-ME:TR-LC (1.374), CH-ME:LN-CH (1.524), which were predictable changes in proportions, can be significantly converged to the GP if LC-CH:CH-ME is equal to the GP. Soft-tissue facial proportions of Vietnamese females did not correspond to the GP. Changing the lower third face may create harmony vertical facial proportions.

  15. Neutron kerma factors, and water equivalence of some tissue substitutes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, V. P.; Badiger, N. M.; Vega C, H. R.

    2014-08-01

    The kerma factors and kerma relative to air and water of 24 compounds used as tissue substitutes were calculated for neutron energy from 2.53 x 10 -8 up to 29 MeV. The kerma ratio of the tissue substitutes relative to air and water were calculated by the ratio of kerma factors of the tissue substitute to air and water respectively. The water equivalence of the selected tissue substitutes was observed above neutron energies 100 eV. Kerma ratio relative to the air for Poly-vinylidene fluoride and Teflon are found to be nearest to unity in very low energy (up to 1 eV) and above 63 eV respectively. It was found that the natural rubber as a water equivalent tissue substitute compound. The results of the kerma factors in our investigation shows a very good agreement with those published in ICRU-44. We found that at higher neutron energies, the kerma factors and kerma ratios of the selected tissue substitute compounds are approximately same, but differences are large for energies below 100 eV. (Author)

  16. Polyurethane as a base for a family of tissue equivalent materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffith, R.V.

    1980-01-01

    Recent experience gained in the selection of tissue equivalent materials for the construction of whole body counting phantoms has shown that commercially available polyurethane can be used as a base for a variety of tissue equivalent materials. Tissues simulated include lung, adipose, muscle, cartilage and rib bone. When selecting tissue equivalent materials it is important to understand what tissue properties must be simulated. Materials that simply simulate the linear attenuation of low energy photons for example, are not very likely to simulate neutron interaction properties accurately. With this in mind, we have developed more than one simulation composition for a given tissue, depending on the purpose to which the simulant is to be applied. Simple simulation of linear attenuation can be achieved by addition of carefully measured amounts of higher Z material, such as calcium carbonate to the polyurethane. However, the simulation necessary for medical scanning purposes, or for use in mixed radiation fields requires more complex formulations to yield proper material density, hydrogen and nitrogen content, electron density, and effective atomic number. Though polyurethane has limitations for simulation of tissues that differ markedly from its inherent composition (such as compacted bone), it is safe and easily used in modestly equipped laboratories. The simulants are durable and generally flexible. They can also be easily cast in irregular shapes to simulate specific organ geometries. (author)

  17. Measurement of the tissue to A-150 tissue equivalent plastic kerma ratio at two p(66)Be neutron therapy facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langen, K M; Binns, P J; Schreuder, A N; Lennox, A J; Deluca, P M Jr.

    2003-01-01

    The ICRU tissue to A-150 tissue equivalent plastic kerma ratio is needed for neutron therapy dosimetry. The current ICRU protocol for neutron dosimetry recommends using a common conversion factor of 0.95 at all high-energy neutron therapy facilities. In an effort to determine facility specific ICRU tissue to A-150 plastic kerma ratios, an experimental approach was pursued. Four low pressure proportional counters that differed in wall materials (i.e. A-150, carbon, zirconium and zirconium-oxide) were used as dosimeters and integral kerma ratios were determined directly in the clinical beam. Measurements were performed at two p(66)Be facilities: iThemba LABS near Cape Town and Fermilab near Chicago. At the iThemba facility the clinical neutron beam is routinely filtered by a flattening and hardening filter combination. The influence of beam filtration on the kerma ratio was evaluated. Using two recent gas-to-wall dose conversion factor (r m,g value) evaluations a mean ICRU tissue to A-150 plastic kerma ratio of 0.93 ± 0.05 was determined for the clinical beam at iThemba LABS. The respective value for the Fermilab beam is 0.95 ± 0.05. The experimentally determined ICRU tissue to A-150 plastic kerma ratios for the two clinical beams are in agreement with theoretical evaluations. Beam filtration reduces the kerma ratio by 3 ± 2%

  18. Numerical modelling of tissue-equivalent proportional counters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Segur, P.; Colautti, P.

    1995-01-01

    In this paper a survey is given of the various numerical techniques employed to study the transport of ionising particles inside a TEPC. The first part is devoted to the description of the general concept of particle transport calculations. Thereafter, the different methods available to study transport phenomena and energy deposition in the sensitive volume and in counter walls are described. Finally, the basic ionisation mechanisms which may occur in a counter are described, and the non-equilibrium phenomena which play an important role mainly for counters that are to be used in measurements at the nanodosemeter level are studied. (author)

  19. Composition of MRI phantom equivalent to human tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Hirokazu; Kuroda, Masahiro; Yoshimura, Koichi; Yoshida, Atsushi; Hanamoto, Katsumi; Kawasaki, Shoji; Shibuya, Koichi; Kanazawa, Susumu

    2005-01-01

    We previously developed two new MRI phantoms (called the CAG phantom and the CAGN phantom), with T1 and T2 relaxation times equivalent to those of any human tissue at 1.5 T. The conductivity of the CAGN phantom is equivalent to that of most types of human tissue in the frequency range of 1 to 130 MHz. In this paper, the relaxation times of human tissues are summarized, and the composition of the corresponding phantoms are provided in table form. The ingredients of these phantoms are carrageenan as the gelling agent, GdCl 3 as a T1 modifier, agarose as a T2 modifier, NaCl (CAGN phantom only) as a conductivity modifier, NaN 3 as an antiseptic, and distilled water. The phantoms have T1 values of 202-1904 ms and T2 values of 38-423 ms when the concentrations of GdCl 3 and agarose are varied from 0-140 μmol/kg, and 0%-1.6%, respectively, and the CAGN phantom has a conductivity of 0.27-1.26 S/m when the NaCl concentration is varied from 0%-0.7%. These phantoms have sufficient strength to replicate a torso without the use of reinforcing agents, and can be cut by a knife into any shape. We anticipate the CAGN phantom to be highly useful and practical for MRI and hyperthermia-related research

  20. Tissue-equivalent torso phantom for calibration of transuranic-nuclide counting facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffith, R.V.; Anderson, A.L.; Dean, P.N.; Fisher, J.C.; Sundbeck, C.W.

    1986-01-01

    Several tissue-equivalent human-torso phantoms have been constructed for the calibration of counting systems used for in-vivo measurement of transuranic radionuclides. The phantoms contain a simulated human rib cage (in some cases, real bone) and removable model organs, and they include tissue-equivalent chest plates that can be placed over the torso to simulate people with a wide range of statures. The organs included are the lungs, liver, and tracheobronchial lymph nodes. Polyurethane with varying concentrations of added calcium was used to simulate the linear photon-attenuation properties of various human tissues, including lean muscle, adipose-muscle mixtures, cartilage, and bone. Foamed polyurethane was used to simulate lung tissue. Organs have been loaded with highly pure 238 Pu, 239 Pu, 241 Am, and other radionuclides of interest. The validity of the phantom as a calibration standard has been checked in separate intercomparison studies using human subjects whose lungs contained a plutonium simulant. The resulting phantom calibration factors generally compared to within +-20% of the average calibration factors obtained for the human subjects

  1. The performance of low pressure tissue-equivalent chambers and a new method for parameterising the dose equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eisen, Y.

    1986-01-01

    The performance of Rossi-type spherical tissue-equivalent chambers with equivalent diameters between 0.5 μm and 2 μm was tested experimentally using monoenergetic and polyenergetic neutron sources in the energy region of 10 keV to 14.5 MeV. In agreement with theoretical predictions both chambers failed to provide LET information at low neutron energies. A dose equivalent algorithm was derived that utilises the event distribution but does not attempt to correlate event size with LET. The algorithm was predicted theoretically and confirmed by experiment. The algorithm that was developed determines the neutron dose equivalent, from the data of the 0.5 μm chamber, to better than +-20% over the energy range of 30 keV to 14.5 MeV. The same algorithm also determines the dose equivalent from the data of the 2 μm chamber to better than +-20% over the energy range of 60 keV to 14.5 MeV. The efficiency of the chambers is 33 counts per μSv, or equivalently about 10 counts s -1 per mSv.h -1 . This efficiency enables the measurement of dose equivalent rates above 1 mSv.h -1 for an integration period of 3 s. Integrated dose equivalents can be measured as low as 1 μSv. (author)

  2. The moment of inertia method to calculate equivalent ranges in non-proportional tension–torsion histories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Antonio Meggiolaro

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available A critical issue in multiaxial damage calculation in non-proportional (NP histories is to find the equivalent stress or strain ranges and mean components associated with each rainflow-counted cycle of the stress (or strain path. A traditional way to find such ranges is to use enclosing surface methods, which search for convex enclosures, such as balls or prisms, of the entire history path in stress or strain diagrams. These methods only work for relatively simple load histories, since the enclosing surfaces lose information of the original history. This work presents an approach to evaluate equivalent stress and strain ranges in NP histories, called the moment of inertia (MOI method. It is an integral approach that assumes the path contour in the stress diagram is a homogeneous wire with a unit mass. The center of mass of such wire gives then the mean component of the path, while the moments of inertia of the wire can be used to obtain the equivalent stress or strain ranges. Experimental results obtained from the literature for 13 different multiaxial histories prove the effectiveness of the MOI method to predict fatigue lives.

  3. Specification and tests of three prototypes from tissue-equivalent ionization chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teixeira, D.L.; Cardoso, D.O.; Pereira, O.S.; Nobre Filho, L.S.; Cabral, T.S.

    1992-01-01

    Three prototypes of tissue-equivalent ionization chamber are specified and tested. The results obtained by these prototypes are presented, aiming the determination of operation parameters, defined by IEC 395 standard. (C.G.C.)

  4. The equivalence of two phylogenetic biodiversity measures: the Shapley value and Fair Proportion index.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartmann, Klaas

    2013-11-01

    Most biodiversity conservation programs are forced to prioritise species in order to allocate their funding. This paper contains a mathematical proof that provides biological support for one common approach based on phylogenetic indices. Phylogenetic trees describe the evolutionary relationships between a group of taxa. Two indices for computing the distinctiveness of each taxon in a phylogenetic tree are considered here-the Shapley value and the Fair Proportion index. These indices provide a measure of the importance of each taxon for overall biodiversity and have been used to prioritise taxa for conservation. The Shapley value is the biodiversity contribution a taxon is expected to make if all taxa are equally likely to become extinct. This interpretation makes it appealing to use the Shapley value in biodiversity conservation applications. The Fair Proportion index lacks a convenient interpretation, however it is significantly easier to calculate and understand. It has been empirically observed that there is a high correlation between the two indices. This paper shows the mathematical basis for this correlation and proves that as the number of taxa increases, the indices become equivalent. Consequently in biodiversity prioritisation the simpler Fair Proportion index can be used whilst retaining the appealing interpretation of the Shapley value.

  5. Positron range in tissue-equivalent materials: experimental microPET studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alva-Sánchez, H.; Quintana-Bautista, C.; Martínez-Dávalos, A.; Ávila-Rodríguez, M. A.; Rodríguez-Villafuerte, M.

    2016-09-01

    In this work an experimental investigation was carried out to study the effect that positron range has over positron emission tomography (PET) scans through measurements of the line spread function (LSF) in tissue-equivalent materials. Line-sources consisted of thin capillary tubes filled with 18F, 13N or 68Ga water-solution inserted along the axis of symmetry of cylindrical phantoms constructed with the tissue-equivalent materials: lung (inhale and exhale), adipose tissue, solid water, trabecular and cortical bone. PET scans were performed with a commercial small-animal PET scanner and image reconstruction was carried out with filtered-backprojection. Line-source distributions were analyzed using radial profiles taken on axial slices from which the spatial resolution was determined through the full-width at half-maximum, tenth-maximum, twentieth-maximum and fiftieth-maximum. A double-Gaussian model of the LSFs was used to fit experimental data which can be incorporated into iterative reconstruction methods. In addition, the maximum activity concentration in the line-sources was determined from reconstructed images and compared to the known values for each case. The experimental data indicates that positron range in different materials has a strong effect on both spatial resolution and activity concentration quantification in PET scans. Consequently, extra care should be taken when computing standard-uptake values in PET scans, in particular when the radiopharmaceutical is taken up by different tissues in the body, and more even so with high-energy positron emitters.

  6. TH-AB-209-12: Tissue Equivalent Phantom with Excised Human Tissue for Assessing Clinical Capabilities of Coherent Scatter Imaging Applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albanese, K; Morris, R; Spencer, J [Medical Physics Graduate Program, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Greenberg, J [Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Kapadia, A [Carl E Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories, Durham, NC (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Previously we reported the development of anthropomorphic tissue-equivalent scatter phantoms of the human breast. Here we present the first results from the scatter imaging of the tissue equivalent breast phantoms for breast cancer diagnosis. Methods: A breast phantom was designed to assess the capability of coded aperture coherent x-ray scatter imaging to classify different types of breast tissue (adipose, fibroglandular, tumor). The phantom geometry was obtained from a prone breast geometry scanned on a dedicated breast CT system. The phantom was 3D printed using the segmented DICOM breast CT data. The 3D breast phantom was filled with lard (as a surrogate for adipose tissue) and scanned in different geometries alongside excised human breast tissues (obtained from lumpectomy and mastectomy procedures). The raw data were reconstructed using a model-based reconstruction algorithm and yielded the location and form factor (i.e., momentum transfer (q) spectrum) of the materials that were imaged. The measured material form factors were then compared to the ground truth measurements acquired by x-ray diffraction (XRD) imaging. Results: Our scatter imaging system was able to define the location and composition of the various materials and tissues within the phantom. Cancerous breast tissue was detected and classified through automated spectral matching and an 86% correlation threshold. The total scan time for the sample was approximately 10 minutes and approaches workflow times for clinical use in intra-operative or other diagnostic tasks. Conclusion: This work demonstrates the first results from an anthropomorphic tissue equivalent scatter phantom to characterize a coherent scatter imaging system. The functionality of the system shows promise in applications such as intra-operative margin detection or virtual biopsy in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Future work includes using additional patient-derived tissues (e.g., human fat), and modeling additional organs

  7. Polyurethane as a base for a family of tissue equivalent materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffith, R.V.

    1980-01-01

    Polyurethane was used as a base material for a wide variety of tissue simulating applications. The technique in fabrication is similar to that of epoxy, however, the end products are generally more flexible for use in applications where flexibility is valuable. The material can be fabricated with relatively small laboratory equipment. The use of polyurethane provides the dosimetrist with the capability of making specific, accurate, on-the-spot tissue equivalent formulations to meet situations which require immediate calibration and response

  8. Dose determination algorithms for a nearly tissue equivalent multi-element thermoluminescent dosimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moscovitch, M.; Chamberlain, J.; Velbeck, K.J.

    1988-01-01

    In a continuing effort to develop dosimetric systems that will enable reliable interpretation of dosimeter readings in terms of the absorbed dose or dose-equivalent, a new multi-element TL dosimeter assembly for Beta and Gamma dose monitoring has been designed. The radiation-sensitive volumes are four LiF-TLD elements, each covered by its own unique filter. For media-matching, care has been taken to employ nearly tissue equivalent filters of thicknesses of 1000 mg/cm 2 and 300 mg/cm 2 for deep dose and dose to the lens-of-the-eye measurements respectively. Only one metal filter (Cu) is employed to provide low energy photon discrimination. A Thin TL element (0.09 mm thick) is located behind an open window designed to improve the energy under-response to low energy beta rays and to provide closer estimate of the shallow dose equivalent. The deep and shallow dose equivalents are derived from the correlation of the response of the various TL elements to the above quantities through computations based on previously defined relationships obtained from experimental results. The theoretical formalization for the dose calculation algorithms is described in detail, and provides a useful methodology which can be applied to different tissue-equivalent dosimeter assemblies. Experimental data has been obtained by performing irradiation according to the specifications established by DOELAP, using 27 types of pure and mixed radiation fields including Cs-137 gamma rays, low energy photons down to 20 keV, Sr/Y-90, Uranium, and Tl-204 beta particles

  9. Bio-fabrication and physiological self-release of tissue equivalents using smart peptide amphiphile templates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gouveia, Ricardo M; Hamley, Ian W; Connon, Che J

    2015-10-01

    In this study we applied a smart biomaterial formed from a self-assembling, multi-functional synthetic peptide amphiphile (PA) to coat substrates with various surface chemistries. The combination of PA coating and alignment-inducing functionalised substrates provided a template to instruct human corneal stromal fibroblasts to adhere, become aligned and then bio-fabricate a highly-ordered, multi-layered, three-dimensional tissue by depositing an aligned, native-like extracellular matrix. The newly-formed corneal tissue equivalent was subsequently able to eliminate the adhesive properties of the template and govern its own complete release via the action of endogenous proteases. Tissues recovered through this method were structurally stable, easily handled, and carrier-free. Furthermore, topographical and mechanical analysis by atomic force microscopy showed that tissue equivalents formed on the alignment-inducing PA template had highly-ordered, compact collagen deposition, with a two-fold higher elastic modulus compared to the less compact tissues produced on the non-alignment template, the PA-coated glass. We suggest that this technology represents a new paradigm in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, whereby all processes for the bio-fabrication and subsequent self-release of natural, bio-prosthetic human tissues depend solely on simple template-tissue feedback interactions.

  10. Measurement of californium-252 gamma photons depth dose distribution in tissue equivalent material. Vol. 4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fadel, M A; El-Fiki, M A; Eissa, H M; Abdel-Hafez, A; Naguib, S H [National Institute of Standards, Cairo (Egypt)

    1996-03-01

    Phantom of tissue equivalent material with and without bone was used measuring depth dose distribution of gamma-rays from californium-252 source. The source was positioned at center of perspex walled phantom. Depth dose measurements were recorded for X, Y and Z planes at different distances from source. TLD 700 was used for measuring the dose distribution. Results indicate that implantation of bone in tissue equivalent medium cause changes in the gamma depth dose distribution which varies according to variation in bone geometry. 9 figs.

  11. SU-D-BRC-04: Development of Proton Tissue Equivalent Materials for Calibration and Dosimetry Studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olguin, E [Gainesville, FL (United States); Flampouri, S [University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, FL (United States); Lipnharski, I [University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Bolch, W [University Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To develop new proton tissue equivalent materials (PTEM), urethane and fiberglass based, for proton therapy calibration and dosimetry studies. Existing tissue equivalent plastics are applicable only for x-rays because they focus on matching mass attenuation coefficients. This study aims to create new plastics that match mass stopping powers for proton therapy applications instead. Methods: New PTEMs were constructed using urethane and fiberglass resin materials for soft, fat, bone, and lung tissue. The stoichiometric analysis method was first used to determine the elemental composition of each unknown constituent. New initial formulae were then developed for each of the 4 PTEMs using the new elemental compositions and various additives. Samples of each plastic were then created and exposed to a well defined proton beam at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute (UFHPTI) to validate its mass stopping power. Results: The stoichiometric analysis method revealed the elemental composition of the 3 components used in creating the PTEMs. These urethane and fiberglass based resins were combined with additives such as calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, and phenolic micro spheres to achieve the desired mass stopping powers and densities. Validation at the UFHPTI revealed adjustments had to be made to the formulae, but the plastics eventually had the desired properties after a few iterations. The mass stopping power, density, and Hounsfield Unit of each of the 4 PTEMs were within acceptable tolerances. Conclusion: Four proton tissue equivalent plastics were developed: soft, fat, bone, and lung tissue. These plastics match each of the corresponding tissue’s mass stopping power, density, and Hounsfield Unit, meaning they are truly tissue equivalent for proton therapy applications. They can now be used to calibrate proton therapy treatment planning systems, improve range uncertainties, validate proton therapy Monte Carlo simulations, and assess in-field and out

  12. DEVELOPMENT OF HETEROGENEOUS PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS FOR NEUTRON DOSIMETRY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forouzan, Faezeh; Waker, Anthony J

    2018-01-10

    The use of a custom-made cylindrical graphite proportional counter (Cy-GPC) along with a cylindrical tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) for neutron-gamma mixed-field dosimetry has been studied in the following steps: first, the consistency of the gamma dose measurement between the Cy-TEPC and the Cy-GPC was investigated over a range of 20 keV (X-ray) to 0.661 MeV (Cs-137 gamma ray). Then, with both the counters used simultaneously, the neutron and gamma ray doses produced by a P385 Neutron Generator (Thermo Fisher Scientific) together with a Cs-137 gamma source were determined. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Tissue Equivalent Phantom Design for Characterization of a Coherent Scatter X-ray Imaging System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albanese, Kathryn Elizabeth

    Scatter in medical imaging is typically cast off as image-related noise that detracts from meaningful diagnosis. It is therefore typically rejected or removed from medical images. However, it has been found that every material, including cancerous tissue, has a unique X-ray coherent scatter signature that can be used to identify the material or tissue. Such scatter-based tissue-identification provides the advantage of locating and identifying particular materials over conventional anatomical imaging through X-ray radiography. A coded aperture X-ray coherent scatter spectral imaging system has been developed in our group to classify different tissue types based on their unique scatter signatures. Previous experiments using our prototype have demonstrated that the depth-resolved coherent scatter spectral imaging system (CACSSI) can discriminate healthy and cancerous tissue present in the path of a non-destructive x-ray beam. A key to the successful optimization of CACSSI as a clinical imaging method is to obtain anatomically accurate phantoms of the human body. This thesis describes the development and fabrication of 3D printed anatomical scatter phantoms of the breast and lung. The purpose of this work is to accurately model different breast geometries using a tissue equivalent phantom, and to classify these tissues in a coherent x-ray scatter imaging system. Tissue-equivalent anatomical phantoms were designed to assess the capability of the CACSSI system to classify different types of breast tissue (adipose, fibroglandular, malignant). These phantoms were 3D printed based on DICOM data obtained from CT scans of prone breasts. The phantoms were tested through comparison of measured scatter signatures with those of adipose and fibroglandular tissue from literature. Tumors in the phantom were modeled using a variety of biological tissue including actual surgically excised benign and malignant tissue specimens. Lung based phantoms have also been printed for future

  14. Multi-element proportional counter for radiation protection measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kliauga, P.; Rossi, H.H.; Johnson, G.

    1988-01-01

    This article discusses design modifications of a multi-element proportional counter. The original counter exhibited poor resolution, as measured by the width of the event-size spectrum for low-energy photons. It was also suspected that the field inside each volume was not sufficiently symmetric. Results of the modifications showed that a dramatic improvement in resolution could be obtained in the chamber with tissue-equivalent septa if their potentials were adjusted to obtain optimal resolution. The full width at half maximum then approached, although it did not equal, that of a standard spherical counter

  15. Equivalent circuit of frog atrial tissue as determined by voltage clamp-unclamp experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarr, M; Trank, J

    1971-11-01

    The equivalent circuit that has been used in the analysis of nerve voltage-clamp data is that of the membrane capacity in parallel with the membrane resistance. Voltage-clamp experiments on frog atrial tissue indicate that this circuit will not suffice for this cardiac tissue. The change in membrane current associated with a step change in membrane potential does not show a rapid spike of capacitive current as would be expected for the simple parallel resistance-capacitance network. Rather, there is a step change in current followed by an exponential decay in current with a time constant of about 1 msec. This relatively slow capacitive charging current suggests that there is a resistance in series with the membrane capacity. A possible equivalent circuit is that of a series resistance external to the parallel resistance-capacitance network of the cell membranes. Another possible circuit assumes that the series resistance is an integral part of the cell membrane. The data presented in this paper demonstrate that the equivalent circuit of a bundle of frog atrial muscle is that of an external resistance in series with the cell membranes.

  16. Application of A150-plastic equivalent gases in microdosimetric measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeLuca, P.M. Jr.; Higgins, P.D.; Pearson, D.W.; Schell, M.; Attix, F.H.

    1981-01-01

    Neutron dosimetry measurements with ionization chambers, for the most part, employ tissue equivalent plastic-walled cavities (Shonka A150) filled with either air or a methane-base tissue-like gas. The atomic composition of TE-gas and A150 plastic are not matched and are quite dissimilar from muscle. Awschalom and Attix (1980) have partially resolved the problem by formulating a novel A150-plastic equivalent gas. This establishes a homogeneous wall-gas cavity dosimeter for neutron measurements and confines the necessary corrections to the applications of kerma ratios. In this report, we present measurements of applications of two A150-plastic equivalent gases in a low pressure spherical proportional counter. Gas gains and alpha-particle resolutions were determined. For these A150-mixtures as well as a methane-based TE-gas and an Ar-CO 2 mixture, we report measurements of event size distributions from exposure to a beam of 14.8 MeV neutrons

  17. Determination of tissue equivalent materials of a physical 8-year-old phantom for use in computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akhlaghi, Parisa; Miri Hakimabad, Hashem; Rafat Motavalli, Laleh

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports on the methodology applied to select suitable tissue equivalent materials of an 8-year phantom for use in computed tomography (CT) examinations. To find the appropriate tissue substitutes, first physical properties (physical density, electronic density, effective atomic number, mass attenuation coefficient and CT number) of different materials were studied. Results showed that, the physical properties of water and polyurethane (as soft tissue), B-100 and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (as bone) and polyurethane foam (as lung) agree more with those of original tissues. Then in the next step, the absorbed doses in the location of 25 thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) as well as dose distribution in one slice of phantom were calculated for original and these proposed materials by Monte Carlo simulation at different tube voltages. The comparisons suggested that at tube voltages of 80 and 100 kVp using B-100 as bone, water as soft tissue and polyurethane foam as lung is suitable for dosimetric study in pediatric CT examinations. In addition, it was concluded that by considering just the mass attenuation coefficient of different materials, the appropriate tissue equivalent substitutes in each desired X-ray energy range could be found. - Highlights: • A methodology to select tissue equivalent materials for use in CT was proposed. • Physical properties of different materials were studied. • TLDs dose and dose distribution were calculated for original and proposed materials. • B-100 as bone, and water as soft tissue are best substitute materials at 80 kVp. • Mass attenuation coefficient is determinant for selecting best tissue substitutes

  18. The analysis for energy distribution and biological effects of the clusters from electrons in the tissue equivalent material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Wenzhong; Guo Yong; Luo Yisheng; Wang Yong

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To study energy distribution of the clusters from electrons in the tissue equivalent material, and discuss the important aspects of these clusters on inducing biological effects. Methods: Based on the physical mechanism for electrons interacting with tissue equivalent material, the Monte Carlo (MC) method was used. The electron tracks were lively simulated on an event-by-event (ionization, excitation, elastic scattering, Auger electron emission) basis in the material. The relevant conclusions were drawn from the statistic analysis of these events. Results: The electrons will deposit their energy in the form (30%) of cluster in passing through tissue equivalent material, and most clusters (80%) have the energy amount of more than 50 eV. The cluster density depends on its diameter and energy of electrons, and the deposited energy in the cluster depends on the type and energy of radiation. Conclusion: The deposited energy in cluster is the most important factor in inducing all sort of lesions on DNA molecules in tissue cells

  19. Characterization of tissues equivalent to the human body by the Monte Carlo method for X-rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vega R, J.; Huamani T, Y.; Mullisaca P, A. F.; Yauri C, L.

    2017-10-01

    There is a need to have materials equivalent to the human body that have the appropriate characteristics to be used as a substitute tissue in the clinical practices of radio-diagnosis, radiotherapy. In Arequipa, Peru, there are two health centers in radiotherapy applications, one with a Theratron Co-60 gamma irradiator and another with Elekta Linac; the Medical Physics Area of the School of Physics of the National University of San Agustin de Arequipa, were four equivalent materials based on epoxy resin, phenolitic spheres, calcium carbonate, etc. were built, such as bone tissue, soft tissue, adipose and lung tissue compared with water, whit the purpose of studying and applying them in future clinical applications. In this work we describe its physical and dosimetric characterization to determine its use as an equivalent material or manikin. The materials are 1 cm thick and 30 cm in diameter, the materials are non-malleable solids, they do not degrade, they have stability in their consistency due to temperature and irradiation, they are not toxic in their use, determining densities from 0.32 g/cm 3 for the lung tissue to 1.8 g/cm 3 for the bone material. These materials were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, giving the percentages by weight of the elements found to determine their effective atomic number, the physical analysis to determine their mass absorption and energy coefficients, which were studied for energy photons between 1 KeV at 20 MeV. The simulation of the equivalent materials and the physical and dosimetric study were found using the code Penelope 2008 Monte Carlo method and validated by the Nist database. The results obtained according to their coefficients of mass attenuation of each material, show lung, bone, soft and adipose tissue with differences with respect to the same Nist materials. The range maximum and minimum Rd deviation found was 35.65 - 3.16 for bone, 28.5 - 6.74 for lung, 33.78 - 9.06 for soft tissue and 86.42 - 1.28 for

  20. Verification of an effective dose equivalent model for neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanner, J.E.; Piper, R.K.; Leonowich, J.A.; Faust, L.G.

    1992-01-01

    Since the effective dose equivalent, based on the weighted sum of organ dose equivalents, is not a directly measurable quantity, it must be estimated with the assistance of computer modelling techniques and a knowledge of the incident radiation field. Although extreme accuracy is not necessary for radiation protection purposes, a few well chosen measurements are required to confirm the theoretical models. Neutron doses and dose equivalents were measured in a RANDO phantom at specific locations using thermoluminescence dosemeters, etched track dosemeters, and a 1.27 cm (1/2 in) tissue-equivalent proportional counter. The phantom was exposed to a bare and a D 2 O-moderated 252 Cf neutron source at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory's Low Scatter Facility. The Monte Carlo code MCNP with the MIRD-V mathematical phantom was used to model the human body and to calculate the organ doses and dose equivalents. The experimental methods are described and the results of the measurements are compared with the calculations. (author)

  1. Critical study of some soft-tissue equivalent material. Sensitivity to neutrons of 1 keV to 14 MeV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kerviler, H. de; Pages, L.; Tardy-Joubert, Ph.

    1965-01-01

    Authors have studied the elastic and inelastic reactions on various elements contribution to kerma in standard soft tissue and as a function of neutron energy from 1 keV to 14 MeV the ratio of kerma in tissue equivalent material to kerma in soft tissue. The results of calculations are made for materials without hydrogen in view to state exactly their neutron sensitivity and for the following hydrogenous materials: Rossi and Failla plastic, MixD, pure polyethylene and a new CEA tissue equivalent (a magnesium fluoride and polyethylene compound). Results for γ-rays are given. (authors) [fr

  2. Early recognition of autonomous thyroid tissue by a combination of quantitative thyroid pertechnetate scintigraphy with the free T4 equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joseph, K.; Mahlstedt, J.; Welcke, U.

    1980-01-01

    A suspicion of AFTT can be raised in 80% of still euthyroid patients by a combined evaluation of an equivalent to the free T 4 (FTE) and an equavilant to the clearance using a quantitative evaluation of the thyroid technetium scan (TcTU). The suppression test not only confirms the autonomy in a qualitative manner but also provides an estimate of the volume of autonomous tissue because The TcTU after suppression strictly correlates linearly with the volume of the AFTT. Since after iodine administration FTE increases proportionally to the volume of AFTT, the procedure can be of some prognostic value: those with autonomous tissue in excess of a critical volume will almost certainly develop hyperthyroidism following a certain minimum rate of iodine administration. A prospective study of patients under age 50 whose thyroids contained various amounts of AFTT has shown that prophylactic dietary iodine supplementation will not cause hyperthyroidism to develop provided the additional iodine intake does not exceed 100 μg per day. (orig./MG) [de

  3. Verification of an effective dose equivalent model for neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanner, J.E.; Piper, R.K.; Leonowich, J.A.; Faust, L.G.

    1991-10-01

    Since the effective dose equivalent, based on the weighted sum of organ dose equivalents, is not a directly measurable quantity, it must be estimated with the assistance of computer modeling techniques and a knowledge of the radiation field. Although extreme accuracy is not necessary for radiation protection purposes, a few well-chosen measurements are required to confirm the theoretical models. Neutron measurements were performed in a RANDO phantom using thermoluminescent dosemeters, track etch dosemeters, and a 1/2-in. (1.27-cm) tissue equivalent proportional counter in order to estimate neutron doses and dose equivalents within the phantom at specific locations. The phantom was exposed to bare and D 2 O-moderated 252 Cf neutrons at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory's Low Scatter Facility. The Monte Carlo code MCNP with the MIRD-V mathematical phantom was used to model the human body and calculate organ doses and dose equivalents. The experimental methods are described and the results of the measurements are compared to the calculations. 8 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

  4. Quality factor and dose equivalent investigations aboard the Soviet Space Station Mir

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouisset, P.; Nguyen, V. D.; Parmentier, N.; Akatov, Ia. A.; Arkhangel'Skii, V. V.; Vorozhtsov, A. S.; Petrov, V. M.; Kovalev, E. E.; Siegrist, M.

    1992-07-01

    Since Dec 1988, date of the French-Soviet joint space mission 'ARAGATZ', the CIRCE device, had recorded dose equivalent and quality factor values inside the Mir station (380-410 km, 51.5 deg). After the initial gas filling two years ago, the low pressure tissue equivalent proportional counter is still in good working conditions. Some results of three periods are presented. The average dose equivalent rates measured are respectively 0.6, 0.8 and 0.6 mSv/day with a quality factor equal to 1.9. Some detailed measurements show the increasing of the dose equivalent rates through the SAA and near polar horns. The real time determination of the quality factors allows to point out high linear energy transfer events with quality factors in the range 10-20.

  5. Measurement of the first Townsend ionization coefficient in a methane-based tissue-equivalent gas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petri, A.R. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, Cidade Universitária, 05508-000 São Paulo (Brazil); Gonçalves, J.A.C. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, Cidade Universitária, 05508-000 São Paulo (Brazil); Departamento de Física, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, 01303-050 São Paulo (Brazil); Mangiarotti, A. [Instituto de Física - Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, 05508-080 São Paulo (Brazil); Botelho, S. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, Cidade Universitária, 05508-000 São Paulo (Brazil); Bueno, C.C., E-mail: ccbueno@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, Cidade Universitária, 05508-000 São Paulo (Brazil)

    2017-03-21

    Tissue-equivalent gases (TEGs), often made of a hydrocarbon, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, have been employed in microdosimetry for decades. However, data on the first Townsend ionization coefficient (α) in such mixtures are scarce, regardless of the chosen hydrocarbon. In this context, measurements of α in a methane-based tissue-equivalent gas (CH{sub 4} – 64.4%, CO{sub 2} – 32.4%, and N{sub 2} – 3.2%) were performed in a uniform field configuration for density-normalized electric fields (E/N) up to 290 Td. The setup adopted in our previous works was improved for operating at low pressures. The modifications introduced in the apparatus and the experimental technique were validated by comparing our results of the first Townsend ionization coefficient in nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane with those from the literature and Magboltz simulations. The behavior of α in the methane-based TEG was consistent with that observed for pure methane. All the experimental results are included in tabular form in the .

  6. Characterization of tissue-equivalent materials for use in construction of physical phantoms; Caracterizacao de materiais tecido-equivalentes para uso em construcao de fantomas fisicos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Souza, Edvan V. de, E-mail: edvanmsn@hotmail.com [Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia de Pernambuco (IFFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil); Oliveira, Alex C.H. de, E-mail: oliveira_ach@yahoo.com [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil); Vieira, Jose W., E-mail: jose.wilson59@uol.com.br [Escola Politecnica de Pernambuco (UPE), Recife, PE (Brazil); Lima, Fernando R.A., E-mail: falima@cenen.gov.br [Centro Regional de Ciencias Nucleares (CRCN-NE/CNEN-PE), Recife, PE (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    Phantoms are physical or computational models used to simulate the transport of ionizing radiation, their interactions with human body tissues and evaluate the deposition of energy. Depending on the application, you can build phantoms of various types and features. The physical phantoms are made of materials with behavior similar to human tissues exposed to ionizing radiation, the so-called tissue-equivalent materials. The characterization of various tissue-equivalent materials is important for the choice of materials to be used is appropriate, seeking a better cost-benefit ratio. The main objective of this work is to produce tables containing the main characteristics of tissue-equivalent materials. These tables were produced in Microsoft Office Excel. Among the main features of tissue-equivalent materials that were added to the tables, are density, chemical composition, physical state, chemical stability and solubility. The main importance of this work is to contribute to the construction of high-quality physical phantoms and avoid the waste of materials.

  7. Dose equivalent near the bone-soft tissue interface from nuclear fragments produced by high-energy protons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shavers, M. R.; Poston, J. W.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Wilson, J. W.

    1996-01-01

    During manned space missions, high-energy nucleons of cosmic and solar origin collide with atomic nuclei of the human body and produce a broad linear energy transfer spectrum of secondary particles, called target fragments. These nuclear fragments are often more biologically harmful than the direct ionization of the incident nucleon. That these secondary particles increase tissue absorbed dose in regions adjacent to the bone-soft tissue interface was demonstrated in a previous publication. To assess radiological risks to tissue near the bone-soft tissue interface, a computer transport model for nuclear fragments produced by high energy nucleons was used in this study to calculate integral linear energy transfer spectra and dose equivalents resulting from nuclear collisions of 1-GeV protons transversing bone and red bone marrow. In terms of dose equivalent averaged over trabecular bone marrow, target fragments emitted from interactions in both tissues are predicted to be at least as important as the direct ionization of the primary protons-twice as important, if recently recommended radiation weighting factors and "worst-case" geometry are used. The use of conventional dosimetry (absorbed dose weighted by aa linear energy transfer-dependent quality factor) as an appropriate framework for predicting risk from low fluences of high-linear energy transfer target fragments is discussed.

  8. Measurement of characteristic prompt gamma rays emitted from oxygen and carbon in tissue-equivalent samples during proton beam irradiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polf, Jerimy C; Panthi, Rajesh; Mackin, Dennis S; McCleskey, Matt; Saastamoinen, Antti; Roeder, Brian T; Beddar, Sam

    2013-09-07

    The purpose of this work was to characterize how prompt gamma (PG) emission from tissue changes as a function of carbon and oxygen concentration, and to assess the feasibility of determining elemental concentration in tissues irradiated with proton beams. For this study, four tissue-equivalent water-sucrose samples with differing densities and concentrations of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen were irradiated with a 48 MeV proton pencil beam. The PG spectrum emitted from each sample was measured using a high-purity germanium detector, and the absolute detection efficiency of the detector, average beam current, and delivered dose distribution were also measured. Changes to the total PG emission from (12)C (4.44 MeV) and (16)O (6.13 MeV) per incident proton and per Gray of absorbed dose were characterized as a function of carbon and oxygen concentration in the sample. The intensity of the 4.44 MeV PG emission per incident proton was found to be nearly constant for all samples regardless of their carbon concentration. However, we found that the 6.13 MeV PG emission increased linearly with the total amount (in grams) of oxygen irradiated in the sample. From the measured PG data, we determined that 1.64 × 10(7) oxygen PGs were emitted per gram of oxygen irradiated per Gray of absorbed dose delivered with a 48 MeV proton beam. These results indicate that the 6.13 MeV PG emission from (16)O is proportional to the concentration of oxygen in tissue irradiated with proton beams, showing that it is possible to determine the concentration of oxygen within tissues irradiated with proton beams by measuring (16)O PG emission.

  9. Characterization of paraffin based breast tissue equivalent phantom using a CdTe detector pulse height analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cubukcu, Solen; Yücel, Haluk

    2016-12-01

    In this study, paraffin was selected as a base material and mixed with different amounts of CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O and H 3 BO 3 compounds in order to mimic breast tissue. Slab phantoms were produced with suitable mixture ratios of the additives in the melted paraffin. Subsequently, these were characterized in terms of first half-value layer (HVL) in the mammographic X-ray range using a pulse-height spectroscopic analysis with a CdTe detector. Irradiations were performed in the energy range of 23-35 kV p under broad beam conditions from Mo/Mo and Mo/Rh target/filter combinations. X-ray spectra were acquired with a CdTe detector without and with phantom material interposition in increments of 1 cm thickness and then evaluated to obtain the transmission data. The net integral areas of the spectra for the slabs were used to plot the transmission curves and these curves were fitted to the Archer model function. The results obtained for the slabs were compared with those of standard mammographic phantoms such as CIRS BR series phantoms and polymethylmethacrylate plates (PMMA). From the evaluated transmission curves, the mass attenuation coefficients and HVLs of some mixtures are close to those of the commercially available standard mammography phantoms. Results indicated that when a suitable proportion of H 3 BO 3 and CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O is added to the paraffin, the resulting material may be a good candidate for a breast tissue equivalent phantom.

  10. Test of tissue-equivalent scintillation detector for dose measurement of megavoltage beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geso, M.; Ackerly, T.; Clift, M.A.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: The measurement of depth doses and profiles for a stereotactic radiotherapy beam presents special problems associated with the small beam size compared to the dosimeter's active detection area. In this work a locally fabricated organic plastic scintillator detector has been used to measure the depth dose and profile of a stereotactic radiotherapy beam. The 6MV beam is 1.25 cm diameter at isocentre, typical of small field stereotactic radiosurgery. The detector is a water/tissue equivalent plastic scintillator that is accompanied by Cerenkov subtraction detector. In this particular application, a negligible amount of Cerenkov light was detected. A photodiode and an electronic circuit is used instead of a photomultiplier for signal amplification. Comparison with data using a diode detector and a small size ionization chamber, indicate that the organic plastic scintillator detector is a valid detector for stereotactic radiosurgery dosimetry. The tissue equivalence of the organic scintillator also holds the promise of accurate dosimetry in the build up region. Depth doses measured using our plastic scintillator agree to within about 1% with those obtained using commercially available silicon diodes. Beam profiles obtained using plastic scintillator presents correct field width to within 0.35 mm, however some artifacts are visible in the profiles. These artifacts are about 5% discrepancy which has been shown not to be a significant factor in stereotactic radiotherapy dosimetry. Copyright (2000) Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine

  11. High proportion of PD-1-expressing CD4+ T cells in adipose tissue constitutes an immunomodulatory microenvironment that may support HIV persistence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damouche, Abderaouf; Pourcher, Guillaume; Pourcher, Valérie; Benoist, Stéphane; Busson, Elodie; Lataillade, Jean-Jacques; Le Van, Mélanie; Lazure, Thierry; Adam, Julien; Favier, Benoit; Vaslin, Bruno; Müller-Trutwin, Michaela; Lambotte, Olivier; Bourgeois, Christine

    2017-12-01

    We and others have demonstrated that adipose tissue is a reservoir for HIV. Evaluation of the mechanisms responsible for viral persistence may lead to ways of reducing these reservoirs. Here, we evaluated the immune characteristics of adipose tissue in HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and in non-HIV-infected patients. We notably sought to determine whether adipose tissue's intrinsic properties and/or HIV induced alteration of the tissue environment may favour viral persistence. ART-controlled HIV infection was associated with a difference in the CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and an elevated proportion of Treg cells in subcutaneous adipose tissue. No changes in Th1, Th2 and Th17 cell proportions or activation markers expression on T cell (Ki-67, HLA-DR) could be detected, and the percentage of CD69-expressing resident memory CD4 + T cells was not affected. Overall, our results indicate that adipose-tissue-resident CD4 + T cells are not extensively activated during HIV infection. PD-1 was expressed by a high proportion of tissue-resident memory CD4 + T cells in both HIV-infected patients and non-HIV-infected patients. Our findings suggest that adipose tissue's intrinsic immunomodulatory properties may limit immune activation and thus may strongly contribute to viral persistence. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Radicals formation in the PVC/DOP plastisol radiolysis used as equivalent-tissue in radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pezzin, A.P.T.; Salman, K.D.; Mei, L.H.I.

    1997-01-01

    Recently, a tissue simulator called bolus was developed at FEQ/UNICAMP, which is made of dioctyl phthalate and poly (vinyl chloride) (DOC/PVC). This bolus has the function of displacing the maximum dose the skin surface in radiation therapy of skin and breast cancer. In this way the healthy tissues around the tumor are protected. Research at the Center for Women's Health (CAISM) of the Clinical Hospital of UNICAMP has shown that this material can be used as the tissue-equivalent of skin. In the present work, bolus samples were irradiated by gamma rays and the radicals formed were investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance at 110K. The results showed the radicals formation as a consequence of the homolytic scissions of the chemical bonds of DOP and the air presence interfere in the quantity of observed paramagnetic species. (author)

  13. Absorbed dose measurement by using tissue equivalent ionization chamber (pair ionization chamber) in the Yayoi reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasuga, N.; Okamura, K.; Terakado, T.; Mabuchi, Y.; Nakagawa, T.; Sukegawa, Toshio; Aizawa, C.; Saito, I.; Oka, Yoshiaki

    1998-01-01

    Each dose rate of neutron and gamma ray in the thermal column of the Yayoi reactor, in which an epithermal neutron field will be used for the boron neutron capture therapy, was measured by using a tissue equivalent ionization chamber and a graphite chamber. The tissue equivalent ionization chamber has some response to both neutron and gamma ray, but the graphite chamber has a few response to the neutron, so called pair ionization chamber method. The epithermal neutron fluxes of the thermal column were calculated by ANISN (one dimensional neutron-gamma transport code). A measured value for gamma dose rate by the pair ionization chamber agrees relevantly with a calculated result. For neutron dose rate, however, the measured value was too much small in comparison with the calculated result. The discrepancy between the measured value and the calculated result for neutron dose rate is discussed in detail in the report. (M. Suetake)

  14. Analysis of biological tissues in infant chest for the development of an equivalent radiographic phantom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pina, D. R.; Souza, Rafael T. F.; Duarte, Sergio B.; Alvarez, Matheus; Miranda, Jose R. A.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The main purpose of the present study was to determine the amounts of different tissues in the chest of the newborn patient (age ≤1 year), with the aim of developing a homogeneous phantom chest equivalent. This type of phantom is indispensable in the development of optimization procedures for radiographic techniques, including dosimetric control, which is a crucial aspect of pediatric radiology. The authors present a systematic set of procedures, including a computational algorithm, to estimate the amounts of tissues and thicknesses of the corresponding simulator material plates used to construct the phantom. Methods: The Gaussian fit of computed tomographic (CT) analysis was applied to classify and quantify different biological tissues. The methodology is summarized with a computational algorithm, which was used to quantify tissues through automated CT analysis. The thicknesses of the equivalent homogeneous simulator material plates were determined to construct the phantom. Results: A total of 180 retrospective CT examinations with anterior-posterior diameter values ranging 8.5-13.0 cm were examined. The amounts of different tissues were evaluated. The results provided elements to construct a phantom to simulate the infant chest in the posterior-anterior or anterior-posterior (PA/AP) view. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this report represents the first demonstration of an infant chest phantom dedicated to the radiology of children younger than one year. This phantom is a key element in the development of clinical charts for optimizing radiographic technique in pediatric patients. Optimization procedures for nonstandard patients were reported previously [Pina et al., Phys. Med. Biol. 49, N215-N226 (2004) and Pina et al., Appl. Radiat. Isot. 67, 61-69 (2009)]. The constructed phantom represents a starting point to obtain radiologic protocols for the infant patient.

  15. Neutron dose equivalent next to the target shield of a neutron therapy facility using an LET counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stinchcomb, T.G.; Kuchnir, F.T.

    1981-01-01

    The use of a spherical tissue-equivalent proportional counter for measurements of the lineal energy (y) and derivations of the linear energy transfer (LET) for fast neutrons has the advantage of giving distributions of dose and dose equivalent as functions of either LET or y. A measurement next to the target shielding of the neutron therapy facility at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics (UCHC) is described, and the data processing is outlined. The distributions are presented and compared to those from measurements in the neutron beam. The average quality factors are presented

  16. Fabrication of a tissue-equivalent torso phantom for intercalibration of in-vivo transuranic-nuclide counting facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffith, R.V.; Dean, P.N.; Anderson, A.L.; Fisher, J.C.

    1978-01-01

    A tissue-equivalent human-torso phantom has been constructed for calibration of the counting systems used for in-vivo measurement of transuranic nuclides. The phantom contains a human male rib cage, removable model organs, and includes tissue-equivalent chest plates that can be placed over the torso to simulate people with a wide range of statures. The organs included are lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, and tracheo-bronchial lymph nodes. Polyurethane with different concentrations of calcium carbonate was used to simulate the linear photon-attenuation properties of various human tissues--lean muscle, adipose-muscle mixtures, and cartilage. Foamed polyurethane with calcium carbonate simulates lung tissue. Transuranic isotopes can be incorporated uniformly in the phantom's lungs and other polyurethane-based organs by dissolution of the nitrate form in acetone with lanthanum nitrate carrier. Organs have now been labelled with highly pure 238 Pu, 239 Pu, and 241 Am for calibration measurements. This phantom is the first of three that will be used in a U.S. Department of Energy program of intercomparisons involving more than ten laboratories. The results of the intercomparison will allow participating laboratories to prepare sets of transmission curves that can be used to predict the performance of their counting systems for a wide range of subject builds and organ depositions. The intercomparison will also provide valuable information on the relative performance of a variety of detector systems and counting techniques

  17. Evaluation of tissue-equivalent materials to be used as human brain tissue substitute in dosimetry for diagnostic radiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferreira, C.C., E-mail: cassio.c.ferreira@gmail.co [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Postal Code 353, Sergipe-SE 49100-000 (Brazil); Ximenes Filho, R.E.M., E-mail: raimundoximenes@hotmail.co [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Postal Code 353, Sergipe-SE 49100-000 (Brazil); Vieira, J.W., E-mail: jwvieira@br.inter.ne [Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica de Pernambuco (CEFET-PE), Av. Professor Luiz Freire, 500 Curado, CEP 50740-540, Recife (Brazil); Escola Politecnica de Pernambuco, Universidade de Pernambuco (EPP/UPE), Rua Benfica, 455, Madalena, CEP 50720-001, Recife (Brazil); Tomal, A., E-mail: alessandratomal@pg.ffclrp.usp.b [Departamento de Fisica e Matematica, FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto-SP 14040-90 (Brazil); Poletti, M.E., E-mail: poletti@ffclrp.usp.b [Departamento de Fisica e Matematica, FFCLRP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto-SP 14040-90 (Brazil); Garcia, C.A.B., E-mail: cgarcia@ufs.b [Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Postal Code 353, Sergipe-SE 49100-000 (Brazil); Maia, A.F., E-mail: afmaia@ufs.b [Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Postal Code 353, Sergipe-SE 49100-000 (Brazil)

    2010-08-15

    Tissue-equivalent materials to be used as substitutes for human brain tissue in dosimetry for diagnostic radiology have been investigated in terms of calculated total mass attenuation coefficient ({mu}/{rho}), calculated mass energy-absorption coefficient ({mu}{sub en}/{rho}) and absorbed dose. Measured linear attenuation coefficients ({mu}) have been used for benchmarking the calculated total mass attenuation coefficient ({mu}/{rho}). The materials examined were bolus, nylon (registered) , orange articulation wax, red articulation wax, PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate), bees wax, paraffin I, paraffin II, pitch and water. The results show that water is the best substitute for brain among the materials investigated. The average percentage differences between the calculated {mu}/{rho} and {mu}{sub en}/{rho} coefficients for water and those for brain were 1.0% and 2.5%, respectively. Absorbed doses determined by Monte Carlo methods confirm water as being the best brain substitute to be used in dosimetry for diagnostic radiology, showing maximum difference of 0.01%. Additionally this study showed that PMMA, a material often used for the manufacturing of head phantoms for computed tomography, cannot be considered to be a suitable substitute for human brain tissue in dosimetry.

  18. Calculation of dose distribution for 252Cf fission neutron source in tissue equivalent phantoms using Monte Carlo method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ji Gang; Guo Yong; Luo Yisheng; Zhang Wenzhong

    2001-01-01

    Objective: To provide useful parameters for neutron radiotherapy, the author presents results of a Monte Carlo simulation study investigating the dosimetric characteristics of linear 252 Cf fission neutron sources. Methods: A 252 Cf fission source and tissue equivalent phantom were modeled. The dose of neutron and gamma radiations were calculated using Monte Carlo Code. Results: The dose of neutron and gamma at several positions for 252 Cf in the phantom made of equivalent materials to water, blood, muscle, skin, bone and lung were calculated. Conclusion: The results by Monte Carlo methods were compared with the data by measurement and references. According to the calculation, the method using water phantom to simulate local tissues such as muscle, blood and skin is reasonable for the calculation and measurements of dose distribution for 252 Cf

  19. SU-F-T-181: Proton Therapy Tissue-Equivalence of 3D Printed Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, P; Craft, D; Followill, D; Howell, R

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This work investigated the proton tissue-equivalence of various 3D printed materials. Methods: Three 3D printers were used to create 5 cm cubic phantoms made of different plastics with varying percentages of infill. White resin, polylactic acid (PLA), and NinjaFlex plastics were used. The infills ranged from 15% to 100%. Each phantom was scanned with a CT scanner to obtain the HU value. The relative linear stopping power (RLSP) was then determined using a multi-layer ion chamber in a 200 MeV proton beam. The RLSP was measured both parallel and perpendicular to the print direction for each material. Results: The HU values of the materials ranged from lung-equivalent (−820 HU σ160) when using a low infill, to soft-tissue-equivalent 159 (σ12). The RLSP of the materials depended on the orientation of the beam relative to the print direction. When the proton beam was parallel to the print direction, the RLSP was generally higher than the RLSP in the perpendicular orientation, by up to 45%. This difference was smaller (less than 6%) for the materials with 100% infill. For low infill cubes irradiated parallel to the print direction, the SOBP curve showed extreme degradation of the beam in the distal region. The materials with 15–25% infill had wide-ranging agreement with a clinical HU-RLSP conversion curve, with some measurements falling within 1% of the curve and others deviating up to 45%. The materials with 100% infill all fell within 7% of the curve. Conclusion: While some materials tested fall within 1% of a clinical HU-RLSP curve, caution should be taken when using 3D printed materials with proton therapy, as the orientation of the beam relative to the print direction can result in a large change in RLSP. Further investigation is needed to measure how the infill pattern affects the material RLSP. This work was supported by PHS grant CA180803.

  20. SU-F-T-181: Proton Therapy Tissue-Equivalence of 3D Printed Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, P; Craft, D; Followill, D; Howell, R [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: This work investigated the proton tissue-equivalence of various 3D printed materials. Methods: Three 3D printers were used to create 5 cm cubic phantoms made of different plastics with varying percentages of infill. White resin, polylactic acid (PLA), and NinjaFlex plastics were used. The infills ranged from 15% to 100%. Each phantom was scanned with a CT scanner to obtain the HU value. The relative linear stopping power (RLSP) was then determined using a multi-layer ion chamber in a 200 MeV proton beam. The RLSP was measured both parallel and perpendicular to the print direction for each material. Results: The HU values of the materials ranged from lung-equivalent (−820 HU σ160) when using a low infill, to soft-tissue-equivalent 159 (σ12). The RLSP of the materials depended on the orientation of the beam relative to the print direction. When the proton beam was parallel to the print direction, the RLSP was generally higher than the RLSP in the perpendicular orientation, by up to 45%. This difference was smaller (less than 6%) for the materials with 100% infill. For low infill cubes irradiated parallel to the print direction, the SOBP curve showed extreme degradation of the beam in the distal region. The materials with 15–25% infill had wide-ranging agreement with a clinical HU-RLSP conversion curve, with some measurements falling within 1% of the curve and others deviating up to 45%. The materials with 100% infill all fell within 7% of the curve. Conclusion: While some materials tested fall within 1% of a clinical HU-RLSP curve, caution should be taken when using 3D printed materials with proton therapy, as the orientation of the beam relative to the print direction can result in a large change in RLSP. Further investigation is needed to measure how the infill pattern affects the material RLSP. This work was supported by PHS grant CA180803.

  1. Dose of radiation enhancement, using silver nanoparticles in a human tissue equivalent gel dosimeter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Muhammad; Waheed, Muhammad Mohsin; Anjum, Muhammad Naeem

    2016-01-01

    To quantify the radiation dose enhancement in a human tissue-equivalent polymer gel impregnated with silver nanoparticles. The case-control study was conducted at the Bahawalpur Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bahawalpur, Pakistan, in January 2014. Silver nanoparticles used in this study were prepared by wet chemical method. Polymer gel was prepared by known quantity of gelatine, methacrylic acid, ascorbic acid, copper sulphate pentahydrate, hydroquinone and water. Different concentrations of silver nanoparticles were added to the gel during its cooling process. The gel was cooled in six plastic vials of 50ml each. Two vials were used as a control sample while four vials were impregnated with silver nanoparticles. After 22 hours, the vials were irradiated with gamma rays by aCobalt-60 unit. Radiation enhancement was assessed by taking magnetic resonance images of the vials. The images were analysed using Image J software. The dose enhancement factor was 24.17% and 40.49% for 5Gy and 10Gy dose respectively. The dose enhancement factor for the gel impregnated with 0.10mM silver nanoparticles was 32.88% and 51.98% for 5Gy and 10Gy dose respectively. The impregnation of a tissue-equivalent gel with silver nanoparticles resulted in dose enhancement and this effect was magnified up to a certain level with the increase in concentration of silver nanoparticles.

  2. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents in tissues of birds at Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Paul D.; Giesy, John P.; Newsted, John L.; Verbrugge, David A.; Beaver, Donald L.; Ankley, Gerald T.; Tillitt, Donald E.; Lodge, Keith B.; Niemi, Gerald J.

    1993-01-01

    The environment has become contaminated with complex mixtures of planar, chlorinated hydrocarbons (PCHs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and structurally similar compounds. Because the potencies of individual congeners to cause the same adverse effects vary greatly and the relative as well as absolute concentrations of individual PCH vary among samples from different locations, it is difficult to assess the toxic effects of these mixtures on wildlife. These compounds can cause a number of adverse effects, however, because the toxic effects which occur at ecologically-relevant concentrations such as embryo-lethality and birth defects appear to be mediated through the same mechanism, the potency of individual congeners can be reported relative to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) which is the most toxic congener in the PCH class. The concentations of 2,3,7,8-TCDD Equivalents (TCDD-EQ) were determined in the tissues of aquatic and terrestrial birds of Green Bay, Wisconsin by the H4IIE bioassay system and compared toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) with the concentration predicted by the use of toxic equivalency factors applied to concentrations of PCH, which were determined by instrumental analyses. Concentrations of TCDD-EQ ranged from 0.52 to 440 ng/kg, wet weight. The greatest concentrations occurred in the fish-eating birds. Concentrations of TCDD-EQ, which were determined by the two methods were significantly correlated, but the additive model which used the TEFs with concentrations of measured PCB, PCDD and PCDF congeners underestimated the concentrations of TCDD-EQ measured by the H4IIE bioassay by an average of 57%. This is thought to be due to contributions from un-quantified PCH, which are known to occur in the environment. Of the quantified PCH congeners, PCDD and PCDF contributed a small portion of the TCDD-EQ in the aquatic birds, while most of the

  3. Development of a tissue-engineered human oral mucosa equivalent based on an acellular allogeneic dermal matrix: a preliminary report of clinical application to burn wounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iida, Takuya; Takami, Yoshihiro; Yamaguchi, Ryo; Shimazaki, Shuji; Harii, Kiyonori

    2005-01-01

    Tissue-engineered skin equivalents composed of epidermal and dermal components have been widely investigated for coverage of full-thickness skin defects. We developed a tissue-engineered oral mucosa equivalent based on an acellular allogeneic dermal matrix and investigated its characteristics. We also tried and assessed its preliminary clinical application. Human oral mucosal keratinocytes were separated from a piece of oral mucosa and cultured in a chemically-defined medium. The keratinocytes were seeded on to the acellular allogeneic dermal matrix and cultured. Histologically, the mucosa equivalent had a well-stratified epithelial layer. Immunohistochemical study showed that it was similar to normal oral mucosa. We applied this equivalent in one case with an extensive burn wound. The equivalent was transplanted three weeks after the harvest of the patient's oral mucosa and about 30% of the graft finally survived. We conclude that this new oral mucosa equivalent could become a therapeutic option for the treatment of extensive burns.

  4. Critical study of some soft-tissue equivalent material. Sensitivity to neutrons of 1 keV to 14 MeV; Etude critique de quelques materiaux equivalents aux tissus mous. Sensibilite aux neutrons de 1 keV a 14 MeV

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kerviler, H de; Pages, L; Tardy-Joubert, Ph [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1965-07-01

    Authors have studied the elastic and inelastic reactions on various elements contribution to kerma in standard soft tissue and as a function of neutron energy from 1 keV to 14 MeV the ratio of kerma in tissue equivalent material to kerma in soft tissue. The results of calculations are made for materials without hydrogen in view to state exactly their neutron sensitivity and for the following hydrogenous materials: Rossi and Failla plastic, MixD, pure polyethylene and a new CEA tissue equivalent (a magnesium fluoride and polyethylene compound). Results for {gamma}-rays are given. (authors) [French] Les auteurs ont etudie la contribution au kerma total des reactions elastiques et inelastiques sur les divers composants du tissu mou standard et la variation, en fonction de l'energie des neutrons de 1 keV a 14 MeV, du rapport des kermas dans differents materiaux equivalents au tissu au kerma dans les tissus mous. Les materiaux etudies sont des materiaux sans hydrogene afin de preciser leur sensibilite aux neutrons et les materiaux hydrogenes suivants: plastique de Rossi et Failla, polyethylene pur, MixD, nouveau plastique CEA a base de polyethylene et de fluorure de magnesium. Les resultats pour les photons sont egalement rappeles. (auteurs)

  5. Investigation of real tissue water equivalent path lengths using an efficient dose extinction method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Rongxiao; Baer, Esther; Jee, Kyung-Wook; Sharp, Gregory C.; Flanz, Jay; Lu, Hsiao-Ming

    2017-07-01

    For proton therapy, an accurate conversion of CT HU to relative stopping power (RSP) is essential. Validation of the conversion based on real tissue samples is more direct than the current practice solely based on tissue substitutes and can potentially address variations over the population. Based on a novel dose extinction method, we measured water equivalent path lengths (WEPL) on animal tissue samples to evaluate the accuracy of CT HU to RSP conversion and potential variations over a population. A broad proton beam delivered a spread out Bragg peak to the samples sandwiched between a water tank and a 2D ion-chamber detector. WEPLs of the samples were determined from the transmission dose profiles measured as a function of the water level in the tank. Tissue substitute inserts and Lucite blocks with known WEPLs were used to validate the accuracy. A large number of real tissue samples were measured. Variations of WEPL over different batches of tissue samples were also investigated. The measured WEPLs were compared with those computed from CT scans with the Stoichiometric calibration method. WEPLs were determined within  ±0.5% percentage deviation (% std/mean) and  ±0.5% error for most of the tissue surrogate inserts and the calibration blocks. For biological tissue samples, percentage deviations were within  ±0.3%. No considerable difference (extinction measurement took around 5 min to produce ~1000 WEPL values to be compared with calculations. This dose extinction system measures WEPL efficiently and accurately, which allows the validation of CT HU to RSP conversions based on the WEPL measured for a large number of samples and real tissues.

  6. Photoprotection by pistachio bioactives in a 3-dimensional human skin equivalent tissue model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, C-Y Oliver; Smith, Avi; Liu, Yuntao; Du, Peng; Blumberg, Jeffrey B; Garlick, Jonathan

    2017-09-01

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during ultraviolet (UV) light exposure can induce skin damage and aging. Antioxidants can provide protection against oxidative injury to skin via "quenching" ROS. Using a validated 3-dimensional (3D) human skin equivalent (HSE) tissue model that closely mimics human skin, we examined whether pistachio antioxidants could protect HSE against UVA-induced damage. Lutein and γ-tocopherol are the predominant lipophilic antioxidants in pistachios; treatment with these compounds prior to UVA exposure protected against morphological changes to the epithelial and connective tissue compartments of HSE. Pistachio antioxidants preserved overall skin thickness and organization, as well as fibroblast morphology, in HSE exposed to UVA irradiation. However, this protection was not substantiated by the analysis of the proliferation of keratinocytes and apoptosis of fibroblasts. Additional studies are warranted to elucidate the basis of these discordant results and extend research into the potential role of pistachio bioactives promoting skin health.

  7. Calibration of proportional counters in microdosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varma, M.N.

    1982-01-01

    Many microdosimetric spectra for low LET as well as high LET radiations are measured using commercially available (similar to EG and G) Rossi proportional counters. This paper discusses the corrections to be applied to data when calibration of the counter is made using one type of radiation, and then the counter is used in a different radiation field. The principal correction factor is due to differences in W-value of the radiation used for calibration and the radiation for which microdosimetric measurements are made. Both propane and methane base tissue-equivalent (TE) gases are used in these counters. When calibrating the detectors, it is important to use the correct stopping power value for that gas. Deviations in y-bar/sub F/ and y-bar/sub D/ are calculated for 60 Co using different extrapolation procedures from 0.15 keV/μm to zero event size. These deviations can be as large as 30%. Advantages of reporting microdosimetric parameters such as y-bar/sub F/ and y-bar/sub D/ above a certain minimum cut-off are discussed

  8. Changes of Dielectric Properties induced by Fast neutrons in Tissue Equivalent Plastic A-150

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdou, M.S.

    2000-01-01

    Tissue equivalent plastic A-150 (TEP A-150) samples are exposed to fast neutrons. Dielectric studies for TEP A-150 are carried out in the frequency range from 40 Hz to 4 MHz in the temperature range 295-343 K. The obtained data revealed that, both the dielectric properties and conductivity sigma ac (omega) of TEP A-150 are altered when irradiated by a relatively high fast neutron dose (15 Sv). The values of dielectric constant and conductivity are increased for the irradiated samples to about 24% than the blank samples

  9. Controlling human corneal stromal stem cell contraction to mediate rapid cell and matrix organization of real architecture for 3-dimensional tissue equivalents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukhey, Dev; Phillips, James B; Daniels, Julie T; Kureshi, Alvena K

    2018-02-01

    The architecture of the human corneal stroma consists of a highly organized extracellular matrix (ECM) interspersed with keratocytes. Their progenitor cells; corneal stromal stem cells (CSSC) are located at the periphery, in the limbal stroma. A highly organized corneal ECM is critical for effective transmission of light but this structure may be compromised during injury or disease, resulting in loss of vision. Re-creating normal organization in engineered tissue equivalents for transplantation often involves lengthy culture times that are inappropriate for clinical use or utilisation of synthetic substrates that bring complications such as corneal melting. CSSC have great therapeutic potential owing to their ability to reorganize a disorganized matrix, restoring transparency in scarred corneas. We examined CSSC contractile behavior to assess whether this property could be exploited to rapidly generate cell and ECM organization in Real Architecture For 3D Tissues (RAFT) tissue equivalents (TE) for transplantation. Free-floating collagen gels were characterized to assess contractile behavior of CSSC and establish optimum cell density and culture times. To mediate cell and collagen organization, tethered collagen gels seeded with CSSC were cultured and subsequently stabilized with the RAFT process. We demonstrated rapid creation of biomimetic RAFT TE with tunable structural properties. These displayed three distinct regions of varying degrees of cellular and collagen organization. Interestingly, increased organization coincided with a dramatic loss of PAX6 expression in CSSC, indicating rapid differentiation into keratocytes. The organized RAFT TE system could be a useful bioengineering tool to rapidly create an organized ECM while simultaneously controlling cell phenotype. For the first time, we have demonstrated that human CSSC exhibit the phenomenon of cellular self-alignment in tethered collagen gels. We found this mediated rapid co-alignment of collagen fibrils

  10. Equivalent physical models and formulation of equivalent source layer in high-resolution EEG imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao Dezhong; He Bin

    2003-01-01

    In high-resolution EEG imaging, both equivalent dipole layer (EDL) and equivalent charge layer (ECL) assumed to be located just above the cortical surface have been proposed as high-resolution imaging modalities or as intermediate steps to estimate the epicortical potential. Presented here are the equivalent physical models of these two equivalent source layers (ESL) which show that the strength of EDL is proportional to the surface potential of the layer when the outside of the layer is filled with an insulator, and that the strength of ECL is the normal current of the layer when the outside is filled with a perfect conductor. Based on these equivalent physical models, closed solutions of ECL and EDL corresponding to a dipole enclosed by a spherical layer are given. These results provide the theoretical basis of ESL applications in high-resolution EEG mapping

  11. Equivalent physical models and formulation of equivalent source layer in high-resolution EEG imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yao Dezhong [School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu City, 610054, Sichuan Province (China); He Bin [The University of Illinois at Chicago, IL (United States)

    2003-11-07

    In high-resolution EEG imaging, both equivalent dipole layer (EDL) and equivalent charge layer (ECL) assumed to be located just above the cortical surface have been proposed as high-resolution imaging modalities or as intermediate steps to estimate the epicortical potential. Presented here are the equivalent physical models of these two equivalent source layers (ESL) which show that the strength of EDL is proportional to the surface potential of the layer when the outside of the layer is filled with an insulator, and that the strength of ECL is the normal current of the layer when the outside is filled with a perfect conductor. Based on these equivalent physical models, closed solutions of ECL and EDL corresponding to a dipole enclosed by a spherical layer are given. These results provide the theoretical basis of ESL applications in high-resolution EEG mapping.

  12. Microcystin-LR equivalent concentrations in fish tissue during a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The effects of a decomposing cyanobacteria bloom on water quality and the accumulation of microcystin-LR equivalent toxin in fish at Loskop Dam were studied in May 2012. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] was used to confirm the presence of microcystin-LR equivalent in the water and to determine the ...

  13. The equidosemeter ED-02 as a device for dose equivalent measurements in mixed neutron and photon radiation fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abrosimov, A.I.; Alekseev, A.G.; Antipov, V.A.; Golovachik, V.T.

    1985-01-01

    The equidosemeter ED-02 is to be used for simultaneous measurements of the dose equivalent, absorbed dose, and mean quality factor of mixed radiations. The detector is a tissue equivalent spherical low-pressure proportional counter tube the signal of which is simultaneously recorded in two channels - a current channel and a pulse one. The current channel is linear and its response proportional to the absorbed dose. The pulse channel includes a nonlinear pulse amplitude converter the characteristic of which, taking into account the required dependence of the mean quality factor on linear energy transfer, has been chosen in such a way that in final counting the pulse channel response is proportional to the difference between dose equivalent and absorbed dose. On the basis of calculations of event spectra in the sensitive volume of the detector, the energy dependence of the dosemeter sensitivity is analysed for neutron energies up to 20 MeV. The characteristic of the nonlinear converter has been calculated on the basis of the construction parameters of the detector and optimized with respect to a representative sample of neutron spectra beyond the shields of nuclear plants. The heterogeneity of the detector, i.e. the difference between the atomic composition of wall and filling and the composition of soft biological tissue as well as the effect of the conducting coating of the case cathode, has been taken into consideration. Moreover, the test results of the device in mixed neutron-photon fields of 60 Co, 239 Pu-α-Be and 252 Cf radioisotope sources are presented. The main measuring error of dose characteristics is shown to be less than 20% in the dose range 1 x 10 -3 to 4 x 10 -3 Sv/h. (author)

  14. Effect of chest wall radiotherapy in different manners using tissue equivalent bolus on skin and lung of cavia cobayas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Wei; Qu Yaqin; Song Xiangfu; Liu Shixin; Jia Xiaojing; Guo He; Yang Lei

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To probe the influence of electron beam radiotherapy in different manners using different tissue equivalent boluses on skin and lung. Methods: Adult female cavia cobayas were randomly divided into four groups as control group, half-time with bolus group, half-time with bolus group and without bolus group. Acute-irradiation animal models were established using electron beam in different manners with or without 0.5 cm tissue equivalent bolus. Pathological changes in lung, hair vesicle and fibroblast cell count were analyzed 40 clays after irradiation. Results: The radiation dermatitis in the group with bolus was slighter than that of the group without bolus, but the radiation pneumonia was reverse. With bolus, the radiation dermatitis of haft-time group was slighter than that of full-time group. The injury repair of half-time group was more active than full-time group. Conclusions: The treatment of haft-time bolus could protect lung without serious skin complications. (authors)

  15. TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP2-05: Breast and Soft Tissue-Equivalent 3D Printed Phantoms for Imaging and Dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hintenlang, D; Terracino, B

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The study has the goal to demonstrate that breast and soft tissue-equivalent phantoms for dosimetry applications in the diagnostic energy range can be fabricated using common 3D printing methods. Methods: 3D printing provides the opportunity to rapidly prototype uniquely designed objects from a variety of materials. Common 3D printers are usually limited to printing objects based on thermoplastic materials such as PLA, or ABS. The most commonly available plastic is PLA, which has a density significantly greater than soft tissue. We utilized a popular 3D printer to demonstrate that tissue specific phantom materials can be generated through the careful selection of 3D printing parameters. A series of stepwedges were designed and printed using a Makerbot Replicator2 3D printing system. The print file provides custom adjustment of the infill density, orientation and position of the object on the printer stage, selection of infill patterns, and other control parameters. The x-ray attenuation and uniformity of fabricated phantoms were evaluated and compared to common tissue-equivalent phantom materials, acrylic and BR12. X-ray exposure measurements were made using narrow beam geometry on a clinical mammography unit at 28 kVp on the series of phantoms. The 3D printed phantoms were imaged at 28 kVp to visualize the internal structure and uniformity in different planes of the phantoms. Results: By utilizing specific in-fill density and patterns we are able to produce a phantom closely matching the attenuation characteristics of BR12 at 28 kVp. The in-fill patterns used are heterogeneous, so a judicious selection of fill pattern and the orientation of the fill pattern must be made in order to obtain homogenous attenuation along the intended direction of beam propagation. Conclusions: By careful manipulation of the printing parameters, breast and soft tissue-equivalent phantoms appropriate for use at imaging energies can be fabricated using 3D printing techniques.

  16. TU-H-CAMPUS-IeP2-05: Breast and Soft Tissue-Equivalent 3D Printed Phantoms for Imaging and Dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hintenlang, D; Terracino, B [University Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: The study has the goal to demonstrate that breast and soft tissue-equivalent phantoms for dosimetry applications in the diagnostic energy range can be fabricated using common 3D printing methods. Methods: 3D printing provides the opportunity to rapidly prototype uniquely designed objects from a variety of materials. Common 3D printers are usually limited to printing objects based on thermoplastic materials such as PLA, or ABS. The most commonly available plastic is PLA, which has a density significantly greater than soft tissue. We utilized a popular 3D printer to demonstrate that tissue specific phantom materials can be generated through the careful selection of 3D printing parameters. A series of stepwedges were designed and printed using a Makerbot Replicator2 3D printing system. The print file provides custom adjustment of the infill density, orientation and position of the object on the printer stage, selection of infill patterns, and other control parameters. The x-ray attenuation and uniformity of fabricated phantoms were evaluated and compared to common tissue-equivalent phantom materials, acrylic and BR12. X-ray exposure measurements were made using narrow beam geometry on a clinical mammography unit at 28 kVp on the series of phantoms. The 3D printed phantoms were imaged at 28 kVp to visualize the internal structure and uniformity in different planes of the phantoms. Results: By utilizing specific in-fill density and patterns we are able to produce a phantom closely matching the attenuation characteristics of BR12 at 28 kVp. The in-fill patterns used are heterogeneous, so a judicious selection of fill pattern and the orientation of the fill pattern must be made in order to obtain homogenous attenuation along the intended direction of beam propagation. Conclusions: By careful manipulation of the printing parameters, breast and soft tissue-equivalent phantoms appropriate for use at imaging energies can be fabricated using 3D printing techniques.

  17. Calculation of neutron radiation energy deposition distribution in subcellular parts of tissue using recombination chamber microdosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golnik, N.; Zielczynski, M.

    1999-01-01

    Recombination chamber microdosimetry was used as an instrument for determination of local neutron radiation energy deposition distribution. The method allows to simulate of subcellular regions of tissue of the order of 70 nm in size. The results obtained qualitatively correspond to relationship between biological efficiency and neutron energy, and show regular differences of distributions achieved by the recombination method and distributions measured using tissue equivalent proportional counters (TEPC), which simulates greater tissue regions of 1 μm in size

  18. Low resting metabolic rate in exercise-associated amenorrhea is not due to a reduced proportion of highly active metabolic tissue compartments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koehler, Karsten; Williams, Nancy I; Mallinson, Rebecca J; Southmayd, Emily A; Allaway, Heather C M; De Souza, Mary Jane

    2016-08-01

    Exercising women with menstrual disturbances frequently display a low resting metabolic rate (RMR) when RMR is expressed relative to body size or lean mass. However, normalizing RMR for body size or lean mass does not account for potential differences in the size of tissue compartments with varying metabolic activities. To explore whether the apparent RMR suppression in women with exercise-associated amenorrhea is a consequence of a lower proportion of highly active metabolic tissue compartments or the result of metabolic adaptations related to energy conservation at the tissue level, RMR and metabolic tissue compartments were compared among exercising women with amenorrhea (AMEN; n = 42) and exercising women with eumenorrheic, ovulatory menstrual cycles (OV; n = 37). RMR was measured using indirect calorimetry and predicted from the size of metabolic tissue compartments as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Measured RMR was lower than DEXA-predicted RMR in AMEN (1,215 ± 31 vs. 1,327 ± 18 kcal/day, P < 0.001) but not in OV (1,284 ± 24 vs. 1,252 ± 17, P = 0.16), resulting in a lower ratio of measured to DEXA-predicted RMR in AMEN (91 ± 2%) vs. OV (103 ± 2%, P < 0.001). AMEN displayed proportionally more residual mass (P < 0.001) and less adipose tissue (P = 0.003) compared with OV. A lower ratio of measured to DXA-predicted RMR was associated with lower serum total triiodothyronine (ρ = 0.38, P < 0.001) and leptin (ρ = 0.32, P = 0.004). Our findings suggest that RMR suppression in this population is not the result of a reduced size of highly active metabolic tissue compartments but is due to metabolic and endocrine adaptations at the tissue level that are indicative of energy conservation.

  19. Leaf tissues proportion and chemical composition of Axonopus jesuiticus x A. scoparius as a function of pig slurry application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiano Reschke Lajús

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the chemical and anatomical attributes of leaves of giant missionary grass to application of 0, 62, 124, 186, 248 and 310m³ ha-1 of pig slurry. At 83 days after the last application of fertilizer, the leaf blades were collected, fixed in FAA 70%, sectioned, stained, photographed and digitalized. The transversal section of leaf blades were evaluated for proportion of epidermis, lignified vascular tissue + sclerenchyma, non-lignified vascular tissue and parenchyma with an image-processing system calibrated to 1mm pixel-1. Leaf samples were analyzed for crude protein, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose content by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The pig slurry application up to 310m³ ha-1 significantly increased the percentage of crude protein, parenchyma, epidermis, non-lignified vascular tissue and hemicellulose, while decreasing the percentage of acid detergent fiber and lignified vascular tissue + sclerenchyma. The Pearson's correlation was positive between crude protein and non-lignified vascular tissue, and between acid detergent fiber and lignified vascular tissue + sclerenchyma. The percentage of hemicellulose was positively correlated with epidermis, parenchyma and non-lignified vascular tissue. A negative correlation between acid detergent fiber and epidermis, parenchyma and non-lignified vascular tissue was observed.

  20. Comparative autoradiographic investigations on the tissue distribution of benfotiamine versus thiamine in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilbig, R; Rahmann, H

    1998-05-01

    The tissue distribution of two therapeutically applied preparations of B-vitamins were investigated in blood and selected organs (liver, brain, muscle, kidney) of laboratory mice using autoradiographic techniques. Incorporation of lipid-soluble 3H-benfotiamine (CAS 22457-89-2) and water-soluble 3H-thiaminehydrochloride (CAS 67-03-8) (200 microCi, equivalent to 105 mg vitamin/kg body weight) was monitored between 0.75 and 168 h after an oral or subcutaneous administration. The labelled tissue slices were autoradiographically analysed after a differential histochemical extraction procedure to evaluate the respective total radioactivity, the uptake into lipid-soluble, water-soluble and residual macromolecular compounds. Evaluation of these autoradiographic data (given as mumol vitamin preparation/mg tissue equivalent) proved that benfotiamine is incorporated much better than thiaminehydrochloride independent of the administration mode. In muscle and brain tissue a 5 to 25 fold higher amount of tracer incorporation was registered following benfotiamine as compared with the thiamine application, whereas in all other organs the difference in the label was mostly between 10 and 40%. Concerning the organ specific distribution, liver and kidney were the structures labelled highest by both substances and administration procedures. In the liver, concerning all incorporation times, a higher proportion of residual macromolecular compounds was found, whereas in the kidney the proportions of lipid- as well as of water-soluble materials prevailed. These data should be clinically relevant.

  1. Photon and neutron dose discrimination using low pressure proportional counters with graphite and A150 walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kylloenen, J.; Lindborg, L.

    2005-01-01

    Full text: The determination of both the low- and high-LET components of ambient dose equivalent in mixed fields is possible with microdosimetric methods. With the multiple-event microdosimetric variance covariance method the sum of those components are directly obtained also in pulsed beams. However, if the value of each dose component is needed a more extended analysis is required. The use of a graphite walled proportional detector in combination with a tissue-equivalent proportional counter in combination with the variance covariance method was here investigated. MCNP simulations were carried out for relevant energies to investigate the photon and neutron responses of the two detectors. The combined graphite and TEPC system, the Sievert instrument, was used for measurements at IRSN, Cadarache, in the workplace calibration fields of CANEL+, SIGMA, a Cf-252 and a moderated Cf(D 2 O,Cd) radiation field. The response of the instrument in various monoenergetic neutron fields is also known from measurements at PTB. The instrument took part in the measurement campaigns in workplace fields in the nuclear industry organized within the EVIDOS contract. The results are analyzed and the method of using a graphite detector compared with alternative methods of analysis is discussed. (author)

  2. SU-E-T-424: Feasibility of 3D Printed Radiological Equivalent Customizable Tissue Like Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, D; Ferreira, C; Ahmad, S [University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of 3D printing CT# specific radiological equivalent tissue like materials. Methods: A desktop 3D printer was utilized to create a series of 3 cm x 3 cm x 2 cm PLA plastic blocks of varying fill densities. The fill pattern was selected to be hexagonal (Figure 1). A series of blocks was filled with paraffin and compared to a series filled with air. The blocks were evaluated with a “GE Lightspeed” 16 slice CT scanner and average CT# of the centers of the materials was determined. The attenuation properties of the subsequent blocks were also evaluated through their isocentric irradiation via “TrueBeam” accelerator under six beam energies. Blocks were placed upon plastic-water slabs of 4 cm in thickness assuring electronic equilibrium and data was collected via Sun Nuclear “Edge” diode detector. Relative changes in dose were compared with those predicted by Varian “Eclipse” TPS. Results: The CT# of 3D printed blocks was found to be a controllable variable. The fill material was able to narrow the range of variability in each sample. The attenuation of the block tracked with the density of the total fill structure. Assigned CT values in the TPS were seen to fall within an expected range predicted by the CT scans of the 3D printed blocks. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that it is possible to 3D print materials of varying tissue equivalencies, and that these materials have radiological properties that are customizable and predictable.

  3. SU-E-T-424: Feasibility of 3D Printed Radiological Equivalent Customizable Tissue Like Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, D; Ferreira, C; Ahmad, S

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of 3D printing CT# specific radiological equivalent tissue like materials. Methods: A desktop 3D printer was utilized to create a series of 3 cm x 3 cm x 2 cm PLA plastic blocks of varying fill densities. The fill pattern was selected to be hexagonal (Figure 1). A series of blocks was filled with paraffin and compared to a series filled with air. The blocks were evaluated with a “GE Lightspeed” 16 slice CT scanner and average CT# of the centers of the materials was determined. The attenuation properties of the subsequent blocks were also evaluated through their isocentric irradiation via “TrueBeam” accelerator under six beam energies. Blocks were placed upon plastic-water slabs of 4 cm in thickness assuring electronic equilibrium and data was collected via Sun Nuclear “Edge” diode detector. Relative changes in dose were compared with those predicted by Varian “Eclipse” TPS. Results: The CT# of 3D printed blocks was found to be a controllable variable. The fill material was able to narrow the range of variability in each sample. The attenuation of the block tracked with the density of the total fill structure. Assigned CT values in the TPS were seen to fall within an expected range predicted by the CT scans of the 3D printed blocks. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that it is possible to 3D print materials of varying tissue equivalencies, and that these materials have radiological properties that are customizable and predictable

  4. Calculation of W for low energy electrons in tissue-equivalent gas. [<10 keV

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dayashankar, [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Div. of Radiation Protection

    1977-11-01

    The mean energy expended per ion pair formed (W-value) in the tissue-equivalent gas for incident electrons of energy up to 10 keV has been calculated in the continuous slowing-down approximation. The effect of secondary and tertiary electrons has been considered by utilizing recent measurements of Opal et al., (1971, J. Chem. Phys., 55,4100) on the energy spectra of low-energy secondary electrons and the Mott formula for the spectra of high-energy secondaries. The results, which are provisional in nature due to the limitations on the accuracy of the input cross-section data and the neglect of the discrete nature of energy loss process, are compared with the available measurements.

  5. MOSFET dosimeter depth-dose measurements in heterogeneous tissue-equivalent phantoms at diagnostic x-ray energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, A.K.; Pazik, F.D.; Hintenlang, D.E.; Bolch, W.E.

    2005-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to explore the use of the TN-1002RD metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeter for measuring tissue depth dose at diagnostic photon energies in both homogeneous and heterogeneous tissue-equivalent materials. Three cylindrical phantoms were constructed and utilized as a prelude to more complex measurements within tomographic physical phantoms of pediatric patients. Each cylindrical phantom was constructed as a stack of seven 5-cm-diameter and 1-cm-thick discs of materials radiographically representative of either soft tissue (S), bone (B), or lung tissue (L) at diagnostic photon energies. In addition to a homogeneous phantom of soft tissue (SSSSSSS), two heterogeneous phantoms were constructed: SSBBSSS and SBLLBSS. MOSFET dosimeters were then positioned at the interface of each disc, and the phantoms were then irradiated at 66 kVp and 200 mAs. Measured values of absorbed dose at depth were then compared to predicated values of point tissue dose as determined via Monte Carlo radiation transport modeling. At depths exceeding 2 cm, experimental results matched the computed values of dose with high accuracy regardless of the dosimeter orientation (epoxy bubble facing toward or away from the x-ray beam). Discrepancies were noted, however, between measured and calculated point doses near the surface of the phantom (surface to 2 cm depth) when the dosimeters were oriented with the epoxy bubble facing the x-ray beam. These discrepancies were largely eliminated when the dosimeters were placed with the flat side facing the x-ray beam. It is therefore recommended that the MOSFET dosimeters be oriented with their flat sides facing the beam when they are used at shallow depths or on the surface of either phantoms or patients

  6. Relative shrinkage of adipocytes by paraffin in proportion to plastic embedding in human adipose tissue before and after weight loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verhoef, Sanne P M; van Dijk, Paul; Westerterp, Klaas R

    2013-01-01

    Adipocyte size is a major modulator of endocrine functioning of adipose tissue and methods allowing accurate determination of adipocyte size are important to study energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to assess the relative shrinkage of adipocytes before and after weight loss by comparing adipose tissue from the same subjects embedded in paraffin and plastic. 18 healthy subjects (5 males and 13 females) aged 20-50 y with a BMI of 28-38 kg/m² followed a very low energy diet for 8 weeks. Adipose tissue biopsies were taken prior to and after weight loss and were processed for paraffin and plastic sections. Parameters of adipocyte size were determined with computer image analysis. Mean adipocyte size was smaller in paraffin compared to plastic embedded tissue both before (66 ± 4 vs. 103 ± 5 μm, P paraffin embedded tissue in proportion to plastic embedded tissue was not significantly different before and after weight loss (73 and 69%, respectively). Shrinkage due to the type of embedding of the adipose tissue can be ignored when comparing before and after weight loss. Plastic embedding of adipose tissue provides more accurate and sensitive results. © 2013 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity . Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Preliminary studies on fragmentation in tissue-equivalent material produced by 55 MeV/u 40Ar17+ ion beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dang Bingrong; Wei Zengquan; Duan Limin; Zhang Baoguo; Li Songlin; Yin Xu; Zhu Yongtai; Li Wenjian; Li Qiang; Yuan Shibin

    2002-01-01

    By using a 55 MeV/u 40 Ar 17+ beam produced by HIRFL, the distribution of fragments in 1.5 mm lucite on three different directions were measured at the radiobiology terminal. Feasibilities of the phoswich detector composed of fast plastic scintillator and CsI(Tl) detectors for determination of angular distribution of fragments in tissue-equivalent materials were investigated. The results obtained were satisfactory

  8. Assessment of doses caused by electrons in thin layers of tissue-equivalent materials, using MCNP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heide, Bernd

    2013-10-01

    Absorbed doses caused by electron irradiation were calculated with Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code (MCNP) for thin layers of tissue-equivalent materials. The layers were so thin that the calculation of energy deposition was on the border of the scope of MCNP. Therefore, in this article application of three different methods of calculation of energy deposition is discussed. This was done by means of two scenarios: in the first one, electrons were emitted from the centre of a sphere of water and also recorded in that sphere; and in the second, an irradiation with the PTB Secondary Standard BSS2 was modelled, where electrons were emitted from an (90)Sr/(90)Y area source and recorded inside a cuboid phantom made of tissue-equivalent material. The speed and accuracy of the different methods were of interest. While a significant difference in accuracy was visible for one method in the first scenario, the difference in accuracy of the three methods was insignificant for the second one. Considerable differences in speed were found for both scenarios. In order to demonstrate the need for calculating the dose in thin small zones, a third scenario was constructed and simulated as well. The third scenario was nearly equal to the second one, but a pike of lead was assumed to be inside the phantom in addition. A dose enhancement (caused by the pike of lead) of ∼113 % was recorded for a thin hollow cylinder at a depth of 0.007 cm, which the basal-skin layer is referred to in particular. Dose enhancements between 68 and 88 % were found for a slab with a radius of 0.09 cm for all depths. All dose enhancements were hardly noticeable for a slab with a cross-sectional area of 1 cm(2), which is usually applied to operational radiation protection.

  9. A new formula for normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) as a function of equivalent uniform dose (EUD).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luxton, Gary; Keall, Paul J; King, Christopher R

    2008-01-07

    To facilitate the use of biological outcome modeling for treatment planning, an exponential function is introduced as a simpler equivalent to the Lyman formula for calculating normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). The single parameter of the exponential function is chosen to reproduce the Lyman calculation to within approximately 0.3%, and thus enable easy conversion of data contained in empirical fits of Lyman parameters for organs at risk (OARs). Organ parameters for the new formula are given in terms of Lyman model m and TD(50), and conversely m and TD(50) are expressed in terms of the parameters of the new equation. The role of the Lyman volume-effect parameter n is unchanged from its role in the Lyman model. For a non-homogeneously irradiated OAR, an equation relates d(ref), n, v(eff) and the Niemierko equivalent uniform dose (EUD), where d(ref) and v(eff) are the reference dose and effective fractional volume of the Kutcher-Burman reduction algorithm (i.e. the LKB model). It follows in the LKB model that uniform EUD irradiation of an OAR results in the same NTCP as the original non-homogeneous distribution. The NTCP equation is therefore represented as a function of EUD. The inverse equation expresses EUD as a function of NTCP and is used to generate a table of EUD versus normal tissue complication probability for the Emami-Burman parameter fits as well as for OAR parameter sets from more recent data.

  10. A new formula for normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) as a function of equivalent uniform dose (EUD)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luxton, Gary; Keall, Paul J; King, Christopher R

    2008-01-01

    To facilitate the use of biological outcome modeling for treatment planning, an exponential function is introduced as a simpler equivalent to the Lyman formula for calculating normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). The single parameter of the exponential function is chosen to reproduce the Lyman calculation to within ∼0.3%, and thus enable easy conversion of data contained in empirical fits of Lyman parameters for organs at risk (OARs). Organ parameters for the new formula are given in terms of Lyman model m and TD 50 , and conversely m and TD 50 are expressed in terms of the parameters of the new equation. The role of the Lyman volume-effect parameter n is unchanged from its role in the Lyman model. For a non-homogeneously irradiated OAR, an equation relates d ref , n, v eff and the Niemierko equivalent uniform dose (EUD), where d ref and v eff are the reference dose and effective fractional volume of the Kutcher-Burman reduction algorithm (i.e. the LKB model). It follows in the LKB model that uniform EUD irradiation of an OAR results in the same NTCP as the original non-homogeneous distribution. The NTCP equation is therefore represented as a function of EUD. The inverse equation expresses EUD as a function of NTCP and is used to generate a table of EUD versus normal tissue complication probability for the Emami-Burman parameter fits as well as for OAR parameter sets from more recent data

  11. Technical Note: Radiation properties of tissue- and water-equivalent materials formulated using the stoichiometric analysis method in charged particle therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yohannes, Indra; Vasiliniuc, Stefan [Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen 91054 (Germany); Hild, Sebastian [Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany and Department of Biophysics, GSI - Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Darmstadt 64291 (Germany); Langner, Oliver [QRM - Quality Assurance in Radiology and Medicine GmbH, Möhrendorf 91096 (Germany); Graeff, Christian [Department of Biophysics, GSI - Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Darmstadt 64291 (Germany); Bert, Christoph, E-mail: christoph.bert@uk-erlangen.de [Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen 91054 (Germany); Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054 (Germany); Department of Biophysics, GSI - Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Darmstadt 64291 (Germany)

    2016-01-15

    Purpose: Five tissue- and water-equivalent materials (TEMs) mimicking ICRU real tissues have been formulated using a previously established stoichiometric analysis method (SAM) to be applied in charged particle therapy. The purpose of this study was an experimental verification of the TEMs-SAM against charged particle beam measurements and for different computed tomography (CT) scanners. The potential of the TEMs-SAM to be employed in the dosimetry was also investigated. Methods: Experimental verification with three CT scanners was carried out to validate the calculated Hounsfield units (HUs) of the TEMs. Water-equivalent path lengths (WEPLs) of the TEMs for proton (106.8 MeV/u), helium (107.93 MeV/u), and carbon (200.3 MeV/u) ions were measured to be compared with the computed relative stopping powers. HU calibration curves were also generated. Results: Differences between the measured HUs of the TEMs and the calculated HUs of the ICRU real tissues for all CT scanners were smaller than 4 HU except for the skeletal tissues which deviated up to 21 HU. The measured WEPLs verified the calculated WEPLs of the TEMs (maximum deviation was 0.17 mm) and were in good agreement with the calculated WEPLs of the ICRU real tissues (maximum deviation was 0.23 mm). Moreover, the relative stopping powers converted from the measured WEPLs differed less than 0.8% and 1.3% from the calculated values of the SAM and the ICRU, respectively. Regarding the relative nonelastic cross section per unit of volume for 200 MeV protons, the ICRU real tissues were generally well represented by the TEMs except for adipose which differed 3.8%. Further, the HU calibration curves yielded the mean and the standard deviation of the errors not larger than 0.5% and 1.9%, respectively. Conclusions: The results of this investigation implied the potential of the TEMs formulated using the SAM to be employed for both, beam dosimetry and HU calibration in charged particle therapy.

  12. Technical Note: Radiation properties of tissue- and water-equivalent materials formulated using the stoichiometric analysis method in charged particle therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yohannes, Indra; Vasiliniuc, Stefan; Hild, Sebastian; Langner, Oliver; Graeff, Christian; Bert, Christoph

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Five tissue- and water-equivalent materials (TEMs) mimicking ICRU real tissues have been formulated using a previously established stoichiometric analysis method (SAM) to be applied in charged particle therapy. The purpose of this study was an experimental verification of the TEMs-SAM against charged particle beam measurements and for different computed tomography (CT) scanners. The potential of the TEMs-SAM to be employed in the dosimetry was also investigated. Methods: Experimental verification with three CT scanners was carried out to validate the calculated Hounsfield units (HUs) of the TEMs. Water-equivalent path lengths (WEPLs) of the TEMs for proton (106.8 MeV/u), helium (107.93 MeV/u), and carbon (200.3 MeV/u) ions were measured to be compared with the computed relative stopping powers. HU calibration curves were also generated. Results: Differences between the measured HUs of the TEMs and the calculated HUs of the ICRU real tissues for all CT scanners were smaller than 4 HU except for the skeletal tissues which deviated up to 21 HU. The measured WEPLs verified the calculated WEPLs of the TEMs (maximum deviation was 0.17 mm) and were in good agreement with the calculated WEPLs of the ICRU real tissues (maximum deviation was 0.23 mm). Moreover, the relative stopping powers converted from the measured WEPLs differed less than 0.8% and 1.3% from the calculated values of the SAM and the ICRU, respectively. Regarding the relative nonelastic cross section per unit of volume for 200 MeV protons, the ICRU real tissues were generally well represented by the TEMs except for adipose which differed 3.8%. Further, the HU calibration curves yielded the mean and the standard deviation of the errors not larger than 0.5% and 1.9%, respectively. Conclusions: The results of this investigation implied the potential of the TEMs formulated using the SAM to be employed for both, beam dosimetry and HU calibration in charged particle therapy

  13. Technical Note: Radiation properties of tissue- and water-equivalent materials formulated using the stoichiometric analysis method in charged particle therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yohannes, Indra; Hild, Sebastian; Vasiliniuc, Stefan; Langner, Oliver; Graeff, Christian; Bert, Christoph

    2016-01-01

    Five tissue- and water-equivalent materials (TEMs) mimicking ICRU real tissues have been formulated using a previously established stoichiometric analysis method (SAM) to be applied in charged particle therapy. The purpose of this study was an experimental verification of the TEMs-SAM against charged particle beam measurements and for different computed tomography (CT) scanners. The potential of the TEMs-SAM to be employed in the dosimetry was also investigated. Experimental verification with three CT scanners was carried out to validate the calculated Hounsfield units (HUs) of the TEMs. Water-equivalent path lengths (WEPLs) of the TEMs for proton (106.8 MeV/u), helium (107.93 MeV/u), and carbon (200.3 MeV/u) ions were measured to be compared with the computed relative stopping powers. HU calibration curves were also generated. Differences between the measured HUs of the TEMs and the calculated HUs of the ICRU real tissues for all CT scanners were smaller than 4 HU except for the skeletal tissues which deviated up to 21 HU. The measured WEPLs verified the calculated WEPLs of the TEMs (maximum deviation was 0.17 mm) and were in good agreement with the calculated WEPLs of the ICRU real tissues (maximum deviation was 0.23 mm). Moreover, the relative stopping powers converted from the measured WEPLs differed less than 0.8% and 1.3% from the calculated values of the SAM and the ICRU, respectively. Regarding the relative nonelastic cross section per unit of volume for 200 MeV protons, the ICRU real tissues were generally well represented by the TEMs except for adipose which differed 3.8%. Further, the HU calibration curves yielded the mean and the standard deviation of the errors not larger than 0.5% and 1.9%, respectively. The results of this investigation implied the potential of the TEMs formulated using the SAM to be employed for both, beam dosimetry and HU calibration in charged particle therapy.

  14. Joint use of developed collagen-containing complexes and cell cultures in creating new tissue equivalents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. V. Kulakova

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study is to assess the possibility of applying the integrated module as the basis of a celltissue equivalent for treatment of wounds of skin and soft tissues. In the frame of the set task the following problems were being solved: research of the spatial structure and architectonics of the surface of the developed base collagen-containing materials and their biocompatibility with cell cultures.Materials and methods. The study of a material which is a two-layer complex film, consisting of collagen and polysaccharide components was carried out. The collagen was separated from the dermis and was then impregnated with particulate demineralized bone matrix (DCM according to the original methodology. For the purposes of the study the dehydrated material was created in the form of a film. Electron microscopic examination of surfaces was performed on scanning electron microscope JEOL JSM-IT300LV in high vacuum and at low values of probe current (< 0,1 nА. Studies to assess the viability of the cells cultivated on films of collagen material (tested for cytotoxicity and the adhesive capacity were performed in vitro using strains of diploid human fibroblasts 4–6 passage. The culture condition was visually assessed using an inverted Leica microscope DM IL (Carl Zeiss, Austria, equipped with a computerizes program of control of culture growth (Leica IM 1000.Results. The data obtained in the study of the surface structure of the developed complex module showed that it seems to be promising as a basic component of the cellular-tissue system with its large number of structural formations for fixation of the cells and a well-organized barrier layer capable of vapor - permeability. Experiments in vitro confirmed the absence of toxicity of the material being studied in relation to the culture of dermal human fibroblasts, suggesting the possibility of creation on its basis of cell-tissue complex and further experimental studies in vivo

  15. Establishing Substantial Equivalence: Transcriptomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baudo, María Marcela; Powers, Stephen J.; Mitchell, Rowan A. C.; Shewry, Peter R.

    Regulatory authorities in Western Europe require transgenic crops to be substantially equivalent to conventionally bred forms if they are to be approved for commercial production. One way to establish substantial equivalence is to compare the transcript profiles of developing grain and other tissues of transgenic and conventionally bred lines, in order to identify any unintended effects of the transformation process. We present detailed protocols for transcriptomic comparisons of developing wheat grain and leaf material, and illustrate their use by reference to our own studies of lines transformed to express additional gluten protein genes controlled by their own endosperm-specific promoters. The results show that the transgenes present in these lines (which included those encoding marker genes) did not have any significant unpredicted effects on the expression of endogenous genes and that the transgenic plants were therefore substantially equivalent to the corresponding parental lines.

  16. Nonlinear ultrasound propagation through layered liquid and tissue-equivalent media: computational and experimental results at high frequency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, Ross; Cherin, Emmanuel; Lam, Toby Y J; Tavakkoli, Jahangir; Zemp, Roger J; Foster, F Stuart

    2006-01-01

    Nonlinear propagation has been demonstrated to have a significant impact on ultrasound imaging. An efficient computational algorithm is presented to simulate nonlinear ultrasound propagation through layered liquid and tissue-equivalent media. Results are compared with hydrophone measurements. This study was undertaken to investigate the role of nonlinear propagation in high frequency ultrasound micro-imaging. The acoustic field of a focused transducer (20 MHz centre frequency, f-number 2.5) was simulated for layered media consisting of water and tissue-mimicking phantom, for several wide-bandwidth source pulses. The simulation model accounted for the effects of diffraction, attenuation and nonlinearity, with transmission and refraction at layer boundaries. The parameter of nonlinearity, B/A, of the water and tissue-mimicking phantom were assumed to be 5.2 and 7.4, respectively. The experimentally measured phantom B/A value found using a finite-amplitude insert-substitution method was shown to be 7.4 ± 0.6. Relative amounts of measured second and third harmonic pressures as a function of the fundamental pressures at the focus were in good agreement with simulations. Agreement within 3% was found between measurements and simulations of the beam widths of the fundamental and second harmonic signals following propagation through the tissue phantom. The results demonstrate significant nonlinear propagation effects for high frequency imaging beams

  17. A LabVIEW-based electrical bioimpedance spectroscopic data interpreter (LEBISDI) for biological tissue impedance analysis and equivalent circuit modelling

    KAUST Repository

    Bera, Tushar Kanti

    2016-12-05

    Under an alternating electrical signal, biological tissues produce a complex electrical bioimpedance that is a function of tissue composition and applied signal frequencies. By studying the bioimpedance spectra of biological tissues over a wide range of frequencies, we can noninvasively probe the physiological properties of these tissues to detect possible pathological conditions. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) can provide the spectra that are needed to calculate impedance parameters within a wide range of frequencies. Before impedance parameters can be calculated and tissue information extracted, impedance spectra should be processed and analyzed by a dedicated software program. National Instruments (NI) Inc. offers LabVIEW, a fast, portable, robust, user-friendly platform for designing dataanalyzing software. We developed a LabVIEW-based electrical bioimpedance spectroscopic data interpreter (LEBISDI) to analyze the electrical impedance spectra for tissue characterization in medical, biomedical and biological applications. Here, we test, calibrate and evaluate the performance of LEBISDI on the impedance data obtained from simulation studies as well as the practical EIS experimentations conducted on electronic circuit element combinations and the biological tissue samples. We analyze the Nyquist plots obtained from the EIS measurements and compare the equivalent circuit parameters calculated by LEBISDI with the corresponding original circuit parameters to assess the accuracy of the program developed. Calibration studies show that LEBISDI not only interpreted the simulated and circuitelement data accurately, but also successfully interpreted tissues impedance data and estimated the capacitive and resistive components produced by the compositions biological cells. Finally, LEBISDI efficiently calculated and analyzed variation in bioimpedance parameters of different tissue compositions, health and temperatures. LEBISDI can also be used for human tissue

  18. A LabVIEW-based electrical bioimpedance spectroscopic data interpreter (LEBISDI) for biological tissue impedance analysis and equivalent circuit modelling

    KAUST Repository

    Bera, Tushar Kanti; Jampana, Nagaraju; Lubineau, Gilles

    2016-01-01

    Under an alternating electrical signal, biological tissues produce a complex electrical bioimpedance that is a function of tissue composition and applied signal frequencies. By studying the bioimpedance spectra of biological tissues over a wide range of frequencies, we can noninvasively probe the physiological properties of these tissues to detect possible pathological conditions. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) can provide the spectra that are needed to calculate impedance parameters within a wide range of frequencies. Before impedance parameters can be calculated and tissue information extracted, impedance spectra should be processed and analyzed by a dedicated software program. National Instruments (NI) Inc. offers LabVIEW, a fast, portable, robust, user-friendly platform for designing dataanalyzing software. We developed a LabVIEW-based electrical bioimpedance spectroscopic data interpreter (LEBISDI) to analyze the electrical impedance spectra for tissue characterization in medical, biomedical and biological applications. Here, we test, calibrate and evaluate the performance of LEBISDI on the impedance data obtained from simulation studies as well as the practical EIS experimentations conducted on electronic circuit element combinations and the biological tissue samples. We analyze the Nyquist plots obtained from the EIS measurements and compare the equivalent circuit parameters calculated by LEBISDI with the corresponding original circuit parameters to assess the accuracy of the program developed. Calibration studies show that LEBISDI not only interpreted the simulated and circuitelement data accurately, but also successfully interpreted tissues impedance data and estimated the capacitive and resistive components produced by the compositions biological cells. Finally, LEBISDI efficiently calculated and analyzed variation in bioimpedance parameters of different tissue compositions, health and temperatures. LEBISDI can also be used for human tissue

  19. Dosimetry with tissue-equivalent ionisation chambers in fast neutron fields for biomedical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zoetelief, J.; Broerse, J.J.

    1983-01-01

    The use of calibrated tissue-equivalent (TE) ionisation chambers is commonly considered to be the most practical method for total absorbed dose determinations in mixed neutron-photon fields for biomedical applications. The total absorbed dose can be derived from the charge produced within the cavity of an ionisation chamber employing a number of physical parameters. To arrive at the charge produced in the cavity several correction factors have to be introduced which are related to the operational characteristics of the chambers. Information on the operational characteristics of four TE ionisation chambers is presented in relation to ion collection, density and composition of gas in the cavity, wall thickness and effective point of measurement. In addition, some recent results from an ionisation chamber operated at high gas pressures are presented. The total absorbed doses derived from TE ionisation chambers show agreement within the uncertainty limits with results from other independent dosimetry methods, i.e., differential fluence measurements and a TE calorimeter. Conscientious experimentation and a common data base can provide dosimetry results with TE ionisation chambers with variations of less than +-2%. (author)

  20. Neutron measurements with a tissue-equivalent phantom

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, J W [Health Physics Division, Atomic Energy Establishment, Harwell (United Kingdom)

    1962-03-15

    This Appendix 3E of the dosimetry experiment at the R-B reactor describes the apparatus used and presents the obtained results. The phantom used was a 1/4-inch thick polythene container, 60 cm high, of elliptical cross-section, with a major axis of 36 cm and a minor axis of 20 cm. This was filled with an approximately tissue-equivalent liquid. A light but rigid internal framework of Perspex supported a series of small detectors through the phantom. The detectors used in the first high-level run at Vinca, to measure flux above 0.5 MeV, were 0.5-cm wide track plates wrapped in cadmium foil. Each track plate was a sandwich of two Ilford El 50 - mu emulsions, with glass backing, separated by a 250-mu polythene radiator, and was oriented at an angle of 45 deg to the front surface of the phantom. Under these conditions the response is constant with neutron energy between 0.5 MeV and 8 MeV at 1.26 X 10 sup - sup 3 tracks/neutron to within +- 15%. The detectors used in the second high-level run were gold foils (260 mg/cm sup 2 thick) for determination of the show neutron distribution. Previous experiments with 0.13 MeV, 2.5 MeV, 14 MeV and Po-Be neutrons have shown that the shape of the curve through a phantom obtained from these gold foils is the same as that given by either manganese foils or sodium samples despite the difference in resonance integrals. From the relaxation length of the neutron flux in the phantom, as measured by the track plates, the mean energy of the neutrons with energies greater than 0.5 MeV may be found by comparison with the relaxation lengths obtained by irradiation of the phantom with monoenergetic neutrons. The results of these experiments are given. Track plate results from the Vinca experiment are shown. It can be seen that the backscattered fast flux is about one-third of the incident fast flux and that the energy indicated by the shape of the curve is considerably lower than the energy of the direct neutrons. It seems possible that the high

  1. Neutron measurements with a tissue-equivalent phantom

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, J W [Health Physics Division, Atomic Energy Establishment, Harwell (United Kingdom)

    1962-03-01

    This Appendix 3E of the dosimetry experiment at the R-B reactor describes the apparatus used and presents the obtained results. The phantom used was a 1/4-inch thick polythene container, 60 cm high, of elliptical cross-section, with a major axis of 36 cm and a minor axis of 20 cm. This was filled with an approximately tissue-equivalent liquid. A light but rigid internal framework of Perspex supported a series of small detectors through the phantom. The detectors used in the first high-level run at Vinca, to measure flux above 0.5 MeV, were 0.5-cm wide track plates wrapped in cadmium foil. Each track plate was a sandwich of two Ilford El 50 - {mu} emulsions, with glass backing, separated by a 250-{mu} polythene radiator, and was oriented at an angle of 45 deg to the front surface of the phantom. Under these conditions the response is constant with neutron energy between 0.5 MeV and 8 MeV at 1.26 X 10{sup -3} tracks/neutron to within {+-} 15%. The detectors used in the second high-level run were gold foils (260 mg/cm{sup 2} thick) for determination of the show neutron distribution. Previous experiments with 0.13 MeV, 2.5 MeV, 14 MeV and Po-Be neutrons have shown that the shape of the curve through a phantom obtained from these gold foils is the same as that given by either manganese foils or sodium samples despite the difference in resonance integrals. From the relaxation length of the neutron flux in the phantom, as measured by the track plates, the mean energy of the neutrons with energies greater than 0.5 MeV may be found by comparison with the relaxation lengths obtained by irradiation of the phantom with monoenergetic neutrons. The results of these experiments are given. Track plate results from the Vinca experiment are shown. It can be seen that the backscattered fast flux is about one-third of the incident fast flux and that the energy indicated by the shape of the curve is considerably lower than the energy of the direct neutrons. It seems possible that the

  2. Equivalent Circuit Modeling of the Dielectric Loaded Microwave Biosensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. T. Jilani

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This article describes the modeling of biological tissues at microwave frequency using equivalent lumped elements. A microwave biosensor based on microstrip ring resonator (MRR, that has been utilized previously for meat quality evaluation is used for this purpose. For the first time, the ring-resonator loaded with the lossy and high permittivity dielectric material, such as; biological tissue, in a partial overlay configuration is analyzed. The equivalent circuit modeling of the structure is then performed to identify the effect of overlay thickness on the resonance frequency. Finally, the relationship of an overlay thickness with the corresponding RC values of the meat equivalent circuit is established. Simulated, calculated and measured results are then compared for validation. Results are well agreed while the observed discrepancy is in acceptable limit.

  3. Computer modeling the boron compound factor in normal brain tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gavin, P.R.; Huiskamp, R.; Wheeler, F.J.; Griebenow, M.L.

    1993-01-01

    The macroscopic distribution of borocaptate sodium (Na 2 B 12 H 11 SH or BSH) in normal tissues has been determined and can be accurately predicted from the blood concentration. The compound para-borono-phenylalanine (p-BPA) has also been studied in dogs and normal tissue distribution has been determined. The total physical dose required to reach a biological isoeffect appears to increase directly as the proportion of boron capture dose increases. This effect, together with knowledge of the macrodistribution, led to estimates of the influence of the microdistribution of the BSH compound. This paper reports a computer model that was used to predict the compound factor for BSH and p-BPA and, hence, the equivalent radiation in normal tissues. The compound factor would need to be calculated for other compounds with different distributions. This information is needed to design appropriate normal tissue tolerance studies for different organ systems and/or different boron compounds

  4. Optical coherence tomography detection of shear wave propagation in inhomogeneous tissue equivalent phantoms and ex-vivo carotid artery samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razani, Marjan; Luk, Timothy W.H.; Mariampillai, Adrian; Siegler, Peter; Kiehl, Tim-Rasmus; Kolios, Michael C.; Yang, Victor X.D.

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we explored the potential of measuring shear wave propagation using optical coherence elastography (OCE) in an inhomogeneous phantom and carotid artery samples based on a swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. Shear waves were generated using a piezoelectric transducer transmitting sine-wave bursts of 400 μs duration, applying acoustic radiation force (ARF) to inhomogeneous phantoms and carotid artery samples, synchronized with a swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) imaging system. The phantoms were composed of gelatin and titanium dioxide whereas the carotid artery samples were embedded in gel. Differential OCT phase maps, measured with and without the ARF, detected the microscopic displacement generated by shear wave propagation in these phantoms and samples of different stiffness. We present the technique for calculating tissue mechanical properties by propagating shear waves in inhomogeneous tissue equivalent phantoms and carotid artery samples using the ARF of an ultrasound transducer, and measuring the shear wave speed and its associated properties in the different layers with OCT phase maps. This method lays the foundation for future in-vitro and in-vivo studies of mechanical property measurements of biological tissues such as vascular tissues, where normal and pathological structures may exhibit significant contrast in the shear modulus. PMID:24688822

  5. Characterization of tissues equivalent to the human body by the Monte Carlo method for X-rays; Caracterizacion de tejidos equivalentes al cuerpo humano mediante el metodo Monte Carlo para rayos X

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vega R, J.; Huamani T, Y.; Mullisaca P, A. F.; Yauri C, L., E-mail: josevegaramirez@yahoo.es [Universidad Nacional de San Agustin de Arequipa, Av. Independencia s/n, 04000 Arequipa (Peru)

    2017-10-15

    There is a need to have materials equivalent to the human body that have the appropriate characteristics to be used as a substitute tissue in the clinical practices of radio-diagnosis, radiotherapy. In Arequipa, Peru, there are two health centers in radiotherapy applications, one with a Theratron Co-60 gamma irradiator and another with Elekta Linac; the Medical Physics Area of the School of Physics of the National University of San Agustin de Arequipa, were four equivalent materials based on epoxy resin, phenolitic spheres, calcium carbonate, etc. were built, such as bone tissue, soft tissue, adipose and lung tissue compared with water, whit the purpose of studying and applying them in future clinical applications. In this work we describe its physical and dosimetric characterization to determine its use as an equivalent material or manikin. The materials are 1 cm thick and 30 cm in diameter, the materials are non-malleable solids, they do not degrade, they have stability in their consistency due to temperature and irradiation, they are not toxic in their use, determining densities from 0.32 g/cm{sup 3} for the lung tissue to 1.8 g/cm{sup 3} for the bone material. These materials were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, giving the percentages by weight of the elements found to determine their effective atomic number, the physical analysis to determine their mass absorption and energy coefficients, which were studied for energy photons between 1 KeV at 20 MeV. The simulation of the equivalent materials and the physical and dosimetric study were found using the code Penelope 2008 Monte Carlo method and validated by the Nist database. The results obtained according to their coefficients of mass attenuation of each material, show lung, bone, soft and adipose tissue with differences with respect to the same Nist materials. The range maximum and minimum Rd deviation found was 35.65 - 3.16 for bone, 28.5 - 6.74 for lung, 33.78 - 9.06 for soft tissue and 86.42 - 1

  6. On uncertainties in definition of dose equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oda, Keiji

    1995-01-01

    The author has entertained always the doubt that in a neutron field, if the measured value of the absorbed dose with a tissue equivalent ionization chamber is 1.02±0.01 mGy, may the dose equivalent be taken as 10.2±0.1 mSv. Should it be 10.2 or 11, but the author considers it is 10 or 20. Even if effort is exerted for the precision measurement of absorbed dose, if the coefficient being multiplied to it is not precise, it is meaningless. [Absorbed dose] x [Radiation quality fctor] = [Dose equivalent] seems peculiar. How accurately can dose equivalent be evaluated ? The descriptions related to uncertainties in the publications of ICRU and ICRP are introduced, which are related to radiation quality factor, the accuracy of measuring dose equivalent and so on. Dose equivalent shows the criterion for the degree of risk, or it is considered only as a controlling quantity. The description in the ICRU report 1973 related to dose equivalent and its unit is cited. It was concluded that dose equivalent can be considered only as the absorbed dose being multiplied by a dimensionless factor. The author presented the questions. (K.I.)

  7. Frequency of occurrence of various nuclear reactions when fast neutrons (greater than or equal to 50 MeV) pass through tissue-equivalent material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alsmiller, R.G. Jr.

    1975-07-01

    Calculated results are presented for the frequency with which various partial nuclear-reaction cross sections are utilized when fast neutrons (less than or equal to 50 MeV) are transported through a tissue-equivalent phantom to obtain an indication of which cross sections are of most importance for radiotherapy applications and are therefore in need of experimental verification. (6 tables) (U.S.)

  8. The organization of human epidermis: functional epidermal units and phi proportionality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoath, Steven B; Leahy, D G

    2003-12-01

    The concept that mammalian epidermis is structurally organized into functional epidermal units has been proposed on the basis of stratum corneum (SC) architecture, proliferation kinetics, melanocyte:keratinocyte ratios (1:36), and, more recently, Langerhans cell: epidermal cell ratios (1:53). This article examines the concept of functional epidermal units in human skin in which the maintenance of phi (1.618034) proportionality provides a central organizing principle. The following empirical measurements were used: 75,346 nucleated epidermal cells per mm2, 1394 Langerhans cells per mm2, 1999 melanocytes per mm2, 16 (SC) layers, 900-microm2 corneocyte surface area, 17,778 corneocytes per mm2, 14-d (SC) turnover time, and 93,124 per mm2 total epidermal cells. Given these empirical data: (1) the number of corneocytes is a mean proportional between the sum of the Langerhans cell + melanocyte populations and the number of epidermal cells, 3393/17,778-17,778/93,124; (2) the ratio of nucleated epidermal cells over corneocytes is phi proportional, 75,346/17,778 approximately phi3; (3) assuming similar 14-d turnover times for the (SC) and Malpighian epidermis, the number of corneocytes results from subtraction of a cellular fraction equal to approximately 2/phi2 x the number of living cells, 75,436 - (2/phi2 x 75,346) approximately 17,778; and (4) if total epidermal turnover time equals (SC) turnover time x the ratio of living/dead cells, then compartmental turnover times are unequal (14 d for (SC) to 45.3 d for nucleated epidermis approximately 1/2phi) and cellular replacement rates are 52.9 corneocytes/69.3 keratinocytes per mm2 per h approximately 2/phi2. These empirically derived equivalences provide logicomathematical support for the presence of functional epidermal units in human skin. Validation of a phi proportional unit architecture in human epidermis will be important for tissue engineering of skin and the design of instruments for skin measurement.

  9. ORION: a computer code for evaluating environmental concentrations and dose equivalent to human organs or tissue from airborne radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shinohara, K.; Nomura, T.; Iwai, M.

    1983-05-01

    The computer code ORION has been developed to evaluate the environmental concentrations and the dose equivalent to human organs or tissue from air-borne radionuclides released from multiple nuclear installations. The modified Gaussian plume model is applied to calculate the dispersion of the radionuclide. Gravitational settling, dry deposition, precipitation scavenging and radioactive decay are considered to be the causes of depletion and deposition on the ground or on vegetation. ORION is written in the FORTRAN IV language and can be run on IBM 360, 370, 303X, 43XX and FACOM M-series computers. 8 references, 6 tables

  10. Energy response of detectors to alpha/beta particles and compatibility of the equivalent factors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Bingxing; Li Guangxian; Lin Lixiong

    2011-01-01

    By measuring detect efficiency and equivalent factors of alpha/beta radiation with different energies on three types of detectors, this paper compares compatibility of their equivalent factors and discusses applicability of detectors to measuring total alpha/beta radiation. The result shows the relationship between efficiency of alpha/beta radiation and their energies on 3 types of detectors, such as scintillation and proportional and semiconductor counters, are overall identical. Alpha count efficiency display exponential relation with alpha-particle energy. While beta count efficiency display logarithm relation with beta-particle energy, but the curves appears deflection at low energy. Comparison test of energy response also shows that alpha and beta equivalent factors of scintillation and proportional counters have a good compatibility, and alpha equivalent factors of the semiconductor counters are in good agreement with those of the above two types of counters, but beta equivalent factors have obvious difference, or equivalent factors of low energy beta-particle are lower than those of other detectors. So, the semiconductor counter can not be used for measuring total radioactivity or for the measurements for the purpose of food safety. (authors)

  11. Skin equivalent tissue-engineered construct: co-cultured fibroblasts/ keratinocytes on 3D matrices of sericin hope cocoons.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunita Nayak

    Full Text Available The development of effective and alternative tissue-engineered skin replacements to autografts, allografts and xenografts has became a clinical requirement due to the problems related to source of donor tissue and the perceived risk of disease transmission. In the present study 3D tissue engineered construct of sericin is developed using co-culture of keratinocytes on the upper surface of the fabricated matrices and with fibroblasts on lower surface. Sericin is obtained from "Sericin Hope" silkworm of Bombyx mori mutant and is extracted from cocoons by autoclave. Porous sericin matrices are prepared by freeze dried method using genipin as crosslinker. The matrices are characterized biochemically and biophysically. The cell proliferation and viability of co-cultured fibroblasts and keratinocytes on matrices for at least 28 days are observed by live/dead assay, Alamar blue assay, and by dual fluorescent staining. The growth of the fibroblasts and keratinocytes in co-culture is correlated with the expression level of TGF-β, b-FGF and IL-8 in the cultured supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The histological analysis further demonstrates a multi-layered stratified epidermal layer of uninhibited keratinocytes in co-cultured constructs. Presence of involucrin, collagen IV and the fibroblast surface protein in immuno-histochemical stained sections of co-cultured matrices indicates the significance of paracrine signaling between keratinocytes and fibroblasts in the expression of extracellular matrix protein for dermal repair. No significant amount of pro inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and nitric oxide production are evidenced when macrophages grown on the sericin matrices. The results all together depict the potentiality of sericin 3D matrices as skin equivalent tissue engineered construct in wound repair.

  12. Experimental evaluation of the thermal properties of two tissue equivalent phantom materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craciunescu, O I; Howle, L E; Clegg, S T

    1999-01-01

    Tissue equivalent radio frequency (RF) phantoms provide a means for measuring the power deposition of various hyperthermia therapy applicators. Temperature measurements made in phantoms are used to verify the accuracy of various numerical approaches for computing the power and/or temperature distributions. For the numerical simulations to be accurate, the electrical and thermal properties of the materials that form the phantom should be accurately characterized. This paper reports on the experimentally measured thermal properties of two commonly used phantom materials, i.e. a rigid material with the electrical properties of human fat, and a low concentration polymer gel with the electrical properties of human muscle. Particularities of the two samples required the design of alternative measuring techniques for the specific heat and thermal conductivity. For the specific heat, a calorimeter method is used. For the thermal diffusivity, a method derived from the standard guarded comparative-longitudinal heat flow technique was used for both materials. For the 'muscle'-like material, the thermal conductivity, density and specific heat at constant pressure were measured as: k = 0.31 +/- 0.001 W(mK)(-1), p = 1026 +/- 7 kgm(-3), and c(p) = 4584 +/- 107 J(kgK)(-1). For the 'fat'-like material, the literature reports on the density and specific heat such that only the thermal conductivity was measured as k = 0.55 W(mK)(-1).

  13. Resonance sensor measurements of stiffness variations in prostate tissue in vitro--a weighted tissue proportion model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalkanen, Ville; Andersson, Britt M; Bergh, Anders; Ljungberg, Börje; Lindahl, Olof A

    2006-12-01

    Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men in Europe and the US. The methods to detect prostate cancer are still precarious and new techniques are needed. A piezoelectric transducer element in a feedback system is set to vibrate with its resonance frequency. When the sensor element contacts an object a change in the resonance frequency is observed, and this feature has been utilized in sensor systems to describe physical properties of different objects. For medical applications it has been used to measure stiffness variations due to various patho-physiological conditions. In this study the sensor's ability to measure the stiffness of prostate tissue, from two excised prostatectomy specimens in vitro, was analysed. The specimens were also subjected to morphometric measurements, and the sensor parameter was compared with the morphology of the tissue with linear regression. In the probe impression interval 0.5-1.7 mm, the maximum R(2) > or = 0.60 (p sensor was pressed, the greater, i.e., deeper, volume it sensed. Tissue sections deeper in the tissue were assigned a lower mathematical weighting than sections closer to the sensor probe. It is concluded that cancer increases the measured stiffness as compared with healthy glandular tissue, but areas with predominantly stroma or many stones could be more difficult to differ from cancer.

  14. Experiences of calibration in photon beams for the personal dose equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindborg, L.; Gullberg, O.

    1994-01-01

    The calibration quantity shall, according to ICRU, be the personal dose equivalent, H p (d), in a phantom having the composition of the ICRU tissue and the same shape and size as the recommended PMMA calibration phantom, 30 x 30 x 15 cm 3 . There exist differences in backscattering between PMMA and tissue that for certain photon energies could be of importance. This could either be treated as a systematic uncertainty or be incorporated in the definition. However, monoenergetic beams seldom appear in reality and the difference in backscatter is not thought to be important. The calibration quantity for photons was chosen as the absorbed dose to ICRU tissue (times a quality factor 1) at 10 mm depth in a tissue-equivalent slab phantom. In Sweden 13 different services run personal dosimetry. Their initial hesitation about the change of quantity disappeared after testing their photon energy responses. It was found that most TLD systems were measuring the new quantity better than the old one and that the film systems needed only minor corrections. Most TLD systems now report 5% larger dose equivalents for the same irradiation in a photon beam from a 137 Cs source. (author)

  15. Total dose meter development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brackenbush, L.W.

    1986-09-01

    This report describes an alarming ''pocket'' monitor/dosimeter, based on a tissue-equivalent proportional counter, that measure both neutron and gamma dose and determines dose equivalent for the mixed radiation field. This report details the operation of the device and provides information on: the necessity for a device to measure dose equivalent in mixed radiation fields; the mathematical theory required to determine dose equivalent from tissue equivalent proportional; the detailed electronic circuits required; the algorithms required in the microprocessor used to calculate dose equivalent; the features of the instrument; program accomplishments and future plans

  16. A damage cumulation method for crack initiation prediction under non proportional loading and overloading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taheri, S.

    1992-04-01

    For a sequence of constant amplitude cyclic loading containing overloads, we propose a method for damage cumulation in non proportional loading. This method uses as data cyclic stabilized states at non proportional loading and initiation or fatigue curve in uniaxial case. For that, we take into account the dependence of Cyclic Strain Stress Curves (C.S.S.C.) and mean cell size on prehardening and we define a stabilized uniaxial state cyclically equivalent to a non proportional stabilized state through a family of C.S.S.C. Although simple assumptions like linear damage function and linear cumulation is used we obtain a sequence effect for difficult cross slip materials as 316 stainless steel, but the Miner rule for easy cross-slip materials. We show then differences between a load-controlled test and a strain controlled test: for a 316 stainless steel in a load controlled test, the non proportional loading at each cycle is less damaging than the uniaxial one for the same equivalent stress, while the result is opposite in a strain controlled test. We show also that an overloading retards initiation in a load controlled test while it accelerates initiation in a strain controlled test. (author). 26 refs., 8 figs

  17. Some aspects of the use of proton recoil proportional counters for fast neutron personnel dosimeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yule, T.J.; Bennett, E.F.

    1984-01-01

    Gas-filled proton recoil proportional counters have been used extensively for the measurement of neutron spectra in degraded fission-spectrum environments. Some considerations relating to the use of these counters for personnel dosimetry are here described. High sensitivity and good accuracy in the determination of dose-equivalent can be obtained if relatively high pressure hydrogen-filled proportional counters are used as the active element in a dosimeter system

  18. On the calibration of photon dosemeters in the equivalent dose units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bregadze, Yu.I.; Isaev, B.M.; Maslyaev, P.F.

    1980-01-01

    General aspects of transition from exposure dose of photo radiation to equivalent one are considered. By determination the equivalent dose is a function of point location in an irradiated object, that is why it is necessary to know equivalent dose distribution in the human body for uniform description of the risk degree. The international electrotechnical comission recommends to measure equivalent doses at 7 and 800 mg/cm 2 depths in a tissue-equivalent ball with 30 cm diameter, calling them skin equivalent dose and depth equivalent dose, respectively, and to compare them with the permissible 500 mZ and 50 mZ a year, respectively. Practical transition to using equivalent dose for evaluation of radiation danger of being in photon radiation field of low energy should include measures on regraduating already produced dose meters, graduating the dose meters under production and developing the system of their metrologic supply [ru

  19. New technique for tissue-equivalent gamma ray dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Squillante, M.R.; Stern, I.; Nagarkar, V.; Entine, G.

    1992-01-01

    The use of semiconductor sensors in dosimeters is attractive for a variety of reasons including potential low cost and high sensitivity. However, the accurate measurement of the radiation dose to tissue using solid state detectors is made difficult by the relatively high atomic number of semiconductor materials. This leads to an over response to gamma ray energies below 100 keV and an under response above that. If the energy spectrum is known, corrections can be applied to yield accurate dose. In real life situations, however, the energy spectrum is not always known and may be difficult to determine at high flux rates. Also, in some cases, the energy spectrum may change with time. This paper reports that, by operating a custom-designed CdTe sensor in the pulse mode and measuring the average energy deposited, a nearly-linear relationship between the tissue dose rate and the sensor signal was obtained. Based on this technique, a prototype detector and dosimeter system were developed

  20. The radiobiology of boron neutron capture therapy: Are ''photon-equivalent'' doses really photon-equivalent?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coderre, J.A.; Diaz, A.Z.; Ma, R.

    2001-01-01

    Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) produces a mixture of radiation dose components. The high-linear energy transfer (LET) particles are more damaging in tissue than equal doses of low-LET radiation. Each of the high-LET components can multiplied by an experimentally determined factor to adjust for the increased biological effectiveness and the resulting sum expressed in photon-equivalent units (Gy-Eq). BNCT doses in photon-equivalent units are based on a number of assumptions. It may be possible to test the validity of these assumptions and the accuracy of the calculated BNCT doses by 1) comparing the effects of BNCT in other animal or biological models where the effects of photon radiation are known, or 2) if there are endpoints reached in the BNCT dose escalation clinical trials that can be related to the known response to photons of the tissue in question. The calculated Gy-Eq BNCT doses delivered to dogs and to humans with BPA and the epithermal neutron beam of the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor were compared to expected responses to photon irradiation. The data indicate that Gy-Eq doses in brain may be underestimated. Doses to skin are consistent with the expected response to photons. Gy-Eq doses to tumor are significantly overestimated. A model system of cells in culture irradiated at various depths in a lucite phantom using the epithermal beam is under development. Preliminary data indicate that this approach can be used to detect differences in the relative biological effectiveness of the beam. The rat 9L gliosarcoma cell survival data was converted to photon-equivalent doses using the same factors assumed in the clinical studies. The results superimposed on the survival curve derived from irradiation with Cs-137 photons indicating the potential utility of this model system. (author)

  1. A formulation of tissue- and water-equivalent materials using the stoichiometric analysis method for CT-number calibration in radiotherapy treatment planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yohannes, Indra; Kolditz, Daniel; Langner, Oliver; Kalender, Willi A.

    2012-03-01

    Tissue- and water-equivalent materials (TEMs) are widely used in quality assurance and calibration procedures, both in radiodiagnostics and radiotherapy. In radiotherapy, particularly, the TEMs are often used for computed tomography (CT) number calibration in treatment planning systems. However, currently available TEMs may not be very accurate in the determination of the calibration curves due to their limitation in mimicking radiation characteristics of the corresponding real tissues in both low- and high-energy ranges. Therefore, we are proposing a new formulation of TEMs using a stoichiometric analysis method to obtain TEMs for the calibration purposes. We combined the stoichiometric calibration and the basic data method to compose base materials to develop TEMs matching standard real tissues from ICRU Report 44 and 46. First, the CT numbers of six materials with known elemental compositions were measured to get constants for the stoichiometric calibration. The results of the stoichiometric calibration were used together with the basic data method to formulate new TEMs. These new TEMs were scanned to validate their CT numbers. The electron density and the stopping power calibration curves were also generated. The absolute differences of the measured CT numbers of the new TEMs were less than 4 HU for the soft tissues and less than 22 HU for the bone compared to the ICRU real tissues. Furthermore, the calculated relative electron density and electron and proton stopping powers of the new TEMs differed by less than 2% from the corresponding ICRU real tissues. The new TEMs which were formulated using the proposed technique increase the simplicity of the calibration process and preserve the accuracy of the stoichiometric calibration simultaneously.

  2. Influence of length of interval between pulses in PDR brachytherapy (PDRBT on value of Biologically Equivalent Dose (BED in healthy tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomasz Piotrowski

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Different PDR treatment schemas are used in clinical practice, however optimal length of interval between pulses still remains unclear. The aim of this work was to compare value of BED doses measured in surrounded healthy tissues according to different intervals between pulses in PDRBT. Influence of doses optimization on BED values was analyzed.Material and methods: Fifty-one patients treated in Greater Poland Cancer Centre were qualified for calculations.Calculations of doses were made in 51 patients with head and neck cancer, brain tumor, breast cancer, sarcoma, penis cancer and rectal cancer. Doses were calculated with the use of PLATO planning system in chosen critical points in surrounded healthy tissues. For all treatment plans the doses were compared using Biologically Equivalent Dose formula.Three interval lengths (1, 2 and 4 hours between pulses were chosen for calculations. For statistical analysis Friedman ANOVA test and Kendall ratio were used.Results: The median value of BED in chosen critical points in healthy tissues was statistically related to the length of interval between PDR pulses and decreased exponentially with 1 hour interval to 4 hours (Kendall = from 0.48 to 1.0; p = from 0.002 to 0.00001.Conclusions: Prolongation of intervals between pulses in PDR brachytherapy was connected with lower values of BED doses in healthy tissues. It seems that longer intervals between pulses reduced the risk of late complications, but also decreased the tumour control. Furthermore, optimization influenced the increase of doses in healthy tissues.

  3. Infection with Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Leads to Increased Proportions of F4/80+ Red Pulp Macrophages and Decreased Proportions of B and T Lymphocytes in the Spleen.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin L Rosche

    Full Text Available Infection of mice with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (Salmonella causes systemic inflammatory disease and enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly. Splenomegaly has been attributed to a general increase in the numbers of phagocytes, lymphocytes, as well as to the expansion of immature CD71+Ter119+ reticulocytes. The spleen is important for recycling senescent red blood cells (RBCs and for the capture and eradication of blood-borne pathogens. Conservation of splenic tissue architecture, comprised of the white pulp (WP, marginal zone (MZ, and red pulp (RP is essential for initiation of adaptive immune responses to captured pathogens. Using flow cytometry and four color immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM, we show that Salmonella-induced splenomegaly is characterized by drastic alterations of the splenic tissue architecture and cell population proportions, as well as in situ cell distributions. A major cause of splenomegaly appears to be the significant increase in immature RBC precursors and F4/80+ macrophages that are important for recycling of heme-associated iron. In contrast, the proportions of B220+, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, as well as MZ MOMA+ macrophages decrease significantly as infection progresses. Spleen tissue sections show visible tears and significantly altered tissue architecture with F4/80+ macrophages and RBCs expanding beyond the RP and taking over most of the spleen tissue. Additionally, F4/80+ macrophages actively phagocytose not only RBCs, but also lymphocytes, indicating that they may contribute to declining lymphocyte proportions during Salmonella infection. Understanding how these alterations of spleen microarchitecture impact the generation of adaptive immune responses to Salmonella has implications for understanding Salmonella pathogenesis and for the design of more effective Salmonella-based vaccines.

  4. Infection with Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Leads to Increased Proportions of F4/80+ Red Pulp Macrophages and Decreased Proportions of B and T Lymphocytes in the Spleen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosche, Kristin L; Aljasham, Alanoud T; Kipfer, James N; Piatkowski, Bryan T; Konjufca, Vjollca

    2015-01-01

    Infection of mice with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (Salmonella) causes systemic inflammatory disease and enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly). Splenomegaly has been attributed to a general increase in the numbers of phagocytes, lymphocytes, as well as to the expansion of immature CD71+Ter119+ reticulocytes. The spleen is important for recycling senescent red blood cells (RBCs) and for the capture and eradication of blood-borne pathogens. Conservation of splenic tissue architecture, comprised of the white pulp (WP), marginal zone (MZ), and red pulp (RP) is essential for initiation of adaptive immune responses to captured pathogens. Using flow cytometry and four color immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM), we show that Salmonella-induced splenomegaly is characterized by drastic alterations of the splenic tissue architecture and cell population proportions, as well as in situ cell distributions. A major cause of splenomegaly appears to be the significant increase in immature RBC precursors and F4/80+ macrophages that are important for recycling of heme-associated iron. In contrast, the proportions of B220+, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, as well as MZ MOMA+ macrophages decrease significantly as infection progresses. Spleen tissue sections show visible tears and significantly altered tissue architecture with F4/80+ macrophages and RBCs expanding beyond the RP and taking over most of the spleen tissue. Additionally, F4/80+ macrophages actively phagocytose not only RBCs, but also lymphocytes, indicating that they may contribute to declining lymphocyte proportions during Salmonella infection. Understanding how these alterations of spleen microarchitecture impact the generation of adaptive immune responses to Salmonella has implications for understanding Salmonella pathogenesis and for the design of more effective Salmonella-based vaccines.

  5. ELECTRICAL EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT OF BIOLOGICAL OBJECTS OF VEGETABLE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. M. Golev

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Summary.The results of measurements of complex biological tissues electrical resistance of vegetable origin are presented. The measurements were performed at T=296 K in the frequency range from 5 to 500 kHz. As the electrodes were covered with tin (purity of 99.9% copper plates.. Experimentally investigated the following objects: samples parenchymal tissue of Apple in the form of cylinders with a diameter of 20 mm and a length of 20 mm; Apple juice, obtained by mechanical destruction of cells; pressed Apple pulp (juice content of not more than 20%obtained by the centrifugal separation, which destroyed the system of cells. For plant tissue with a holistic system of cells in the field 103 - 105 Hz is observed pronounced minimum angle of phase shift. In the absence of cells and its value is greatly reduced .The equivalent electrical circuit fabrics are considered. The calculation of all its elements is made. The equivalent capacitance of the electrical double layer at the interface of metal measuring electrode and extracellular fluid is element of C1 . The electrical resistance of this layer alternating current is characterized by the element R1 . Chain parallel connected resistance and capacitance describes the system of plant cells. The capacitance C2 is due to the electrical capacity of the cell membranes, and the resistance R2 is the electrical resistance of the membranes and intracellular space.The coincidence of experimental and calculated data in a frequency range of more than 103 Hz satisfactory. In the region of lower frequencies is observed differences. This may be due to the specific behavior of the electrical double layer. However, in the frequency region where the electrical properties of the cell structure of the investigated tissue match good, which proves the validity of the considered equivalent circuit. It is shown that the value of the complex electrical impedance of vegetable tissue in the frequency range from 103 Hz to 105

  6. Deuterons at energies of 10 MeV to 1 TeV: Conversion coefficients for fluence-to-absorbed dose, equivalent dose, effective dose and gray equivalent, calculated using Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNPX 2.7.C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Copeland, K.; Parker, D. E.; Friedberg, W.

    2011-01-01

    Conversion coefficients were calculated for fluence-to-absorbed dose, fluence-to-equivalent dose, fluence-to-effective dose and fluence-to-gray equivalent for isotropic exposure of an adult female and an adult male to deuterons ( 2 H + ) in the energy range 10 MeV -1 TeV (0.01-1000 GeV). Coefficients were calculated using the Monte Carlo transport code MCNPX 2.7.C and BodyBuilder TM 1.3 anthropomorphic phantoms. Phantoms were modified to allow calculation of the effective dose to a Reference Person using tissues and tissue weighting factors from 1990 and 2007 recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and gray equivalent to selected tissues as recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Coefficients for the equivalent and effective dose incorporated a radiation weighting factor of 2. At 15 of 19 energies for which coefficients for the effective dose were calculated, coefficients based on ICRP 1990 and 2007 recommendations differed by < 3 %. The greatest difference, 47 %, occurred at 30 MeV. (authors)

  7. Simulation of proportional control of hydraulic actuator using digital hydraulic valves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raghuraman, D. R. S.; Senthil Kumar, S.; Kalaiarasan, G.

    2017-11-01

    Fluid power systems using oil hydraulics in earth moving and construction equipment have been using proportional and servo control valves for a long time to achieve precise and accurate position control backed by system performance. Such valves are having feedback control in them and exhibit good response, sensitivity and fine control of the actuators. Servo valves and proportional valves are possessing less hysteresis when compared to on-off type valves, but when the servo valve spools get stuck in one position, a high frequency called as jitter is employed to bring the spool back, whereas in on-off type valves it requires lesser technology to retract the spool. Hence on-off type valves are used in a technology known as digital valve technology, which caters to precise control on slow moving loads with fast switching times and with good flow and pressure control mimicking the performance of an equivalentproportional valve” or “servo valve”.

  8. A new Monte Carlo program for calculations of dose distributions within tissue equivalent phantoms irradiated from π--meson beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Przybilla, G.

    1980-11-01

    The present paper reports on the structure and first results from a new Monte Carlo programme for calculations of energy distributions within tissue equivalent phantoms irradiated from π - -beams. Each pion or generated secondary particle is transported until to the complete loss of its kinetic energy taking into account pion processes like multiple Coulomb scattering, pion reactions in flight and absorption of stopped pions. The code uses mainly data from experiments, and physical models have been added only in cases of lacking data. Depth dose curves for a pensil beam of 170 MeV/c within a water phantom are discussed as a function of various parameters. Isodose contours are plotted resulting from a convolution of an extended beam profile and the dose distribution of a pencil beams. (orig.) [de

  9. Proportion hyperglycosylated hCG: a new test for discriminating gestational trophoblastic diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Laurence A

    2014-11-01

    Hyperglycosylated human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a variant of hCG with large oligosaccharide side chains. Although hCG is produced by syncytiotrophoblast cells, hyperglycosylated hCG marks cytotrophoblast cell. Hyperglycosylated hCG signals placental implantation. Total hCG in serum and urine is measured by the Siemens Immulite hCG pregnancy test; the result is in milli-international unit per milliliter. Hyperglycosylated hCG is determined by the B152 microtiter plate assay; the result is in nanogram per milliliter. Hyperglycosylated hCG results can be converted to milli-international unit per milliliter equivalents by multiplying by 11. The test measures proportion hyperglycosylated hCG, hyperglycosylated hCG / total hCG. Proportion hyperglycosylated hCG marks cases intent on developing persistent hydatidiform mole (68% detection at 17% false detection). Proportion hyperglycosylated hCG also marks persistent hydatidiform mole (100% detection at 5.1% false detection). Proportion hyperglycosylated hCG distinguishes choriocarcinoma and gestational trophoblastic neoplasm cases, absolutely discriminating aggressive cases and minimally aggressive cases. Proportion hyperglycosylated hCG identifies quiescent gestational trophoblastic disease cases. It recognizes quiescent cases that become persistent disease (100% detection at 0% false positive). Proportion hyperglycosylated hCG is an invaluable test for discriminating gestational trophoblastic diseases.

  10. An equivalent body surface charge model representing three-dimensional bioelectrical activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, B.; Chernyak, Y. B.; Cohen, R. J.

    1995-01-01

    A new surface-source model has been developed to account for the bioelectrical potential on the body surface. A single-layer surface-charge model on the body surface has been developed to equivalently represent bioelectrical sources inside the body. The boundary conditions on the body surface are discussed in relation to the surface-charge in a half-space conductive medium. The equivalent body surface-charge is shown to be proportional to the normal component of the electric field on the body surface just outside the body. The spatial resolution of the equivalent surface-charge distribution appears intermediate between those of the body surface potential distribution and the body surface Laplacian distribution. An analytic relationship between the equivalent surface-charge and the surface Laplacian of the potential was found for a half-space conductive medium. The effects of finite spatial sampling and noise on the reconstruction of the equivalent surface-charge were evaluated by computer simulations. It was found through computer simulations that the reconstruction of the equivalent body surface-charge from the body surface Laplacian distribution is very stable against noise and finite spatial sampling. The present results suggest that the equivalent body surface-charge model may provide an additional insight to our understanding of bioelectric phenomena.

  11. Proportion-corrected scaled voxel models for Japanese children and their application to the numerical dosimetry of specific absorption rate for frequencies from 30 MHz to 3 GHz

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagaoka, Tomoaki; Watanabe, Soichi; Kunieda, Etsuo

    2008-01-01

    The development of high-resolution anatomical voxel models of children is difficult given, inter alia, the ethical limitations on subjecting children to medical imaging. We instead used an existing voxel model of a Japanese adult and three-dimensional deformation to develop three voxel models that match the average body proportions of Japanese children at 3, 5 and 7 years old. The adult model was deformed to match the proportions of a child by using the measured dimensions of various body parts of children at 3, 5 and 7 years old and a free-form deformation technique. The three developed models represent average-size Japanese children of the respective ages. They consist of cubic voxels (2 mm on each side) and are segmented into 51 tissues and organs. We calculated the whole-body-averaged specific absorption rates (WBA-SARs) and tissue-averaged SARs for the child models for exposures to plane waves from 30 MHz to 3 GHz; these results were then compared with those for scaled down adult models. We also determined the incident electric-field strength required to produce the exposure equivalent to the ICNIRP basic restriction for general public exposure, i.e., a WBA-SAR of 0.08 W kg -1 .

  12. Theoretical aspects of the equivalence principle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damour, Thibault

    2012-01-01

    We review several theoretical aspects of the equivalence principle (EP). We emphasize the unsatisfactory fact that the EP maintains the absolute character of the coupling constants of physics, while general relativity and its generalizations (Kaluza–Klein, …, string theory) suggest that all absolute structures should be replaced by dynamical entities. We discuss the EP-violation phenomenology of dilaton-like models, which is likely to be dominated by the linear superposition of two effects: a signal proportional to the nuclear Coulomb energy, related to the variation of the fine-structure constant, and a signal proportional to the surface nuclear binding energy, related to the variation of the light quark masses. We recall various theoretical arguments (including a recently proposed anthropic argument) suggesting that the EP be violated at a small, but not unmeasurably small level. This motivates the need for improved tests of the EP. These tests are probing new territories in physics that are related to deep, and mysterious, issues in fundamental physics. (paper)

  13. The proportion of prostate biopsy tissue with Gleason pattern 4 or 5 predicts for biochemical and clinical outcome after radiotherapy for prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Ambrosio, David J.; Hanlon, Alexandra L.; Al-Saleem, Tahseen; Feigenberg, Steven J.; Horwitz, Eric M.; Uzzo, Robert G.; Pollack, Alan; Buyyounouski, Mark K.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the prognostic utility of the proportion of prostate biopsy tissue containing Gleason pattern 4 or 5 (GP4/5) after definitive radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: A total of 568 patients with T1c-3 Nx/0 prostate cancer who received three-dimensional conformal RT alone between May 1989 and August 2001 were studied. There were 161 men with Gleason score 7-10 disease. The GP4/5 was defined as the percentage of biopsy tissue containing Gleason pattern 4 or 5. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses (MVA) for biochemical failure (BF) (American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology definition) and distant metastasis (DM). A recursive partitioning analysis was done using the results of the MVA to identify a cutpoint for GP4/5. Results: The median follow-up was 46 (range, 13-114) months and median RT dose was 76 (range, 65-82) Gy. On MVA, increasing initial prostate-specific antigen (p = 0.0248) decreasing RT dose (continuous, p = 0.0022), T stage (T1/2 vs. T3) (p = 0.0136) and GP4/5 (continuous, p < 0.0001) were significant predictors of BF in a model also containing GS. GP4/5 was the only significant predictor of DM in the same model (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The GP4/5 in prostate biopsy specimens is a predictor of BF and DM after RT independent of Gleason score. This parameter should be reported by the pathologist when reviewing prostatic biopsy specimens

  14. Equivalence between short-time biphasic and incompressible elastic material responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ateshian, Gerard A; Ellis, Benjamin J; Weiss, Jeffrey A

    2007-06-01

    Porous-permeable tissues have often been modeled using porous media theories such as the biphasic theory. This study examines the equivalence of the short-time biphasic and incompressible elastic responses for arbitrary deformations and constitutive relations from first principles. This equivalence is illustrated in problems of unconfined compression of a disk, and of articular contact under finite deformation, using two different constitutive relations for the solid matrix of cartilage, one of which accounts for the large disparity observed between the tensile and compressive moduli in this tissue. Demonstrating this equivalence under general conditions provides a rationale for using available finite element codes for incompressible elastic materials as a practical substitute for biphasic analyses, so long as only the short-time biphasic response is sought. In practice, an incompressible elastic analysis is representative of a biphasic analysis over the short-term response deltatelasticity tensor, and K is the hydraulic permeability tensor of the solid matrix. Certain notes of caution are provided with regard to implementation issues, particularly when finite element formulations of incompressible elasticity employ an uncoupled strain energy function consisting of additive deviatoric and volumetric components.

  15. Numerical determination of the amplification of a cylindrical proportional counter operating at low pressure. Application to nano-dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moutarde, Cyrille

    1994-01-01

    This work is devoted to a study of proportional counters used to measure the energy deposition in micrometer biological sites. Tissue equivalent gas filling improve typical operating mode of those counters. Specially, the extension of the multiplication zone becomes important at low pressures. A Monte Carlo simulation has been used to study the behaviour of an electron swarm in the sensitive volume. The calculations show that electrons are not in equilibrium with the applied electric field in this geometry. The influence of the gradient field and the rotation of the electrons around the anode wire has been studied carefully. The importance of non-equilibrium effects on the theoretical amplification calculated through the ionisation coefficient has been confirmed by experimental investigations. The statistical fluctuations of multiplication process has been calculated by the determination of avalanche spectra at the anode. Resolution of an ultra-miniature counter have been calculated to improve technological limitations of experimental nanodosimetry. (author) [fr

  16. Mosaicism in segmental darier disease: an in-depth molecular analysis quantifying proportions of mutated alleles in various tissues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Harboe, Theresa Larriba; Willems, Patrick; Jespersgaard, Cathrine

    2011-01-01

    Darier disease is an autosomal dominant genodermatosis caused by germline mutations in the ATP2A2 gene. Clinical expression is variable, including rare segmental phenotypes thought to be caused by postzygotic mosaicism. Genetic counseling of segmental Darier patients is complex, as risk of transm......Darier disease is an autosomal dominant genodermatosis caused by germline mutations in the ATP2A2 gene. Clinical expression is variable, including rare segmental phenotypes thought to be caused by postzygotic mosaicism. Genetic counseling of segmental Darier patients is complex, as risk...... of transmitting a nonsegmental phenotype to offspring is of unknown magnitude. We present the first in-depth molecular analysis of a mosaic patient with segmental disease, quantifying proportions of mutated and normal alleles in various tissues. Pyrosequence analysis of DNA from semen, affected and normal skin......, peripheral leukocytes and hair revealed an uneven distribution of the mutated allele, from 14% in semen to 37% in affected skin. We suggest a model for segmental manifestation expression where a threshold number of mutated cells is needed for manifestation development. We further recommend molecular analysis...

  17. Evolution of the Deep-space Galactic Cosmic Ray Lineal Energy Transfer Spectrum through Tissue Equivalent Plastic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Case, A. W.; Kasper, J. C.; Spence, H. E.; Golightly, M. J.; Schwadron, N. A.; Mazur, J. E.; Blake, J. B.; Looper, M. D.; Townsend, L.; Zeitlin, C. J.

    2011-12-01

    The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation is an energetic particle telescope that resides on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, currently in a 50 km circular lunar polar orbit. The telescope consists of 6 silicon semi-conductor detectors placed in pairs that surround two pieces of Tissue Equivalent Plastic (TEP), which serve to absorb energy from particles as they transit through the instrument. Particles with energies greater than 12 MeV/nucleon can penetrate the outermost shield and be measured by the instrument. The primary measurement made by the instrument is of the Linear Energy Transfer (LET) of energetic particles as they transit through the telescope. CRaTER measures the LET spectrum with unprecedented energy resolution and has done so during a period of historically low solar activity that led to record high intensities of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). These LET spectra are used to study changes in the properties of the incoming particles, and to make detailed measurements of the radiation doses human explorers will experience in deep space on missions to the moon, to asteroids, or to Mars. We present LET spectra accumulated during 2009 and 2010. We show how the LET spectrum evolves through the instrument as the GCR interact with the TEP. Due to the importance of these measurements for human effects, our extensive absolute calibration procedures are presented. Of particular note is a significant reduction in the flux of particles with LET greater than 10 keV/um for detectors that lie deeper within the telescope stack, due to the attenuation of high LET particles within the TEP. By measuring this attenuation we can estimate the depth in human tissue where the highest LET particles that are most likely to cause genetic damage pose the greatest threat to humans in space.

  18. Development of dose equivalent meters based on microdosimetric principles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Booz, J.

    1984-01-01

    In this paper, the employment of microdosimetric dose-equivalent meters in radiation protection is described considering the advantages of introducing microdosimetric methods into radiation protection, the technical suitability of such instruments for measuring dose equivalent, and finally technical requirements, constraints and solutions together with some examples of instruments and experimental results. The advantage of microdosimetric methods in radiation protection is illustrated with the evaluation of dose-mean quality factors in radiation fields of unknown composition and with the methods of evaluating neutron- and gamma-dose fractions. - It is shown that there is good correlation between dose-mean lineal energy, anti ysub(anti D), and the ICRP quality factor. - Neutron- and gamma-dose fractions of unknown radiation fields can be evaluated with microdosimetric proportional counters without recurrence to other instruments and methods. The problems of separation are discussed. The technical suitability of microdosimetric instruments for measuring dose equivalent is discussed considering the energy response to neutrons and photons and the sensitivity in terms of dose-equivalent rate. Then, considering technical requirements, constraints, and solutions, the problem of the large dynamic range in LET, the large dynamic range in pulse rate, geometry of sensitive volume and electrodes, evaluation of dose-mean quality factors, calibration methods, and uncertainties are discussed. (orig.)

  19. Simulation and experimental study of an indigenously designed and constructed THGEM-based microdosimeter for dose-equivalent measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moslehi, A.; Raisali, G.; Lamehi, M.

    2016-01-01

    Most of the GEM/THGEM-based microdosimetric detectors presented in the literature simulate 2 μm of tissue which results in a flat neutron dose-equivalent response in the MeV region. The objective of this work was to introduce a neutron microdosimeter with a more extended flat response. In this regard, a THGEM-based microdosimeter with plexiglas walls, simulating 1 μm of tissue was designed and constructed. Its performance was investigated by both simulation and experimentation to determine the microdosimetric quantity of “lineal energy”. In the simulation study, lineal energy distribution, mean quality factor and dose-equivalent response of the microdosimeter for eleven neutron energies from 10 keV to 14 MeV, along with the energy spectrum of "2"4"1Am-Be neutrons, were calculated by the Geant4 simulation toolkit. Obtained lineal energy distributions were compatible with the distributions determined by a Rossi counter. Also, the mean quality factors agreed well with the values reported by the ICRU report 40 which confirmed tissue equivalent behavior of the microdosimeter. They were different from the effective quality factor values within 15% between 20 keV and 14 MeV. This led to a flat dose-equivalent response with 20% difference from a median value of 0.82 in the above energy range which was an improvement compared with other THGEM-based detectors, simulating 2 μm of tissue. In spite of the satisfactory determination of the dose-equivalent, the microdosimeter had low detection sensitivity. In the experimental study, the measured lineal energy distribution of "2"4"1Am-Be neutrons was in agreement with the simulated distribution. Further, the measured mean quality factor and dose-equivalent differed by 1.5% and 3.5%, respectively, from the calculated values. Finally, it could be concluded that the investigated microdosimeter reliably determined the desired dose-equivalent value of each neutron field with every energy spectrum lying between 20 keV and

  20. Politico-economic equivalence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gonzalez Eiras, Martin; Niepelt, Dirk

    2015-01-01

    Traditional "economic equivalence'' results, like the Ricardian equivalence proposition, define equivalence classes over exogenous policies. We derive "politico-economic equivalence" conditions that apply in environments where policy is endogenous and chosen sequentially. A policy regime and a st......Traditional "economic equivalence'' results, like the Ricardian equivalence proposition, define equivalence classes over exogenous policies. We derive "politico-economic equivalence" conditions that apply in environments where policy is endogenous and chosen sequentially. A policy regime...... their use in the context of several applications, relating to social security reform, tax-smoothing policies and measures to correct externalities....

  1. Einstein's Equivalence Principle and Invalidity of Thorne's Theory for LIGO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lo C. Y.

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available The theoretical foundation of LIGO's design is based on the equation of motion derived by Thorne. His formula, motivated by Einstein's theory of measurement, shows that the gravitational wave-induced displacement of a mass with respect to an object is proportional to the distance from the object. On the other hand, based on the observed bending of light and Einstein's equivalence principle, it is concluded that such induced displacement has nothing to do with the distance from another object. It is shown that the derivation of Thorne's formula has invalid assumptions that make it inapplicable to LIGO. This is a good counter example for those who claimed that Einstein's equivalence principle is not important or even irrelevant.

  2. Proportionality lost - proportionality regained?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Werlauff, Erik

    2010-01-01

    In recent years, the European Court of Justice (the ECJ) seems to have accepted restrictions on the freedom of establishment and other basic freedoms, despite the fact that a more thorough proportionality test would have revealed that the restriction in question did not pass the 'rule of reason' ...

  3. What is correct: equivalent dose or dose equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franic, Z.

    1994-01-01

    In Croatian language some physical quantities in radiation protection dosimetry have not precise names. Consequently, in practice either terms in English or mathematical formulas are used. The situation is even worse since the Croatian language only a limited number of textbooks, reference books and other papers are available. This paper compares the concept of ''dose equivalent'' as outlined in International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendations No. 26 and newest, conceptually different concept of ''equivalent dose'' which is introduced in ICRP 60. It was found out that Croatian terminology is both not uniform and unprecise. For the term ''dose equivalent'' was, under influence of Russian and Serbian languages, often used as term ''equivalent dose'' even from the point of view of ICRP 26 recommendations, which was not justified. Unfortunately, even now, in Croatia the legal unit still ''dose equivalent'' defined as in ICRP 26, but the term used for it is ''equivalent dose''. Therefore, in Croatian legislation a modified set of quantities introduced in ICRP 60, should be incorporated as soon as possible

  4. Composition variability and equivalence of Shonka TE plastic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spokas, J.J.

    1973-01-01

    A number of conducting plastic mixtures had been developed by Francis R. Shonka, and collaborators, in the Physical Sciences Laboratory of Illinois Benedictine College (formerly St. Procopius College). Several of these mixtures have been used widely in radiation research. In particular, a tissue-equivalent (muscle) formulation designated A-150 has been used extensively in the dosimetry, research and measurements of gamma, neutron and pion beams. Certain confusion has arisen concerning the composition of A-150. The definition of A-150 is reviewed and what is known of the composition is summarized. The equivalence of A-150 and ICRU ''muscle'' with respect to photons is discussed as a function of photon energy using the latest data on extra-nuclear photon cross sections. (U.S.)

  5. Tritons at energies of 10 MeV to 1 TeV: Conversion coefficients for fluence-to-absorbed dose, equivalent dose, effective dose, and gray equivalent, calculated using Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNPX 2.7.C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Copeland, K.; Parker, D. E.; Friedberg, W.

    2010-01-01

    Conversion coefficients were calculated for fluence-to-absorbed dose, fluence-to-equivalent dose, fluence-to-effective dose and fluence-to-gray equivalent for isotropic exposure of an adult female and an adult male to tritons ( 3 H + ) in the energy range of 10 MeV to 1 TeV (0.01-1000 GeV). Coefficients were calculated using Monte Carlo transport code MCNPX 2.7.C and BodyBuilder TM 1.3 anthropomorphic phantoms. Phantoms were modified to allow calculation of effective dose to a Reference Person using tissues and tissue weighting factors from 1990 and 2007 recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and calculation of gray equivalent to selected tissues as recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. At 15 of the 19 energies for which coefficients for effective dose were calculated, coefficients based on ICRP 2007 and 1990 recommendations differed by less than 3%. The greatest difference, 43%, occurred at 30 MeV. Published by Oxford Univ. Press on behalf of the US Government 2010. (authors)

  6. Helions at energies of 10 MeV to 1 TeV: Conversion coefficients for fluence-to-absorbed dose, equivalent dose, effective dose and gray equivalent, calculated using Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNPX 2.7.C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Copeland, K.; Parker, D. E.; Friedberg, W.

    2010-01-01

    Conversion coefficients were calculated for fluence-to-absorbed dose, fluence-to-equivalent dose, fluence-to-effective dose and fluence-to-gray equivalent, for isotropic exposure of an adult male and an adult female to helions ( 3 He 2+ ) in the energy range of 10 MeV to 1 TeV (0.01-1000 GeV). Calculations were performed using Monte Carlo transport code MCNPX 2.7.C and BodyBuilder TM 1.3 anthropomorphic phantoms modified to allow calculation of effective dose using tissues and tissue weighting factors from either the 1990 or 2007 recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), and gray equivalent to selected tissues as recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. At 15 of the 19 energies for which coefficients for effective dose were calculated, coefficients based on ICRP 2007 and 1990 recommendations differed by less than 2%. The greatest difference, 62%, occurred at 100 MeV. Published by Oxford Univ. Press on behalf of the U.S. Government 2010. (authors)

  7. Xanthosine administration does not affect the proportion of epithelial stem cells in bovine mammary tissue, but has a latent negative effect on cell proliferation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rauner, Gat; Barash, Itamar

    2014-01-01

    The challenge in manipulating the proportion of somatic stem cells lies in having to override tissue homeostasis. Xanthosine infusion via the teat canal has been reported to augment the number of label-retaining cells in the mammary gland of 3-month-old bovine calves. To further delineate xanthosine's effect on defined stem cells in the mammary gland of heifers—which are candidates for increased prospective milk production following such manipulation—bovine mammary parenchymal tissue was transplanted and integrated into the cleared mammary fat pad of immunodeficient mice. Xanthosine administration for 14 days did not affect the number of label-retaining cells after 10- and 11-week chases. No change in stem cell proportion, analyzed according to CD49f and CD24 expression, was noted. Clone formation and propagation rate of cultured cells, as well as expression of stem cell markers, were also unaffected. In contrast, a latent 50% decrease in bovine mammary cell proliferation rate was observed 11 weeks after xanthosine administration. Tumor development in mice was also limited by xanthosine administration. These effects may have resulted from an initial decrease in expression of the rate-limiting enzyme in guanine synthesis, IMPDH. The data indicate that caution should be exerted when considering xanthosine for stem cell manipulation. - Highlights: • Novel “bovinized“ mouse model for exogenous effects on bovine mammary gland. • Xanthosine did not affect stem cell number/function in bovine mammary gland. • Xanthosine caused an immediate decrease in IMPDH expression in bovine mammary gland. • Xanthosine had latent negative effect on cell proliferation in bovine mammary gland. • Xanthosine administration limited mammary tumor growth

  8. Xanthosine administration does not affect the proportion of epithelial stem cells in bovine mammary tissue, but has a latent negative effect on cell proliferation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rauner, Gat, E-mail: gat.rauner@mail.huji.ac.il [Institute of Animal Science, ARO, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet-Dagan, 50250 (Israel); The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel); Barash, Itamar, E-mail: itamar.barash@mail.huji.ac.il [Institute of Animal Science, ARO, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet-Dagan, 50250 (Israel)

    2014-10-15

    The challenge in manipulating the proportion of somatic stem cells lies in having to override tissue homeostasis. Xanthosine infusion via the teat canal has been reported to augment the number of label-retaining cells in the mammary gland of 3-month-old bovine calves. To further delineate xanthosine's effect on defined stem cells in the mammary gland of heifers—which are candidates for increased prospective milk production following such manipulation—bovine mammary parenchymal tissue was transplanted and integrated into the cleared mammary fat pad of immunodeficient mice. Xanthosine administration for 14 days did not affect the number of label-retaining cells after 10- and 11-week chases. No change in stem cell proportion, analyzed according to CD49f and CD24 expression, was noted. Clone formation and propagation rate of cultured cells, as well as expression of stem cell markers, were also unaffected. In contrast, a latent 50% decrease in bovine mammary cell proliferation rate was observed 11 weeks after xanthosine administration. Tumor development in mice was also limited by xanthosine administration. These effects may have resulted from an initial decrease in expression of the rate-limiting enzyme in guanine synthesis, IMPDH. The data indicate that caution should be exerted when considering xanthosine for stem cell manipulation. - Highlights: • Novel “bovinized“ mouse model for exogenous effects on bovine mammary gland. • Xanthosine did not affect stem cell number/function in bovine mammary gland. • Xanthosine caused an immediate decrease in IMPDH expression in bovine mammary gland. • Xanthosine had latent negative effect on cell proliferation in bovine mammary gland. • Xanthosine administration limited mammary tumor growth.

  9. Fabrication and characterisation of biomimetic, electrospun gelatin fibre scaffolds for tunica media-equivalent, tissue engineered vascular grafts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elsayed, Y. [Advanced Materials Group, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Lekakou, C., E-mail: C.Lekakou@surrey.ac.uk [Advanced Materials Group, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Labeed, F. [Centre of Biomedical Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Tomlins, P. [National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW (United Kingdom)

    2016-04-01

    It is increasingly recognised that biomimetic, natural polymers mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) have low thrombogenicity and functional motifs that regulate cell–matrix interactions, with these factors being critical for tissue engineered vascular grafts especially grafts of small diameter. Gelatin constitutes a low cost substitute of soluble collagen but gelatin scaffolds so far have shown generally low strength and suture retention strength. In this study, we have devised the fabrication of novel, electrospun, multilayer, gelatin fibre scaffolds, with controlled fibre layer orientation, and optimised gelatin crosslinking to achieve not only compliance equivalent to that of coronary artery but also for the first time strength of the wet tubular acellular scaffold (swollen with absorbed water) same as that of the tunica media of coronary artery in both circumferential and axial directions. Most importantly, for the first time for natural scaffolds and in particular gelatin, high suture retention strength was achieved in the range of 1.8–1.94 N for wet acellular scaffolds, same or better than that for fresh saphenous vein. The study presents the investigations to relate the electrospinning process parameters to the microstructural parameters of the scaffold, which are further related to the mechanical performance data of wet, crosslinked, electrospun scaffolds in both circumferential and axial tubular directions. The scaffolds exhibited excellent performance in human smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation, with SMCs seeded on the top surface adhering, elongating and aligning along the local fibres, migrating through the scaffold thickness and populating a transverse distance of 186 μm and 240 μm 9 days post-seeding for scaffolds of initial dry porosity of 74 and 83%, respectively. - Highlights: • Novel crosslinked electrospun gelatin scaffolds of specific fibre layer orientation • These scaffolds have compliance equivalent to that of coronary

  10. Proportional reasoning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dole, Shelley; Hilton, Annette; Hilton, Geoff

    2015-01-01

    Proportional reasoning is widely acknowledged as a key to success in school mathematics, yet students’ continual difficulties with proportion-related tasks are well documented. This paper draws on a large research study that aimed to support 4th to 9th grade teachers to design and implement tasks...

  11. Equivalent Lagrangians

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hojman, S.

    1982-01-01

    We present a review of the inverse problem of the Calculus of Variations, emphasizing the ambiguities which appear due to the existence of equivalent Lagrangians for a given classical system. In particular, we analyze the properties of equivalent Lagrangians in the multidimensional case, we study the conditions for the existence of a variational principle for (second as well as first order) equations of motion and their solutions, we consider the inverse problem of the Calculus of Variations for singular systems, we state the ambiguities which emerge in the relationship between symmetries and conserved quantities in the case of equivalent Lagrangians, we discuss the problems which appear in trying to quantize classical systems which have different equivalent Lagrangians, we describe the situation which arises in the study of equivalent Lagrangians in field theory and finally, we present some unsolved problems and discussion topics related to the content of this article. (author)

  12. An algorithm to biological tissues evaluation in pediatric examinations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, R.T.F.; Miranda, J.R.A.; Alvarez, M.; Velo, A.F.; Pina, D.R.

    2011-01-01

    A prerequisite for the construction of phantoms is the quantification of the average thickness of biological tissues and the equivalence of these simulators in simulator material thicknesses. This study aim to develop an algorithm to classify and quantify tissues, based on normal distribution of CT numbers of anatomical structures found in the mean free path of the X-rays beam, using the examination histogram to carry out this evaluation. We have considered an algorithm for the determination of the equivalent biological tissues thickness from histograms. This algorithm classifies different biological tissues from tomographic exams in DICOM format and calculates the average thickness of these tissues. The founded results had revealed coherent with literature, presenting discrepancies of up to 21,6%, relative to bone tissue, analyzed for anthropomorphic phantom (RANDO). These results allow using this methodology in livings tissues, for the construction of thorax homogeneous phantoms, of just born and suckling patients, who will be used later in the optimization process of pediatrics radiographic images. (author)

  13. Pressure effect on rate of production of glucose-equivalent in plant ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    C4 Green plants; rate of equivalent production; pressure effect. 1. Introduction ... the photosynthetic process, especially on the activa- tion and ... Section 4 deals with the effect ... the global concentrations of glyceraldehydes-3- ... chloroplast,9a a product of the maximum possible .... as soil, tissue, development stage, etc.

  14. Committed dose equivalent in the practice of radiological protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nenot, J.C.; Piechowski, J.

    1985-01-01

    In the case of internal exposure, the dose is not received at the moment of exposure, as happens with external exposure, since the incorporated radionuclide irradiates the various organs and tissues during the time it is present in the body. By definition, the committed dose equivalent corresponds to the received dose integrated over 50 years from the date of intake. In order to calculate it, one has to know the intake activity and the value of the committed dose equivalent per unit of intake activity. The uncertainties of the first parameter are such that the committed dose equivalent can only be regarded as an order of magnitude and not as a very accurate quantity. The use of it is justified, however, for, like the dose equivalent for external exposure, it expresses the risk of stochastic effects for the individual concerned since these effects, should they appear, would do so only after a latent period which is generally longer than the dose integration time. Moreover, the use of the committed dose equivalent offers certain advantages for dosimetric management, especially when it is simplified. A practical problem which may arise is that the annual dose limit is apparently exceeded by virtue of the fact that one is taking account, in the first year, of doses which will actually be received only in the following years. These problems are rare enough in practice to be dealt with individually in each case. (author)

  15. SU-E-J-210: Characterizing Tissue Equivalent Materials for the Development of a Dual MRI-CT Heterogeneous Anthropomorphic Phantom Designed Specifically for MRI Guided Radiotherapy Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steinmann, A; Stafford, R; Yung, J; Followill, D [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: MRI guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) is an emerging technology which will eventually require a proficient quality auditing system. Due to different principles in which MR and CT acquire images, there is a need for a multi-imaging-modality, end-to-end QA phantom for MRIgRT. The purpose of this study is to identify lung, soft tissue, and tumor equivalent substitutes that share similar human-like CT and MR properties (i.e. Hounsfield units and relaxation times). Methods: Materials of interested such as common CT QA phantom materials, and other proprietary gels/silicones from Polytek, SmoothOn, and CompositeOne were first scanned on a GE 1.5T Signa HDxT MR. Materials that could be seen on both T1-weighted and T2-weighted images were then scanned on a GE Lightspeed RT16 CT simulator and a GE Discovery 750HD CT scanner and their HU values were then measured. The materials with matching HU values of lung (−500 to −700HU), muscle (+40HU) and soft tissue (+100 to +300HU) were further scanned on GE 1.5T Signa HDx to measure their T1 and T2 relaxation times from varying parameters of TI and TE. Results: Materials that could be visualized on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images from a 1.5T MR unit and had an appropriate average CT number, −650, −685, 46,169, and 168 HUs were: compressed cork saturated with water, Polytek Platsil™ Gel-00 combined with mini styrofoam balls, radiotherapy bolus material, SmoothOn Dragon-Skin™ and SmoothOn Ecoflex™, respectively. Conclusion: Post processing analysis is currently being performed to accurately map T1 and T2 values for each material tested. From previous MR visualization and CT examinations it is expected that Dragon-Skin™, Ecoflex™ and bolus will have values consistent with tissue and tumor substitutes. We also expect compressed cork statured with water, and Polytek™-styrofoam combination to have approximate T1 and T2 values suitable for lung-equivalent materials.

  16. SU-E-J-210: Characterizing Tissue Equivalent Materials for the Development of a Dual MRI-CT Heterogeneous Anthropomorphic Phantom Designed Specifically for MRI Guided Radiotherapy Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinmann, A; Stafford, R; Yung, J; Followill, D

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: MRI guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) is an emerging technology which will eventually require a proficient quality auditing system. Due to different principles in which MR and CT acquire images, there is a need for a multi-imaging-modality, end-to-end QA phantom for MRIgRT. The purpose of this study is to identify lung, soft tissue, and tumor equivalent substitutes that share similar human-like CT and MR properties (i.e. Hounsfield units and relaxation times). Methods: Materials of interested such as common CT QA phantom materials, and other proprietary gels/silicones from Polytek, SmoothOn, and CompositeOne were first scanned on a GE 1.5T Signa HDxT MR. Materials that could be seen on both T1-weighted and T2-weighted images were then scanned on a GE Lightspeed RT16 CT simulator and a GE Discovery 750HD CT scanner and their HU values were then measured. The materials with matching HU values of lung (−500 to −700HU), muscle (+40HU) and soft tissue (+100 to +300HU) were further scanned on GE 1.5T Signa HDx to measure their T1 and T2 relaxation times from varying parameters of TI and TE. Results: Materials that could be visualized on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images from a 1.5T MR unit and had an appropriate average CT number, −650, −685, 46,169, and 168 HUs were: compressed cork saturated with water, Polytek Platsil™ Gel-00 combined with mini styrofoam balls, radiotherapy bolus material, SmoothOn Dragon-Skin™ and SmoothOn Ecoflex™, respectively. Conclusion: Post processing analysis is currently being performed to accurately map T1 and T2 values for each material tested. From previous MR visualization and CT examinations it is expected that Dragon-Skin™, Ecoflex™ and bolus will have values consistent with tissue and tumor substitutes. We also expect compressed cork statured with water, and Polytek™-styrofoam combination to have approximate T1 and T2 values suitable for lung-equivalent materials

  17. Dependence on age at intake of committed dose equivalents from radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, N.

    1981-01-01

    The dependence of committed dose equivalents on age at intake is needed to assess the significance of exposures of young persons among the general public resulting from inhaled or ingested radionuclides. The committed dose equivalents, evaluated using ICRP principles, depend on the body dimensions of the young person at the time of intake of a radionuclide and on subsequent body growth. Representation of growth by a series of exponential segments facilitates the derivation of general expressions for the age dependence of committed dose equivalents if metabolic models do not change with age. The additional assumption that intakes of radionuclides in air or food are proportional to a person's energy expenditure (implying age-independent dietary composition) enables the demonstration that the age of the most highly exposed 'critical groups' of the general public from these radionuclides is either about 1 year or 17 years. With the above assumptions the exposure of the critical group is less than three times the exposure of adult members of the general public. Approximate values of committed dose equivalents which avoid both underestimation and excessive overestimation are shown to be obtainable by simplified procedures. Modified procedures are suggested for use if metabolic models change with age. (author)

  18. Application of electrical stimulation for functional tissue engineering in vitro and in vivo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Hyoungshin (Inventor); Freed, Lisa (Inventor); Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana (Inventor); Langer, Robert (Inventor); Radisic, Milica (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    The present invention provides new methods for the in vitro preparation of bioartificial tissue equivalents and their enhanced integration after implantation in vivo. These methods include submitting a tissue construct to a biomimetic electrical stimulation during cultivation in vitro to improve its structural and functional properties, and/or in vivo, after implantation of the construct, to enhance its integration with host tissue and increase cell survival and functionality. The inventive methods are particularly useful for the production of bioartificial equivalents and/or the repair and replacement of native tissues that contain electrically excitable cells and are subject to electrical stimulation in vivo, such as, for example, cardiac muscle tissue, striated skeletal muscle tissue, smooth muscle tissue, bone, vasculature, and nerve tissue.

  19. Association between proportion of US medical graduates and program characteristics in gastroenterology fellowships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atsawarungruangkit, Amporn

    2017-01-01

    Gastroenterology is one of the most competitive internal medicine fellowship. However, factors that associated with program competitiveness have not been documented. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between characteristics of gastroenterology fellowship programs and their competitiveness through the proportion of US medical graduates for the academic year 2016/17. This study used a retrospective, cross-sectional design with data obtained from the American Medical Association. The proportion of US medical graduates in gastroenterology fellowships was used as an indicator of program competitiveness. Using both univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses, we analyzed the association between the proportion of medical graduates in each program and 27 program characteristics based on a significance level of 0.05. In total, 153 out of 171 gastroenterology fellowship programs satisfied the inclusion criteria. A multivariate analysis revealed that a higher proportion of US medical graduates was significantly associated with five program characteristics: that it was a university-based program (p < 0.001), the ratio of full-time paid faculty to fellow positions (p < 0.001), the proportion of females in the program (p = 0.002), location in the Pacific region (p = 0.039), and a non-smoker hiring policy (p = 0.042). Among the five significant factors, being university based, located in the Pacific, and having a non-smoker hiring policy were likely to remain unchanged over a long period. However, program directors and candidates should pay attention to equivalence between full-time paid faculty and fellowship positions, and the proportion of women in the program. The former indicates the level of supervision while the latter has become increasingly important owing to the higher proportion of women in medicine.

  20. A Modified Proportional Navigation Guidance for Accurate Target Hitting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Moharampour

    2010-03-01

    First, the pure proportional navigation guidance (PPNG in 3-dimensional state is explained in a new point of view. The main idea is based on the distinction between angular rate vector and rotation vector conceptions. The current innovation is based on selection of line of sight (LOS coordinates. A comparison between two available choices for LOS coordinates system is proposed. An improvement is made by adding two additional terms. First term includes a cross range compensator which is used to provide and enhance path observability, and obtain convergent estimates of state variables. The second term is new concept lead bias term, which has been calculated by assuming an equivalent acceleration along the target longitudinal axis. Simulation results indicate that the lead bias term properly provides terminal conditions for accurate target interception.

  1. Microdosimetry of light ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borak, T.B.; Guetersloh, S.; Taddei, P.; Murakami, T.; Iwata, Y.

    2003-01-01

    Dosimetry of energetic charged nuclei during manned space missions and radiotherapy requires identification of mixed particle fields in order to determine linear energy transfer (LET) which is necessary for estimating relative biological effectiveness (RBE) or quality factors. A tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) gives details of the absorbed dose and dose rate. It can also provide direct information on the quality or type of the radiation field. The interior cavity of the detector is filled with tissue equivalent gas such that the density thickness, cm 2 /g, of the gas is equivalent to the density thickness of tissue with dimensions approaching the nucleus of a mammalian cell (1-5 μm). The motivation for this was that the proportional counter serves as a microdosimeter that can detect energy deposition events similar to those encountered by biological systems having the similar dimensions. (author)

  2. Microdosimetry of light ions and neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borak, T.B.; Guetersloh, S.; Taddei, P.; Murakami, T.; Iwata, Y.; Zeitlin, C.; Miller, J.; Helibronn, L.; Komiyama, T.

    2005-01-01

    Dosimetry of energetic charged nuclei and neutrons during manned space missions and radiotherapy requires identification of mixed particle fields in order to determine LET which is necessary for estimating RBE or Quality Factors. A Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) gives details of the absorbed dose and dose rate. It can also provide direct information on the quality or type of the radiation field. The interior cavity of the detector is filled with tissue equivalent gas such that the density thickness, cm 2 /g, of the gas is equivalent to the density thickness of tissue with dimensions approaching the nucleus of a mammalian cell (1-5μm). The motivation for this was that the proportional counter serves as a microdosimeter that can detect energy deposition events similar to those encountered by biological systems having the similar dimensions. (author)

  3. Evaluation and visualization of multiaxial fatigue behavior under random non-proportional loading condition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takahiro Morishita

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In cyclic multiaxial stress/strain condition under nonproportional loading in which principal direction of stress/strain are changed in a cycle, it becomes difficult to analyze stress/strain ranges because of complexity of multiaxial stress/strain states depending on time in cycles. In order to evaluate stress/strain simply and suitably under non-proportional loading, Itoh and Sakane have proposed a method called as IS-method and a strain parameter for life evaluation under non-proportional loading NP. In the method, 6-components of stress/strain are converted to an equivalent stress/strain indicating the amplitude and the direction of principal stress/strain as a function of time as well as an intensity of loading nonproportionality fNP. Based on IS-method, the authors also have developed a tool which enables to analyze multiaxial stress/strain condition with the nonproportionality of loading history and evaluate failure life under nonproportional multiaxial loading. The tool indicates the analyzed results on monitor and users can understand visually not only variation of the stress/strain conditions but also non-proportionality during the cycle, which helps the design of material strength.

  4. Response of a carbon-walled proportional counter to 14 MeV neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, K.D.

    1982-01-01

    The response of a carbon-walled spherical proportional counter filled with a methane-based tissue-equivalent gas mixture at low pressure and irradiated with 14 MeV neutrons is first measured experimentally and is then calculated theoretically by using an analytical model. The model, called the CISS model, is derived from a consideration of four basic modes of interaction of charged particles generated in neutron-nucleus reactions with the spherical cavity of the detector. Since several quantities which have application in neutron dosimetry, radiation protection, and radiation biology make direct use of such spectra, it is desirable to have the ability to theoretically predict what is expected experimentally. Thus, a comparison between the two response curves is made. The discrepancy between them is investigated by considering several physical phenomena occurring within the detector wall which tend to distort the experimental response curve. In particular, the C(n,n',3α) reaction occurring in the detector wall gives rise to multiple events, originating from a single neutron interaction in the wall simultaneously strike the detector cavity, and are recorded as a single larger event in an experimental spectra. In the analytic model, the simultaneous entry of two charged particles into the cavity is scored as two separate smaller events, uncorrelated in their production. In this work, an effort is made to modify the analytic model prediction of the response curve by correcting for the multiple events which occur. Finally, the CISS model is used to compute mass stopping power corrections for this inhomogeneous detector

  5. Tissue tolerance under the combination treatment of maxillary cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Egawa, J [Teikyo Univ., Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Medicine; Ono, I; Suzuki, K; Takeda, C; Ebihara, S

    1977-06-01

    The tissue tolerance doses of the maxillary sinus structures were estimated when they were subjected to treatment for maxillary cancer by the usual combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and regional arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil. Equivalent single dose calculation was applied with irreversible tissue damage as an indicator. The retardation of epithelialization of the maxillary sinus operated upon appeared to be correlated with the dose delivered. The study indicated that 2,200 rad expressed by equivalent single dose is a safe dose level for sufficient epithelialization. The safety dose level for the bony structure, exposed by surgery, seemed to be at 1,800 rad.

  6. SU-F-T-517: Determining the Tissue Equivalence of a Brass Mesh Bolus in a Reconstructed Chest Wall Irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shekel, E; Epstein, D; Levin, D [Dept of radiotherapy, Assuta Medical Centers, Tel Aviv (Israel)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To determine the tissue equivalence of a brass mesh bolus (RPD) in the setting of a reconstructed chest wall irradiation Methods: We measured breast skin dose delivered by a tangential field plan on an anthropomorphic phantom using Mosfet and nanoDot (Landauer) dosimeters in five different locations on the breast. We also measured skin dose using no bolus, 5mm and 10 mm superflab bolus. In the Eclipse treatment planning system (Varian, Palo Alto, CA) we calculated skin dose for different bolus thicknesses, ranging from 0 to 10 mm, in order to evaluate which calculation best matches the brass mesh measurements, as the brass mesh cannot be simulated due to artefacts.Finally, we measured depth dose behavior with the brass mesh bolus to verify that the bolus does not affect the dose to the breast itself beyond the build-up region. Results: Mosfet and nanoDot measurements were consistent with each other.As expected, skin dose measurements with no bolus had the least agreement with Eclipse calculation, while measurements for 5 and 10 mm agreed well with the calculation despite the difficulty in conforming superflab bolus to the breast contour. For the brass mesh the best agreement was for 3 mm bolus Eclipse calculation. For Mosfets, the average measurement was 90.8% of the expected dose, and for nanoDots 88.33% compared to 83.34%, 88.64% and 93.94% (2,3 and 5 mm bolus calculation respectively).The brass mesh bolus increased skin dose by approximately 25% but there was no dose increase beyond the build-up region. Conclusion: Brass mesh bolus is most equivalent to a 3 mm bolus, and does not affect the dose beyond the build-up region. The brass mesh cannot be directly calculated in Eclipse, hence a 3mm bolus calculation is a good reflection of the dose response to the brass mesh bolus.

  7. New equivalent-electrical circuit model and a practical measurement method for human body impedance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chinen, Koyu; Kinjo, Ichiko; Zamami, Aki; Irei, Kotoyo; Nagayama, Kanako

    2015-01-01

    Human body impedance analysis is an effective tool to extract electrical information from tissues in the human body. This paper presents a new measurement method of impedance using armpit electrode and a new equivalent circuit model for the human body. The lowest impedance was measured by using an LCR meter and six electrodes including armpit electrodes. The electrical equivalent circuit model for the cell consists of resistance R and capacitance C. The R represents electrical resistance of the liquid of the inside and outside of the cell, and the C represents high frequency conductance of the cell membrane. We propose an equivalent circuit model which consists of five parallel high frequency-passing CR circuits. The proposed equivalent circuit represents alpha distribution in the impedance measured at a lower frequency range due to ion current of the outside of the cell, and beta distribution at a high frequency range due to the cell membrane and the liquid inside cell. The calculated values by using the proposed equivalent circuit model were consistent with the measured values for the human body impedance.

  8. Classical microdosimetry in radiation protection dosimetry and monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waker, A.J.; Schrewe, U.; Burmeister, J.; Dubeau, J.; Surette, R.A.

    2002-01-01

    Classical microdosimetry concerns the measurement and analysis of the spectrum of radiation energy deposition events in simulated microscopic tissue-equivalent sites. Over the past three decades, classical microdosimetry has been extensively applied for the direct measurement of dosimetric quantities, such as the ambient dose equivalent, and for the spectroscopic properties of tissue-equivalent proportional counters that have led to the methods of mixed-field analysis and particle identification. This paper reviews some of the special applications of classical microdosimetry such as the determination of kerma coefficients, differential dosimetry and aviation dosimetry. Also reviewed are some of the technological innovations related to the application of microdosimetry in operational health physics and in particular the development of multi-element proportional counters and detectors based on gas microstrip technology. (author)

  9. Validation of artificial skin equivalents as in vitro testing systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmitt, Robert; Marx, Ulrich; Walles, Heike; Schober, Lena

    2011-03-01

    With the increasing complexity of the chemical composition of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and everyday substances, the awareness of potential health issues and long term damages for humanoid organs is shifting into focus. Artificial in vitro testing systems play an important role in providing reliable test conditions and replacing precarious animal testing. Especially artificial skin equivalents ASEs are used for a broad spectrum of studies like penetration, irritation and corrosion of substances. One major challenge in tissue engineering is the qualification of each individual ASE as in vitro testing system. Due to biological fluctuations, the stratum corneum hornified layer of some ASEs may not fully develop or other defects might occur. For monitoring these effects we developed an fully automated Optical Coherence Tomography device. Here, we present different methods to characterize and evaluate the quality of the ASEs based on image and data processing of OCT B-scans. By analysing the surface structure, defects, like cuts or tears, are detectable. A further indicator for the quality of the ASE is the morphology of the tissue. This allows to determine if the skin model has reached the final growth state. We found, that OCT is a well suited technology for automatically characterizing artificial skin equivalents and validating the application as testing system.

  10. The materials used in bone tissue engineering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tereshchenko, V. P., E-mail: tervp@ngs.ru; Kirilova, I. A.; Sadovoy, M. A.; Larionov, P. M. [Novosibirsk Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics n.a. Ya.L. Tsivyan, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

    2015-11-17

    Bone tissue engineering looking for an alternative solution to the problem of skeletal injuries. The method is based on the creation of tissue engineered bone tissue equivalent with stem cells, osteogenic factors, and scaffolds - the carriers of these cells. For production of tissue engineered bone equivalent is advisable to create scaffolds similar in composition to natural extracellular matrix of the bone. This will provide optimal conditions for the cells, and produce favorable physico-mechanical properties of the final construction. This review article gives an analysis of the most promising materials for the manufacture of cell scaffolds. Biodegradable synthetic polymers are the basis for the scaffold, but it alone cannot provide adequate physical and mechanical properties of the construction, and favorable conditions for the cells. Addition of natural polymers improves the strength characteristics and bioactivity of constructions. Of the inorganic compounds, to create cell scaffolds the most widely used calcium phosphates, which give the structure adequate stiffness and significantly increase its osteoinductive capacity. Signaling molecules do not affect the physico-mechanical properties of the scaffold, but beneficial effect is on the processes of adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of cells. Biodegradation of the materials will help to fulfill the main task of bone tissue engineering - the ability to replace synthetic construct by natural tissues that will restore the original anatomical integrity of the bone.

  11. SU-E-T-409: Evaluation of Tissue Composition Effect On Dose Distribution in Radiotherapy with 6 MV Photon Beam of a Medical Linac

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghorbani, M; Tabatabaei, Z; Noghreiyan, A Vejdani [Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Meigooni, A Soleimani [Comprehensive Cancer Center of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate soft tissue composition effect on dose distribution for various soft tissues and various depths in radiotherapy with 6 MV photon beam of a medical linac. Methods: A phantom and Siemens Primus linear accelerator were simulated using MCNPX Monte Carlo code. In a homogeneous cubic phantom, six types of soft tissue and three types of tissue-equivalent materials were defined separately. The soft tissues were muscle (skeletal), adipose tissue, blood (whole), breast tissue, soft tissue (9-component) and soft tissue (4-component). The tissue-equivalent materials included: water, A-150 tissue-equivalent plastic and perspex. Photon dose relative to dose in 9-component soft tissue at various depths on the beam’s central axis was determined for the 6 MV photon beam. The relative dose was also calculated and compared for various MCNPX tallies including,F8, F6 and,F4. Results: The results of the relative photon dose in various materials relative to dose in 9-component soft tissue and using different tallies are reported in the form of tabulated data. Minor differences between dose distributions in various soft tissues and tissue-equivalent materials were observed. The results from F6 and F4 were practically the same but different with,F8 tally. Conclusion: Based on the calculations performed, the differences in dose distributions in various soft tissues and tissue-equivalent materials are minor but they could be corrected in radiotherapy calculations to upgrade the accuracy of the dosimetric calculations.

  12. Pocket total dose meter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brackenbush, L.W.; Endres, G.W.R.

    1984-10-01

    Laboratory measurements have demonstrated that it is possible to simultaneously measure absorbed dose and dose equivalent using a single tissue equivalent proportional counter. Small, pocket sized instruments are being developed to determine dose equivalent as the worker is exposed to mixed field radiation. This paper describes the electronic circuitry and computer algorithms used to determine dose equivalent in these devices

  13. A test material for tissue characterisation and system calibration in MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, P.M.; Lerski, R.A.

    1989-01-01

    A tissue-equivalent test material for MR1 has been produced from a polysaccharide gel, agarose, containing gadolinium chloride chelated to EDTA. By varying the amounts of each constituent, the T 1 and T 2 of the material can be varied independently. As a result, the entire range of in vivo tissue relaxation times can be covered. Through the mathematical modelling of the 1 H relaxation theories for both the gel and chelated paramagnetic ion, it has been possible to create a material with relaxation properties and behaviour predictable as functions of both the Larmor frequency and temperature. The similarity of the material to in vivo tissues, in terms of its biological and physical NMR characteristics, makes it an excellent tissue-equivalent substance, in addition to being an accurate calibration standard for routine MRI. (author)

  14. Applicability of ambient dose equivalent H*(d) in mixed radiation fields - a critical discussion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hajek, M.; Vana, N.

    2004-01-01

    For purposes of routine radiation protection, it is desirable to characterize the potential irradiation of individuals in terms of a single dose equivalent quantity that would exist in a phantom approximating the human body. The phantom of choice is the ICRU sphere made of 30 cm diameter tissue-equivalent plastic with a density of 1 g.cm-3 and a mass composition of 76.2 % O, 11.1 % C, 10.1 % H and 2.6 % N. Ambient dose equivalent, H*(d), was defined in ICRU report 51 as the dose equivalent that would be produced by an expanded and aligned radiation field at a depth d in the ICRU sphere. The recommended reference depths are 10 mm for strongly penetrating radiation and 0.07 mm for weakly penetrating radiation, respectively. As an operational quantity in radiation protection, H*(d) shall serve as a conservative and directly measurable estimate of protection quantities, e.g. effective dose E, which in turn are intended to give an indication of the risk associated with radiation exposure. The situation attains increased complexity in radiation environments being composed of a variety of charged and uncharged particles in a broad energetic spectrum. Radiation fields of similarly complex nature are, for example, encountered onboard aircraft and in space. Dose equivalent was assessed as a function of depth in quasi tissue-equivalent spheres by means of thermoluminescent dosemeters evaluated according to the high-temperature ratio (HTR) method. The presented experiments were performed both onboard aircraft and the Russian space station Mir. As a result of interaction processes within the phantom body, the incident primary spectrum may be significantly modified with increasing depth. For the radiation field at aviation altitudes we found the maximum of dose equivalent in a depth of 60 mm which conflicts with the 10 mm value recommended by ICRU. Contrary, for the space radiation environment the maximum dose equivalent was found at the surface of the sphere. This suggests that

  15. Applicability of Ambient Dose Equivalent H (d) in Mixed Radiation Fields - A Critical Discussion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vana, R.; Hajek, M.; Bergerm, T.

    2004-01-01

    For purposes of routine radiation protection, it is desirable to characterize the potential irradiation of individuals in terms of a single dose equivalent quantity that would exist in a phantom approximating the human body. The phantom of choice is the ICRU sphere made of 30 cm diameter tissue-equivalent plastic with a density of 1 g/cm3 and a mass composition of 76.2% O, 11.1% C, 10.1% H and 2.6% N. Ambient dose equivalent, H(d), was defined in ICRU report 51 as the dose equivalent that would be produced by an expanded and aligned radiation field at a depth d in the ICRU sphere. The recommended reference depths are 10 mm for strongly penetrating radiation and 0.07 mm for weakly penetrating radiation, respectively. As an operational quantity in radiation protection, H(d) shall serve as a conservative and directly measurable estimate of protection quantities, e.g. effective dose E, which in turn are intended to give an indication of the risk associated with radiation exposure. The situation attains increased complexity in radiation environments being composed of a variety of charged and uncharged particles in a broad energetic spectrum. Radiation fields of similarly complex nature are, for example, encountered onboard aircraft and in space. Dose equivalent was assessed as a function of depth in quasi tissue-equivalent spheres by means of thermoluminescent dosemeters evaluated according to the high-temperature ratio (HTR) method. The presented experiments were performed both onboard aircraft and the Russian space station Mir. As a result of interaction processes within the phantom body, the incident primary spectrum may be significantly modified with increasing depth. For the radiation field at aviation altitudes we found the maximum of dose equivalent in a depth of 60 mm which conflicts with the 10 mm value recommended by ICRU. Contrary, for the space radiation environment the maximum dose equivalent was found at the surface of the sphere. This suggests that skin

  16. Range-energy relations and stopping power of water, water vapour and tissue equivalent liquid for α particles over the energy range 0.5 to 8 MeV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palmer, R.B.J.; Akhavan-Rezayat, Ahmad

    1978-01-01

    Experimental range-energy relations are presented for alpha particles in water, water vapour and tissue equivalent liquid at energies up to 8 MeV. From these relations differential stopping powers are derived at 0.25 MeV energy intervals. Consideration is given to sources of error in the range-energy measurements and to the uncertainties that these will introduce into the stopping power values. The ratio of the differential stopping power of muscle equivalent liquid to that of water over the energy range 0.5 to 7.5 MeV is discussed in relation to the specific gravity and chemical composition of the muscle equivalent liquid. Theoretical molecular stopping power calculations based upon the Bethe formula are also presented for water. The effect of phase upon the stopping power of water is discussed. The molecular stopping power of water vapour is shown to be significantly higher than that of water for energies below 1.25 MeV and above 2.5 MeV, the ratio of the two stopping powers rising to 1.39 at 0.5 MeV and to 1.13 at 7.0 MeV. Stopping power measurements for other liquids and vapours are compared with the results for water and water vapour and some are observed to have stopping power ratios in the vapour and liquid phases which vary with energy in a similar way to water. It is suggested that there may be several factors contributing to the increased stopping power of liquids. The need for further experimental results on a wider range of liquids is stressed

  17. A first vascularized skin equivalent as an alternative to animal experimentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groeber, Florian; Engelhardt, Lisa; Lange, Julia; Kurdyn, Szymon; Schmid, Freia F; Rücker, Christoph; Mielke, Stephan; Walles, Heike; Hansmann, Jan

    2016-01-01

    Tissue-engineered skin equivalents mimic key aspects of the human skin, and can thus be employed as wound coverage for large skin defects or as in vitro test systems as an alternative to animal models. However, current skin equivalents lack a functional vasculature limiting clinical and research applications. This study demonstrates the generation of a vascularized skin equivalent with a perfused vascular network by combining a biological vascularized scaffold (BioVaSc) based on a decellularized segment of a porcine jejunum and a tailored bioreactor system. Briefly, the BioVaSc was seeded with human fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and human microvascular endothelial cells. After 14 days at the air-liquid interface, hematoxylin & eosin and immunohistological staining revealed a specific histological architecture representative of the human dermis and epidermis including a papillary-like architecture at the dermal-epidermal-junction. The formation of the skin barrier was measured non-destructively using impedance spectroscopy. Additionally, endothelial cells lined the walls of the formed vessels that could be perfused with a physiological volume flow. Due to the presence of a complex in-vivo-like vasculature, the here shown skin equivalent has the potential for skin grafting and represents a sophisticated in vitro model for dermatological research.

  18. Calculation of equivalent dose index for electrons from 5,0 to 22,0 MeV by the Monte Carlo method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peixoto, J.E.

    1979-01-01

    The index of equivalent dose in depth and in a sphere surface of a soft tissue equivalent material were determined by Monte Carlo method for electron irradiations from 5,0 to 22.00 MeV. The effect of different irradiation geometries which simulate the incidence of onedirectional opposite rotational and isotropic beams was studied. It is also shown that the detector of wall thickness with 0.5g/cm 2 and isotropic response com be used to measure index of equivalent dose for fast electrons. The alternative concept of average equivalent dose for radiation protection is discussed. (M.C.K.) [pt

  19. Equivalent sphere approximations for skin, eye, and blood-forming organs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maxson, W.L.; Townsend, L.W.; Bier, S.G.

    1996-01-01

    Throughout the manned spaceflight program, protecting astronauts from space radiation has been the subject of intense study. For interplanetary crews, two main sources of radiation hazards are solar particle events (SPEs) and galactic cosmic rays. For nearly three decades, crew doses and related shielding requirements have been assessed using the assumption that body organ exposures are well approximated by exposures at the center of tissue-equivalent spheres. For the skin and for blood-forming organs (BFOs), these spheres have radii of 0 and 5 cm, respectively. Recent studies indicate that significant overestimation of organ doses occurs if these models are used instead of realistic human geometry models. The use of the latter, however, requires much longer computational times. In this work, the authors propose preliminary revisions to these equivalent sphere approximations that yield more realistic dose estimates

  20. Hydrocortisone and triiodothyronine regulate hyaluronate synthesis in a tissue-engineered human dermal equivalent through independent pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deshpande, Madhura; Papp, Suzanne; Schaffer, Lana; Pouyani, Tara

    2015-02-01

    Hydrocortisone (HC) and triiodothyronine (T3) have both been shown to be capable of independently inhibiting hyaluronate (HA, hyaluronic acid) synthesis in a self-assembled human dermal equivalent (human dermal matrix). We sought to investigate the action of these two hormones in concert on extracellular matrix formation and HA inhibition in the tissue engineered human dermal matrix. To this end, neonatal human dermal fibroblasts were cultured in defined serum-free medium for 21 days in the presence of each hormone alone, or in combination, in varying concentrations. Through a process of self-assembly, a substantial dermal extracellular matrix formed that was characterized. The results of these studies demonstrate that combinations of the hormones T3 and hydrocortisone showed significantly higher levels of hyaluronate inhibition as compared to each hormone alone in the human dermal matrix. In order to gain preliminary insight into the genes regulating HA synthesis in this system, a differential gene array analysis was conducted in which the construct prepared in the presence of 200 μg/mL HC and 0.2 nM T3 was compared to the normal construct (0.4 μg/mL HC and 20 pM T3). Using a GLYCOv4 gene chip containing approximately 1260 human genes, we observed differential expression of 131 genes. These data suggest that when these two hormones are used in concert a different mechanism of inhibition prevails and a combination of degradation and inhibition of HA synthesis may be responsible for HA regulation in the human dermal matrix. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Comparison of average glandular dose in screen-film and digital mammography using breast tissue-equivalent phantom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Gwi Soon; Kim, Jung Min; Kim, You Hyun; Choi, Jong Hak; Kim, Chang Kyun

    2007-01-01

    In recent years, mammography system is changed rapidly from conventional screen-film system to digital system for application to screening and diagnosis. Digital mammography system provides several advantages over screen-film mammography system. According to the information provided by the manufacturer, digital mammography system offers radiation dose reduction in comparison with screen-film mammography system, because of digital detector, particularly direct digital detector has higher x-ray absorption efficiency than screen-film combination or imaging plate (IP). We measured average glandular doses (ADG) in screen-film mammography (SFM) system with slow screen-film combination, computed mammography (CM) system, indirect digital mammography (IDM) system and direct digital mammography (DDM) system using breast tissue-equivalent phantom (glandularity 30%, 50% and 70%). The results were shown as follows: AGD values for DDM system were highest than those for other systems. Although automatic exposure control (AEC) mode was selected, the curve of the AGD values against thickness or glandularity increased significantly for the SFM system with the uniform target/filter (Mo/Mo) combination. Therefore, the AGD values for the high energy examinations were highest in the SFM system, and those for the low energy examinations were highest in the DDM system. But the curve of the AGD values against thickness and glandularity increased gently for CM system with the automatic selection of the target/filter combination (from Mo/Mo to Mo/Rh or from Mo/Rh to Rh/Rh), and the AGD values were lowest. Consequently, the parameters in mammography for each exposure besides detection efficiency play an important role in order to estimate a patient radiation dose

  2. Tissue tolerance under the combination treatment of maxillary cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egawa, Jun; Ono, Isamu; Suzuki, Kunio; Takeda, Chisato; Ebihara, Satoshi.

    1977-01-01

    The tissue tolerance doses of the maxillary sinus structures were estimated when they were subjected to treatment for maxillary cancer by the usual combination of surgery, radiotherapy and regional arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil. Equivalent single dose calculation was applied with irreversible tissue damage as an indicator. The retardation of epithelialization of the maxillary sinus operated upon appeared to be correlated with the dose delivered. The study indicated that 2,200 rad expressed by equivalent single dose is a safe dose level for sufficient epithelialization. The safety dose level for the bony structure, exposed by surgery, seemed to be at 1,800 rad. (auth.)

  3. Electrothermal Equivalent Three-Dimensional Finite-Element Model of a Single Neuron.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cinelli, Ilaria; Destrade, Michel; Duffy, Maeve; McHugh, Peter

    2018-06-01

    We propose a novel approach for modelling the interdependence of electrical and mechanical phenomena in nervous cells, by using electrothermal equivalences in finite element (FE) analysis so that existing thermomechanical tools can be applied. First, the equivalence between electrical and thermal properties of the nerve materials is established, and results of a pure heat conduction analysis performed in Abaqus CAE Software 6.13-3 are validated with analytical solutions for a range of steady and transient conditions. This validation includes the definition of equivalent active membrane properties that enable prediction of the action potential. Then, as a step toward fully coupled models, electromechanical coupling is implemented through the definition of equivalent piezoelectric properties of the nerve membrane using the thermal expansion coefficient, enabling prediction of the mechanical response of the nerve to the action potential. Results of the coupled electromechanical model are validated with previously published experimental results of deformation for squid giant axon, crab nerve fibre, and garfish olfactory nerve fibre. A simplified coupled electromechanical modelling approach is established through an electrothermal equivalent FE model of a nervous cell for biomedical applications. One of the key findings is the mechanical characterization of the neural activity in a coupled electromechanical domain, which provides insights into the electromechanical behaviour of nervous cells, such as thinning of the membrane. This is a first step toward modelling three-dimensional electromechanical alteration induced by trauma at nerve bundle, tissue, and organ levels.

  4. Equivalent Dynamic Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Peter C M

    2017-01-01

    Equivalences of two classes of dynamic models for weakly stationary multivariate time series are discussed: dynamic factor models and autoregressive models. It is shown that exploratory dynamic factor models can be rotated, yielding an infinite set of equivalent solutions for any observed series. It also is shown that dynamic factor models with lagged factor loadings are not equivalent to the currently popular state-space models, and that restriction of attention to the latter type of models may yield invalid results. The known equivalent vector autoregressive model types, standard and structural, are given a new interpretation in which they are conceived of as the extremes of an innovating type of hybrid vector autoregressive models. It is shown that consideration of hybrid models solves many problems, in particular with Granger causality testing.

  5. DNA Methylation Patterns in Cord Blood of Neonates Across Gestational Age: Association With Cell-Type Proportions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braid, Susan M; Okrah, Kwame; Shetty, Amol; Corrada Bravo, Hector

    A statistical methodology is available to estimate the proportion of cell types (cellular heterogeneity) in adult whole blood specimens used in epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS). However, there is no methodology to estimate the proportion of cell types in umbilical cord blood (also a heterogeneous tissue) used in EWAS. The objectives of this study were to determine whether differences in DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns in umbilical cord blood are the result of blood cell type proportion changes that typically occur across gestational age and to demonstrate the effect of cell type proportion confounding by comparing preterm infants exposed and not exposed to antenatal steroids. We obtained DNAm profiles of cord blood using the Illumina HumanMethylation27k BeadChip array for 385 neonates from the Boston Birth Cohort. We estimated cell type proportions for six cell types using the deconvolution method developed by . The cell type proportion estimates segregated into two groups that were significantly different by gestational age, indicating that gestational age was associated with cell type proportion. Among infants exposed to antenatal steroids, the number of differentially methylated CpGs dropped from 127 to 1 after controlling for cell type proportion. EWAS utilizing cord blood are confounded by cell type proportion. Careful study design including correction for cell type proportion and interpretation of results of EWAS using cord blood are critical.

  6. Proportionality for Military Leaders

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Brown, Gary D

    2000-01-01

    .... Especially lacking is a realization that there are four distinct types of proportionality. In determining whether a particular resort to war is just, national leaders must consider the proportionality of the conflict (i.e...

  7. Signal shaping and tail cancellation for gas proportional detectors at high counting rates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boie, R.A.; Hrisoho, A.T.; Rehak, P.

    1982-01-01

    A low noise, wide bandwidth preamplifier and signal processing filter were developed for high counting rate proportional counters. The filter consists of a seven pole Gaussian integrator with symmetrical weighting function and continuously variable shaping time, tausub(s), of 8-50 ns (fwhm) preceded by a second order pole/zero circuit which cancels the long (1/t) tails of the chamber signals. The preamplifier is an optimized common base input design with 2 ns rise time and an equivalent noise input charge < 2000 r.m.s. electrons, when connected to a chamber with 10 pF capacitance and at a filtering time, tausub(s), of 10 ns. (orig.)

  8. Optimization of a neutron ambient dose equivalent rate meter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burgkhardt, B.; Fieg, G.; Piesch, E.; Klett, A.; Maushart, R.

    1994-01-01

    Co-operating in a technology transfer project, the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center and EG and G Berthold have developed a neutron equivalent doserate probe with high sensitivity and an energy dependent detection efficiency in accordance with the ICRP60 requirements. The special features of this probe were realized, on the one hand, by optimizing the moderator and absorber geometry through simulation calculations with the neutron transport code MCNP, and, on the other hand, by using a newly designed 3 He-methane proportional counter tube. The measurements were not yet completed when this paper went to press, however, it is to be expected that the response sensitivity will be more than 3 counts/nSv. (orig.) [de

  9. Role of percent peripheral tissue ablated on refractive outcomes following hyperopic LASIK

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stapleton, Fiona; Versace, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To determine the effect of hyperopic laser in situ keratomileusis (H-LASIK) on corneal integrity, by investigating relationships between proportionate corneal tissue ablated and refractive outcomes at 3 months. Methods 18 eyes of 18 subjects treated with H-LASIK by Technolas 217c Excimer Laser were included in the study. Orbscan II Topography System was used to determine corneal volume and pachymetry 3mm temporally (3T). The volume of corneal tissue ablated was determined from the laser nomogram. Univariate associations between age, treatment, corneal volume, overall proportion of tissue removed, proportion of tissue removed at 3T, residual bed thickness at 3T and refractive outcomes 3 months post-LASIK were examined and independent factors associated with refractive outcomes determined using linear regression models. Results At 3 months post-LASIK, the mean difference to expected refractive outcome was -0.20 ± 0.64 (Range -2.00 to +1.00). In univariate analysis, difference to expected refractive outcome was associated with proportion of tissue removed at 3T (PLASIK, may present as either over or under-corrected at 3 months. The proportion of tissue removed at 3T was the single significant determinant of this outcome, suggesting unexpected biomechanical alterations resulting in corneal steepening. Future hyperopic LASIK procedures could consider proportionate volume of corneal tissue removed at 3T in addition to laser nomograms to achieve improved refractive outcomes. PMID:28151939

  10. EQUIVALENCE VERSUS NON-EQUIVALENCE IN ECONOMIC TRANSLATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina, Chifane

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims at highlighting the fact that “equivalence” represents a concept worth revisiting and detailing upon when tackling the translation process of economic texts both from English into Romanian and from Romanian into English. Far from being exhaustive, our analysis will focus upon the problems arising from the lack of equivalence at the word level. Consequently, relevant examples from the economic field will be provided to account for the following types of non-equivalence at word level: culturespecific concepts; the source language concept is not lexicalised in the target language; the source language word is semantically complex; differences in physical and interpersonal perspective; differences in expressive meaning; differences in form; differences in frequency and purpose of using specific forms and the use of loan words in the source text. Likewise, we shall illustrate a number of translation strategies necessary to deal with the afore-mentioned cases of non-equivalence: translation by a more general word (superordinate; translation by a more neutral/less expressive word; translation by cultural substitution; translation using a loan word or loan word plus explanation; translation by paraphrase using a related word; translation by paraphrase using unrelated words; translation by omission and translation by illustration.

  11. Radioactive waste equivalence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orlowski, S.; Schaller, K.H.

    1990-01-01

    The report reviews, for the Member States of the European Community, possible situations in which an equivalence concept for radioactive waste may be used, analyses the various factors involved, and suggests guidelines for the implementation of such a concept. Only safety and technical aspects are covered. Other aspects such as commercial ones are excluded. Situations where the need for an equivalence concept has been identified are processes where impurities are added as a consequence of the treatment and conditioning process, the substitution of wastes from similar waste streams due to the treatment process, and exchange of waste belonging to different waste categories. The analysis of factors involved and possible ways for equivalence evaluation, taking into account in particular the chemical, physical and radiological characteristics of the waste package, and the potential risks of the waste form, shows that no simple all-encompassing equivalence formula may be derived. Consequently, a step-by-step approach is suggested, which avoids complex evaluations in the case of simple exchanges

  12. Implementation of an Analytical Model for Leakage Neutron Equivalent Dose in a Proton Radiotherapy Planning System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eley, John [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030 (United States); Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas, 6767 Bertner Ave., Houston, TX 77030 (United States); Newhauser, Wayne, E-mail: newhauser@lsu.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, 202 Nicholson Hall, Tower Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, 4950 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809 (United States); Homann, Kenneth; Howell, Rebecca [Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030 (United States); Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas, 6767 Bertner Ave., Houston, TX 77030 (United States); Schneider, Christopher [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, 202 Nicholson Hall, Tower Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, 4950 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809 (United States); Durante, Marco; Bert, Christoph [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstr. 1, Darmstadt 64291 (Germany)

    2015-03-11

    Equivalent dose from neutrons produced during proton radiotherapy increases the predicted risk of radiogenic late effects. However, out-of-field neutron dose is not taken into account by commercial proton radiotherapy treatment planning systems. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing an analytical model to calculate leakage neutron equivalent dose in a treatment planning system. Passive scattering proton treatment plans were created for a water phantom and for a patient. For both the phantom and patient, the neutron equivalent doses were small but non-negligible and extended far beyond the therapeutic field. The time required for neutron equivalent dose calculation was 1.6 times longer than that required for proton dose calculation, with a total calculation time of less than 1 h on one processor for both treatment plans. Our results demonstrate that it is feasible to predict neutron equivalent dose distributions using an analytical dose algorithm for individual patients with irregular surfaces and internal tissue heterogeneities. Eventually, personalized estimates of neutron equivalent dose to organs far from the treatment field may guide clinicians to create treatment plans that reduce the risk of late effects.

  13. Equivalence principles and electromagnetism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ni, W.-T.

    1977-01-01

    The implications of the weak equivalence principles are investigated in detail for electromagnetic systems in a general framework. In particular, it is shown that the universality of free-fall trajectories (Galileo weak equivalence principle) does not imply the validity of the Einstein equivalence principle. However, the Galileo principle plus the universality of free-fall rotation states does imply the Einstein principle.

  14. New recommendations for dose equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bengtsson, G.

    1985-01-01

    In its report 39, the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU), has defined four new quantities for the determination of dose equivalents from external sources: the ambient dose equivalent, the directional dose equivalent, the individual dose equivalent, penetrating and the individual dose equivalent, superficial. The rationale behind these concepts and their practical application are discussed. Reference is made to numerical values of these quantities which will be the subject of a coming publication from the International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP. (Author)

  15. Equivalent models of wind farms by using aggregated wind turbines and equivalent winds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez, L.M.; Garcia, C.A.; Saenz, J.R.; Jurado, F.

    2009-01-01

    As a result of the increasing wind farms penetration on power systems, the wind farms begin to influence power system, and therefore the modeling of wind farms has become an interesting research topic. In this paper, new equivalent models of wind farms equipped with wind turbines based on squirrel-cage induction generators and doubly-fed induction generators are proposed to represent the collective behavior on large power systems simulations, instead of using a complete model of wind farms where all the wind turbines are modeled. The models proposed here are based on aggregating wind turbines into an equivalent wind turbine which receives an equivalent wind of the ones incident on the aggregated wind turbines. The equivalent wind turbine presents re-scaled power capacity and the same complete model as the individual wind turbines, which supposes the main feature of the present equivalent models. Two equivalent winds are evaluated in this work: (1) the average wind from the ones incident on the aggregated wind turbines with similar winds, and (2) an equivalent incoming wind derived from the power curve and the wind incident on each wind turbine. The effectiveness of the equivalent models to represent the collective response of the wind farm at the point of common coupling to grid is demonstrated by comparison with the wind farm response obtained from the detailed model during power system dynamic simulations, such as wind fluctuations and a grid disturbance. The present models can be used for grid integration studies of large power system with an important reduction of the model order and the computation time

  16. Risk-adjusted survival after tissue versus mechanical aortic valve replacement: a 23-year assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaca, Jeffrey G; Clare, Robert M; Rankin, J Scott; Daneshmand, Mani A; Milano, Carmelo A; Hughes, G Chad; Wolfe, Walter G; Glower, Donald D; Smith, Peter K

    2013-11-01

    Detailed analyses of risk-adjusted outcomes after mitral valve surgery have documented significant survival decrements with tissue valves at any age. Several recent studies of prosthetic aortic valve replacement (AVR) also have suggested a poorer performance of tissue valves, although analyses have been limited to small matched series. The study aim was to test the hypothesis that AVR with tissue valves is associated with a lower risk-adjusted survival, as compared to mechanical valves. Between 1986 and 2009, primary isolated AVR, with or without coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), was performed with currently available valve types in 2148 patients (1108 tissue valves, 1040 mechanical). Patients were selected for tissue valves to be used primarily in the elderly. Baseline and operative characteristics were documented prospectively with a consistent variable set over the entire 23-year period. Follow up was obtained with mailed questionnaires, supplemented by National Death Index searches. The average time to death or follow up was seven years, and follow up for survival was 96.2% complete. Risk-adjusted survival characteristics for the two groups were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model with stepwise selection of candidate variables. Differences in baseline characteristics between groups were (tissue versus mechanical): median age 73 versus 61 years; non-elective surgery 32% versus 28%; CABG 45% versus 35%; median ejection fraction 55% versus 55%; renal failure 6% versus 1%; diabetes 18% versus 7% (pvalves; however, after risk adjustment for the adverse profiles of tissue valve patients, no significant difference was observed in survival after tissue or mechanical AVR. Thus, the hypothesis did not hold, and risk-adjusted survival was equivalent, of course qualified by the fact that selection bias was evident. With selection criteria that employed tissue AVR more frequently in elderly patients, tissue and mechanical valves achieved similar survival

  17. From Microscale Devices to 3D Printing: Advances in Fabrication of 3D Cardiovascular Tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borovjagin, Anton V.; Ogle, Brenda; Berry, Joel; Zhang, Jianyi

    2016-01-01

    Current strategies for engineering cardiovascular cells and tissues have yielded a variety of sophisticated tools for studying disease mechanisms, for development of drug therapies, and for fabrication of tissue equivalents that may have application in future clinical use. These efforts are motivated by the need to extend traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems into 3D to more accurately replicate in vivo cell and tissue function of cardiovascular structures. Developments in microscale devices and bioprinted 3D tissues are beginning to supplant traditional 2D cell cultures and pre-clinical animal studies that have historically been the standard for drug and tissue development. These new approaches lend themselves to patient-specific diagnostics, therapeutics, and tissue regeneration. The emergence of these technologies also carries technical challenges to be met before traditional cell culture and animal testing become obsolete. Successful development and validation of 3D human tissue constructs will provide powerful new paradigms for more cost effective and timely translation of cardiovascular tissue equivalents. PMID:28057791

  18. Quantification of meat proportions by measuring DNA contents in raw and boiled sausages using matrix-adapted calibrators and multiplex real-time PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Köppel, René; Eugster, Albert; Ruf, Jürg; Rentsch, Jürg

    2012-01-01

    The quantification of meat proportions in raw and boiled sausage according to the recipe was evaluated using three different calibrators. To measure the DNA contents from beef, pork, sheep (mutton), and horse, a tetraplex real-time PCR method was applied. Nineteen laboratories analyzed four meat products each made of different proportions of beef, pork, sheep, and horse meat. Three kinds of calibrators were used: raw and boiled sausages of known proportions ranging from 1 to 55% of meat, and a dilution series of DNA from muscle tissue. In general, results generated using calibration sausages were more accurate than those resulting from the use of DNA from muscle tissue, and exhibited smaller measurement uncertainties. Although differences between uses of raw and boiled calibration sausages were small, the most precise and accurate results were obtained by calibration with fine-textured boiled reference sausages.

  19. Correspondences. Equivalence relations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouligand, G.M.

    1978-03-01

    We comment on sections paragraph 3 'Correspondences' and paragraph 6 'Equivalence Relations' in chapter II of 'Elements de mathematique' by N. Bourbaki in order to simplify their comprehension. Paragraph 3 exposes the ideas of a graph, correspondence and map or of function, and their composition laws. We draw attention to the following points: 1) Adopting the convention of writting from left to right, the composition law for two correspondences (A,F,B), (U,G,V) of graphs F, G is written in full generality (A,F,B)o(U,G,V) = (A,FoG,V). It is not therefore assumed that the co-domain B of the first correspondence is identical to the domain U of the second (EII.13 D.7), (1970). 2) The axiom of choice consists of creating the Hilbert terms from the only relations admitting a graph. 3) The statement of the existence theorem of a function h such that f = goh, where f and g are two given maps having the same domain (of definition), is completed if h is more precisely an injection. Paragraph 6 considers the generalisation of equality: First, by 'the equivalence relation associated with a map f of a set E identical to (x is a member of the set E and y is a member of the set E and x:f = y:f). Consequently, every relation R(x,y) which is equivalent to this is an equivalence relation in E (symmetrical, transitive, reflexive); then R admits a graph included in E x E, etc. Secondly, by means of the Hilbert term of a relation R submitted to the equivalence. In this last case, if R(x,y) is separately collectivizing in x and y, theta(x) is not the class of objects equivalent to x for R (EII.47.9), (1970). The interest of bringing together these two subjects, apart from this logical order, resides also in the fact that the theorem mentioned in 3) can be expressed by means of the equivalence relations associated with the functions f and g. The solutions of the examples proposed reveal their simplicity [fr

  20. Analogical proportions: another logical view

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prade, Henri; Richard, Gilles

    This paper investigates the logical formalization of a restricted form of analogical reasoning based on analogical proportions, i.e. statements of the form a is to b as c is to d. Starting from a naive set theoretic interpretation, we highlight the existence of two noticeable companion proportions: one states that a is to b the converse of what c is to d (reverse analogy), while the other called paralogical proportion expresses that what a and b have in common, c and d have it also. We identify the characteristic postulates of the three types of proportions and examine their consequences from an abstract viewpoint. We further study the properties of the set theoretic interpretation and of the Boolean logic interpretation, and we provide another light on the understanding of the role of permutations in the modeling of the three types of proportions. Finally, we address the use of these proportions as a basis for inference in a propositional setting, and relate it to more general schemes of analogical reasoning. The differences between analogy, reverse-analogy, and paralogy is still emphasized in a three-valued setting, which is also briefly presented.

  1. Calculation methods for determining dose equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endres, G.W.R.; Tanner, J.E.; Scherpelz, R.I.; Hadlock, D.E.

    1987-11-01

    A series of calculations of neutron fluence as a function of energy in an anthropomorphic phantom was performed to develop a system for determining effective dose equivalent for external radiation sources. Critical organ dose equivalents are calculated and effective dose equivalents are determined using ICRP-26 [1] methods. Quality factors based on both present definitions and ICRP-40 definitions are used in the analysis. The results of these calculations are presented and discussed. The effective dose equivalent determined using ICRP-26 methods is significantly smaller than the dose equivalent determined by traditional methods. No existing personnel dosimeter or health physics instrument can determine effective dose equivalent. At the present time, the conversion of dosimeter response to dose equivalent is based on calculations for maximal or ''cap'' values using homogeneous spherical or cylindrical phantoms. The evaluated dose equivalent is, therefore, a poor approximation of the effective dose equivalent as defined by ICRP Publication 26. 3 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  2. Body fat mass and the proportion of very large adipocytes in pregnant women are associated with gestational insulin resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svensson, H; Wetterling, L; Bosaeus, M; Odén, B; Odén, A; Jennische, E; Edén, S; Holmäng, A; Lönn, M

    2016-04-01

    Pregnancy is accompanied by fat gain and insulin resistance. Changes in adipose tissue morphology and function during pregnancy and factors contributing to gestational insulin resistance are incompletely known. We sought to characterize adipose tissue in trimesters 1 and 3 (T1/T3) in normal weight (NW) and obese pregnant women, and identify adipose tissue-related factors associated with gestational insulin resistance. Twenty-two NW and 11 obese women were recruited early in pregnancy for the Pregnancy Obesity Nutrition and Child Health study. Examinations and sampling of blood and abdominal adipose tissue were performed longitudinally in T1/T3 to determine fat mass (air-displacement plethysmography); insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, HOMA-IR); size, number and lipolytic activity of adipocytes; and adipokine release and density of immune cells and blood vessels in adipose tissue. Fat mass and HOMA-IR increased similarly between T1 and T3 in the groups; all remained normoglycemic. Adipocyte size increased in NW women. Adipocyte number was not influenced, but proportions of small and large adipocytes changed oppositely in the groups. Lipolytic activity and circulating adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein increased in both groups. Adiponectin release was reduced in NW women. Fat mass and the proportion of very large adipocytes were most strongly associated with T3 HOMA-IR by multivariable linear regression (R(2)=0.751, Pinsulin resistance.

  3. Proteomic Analyses of the Acute Tissue Response for Explant Rabbit Corneas and Engineered Corneal Tissue Models Following In Vitro Exposure to 1540 nm Laser Light

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Eurell, T. E; Johnson, T. E; Roach, W. P

    2005-01-01

    Two-dimensional electrophoresis and histomorphometry were used to determine if equivalent protein changes occurred within native rabbit corneas and engineered corneal tissue models following in vitro...

  4. A phenomenological SMA model for combined axial–torsional proportional/non-proportional loading conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bodaghi, M.; Damanpack, A.R.; Aghdam, M.M.; Shakeri, M.

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, a simple and robust phenomenological model for shape memory alloys (SMAs) is proposed to simulate main features of SMAs under uniaxial as well as biaxial combined axial–torsional proportional/non-proportional loadings. The constitutive model for polycrystalline SMAs is developed within the framework of continuum thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The model nominates the volume fractions of self-accommodated and oriented martensite as scalar internal variables and the preferred direction of oriented martensitic variants as directional internal variable. An algorithm is introduced to develop explicit relationships for the thermo-mechanical behavior of SMAs under uniaxial and biaxial combined axial–torsional proportional/non-proportional loading conditions and also thermal loading. It is shown that the model is able to simulate main aspects of SMAs including self-accommodation, martensitic transformation, orientation and reorientation of martensite, shape memory effect, ferro-elasticity and pseudo-elasticity. A description of the time-discrete counterpart of the proposed SMA model is presented. Experimental results of uniaxial tension and biaxial combined tension–torsion non-proportional tests are simulated and a good qualitative correlation between numerical and experimental responses is achieved. Due to simplicity and accuracy, the model is expected to be used in the future studies dealing with the analysis of SMA devices in which two stress components including one normal and one shear stress are dominant

  5. Effective dose equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huyskens, C.J.; Passchier, W.F.

    1988-01-01

    The effective dose equivalent is a quantity which is used in the daily practice of radiation protection as well as in the radiation hygienic rules as measure for the health risks. In this contribution it is worked out upon which assumptions this quantity is based and in which cases the effective dose equivalent can be used more or less well. (H.W.)

  6. TEPC Microdosimeter for LEO and Beyond, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A new generation of Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters (TEPCs) for micro-dosimetric measurements will be designed, incorporating recent advances in the...

  7. Thermoluminescence and radioluminescence properties of tissue equivalent Cu-doped Li2B4O7 for radiation dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cruz Z, E.; Furetta, C.; Marcazzo, J.; Santiago, M.; Guarneros, C.; Pacio, M.; Palomino, R.

    2015-10-01

    Thermoluminescence (Tl) and radioluminescence (Rl) properties of lithium tetraborate (Li 2 B 4 O 7 ) doped with different concentration of copper (0.25, 0.5, 1 wt %) under gamma and beta irradiation has been investigated. The feasibility of using this borate in radiation dosimetry at low doses has been evaluated. Tissue equivalent Li 2 B 4 O 7 was prepared by solid state reaction using mixing stoichiometric compositions of lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) and boric acid (H 3 BO 3 ) and a solution of CuCl 2 as dopant. The glow curve, of the most efficient copper doped borate (Li 2 B 4 O 7 :Cu 0.5 wt %), shows a main stable peak centered at 225 degrees C and a second low temperature peak centered at 80 degrees C. The low temperature peak disappears completely after 24 hours of storage in darkness and at room temperature or after an annealing at 120 degrees C for 10 seconds. The main peak of the Li 2 B 4 O 7 :Cu remains constant. The Tl response of Li 2 B 4 O 7 :Cu shows good linearity in the analyzed dose range. The stability and repeatability of Rl signals of the borate have been studied and the Li 2 B 4 O 7 :Cu (0.5 wt %) shown the higher Rl emission and a stable and repetitive response. Results show that Li 2 B 4 O 7 :Cu has prospects to be used in gamma and beta radiation dosimetry. (Author)

  8. Preclinical study of mouse pluripotent parthenogenetic embryonic stem cell derivatives for the construction of tissue-engineered skin equivalent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Yang; Cui, Jihong; Yin, Lu; Liu, Wei; Liu, Wenguang; Sun, Mei; Yan, Xingrong; Wang, Ling; Chen, Fulin

    2016-10-22

    Embryonic stem cell (ESC) derivatives hold great promise for the construction of tissue-engineered skin equivalents (TESE). However, harvesting of ESCs destroys viable embryos and may lead to political and ethical concerns over their application. In the current study, we directed mouse parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (pESCs) to differentiate into fibroblasts, constructed TESE, and evaluated its function in vivo. The stemness marker expression and the pluripotent differentiation ability of pESCs were tested. After embryoid body (EB) formation and adherence culture, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were enriched and directed to differentiate into fibroblastic lineage. Characteristics of derived fibroblasts were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA. Functional ability of the constructed TESE was tested by a mouse skin defects repair model. Mouse pESCs expressed stemness marker and could form teratoma containing three germ layers. MSCs could be enriched from outgrowths of EBs and directed to differentiate into fibroblastic lineage. These cells express a high level of growth factors including FGF, EGF, VEGF, TGF, PDGF, and IGF1, similar to those of ESC-derived fibroblasts and mouse fibroblasts. Seeded into collagen gels, the fibroblasts derived from pESCs could form TESE. Mouse skin defects could be successfully repaired 15 days after transplantation of TESE constructed by fibroblasts derived from pESCs. pESCs could be induced to differentiate into fibroblastic lineage, which could be applied to the construction of TESE and skin defect repair. Particularly, pESC derivatives avoid the limitations of political and ethical concerns, and provide a promising source for regenerative medicine.

  9. Impact of CD133 positive stem cell proportion on survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kase, Marju; Minajeva, Ave; Niinepuu, Kristi; Kase, Sandra; Vardja, Markus; Asser, Toomas; Jaal, Jana

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the study was to assess the impact of CD133-positive (CD133+) cancer stem cell proportions on treatment results of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. Patients with GBM (n = 42) received postoperative radiotherapy (± chemotherapy). Surgically excised GBM tissue sections were immunohistochemically examined for CD133 expression. The proportions of CD133+ GBM cells were determined (%). The proportion of CD133+ GBM stem cells was established by 2 independent researchers whose results were in good accordance (R = 0.8, p < 0.01). Additionally, CD133 expression levels were correlated with patients overall survival. The proportion of CD133+ cells varied between patients, being from 0.5% to 82%. Mean and median proportions of CD133+ cells of the entire study group were 33% ± 24% (mean ± SD) and 28%, respectively. Clinical data do not support the association between higher proportion of stem cells and the aggressiveness of GBM. Median survival time of the study group was 10.0 months (95% CI 9.0–11.0). The survival time clearly depended on the proportion of CD133+ cells (log rank test, p = 0.02). Median survival times for patients with low (< median) and high (≥ median) proportion of CD133+ cells were 9.0 months (95% CI 7.6–10.5) and 12.0 months (95% CI 9.3–14.7), respectively. In multivariate analysis, the proportion of CD133+ cells emerged as a significant independent predictor for longer overall survival (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0–3.8, p = 0.04). In patients with higher stem cell proportion, significantly longer survival times after postoperative radiotherapy were achieved. Underlying reasons and possible higher sensitivity of GBM stem cells to fractionated radio-therapy should be clarified in further studies

  10. Equivalence relations of AF-algebra extensions

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    In this paper, we consider equivalence relations of *-algebra extensions and describe the relationship between the isomorphism equivalence and the unitary equivalence. We also show that a certain group homomorphism is the obstruction for these equivalence relations to be the same.

  11. Characterization of MOSFET dosimeter angular dependence in three rotational axes measured free-in-air and in soft-tissue equivalent material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koivisto, Juha; Kiljunen, Timo; Wolff, Jan; Kortesniemi, Mika

    2013-09-01

    When performing dose measurements on an X-ray device with multiple angles of irradiation, it is necessary to take the angular dependence of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters into account. The objective of this study was to investigate the angular sensitivity dependence of MOSFET dosimeters in three rotational axes measured free-in-air and in soft-tissue equivalent material using dental photon energy. Free-in-air dose measurements were performed with three MOSFET dosimeters attached to a carbon fibre holder. Soft tissue measurements were performed with three MOSFET dosimeters placed in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) phantom. All measurements were made in the isocenter of a dental cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner using 5º angular increments in the three rotational axes: axial, normal-to-axial and tangent-to-axial. The measurements were referenced to a RADCAL 1015 dosimeter. The angular sensitivity free-in-air (1 SD) was 3.7 ± 0.5 mV/mGy for axial, 3.8 ± 0.6 mV/mGy for normal-to-axial and 3.6 ± 0.6 mV/mGy for tangent-to-axial rotation. The angular sensitivity in the PMMA phantom was 3.1 ± 0.1 mV/mGy for axial, 3.3 ± 0.2 mV/mGy for normal-to-axial and 3.4 ± 0.2 mV/mGy for tangent-to-axial rotation. The angular sensitivity variations are considerably smaller in PMMA due to the smoothing effect of the scattered radiation. The largest decreases from the isotropic response were observed free-in-air at 90° (distal tip) and 270° (wire base) in the normal-to-axial and tangent-to-axial rotations, respectively. MOSFET dosimeters provide us with a versatile dosimetric method for dental radiology. However, due to the observed variation in angular sensitivity, MOSFET dosimeters should always be calibrated in the actual clinical settings for the beam geometry and angular range of the CBCT exposure.

  12. Characterization of MOSFET dosimeter angular dependence in three rotational axes measured free-in-air and in soft-tissue equivalent material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koivisto, Juha; Kiljunen, Timo; Wolff, Jan; Kortesniemi, Mika

    2013-01-01

    When performing dose measurements on an X-ray device with multiple angles of irradiation, it is necessary to take the angular dependence of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters into account. The objective of this study was to investigate the angular sensitivity dependence of MOSFET dosimeters in three rotational axes measured free-in-air and in soft-tissue equivalent material using dental photon energy. Free-in-air dose measurements were performed with three MOSFET dosimeters attached to a carbon fibre holder. Soft tissue measurements were performed with three MOSFET dosimeters placed in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) phantom. All measurements were made in the isocenter of a dental cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner using 5° angular increments in the three rotational axes: axial, normal-to-axial and tangent-to-axial. The measurements were referenced to a RADCAL 1015 dosimeter. The angular sensitivity free-in-air (1 SD) was 3.7 ± 0.5 mV/mGy for axial, 3.8 ± 0.6 mV/mGy for normal-to-axial and 3.6 ± 0.6 mV/mGy for tangent-to-axial rotation. The angular sensitivity in the PMMA phantom was 3.1 ± 0.1 mV/mGy for axial, 3.3 ± 0.2 mV/mGy for normal-to-axial and 3.4 ± 0.2 mV/mGy for tangent-to-axial rotation. The angular sensitivity variations are considerably smaller in PMMA due to the smoothing effect of the scattered radiation. The largest decreases from the isotropic response were observed free-in-air at 90° (distal tip) and 270° (wire base) in the normal-to-axial and tangent-to-axial rotations, respectively. MOSFET dosimeters provide us with a versatile dosimetric method for dental radiology. However, due to the observed variation in angular sensitivity, MOSFET dosimeters should always be calibrated in the actual clinical settings for the beam geometry and angular range of the CBCT exposure. (author)

  13. Microcystin-LR equivalent concentrations in fish tissue during a postbloom Microcystis exposure in Loskop Dam, South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Nchabeleng, T

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The effects of a decomposing cyanobacteria bloom on water quality and the accumulation of microcystin-LR equivalent toxin in fish at Loskop Dam were studied in May 2012. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] was used to confirm the presence...

  14. Testing statistical hypotheses of equivalence

    CERN Document Server

    Wellek, Stefan

    2010-01-01

    Equivalence testing has grown significantly in importance over the last two decades, especially as its relevance to a variety of applications has become understood. Yet published work on the general methodology remains scattered in specialists' journals, and for the most part, it focuses on the relatively narrow topic of bioequivalence assessment.With a far broader perspective, Testing Statistical Hypotheses of Equivalence provides the first comprehensive treatment of statistical equivalence testing. The author addresses a spectrum of specific, two-sided equivalence testing problems, from the

  15. Physical measurements with a high-energy proton beam using liquid and solid tissue substitutes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Constantinou, C.; Kember, N.F.; Huxtable, G.; Whitehead, C.

    1980-01-01

    The measurement of the physical parameters of a high-energy proton beam, using a range of liquid and solid tissue substitutes, is described. The system, the detectors used and the experimental verification of the tissue equivalence of the new tissue substitutes is presented. The measurements with the scattered but uncollimated proton beam in muscle-and brain-equivalent liquids and in water are compared to similar data obtained from the scattered but collimated beam. The effect of lung, fat and bone on the dose distributions in composite phantoms is also investigated and the necessary corrections established. A simulated patient treatment indicated that the Bragg peak can be positioned with an error not exceeding +-0.5 mm. (author)

  16. Information Leakage from Logically Equivalent Frames

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sher, Shlomi; McKenzie, Craig R. M.

    2006-01-01

    Framing effects are said to occur when equivalent frames lead to different choices. However, the equivalence in question has been incompletely conceptualized. In a new normative analysis of framing effects, we complete the conceptualization by introducing the notion of information equivalence. Information equivalence obtains when no…

  17. 21 CFR 26.9 - Equivalence determination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Equivalence determination. 26.9 Section 26.9 Food... Specific Sector Provisions for Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices § 26.9 Equivalence determination... document insufficient evidence of equivalence, lack of opportunity to assess equivalence or a determination...

  18. Application of digital waveform processing to position-sensitive proportional counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takenaka, Yasuto; Uritani, Akira; Mori, Chizuo

    1995-01-01

    In a charge-division type position-sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) with an anode wire of small resistance, a reflected component from an opposite end and thermal noise involved in signals deteriorate the position resolution of the PSPC. A digital waveform processing method was applied to the reduction of these undesirable effects by skillfully utilizing their signal characteristics that can be observed as inversely correlative signals between two-output signals from both sides of the PSPC. The digital waveform processing could improve the position resolution compared to a conventional pulse height processing method with analog filters. When the digital waveform processing was applied to signals of an equivalent circuit simulating the PSPC, the position resolutions defined by the full width at half maximum were improved to about 30% of those of conventional analog pulse processing. In the case of an actual PSPC, the position resolutions by the digital waveform processing were improved by 4-10% as compared with those of conventional pulse height processing. (author)

  19. Assessment of physician and patient (child and adult) equivalent doses during renal angiography by Monte Carlo method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karimian, A.; Nikparvar, B.; Jabbari, I.

    2014-01-01

    Renal angiography is one of the medical imaging methods in which patient and physician receive high equivalent doses due to long duration of fluoroscopy. In this research, equivalent doses of some radiosensitive tissues of patient (adult and child) and physician during renal angiography have been calculated by using adult and child Oak Ridge National Laboratory phantoms and Monte Carlo method (MCNPX). The results showed, in angiography of right kidney in a child and adult patient, that gall bladder with the amounts of 2.32 and 0.35 mSv, respectively, has received the most equivalent dose. About the physician, left hand, left eye and thymus absorbed the most amounts of doses, means 0.020 mSv. In addition, equivalent doses of the physician's lens eye, thyroid and knees were 0.023, 0.007 and 7.9 - 4 mSv, respectively. Although these values are less than the reported thresholds by ICRP 103, it should be noted that these amounts are related to one examination. (authors)

  20. Editorial: New operational dose equivalent quantities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harvey, J.R.

    1985-01-01

    The ICRU Report 39 entitled ''Determination of Dose Equivalents Resulting from External Radiation Sources'' is briefly discussed. Four new operational dose equivalent quantities have been recommended in ICRU 39. The 'ambient dose equivalent' and the 'directional dose equivalent' are applicable to environmental monitoring and the 'individual dose equivalent, penetrating' and the 'individual dose equivalent, superficial' are applicable to individual monitoring. The quantities should meet the needs of day-to-day operational practice, while being acceptable to those concerned with metrological precision, and at the same time be used to give effective control consistent with current perceptions of the risks associated with exposure to ionizing radiations. (U.K.)

  1. Reaction kinetics of chemical pollutants as a basis of risk estimates in terms of rad-equivalence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehrenberg, L.; Osterman-Golkar, S.

    1977-01-01

    Most mutagenic and carcinogenic chemicals are electrophilic agents or are converted to electrophilic agents in vivo. A majority of the effective genotoxic compounds are alkylating or arylating. The dose-response curve for mutation induced by alkylating agents is indicated to contain a linear component in the region of low doses. In this region the mutagenic effectiveness per unit dose was found for several alkylating agents to be approximately proportional to the calculated rate of reaction at a certain low nucleophilic strength. This proportionality appears, by and large, to be independent on the nature of the alkyl group introduced. Hence it is possible to ascribe a genetic risk to the degree of alkylation of these centers. This risk may be expressed in rad-equivalents

  2. Ex Vivo Produced Oral Mucosa Equivalent by Using the Direct Explant Cell Culture Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamile Öztürk

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study is the histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of ex vivo produced oral mucosal equivalents using keratinocytes cultured by direct explant technique.Material and Methods: Oral mucosa tissue samples were obtained from the keratinized gingival tissues of 14 healthy human subjects. Human oral mucosa keratinocytes from an oral mucosa biopsy specimen were dissociated by the explant technique. Once a sufficient population of keratinocytes was reached, they were seeded onto the type IV collagen coated “AlloDerm” and taken for histological and immunohistochemical examinations at 11 days postseeding of the keratinocytes on the cadaveric human dermal matrix.Results: Histopathologically and immunohistochemically, 12 out of 14 successful ex vivo produced oral mucosa equivalents (EVPOME that consisted of a stratified epidermis on a dermal matrix have been developed with keratinocytes cultured by the explant technique.Conclusion: The technical handling involved in the direct explant method at the beginning of the process has fewer steps than the enzymatic method and use of the direct explant technique protocol for culturing of human oral mucosa keratinocyte may be more adequate for EVPOME production.

  3. Equivalence of Gyn GEC-ESTRO guidelines for image guided cervical brachytherapy with EUD-based dose prescription

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaw, William; Rae, William ID; Alber, Markus L

    2013-01-01

    To establish a generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) -based prescription method for Image Guided Brachytherapy (IGBT) that reproduces the Gyn GEC-ESTRO WG (GGE) prescription for cervix carcinoma patients on CT images with limited soft tissue resolution. The equivalence of two IGBT planning approaches was investigated in 20 patients who received external beam radiotherapy (EBT) and 5 concomitant high dose rate IGBT treatments. The GGE planning strategy based on dose to the most exposed 2 cm 3 (D2cc) was used to derive criteria for the gEUD-based planning of the bladder and rectum. The safety of gEUD constraints in terms of GGE criteria was tested by maximizing dose to the gEUD constraints for individual fractions. The gEUD constraints of 3.55 Gy for the rectum and 5.19 Gy for the bladder were derived. Rectum and bladder gEUD-maximized plans resulted in D2cc averages very similar to the initial GGE criteria. Average D2ccs and EUDs from the full treatment course were comparable for the two techniques within both sets of normal tissue constraints. The same was found for the tumor doses. The derived gEUD criteria for normal organs result in GGE-equivalent IGBT treatment plans. The gEUD-based planning considers the entire dose distribution of organs in contrast to a single dose-volume-histogram point

  4. The Principle of Proportionality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bennedsen, Morten; Meisner Nielsen, Kasper

    2005-01-01

    Recent policy initiatives within the harmonization of European company laws have promoted a so-called "principle of proportionality" through proposals that regulate mechanisms opposing a proportional distribution of ownership and control. We scrutinize the foundation for these initiatives...... in relationship to the process of harmonization of the European capital markets.JEL classifications: G30, G32, G34 and G38Keywords: Ownership Structure, Dual Class Shares, Pyramids, EU companylaws....

  5. Characterization of revenue equivalence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heydenreich, B.; Müller, R.; Uetz, Marc Jochen; Vohra, R.

    2009-01-01

    The property of an allocation rule to be implementable in dominant strategies by a unique payment scheme is called revenue equivalence. We give a characterization of revenue equivalence based on a graph theoretic interpretation of the incentive compatibility constraints. The characterization holds

  6. Characterization of Revenue Equivalence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heydenreich, Birgit; Müller, Rudolf; Uetz, Marc Jochen; Vohra, Rakesh

    2008-01-01

    The property of an allocation rule to be implementable in dominant strategies by a unique payment scheme is called \\emph{revenue equivalence}. In this paper we give a characterization of revenue equivalence based on a graph theoretic interpretation of the incentive compatibility constraints. The

  7. Lunar EVA Dosimetry: Design of a Radiation Dosimeter for Astronauts During Lunar Extravehicular Activities

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Task 1: Design, Fabrication, and Testing Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters (TEPC) Detectors The purpose of this task was to design, build, and assemble a...

  8. Evaluation of brain tissue applying equivalent cross-relaxation rate using MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obata, Hideaki; Inaba, Tadashi; Tokuda, Masataka; Matsushima, Shigeru; Kinosada, Yasutomi

    2003-01-01

    The equivalent cross-relaxation rate (ECR) is a measurement method that can evaluate a change in organization structure quantitatively utilizing MRI. The goal of this study is to discover a parameter that we can use to evaluate aging of the human brain using ECR. Fourteen patients diagnosed with diseases other than those located in the cranium were imaged using a SIGNA model of GE Medical Systems equipped with a 1.5 T clinical scanner. The ECR values were defined as the percentage of signal loss between unsaturated and saturated images. It was found that the ECR value of gray matter was lower than subcortical white matter. At ages under 70 years old, the mean of ECR values of subcortical white matter showed stable values with insignificant variance. Furthermore, there was no correlation between age and ECR value of every region calculated. On the other hand, it was found that there was a negative correlation for the ECR values of subcortical white matter and gray matter at ages slightly over 70 years old. It is possible that the reduction in ECR value shows demyelination by aging in the senium. When the offset frequency is near the water resonance frequency, the ECR values mean information about neurocytes. Accordingly, the ECR (320)/ECR (1200) value probably shows that information is related to the amount or activity of neurons. (author)

  9. Quantification of the equivalence principle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Epstein, K.J.

    1978-01-01

    Quantitative relationships illustrate Einstein's equivalence principle, relating it to Newton's ''fictitious'' forces arising from the use of noninertial frames, and to the form of the relativistic time dilatation in local Lorentz frames. The equivalence principle can be interpreted as the equivalence of general covariance to local Lorentz covariance, in a manner which is characteristic of Riemannian and pseudo-Riemannian geometries

  10. Deriving mass-energy equivalence and mass-velocity relation without light

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Youshan; Dai, Liang

    2018-04-01

    Relativity requires that a particle's momentum and energy are the same functions of the particle's velocity in all inertial frames. Using the fact that momentum and energy must transform linearly between reference frames, we present a novel derivation of the mass-energy equivalence, namely, the relation that the energy is proportional to the moving mass, with no postulate about the existence of light or its properties. We further prove the mass-velocity relation without relying on momentum and energy conservation or on the Lorentz transformation. It is demonstrated that neither conservation laws nor the Lorentz transformation are necessary to establish those relations, and that those relations have a wider scope of validity than that of the conservation laws and the invariance of the speed of light.

  11. Comparison of adult and child radiation equivalent doses from 2 dental cone-beam computed tomography units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Najjar, Anas; Colosi, Dan; Dauer, Lawrence T; Prins, Robert; Patchell, Gayle; Branets, Iryna; Goren, Arthur D; Faber, Richard D

    2013-06-01

    With the advent of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans, there has been a transition toward these scans' replacing traditional radiographs for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. Children represent a significant proportion of orthodontic patients. Similar CBCT exposure settings are predicted to result in higher equivalent doses to the head and neck organs in children than in adults. The purpose of this study was to measure the difference in equivalent organ doses from different scanners under similar settings in children compared with adults. Two phantom heads were used, representing a 33-year-old woman and a 5-year-old boy. Optically stimulated dosimeters were placed at 8 key head and neck organs, and equivalent doses to these organs were calculated after scanning. The manufacturers' predefined exposure settings were used. One scanner had a pediatric preset option; the other did not. Scanning the child's phantom head with the adult settings resulted in significantly higher equivalent radiation doses to children compared with adults, ranging from a 117% average ratio of equivalent dose to 341%. Readings at the cervical spine level were decreased significantly, down to 30% of the adult equivalent dose. When the pediatric preset was used for the scans, there was a decrease in the ratio of equivalent dose to the child mandible and thyroid. CBCT scans with adult settings on both phantom heads resulted in higher radiation doses to the head and neck organs in the child compared with the adult. In practice, this might result in excessive radiation to children scanned with default adult settings. Collimation should be used when possible to reduce the radiation dose to the patient. While CBCT scans offer a valuable tool, use of CBCT scans should be justified on a specific case-by-case basis. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Modeling and simulation of equivalent circuits in description of biological systems - a fractional calculus approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Francisco Gómez Aguilar

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Using the fractional calculus approach, we present the Laplace analysis of an equivalent electrical circuit for a multilayered system, which includes distributed elements of the Cole model type. The Bode graphs are obtained from the numerical simulation of the corresponding transfer functions using arbitrary electrical parameters in order to illustrate the methodology. A numerical Laplace transform is used with respect to the simulation of the fractional differential equations. From the results shown in the analysis, we obtain the formula for the equivalent electrical circuit of a simple spectrum, such as that generated by a real sample of blood tissue, and the corresponding Nyquist diagrams. In addition to maintaining consistency in adjusted electrical parameters, the advantage of using fractional differential equations in the study of the impedance spectra is made clear in the analysis used to determine a compact formula for the equivalent electrical circuit, which includes the Cole model and a simple RC model as special cases.

  13. The principle of equivalence reconsidered: assessing the relevance of the principle of equivalence in prison medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jotterand, Fabrice; Wangmo, Tenzin

    2014-01-01

    In this article we critically examine the principle of equivalence of care in prison medicine. First, we provide an overview of how the principle of equivalence is utilized in various national and international guidelines on health care provision to prisoners. Second, we outline some of the problems associated with its applications, and argue that the principle of equivalence should go beyond equivalence to access and include equivalence of outcomes. However, because of the particular context of the prison environment, third, we contend that the concept of "health" in equivalence of health outcomes needs conceptual clarity; otherwise, it fails to provide a threshold for healthy states among inmates. We accomplish this by examining common understandings of the concepts of health and disease. We conclude our article by showing why the conceptualization of diseases as clinical problems provides a helpful approach in the delivery of health care in prison.

  14. On the operator equivalents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grenet, G.; Kibler, M.

    1978-06-01

    A closed polynomial formula for the qth component of the diagonal operator equivalent of order k is derived in terms of angular momentum operators. The interest in various fields of molecular and solid state physics of using such a formula in connection with symmetry adapted operator equivalents is outlined

  15. Evaluating Middle Years Students' Proportional Reasoning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilton, Annette; Dole, Shelley; Hilton, Geoff; Goos, Merrilyn; O'Brien, Mia

    2012-01-01

    Proportional reasoning is a key aspect of numeracy that is not always developed naturally by students. Understanding the types of proportional reasoning that students apply to different problem types is a useful first step to identifying ways to support teachers and students to develop proportional reasoning in the classroom. This paper describes…

  16. 78 FR 67360 - Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of Five New Equivalent Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-12

    ... Methods: Designation of Five New Equivalent Methods AGENCY: Office of Research and Development; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of the designation of five new equivalent methods for...) has designated, in accordance with 40 CFR Part 53, five new equivalent methods, one for measuring...

  17. 77 FR 60985 - Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of Three New Equivalent Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-05

    ... Methods: Designation of Three New Equivalent Methods AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of three new equivalent methods for monitoring ambient air quality. SUMMARY... equivalent methods, one for measuring concentrations of PM 2.5 , one for measuring concentrations of PM 10...

  18. Penelope simulation of electron beams 6 MeV from a linear accelerator for studies in different materials equivalent to human body

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apaza V, D.; Cardena R, R.; Cayllahua Q, F.; Vega R, J.; Urquizo B, R.

    2015-10-01

    In systems of radiotherapy treatment for cancer, always looking to maximize the radiation dose on the target (tumor) and minimize to the organs at risk or healthy, so they resort to using electron beams that have properties and characteristics of higher dose deposition at fixed depths, directing and focusing the higher dose in the tumor, without harming healthy tissues to which seeks to radiate in the least possible. Simulating the interaction of electron beams with different equivalent tissues to the human body leads to a better dosimetric evaluation, improving the quality of treatment planning. The aim of this study is the comparison from the characterization of several equivalent tissues to the human body such as soft tissue, bone and lung. Based on the simulation of a calibration beam in water phantom with Penelope code and compared with the results of the calibration curves of beams in water vat by a linear accelerator Elekta Synergy of Hospital Nacional Carlos Alberto Seguin Escobedo EsSalud of Arequipa (Peru). From this to evaluate the behavior of electron beams in a homogeneous medium and then further evaluation in the human body homogeneities, for better evaluation and specific treatment planning. (Author)

  19. Determination of equivalent breast phantoms for different age groups of Taiwanese women: An experimental approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, Shang-Lung; Chu, Tieh-Chi; Lin, Yung-Chien; Lan, Gong-Yau; Yeh, Yu-Hsiu; Chen, Sharon; Chuang, Keh-Shih

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) slab is one of the mostly used phantoms for studying breast dosimetry in mammography. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the equivalence between exposure factors acquired from PMMA slabs and patient cases of different age groups of Taiwanese women in mammography. Methods: This study included 3910 craniocaudal screen/film mammograms on Taiwanese women acquired on one mammographic unit. The tube loading, compressed breast thickness (CBT), compression force, tube voltage, and target/filter combination for each mammogram were collected for all patients. The glandularity and the equivalent thickness of PMMA were determined for each breast using the exposure factors of the breast in combination with experimental measurements from breast-tissue-equivalent attenuation slabs. Equivalent thicknesses of PMMA to the breasts of Taiwanese women were then estimated. Results: The average ± standard deviation CBT and breast glandularity in this study were 4.2 ± 1.0 cm and 54% ± 23%, respectively. The average equivalent PMMA thickness was 4.0 ± 0.7 cm. PMMA slabs producing equivalent exposure factors as in the breasts of Taiwanese women were determined for the age groups 30-49 yr and 50-69 yr. For the 4-cm PMMA slab, the CBT and glandularity values of the equivalent breast were 4.1 cm and 65%, respectively, for the age group 30-49 yr and 4.4 cm and 44%, respectively, for the age group 50-69 yr. Conclusions: The average thickness of PMMA slabs producing the same exposure factors as observed in a large group of Taiwanese women is less than that reported for American women. The results from this study can provide useful information for determining a suitable thickness of PMMA for mammographic dose survey in Taiwan. The equivalence of PMMA slabs and the breasts of Taiwanese women is provided to allow average glandular dose assessment in clinical practice.

  20. Determination of equivalent breast phantoms for different age groups of Taiwanese women: An experimental approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dong, Shang-Lung; Chu, Tieh-Chi; Lin, Yung-Chien; Lan, Gong-Yau; Yeh, Yu-Hsiu; Chen, Sharon; Chuang, Keh-Shih [Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Department of Radiology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, 45 Cheng Hsin Street, Pai-Tou District, Taipei 11220, Taiwan (China); Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, 101 Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China)

    2011-07-15

    Purpose: Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) slab is one of the mostly used phantoms for studying breast dosimetry in mammography. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the equivalence between exposure factors acquired from PMMA slabs and patient cases of different age groups of Taiwanese women in mammography. Methods: This study included 3910 craniocaudal screen/film mammograms on Taiwanese women acquired on one mammographic unit. The tube loading, compressed breast thickness (CBT), compression force, tube voltage, and target/filter combination for each mammogram were collected for all patients. The glandularity and the equivalent thickness of PMMA were determined for each breast using the exposure factors of the breast in combination with experimental measurements from breast-tissue-equivalent attenuation slabs. Equivalent thicknesses of PMMA to the breasts of Taiwanese women were then estimated. Results: The average {+-} standard deviation CBT and breast glandularity in this study were 4.2 {+-} 1.0 cm and 54% {+-} 23%, respectively. The average equivalent PMMA thickness was 4.0 {+-} 0.7 cm. PMMA slabs producing equivalent exposure factors as in the breasts of Taiwanese women were determined for the age groups 30-49 yr and 50-69 yr. For the 4-cm PMMA slab, the CBT and glandularity values of the equivalent breast were 4.1 cm and 65%, respectively, for the age group 30-49 yr and 4.4 cm and 44%, respectively, for the age group 50-69 yr. Conclusions: The average thickness of PMMA slabs producing the same exposure factors as observed in a large group of Taiwanese women is less than that reported for American women. The results from this study can provide useful information for determining a suitable thickness of PMMA for mammographic dose survey in Taiwan. The equivalence of PMMA slabs and the breasts of Taiwanese women is provided to allow average glandular dose assessment in clinical practice.

  1. Optical fusions and proportional syntheses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albert-Vanel, Michel

    2002-06-01

    A tragic error is being made in the literature concerning matters of color when dealing with optical fusions. They are still considered to be of additive nature, whereas experience shows us somewhat different results. The goal of this presentation is to show that fusions are, in fact, of 'proportional' nature, tending to be additive or subtractive, depending on each individual case. Using the pointillist paintings done in the manner of Seurat, or the spinning discs experiment could highlight this intermediate sector of the proportional. So, let us try to examine more closely what occurs in fact, by reviewing additive, subtractive and proportional syntheses.

  2. Investigation of Equivalent Circuit for PEMFC Assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myong, Kwang Jae

    2011-01-01

    Chemical reactions occurring in a PEMFC are dominated by the physical conditions and interface properties, and the reactions are expressed in terms of impedance. The performance of a PEMFC can be simply diagnosed by examining the impedance because impedance characteristics can be expressed by an equivalent electrical circuit. In this study, the characteristics of a PEMFC are assessed using the AC impedance and various equivalent circuits such as a simple equivalent circuit, equivalent circuit with a CPE, equivalent circuit with two RCs, and equivalent circuit with two CPEs. It was found in this study that the characteristics of a PEMFC could be assessed using impedance and an equivalent circuit, and the accuracy was highest for an equivalent circuit with two CPEs

  3. Response of human limbal epithelial cells to wounding on 3D RAFT tissue equivalents: effect of airlifting and human limbal fibroblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massie, Isobel; Levis, Hannah J; Daniels, Julie T

    2014-10-01

    Limbal epithelial stem cell deficiency can cause blindness but may be treated by human limbal epithelial cell (hLE) transplantation, normally on human amniotic membrane. Clinical outcomes using amnion can be unreliable and so we have developed an alternative tissue equivalent (TE), RAFT (Real Architecture for 3D Tissue), which supports hLE expansion, and stratification when airlifted. Human limbal fibroblasts (hLF) may be incorporated into RAFT TEs, where they support overlying hLE and improve phenotype. However, the impact of neither airlifting nor hLF on hLE function has been investigated. hLE on RAFT TEs (±hLF and airlifting) were wounded using heptanol and re-epithelialisation (fluorescein diacetate staining), and percentage putative stem cell marker p63α and proliferative marker Ki67 expression (wholemount immunohistochemistry), measured. Airlifted, hLF- RAFT TEs were unable to close the wound and p63α expression was 7 ± 0.2% after wounding. Conversely, non-airlifted, hLF- RAFT TEs closed the wound within 9 days and p63α expression was higher at 22 ± 5% (p < 0.01). hLE on both hLF- and hLF+ RAFT TEs (non-airlifted) closed the wound and p63α expression was 26 ± 8% and 36 ± 3% respectively (ns). Ki67 expression by hLE increased from 1.3 ± 0.5% before wounding to 7.89 ± 2.53% post-wounding for hLF- RAFT TEs (p < 0.01), and 0.8 ± 0.08% to 17.68 ± 10.88% for hLF+ RAFT TEs (p < 0.05), suggesting that re-epithelialisation was a result of proliferation. These data suggest that neither airlifting nor hLF are necessarily required to maintain a functional epithelium on RAFT TEs, thus simplifying and shortening the production process. This is important when working towards clinical application of regenerative medicine products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Time-specific measurements of energy deposition from radiation fields in simulated sub-micron tissue volumes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Famiano, M.A.

    1997-01-01

    A tissue-equivalent spherical proportional counter is used with a modified amplifier system to measure specific energy deposited from a uniform radiation field for short periods of time (∼1 micros to seconds) in order to extrapolate to dose in sub-micron tissue volumes. The energy deposited during these time intervals is compared to biological repair processes occurring within the same intervals after the initial energy deposition. The signal is integrated over a variable collection time which is adjusted with a square-wave pulse. Charge from particle passages is collected on the anode during the period in which the integrator is triggered, and the signal decays quickly to zero after the integrator feedback switch resets; the process repeats for every triggering pulse. Measurements of energy deposited from x rays, 137 Cs gamma rays, and electrons from a 90 Sr/ 90 Y source for various time intervals are taken. Spectral characteristics as a function of charge collection time are observed and frequency plots of specific energy and collection time-interval are presented. In addition, a threshold energy flux is selected for each radiation type at which the formation of radicals (based on current measurements) in mammalian cells equals the rate at which radicals are repaired

  5. Proportioning of U3O8 powder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cermak, V.; Markvart, M.; Novy, P.; Vanka, M.

    1989-01-01

    The tests are briefly described or proportioning U 3 O 8 powder of a granulometric grain size range of 0-160 μm using a vertical screw, a horizontal dual screw and a vibration dispenser with a view to proportioning very fine U 3 O 8 powder fractions produced in the oxidation of UO 2 fuel pellets. In the tests, the evenness of proportioning was assessed by the percentage value of the proportioning rate spread measured at one-minute intervals at a proportioning rate of 1-3 kg/h. In feeding the U 3 O 3 in a flame fluorator, it is advantageous to monitor the continuity of the powder column being proportioned and to assess it radiometrically by the value of the proportioning rate spread at very short intervals (0.1 s). (author). 10 figs., 1 tab., 12 refs

  6. Logically automorphically equivalent knowledge bases

    OpenAIRE

    Aladova, Elena; Plotkin, Tatjana

    2017-01-01

    Knowledge bases theory provide an important example of the field where applications of universal algebra and algebraic logic look very natural, and their interaction with practical problems arising in computer science might be very productive. In this paper we study the equivalence problem for knowledge bases. Our interest is to find out how the informational equivalence is related to the logical description of knowledge. Studying various equivalences of knowledge bases allows us to compare d...

  7. Proportional Symbol Mapping in R

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susumu Tanimura

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Visualization of spatial data on a map aids not only in data exploration but also in communication to impart spatial conception or ideas to others. Although recent carto-graphic functions in R are rapidly becoming richer, proportional symbol mapping, which is one of the common mapping approaches, has not been packaged thus far. Based on the theories of proportional symbol mapping developed in cartography, the authors developed some functions for proportional symbol mapping using R, including mathematical and perceptual scaling. An example of these functions demonstrated the new expressive power and options available in R, particularly for the visualization of conceptual point data.

  8. Calibration of an ultra-low-background proportional counter for measuring 37Ar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seifert, A.; Aalseth, C. E.; Bonicalzi, R. M.; Bowyer, T. W.; Day, A. R.; Fuller, E. S.; Haas, D. A.; Hayes, J. C.; Hoppe, E. W.; Humble, P. H.; Keillor, M. E.; LaFerriere, B. D.; Mace, E. K.; McIntyre, J. I.; Merriman, J. H.; Miley, H. S.; Myers, A. W.; Orrell, J. L.; Overman, C. T.; Panisko, M. E.

    2013-01-01

    An ultra-low-background proportional counter design has been developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) using clean materials, primarily electro-chemically-purified copper. This detector, along with an ultra-low-background counting system (ULBCS), was developed to complement a new shallow underground laboratory (30 meters water-equivalent) at PNNL. The ULBCS design includes passive neutron and gamma shielding, along with an active cosmic-veto system. This system provides a capability for making ultra-sensitive measurements to support applications like age-dating soil hydrocarbons with 14 C/ 3 H, age-dating of groundwater with 39 Ar, and soil-gas assay for 37 Ar to support On-Site Inspection (OSI). On-Site Inspection is a key component of the verification regime for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Measurements of radionuclides created by an underground nuclear explosion are valuable signatures of a Treaty violation. For OSI, the 35-day half-life of 37 Ar, produced from neutron interactions with calcium in soil, provides both high specific activity and sufficient time for inspection before decay limits sensitivity. This work describes the calibration techniques and analysis methods developed to enable quantitative measurements of 37 Ar samples over a broad range of proportional counter operating pressures. These efforts, along with parallel work in progress on gas chemistry separation, are expected to provide a significant new capability for 37 Ar soil gas background studies

  9. Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGown, Christine; Birerdinc, Aybike; Younossi, Zobair M

    2014-02-01

    Obesity is one of the most important health challenges faced by developed countries and is increasingly affecting adolescents and children. Obesity is also a considerable risk factor for the development of numerous other chronic diseases, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The epidemic proportions of obesity and its numerous comorbidities are bringing into focus the highly complex and metabolically active adipose tissue. Adipose tissue is increasingly being considered as a functional endocrine organ. This article discusses the endocrine effects of adipose tissue during obesity and the systemic impact of this signaling. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Regional myocardial flow and capillary permeability-surface area products are nearly proportional.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldwell, J H; Martin, G V; Raymond, G M; Bassingthwaighte, J B

    1994-08-01

    Analyses of data on the transcapillary exchange and cellular uptake in the normal heart have generally been based on the assumption that local membrane conductances and volumes of distribution are everywhere the same. The question is whether such an assumption is justified in view of the marked (sixfold) heterogeneity of local blood flows per gram tissue. The method was to estimate both flow and capillary membrane permeability-surface area products (PS) locally in the heart. For each of five dogs running on a sloped treadmill, the deposition of tracer microspheres and of [131I]iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA), after left atrial injection, was determined in 256 pieces of left ventricular myocardium by killing the animals at approximately 100 s after radiotracer injection. A hydraulic occluder stopped the flow to a portion of the myocardium supplied by the left circumflex coronary artery 30 s before tracer injection. Regional flows ranged from 0.1 to 7.0 ml.g-1.min-1. IPPA extractions ranged from 20 to 49%. Using the known flows, we assumed the applicability of an axially distributed blood-tissue exchange model to estimate the PS for the capillary (PSc) and the parenchymal cell. It was impossible to explain the data if the PSc values for membrane transport were uniform throughout the organ. Rather, the only reasonable descriptors of the data required that local PSc values increase with local flow, almost in proportion. Current methods of analysis using data based on deposition methods need to be revised to take into account the near proportionality of PS to flow for at least some substrates.

  11. Impossibility Theorem in Proportional Representation Problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karpov, Alexander

    2010-01-01

    The study examines general axiomatics of Balinski and Young and analyzes existed proportional representation methods using this approach. The second part of the paper provides new axiomatics based on rational choice models. New system of axioms is applied to study known proportional representation systems. It is shown that there is no proportional representation method satisfying a minimal set of the axioms (monotonicity and neutrality).

  12. Portable microdosimetry system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braby, L.A.; Ratcliffe, C.A.; Metting, N.F.

    1984-08-01

    Tissue equivalent proportional counters simulating solid volumes a few micrometers in diameter make exceptionally versatile neutron detectors. Since they are nearly tissue equivalent, the energy deposited in the detector is a good measure of the dose in tissue. The well known relationships between microdosimetric parameters and linear energy transfer provide several convenient options for calculating dose equivalent. However, this technique has found only very limited application in routine dosimetry due to the complexity of the electronics and of the spectral information collected. Recent developments in microelectronics combined with improved techniques for building proportional counters have now made it possible to develop a fully automated portable proportional counter system. A prototype device based on these principles has been developed for NASA as a potential space shuttle experiment. This system includes separate detectors and electronics to measure dose and the fluence of high energy heavy ions. Use of an internal alpha particle source provides reliable energy calibration so that the precision of dose measurements can be checked frequently. The dose monitoring detector simulates a 2 μm diameter sphere. The electronics system includes a low noise charge-sensitive preamplifier housed in the detector base, two analog-to-digital converters with amplifier gains differing by a factor of twenty, a pair of 128 channel memories and a CMOS microcomputer which controls the system and automatically calculates dose and dose equivalent. In order to simplify the calculations, the detector gain is automatically maintained at a preset value by adjusting the anode voltage

  13. Substance for thermoluminescent dosimetry of photon radiation in adipose tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalmykov, L.Z.; Kandel', T.G.

    1983-01-01

    Substance composition for thermoluminescent photon dosimetry in adipose tissue is proposed which makes it possible to simplify dosimetric measurements and to improve their accuracy. The substance consists of powder-like thermoluminophor Li 2 B 4 O 7 (0.03%Mn) 48-52 mass % and bistriethylammonium dodecahydrododecaborane - 48-52 mass %. The above substance is equivalent in respect to dosimetry to adipose tissue within the 10 keV - 10 MeV energy range

  14. Oscillating intensity display of soft tissue lesions in MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrmann, A.; Levin, D.N.; Beck, R.N.

    1986-01-01

    A computer-aided tissue characterization scheme is used to separate abnormal from normal tissues on the basis of their intensities on T1- and T2-weighted images. The intensity of an abnormal tissue on a T1-weighted image is then made to oscillate so that the amplitude (or frequency) of oscillation is directly proportional to the difference between the lesion's intensity and the intensities of normal tissues. The result is a ''movie'' in which the abnormal tissue churns or oscillates on the screen, drawing the attention because of the eye's sensitivity to motion

  15. Introduction of argon beam coagulation functionality to robotic procedures using the ABC D-Flex probe: equivalency to an existing laparoscopic instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merchel, Renée. A.; Barnes, Kelli S.; Taylor, Kenneth D.

    2015-03-01

    INTRODUCTION: The ABC® D-Flex Probe utilizes argon beam coagulation (ABC) technology to achieve hemostasis during minimally invasive surgery. A handle on the probe allows for integration with robotic surgical systems and introduces ABC to the robotic toolbox. To better understand the utility of D-Flex, this study compares the performance of the D-Flex probe to an existing ABC laparoscopic probe through ex vivo tissue analysis. METHODS: Comparisons were performed to determine the effect of four parameters: ABC device, tissue type, activation duration, and distance from tissue. Ten ABC D-Flex probes were used to create 30 burn samples for each comparison. Ex vivo bovine liver and porcine muscle were used as tissue models. The area and depth of each burn was measured using a light microscope. The resulting dimensional data was used to correlate tissue effect with each variable. RESULTS: D-Flex created burns which were smaller in surface area than the laparoscopic probe at all power levels. Additionally, D-Flex achieved thermal penetration levels equivalent to the laparoscopic probe. CONCLUSION: D-Flex implements a small 7F geometry which creates a more focused beam. When used with robotic precision, quick localized superficial hemostasis can be achieved with minimal collateral damage. Additionally, D-Flex achieved equivalent thermal penetration levels at lower power and argon flow-rate settings than the laparoscopic probe.

  16. Limbal Fibroblasts Maintain Normal Phenotype in 3D RAFT Tissue Equivalents Suggesting Potential for Safe Clinical Use in Treatment of Ocular Surface Failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massie, Isobel; Dale, Sarah B; Daniels, Julie T

    2015-06-01

    Limbal epithelial stem cell deficiency can cause blindness, but transplantation of these cells on a carrier such as human amniotic membrane can restore vision. Unfortunately, clinical graft manufacture using amnion can be inconsistent. Therefore, we have developed an alternative substrate, Real Architecture for 3D Tissue (RAFT), which supports human limbal epithelial cells (hLE) expansion. Epithelial organization is improved when human limbal fibroblasts (hLF) are incorporated into RAFT tissue equivalent (TE). However, hLF have the potential to transdifferentiate into a pro-scarring cell type, which would be incompatible with therapeutic transplantation. The aim of this work was to assess the scarring phenotype of hLF in RAFT TEs in hLE+ and hLE- RAFT TEs and in nonairlifted and airlifted RAFT TEs. Diseased fibroblasts (dFib) isolated from the fibrotic conjunctivae of ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid (Oc-MMP) patients were used as a pro-scarring positive control against which hLF were compared using surrogate scarring parameters: matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, de novo collagen synthesis, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) secretion. Normal hLF and dFib maintained different phenotypes in RAFT TE. MMP-2 and -9 activity, de novo collagen synthesis, and α-SMA expression were all increased in dFib cf. normal hLF RAFT TEs, although TGF-β1 secretion did not differ between normal hLF and dFib RAFT TEs. Normal hLF do not progress toward a scarring-like phenotype during culture in RAFT TEs and, therefore, may be safe to include in therapeutic RAFT TE, where they can support hLE, although in vivo work is required to confirm this. dFib RAFT TEs (used in this study as a positive control) may be useful toward the development of an ex vivo disease model of Oc-MMP.

  17. 46 CFR 175.540 - Equivalents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Safety Management (ISM) Code (IMO Resolution A.741(18)) for the purpose of determining that an equivalent... Organization (IMO) “Code of Safety for High Speed Craft” as an equivalent to compliance with applicable...

  18. Wijsman Orlicz Asymptotically Ideal -Statistical Equivalent Sequences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bipan Hazarika

    2013-01-01

    in Wijsman sense and present some definitions which are the natural combination of the definition of asymptotic equivalence, statistical equivalent, -statistical equivalent sequences in Wijsman sense. Finally, we introduce the notion of Cesaro Orlicz asymptotically -equivalent sequences in Wijsman sense and establish their relationship with other classes.

  19. Digital pulse-shape discrimination applied to an ultra-low-background gas-proportional counting system. First results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aalseth, C.E.; Day, A.R.; Fuller, E.S.; Hoppe, E.W.; Keillor, M.E.; Mace, E.K.; Myers, A.W.; Overman, C.T.; Panisko, M.E.; Seifert, A.

    2013-01-01

    A new ultra-low-background proportional counter design was recently developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). This design, along with an ultra-low-background counting system which provides passive and active shielding with radon exclusion, has been developed to complement a new shallow underground laboratory (∼30 m water-equivalent) constructed at PNNL. After these steps to mitigate dominant backgrounds (cosmic rays, external gamma-rays, radioactivity in materials), remaining background events do not exclusively arise from ionization of the proportional counter gas. Digital pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) is thus employed to further improve measurement sensitivity. In this work, a template shape is generated for each individual sample measurement of interest, a 'self-calibrating' template. Differences in event topology can also cause differences in pulse shape. In this work, the temporal region analyzed for each event is refined to maximize background discrimination while avoiding unwanted sensitivity to event topology. This digital PSD method is applied to sample and background data, and initial measurement results from a biofuel methane sample are presented in the context of low-background measurements currently being developed. (author)

  20. Proportioning of light weight concrete

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Palmus, Lars

    1996-01-01

    Development of a method to determine the proportions of the raw materials in light weight concrete made with leight expanded clay aggregate. The method is based on composite theory......Development of a method to determine the proportions of the raw materials in light weight concrete made with leight expanded clay aggregate. The method is based on composite theory...

  1. Equivalence in Bilingual Lexicography: Criticism and Suggestions*

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herbert Ernst Wiegand

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available

    Abstract: A reminder of general problems in the formation of terminology, as illustrated by theGerman Äquivalence (Eng. equivalence and äquivalent (Eng. equivalent, is followed by a critical discussionof the concept of equivalence in contrastive lexicology. It is shown that especially the conceptof partial equivalence is contradictory in its different manifestations. Consequently attemptsare made to give a more precise indication of the concept of equivalence in the metalexicography,with regard to the domain of the nominal lexicon. The problems of especially the metalexicographicconcept of partial equivalence as well as that of divergence are fundamentally expounded.In conclusion the direction is indicated to find more appropriate metalexicographic versions of theconcept of equivalence.

    Keywords: EQUIVALENCE, LEXICOGRAPHIC EQUIVALENT, PARTIAL EQUIVALENCE,CONGRUENCE, DIVERGENCE, CONVERGENCE, POLYDIVERGENCE, SYNTAGM-EQUIVALENCE,ZERO EQUIVALENCE, CORRESPONDENCE

    Abstrakt: Äquivalenz in der zweisprachigen Lexikographie: Kritik und Vorschläge.Nachdem an allgemeine Probleme der Begriffsbildung am Beispiel von dt. Äquivalenzund dt. äquivalent erinnert wurde, wird zunächst auf Äquivalenzbegriffe in der kontrastiven Lexikologiekritisch eingegangen. Es wird gezeigt, dass insbesondere der Begriff der partiellen Äquivalenzin seinen verschiedenen Ausprägungen widersprüchlich ist. Sodann werden Präzisierungenzu den Äquivalenzbegriffen in der Metalexikographie versucht, die sich auf den Bereich der Nennlexikbeziehen. Insbesondere der metalexikographische Begriff der partiellen Äquivalenz sowie derder Divergenz werden grundsätzlich problematisiert. In welche Richtung man gehen kann, umangemessenere metalexikographische Fassungen des Äquivalenzbegriffs zu finden, wird abschließendangedeutet.

    Stichwörter: ÄQUIVALENZ, LEXIKOGRAPHISCHES ÄQUIVALENT, PARTIELLE ÄQUIVALENZ,KONGRUENZ, DIVERGENZ, KONVERGENZ, POLYDIVERGENZ

  2. Brassicaceae tissues as inhibitors of nitrification in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Paul D; Morra, Matthew J

    2009-09-09

    Brassicaceae crops often produce an unexplained increase in plant-available soil N possibly related to bioactive compounds produced from glucosinolates present in the tissues. Our objective was to determine if glucosinolate-containing tissues inhibit nitrification, thereby potentially explaining this observation. Ammonium, NO(2)(-), and NO(3)(-) N were measured in soils amended with Brassicaceae ( Isatis tinctoria L., Brassica napus L., Brassica juncea L., and Sinapis alba L.) tissues containing different glucosinolate types and concentrations or Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa pratensis L.) residues with equivalent C/N ratios as the Brassicaceae samples. There was greater accumulation of NH(4)(+) N in soils amended with tissues containing high glucosinolate concentrations as compared to soils amended with tissues containing no or low glucosinolate concentrations. Nitrite N was detected only in soils amended with Brassicaceae tissues having the highest glucosinolate concentrations. The positive correlation of both NH(4)(+) and NO(2)(-) N accumulation with the glucosinolate concentration indicates the participation of glucosinolate hydrolysis products in nitrification inhibition.

  3. Impact of small variations in LDR for late-reacting tissue in gyn brachytherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bourel, Victor J.; Torre, Marcela de la; Rodriguez, Isabel

    1996-01-01

    Introduction: The linear-quadratic model shows that while a slight variation in the LDR Brachytherapy dose rate affects just a little the tumoral tissue ERD (Extrapolated Response Dose), the effect can be very strong in the late reacting tissues. The LDR Brachytherapy in cervix cancer is done with a dose rate in point A that range between 0.5 Gy/h and 0.7 Gy/h. This small range is a very heavy variable to find equivalent schemes. Material and Methods: Whith the LC10 program (based in the linear-quadratic model developed in our centre) a radiobiological analysis of the GYN Brachytherapy considering the dosimetric distribution of the most usual applicators is done. Different studies show that the critical rectal and bladder point doses in reference to point A ranges between 60% and 80%. Bearing this in mind, and the typical variables (tissue parameters, number of fractions, dose per fraction, total dose, etc.) the effect of the LDR dose rate variation in particularly analysed while calculating the equivalent HDR scheme. Result and discussion: When equivalent schemes are calculated in practise it is found that the HDR number of fractions depends highly on the LDR dose rate, that's why for one specific LDR scheme is necessary even to duplicate the HDR number of fractions to find the unique equivalent scheme when varying the dose rate from 0.5 Gy/h to 0.7 Gy/h. This also shows that the same LDR scheme using 0.5 Gy/h or 0.7 Gy/h is radiobiologically different (up to 20% in the late reacting tissue ERD). Conclusion: It is very important to report with great detail the LDR dose rate with which the gynaecological treatments have been performed because this variable is decisive to compare the results with other LDR or HDR schemes

  4. Tissue Engineering the Cornea: The Evolution of RAFT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levis, Hannah J.; Kureshi, Alvena K.; Massie, Isobel; Morgan, Louise; Vernon, Amanda J.; Daniels, Julie T.

    2015-01-01

    Corneal blindness affects over 10 million people worldwide and current treatment strategies often involve replacement of the defective layer with healthy tissue. Due to a worldwide donor cornea shortage and the absence of suitable biological scaffolds, recent research has focused on the development of tissue engineering techniques to create alternative therapies. This review will detail how we have refined the simple engineering technique of plastic compression of collagen to a process we now call Real Architecture for 3D Tissues (RAFT). The RAFT production process has been standardised, and steps have been taken to consider Good Manufacturing Practice compliance. The evolution of this process has allowed us to create biomimetic epithelial and endothelial tissue equivalents suitable for transplantation and ideal for studying cell-cell interactions in vitro. PMID:25809689

  5. Development of multiwire proportional chambers

    CERN Multimedia

    Charpak, G

    1969-01-01

    It has happened quite often in the history of science that theoreticians, confronted with some major difficulty, have successfully gone back thirty years to look at ideas that had then been thrown overboard. But it is rare that experimentalists go back thirty years to look again at equipment which had become out-dated. This is what Charpak and his colleagues did to emerge with the 'multiwire proportional chamber' which has several new features making it a very useful addition to the armoury of particle detectors. In the 1930s, ion-chambers, Geiger- Muller counters and proportional counters, were vital pieces of equipment in nuclear physics research. Other types of detectors have since largely replaced them but now the proportional counter, in new array, is making a comeback.

  6. Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Review of 19 Cases. | Eyesan ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Although soft tissue sarcoma is a rare tumour, it accounts for a significant proportion of malignancies seen in many orthopaedic practices. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the pattern of presentation of extremity soft tissue sarcoma and the treatment outcome in our patients. Method: This is a 3 year ...

  7. Correction factors to convert microdosimetry measurements in silicon to tissue in 12C ion therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolst, David; Guatelli, Susanna; Tran, Linh T; Chartier, Lachlan; Lerch, Michael L F; Matsufuji, Naruhiro; Rosenfeld, Anatoly B

    2017-03-21

    Silicon microdosimetry is a promising technology for heavy ion therapy (HIT) quality assurance, because of its sub-mm spatial resolution and capability to determine radiation effects at a cellular level in a mixed radiation field. A drawback of silicon is not being tissue-equivalent, thus the need to convert the detector response obtained in silicon to tissue. This paper presents a method for converting silicon microdosimetric spectra to tissue for a therapeutic 12 C beam, based on Monte Carlo simulations. The energy deposition spectra in a 10 μm sized silicon cylindrical sensitive volume (SV) were found to be equivalent to those measured in a tissue SV, with the same shape, but with dimensions scaled by a factor κ equal to 0.57 and 0.54 for muscle and water, respectively. A low energy correction factor was determined to account for the enhanced response in silicon at low energy depositions, produced by electrons. The concept of the mean path length [Formula: see text] to calculate the lineal energy was introduced as an alternative to the mean chord length [Formula: see text] because it was found that adopting Cauchy's formula for the [Formula: see text] was not appropriate for the radiation field typical of HIT as it is very directional. [Formula: see text] can be determined based on the peak of the lineal energy distribution produced by the incident carbon beam. Furthermore it was demonstrated that the thickness of the SV along the direction of the incident 12 C ion beam can be adopted as [Formula: see text]. The tissue equivalence conversion method and [Formula: see text] were adopted to determine the RBE 10 , calculated using a modified microdosimetric kinetic model, applied to the microdosimetric spectra resulting from the simulation study. Comparison of the RBE 10 along the Bragg peak to experimental TEPC measurements at HIMAC, NIRS, showed good agreement. Such agreement demonstrates the validity of the developed tissue equivalence correction factors and of

  8. A Pontryagin Minimum Principle-Based Adaptive Equivalent Consumption Minimum Strategy for a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Bus on a Fixed Route

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaobo Xie

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available When developing a real-time energy management strategy for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, it is still a challenge for the Equivalent Consumption Minimum Strategy to achieve near-optimal energy consumption, because the optimal equivalence factor is not readily available without the trip information. With the help of realistic speeding profiles sampled from a plug-in hybrid electric bus running on a fixed commuting line, this paper proposes a convenient and effective approach of determining the equivalence factor for an adaptive Equivalent Consumption Minimum Strategy. Firstly, with the adaptive law based on the feedback of battery SOC, the equivalence factor is described as a combination of the major component and tuning component. In particular, the major part defined as a constant is applied to the inherent consistency of regular speeding profiles, while the second part including a proportional and integral term can slightly tune the equivalence factor to satisfy the disparity of daily running cycles. Moreover, Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle is employed and solved by using the shooting method to capture the co-state dynamics, in which the Secant method is introduced to adjust the initial co-state value. And then the initial co-state value in last shooting is taken as the optimal stable constant of equivalence factor. Finally, altogether ten successive driving profiles are selected with different initial SOC levels to evaluate the proposed method, and the results demonstrate the excellent fuel economy compared with the dynamic programming and PMP method.

  9. SAPONIFICATION EQUIVALENT OF DASAMULA TAILA

    OpenAIRE

    Saxena, R. B.

    1994-01-01

    Saponification equivalent values of Dasamula taila are very useful for the technical and analytical work. It gives the mean molecular weight of the glycerides and acids present in Dasamula Taila. Saponification equivalent values of Dasamula taila are reported in different packings.

  10. Saponification equivalent of dasamula taila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, R B

    1994-07-01

    Saponification equivalent values of Dasamula taila are very useful for the technical and analytical work. It gives the mean molecular weight of the glycerides and acids present in Dasamula Taila. Saponification equivalent values of Dasamula taila are reported in different packings.

  11. Some spectral equivalences between Schroedinger operators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunning, C; Hibberd, K E; Links, J

    2008-01-01

    Spectral equivalences of the quasi-exactly solvable sectors of two classes of Schroedinger operators are established, using Gaudin-type Bethe ansatz equations. In some instances the results can be extended leading to full isospectrality. In this manner we obtain equivalences between PT-symmetric problems and Hermitian problems. We also find equivalences between some classes of Hermitian operators

  12. Gauge equivalence of the Gross Pitaevskii equation and the equivalent Heisenberg spin chain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radha, R.; Kumar, V. Ramesh

    2007-11-01

    In this paper, we construct an equivalent spin chain for the Gross-Pitaevskii equation with quadratic potential and exponentially varying scattering lengths using gauge equivalence. We have then generated the soliton solutions for the spin components S3 and S-. We find that the spin solitons for S3 and S- can be compressed for exponentially growing eigenvalues while they broaden out for decaying eigenvalues.

  13. A study on lead equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Guanxin

    1991-01-01

    A study on the rules in which the lead equivalent of lead glass changes with the energy of X rays or γ ray is described. The reason of this change is discussed and a new testing method of lead equivalent is suggested

  14. Viscoelastic properties of bovine orbital connective tissue and fat: constitutive models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Lawrence; Gupta, Vijay; Lee, Choongyeop; Kavehpore, Pirouz; Demer, Joseph L

    2011-12-01

    Reported mechanical properties of orbital connective tissue and fat have been too sparse to model strain-stress relationships underlying biomechanical interactions in strabismus. We performed rheological tests to develop a multi-mode upper convected Maxwell (UCM) model of these tissues under shear loading. From 20 fresh bovine orbits, 30 samples of connective tissue were taken from rectus pulley regions and 30 samples of fatty tissues from the posterior orbit. Additional samples were defatted to determine connective tissue weight proportion, which was verified histologically. Mechanical testing in shear employed a triborheometer to perform: strain sweeps at 0.5-2.0 Hz; shear stress relaxation with 1% strain; viscometry at 0.01-0.5 s(-1) strain rate; and shear oscillation at 1% strain. Average connective tissue weight proportion was 98% for predominantly connective tissue and 76% for fatty tissue. Connective tissue specimens reached a long-term relaxation modulus of 668 Pa after 1,500 s, while corresponding values for fatty tissue specimens were 290 Pa and 1,100 s. Shear stress magnitude for connective tissue exceeded that of fatty tissue by five-fold. Based on these data, we developed a multi-mode UCM model with variable viscosities and time constants, and a damped hyperelastic response that accurately described measured properties of both connective and fatty tissues. Model parameters differed significantly between the two tissues. Viscoelastic properties of predominantly connective orbital tissues under shear loading differ markedly from properties of orbital fat, but both are accurately reflected using UCM models. These viscoelastic models will facilitate realistic global modeling of EOM behavior in binocular alignment and strabismus.

  15. Analytical and numerical construction of equivalent cables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindsay, K A; Rosenberg, J R; Tucker, G

    2003-08-01

    The mathematical complexity experienced when applying cable theory to arbitrarily branched dendrites has lead to the development of a simple representation of any branched dendrite called the equivalent cable. The equivalent cable is an unbranched model of a dendrite and a one-to-one mapping of potentials and currents on the branched model to those on the unbranched model, and vice versa. The piecewise uniform cable, with a symmetrised tri-diagonal system matrix, is shown to represent the canonical form for an equivalent cable. Through a novel application of the Laplace transform it is demonstrated that an arbitrary branched model of a dendrite can be transformed to the canonical form of an equivalent cable. The characteristic properties of the equivalent cable are extracted from the matrix for the transformed branched model. The one-to-one mapping follows automatically from the construction of the equivalent cable. The equivalent cable is used to provide a new procedure for characterising the location of synaptic contacts on spinal interneurons.

  16. Proportional Load Sharing and Stability of DC Microgrid with Distributed Architecture Using SM Controller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Rashad

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available DC microgrids look attractive in distribution systems due to their high reliability, high efficiency, and easy integration with renewable energy sources. The key objectives of the DC microgrid include proportional load sharing and precise voltage regulation. Droop controllers are based on decentralized control architectures which are not effective in achieving these objectives simultaneously due to the voltage error and load power variation. A centralized controller can achieve these objectives using a high speed communication link. However, it loses reliability due to the single point failure. Additionally, these controllers are realized through proportional integral (PI controllers which cannot ensure load sharing and stability in all operating conditions. To address limitations, a distributed architecture using sliding mode (SM controller utilizing low bandwidth communication is proposed for DC microgrids in this paper. The main advantages are high reliability, load power sharing, and precise voltage regulation. Further, the SM controller shows high robustness, fast dynamic response, and good stability for large load variations. To analyze the stability and dynamic performance, a system model is developed and its transversality, reachability, and equivalent control conditions are verified. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior of the modeled system is investigated for underdamped and critically damped responses. Detailed simulations are carried out to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

  17. Isolation of Precursor Cells from Waste Solid Fat Tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byerly, Diane; Sognier, Marguerite A.

    2009-01-01

    A process for isolating tissue-specific progenitor cells exploits solid fat tissue obtained as waste from such elective surgical procedures as abdominoplasties (tummy tucks) and breast reductions. Until now, a painful and risky process of aspiration of bone marrow has been used to obtain a limited number of tissue- specific progenitor cells. The present process yields more tissue-specific progenitor cells and involves much less pain and risk for the patient. This process includes separation of fat from skin, mincing of the fat into small pieces, and forcing a fat saline mixture through a sieve. The mixture is then digested with collagenase type I in an incubator. After centrifugation tissue-specific progenitor cells are recovered and placed in a tissue-culture medium in flasks or Petri dishes. The tissue-specific progenitor cells can be used for such purposes as (1) generating three-dimensional tissue equivalent models for studying bone loss and muscle atrophy (among other deficiencies) and, ultimately, (2) generating replacements for tissues lost by the fat donor because of injury or disease.

  18. Microdosimetric basis for exposure limits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brackenbush, L.W.; Braby, L.A.

    1986-10-01

    The new organ-weighted effective dose equivalents should provide a much more accurate estimation of the degree of hazard for a worker's exposure to ionizing radiations. The method involves the microdosimetric concept of lineal energy to help establish exposure limits and will provide a unified system applicable to all types of ionizing radiation. Rather than being only calculated values, the effective dose equivalents and quality factors will be experimentally measured using tissue equivalent proportional counters. The measurement may be difficult to perform at various depths in an anthropomorphic phantom. Operational health physicists will be concerned about the lack of survey instruments and personnel dosimeters that measure lineal energy distributions. Their possible objections may be mitigated by the commercial introduction of instruments based upon tissue equivalent proportional counters or related devices containing inexpensive microprocessors. The many potential benefits include providing a uniform method for implementing the proposed increases in quality factors for neutrons and photons, providing a more unified approach for combining external and internal exposures, and potentially resolving questions about dosimeter placement and dose assessment for nonuniform exposures to mixed radiations. 16 refs., 3 figs

  19. Adaptive bayesian analysis for binomial proportions

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Das, Sonali

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available of testing the proportion of some trait. For example, say, we are interested to infer about the effectiveness of a certain intervention teaching strategy, by comparing proportion of ‘proficient’ teachers, before and after an intervention. The number...

  20. Icon arrays help younger children's proportional reasoning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruggeri, Azzurra; Vagharchakian, Laurianne; Xu, Fei

    2018-06-01

    We investigated the effects of two context variables, presentation format (icon arrays or numerical frequencies) and time limitation (limited or unlimited time), on the proportional reasoning abilities of children aged 7 and 10 years, as well as adults. Participants had to select, between two sets of tokens, the one that offered the highest likelihood of drawing a gold token, that is, the set of elements with the greater proportion of gold tokens. Results show that participants performed better in the unlimited time condition. Moreover, besides a general developmental improvement in accuracy, our results show that younger children performed better when proportions were presented as icon arrays, whereas older children and adults were similarly accurate in the two presentation format conditions. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? There is a developmental improvement in proportional reasoning accuracy. Icon arrays facilitate reasoning in adults with low numeracy. What does this study add? Participants were more accurate when they were given more time to make the proportional judgement. Younger children's proportional reasoning was more accurate when they were presented with icon arrays. Proportional reasoning abilities correlate with working memory, approximate number system, and subitizing skills. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

  1. Electronics for proportional drift tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fremont, G.; Friend, B.; Mess, K.H.; Schmidt-Parzefall, W.; Tarle, J.C.; Verweij, H.; CERN-Hamburg-Amsterdam-Rome-Moscow Collaboration); Geske, K.; Riege, H.; Schuett, J.; CERN-Hamburg-Amsterdam-Rome-Moscow Collaboration); Semenov, Y.; CERN-Hamburg-Amsterdam-Rome-Moscow Collaboration)

    1980-01-01

    An electronic system for the read-out of a large number of proportional drift tubes (16,000) has been designed. This system measures deposited charge and drift-time of the charge of a particle traversing a proportional drift tube. A second event can be accepted during the read-out of the system. Up to 40 typical events can be collected and buffered before a data transfer to a computer is necessary. (orig.)

  2. Cognitive and Metacognitive Aspects of Proportional Reasoning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modestou, Modestina; Gagatsis, Athanasios

    2010-01-01

    In this study we attempt to propose a new model of proportional reasoning based both on bibliographical and research data. This is impelled with the help of three written tests involving analogical, proportional, and non-proportional situations that were administered to pupils from grade 7 to 9. The results suggest the existence of a…

  3. Brachytherapy dose measurements in heterogeneous tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paiva F, G.; Luvizotto, J.; Salles C, T.; Guimaraes A, P. C.; Dalledone S, P. de T.; Yoriyaz, H.; Rubo, R.

    2014-08-01

    Recently, Beau lieu et al. published an article providing guidance for Model-Based Dose Calculation Algorithms (MBDCAs), where tissue heterogeneity considerations are addressed. It is well-known that T G-43 formalism which considers only water medium is limited and significant dose differences have been found comparing both methodologies. The aim of the present work is to experimentally quantify dose values in heterogeneous medium using different dose measurement methods and techniques and compare them with those obtained with Monte Carlo simulations. Experiments have been performed using a Nucletron micro Selectron-Hdr Ir-192 brachytherapy source and a heterogeneous phantom composed by PMMA and different tissue equivalent cylinders like bone, lungs and muscle. Several dose measurements were obtained using tissue equivalent materials with height 1.8 cm and 4.3 cm positioned between the radiation source and the detectors. Radiochromic films, TLDs and MOSFET S have been used for the dose measurements. Film dosimetry has been performed using two methodologies: a) linearization for dose-response curve based on calibration curves to create a functional form that linearize s the dose response and b) 177 multichannel analysis dosimetry where the multiple color channels are analyzed allowing to address not only disturbances in the measurements caused by thickness variation in the film layer, but also, separate other external influences in the film response. All experiments have been simulated using the MCNP5 Monte Carlo radiation transport code. Comparison of experimental results are in good agreement with calculated dose values with differences less than 6% for almost all cases. (Author)

  4. Brachytherapy dose measurements in heterogeneous tissues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paiva F, G.; Luvizotto, J.; Salles C, T.; Guimaraes A, P. C.; Dalledone S, P. de T.; Yoriyaz, H. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares / CNEN, Av. Lineu Prestes 2242, Cidade Universitaria, 05508-000 Sao Paulo (Brazil); Rubo, R., E-mail: gabrielpaivafonseca@gmail.com [Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, 05403-900 Sao Paulo (Brazil)

    2014-08-15

    Recently, Beau lieu et al. published an article providing guidance for Model-Based Dose Calculation Algorithms (MBDCAs), where tissue heterogeneity considerations are addressed. It is well-known that T G-43 formalism which considers only water medium is limited and significant dose differences have been found comparing both methodologies. The aim of the present work is to experimentally quantify dose values in heterogeneous medium using different dose measurement methods and techniques and compare them with those obtained with Monte Carlo simulations. Experiments have been performed using a Nucletron micro Selectron-Hdr Ir-192 brachytherapy source and a heterogeneous phantom composed by PMMA and different tissue equivalent cylinders like bone, lungs and muscle. Several dose measurements were obtained using tissue equivalent materials with height 1.8 cm and 4.3 cm positioned between the radiation source and the detectors. Radiochromic films, TLDs and MOSFET S have been used for the dose measurements. Film dosimetry has been performed using two methodologies: a) linearization for dose-response curve based on calibration curves to create a functional form that linearize s the dose response and b) 177 multichannel analysis dosimetry where the multiple color channels are analyzed allowing to address not only disturbances in the measurements caused by thickness variation in the film layer, but also, separate other external influences in the film response. All experiments have been simulated using the MCNP5 Monte Carlo radiation transport code. Comparison of experimental results are in good agreement with calculated dose values with differences less than 6% for almost all cases. (Author)

  5. Equivalent Simplification Method of Micro-Grid

    OpenAIRE

    Cai Changchun; Cao Xiangqin

    2013-01-01

    The paper concentrates on the equivalent simplification method for the micro-grid system connection into distributed network. The equivalent simplification method proposed for interaction study between micro-grid and distributed network. Micro-grid network, composite load, gas turbine synchronous generation, wind generation are equivalent simplification and parallel connect into the point of common coupling. A micro-grid system is built and three phase and single phase grounded faults are per...

  6. Equivalence relations and the reinforcement contingency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sidman, M

    2000-07-01

    Where do equivalence relations come from? One possible answer is that they arise directly from the reinforcement contingency. That is to say, a reinforcement contingency produces two types of outcome: (a) 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, or n-term units of analysis that are known, respectively, as operant reinforcement, simple discrimination, conditional discrimination, second-order conditional discrimination, and so on; and (b) equivalence relations that consist of ordered pairs of all positive elements that participate in the contingency. This conception of the origin of equivalence relations leads to a number of new and verifiable ways of conceptualizing equivalence relations and, more generally, the stimulus control of operant behavior. The theory is also capable of experimental disproof.

  7. Equivalence Principle, Higgs Boson and Cosmology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro Francaviglia

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available We discuss here possible tests for Palatini f(R-theories together with their implications for different formulations of the Equivalence Principle. We shall show that Palatini f(R-theories obey the Weak Equivalence Principle and violate the Strong Equivalence Principle. The violations of the Strong Equivalence Principle vanish in vacuum (and purely electromagnetic solutions as well as on short time scales with respect to the age of the universe. However, we suggest that a framework based on Palatini f(R-theories is more general than standard General Relativity (GR and it sheds light on the interpretation of data and results in a way which is more model independent than standard GR itself.

  8. Relating arithmetical techniques of proportion to geometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wijayanti, Dyana

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate how textbooks introduce and treat the theme of proportion in geometry (similarity) and arithmetic (ratio and proportion), and how these themes are linked to each other in the books. To pursue this aim, we use the anthropological theory of the didactic....... Considering 6 common Indonesian textbooks in use, we describe how proportion is explained and appears in examples and exercises, using an explicit reference model of the mathematical organizations of both themes. We also identify how the proportion themes of the geometry and arithmetic domains are linked. Our...

  9. Symmetries of dynamically equivalent theories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gitman, D.M.; Tyutin, I.V. [Sao Paulo Univ., SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica; Lebedev Physics Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2006-03-15

    A natural and very important development of constrained system theory is a detail study of the relation between the constraint structure in the Hamiltonian formulation with specific features of the theory in the Lagrangian formulation, especially the relation between the constraint structure with the symmetries of the Lagrangian action. An important preliminary step in this direction is a strict demonstration, and this is the aim of the present article, that the symmetry structures of the Hamiltonian action and of the Lagrangian action are the same. This proved, it is sufficient to consider the symmetry structure of the Hamiltonian action. The latter problem is, in some sense, simpler because the Hamiltonian action is a first-order action. At the same time, the study of the symmetry of the Hamiltonian action naturally involves Hamiltonian constraints as basic objects. One can see that the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian actions are dynamically equivalent. This is why, in the present article, we consider from the very beginning a more general problem: how the symmetry structures of dynamically equivalent actions are related. First, we present some necessary notions and relations concerning infinitesimal symmetries in general, as well as a strict definition of dynamically equivalent actions. Finally, we demonstrate that there exists an isomorphism between classes of equivalent symmetries of dynamically equivalent actions. (author)

  10. Normal tissue dose-effect models in biological dose optimisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alber, M.

    2008-01-01

    Sophisticated radiotherapy techniques like intensity modulated radiotherapy with photons and protons rely on numerical dose optimisation. The evaluation of normal tissue dose distributions that deviate significantly from the common clinical routine and also the mathematical expression of desirable properties of a dose distribution is difficult. In essence, a dose evaluation model for normal tissues has to express the tissue specific volume effect. A formalism of local dose effect measures is presented, which can be applied to serial and parallel responding tissues as well as target volumes and physical dose penalties. These models allow a transparent description of the volume effect and an efficient control over the optimum dose distribution. They can be linked to normal tissue complication probability models and the equivalent uniform dose concept. In clinical applications, they provide a means to standardize normal tissue doses in the face of inevitable anatomical differences between patients and a vastly increased freedom to shape the dose, without being overly limiting like sets of dose-volume constraints. (orig.)

  11. A Technique to Estimate the Equivalent Loss Resistance of Grid-Tied Converters for Current Control Analysis and Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vidal, Ana; Yepes, Alejandro G.; Fernandez, Francisco Daniel Freijedo

    2015-01-01

    Rigorous analysis and design of the current control loop in voltage source converters (VSCs) requires an accurate modeling. The loop behavior can be significantly influenced by the VSC working conditions. To consider such effect, converter losses should be included in the model, which can be done...... by means of an equivalent series resistance. This paper proposes a method to identify the VSC equivalent loss resistance for the proper tuning of the current control loop. It is based on analysis of the closed-loop transient response provided by a synchronous proportional-integral current controller......, according to the internal model principle. The method gives a set of loss resistance values linked to working conditions, which can be used to improve the tuning of the current controllers, either by online adaptation of the controller gains or by open-loop adaptive adjustment of them according to prestored...

  12. Calculation methods for determining dose equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Endres, G.W.R.; Tanner, J.E.; Scherpelz, R.I.; Hadlock, D.E.

    1988-01-01

    A series of calculations of neutron fluence as a function of energy in an anthropomorphic phantom was performed to develop a system for determining effective dose equivalent for external radiation sources. critical organ dose equivalents are calculated and effective dose equivalents are determined using ICRP-26 methods. Quality factors based on both present definitions and ICRP-40 definitions are used in the analysis. The results of these calculations are presented and discussed

  13. Proportional Reasoning and the Visually Impaired

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilton, Geoff; Hilton, Annette; Dole, Shelley L.; Goos, Merrilyn; O'Brien, Mia

    2012-01-01

    Proportional reasoning is an important aspect of formal thinking that is acquired during the developmental years that approximate the middle years of schooling. Students who fail to acquire sound proportional reasoning often experience difficulties in subjects that require quantitative thinking, such as science, technology, engineering, and…

  14. Study of the equivalent dose distribution in organs and tissues using periapical odontological radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, H.F.S.; Cipeli, J.F.; Fortes, M.A.B.; Federico, C.A.

    2017-01-01

    In this article presents a study of the doses obtained in periapical odontological radiography in main tissues of the head, using thermoluminescent dosemeters of type TLD-700H applied to a anthropomorphic simulator. The results indicate that the skin and salivary glands received the highest doses and the risk of calculated injury was 1.44 x 10 -6 Sv -1 per radiograph

  15. Critical Point in Self-Organized Tissue Growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar-Hidalgo, Daniel; Werner, Steffen; Wartlick, Ortrud; González-Gaitán, Marcos; Friedrich, Benjamin M.; Jülicher, Frank

    2018-05-01

    We present a theory of pattern formation in growing domains inspired by biological examples of tissue development. Gradients of signaling molecules regulate growth, while growth changes these graded chemical patterns by dilution and advection. We identify a critical point of this feedback dynamics, which is characterized by spatially homogeneous growth and proportional scaling of patterns with tissue length. We apply this theory to the biological model system of the developing wing of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and quantitatively identify signatures of the critical point.

  16. Bioreactors in tissue engineering - principles, applications and commercial constraints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansmann, Jan; Groeber, Florian; Kahlig, Alexander; Kleinhans, Claudia; Walles, Heike

    2013-03-01

    Bioreactor technology is vital for tissue engineering. Usually, bioreactors are used to provide a tissue-specific physiological in vitro environment during tissue maturation. In addition to this most obvious application, bioreactors have the potential to improve the efficiency of the overall tissue-engineering concept. To date, a variety of bioreactor systems for tissue-specific applications have been developed. Of these, some systems are already commercially available. With bioreactor technology, various functional tissues of different types were generated and cultured in vitro. Nevertheless, these efforts and achievements alone have not yet led to many clinically successful tissue-engineered implants. We review possible applications for bioreactor systems within a tissue-engineering process and present basic principles and requirements for bioreactor development. Moreover, the use of bioreactor systems for the expansion of clinically relevant cell types is addressed. In contrast to cell expansion, for the generation of functional three-dimensional tissue equivalents, additional physical cues must be provided. Therefore, bioreactors for musculoskeletal tissue engineering are discussed. Finally, bioreactor technology is reviewed in the context of commercial constraints. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Relative Composition of Fibrous Connective and Fatty/Glandular Tissue in Connective Tissue Grafts Depends on the Harvesting Technique but not the Donor Site of the Hard Palate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertl, Kristina; Pifl, Markus; Hirtler, Lena; Rendl, Barbara; Nürnberger, Sylvia; Stavropoulos, Andreas; Ulm, Christian

    2015-12-01

    Whether the composition of palatal connective tissue grafts (CTGs) varies depending on donor site or harvesting technique in terms of relative amounts of fibrous connective tissue (CT) and fatty/glandular tissue (FGT) is currently unknown and is histologically assessed in the present study. In 10 fresh human cadavers, tissue samples were harvested in the anterior and posterior palate and in areas close to (marginal) and distant from (apical) the mucosal margin. Mucosal thickness, lamina propria thickness (defined as the extent of subepithelial portion of the biopsy containing ≤25% or ≤50% FGT), and proportions of CT and FGT were semi-automatically estimated for the entire mucosa and for CTGs virtually harvested by split-flap (SF) preparation minimum 1 mm deep or after deepithelialization (DE). Palatal mucosal thickness, ranging from 2.35 to 6.89 mm, and histologic composition showed high interindividual variability. Lamina propria thickness (P >0.21) and proportions of CT (P = 0.48) and FGT (P = 0.15) did not differ significantly among the donor sites (anterior, posterior, marginal, apical). However, thicker palatal tissue was associated with higher FGT content (P tissue composition in the hard palate, DE-harvested CTG contains much larger amounts of CT and much lower amounts of FGT than SF-harvested CTG, irrespective of the harvesting site.

  18. Organ or tissue doses, effective dose and collective effective dose from X-ray diagnosis, in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murayama, Takashi; Nishizawa, Kanae; Noda, Yutaka; Kumamoto, Yoshikazu; Iwai, Kazuo.

    1996-01-01

    Effective doses and collective effective doses from X-ray diagnostic examinations were calculated on the basis of the frequency of examinations estimated by a nationwide survey and the organ or tissue doses experimentally determined. The average organ or tissue doses were determined with thermoluminescence dosimeters put at various sites of organs or tissues in an adult and a child phantom. Effective doses (effective dose equivalents) were calculated as the sum of the weighted equivalent doses in all the organs or tissues of the body. As the examples of results, the effective doses per radiographic examination were approximately 7 mGy for male, and 9 mGy for female angiocardiography, and about 3 mGy for barium meal. Annual collective effective dose from X-ray diagnostic examinations in 1986 were about 104 x 10 3 person Sv from radiography and 118 x 10 3 person Sv from fluoroscopy, with the total of 222 x 10 3 person Sv. (author)

  19. Equivalence of interest rate models and lattice gases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pirjol, Dan

    2012-04-01

    We consider the class of short rate interest rate models for which the short rate is proportional to the exponential of a Gaussian Markov process x(t) in the terminal measure r(t)=a(t)exp[x(t)]. These models include the Black-Derman-Toy and Black-Karasinski models in the terminal measure. We show that such interest rate models are equivalent to lattice gases with attractive two-body interaction, V(t(1),t(2))=-Cov[x(t(1)),x(t(2))]. We consider in some detail the Black-Karasinski model with x(t) as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, and show that it is similar to a lattice gas model considered by Kac and Helfand, with attractive long-range two-body interactions, V(x,y)=-α(e(-γ|x-y|)-e(-γ(x+y))). An explicit solution for the model is given as a sum over the states of the lattice gas, which is used to show that the model has a phase transition similar to that found previously in the Black-Derman-Toy model in the terminal measure.

  20. Proportional gas scintillation detectors and their applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petr, I.

    1978-01-01

    The principle is described of a gas proportional scintillation detector and its function. Dependence of Si(Li) and xenon proportional detectors energy resolution on the input window size is given. A typical design is shown of a xenon detector used for X-ray spetrometry at an energy of 277 eV to 5.898 keV and at a gas pressure of 98 to 270 kPa. Gas proportional scintillation detectors show considerable better energy resolution than common proportional counters and even better resolution than semiconductor Si(Li) detectors for low X radiation energies. For detection areas smaller than 25 mm 2 Si(Li) detectors show better resolution, especially for higher X radiation energies. For window areas 25 to 190 mm 2 both types of detectors are equal, for a window area exceeding 190 mm 2 the proportional scintillation detector has higher energy resolution. (B.S.)

  1. The one-dimensional normalised generalised equivalence theory (NGET) for generating equivalent diffusion theory group constants for PWR reflector regions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, E.Z.

    1991-01-01

    An equivalent diffusion theory PWR reflector model is presented, which has as its basis Smith's generalisation of Koebke's Equivalent Theory. This method is an adaptation, in one-dimensional slab geometry, of the Generalised Equivalence Theory (GET). Since the method involves the renormalisation of the GET discontinuity factors at nodal interfaces, it is called the Normalised Generalised Equivalence Theory (NGET) method. The advantages of the NGET method for modelling the ex-core nodes of a PWR are summarized. 23 refs

  2. Bayesian inference on proportional elections.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriel Hideki Vatanabe Brunello

    Full Text Available Polls for majoritarian voting systems usually show estimates of the percentage of votes for each candidate. However, proportional vote systems do not necessarily guarantee the candidate with the most percentage of votes will be elected. Thus, traditional methods used in majoritarian elections cannot be applied on proportional elections. In this context, the purpose of this paper was to perform a Bayesian inference on proportional elections considering the Brazilian system of seats distribution. More specifically, a methodology to answer the probability that a given party will have representation on the chamber of deputies was developed. Inferences were made on a Bayesian scenario using the Monte Carlo simulation technique, and the developed methodology was applied on data from the Brazilian elections for Members of the Legislative Assembly and Federal Chamber of Deputies in 2010. A performance rate was also presented to evaluate the efficiency of the methodology. Calculations and simulations were carried out using the free R statistical software.

  3. PROPORTIONS AND HUMAN SCALE IN DAMASCENE COURTYARD HOUSES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Salim Ferwati

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Interior designers, architects, landscape architects, and even urban designers, agree that environment, as a form of non-verbal communication means, has a symbolic dimension to it. As for its aesthetic dimension, it seems that beauty is related to a certain proportion, partially and as a whole. Suitable proportion leaves a good impression upon the beholders, especially when it matches human proportion. That in fact was the underlining belief of LeCorbusier, according to which he developed his Modular concept. The study searches for a modular, or proportion, system that governs the design of Damascene traditional house. By geometrical and mathematical examinations of 28 traditional houses, it was found that a certain proportional relationship existed; however, these proportional relationships were not fixed ones. The study relied on analyzing the Iwan elevation as well as the inner courtyard proportion in relation to the building area. Charts, diagrams and tables were produced to summarize the results.

  4. Control of the proportion of inner cells by asymmetric divisions and the ensuing resilience of cloned rabbit embryos

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duranthon, Véronique

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Mammalian embryo cloning by nuclear transfer has a low success rate. This is hypothesized to correlate with a high variability of early developmental steps that segregate outer cells, which are fated to extra-embryonic tissues, from inner cells, which give rise to the embryo proper. Exploring the cell lineage of wild-type embryos and clones, imaged in toto until hatching, highlights the respective contributions of cell proliferation, death and asymmetric divisions to phenotypic variability. Preferential cell death of inner cells in clones, probably pertaining to the epigenetic plasticity of the transferred nucleus, is identified as a major difference with effects on the proportion of inner cell. In wild type and clones, similar patterns of outer cell asymmetric divisions are shown to be essential to the robust proportion of inner cells observed in wild type. Asymmetric inner cell division, which is not described in mice, is identified as a regulator of the proportion of inner cells and likely gives rise to resilient clones. PMID:29567671

  5. NMR imaging of cell phone radiation absorption in brain tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gultekin, David H.; Moeller, Lothar

    2013-01-01

    A method is described for measuring absorbed electromagnetic energy radiated from cell phone antennae into ex vivo brain tissue. NMR images the 3D thermal dynamics inside ex vivo bovine brain tissue and equivalent gel under exposure to power and irradiation time-varying radio frequency (RF) fields. The absorbed RF energy in brain tissue converts into Joule heat and affects the nuclear magnetic shielding and the Larmor precession. The resultant temperature increase is measured by the resonance frequency shift of hydrogen protons in brain tissue. This proposed application of NMR thermometry offers sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to characterize the hot spots from absorbed cell phone radiation in aqueous media and biological tissues. Specific absorption rate measurements averaged over 1 mg and 10 s in the brain tissue cover the total absorption volume. Reference measurements with fiber optic temperature sensors confirm the accuracy of the NMR thermometry. PMID:23248293

  6. The definition of the individual dose equivalent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehrlich, Margarete

    1986-01-01

    A brief note examines the choice of the present definition of the individual dose equivalent, the new operational dosimetry quantity for external exposure. The consequences of the use of the individual dose equivalent and the danger facing the individual dose equivalent, as currently defined, are briefly discussed. (UK)

  7. Tylosin depletion in edible tissues of turkeys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montesissa, C; De Liguoro, M; Santi, A; Capolongo, F; Biancotto, G

    1999-10-01

    The depletion of tylosin residues in edible turkey tissues was followed after 3 days of administration of tylosin tartrate at 500 mg l-1 in drinking water, to 30 turkeys. Immediately after the end of the treatment (day 0) and at day 1, 3, 5 and 10 of withdrawal, six turkeys (three males and three females) per time were sacrificed and samples of edible tissues were collected. Tissue homogenates were extracted, purified and analysed by HPLC according to a method previously published for the analysis of tylosin residues in pig tissues. In all tissues, tylosin residues were already below the detection limits of 50 micrograms kg-1 at time zero. However, in several samples of tissues (skin + fat, liver, kidney, muscle), from the six turkeys sacrificed at that time, one peak corresponding to an unknown tylosin equivalent was detected at measurable concentrations. The identification of this unknown compound was performed by LC-MS/MS analysis of the extracts from incurred samples. The mass fragmentation of the compound was consistent with the structure of tylosin D (the alcoholic derivative of tylosin A), the major metabolite of tylosin previously recovered and identified in tissues and/or excreta from treated chickens, cattle and pigs.

  8. On the connective tissue regulator Follistatin-like 1

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sylva, M.

    2014-01-01

    Even though for many years the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac development have been studied, the majority of cardiac defects remain unexplained. Defects in the cardiac connective tissue component result in a large proportion of heart defects such as valve and septal defects. Previous

  9. Contesting the Equivalency of Continuous Sedation until Death and Physician-assisted Suicide/Euthanasia: A Commentary on LiPuma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raho, Joseph A; Miccinesi, Guido

    2015-10-01

    Patients who are imminently dying sometimes experience symptoms refractory to traditional palliative interventions, and in rare cases, continuous sedation is offered. Samuel H. LiPuma, in a recent article in this Journal, argues that continuous sedation until death is equivalent to physician-assisted suicide/euthanasia based on a higher brain neocortical definition of death. We contest his position that continuous sedation involves killing and offer four objections to the equivalency thesis. First, sedation practices are proportional in a way that physician-assisted suicide/euthanasia is not. Second, continuous sedation may not entirely abolish consciousness. Third, LiPuma's particular version of higher brain neocortical death relies on an implausibly weak construal of irreversibility--a position that is especially problematic in the case of continuous sedation. Finally, we explain why continuous sedation until death is not functionally equivalent to neocortical death and, hence, physician-assisted suicide/euthanasia. Concluding remarks review the differences between these two end-of-life practices. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. 77 FR 32632 - Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of Three New Equivalent Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-01

    ... Methods: Designation of Three New Equivalent Methods AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION... accordance with 40 CFR Part 53, three new equivalent methods: One for measuring concentrations of nitrogen... INFORMATION: In accordance with regulations at 40 CFR Part 53, the EPA evaluates various methods for...

  11. Calculation of neutron fluence to dose equivalent conversion coefficients using GEANT4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ribeiro, Rosane M.; Santos, Denison de S.; Queiroz Filho, Pedro P. de; Mauricio, CLaudia L.P.; Silva, Livia K. da; Pessanha, Paula R.

    2014-01-01

    Fluence to dose equivalent conversion coefficients provide the basis for the calculation of area and personal monitors. Recently, the ICRP has started a revision of these coefficients, including new Monte Carlo codes for benchmarking. So far, little information is available about neutron transport below 10 MeV in tissue-equivalent (TE) material performed with Monte Carlo GEANT4 code. The objective of this work is to calculate neutron fluence to personal dose equivalent conversion coefficients, H p (10)/Φ, with GEANT4 code. The incidence of monoenergetic neutrons was simulated as an expanded and aligned field, with energies ranging between thermal neutrons to 10 MeV on the ICRU slab of dimension 30 x 30 x 15 cm 3 , composed of 76.2% of oxygen, 10.1% of hydrogen, 11.1% of carbon and 2.6% of nitrogen. For all incident energy, a cylindrical sensitive volume is placed at a depth of 10 mm, in the largest surface of the slab (30 x 30 cm 2 ). Physic process are included for neutrons, photons and charged particles, and calculations are made for neutrons and secondary particles which reach the sensitive volume. Results obtained are thus compared with values published in ICRP 74. Neutron fluence in the sensitive volume was calculated for benchmarking. The Monte Carlo GEANT4 code was found to be appropriate to calculate neutron doses at energies below 10 MeV correctly. (author)

  12. Beyond Language Equivalence on Visibly Pushdown Automata

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Srba, Jiri

    2009-01-01

    We study (bi)simulation-like preorder/equivalence checking on the class of visibly pushdown automata and its natural subclasses visibly BPA (Basic Process Algebra) and visibly one-counter automata. We describe generic methods for proving complexity upper and lower bounds for a number of studied...... preorders and equivalences like simulation, completed simulation, ready simulation, 2-nested simulation preorders/equivalences and bisimulation equivalence. Our main results are that all the mentioned equivalences and preorders are EXPTIME-complete on visibly pushdown automata, PSPACE-complete on visibly...... one-counter automata and P-complete on visibly BPA. Our PSPACE lower bound for visibly one-counter automata improves also the previously known DP-hardness results for ordinary one-counter automata and one-counter nets. Finally, we study regularity checking problems for visibly pushdown automata...

  13. Mix Proportion Design of Asphalt Concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xianhu; Gao, Lingling; Du, Shoujun

    2017-12-01

    Based on the gradation of AC and SMA, this paper designs a new type of anti slide mixture with two types of advantages. Chapter introduces the material selection, ratio of ore mixture ratio design calculation, and determine the optimal asphalt content test and proportioning design of asphalt concrete mix. This paper introduces the new technology of mix proportion.

  14. Study and realisation of a microdosimetric detector intended to radioprotection measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tinelli, P.

    1986-11-01

    This work concerns the realisation of a tissue equivalent proportional counter. The detector, which is sensitive to neutron and gamma radiations is intended to measure dose equivalent for radioprotection use. The microdosimetric analysis of the pulses allows us to calculate the absorbed dose and the quality factor, it is possible to discriminate the two kinds of particules. This work is a first step before making an electronical individual dosemeter [fr

  15. The equivalence problem for LL- and LR-regular grammars

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nijholt, Antinus; Gecsec, F.

    It will be shown that the equivalence problem for LL-regular grammars is decidable. Apart from extending the known result for LL(k) grammar equivalence to LLregular grammar equivalence, we obtain an alternative proof of the decidability of LL(k) equivalence. The equivalence prob]em for LL-regular

  16. Why do card issuers charge proportional fees?

    OpenAIRE

    Oz Shy; Zhu Wang

    2008-01-01

    This paper explains why payment card companies charge consumers and merchants fees which are proportional to the transaction values instead of charging a fixed per-transaction fee. Our theory shows that, even in the absence of any cost considerations, card companies earn much higher profit when they charge proportional fees. It is also shown that competition among merchants reduces card companies' gains from using proportional fees relative to a fixed per-transaction fee. Merchants are found ...

  17. Equivalent damage of loads on pavements

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Prozzi, JA

    2009-05-26

    Full Text Available This report describes a new methodology for the determination of Equivalent Damage Factors (EDFs) of vehicles with multiple axle and wheel configurations on pavements. The basic premise of this new procedure is that "equivalent pavement response...

  18. Y-90 SPECT ML image reconstruction with a new model for tissue-dependent bremsstrahlung production using CT information: a proof-of-concept study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Hongki; Fessler, Jeffrey A.; Wilderman, Scott J.; Brooks, Allen F.; Dewaraja, Yuni K.

    2018-06-01

    While the yield of positrons used in Y-90 PET is independent of tissue media, Y-90 SPECT imaging is complicated by the tissue dependence of bremsstrahlung photon generation. The probability of bremsstrahlung production is proportional to the square of the atomic number of the medium. Hence, the same amount of activity in different tissue regions of the body will produce different numbers of bremsstrahlung photons. Existing reconstruction methods disregard this tissue-dependency, potentially impacting both qualitative and quantitative imaging of heterogeneous regions of the body such as bone with marrow cavities. In this proof-of-concept study, we propose a new maximum-likelihood method that incorporates bremsstrahlung generation probabilities into the system matrix, enabling images of the desired Y-90 distribution to be reconstructed instead of the ‘bremsstrahlung distribution’ that is obtained with existing methods. The tissue-dependent probabilities are generated by Monte Carlo simulation while bone volume fractions for each SPECT voxel are obtained from co-registered CT. First, we demonstrate the tissue dependency in a SPECT/CT imaging experiment with Y-90 in bone equivalent solution and water. Visually, the proposed reconstruction approach better matched the true image and the Y-90 PET image than the standard bremsstrahlung reconstruction approach. An XCAT phantom simulation including bone and marrow regions also demonstrated better agreement with the true image using the proposed reconstruction method. Quantitatively, compared with the standard reconstruction, the new method improved estimation of the liquid bone:water activity concentration ratio by 40% in the SPECT measurement and the cortical bone:marrow activity concentration ratio by 58% in the XCAT simulation.

  19. Collective effective dose equivalent, population doses and risk estimates from occupational exposures in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maruyama, Takashi; Nishizawa, Kanae; Kumamoto, Yoshikazu; Iwai, Kazuo; Mase, Naomichi.

    1993-01-01

    Collective dose equivalent and population dose from occupational exposures in Japan, 1988 were estimated on the basis of a nationwide survey. The survey was conducted on annual collective dose equivalents by sex, age group and type of radiation work for about 0.21 million workers except for the workers in nuclear power stations. The data on the workers in nuclear power stations were obtained from the official report of the Japan Nuclear Safety Commission. The total number of workers including nuclear power stations was estimated to be about 0.26 million. Radiation works were subdivided as follows: medical works including dental; non-atomic energy industry; research and education; atomic energy industry and nuclear power station. For the determination of effective dose equivalent and population dose, organ or tissue doses were measured with a phantom experiment. The resultant doses were compared with the doses previously calculated using a chord length technique and with data from ICRP publications. The annual collective effective dose equivalent were estimated to be about 21.94 person·Sv for medical workers, 7.73 person·Sv for industrial workers, 0.75 person·Sv for research and educational workers, 2.48 person·Sv for atomic energy industry and 84.4 person ·Sv for workers in nuclear power station. The population doses were calculated to be about 1.07 Sv for genetically significant dose, 0.89 Sv for leukemia significant dose and 0.42 Sv for malignant significant dose. The population risks were estimated using these population doses. (author)

  20. Global Drought Proportional Economic Loss Risk Deciles

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Global Drought Proportional Economic Loss Risk Deciles is a 2.5 minute grid of drought hazard economic loss as proportions of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per...

  1. Fractionation parameters for human tissues and tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thames, H.D.; Turesson, I.; Bogaert, W. van den

    1989-01-01

    Time-dose factors such as fractionation sensitivity (α/β) can sometimes be estimated from clinical data, when there is a wide variation in dose, fraction size, treatment time, etc. This report summarizes estimates of fractionation parameters derived from clinical results. Consistent with the animal data, α/β is higher for acutely responding than for late-responding normal tissues. While many human tumors seem to be characterized by high α/β values, there are exceptions (e.g. melanomas). Repair kinetics may be slower in human than in rodent skin and mucosa, but there are no hard and fast estimates of the repair halftime. Regeneration in head and neck tumors is equivalent to a daily dose of 1 Gy or less, while in the mucosa it is equivalent to approximately 1.8 Gy/day. (author)

  2. Cross-cultural equivalence of the patient- and parent-reported quality of life in short stature youth (QoLISSY) questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullinger, Monika; Quitmann, Julia; Silva, Neuza; Rohenkohl, Anja; Chaplin, John E; DeBusk, Kendra; Mimoun, Emmanuelle; Feigerlova, Eva; Herdman, Michael; Sanz, Dolores; Wollmann, Hartmut; Pleil, Andreas; Power, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Testing cross-cultural equivalence of patient-reported outcomes requires sufficiently large samples per country, which is difficult to achieve in rare endocrine paediatric conditions. We describe a novel approach to cross-cultural testing of the Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) questionnaire in five countries by sequentially taking one country out (TOCO) from the total sample and iteratively comparing the resulting psychometric performance. Development of the QoLISSY proceeded from focus group discussions through pilot testing to field testing in 268 short-statured patients and their parents. To explore cross-cultural equivalence, the iterative TOCO technique was used to examine and compare the validity, reliability, and convergence of patient and parent responses on QoLISSY in the field test dataset, and to predict QoLISSY scores from clinical, socio-demographic and psychosocial variables. Validity and reliability indicators were satisfactory for each sample after iteratively omitting one country. Comparisons with the total sample revealed cross-cultural equivalence in internal consistency and construct validity for patients and parents, high inter-rater agreement and a substantial proportion of QoLISSY variance explained by predictors. The TOCO technique is a powerful method to overcome problems of country-specific testing of patient-reported outcome instruments. It provides an empirical support to QoLISSY's cross-cultural equivalence and is recommended for future research.

  3. Which Mixed-Member Proportional Electoral Formula Fits You Best? Assessing the Proportionality Principle of Positive Vote Transfer Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bochsler, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    Mixed-member proportional systems (MMP) are a family of electoral systems which combine district-based elections with a proportional seat allocation. Positive vote transfer systems belong to this family. This article explains why they might be better than their siblings, and examines under which ...

  4. 7 CFR 1030.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1030.54 Section 1030.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Handling Class Prices § 1030.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. ...

  5. Characteristics of A-150 plastic equivalent gas in A-150 plastic ionization chambers for p(66)Be(49) neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Awschalom, M.; Rosenberg, I.; Ten Haken, R.K.; Pearson, D.W.; DeLuca, P.M. Jr.; Attix, F.H.

    1982-01-01

    The average energy necessary to produce an electron-ion pair (anti W) of a gas mixture having an atomic composition very close to that of A-150 plastic has been studied through use in different size ionization chambers made of that plastic in a p(66)Be(49) neutron therapy beam. A tentative value for anti W(A-150-gas) of 27.3 +/ -0.5 J C -1 was derived. The anti W value of the A-150 equivalent gas mixture is compared to those of methane-based tissue-equivalent gas and of air for the p(66)Be(49) neutron beam as well as to corresponding values found in similar experiments using 14.8 MeV monoenergetic neutrons

  6. Equivalence in Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sherman, Max; Walker, Iain; Logue, Jennifer

    2011-08-01

    We ventilate buildings to provide acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ). Ventilation standards (such as American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Enginners [ASHRAE] Standard 62) specify minimum ventilation rates without taking into account the impact of those rates on IAQ. Innovative ventilation management is often a desirable element of reducing energy consumption or improving IAQ or comfort. Variable ventilation is one innovative strategy. To use variable ventilation in a way that meets standards, it is necessary to have a method for determining equivalence in terms of either ventilation or indoor air quality. This study develops methods to calculate either equivalent ventilation or equivalent IAQ. We demonstrate that equivalent ventilation can be used as the basis for dynamic ventilation control, reducing peak load and infiltration of outdoor contaminants. We also show that equivalent IAQ could allow some contaminants to exceed current standards if other contaminants are more stringently controlled.

  7. Orientifold Planar Equivalence: The Chiral Condensate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Armoni, Adi; Lucini, Biagio; Patella, Agostino

    2008-01-01

    The recently introduced orientifold planar equivalence is a promising tool for solving non-perturbative problems in QCD. One of the predictions of orientifold planar equivalence is that the chiral condensates of a theory with $N_f$ flavours of Dirac fermions in the symmetric (or antisymmetric...

  8. 7 CFR 1005.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1005.54 Section 1005.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Handling Class Prices § 1005.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. Uniform Prices ...

  9. 7 CFR 1126.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1126.54 Section 1126.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Handling Class Prices § 1126.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. Producer Price Differential ...

  10. 7 CFR 1001.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1001.54 Section 1001.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Handling Class Prices § 1001.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. Producer Price Differential ...

  11. 7 CFR 1032.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1032.54 Section 1032.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Handling Class Prices § 1032.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. Producer Price Differential ...

  12. 7 CFR 1033.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1033.54 Section 1033.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Handling Class Prices § 1033.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. Producer Price Differential ...

  13. 7 CFR 1131.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1131.54 Section 1131.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Handling Class Prices § 1131.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. Uniform Prices ...

  14. 7 CFR 1006.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1006.54 Section 1006.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Handling Class Prices § 1006.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. Uniform Prices ...

  15. 7 CFR 1007.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1007.54 Section 1007.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Handling Class Prices § 1007.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. Uniform Prices ...

  16. Dextran derivatives modulate collagen matrix organization in dermal equivalent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank, Laetitia; Lebreton-Decoster, Corinne; Godeau, Gaston; Coulomb, Bernard; Jozefonvicz, Jacqueline

    2006-01-01

    Dextran derivatives can protect heparin binding growth factor implied in wound healing, such as transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). The first aim of this study was to investigate the effect of these compounds on human dermal fibroblasts in culture with or without TGF-beta1. Several dextran derivatives obtained by substitution of methylcarboxylate (MC), benzylamide (B) and sulphate (Su) groups were used to determine the effects of each compound on fibroblast growth in vitro. The data indicate that sulphate groups are essential to act on the fibroblast proliferation. The dextran derivative LS21 DMCBSu has been chosen to investigate its effect on dermal wound healing process. Fibroblasts cultured in collagenous matrices named dermal equivalent were treated with the bioactive polymer alone or associated to TGF-beta1 or FGF-2. Cross-sections of dermal equivalent observed by histology or immunohistochemistry, demonstrated that the bioactive polymer accelerates the collagen matrices organization and stimulates the human type-III collagen expression. This bioactive polymer induces apoptosis of myofibroblast, property which may be beneficial in treatment of hypertrophic scar. Culture media analyzed by zymography and Western blot showed that this polymer significantly increases the secretion of zymogen and active form of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), involved in granulation tissue formation. These data suggest that this bioactive polymer has properties which may be beneficial in the treatment of wound healing.

  17. The Complexity of Identifying Large Equivalence Classes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skyum, Sven; Frandsen, Gudmund Skovbjerg; Miltersen, Peter Bro

    1999-01-01

    We prove that at least 3k−4/k(2k−3)(n/2) – O(k)equivalence tests and no more than 2/k (n/2) + O(n) equivalence tests are needed in the worst case to identify the equivalence classes with at least k members in set of n elements. The upper bound is an improvement by a factor 2 compared to known res...

  18. Proportion congruency effects: Instructions may be enough

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga eEntel

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Learning takes time, namely, one needs to be exposed to contingency relations between stimulus dimensions in order to learn, whereas intentional control can be recruited through task demands. Therefore showing that control can be recruited as a function of experimental instructions alone, that is, adapting the processing according to the instructions before the exposure to the task, can be taken as evidence for existence of control recruitment in the absence of learning. This was done by manipulating the information given at the outset of the experiment. In the first experiment, we manipulated list-level congruency proportion. Half of the participants were informed that most of the stimuli would be congruent, whereas the other half were informed that most of the stimuli would be incongruent. This held true for the stimuli in the second part of each experiment. In the first part, however, the proportion of the two stimulus types was equal. A proportion congruent effect was found in both parts of the experiment, but it was larger in the second part. In our second experiment, we manipulated the proportion of the stimuli within participants by applying an item-specific design. This was done by presenting some color words most often in their congruent color, and other color words in incongruent colors. Participants were informed about the exact word-color pairings in advance. Similar to Experiment 1, this held true only for the second experimental part. In contrast to our first experiment, informing participants in advance did not result in an item-specific proportion effect, which was observed only in the second part. Thus our results support the hypothesis that instructions may be enough to trigger list-level control, yet learning does contribute to the proportion congruent effect under such conditions. The item-level proportion effect is apparently caused by learning or at least it is moderated by it.

  19. Mechanical design criteria for intervertebral disc tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nerurkar, Nandan L; Elliott, Dawn M; Mauck, Robert L

    2010-04-19

    Due to the inability of current clinical practices to restore function to degenerated intervertebral discs, the arena of disc tissue engineering has received substantial attention in recent years. Despite tremendous growth and progress in this field, translation to clinical implementation has been hindered by a lack of well-defined functional benchmarks. Because successful replacement of the disc is contingent upon replication of some or all of its complex mechanical behaviors, it is critically important that disc mechanics be well characterized in order to establish discrete functional goals for tissue engineering. In this review, the key functional signatures of the intervertebral disc are discussed and used to propose a series of native tissue benchmarks to guide the development of engineered replacement tissues. These benchmarks include measures of mechanical function under tensile, compressive, and shear deformations for the disc and its substructures. In some cases, important functional measures are identified that have yet to be measured in the native tissue. Ultimately, native tissue benchmark values are compared to measurements that have been made on engineered disc tissues, identifying where functional equivalence was achieved, and where there remain opportunities for advancement. Several excellent reviews exist regarding disc composition and structure, as well as recent tissue engineering strategies; therefore this review will remain focused on the functional aspects of disc tissue engineering. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. 7 CFR 1124.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1124.54 Section 1124.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements... Regulating Handling Class Prices § 1124.54 Equivalent price. See § 1000.54. Producer Price Differential ...

  1. EQUIVALENT MODELS IN COVARIANCE STRUCTURE-ANALYSIS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    LUIJBEN, TCW

    1991-01-01

    Defining equivalent models as those that reproduce the same set of covariance matrices, necessary and sufficient conditions are stated for the local equivalence of two expanded identified models M1 and M2 when fitting the more restricted model M0. Assuming several regularity conditions, the rank

  2. Multiwire proportional chamber development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doolittle, R. F.; Pollvogt, U.; Eskovitz, A. J.

    1973-01-01

    The development of large area multiwire proportional chambers, to be used as high resolution spatial detectors in cosmic ray experiments is described. A readout system was developed which uses a directly coupled, lumped element delay-line whose characteristics are independent of the MWPC design. A complete analysis of the delay-line and the readout electronic system shows that a spatial resolution of about 0.1 mm can be reached with the MWPC operating in the strictly proportional region. This was confirmed by measurements with a small MWPC and Fe-55 X-rays. A simplified analysis was carried out to estimate the theoretical limit of spatial resolution due to delta-rays, spread of the discharge along the anode wire, and inclined trajectories. To calculate the gas gain of MWPC's of different geometrical configurations a method was developed which is based on the knowledge of the first Townsend coefficient of the chamber gas.

  3. Quantum equivalence principle without mass superselection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez-Coronado, H.; Okon, E.

    2013-01-01

    The standard argument for the validity of Einstein's equivalence principle in a non-relativistic quantum context involves the application of a mass superselection rule. The objective of this work is to show that, contrary to widespread opinion, the compatibility between the equivalence principle and quantum mechanics does not depend on the introduction of such a restriction. For this purpose, we develop a formalism based on the extended Galileo group, which allows for a consistent handling of superpositions of different masses, and show that, within such scheme, mass superpositions behave as they should in order to obey the equivalence principle. - Highlights: • We propose a formalism for consistently handling, within a non-relativistic quantum context, superpositions of states with different masses. • The formalism utilizes the extended Galileo group, in which mass is a generator. • The proposed formalism allows for the equivalence principle to be satisfied without the need of imposing a mass superselection rule

  4. Dietary Quercetin Attenuates Adipose Tissue Expansion and Inflammation and Alters Adipocyte Morphology in a Tissue-Specific Manner

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forney, Laura A.; Lenard, Natalie R.; Stewart, Laura K.

    2018-01-01

    Chronic inflammation in adipose tissue may contribute to depot-specific adipose tissue expansion, leading to obesity and insulin resistance. Dietary supplementation with quercetin or botanical extracts containing quercetin attenuates high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and insulin resistance and decreases inflammation. Here, we determined the effects of quercetin and red onion extract (ROE) containing quercetin on subcutaneous (inguinal, IWAT) vs. visceral (epididymal, EWAT) white adipose tissue morphology and inflammation in mice fed low fat, high fat, high fat plus 50 μg/day quercetin or high fat plus ROE containing 50 μg/day quercetin equivalents for 9 weeks. Quercetin and ROE similarly ameliorated HFD-induced increases in adipocyte size and decreases in adipocyte number in IWAT and EWAT. Furthermore, quercetin and ROE induced alterations in adipocyte morphology in IWAT. Quercetin and ROE similarly decreased HFD-induced IWAT inflammation. However, quercetin and red onion differentially affected HFD-induced EWAT inflammation, with quercetin decreasing and REO increasing inflammatory marker gene expression. Quercetin and REO also differentially regulated circulating adipokine levels. These results show that quercetin or botanical extracts containing quercetin induce white adipose tissue remodeling which may occur through inflammatory-related mechanisms. PMID:29562620

  5. Dietary Quercetin Attenuates Adipose Tissue Expansion and Inflammation and Alters Adipocyte Morphology in a Tissue-Specific Manner

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura A. Forney

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Chronic inflammation in adipose tissue may contribute to depot-specific adipose tissue expansion, leading to obesity and insulin resistance. Dietary supplementation with quercetin or botanical extracts containing quercetin attenuates high fat diet (HFD-induced obesity and insulin resistance and decreases inflammation. Here, we determined the effects of quercetin and red onion extract (ROE containing quercetin on subcutaneous (inguinal, IWAT vs. visceral (epididymal, EWAT white adipose tissue morphology and inflammation in mice fed low fat, high fat, high fat plus 50 μg/day quercetin or high fat plus ROE containing 50 μg/day quercetin equivalents for 9 weeks. Quercetin and ROE similarly ameliorated HFD-induced increases in adipocyte size and decreases in adipocyte number in IWAT and EWAT. Furthermore, quercetin and ROE induced alterations in adipocyte morphology in IWAT. Quercetin and ROE similarly decreased HFD-induced IWAT inflammation. However, quercetin and red onion differentially affected HFD-induced EWAT inflammation, with quercetin decreasing and REO increasing inflammatory marker gene expression. Quercetin and REO also differentially regulated circulating adipokine levels. These results show that quercetin or botanical extracts containing quercetin induce white adipose tissue remodeling which may occur through inflammatory-related mechanisms.

  6. Problems of Equivalence in Shona- English Bilingual Dictionaries

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    rbr

    Page 1 ... translation equivalents in Shona-English dictionaries where lexicographers will be dealing with divergent languages and cultures, traditional practices of lexicography and the absence of reliable ... ideal in translation is to achieve structural and semantic equivalence. Absolute equivalence between any two ...

  7. Thermoluminescence and radioluminescence properties of tissue equivalent Cu-doped Li{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7} for radiation dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cruz Z, E.; Furetta, C. [UNAM, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Apdo. Postal 70543, 04510 Mexico D. F. (Mexico); Marcazzo, J.; Santiago, M. [Instituto de Fisica Arroyo Seco / UNICEN, Gral. Pinto 399, 7000 Tandil, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Guarneros, C. [IPN, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Altamira Km 14.5, 896000 Altamira, Tamaulipas (Mexico); Pacio, M. [Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Instituto de Ciencias, Centro de Investigacion en Dispositivos Semiconductores, Av. 14 Sur, 72570 Puebla, Pue. (Mexico); Palomino, R., E-mail: ecruz@nucleares.unam.mx [Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Facultad de Ciencias Fisico-Matematicas, Av. San Claudio y 18 Sur, 72570 Puebla Pue. (Mexico)

    2015-10-15

    Thermoluminescence (Tl) and radioluminescence (Rl) properties of lithium tetraborate (Li{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7}) doped with different concentration of copper (0.25, 0.5, 1 wt %) under gamma and beta irradiation has been investigated. The feasibility of using this borate in radiation dosimetry at low doses has been evaluated. Tissue equivalent Li{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7} was prepared by solid state reaction using mixing stoichiometric compositions of lithium carbonate (Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3}) and boric acid (H{sub 3}BO{sub 3}) and a solution of CuCl{sub 2} as dopant. The glow curve, of the most efficient copper doped borate (Li{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7}:Cu 0.5 wt %), shows a main stable peak centered at 225 degrees C and a second low temperature peak centered at 80 degrees C. The low temperature peak disappears completely after 24 hours of storage in darkness and at room temperature or after an annealing at 120 degrees C for 10 seconds. The main peak of the Li{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7}:Cu remains constant. The Tl response of Li{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7}:Cu shows good linearity in the analyzed dose range. The stability and repeatability of Rl signals of the borate have been studied and the Li{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7}:Cu (0.5 wt %) shown the higher Rl emission and a stable and repetitive response. Results show that Li{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7}:Cu has prospects to be used in gamma and beta radiation dosimetry. (Author)

  8. Bladder tissue engineering through nanotechnology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrington, Daniel A; Sharma, Arun K; Erickson, Bradley A; Cheng, Earl Y

    2008-08-01

    The field of tissue engineering has developed in phases: initially researchers searched for "inert" biomaterials to act solely as replacement structures in the body. Then, they explored biodegradable scaffolds--both naturally derived and synthetic--for the temporary support of growing tissues. Now, a third phase of tissue engineering has developed, through the subcategory of "regenerative medicine." This renewed focus toward control over tissue morphology and cell phenotype requires proportional advances in scaffold design. Discoveries in nanotechnology have driven both our understanding of cell-substrate interactions, and our ability to influence them. By operating at the size regime of proteins themselves, nanotechnology gives us the opportunity to directly speak the language of cells, through reliable, repeatable creation of nanoscale features. Understanding the synthesis of nanoscale materials, via "top-down" and "bottom-up" strategies, allows researchers to assess the capabilities and limits inherent in both techniques. Urology research as a whole, and bladder regeneration in particular, are well-positioned to benefit from such advances, since our present technology has yet to reach the end goal of functional bladder restoration. In this article, we discuss the current applications of nanoscale materials to bladder tissue engineering, and encourage researchers to explore these interdisciplinary technologies now, or risk playing catch-up in the future.

  9. 10 CFR 474.3 - Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. 474.3..., DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM; PETROLEUM-EQUIVALENT FUEL ECONOMY CALCULATION § 474.3 Petroleum-equivalent fuel economy calculation. (a) The petroleum-equivalent fuel economy for an electric vehicle is...

  10. Quantifying the Combined Effect of Radiation Therapy and Hyperthermia in Terms of Equivalent Dose Distributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kok, H. Petra; Crezee, Johannes; Franken, Nicolaas A.P.; Stalpers, Lukas J.A.; Barendsen, Gerrit W.; Bel, Arjan

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To develop a method to quantify the therapeutic effect of radiosensitization by hyperthermia; to this end, a numerical method was proposed to convert radiation therapy dose distributions with hyperthermia to equivalent dose distributions without hyperthermia. Methods and Materials: Clinical intensity modulated radiation therapy plans were created for 15 prostate cancer cases. To simulate a clinically relevant heterogeneous temperature distribution, hyperthermia treatment planning was performed for heating with the AMC-8 system. The temperature-dependent parameters α (Gy −1 ) and β (Gy −2 ) of the linear–quadratic model for prostate cancer were estimated from the literature. No thermal enhancement was assumed for normal tissue. The intensity modulated radiation therapy plans and temperature distributions were exported to our in-house-developed radiation therapy treatment planning system, APlan, and equivalent dose distributions without hyperthermia were calculated voxel by voxel using the linear–quadratic model. Results: The planned average tumor temperatures T90, T50, and T10 in the planning target volume were 40.5°C, 41.6°C, and 42.4°C, respectively. The planned minimum, mean, and maximum radiation therapy doses were 62.9 Gy, 76.0 Gy, and 81.0 Gy, respectively. Adding hyperthermia yielded an equivalent dose distribution with an extended 95% isodose level. The equivalent minimum, mean, and maximum doses reflecting the radiosensitization by hyperthermia were 70.3 Gy, 86.3 Gy, and 93.6 Gy, respectively, for a linear increase of α with temperature. This can be considered similar to a dose escalation with a substantial increase in tumor control probability for high-risk prostate carcinoma. Conclusion: A model to quantify the effect of combined radiation therapy and hyperthermia in terms of equivalent dose distributions was presented. This model is particularly instructive to estimate the potential effects of interaction from different treatment

  11. The Origins of Scintillator Non-Proportionality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moses, W. W.; Bizarri, G. A.; Williams, R. T.; Payne, S. A.; Vasil'ev, A. N.; Singh, J.; Li, Q.; Grim, J. Q.; Choong, W.-S.

    2012-10-01

    Recent years have seen significant advances in both theoretically understanding and mathematically modeling the underlying causes of scintillator non-proportionality. The core cause is that the interaction of radiation with matter invariably leads to a non-uniform ionization density in the scintillator, coupled with the fact that the light yield depends on the ionization density. The mechanisms that lead to the luminescence dependence on ionization density are incompletely understood, but several important features have been identified, notably Auger-like processes (where two carriers of excitation interact with each other, causing one to de-excite non-radiatively), the inability of excitation carriers to recombine (caused either by trapping or physical separation), and the carrier mobility. This paper reviews the present understanding of the fundamental origins of scintillator non-proportionality, specifically the various theories that have been used to explain non-proportionality.

  12. Course design via Equivalency Theory supports equivalent student grades and satisfaction in online and face-to-face psychology classes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David eGarratt-Reed

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available There has been a recent rapid growth in the number of psychology courses offered online through institutions of higher education. The American Psychological Association (APA has highlighted the importance of ensuring the effectiveness of online psychology courses. Despite this, there have been inconsistent findings regarding student grades, satisfaction, and retention in online psychology units. Equivalency Theory posits that online and classroom-based learners will attain equivalent learning outcomes when equivalent learning experiences are provided. We present a case study of an online introductory psychology unit designed to provide equivalent learning experiences to the pre-existing face-to-face version of the unit. Academic performance, student feedback, and retention data from 866 Australian undergraduate psychology students were examined to assess whether the online unit produced comparable outcomes to the ‘traditional’ unit delivered face-to-face. Student grades did not significantly differ between modes of delivery, except for a group-work based assessment where online students performed more poorly. Student satisfaction was generally high in both modes of the unit, with group-work the key source of dissatisfaction in the online unit. The results provide partial support for Equivalency Theory. The group-work based assessment did not provide an equivalent learning experience for students in the online unit highlighting the need for further research to determine effective methods of engaging students in online group activities. Consistent with previous research, retention rates were significantly lower in the online unit, indicating the need to develop effective strategies to increase online retention rates. While this study demonstrates successes in presenting online students with an equivalent learning experience, we recommend that future research investigates means of successfully facilitating collaborative group-work assessment

  13. Matching of equivalent field regions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Appel-Hansen, Jørgen; Rengarajan, S.B.

    2005-01-01

    In aperture problems, integral equations for equivalent currents are often found by enforcing matching of equivalent fields. The enforcement is made in the aperture surface region adjoining the two volumes on each side of the aperture. In the case of an aperture in a planar perfectly conducting...... screen, having the same homogeneous medium on both sides and an impressed current on one aide, an alternative procedure is relevant. We make use of the fact that in the aperture the tangential component of the magnetic field due to the induced currents in the screen is zero. The use of such a procedure...... shows that equivalent currents can be found by a consideration of only one of the two volumes into which the aperture plane divides the space. Furthermore, from a consideration of an automatic matching at the aperture, additional information about tangential as well as normal field components...

  14. Application of the high-temperature ratio method for evaluation of the depth distribution of dose equivalent in a water-filled phantom on board space station Mir

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berger, T.; Hajek, M.; Schoener, W.; Fugger, M.; Vana, N.; Akatov, Y.; Shurshakov, V.; Arkhangelsky, V.; Kartashov, D.

    2002-01-01

    A water-filled tissue equivalent phantom with a diameter of 35 cm was developed at the Institute for Biomedical Problems, Moscow, Russia. It contains four channels perpendicular to each other, where dosemeters can be exposed at different depths. Between May 1997 and February 1999 the phantom was installed at three different locations on board the Mir space station. Thermoluminescence dosemeters (TLDs) were exposed at various depths inside the phantom either parallel or perpendicular to the hull of the spacecraft. The high-temperature ratio (HTR) method was used for the evaluation of the TLDs. The method was developed at the Atominstitute of the Austrian Universities, Vienna, Austria, and has already been used for measurements in mixed radiation fields on earth and in space with great success. It uses the changes of peak height ratios in LiF:Mg,Ti glow curves in dependence on the linear energy transfer (LET), and therefore allows determination of an 'averaged' LET as well as measurement of the absorbed dose. A mean quality factor and, subsequently, the dose equivalent can be calculated according to the Q(LET ( ) relationship proposed by the ICRP. The small size of the LiF dosemeters means that the HTR method can be used to determine the gradient of absorbed dose and dose equivalent inside the tissue equivalent body. (author)

  15. Determination of the conversion coefficient for ambient dose equivalent, H(10), from air kerma measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez J, F.; Alvarez R, J. T.

    2015-09-01

    Namely the operational magnitudes can be determined by the product of a conversion coefficient by exposure air kerma or fluence, etc. In particular in Mexico for the first time is determined the conversion coefficient (Cc) for operational magnitude Environmental Dose Equivalent H(10) by thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) technique. First 30 TLD-100 dosimeters are calibrated in terms of air kerma, then these dosimeters are irradiated inside a sphere ICRU type of PMMA and with the aid of theory cavity the absorbed dose in PMMA is determined at a depth of 10 mm within the sphere D PMMA (10), subsequently absorbed dose to ICRU tissue is corrected and the dose equivalent H(10) is determined. The Cc is determined as the ratio of H(10)/K a obtaining a value of 1.20 Sv Gy -1 with a u c = 3.66%, this being consistent with the published value in ISO-4037-3 of 1.20 Sv Gy -1 with a u c = 2%. (Author)

  16. Adipose tissue trans fatty acids and changes in body weight and waist circumference

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Camilla P.; Berentzen, Tina L.; Østergaard, Jane N.

    2014-01-01

    ). The relative content of fatty acids in adipose tissue biopsies from a random sample of 996 men and women aged 50–64 years drawn from a Danish cohort study was determined by GC. Baseline data on weight, WC and potential confounders were available together with information on weight and WC 5 years after...... enrolment. The exposure measures were total trans-octadecenoic acids (18 : 1t), 18 : 1 D6-10t, vaccenic acid (18 : 1 D11t) and rumenic acid (18 : 2 D9c, 11t). Data were analysed using multiple regression with cubic spline modelling. The median proportion of total adipose tissue 18 : 1t was 1·52% (90......% central range 0·98, 2·19) in men and 1·47% (1·01, 2·19) in women. No significant associations were observed between the proportions of total 18 : 1t, 18:1 D6-10t, vaccenic acid or rumenic acid and changes in weight or WC. The present study suggests that the proportions of specific TFA in adipose tissue...

  17. Use of fibroblast growth factor 2 for expansion of chondrocytes and tissue engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana (Inventor); Martin, Ivan (Inventor); Freed, Lisa E. (Inventor); Langer, Robert (Inventor)

    2003-01-01

    The present invention provides an improved method for expanding cells for use in tissue engineering. In particular the method provides specific biochemical factors to supplement cell culture medium during the expansion process in order to reproduce events occurring during embryonic development with the goal of regenerating tissue equivalents that resemble natural tissues both structurally and functionally. These specific biochemical factors improve proliferation of the cells and are capable of de-differentiation mature cells isolated from tissue so that the differentiation potential of the cells is preserved. The bioactive molecules also maintain the responsiveness of the cells to other bioactive molecules. Specifically, the invention provides methods for expanding chondrocytes in the presence of fibroblast growth factor 2 for use in regeneration of cartilage tissue.

  18. Carbendazim alters kidney morphology, kidney function tests, tissue ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    of oxidative stress and serum micro-elements in rats fed protein-energy ... diet, protein-energy malnutrition did not exacerbate lesions which were contrary to tissue MDA which was elevated in LPC. ... metabolism in animals and this is proportional to the level of .... generally higher in the carbendazim-treated rats which ...

  19. 16 CFR 240.9 - Proportionally equal terms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Proportionally equal terms. 240.9 Section 240.9 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION GUIDES AND TRADE PRACTICE RULES GUIDES FOR ADVERTISING ALLOWANCES AND OTHER MERCHANDISING PAYMENTS AND SERVICES § 240.9 Proportionally equal terms. (a...

  20. Behavioural equivalence for infinite systems - Partially decidable!

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sunesen, Kim; Nielsen, Mogens

    1996-01-01

    languages with two generalizations based on traditional approaches capturing non-interleaving behaviour, pomsets representing global causal dependency, and locality representing spatial distribution of events. We first study equivalences on Basic Parallel Processes, BPP, a process calculus equivalent...... of processes between BPP and TCSP, not only are the two equivalences different, but one (locality) is decidable whereas the other (pomsets) is not. The decidability result for locality is proved by a reduction to the reachability problem for Petri nets....

  1. Relations of equivalence of conditioned radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumer, L.; Szeless, A.; Oszuszky, F.

    1982-01-01

    A compensation for the wastes remaining with the operator of a waste management center, to be given by the agent having caused the waste, may be assured by effecting a financial valuation (equivalence) of wastes. Technically and logically, this equivalence between wastes (or specifically between different waste categories) and financial valuation has been established as reasonable. In this paper, the possibility of establishing such equivalences are developed, and their suitability for waste management concepts is quantitatively expressed

  2. Equivalences of real submanifolds in complex space.

    OpenAIRE

    ZAITSEV, DMITRI

    2001-01-01

    PUBLISHED We show that for any real-analytic submanifold M in CN there is a proper real-analytic subvariety V contained in M such that for any p ? M \\ V , any real-analytic submanifold M? in CN, and any p? ? M?, the germs of the submanifolds M and M? at p and p? respectively are formally equivalent if and only if they are biholomorphically equivalent. More general results for k-equivalences are also stated and proved.

  3. A Cp-theory problem book functional equivalencies

    CERN Document Server

    Tkachuk, Vladimir V

    2016-01-01

    This fourth volume in Vladimir Tkachuk's series on Cp-theory gives reasonably complete coverage of the theory of functional equivalencies through 500 carefully selected problems and exercises. By systematically introducing each of the major topics of Cp-theory, the book is intended to bring a dedicated reader from basic topological principles to the frontiers of modern research. The book presents complete and up-to-date information on the preservation of topological properties by homeomorphisms of function spaces.  An exhaustive theory of t-equivalent, u-equivalent and l-equivalent spaces is developed from scratch.   The reader will also find introductions to the theory of uniform spaces, the theory of locally convex spaces, as well as  the theory of inverse systems and dimension theory. Moreover, the inclusion of Kolmogorov's solution of Hilbert's Problem 13 is included as it is needed for the presentation of the theory of l-equivalent spaces. This volume contains the most important classical re...

  4. Equivalence relations for the 9972-9975 SARP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niemer, K.A.; Frost, R.L.

    1994-10-01

    Equivalence relations required to determine mass limits for mixtures of nuclides for the Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP) of the Savannah River Site 9972, 9973, 9974, and 9975 shipping casks were calculated. The systems analyzed included aqueous spheres, homogeneous metal spheres, and metal ball-and-shell configurations, all surrounded by an effectively infinite stainless steel or water reflector. Comparison of the equivalence calculations with the rule-of-fractions showed conservative agreement for aqueous solutions, both conservative and non-conservative agreement for the metal homogeneous sphere systems, and non-conservative agreement for the majority of metal ball-and-shell systems. Equivalence factors for the aqueous solutions and homogeneous metal spheres were calculated. The equivalence factors for the non-conservative metal homogeneous sphere systems were adjusted so that they were conservative. No equivalence factors were calculated for the ball-and-shell systems since the -SARP assumes that only homogeneous or uniformly distributed material will be shipped in the 9972-9975 shipping casks, and an unnecessarily conservative critical mass may result if the ball-and-shell configurations are included

  5. Equivalence of Szegedy's and coined quantum walks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Thomas G.

    2017-09-01

    Szegedy's quantum walk is a quantization of a classical random walk or Markov chain, where the walk occurs on the edges of the bipartite double cover of the original graph. To search, one can simply quantize a Markov chain with absorbing vertices. Recently, Santos proposed two alternative search algorithms that instead utilize the sign-flip oracle in Grover's algorithm rather than absorbing vertices. In this paper, we show that these two algorithms are exactly equivalent to two algorithms involving coined quantum walks, which are walks on the vertices of the original graph with an internal degree of freedom. The first scheme is equivalent to a coined quantum walk with one walk step per query of Grover's oracle, and the second is equivalent to a coined quantum walk with two walk steps per query of Grover's oracle. These equivalences lie outside the previously known equivalence of Szegedy's quantum walk with absorbing vertices and the coined quantum walk with the negative identity operator as the coin for marked vertices, whose precise relationships we also investigate.

  6. 7 CFR 1000.54 - Equivalent price.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Equivalent price. 1000.54 Section 1000.54 Agriculture... Prices § 1000.54 Equivalent price. If for any reason a price or pricing constituent required for computing the prices described in § 1000.50 is not available, the market administrator shall use a price or...

  7. Evaluation of energy responses for neutron dose-equivalent meters made in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saegusa, J.; Yoshizawa, M.; Tanimura, Y.; Yoshida, M.; Yamano, T.; Nakaoka, H.

    2004-01-01

    Energy responses of three types of Japanese neutron dose-equivalent (DE) meters were evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations and measurements. The energy responses were evaluated for thermal neutrons, monoenergetic neutrons with energies up to 15.2 MeV, and also for neutrons from such radionuclide sources as 252 Cf and 241 Am-Be. The calculated results were corroborated with the measured ones. The angular dependence of the response and the DE response were also evaluated. As a result, reliable energy responses were obtained by careful simulations of the proportional counter, moderator and absorber of the DE meters. Furthermore, the relationship between pressure of counting gas and response of the DE meter was discussed. By using the obtained responses, relations between predicted readings of the DE meters and true DE values were studied for various workplace spectra

  8. The equivalence theorem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veltman, H.

    1990-01-01

    The equivalence theorem states that, at an energy E much larger than the vector-boson mass M, the leading order of the amplitude with longitudinally polarized vector bosons on mass shell is given by the amplitude in which these vector bosons are replaced by the corresponding Higgs ghosts. We prove the equivalence theorem and show its validity in every order in perturbation theory. We first derive the renormalized Ward identities by using the diagrammatic method. Only the Feynman-- 't Hooft gauge is discussed. The last step of the proof includes the power-counting method evaluated in the large-Higgs-boson-mass limit, needed to estimate the leading energy behavior of the amplitudes involved. We derive expressions for the amplitudes involving longitudinally polarized vector bosons for all orders in perturbation theory. The fermion mass has not been neglected and everything is evaluated in the region m f ∼M much-lt E much-lt m Higgs

  9. Tissue-resident memory T cells in tissue homeostasis, persistent infection, and cancer surveillance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gebhardt, Thomas; Palendira, Umaimainthan; Tscharke, David C; Bedoui, Sammy

    2018-05-01

    A large proportion of memory T cells disseminated throughout the body are non-recirculating cells whose maintenance and function is regulated by tissue-specific environmental cues. These sessile cells are referred to as tissue-resident memory T (T RM ) cells and similar populations of non-recirculating cells also exist among unconventional T cells and innate lymphocyte cells. The pool of T RM cells is highly diverse with respect to anatomical positioning, phenotype, molecular regulation and effector function. Nevertheless, certain transcriptional programs are shared and appear as important unifying features for the overall population of T RM cells and tissue-resident lymphocytes. It is now widely appreciated that T RM cells are a critical component of our immune defense by acting as peripheral sentinels capable of rapidly mobilizing protective tissue immunity upon pathogen recognition. This function is of particular importance in anatomical sites that are not effectively surveilled by blood-borne memory T cells in absence of inflammation, such as neuronal tissues or epithelial compartments in skin and mucosae. Focusing on the well-characterized subtype of CD8 +  CD69 +  CD103 + T RM cells, we will review current concepts on the generation, persistence and function of T RM cells and will summarize commonly used tools to study these cells. Furthermore, we will discuss accumulating data that emphasize localized T RM responses as an important determinant of tissue homeostasis and immune defense in the context of microbiota-immune interactions, persistent infections and cancer surveillance. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Soft tissue deformation modelling through neural dynamics-based reaction-diffusion mechanics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jinao; Zhong, Yongmin; Gu, Chengfan

    2018-05-30

    Soft tissue deformation modelling forms the basis of development of surgical simulation, surgical planning and robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery. This paper presents a new methodology for modelling of soft tissue deformation based on reaction-diffusion mechanics via neural dynamics. The potential energy stored in soft tissues due to a mechanical load to deform tissues away from their rest state is treated as the equivalent transmembrane potential energy, and it is distributed in the tissue masses in the manner of reaction-diffusion propagation of nonlinear electrical waves. The reaction-diffusion propagation of mechanical potential energy and nonrigid mechanics of motion are combined to model soft tissue deformation and its dynamics, both of which are further formulated as the dynamics of cellular neural networks to achieve real-time computational performance. The proposed methodology is implemented with a haptic device for interactive soft tissue deformation with force feedback. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methodology exhibits nonlinear force-displacement relationship for nonlinear soft tissue deformation. Homogeneous, anisotropic and heterogeneous soft tissue material properties can be modelled through the inherent physical properties of mass points. Graphical abstract Soft tissue deformation modelling with haptic feedback via neural dynamics-based reaction-diffusion mechanics.

  11. Why the long face? The mechanics of mandibular symphysis proportions in crocodiles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher W Walmsley

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Crocodilians exhibit a spectrum of rostral shape from long snouted (longirostrine, through to short snouted (brevirostrine morphologies. The proportional length of the mandibular symphysis correlates consistently with rostral shape, forming as much as 50% of the mandible's length in longirostrine forms, but 10% in brevirostrine crocodilians. Here we analyse the structural consequences of an elongate mandibular symphysis in relation to feeding behaviours. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Simple beam and high resolution Finite Element (FE models of seven species of crocodile were analysed under loads simulating biting, shaking and twisting. Using beam theory, we statistically compared multiple hypotheses of which morphological variables should control the biomechanical response. Brevi- and mesorostrine morphologies were found to consistently outperform longirostrine types when subject to equivalent biting, shaking and twisting loads. The best predictors of performance for biting and twisting loads in FE models were overall length and symphyseal length respectively; for shaking loads symphyseal length and a multivariate measurement of shape (PC1- which is strongly but not exclusively correlated with symphyseal length were equally good predictors. Linear measurements were better predictors than multivariate measurements of shape in biting and twisting loads. For both biting and shaking loads but not for twisting, simple beam models agree with best performance predictors in FE models. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Combining beam and FE modelling allows a priori hypotheses about the importance of morphological traits on biomechanics to be statistically tested. Short mandibular symphyses perform well under loads used for feeding upon large prey, but elongate symphyses incur high strains under equivalent loads, underlining the structural constraints to prey size in the longirostrine morphotype. The biomechanics of the crocodilian mandible are largely

  12. Contingency proportion systematically influences contingency learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forrin, Noah D; MacLeod, Colin M

    2018-01-01

    In the color-word contingency learning paradigm, each word appears more often in one color (high contingency) than in the other colors (low contingency). Shortly after beginning the task, color identification responses become faster on the high-contingency trials than on the low-contingency trials-the contingency learning effect. Across five groups, we varied the high-contingency proportion in 10% steps, from 80% to 40%. The size of the contingency learning effect was positively related to high-contingency proportion, with the effect disappearing when high contingency was reduced to 40%. At the two highest contingency proportions, the magnitude of the effect increased over trials, the pattern suggesting that there was an increasing cost for the low-contingency trials rather than an increasing benefit for the high-contingency trials. Overall, the results fit a modified version of Schmidt's (2013, Acta Psychologica, 142, 119-126) parallel episodic processing account in which prior trial instances are routinely retrieved from memory and influence current trial performance.

  13. Neutrons in active proton therapy. Parameterization of dose and dose equivalent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schneider, Uwe; Haelg, Roger A. [Univ. of Zurich (Switzerland). Dept. of Physics; Radiotherapy Hirslanden AG, Aarau (Switzerland); Lomax, Tony [Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen (Switzerland). Center for Proton Therapy

    2017-08-01

    One of the essential elements of an epidemiological study to decide if proton therapy may be associated with increased or decreased subsequent malignancies compared to photon therapy is an ability to estimate all doses to non-target tissues, including neutron dose. This work therefore aims to predict for patients using proton pencil beam scanning the spatially localized neutron doses and dose equivalents. The proton pencil beam of Gantry 1 at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) was Monte Carlo simulated using GEANT. Based on the simulated neutron dose and neutron spectra an analytical mechanistic dose model was developed. The pencil beam algorithm used for treatment planning at PSI has been extended using the developed model in order to calculate the neutron component of the delivered dose distribution for each treated patient. The neutron dose was estimated for two patient example cases. The analytical neutron dose model represents the three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulated dose distribution up to 85 cm from the proton pencil beam with a satisfying precision. The root mean square error between Monte Carlo simulation and model is largest for 138 MeV protons and is 19% and 20% for dose and dose equivalent, respectively. The model was successfully integrated into the PSI treatment planning system. In average the neutron dose is increased by 10% or 65% when using 160 MeV or 177 MeV instead of 138 MeV. For the neutron dose equivalent the increase is 8% and 57%. The presented neutron dose calculations allow for estimates of dose that can be used in subsequent epidemiological studies or, should the need arise, to estimate the neutron dose at any point where a subsequent secondary tumour may occur. It was found that the neutron dose to the patient is heavily increased with proton energy.

  14. General Dynamic Equivalent Modeling of Microgrid Based on Physical Background

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changchun Cai

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Microgrid is a new power system concept consisting of small-scale distributed energy resources; storage devices and loads. It is necessary to employ a simplified model of microgrid in the simulation of a distribution network integrating large-scale microgrids. Based on the detailed model of the components, an equivalent model of microgrid is proposed in this paper. The equivalent model comprises two parts: namely, equivalent machine component and equivalent static component. Equivalent machine component describes the dynamics of synchronous generator, asynchronous wind turbine and induction motor, equivalent static component describes the dynamics of photovoltaic, storage and static load. The trajectory sensitivities of the equivalent model parameters with respect to the output variables are analyzed. The key parameters that play important roles in the dynamics of the output variables of the equivalent model are identified and included in further parameter estimation. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO is improved for the parameter estimation of the equivalent model. Simulations are performed in different microgrid operation conditions to evaluate the effectiveness of the equivalent model of microgrid.

  15. 49 CFR 391.33 - Equivalent of road test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Equivalent of road test. 391.33 Section 391.33... AND LONGER COMBINATION VEHICLE (LCV) DRIVER INSTRUCTORS Tests § 391.33 Equivalent of road test. (a) In place of, and as equivalent to, the road test required by § 391.31, a person who seeks to drive a...

  16. Foundations of gravitation theory: the principle of equivalence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haugan, M.P.

    1978-01-01

    A new framework is presented within which to discuss the principle of equivalence and its experimental tests. The framework incorporates a special structure imposed on the equivalence principle by the principle of energy conservation. This structure includes relations among the conceptual components of the equivalence principle as well as quantitative relations among the outcomes of its experimental tests. One of the most striking new results obtained through use of this framework is a connection between the breakdown of local Lorentz invariance and the breakdown of the principle that all bodies fall with the same acceleration in a gravitational field. An extensive discussion of experimental tests of the equivalence principle and their significance is also presented. Within the above framework, theory-independent analyses of a broad range of equivalence principle tests are possible. Gravitational redshift experiments. Doppler-shift experiments, the Turner-Hill and Hughes-Drever experiments, and a number of solar-system tests of gravitation theories are analyzed. Application of the techniques of theoretical nuclear physics to the quantitative interpretation of equivalence principle tests using laboratory materials of different composition yields a number of important results. It is found that current Eotvos experiments significantly demonstrate the compatibility of the weak interactions with the equivalence principle. It is also shown that the Hughes-Drever experiment is the most precise test of local Lorentz invariance yet performed. The work leads to a strong, tightly knit empirical basis for the principle of equivalence, the central pillar of the foundations of gravitation theory

  17. Second-Order Harmonic Reduction Technique for Photovoltaic Power Conditioning Systems Using a Proportional-Resonant Controller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hae-Gwang Jeong

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a second-order harmonic reduction technique using a proportional-resonant (PR controller for a photovoltaic (PV power conditioning system (PCS. In a grid-connected single-phase system, inverters create a second-order harmonic at twice the fundamental frequency. A ripple component unsettles the operating points of the PV array and deteriorates the operation of the maximum power point tracking (MPPT technique. The second-order harmonic component in PV PCS is analyzed using an equivalent circuit of the DC/DC converter and the DC/AC inverter. A new feed-forward compensation technique using a PR controller for ripple reduction is proposed. The proposed algorithm is advantageous in that additional devices are not required and complex calculations are unnecessary. Therefore, this method is cost-effective and simple to implement. The proposed feed-forward compensation technique is verified by simulation and experimental results.

  18. Against proportional shortfall as a priority-setting principle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altmann, Samuel

    2018-05-01

    As the demand for healthcare rises, so does the need for priority setting in healthcare. In this paper, I consider a prominent priority-setting principle: proportional shortfall. My purpose is to argue that proportional shortfall, as a principle, should not be adopted. My key criticism is that proportional shortfall fails to consider past health.Proportional shortfall is justified as it supposedly balances concern for prospective health while still accounting for lifetime health, even though past health is deemed irrelevant. Accounting for this lifetime perspective means that the principle may indirectly consider past health by accounting for how far an individual is from achieving a complete, healthy life. I argue that proportional shortfall does not account for this lifetime perspective as it fails to incorporate the fair innings argument as originally claimed, undermining its purported justification.I go on to demonstrate that the case for ignoring past health is weak, and argue that past health is at least sometimes relevant for priority-setting decisions. Specifically, when an individual's past health has a direct impact on current or future health, and when one individual has enjoyed significantly more healthy life years than another.Finally, I demonstrate that by ignoring past illnesses, even those entirely unrelated to their current illness, proportional shortfall can lead to instances of double jeopardy, a highly problematic implication. These arguments give us reason to reject proportional shortfall. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  19. Mathematical simulation of biologically equivalent doses for LDR-HDR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slosarek, K.; Zajusz, A.

    1996-01-01

    Based on the LQ model examples of biologically equivalent doses LDR, HDR and external beams were calculated. The biologically equivalent doses for LDR were calculated by appending to the LQ model the corrector for the time of repair of radiation sublethal damages. For radiation continuously delivered at a low dose rate the influence of sublethal damage repair time changes on biologically equivalent doses were analysed. For fractionated treatment with high dose rate the biologically equivalent doses were calculated by adding to the LQ model the formula of accelerated repopulation. For total biologically equivalent dose calculation for combine LDR-HDR-Tele irradiation examples are presented with the use of different parameters of the time of repair of sublethal damages and accelerated repopulation. The calculations performed show, that the same biologically equivalent doses can be obtained for different parameters of cell kinetics changes during radiation treatment. It also shows, that during biologically equivalent dose calculations for different radiotherapy schedules, ignorance of cell kinetics parameters can lead to relevant errors

  20. On The Construction of Models for Electrical Conduction in Biological Tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomez-Aguilar, F.; Bernal-Alvarado, J.; Cordova-Fraga, T.; Rosales-Garcia, J.; Guia-Calderon, M.

    2010-01-01

    Applying RC circuit theory, a theoretical representation for the electrical conduction in a biological multilayer system was developed. In particular an equivalent circuit for the epidermis, dermis and the subcutaneous tissue was constructed. This model includes an equivalent circuit, inside the dermis, in order to model a small formation like tumor. This work shows the feasibility to apply superficial electrodes to detect subcutaneous abnormalities. The behavior of the model is shown in the form of a frequency response chart. The Bode and Nyquist plots are also obtained. This theoretical frame is proposed to be a general treatment to describe the bioelectrical transport in a three layer bioelectrical system.

  1. Tissue-specific Differences in Immune Cell Subsets Located in the Naso-oropharyngeal-associated Lymphoid Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bankvall, M; Jontell, M; Wold, A; Östman, S

    2018-01-01

    Defining the immune cells within the naso-oropharyngeal-associated lymphoid tissues would promote the development of efficient orally and nasally delivered immunotherapies. The aim was to compare murine antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T cell subsets in the nose-associated lymphoid tissues (NALT), cervical lymph nodes (CLN), mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and peripheral lymph nodes (PLN) using flow cytometry and in vitro proliferation assays. Overall, the NALT contained a higher proportion of APCs and a lower proportion of T cells compared to the CLN, MLN and PLN. The APCs of the NALT more often belonged to the CD11c + CD11b + and the CD11c neg CD11b + subsets as compared to the other sites. Both of these APC populations showed little sign of activation, that is low expression of the markers CD40, CD86 and IAd. Instead, the APCs of the NALT more often co-expressed CX3CR1 and CD206, markers associated with a tolerogenic function. No increase in the proportion of regulatory T cells was observed in the NALT. Instead, the T cells frequently exhibited a memory/effector phenotype, expressing the homing markers α4β7, CCR4 and CCR9, but rarely the naïve phenotype cell surface marker CD45RB. In contrast, the T cells at the other sites were mostly of the naïve phenotype. In addition, cells from the NALT did not proliferate upon in vitro stimulation with Con A, whereas the cells from the other sites did. Taken together, these results suggest that the NALT is primarily an effector site rather than one for activation and differentiation, despite it being regarded as a site of induction. © 2017 The Foundation for the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology.

  2. The divine proportion

    CERN Document Server

    Huntley, H E

    1970-01-01

    Using simple mathematical formulas, most as basic as Pythagoras's theorem and requiring only a very limited knowledge of mathematics, Professor Huntley explores the fascinating relationship between geometry and aesthetics. Poetry, patterns like Pascal's triangle, philosophy, psychology, music, and dozens of simple mathematical figures are enlisted to show that the ""divine proportion"" or ""golden ratio"" is a feature of geometry and analysis which awakes answering echoes in the human psyche. When we judge a work of art aesthetically satisfying, according to his formulation, we are making it c

  3. Pressure control valve using proportional electro-magnetic solenoid actuator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yun, So Nam; Ham, Young Bog; Park, Pyoung Won

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents an experimental characteristics of electro-hydraulic proportional pressure control valve. In this study, poppet and valve body which are assembled into the proportional solenoid were designed and manufactured. The constant force characteristics of proportional solenoid actuator in the control region should be independent of the plunger position in order to be used to control the valve position in the fluid flow control system. The stroke-force characteristics of the proportional solenoid actuator is determined by the shape (or parameters) of the control cone. In this paper, steady state and transient characteristics of the solenoid actuator for electro-hydraulic proportional valve are analyzed using finite element method and it is confirmed that the proportional solenoid actuator has a constant attraction force in the control region independently on the stroke position. The effects of the parameters such as control cone length, thickness and taper length are also discussed

  4. The Attributable Proportion of Specific Leisure-Time Physical Activities to Total Leisure Activity Volume Among US Adults, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2006.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Kathleen Bachtel; Dai, Shifan; Paul, Prabasaj; Carlson, Susan A; Carroll, Dianna D; Fulton, Janet

    2016-11-01

    Previous studies have examined participation in specific leisure-time physical activities (PA) among US adults. The purpose of this study was to identify specific activities that contribute substantially to total volume of leisure-time PA in US adults. Proportion of total volume of leisure-time PA moderate-equivalent minutes attributable to 9 specific types of activities was estimated using self-reported data from 21,685 adult participants (≥ 18 years) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2006. Overall, walking (28%), sports (22%), and dancing (9%) contributed most to PA volume. Attributable proportion was higher among men than women for sports (30% vs. 11%) and higher among women than men for walking (36% vs. 23%), dancing (16% vs. 4%), and conditioning exercises (10% vs. 5%). The proportion was lower for walking, but higher for sports, among active adults than those insufficiently active and increased with age for walking. Compared with other racial/ethnic groups, the proportion was lower for sports among non-Hispanic white men and for dancing among non-Hispanic white women. Walking, sports, and dance account for the most activity time among US adults overall, yet some demographic variations exist. Strategies for PA promotion should be tailored to differences across population subgroups.

  5. Spaces of homotopy self-equivalences a survey

    CERN Document Server

    Rutter, John W

    1997-01-01

    This survey covers groups of homotopy self-equivalence classes of topological spaces, and the homotopy type of spaces of homotopy self-equivalences. For manifolds, the full group of equivalences and the mapping class group are compared, as are the corresponding spaces. Included are methods of calculation, numerous calculations, finite generation results, Whitehead torsion and other areas. Some 330 references are given. The book assumes familiarity with cell complexes, homology and homotopy. Graduate students and established researchers can use it for learning, for reference, and to determine the current state of knowledge.

  6. Equivalent nozzle in thermomechanical problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cesari, F.

    1977-01-01

    When analyzing nuclear vessels, it is most important to study the behavior of the nozzle cylinder-cylinder intersection. For the elastic field, this analysis in three dimensions is quite easy using the method of finite elements. The same analysis in the non-linear field becomes difficult for designs in 3-D. It is therefore necessary to resolve a nozzle in two dimensions equivalent to a 3-D nozzle. The purpose of the present work is to find an equivalent nozzle both with a mechanical and thermal load. This has been achieved by the analysis in three dimensions of a nozzle and a nozzle cylinder-sphere intersection, of a different radius. The equivalent nozzle will be a nozzle with a sphere radius in a given ratio to the radius of a cylinder; thus, the maximum equivalent stress is the same in both 2-D and 3-D. The nozzle examined derived from the intersection of a cylindrical vessel of radius R=191.4 mm and thickness T=6.7 mm with a cylindrical nozzle of radius r=24.675 mm and thickness t=1.350 mm, for which the experimental results for an internal pressure load are known. The structure was subdivided into 96 finite, three-dimensional and isoparametric elements with 60 degrees of freedom and 661 total nodes. Both the analysis with a mechanical load as well as the analysis with a thermal load were carried out on this structure according to the Bersafe system. The thermal load consisted of a transient typical of an accident occurring in a sodium-cooled fast reactor, with a peak of the temperature (540 0 C) for the sodium inside the vessel with an insulating argon temperature constant at 525 0 C. The maximum value of the equivalent tension was found in the internal area at the union towards the vessel side. The analysis of the nozzle in 2-D consists in schematizing the structure as a cylinder-sphere intersection, where the sphere has a given relation to the

  7. Vitrification and xenografting of human ovarian tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amorim, Christiani Andrade; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; David, Anu; Jaeger, Jonathan; Vanacker, Julie; Camboni, Alessandra; Donnez, Jacques; Van Langendonckt, Anne

    2012-11-01

    To assess the efficiency of two vitrification protocols to cryopreserve human preantral follicles with the use of a xenografting model. Pilot study. Gynecology research unit in a university hospital. Ovarian biopsies were obtained from seven women aged 30-41 years. Ovarian tissue fragments were subjected to one of three cryopreservation protocols (slow freezing, vitrification protocol 1, and vitrification protocol 2) and xenografted for 1 week to nude mice. The number of morphologically normal follicles after cryopreservation and grafting and fibrotic surface area were determined by histologic analysis. Apoptosis was assessed by the TUNEL method. Morphometric analysis of TUNEL-positive surface area also was performed. Follicle proliferation was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. After xenografting, a difference was observed between the cryopreservation procedures applied. According to TUNEL analysis, both vitrification protocols showed better preservation of preantral follicles than the conventional freezing method. Moreover, histologic evaluation showed a significantly higher proportion of primordial follicles in vitrified (protocol 2)-warmed ovarian tissue than in frozen-thawed tissue. The proportion of growing follicles and fibrotic surface area was similar in all groups. Vitrification procedures appeared to preserve not only the morphology and survival of preantral follicles after 1 week of xenografting, but also their ability to resume folliculogenesis. In addition, vitrification protocol 2 had a positive impact on the quiescent state of primordial follicles after xenografting. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit modifications and the functional equivalency demonstration: a case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elsberry, K.; Garcia, P.; Carnes, R.; Kinker, J.; Loehr, C.; Lyon, W.

    1996-01-01

    Hazardous waste operating permits issued under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) often impose requirements that specific components and equipment be used. Consequently, changing these items, may first require that the owner/operator request a potentially time-consuming and costly permit modification. However, the owner/operator may demonstrate that a modification is not required because the planned changes are ''functionally equivalent.'' The Controlled-Air Incinerator at Los Alamos National Laboratory is scheduled for maintenance and improvements. The incinerator's carbon adsorption unit/high efficiency particulate air filtration system, was redesigned to improve reliability and minimize maintenance. A study was performed to determine whether the redesigned unit would qualify as functionally equivalent to the original component. In performing this study, the following steps were taken: (a) the key performance factors were identified; (b) performance data describing the existing unit were obtained; (c) performance of both the existing and redesigned units was simulated; and (d) the performance data were compared to ascertain whether the components could qualify as functionally equivalent. In this case, the key performance data included gas residence time and distribution of flow over the activated carbon. Because both units were custom designed and fabricated, a simple comparison of manufacturers' specifications was impossible. Therefore, numerical simulation of each unit design was performed using the TEMPEST thermal-hydraulic computer code to model isothermal hydrodynamic performance under steady-state conditions. The results of residence time calculations from the model were coupled with flow proportion and sampled using a Monte Carlo-style simulation to derive distributions that describe the predicted residence times

  9. PEP quark search proportional chambers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parker, S I; Harris, F; Karliner, I; Yount, D [Hawaii Univ., Honolulu (USA); Ely, R; Hamilton, R; Pun, T [California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.; Guryn, W; Miller, D; Fries, R [Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (USA)

    1981-04-01

    Proportional chambers are used in the PEP Free Quark Search to identify and remove possible background sources such as particles traversing the edges of counters, to permit geometric corrections to the dE/dx and TOF information from the scintillator and Cerenkov counters, and to look for possible high cross section quarks. The present beam pipe has a thickness of 0.007 interaction lengths (lambdasub(i)) and is followed in both arms each with 45/sup 0/ <= theta <= 135/sup 0/, ..delta..phi=90/sup 0/ by 5 proportional chambers, each 0.0008 lambdasub(i) thick with 32 channels of pulse height readout, and by 3 thin scintillator planes, each 0.003 lambdasub(i) thick. Following this thin front end, each arm of the detector has 8 layers of scintillator (one with scintillating light pipes) interspersed with 4 proportional chambers and a layer of lucite Cerenkov counters. Both the calculated ion statistics and measurements using He-CH/sub 4/ gas in a test chamber indicate that the chamber efficiencies should be >98% for q=1/3. The Landau spread measured in the test was equal to that observed for normal q=1 traversals. One scintillator plane and thin chamber in each arm will have an extra set of ADC's with a wide gate bracketing the normal one so timing errors and tails of earlier pulses should not produce fake quarks.

  10. The Medial Stitch in Transosseous-Equivalent Rotator Cuff Repair: Vertical or Horizontal Mattress?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montanez, Anthony; Makarewich, Christopher A; Burks, Robert T; Henninger, Heath B

    2016-09-01

    Despite advances in surgical technique, rotator cuff repair retears continue to occur at rates of 10%, 22%, and 57% for small, medium, and large tears, respectively. A common mode of failure in transosseous-equivalent rotator cuff repairs is tissue pullout of the medial mattress stitch. While the medial mattress stitch has been studied extensively, no studies have evaluated a vertical mattress pattern placed near the musculotendinous junction in comparison with a horizontal mattress pattern. Vertical mattress stitches will have higher load to failure and lower gapping compared with horizontal mattress stitches in a transosseous-equivalent rotator cuff repair. Controlled laboratory study. Double-row transosseous-equivalent rotator cuff repairs were performed in 9 pairs of human male cadaveric shoulders (mean age ± SD, 58 ± 10 years). One shoulder in each pair received a medial-row suture pattern using a vertical mattress stitch, and the contralateral shoulder received a horizontal mattress. Specimens were mounted in a materials testing machine and tested in uniaxial tensile deformation for cyclic loading (500 cycles at 1 Hz to 1.0 MPa of effective stress), followed by failure testing carried out at a rate of 1 mm/s. Construct gapping and applied loads were monitored continuously throughout the testing. Vertical mattress sutures were placed in 5 right and 4 left shoulders. Peak cyclic gapping did not differ between vertical (mean ± SD, 2.8 ± 1.1 mm) and horizontal mattress specimens (3.0 ± 1.2 mm) (P = .684). Vertical mattress sutures failed at higher loads compared with horizontal mattress sutures (568.9 ± 140.3 vs 451.1 ± 174.3 N; P = .025); however, there was no significant difference in failure displacement (8.0 ± 1.6 vs 6.0 ± 2.1 mm; P = .092). Failure stiffness did not differ between the suture patterns (P = .204). In transosseous-equivalent rotator cuff repairs near the musculotendinous junction, a vertical mattress suture used as the medial stitch

  11. Large-Scale Analysis of Art Proportions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Karl Kristoffer

    2014-01-01

    While literature often tries to impute mathematical constants into art, this large-scale study (11 databases of paintings and photos, around 200.000 items) shows a different truth. The analysis, consisting of the width/height proportions, shows a value of rarely if ever one (square) and with majo......While literature often tries to impute mathematical constants into art, this large-scale study (11 databases of paintings and photos, around 200.000 items) shows a different truth. The analysis, consisting of the width/height proportions, shows a value of rarely if ever one (square...

  12. Melanin Transfer in Human 3D Skin Equivalents Generated Exclusively from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gledhill, Karl; Guo, Zongyou; Umegaki-Arao, Noriko; Higgins, Claire A; Itoh, Munenari; Christiano, Angela M

    2015-01-01

    The current utility of 3D skin equivalents is limited by the fact that existing models fail to recapitulate the cellular complexity of human skin. They often contain few cell types and no appendages, in part because many cells found in the skin are difficult to isolate from intact tissue and cannot be expanded in culture. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) present an avenue by which we can overcome this issue due to their ability to be differentiated into multiple cell types in the body and their unlimited growth potential. We previously reported generation of the first human 3D skin equivalents from iPSC-derived fibroblasts and iPSC-derived keratinocytes, demonstrating that iPSCs can provide a foundation for modeling a complex human organ such as skin. Here, we have increased the complexity of this model by including additional iPSC-derived melanocytes. Epidermal melanocytes, which are largely responsible for skin pigmentation, represent the second most numerous cell type found in normal human epidermis and as such represent a logical next addition. We report efficient melanin production from iPSC-derived melanocytes and transfer within an entirely iPSC-derived epidermal-melanin unit and generation of the first functional human 3D skin equivalents made from iPSC-derived fibroblasts, keratinocytes and melanocytes.

  13. Melanin Transfer in Human 3D Skin Equivalents Generated Exclusively from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karl Gledhill

    Full Text Available The current utility of 3D skin equivalents is limited by the fact that existing models fail to recapitulate the cellular complexity of human skin. They often contain few cell types and no appendages, in part because many cells found in the skin are difficult to isolate from intact tissue and cannot be expanded in culture. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs present an avenue by which we can overcome this issue due to their ability to be differentiated into multiple cell types in the body and their unlimited growth potential. We previously reported generation of the first human 3D skin equivalents from iPSC-derived fibroblasts and iPSC-derived keratinocytes, demonstrating that iPSCs can provide a foundation for modeling a complex human organ such as skin. Here, we have increased the complexity of this model by including additional iPSC-derived melanocytes. Epidermal melanocytes, which are largely responsible for skin pigmentation, represent the second most numerous cell type found in normal human epidermis and as such represent a logical next addition. We report efficient melanin production from iPSC-derived melanocytes and transfer within an entirely iPSC-derived epidermal-melanin unit and generation of the first functional human 3D skin equivalents made from iPSC-derived fibroblasts, keratinocytes and melanocytes.

  14. Implications of human tissue studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kathren, R.L.

    1986-10-01

    Through radiochemical analysis of voluntary tissue donations, the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries are gaining improved understanding of the distribution and biokinetics of actinide elements in occupationally exposed persons. Evaluation of the first two whole body contributions to the Transuranium Registry revealed an inverse proportionality between actinide concentration and bone ash fraction. The analysis of a whole body with a documented 241 Am deposition indicated a significantly shorter half-time in liver and a greater fraction resident in the skeleton than predicted by existing models. Other studies of the Registries are designed to evaluate in vivo estimates of actinide deposition with those derived from postmortem tissue analysis, compare results of animal experiments with human data, and reviw histopathologic slides for tissue toxicity that might be attributable to exposure to uranium and the transuranic elements. The implications of these recent findings and other work of the Registries are discussed from the standpoint of their potential impact on biokinetic modeling, internal dose assessment, safety standards, and operational health physics practices

  15. Restrictions and Proportionality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Werlauff, Erik

    2009-01-01

    The article discusses three central aspects of the freedoms under European Community law, namely 1) the prohibition against restrictions as an important extension of the prohibition against discrimination, 2) a prohibition against exit restrictions which is just as important as the prohibition...... against host country restrictions, but which is often not recognised to the same extent by national law, and 3) the importance of also identifying and recognising an exit restriction, so that it is possible to achieve the required test of appropriateness and proportionality in relation to the rule...

  16. Disease proportions attributable to environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vineis Paolo

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Population disease proportions attributable to various causal agents are popular as they present a simplified view of the contribution of each agent to the disease load. However they are only summary figures that may be easily misinterpreted or over-interpreted even when the causal link between an exposure and an effect is well established. This commentary discusses several issues surrounding the estimation of attributable proportions, particularly with reference to environmental causes of cancers, and critically examines two recently published papers. These issues encompass potential biases as well as the very definition of environment and of environmental agent. The latter aspect is not just a semantic question but carries implications for the focus of preventive actions, whether centred on the material and social environment or on single individuals.

  17. Quantum mechanics and the equivalence principle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davies, P C W

    2004-01-01

    A quantum particle moving in a gravitational field may penetrate the classically forbidden region of the gravitational potential. This raises the question of whether the time of flight of a quantum particle in a gravitational field might deviate systematically from that of a classical particle due to tunnelling delay, representing a violation of the weak equivalence principle. I investigate this using a model quantum clock to measure the time of flight of a quantum particle in a uniform gravitational field, and show that a violation of the equivalence principle does not occur when the measurement is made far from the turning point of the classical trajectory. The results are then confirmed using the so-called dwell time definition of quantum tunnelling. I conclude with some remarks about the strong equivalence principle in quantum mechanics

  18. Proton-recoil proportional counter tests at TREAT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fink, C.L.; Eichholz, J.J.; Burrows, D.R.; DeVolpi, A.

    1979-01-01

    A methane filled proton-recoil proportional counter will be used as a fission neutron detector in the fast-neutron hodoscope. To provide meaningful fuel-motion information the proportional counter should have: a linear response over a wide range of reactor powers background ratio (the number of high energy neutrons detected must be maximized relative to low energy neutrons, and gamma ray sensitivity must be kept small); and a detector efficiency for fission neutrons above 1 MeV of approximately 1%. In addition, it is desirable that the detector and the associated amplifier/discriminator be capable of operating at counting rates in excess of 500 kHz. This paper reports on tests that were conducted on several proportional counters at the TREAT reactor

  19. Equivalency of two-dimensional algebras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Gildemar Carneiro dos; Pomponet Filho, Balbino Jose S.

    2011-01-01

    Full text: Let us consider a vector z = xi + yj over the field of real numbers, whose basis (i,j) satisfy a given algebra. Any property of this algebra will be reflected in any function of z, so we can state that the knowledge of the properties of an algebra leads to more general conclusions than the knowledge of the properties of a function. However structural properties of an algebra do not change when this algebra suffers a linear transformation, though the structural constants defining this algebra do change. We say that two algebras are equivalent to each other whenever they are related by a linear transformation. In this case, we have found that some relations between the structural constants are sufficient to recognize whether or not an algebra is equivalent to another. In spite that the basis transform linearly, the structural constants change like a third order tensor, but some combinations of these tensors result in a linear transformation, allowing to write the entries of the transformation matrix as function of the structural constants. Eventually, a systematic way to find the transformation matrix between these equivalent algebras is obtained. In this sense, we have performed the thorough classification of associative commutative two-dimensional algebras, and find that even non-division algebra may be helpful in solving non-linear dynamic systems. The Mandelbrot set was used to have a pictorial view of each algebra, since equivalent algebras result in the same pattern. Presently we have succeeded in classifying some non-associative two-dimensional algebras, a task more difficult than for associative one. (author)

  20. Growth versus metabolic tissue replacement in mouse tissues determined by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macavoy, S. E.; Jamil, T.; Macko, S. A.; Arneson, L. S.

    2003-12-01

    Stable isotope analysis is becoming an extensively used tool in animal ecology. The isotopes most commonly used for analysis in terrestrial systems are those of carbon and nitrogen, due to differential carbon fractionation in C3 and C4 plants, and the approximately 3‰ enrichment in 15N per trophic level. Although isotope signatures in animal tissues presumably reflect the local food web, analysis is often complicated by differential nutrient routing and fractionation by tissues, and by the possibility that large organisms are not in isotopic equilibrium with the foods available in their immediate environment. Additionally, the rate at which organisms incorporate the isotope signature of a food through both growth and metabolic tissue replacement is largely unknown. In this study we have assessed the rate of carbon and nitrogen isotopic turnover in liver, muscle and blood in mice following a diet change. By determining growth rates, we were able to determine the proportion of tissue turnover caused by growth versus that caused by metabolic tissue replacement. Growth was found to account for approximately 10% of observed tissue turnover in sexually mature mice (Mus musculus). Blood carbon was found to have the shortest half-life (16.9 days), followed by muscle (24.7 days). Liver carbon turnover was not as well described by the exponential decay equations as other tissues. However, substantial liver carbon turnover was observed by the 28th day after diet switch. Surprisingly, these tissues primarily reflect the carbon signature of the protein, rather than carbohydrate, source in their diet. The nitrogen signature in all tissues was enriched by 3 - 5‰ over their dietary protein source, depending on tissue type, and the isotopic turnover rates were comparable to those observed in carbon.

  1. Proportional counter end effects eliminator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meekins, J.F.

    1976-01-01

    An improved gas-filled proportional counter which includes a resistor network connected between the anode and cathode at the ends of the counter in order to eliminate ''end effects'' is described. 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures

  2. Attainment of radiation equivalency principle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shmelev, A.N.; Apseh, V.A.

    2004-01-01

    Problems connected with the prospects for long-term development of the nuclear energetics are discussed. Basic principles of the future large-scale nuclear energetics are listed, primary attention is the safety of radioactive waste management of nuclear energetics. The radiation equivalence principle means close of fuel cycle and management of nuclear materials transportation with low losses on spent fuel and waste processing. Two aspects are considered: radiation equivalence in global and local aspects. The necessity of looking for other strategies of fuel cycle management in full-scale nuclear energy on radioactive waste management is supported [ru

  3. The architecture of gene regulatory variation across multiple human tissues: the MuTHER study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra C Nica

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available While there have been studies exploring regulatory variation in one or more tissues, the complexity of tissue-specificity in multiple primary tissues is not yet well understood. We explore in depth the role of cis-regulatory variation in three human tissues: lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL, skin, and fat. The samples (156 LCL, 160 skin, 166 fat were derived simultaneously from a subset of well-phenotyped healthy female twins of the MuTHER resource. We discover an abundance of cis-eQTLs in each tissue similar to previous estimates (858 or 4.7% of genes. In addition, we apply factor analysis (FA to remove effects of latent variables, thus more than doubling the number of our discoveries (1,822 eQTL genes. The unique study design (Matched Co-Twin Analysis--MCTA permits immediate replication of eQTLs using co-twins (93%-98% and validation of the considerable gain in eQTL discovery after FA correction. We highlight the challenges of comparing eQTLs between tissues. After verifying previous significance threshold-based estimates of tissue-specificity, we show their limitations given their dependency on statistical power. We propose that continuous estimates of the proportion of tissue-shared signals and direct comparison of the magnitude of effect on the fold change in expression are essential properties that jointly provide a biologically realistic view of tissue-specificity. Under this framework we demonstrate that 30% of eQTLs are shared among the three tissues studied, while another 29% appear exclusively tissue-specific. However, even among the shared eQTLs, a substantial proportion (10%-20% have significant differences in the magnitude of fold change between genotypic classes across tissues. Our results underline the need to account for the complexity of eQTL tissue-specificity in an effort to assess consequences of such variants for complex traits.

  4. MicroRNAs in skin tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Kyle J; Brown, David A; Ibrahim, Mohamed M; Ramchal, Talisha D; Levinson, Howard

    2015-07-01

    35.2 million annual cases in the U.S. require clinical intervention for major skin loss. To meet this demand, the field of skin tissue engineering has grown rapidly over the past 40 years. Traditionally, skin tissue engineering relies on the "cell-scaffold-signal" approach, whereby isolated cells are formulated into a three-dimensional substrate matrix, or scaffold, and exposed to the proper molecular, physical, and/or electrical signals to encourage growth and differentiation. However, clinically available bioengineered skin equivalents (BSEs) suffer from a number of drawbacks, including time required to generate autologous BSEs, poor allogeneic BSE survival, and physical limitations such as mass transfer issues. Additionally, different types of skin wounds require different BSE designs. MicroRNA has recently emerged as a new and exciting field of RNA interference that can overcome the barriers of BSE design. MicroRNA can regulate cellular behavior, change the bioactive milieu of the skin, and be delivered to skin tissue in a number of ways. While it is still in its infancy, the use of microRNAs in skin tissue engineering offers the opportunity to both enhance and expand a field for which there is still a vast unmet clinical need. Here we give a review of skin tissue engineering, focusing on the important cellular processes, bioactive mediators, and scaffolds. We further discuss potential microRNA targets for each individual component, and we conclude with possible future applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. How to assess the plasma delivery of RONS into tissue fluid and tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Jun-Seok; Szili, Endre J.; Gaur, Nishtha; Hong, Sung-Ha; Furuta, Hiroshi; Kurita, Hirofumi; Mizuno, Akira; Hatta, Akimitsu; Short, Robert D.

    2016-08-01

    The efficacy of helium (He) and argon (Ar) plasma jets are being investigated for different healthcare applications including wound and cancer therapy, sterilisation and surface disinfections. Current research points to a potential link between the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and outcomes in a range of biological and medical applications. As new data accrue, further strengthening this link, it becomes important to understand the controlled delivery of RONS into solutions, tissue fluids and tissues. This paper investigates the use of He and Ar plasma jets to deliver three RONS (hydrogen peroxide—H2O2, nitrite—\\text{NO}2- and nitrate—\\text{NO}3- ) and molecular oxygen (O2) directly into deionised (DI) water, or indirectly into DI water through an agarose target. The DI water is used in place of tissue fluid and the agarose target serves as a surrogate of tissue. Direct plasma jet treatments deliver more RONS and O2 than the through-agarose treatments for equivalent treatments times. The former only deliver RONS whilst the plasma jets are ignited; the latter continues to deliver RONS into the DI water long after the plasmas are extinguished. The He plasma jet is more effective at delivering H2O2 and \\text{NO}2- directly into DI water, but the Ar plasma jet is more effective at nitrating the DI water in both direct and through-agarose treatments. DI water directly treated with the plasma jets is deoxygenated, with the He plasma jet purging more O2 than the Ar plasma jet. This effect is known as ‘sparging’. In contrast, for through-agarose treatments both jets oxygenated the DI water. These results indicate that in the context of direct and indirect plasma jet treatments of real tissue fluids and tissue, the choice of process gas (He or Ar) could have a profound effect on the concentrations of RONS and O2. Irrespective of operating gas, sparging of tissue fluid (in an open wound) for long prolonged periods during direct plasma

  6. The future of A-150 TE plastic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goodman, L.J.

    1985-01-01

    For the past 26 years a large number of laboratories have constructed or purchased ionization chambers, proportional counters, and phantoms made of A-150 tissue-equivalent plastic, and they have amassed a considerable amount of data and experience in its properties and uses. The United States National Bureau of Standards is now considering the desirability of supplying A-150 plastic as a research material with a certified homogeneity. We are, however, faced with a problem since the nylon used in A-150 has been discontinued by the manufacturer and the current stock of A-150 has been estimated to be adequate to supply the demand for only the next 2 or 3 years. Thus, it will be necessary to reformulate the plastic mixture we will be using in the future. This situation offers us the opportunity to change the composition of tissue-equivalent plastic to better conform to present-day requirements. To elucidate just what these requirements are, we have conducted a postal survey of the opinions of neutron dosimetrists and the results are presented and discussed. It is concluded that the present A-150 plastic and a future tissue-equivalent plastic formulation should be made research materials, and that a future tissue-equivalent plastic should be made to conform as closely as possible to the soft tissue composition given in ICRU Report 33

  7. Superstring field theory equivalence: Ramond sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kroyter, Michael

    2009-01-01

    We prove that the finite gauge transformation of the Ramond sector of the modified cubic superstring field theory is ill-defined due to collisions of picture changing operators. Despite this problem we study to what extent could a bijective classical correspondence between this theory and the (presumably consistent) non-polynomial theory exist. We find that the classical equivalence between these two theories can almost be extended to the Ramond sector: We construct mappings between the string fields (NS and Ramond, including Chan-Paton factors and the various GSO sectors) of the two theories that send solutions to solutions in a way that respects the linearized gauge symmetries in both sides and keeps the action of the solutions invariant. The perturbative spectrum around equivalent solutions is also isomorphic. The problem with the cubic theory implies that the correspondence of the linearized gauge symmetries cannot be extended to a correspondence of the finite gauge symmetries. Hence, our equivalence is only formal, since it relates a consistent theory to an inconsistent one. Nonetheless, we believe that the fact that the equivalence formally works suggests that a consistent modification of the cubic theory exists. We construct a theory that can be considered as a first step towards a consistent RNS cubic theory.

  8. PrPSc detection in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue by ELISA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicholson Eric M

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue is regularly employed in the diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE by immunohistochemistry (IHC, the standard by which all other TSE diagnostic protocols are judged. While IHC affords advantages over diagnostic approaches that typically utilize fresh or frozen tissue, such as Western blot and ELISA, the process of fixing, staining, and analyzing individual sections by hand does not allow for rapid or high throughput screening. However, preservation of tissues in formalin is not dependent upon the availability of refrigeration. Findings Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from TSE transmission studies of scrapie in sheep, chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer or transmissible mink encephalopathy in cattle were cut at 5 μm thickness. Samples containing the tissue equivalent of as little as one 5 μm section can be used to readily discriminate positive from negative samples. Conclusions This approach cannot replace IHC but may be used along with IHC as both a more rapid and readily high throughput screen where fresh or frozen tissues are not available or impractical.

  9. The proportionate value of proportionality in palliative sedation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, Jeffrey T

    2014-01-01

    Proportionality, as it pertains to palliative sedation, is the notion that sedation should be induced at the lowest degree effective for symptom control, so that the patient's consciousness may be preserved. The pursuit of proportionality in palliative sedation is a widely accepted imperative advocated in position statements and guidelines on this treatment. The priority assigned to the pursuit of proportionality, and the extent to which it is relevant for patients who qualify for palliative sedation, have been overstated. Copyright 2014 The Journal of Clinical Ethics. All rights reserved.

  10. An Efficient Data-driven Tissue Deformation Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mosbech, Thomas Hammershaimb; Ersbøll, Bjarne Kjær; Christensen, Lars Bager

    2009-01-01

    empirical data; 10 pig carcasses are subjected to deformation from a controlled source imitating the cutting tool. The tissue deformation is quantified by means of steel markers inserted into the carcass as a three-dimensional lattice. For each subject marker displacements are monitored through two...... find an association between the first principal mode and the lateral movement. Furthermore, there is a link between this and the ratio of meat-fat quantity - a potentially very useful finding since existing tools for carcass grading and sorting measure equivalent quantities....

  11. Proportional hazards models of infrastructure system recovery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barker, Kash; Baroud, Hiba

    2014-01-01

    As emphasis is being placed on a system's ability to withstand and to recover from a disruptive event, collectively referred to as dynamic resilience, there exists a need to quantify a system's ability to bounce back after a disruptive event. This work applies a statistical technique from biostatistics, the proportional hazards model, to describe (i) the instantaneous rate of recovery of an infrastructure system and (ii) the likelihood that recovery occurs prior to a given point in time. A major benefit of the proportional hazards model is its ability to describe a recovery event as a function of time as well as covariates describing the infrastructure system or disruptive event, among others, which can also vary with time. The proportional hazards approach is illustrated with a publicly available electric power outage data set

  12. Sensing vascularization of ex-vivo produced oral mucosal equivalent (EVPOME) skin grafts in nude mice using optical spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vishwanath, Karthik; Gurjar, Rajan; Kuo, Shiuhyang; Fasi, Anthony; Kim, Roderick; Riccardi, Suzannah; Feinberg, Stephen E.; Wolf, David E.

    2014-03-01

    Repair of soft tissue defects of the lips as seen in complex maxillofacial injuries, requires pre-vascularized multi-tissue composite grafts. Protocols for fabrication of human ex-vivo produced oral mucosal equivalents (EVPOME) composed of epithelial cells and a dermal equivalent are available to create prelaminated flaps for grafting in patients. However, invivo assessment of neovascularization of the buried prelaminated flaps remains clinically challenging. Here, we use diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) to non-invasively quantify longitudinal changes in the vessel density and blood-flow within EVPOME grafts implanted in the backs of SCID mice and subsequently to determine the utility of these optical techniques for assessing vascularization of implanted grafts. 20 animals were implanted with EVPOME grafts (1x1x0.05 cm3) in their backs. DRS and DCS measurements were obtained from each animal both atop the graft site and far away from the graft site, at one week post-implantation, each week, for four consecutive weeks. DRS spectra were analyzed using an inverse Monte Carlo model to extract tissue absorption and scattering coefficients, which were then used to extract blood flow information by fitting the experimental DCS traces. There were clear differences in the mean optical parameters (averaged across all mice) at the graft site vs. the off-site measurements. Both the total hemoglobin concentration (from DRS) and the relative blood flow (from DCS) peaked at week 3 at the graft site and declined to the off-site values by week 4. The optical parameters remained relatively constant throughout 4 weeks for the off-site measurements.

  13. Equivalent drawbead performance in deep drawing simulations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meinders, Vincent T.; Geijselaers, Hubertus J.M.; Huetink, Han

    1999-01-01

    Drawbeads are applied in the deep drawing process to improve the control of the material flow during the forming operation. In simulations of the deep drawing process these drawbeads can be replaced by an equivalent drawbead model. In this paper the usage of an equivalent drawbead model in the

  14. S-equivalents lagrangians in generalized mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Negri, L.J.; Silva, Edna G. da.

    1985-01-01

    The problem of s-equivalent lagrangians is considered in the realm of generalized mechanics. Some results corresponding to the ordinary (non-generalized) mechanics are extended to the generalized case. A theorem for the reduction of the higher order lagrangian description to the usual order is found to be useful for the analysis of generalized mechanical systems and leads to a new class of equivalence between lagrangian functions. Some new perspectives are pointed out. (Author) [pt

  15. Dynamic equivalence relation on the fuzzy measure algebras

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roya Ghasemkhani

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The main goal of the present paper is to extend classical results from the measure theory and dynamical systems to the fuzzy subset setting. In this paper, the notion of  dynamic equivalence relation is introduced and then it is proved that this relation is an equivalence relation. Also, a new metric on the collection of all equivalence classes is introduced and it is proved that this metric is complete.

  16. Present dose limits and their relation to radiosensitivity of different organs and tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1987-01-01

    Dose equivalent limits in relation to dose thresholds are considered for injury of various tissues and organs to evaluate the protection agains non-stochastic irradiation effects by the existing system of dose limitation for radiotherapeutic personnel. Data on tissue radiosensitivity in relation to non-stochastic effects, obtained from radiotherapeutic experience, are presented. Dose threshold values, derived for patients, with a correction in the direction of increase, may be applied to conditions of occupational exposure except for bone marrow, gonads and eye lens, where threshold doses are lower

  17. Geometry of the local equivalence of states

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sawicki, A; Kus, M, E-mail: assawi@cft.edu.pl, E-mail: marek.kus@cft.edu.pl [Center for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warszawa (Poland)

    2011-12-09

    We present a description of locally equivalent states in terms of symplectic geometry. Using the moment map between local orbits in the space of states and coadjoint orbits of the local unitary group, we reduce the problem of local unitary equivalence to an easy part consisting of identifying the proper coadjoint orbit and a harder problem of the geometry of fibers of the moment map. We give a detailed analysis of the properties of orbits of 'equally entangled states'. In particular, we show connections between certain symplectic properties of orbits such as their isotropy and coisotropy with effective criteria of local unitary equivalence. (paper)

  18. Gyrokinetic equivalence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parra, Felix I; Catto, Peter J

    2009-01-01

    We compare two different derivations of the gyrokinetic equation: the Hamiltonian approach in Dubin D H E et al (1983 Phys. Fluids 26 3524) and the recursive methodology in Parra F I and Catto P J (2008 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 50 065014). We prove that both approaches yield the same result at least to second order in a Larmor radius over macroscopic length expansion. There are subtle differences in the definitions of some of the functions that need to be taken into account to prove the equivalence.

  19. Thévenin equivalent based static contingency assessment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2015-01-01

    of the determined present state of the power system and determining a first representation of the network based on the determined Thevenin equivalents, determining a modified representation of the network, wherein the modified representation is a representation of the network having at least one contingency......, wherein at least one Thevenin equivalent of at least one voltage controlled node is modified due to the at least one contingency, the modified network representation being determined on the basis of the modified Thevenin equivalents, calculating voltage angles of the modified Thevenin equivalents......, and evaluating the voltage angles to determine whether the network having at least one contingency admit a steady state. Also a method of providing information on a real time static security assessment of a power system is disclosed....

  20. Putative golden proportions as predictors of facial esthetics in adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiekens, Rosemie M A; Kuijpers-Jagtman, Anne Marie; van 't Hof, Martin A; van 't Hof, Bep E; Maltha, Jaap C

    2008-10-01

    In orthodontics, facial esthetics is assumed to be related to golden proportions apparent in the ideal human face. The aim of the study was to analyze the putative relationship between facial esthetics and golden proportions in white adolescents. Seventy-six adult laypeople evaluated sets of photographs of 64 adolescents on a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 100. The facial esthetic value of each subject was calculated as a mean VAS score. Three observers recorded the position of 13 facial landmarks included in 19 putative golden proportions, based on the golden proportions as defined by Ricketts. The proportions and each proportion's deviation from the golden target (1.618) were calculated. This deviation was then related to the VAS scores. Only 4 of the 19 proportions had a significant negative correlation with the VAS scores, indicating that beautiful faces showed less deviation from the golden standard than less beautiful faces. Together, these variables explained only 16% of the variance. Few golden proportions have a significant relationship with facial esthetics in adolescents. The explained variance of these variables is too small to be of clinical importance.

  1. Teleparallel equivalent of Lovelock gravity

    Science.gov (United States)

    González, P. A.; Vásquez, Yerko

    2015-12-01

    There is a growing interest in modified gravity theories based on torsion, as these theories exhibit interesting cosmological implications. In this work inspired by the teleparallel formulation of general relativity, we present its extension to Lovelock gravity known as the most natural extension of general relativity in higher-dimensional space-times. First, we review the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity and Gauss-Bonnet gravity, and then we construct the teleparallel equivalent of Lovelock gravity. In order to achieve this goal, we use the vielbein and the connection without imposing the Weitzenböck connection. Then, we extract the teleparallel formulation of the theory by setting the curvature to null.

  2. Subjective Proportions: 18th-Century Interpretations of Paestum’s ‘Disproportion’

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sigrid de Jong

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available When 18th-century travellers saw the Doric temples of Paestum in Southern Italy with their own eyes, they observed for the first time true examples of the proportions of archaic Greek architecture. Contrary to the Roman proportional systems, the Greek ones had been largely unavailable to architects until then. With the rediscovery of Paestum, conveniently located south of Naples and not in far away Greece, the secret of Greek proportions was no more. Architects were able to precisely measure the temples and wrote many accounts about their primitive forms and proportions. But what did architects mean exactly when describing the proportions as primitive? What kinds of reflections did these proportions provoke? This article treats proportions as aesthetics, or as visible proportions, not as a numerical system. The discourse on proportions changed in this period, giving more weight to their cultural and historical meaning. The writings by such architects as Soane, Wilkins, and Labrouste demonstrate how Paestum functioned as a laboratory to unveil the secret of primitive proportions, and how, with the different meanings architects attached to them, it enlarged and renewed the debate on proportions.

  3. Fatty acid composition of muscle and adipose tissues of indigenous Caribbean goats under varying nutritional densities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liméa, L; Alexandre, G; Berthelot, V

    2012-02-01

    The effects of a concentrate diet on growth, carcass fat, and fatty acid (FA) composition of muscle (supraspinatus), perirenal, and intermuscular adipose tissues of Creole goats (n = 32) were evaluated. Goats were fed a tropical green forage Digitaria decumbens ad libitum with no concentrate (G0) or 1 of 3 levels of concentrate: 140 (G100), 240 (G200), and 340 g•d(-1) (G300), respectively. Goats were slaughtered according to the standard procedure at the commercial BW (22 to 24 kg of BW). Goats fed the concentrate diets (G100, G200, and G300) had greater ADG (P 0.05). Increased concentrate supplementation did not affect (P > 0.05) the proportion of MUFA in all tissues and had very little effect on SFA in perirenal tissue, but increased the PUFA proportion in muscle (P < 0.05). The major effect of feeding increased concentrate was an increase in n-6 PUFA proportions in all tissues (P < 0.001) and, surprisingly, a decrease in n-3 PUFA (P < 0.001). Focusing on FA, which are supposed to have a beneficial or an adverse effect on human health, feeding increased concentrate did not increase the content of any cholesterol-increasing SFA in meat, but increased the n-6/n-3 ratio above 4 when more than 240 g of concentrate was fed per day.

  4. Dark matter and the equivalence principle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frieman, Joshua A.; Gradwohl, Ben-Ami

    1993-01-01

    A survey is presented of the current understanding of dark matter invoked by astrophysical theory and cosmology. Einstein's equivalence principle asserts that local measurements cannot distinguish a system at rest in a gravitational field from one that is in uniform acceleration in empty space. Recent test-methods for the equivalence principle are presently discussed as bases for testing of dark matter scenarios involving the long-range forces between either baryonic or nonbaryonic dark matter and ordinary matter.

  5. Equivalence of several Chern-Simons matter models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, W.; Itoi, C.

    1994-01-01

    Chern-Simons (CS) coupling characterizes not only statistics, but also spin and scaling dimension of matter fields. We demonstrate spin transmutation in relativistic CS matter theory, and moreover show equivalence of several models. We study the CS vector model in some detail, which provides a consistent check to the assertion of the equivalence

  6. Finding small equivalent decision trees is hard

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zantema, H.; Bodlaender, H.L.

    2000-01-01

    Two decision trees are called decision equivalent if they represent the same function, i.e., they yield the same result for every possible input. We prove that given a decision tree and a number, to decide if there is a decision equivalent decision tree of size at most that number is NPcomplete. As

  7. Higher-order gravity and the classical equivalence principle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Accioly, Antonio; Herdy, Wallace

    2017-11-01

    As is well known, the deflection of any particle by a gravitational field within the context of Einstein’s general relativity — which is a geometrical theory — is, of course, nondispersive. Nevertheless, as we shall show in this paper, the mentioned result will change totally if the bending is analyzed — at the tree level — in the framework of higher-order gravity. Indeed, to first order, the deflection angle corresponding to the scattering of different quantum particles by the gravitational field mentioned above is not only spin dependent, it is also dispersive (energy-dependent). Consequently, it violates the classical equivalence principle (universality of free fall, or equality of inertial and gravitational masses) which is a nonlocal principle. However, contrary to popular belief, it is in agreement with the weak equivalence principle which is nothing but a statement about purely local effects. It is worthy of note that the weak equivalence principle encompasses the classical equivalence principle locally. We also show that the claim that there exists an incompatibility between quantum mechanics and the weak equivalence principle, is incorrect.

  8. Open-air ionisation chambers with walls of soft-tissue equivalent material for measuring photon doses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vialettes, H.; Anceau, J.C.; Grand, M.; Petit, G.

    1968-01-01

    The ionisation chambers presented in this report constitute a contribution to research into methods of carrying out correct determinations in the field of health physics. The use of a mixture of teflon containing 42.5 per cent by weight of carbon for the chamber walls makes it possible to measure directly the dose absorbed in air through 300 mg/cm 2 of soft tissue and, consequently, the dose absorbed in the soft tissues with a maximum error of 10 per cent for photon energies of between 10 keV and 10 MeV. Furthermore since this material does not contain hydrogen, the chamber has a sensitivity to neutrons which is much less than other chambers in current use. Finally the shape of these chambers has been studied with a view to obtaining a satisfactory measurement from the isotropy point of view; for example for gamma radiation of 27 keV, the 3 litre chamber is isotropic to within 10 per cent over 270 degrees, and the 12 litre chamber is isotropic to within 10 per cent over 300 degrees; for 1.25 MeV gamma radiation this range is extended over 330 degrees for the 3 litre chamber, and 360 degrees for the 12 litre chamber. This report presents the measurements carried out with these chambers as well as the results obtained. These results are then compared to those obtained with other chambers currently used in the field of health physics. (authors) [fr

  9. Multiwire proportional chamber for Moessbauer spectroscopy: development and results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, M.S. da.

    1985-12-01

    A new Multiwere proportional Chamber designed for Moessbauer Spectroscopy is presented. This detector allows transmission backscattering experiments using either photons or electrons. The Moessbauer data acquisition system, partially developed for this work is described. A simple method for determining the frontier between true proportional and semi-proportional regions of operation in gaseous detectors is proposed. The study of the tertiary gas mixture He-Ar-CH 4 leads to a straight forward way of energy calibration of the electron spectra. Moessbauer spectra using Fe-57 source are presented. In particular those obtained with backsattered electrons show the feasibility of depth selective analysis with gaseous proportional counters. (author) [pt

  10. The principle of proportionality and European contract law

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cauffman, C.; Rutgers, J.; Sirena, P.

    2015-01-01

    The paper investigates the role of the principle of proportionality within contract law, in balancing the rights and obligations of the contracting parties. It illustrates that the principle of proportionality is one of the general principles which govern contractual relations, and as such it is an

  11. Radiobiological equivalent of low/high dose rate brachytherapy and evaluation of tumor and normal responses to the dose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manimaran, S

    2007-06-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the biological equivalent of low-dose-rate (LDR) and high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in terms of the more recent linear quadratic (LQ) model, which leads to theoretical estimation of biological equivalence. One of the key features of the LQ model is that it allows a more systematic radiobiological comparison between different types of treatment because the main parameters alpha/beta and micro are tissue-specific. Such comparisons also allow assessment of the likely change in the therapeutic ratio when switching between LDR and HDR treatments. The main application of LQ methodology, which focuses on by increasing the availability of remote afterloading units, has been to design fractionated HDR treatments that can replace existing LDR techniques. In this study, with LDR treatments (39 Gy in 48 h) equivalent to 11 fractions of HDR irradiation at the experimental level, there are increasing reports of reproducible animal models that may be used to investigate the biological basis of brachytherapy and to help confirm theoretical predictions. This is a timely development owing to the nonavailability of sufficient retrospective patient data analysis. It appears that HDR brachytherapy is likely to be a viable alternative to LDR only if it is delivered without a prohibitively large number of fractions (e.g., fewer than 11). With increased scientific understanding and technological capability, the prospect of a dose equivalent to HDR brachytherapy will allow greater utilization of the concepts discussed in this article.

  12. Preparation of data relevant to ''Equivalent Uniform Burnup'' and Equivalent Initial Enrichment'' for burnup credit evaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nomura, Yasushi; Okuno, Hiroshi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Murazaki, Minoru [Tokyo Nuclear Service Inc., Tokyo (Japan)

    2001-11-01

    Based on the PWR spent fuel composition data measured at JAERI, two kinds of simplified methods such as ''Equivalent Uniform Burnup'' and ''Equivalent Initial Enrichment'' have been introduced. And relevant evaluation curves have been prepared for criticality safety evaluation of spent fuel storage pool and transport casks, taking burnup of spent fuel into consideration. These simplified methods can be used to obtain an effective neutron multiplication factor for a spent fuel storage/transportation system by using the ORIGEN2.1 burnup code and the KENO-Va criticality code without considering axial burnup profile in spent fuel and other various factors introducing calculated errors. ''Equivalent Uniform Burnup'' is set up for its criticality analysis to be reactivity equivalent with the detailed analysis, in which the experimentally obtained isotopic composition together with a typical axial burnup profile and various factors such as irradiation history are considered on the conservative side. On the other hand, Equivalent Initial Enrichment'' is set up for its criticality analysis to be reactivity equivalent with the detailed analysis such as above when it is used in the so called fresh fuel assumption. (author)

  13. Analysis of equivalent antenna based on FDTD method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun-xing Yang

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available An equivalent microstrip antenna used in radio proximity fuse is presented. The design of this antenna is based on multilayer multi-permittivity dielectric substrate which is analyzed by finite difference time domain (FDTD method. Equivalent iterative formula is modified in the condition of cylindrical coordinate system. The mixed substrate which contains two kinds of media (one of them is airtakes the place of original single substrate. The results of equivalent antenna simulation show that the resonant frequency of equivalent antenna is similar to that of the original antenna. The validity of analysis can be validated by means of antenna resonant frequency formula. Two antennas have same radiation pattern and similar gain. This method can be used to reduce the weight of antenna, which is significant to the design of missile-borne antenna.

  14. Assessment of equivalent dose on the lens in cone beam computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, M. V. L.; Campos, P. S. F.; Andrade, M. E. A.; Soares, M. R.; Batista, W. O.

    2014-08-01

    The Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is presented as a useful test method for the evaluation of craniofacial structures. Among them stands the temporomandibular joint (T MJ) imaging as complementary to clinical evaluation. It must be considered that there is no reference levels established for diagnosis of this imaging modality. In this same context, recently the limit for crystalline lens was reviewed by ICRP which set new values to the equivalent dose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the kerma at the surface of the crystalline lens in T MJ CBCT and derive the equivalent dose. It was used an anthropomorphic phantom of the head and neck (manufactured by: Radiation Support Devices, model; Rs-230) containing equivalent tissue with dimensions of a typical patient. The dosimetric measurements were obtained by using seven pairs of thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) dosimeters (LiF: Mg, Ti) positioned on the surface of the crystalline lens, divided into two pairs (one pair for each eye) per scanner evaluated. The tomographic images were obtained in three CBCT equipment s (Kodak 9000, Gendex GXCB 500 and i-Cat). Values of equivalent dose obtained were: 5.82 mSv (Kodak 9000); 5.38 mSv (Gendex GXCB 500) and 7.98 mSv (i-Cat). These results demonstrate that for this type of procedure the doses are below the annual limit but may vary in accordance with the scanner and the exposure factors used in the image acquisition. The Gendex GXCB500 uses larger Fov and higher kV. It results in levels close to those obtained on Kodak 9000. Larger doses are associated with the i-Cat. Another factor that rises is the repetition of examinations due to positioning errors and / or patient movement, which may exceed the annual limit established by ICRP. Although the ICRP limits are not applied to medical exposures, it is advisable to consider the sensitivity of the organ. For this reason, it is concluded that doses per T MJ procedure on CBCT are below the annual limit and may vary

  15. Assessment of equivalent dose on the lens in cone beam computed tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oliveira, M. V. L.; Campos, P. S. F. [Federal University of Bahia, Department of Health Sciences, Salvador (Brazil); Andrade, M. E. A. [Federal University of Pernambuco, Department of Nuclear Energy, Recife (Brazil); Soares, M. R. [Federal University of Sergipe, Department of Physics, Sao Cristovao (Brazil); Batista, W. O., E-mail: marcusradiology@gmail.com [Federal Institute of Bahia, Department of Applied Sciences, 40.301-015 Salvador (Brazil)

    2014-08-15

    The Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is presented as a useful test method for the evaluation of craniofacial structures. Among them stands the temporomandibular joint (T MJ) imaging as complementary to clinical evaluation. It must be considered that there is no reference levels established for diagnosis of this imaging modality. In this same context, recently the limit for crystalline lens was reviewed by ICRP which set new values to the equivalent dose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the kerma at the surface of the crystalline lens in T MJ CBCT and derive the equivalent dose. It was used an anthropomorphic phantom of the head and neck (manufactured by: Radiation Support Devices, model; Rs-230) containing equivalent tissue with dimensions of a typical patient. The dosimetric measurements were obtained by using seven pairs of thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) dosimeters (LiF: Mg, Ti) positioned on the surface of the crystalline lens, divided into two pairs (one pair for each eye) per scanner evaluated. The tomographic images were obtained in three CBCT equipment s (Kodak 9000, Gendex GXCB 500 and i-Cat). Values of equivalent dose obtained were: 5.82 mSv (Kodak 9000); 5.38 mSv (Gendex GXCB 500) and 7.98 mSv (i-Cat). These results demonstrate that for this type of procedure the doses are below the annual limit but may vary in accordance with the scanner and the exposure factors used in the image acquisition. The Gendex GXCB500 uses larger Fov and higher kV. It results in levels close to those obtained on Kodak 9000. Larger doses are associated with the i-Cat. Another factor that rises is the repetition of examinations due to positioning errors and / or patient movement, which may exceed the annual limit established by ICRP. Although the ICRP limits are not applied to medical exposures, it is advisable to consider the sensitivity of the organ. For this reason, it is concluded that doses per T MJ procedure on CBCT are below the annual limit and may vary

  16. What is Metaphysical Equivalence? | Miller | Philosophical Papers

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Theories are metaphysically equivalent just if there is no fact of the matter that could render one theory true and the other false. In this paper I argue that if we are judiciously to resolve disputes about whether theories are equivalent or not, we need to develop testable criteria that will give us epistemic access to the obtaining ...

  17. Application of combined TLD and CR-39 PNTD method for measurement of total dose and dose equivalent on ISS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benton, E.R.; Deme, S.; Apathy, I.

    2006-01-01

    To date, no single passive detector has been found that measures dose equivalent from ionizing radiation exposure in low-Earth orbit. We have developed the I.S.S. Passive Dosimetry System (P.D.S.), utilizing a combination of TLD in the form of the self-contained Pille TLD system and stacks of CR-39 plastic nuclear track detector (P.N.T.D.) oriented in three mutually orthogonal directions, to measure total dose and dose equivalent aboard the International Space Station (I.S.S.). The Pille TLD system, consisting on an on board reader and a large number of Ca 2 SO 4 :Dy TLD cells, is used to measure absorbed dose. The Pille TLD cells are read out and annealed by the I.S.S. crew on orbit, such that dose information for any time period or condition, e.g. for E.V.A. or following a solar particle event, is immediately available. Near-tissue equivalent CR-39 P.N.T.D. provides Let spectrum, dose, and dose equivalent from charged particles of LET ∞ H 2 O ≥ 10 keV/μm, including the secondaries produced in interactions with high-energy neutrons. Dose information from CR-39 P.N.T.D. is used to correct the absorbed dose component ≥ 10 keV/μm measured in TLD to obtain total dose. Dose equivalent from CR-39 P.N.T.D. is combined with the dose component <10 keV/μm measured in TLD to obtain total dose equivalent. Dose rates ranging from 165 to 250 μGy/day and dose equivalent rates ranging from 340 to 450 μSv/day were measured aboard I.S.S. during the Expedition 2 mission in 2001. Results from the P.D.S. are consistent with those from other passive detectors tested as part of the ground-based I.C.C.H.I.B.A.N. intercomparison of space radiation dosimeters. (authors)

  18. Monte Carlo Method in the calculate of conversion coefficients for dose in children's organs and tissues subjected to dentistric radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loureiro, E.C.M.; Khoury, H.; Lima, F.R.A.

    1998-01-01

    The increasing utilization of oral X-rays, specially in youngsters and children, prompts the assessment of equivalent doses in their organs and tissues. With this purpose, Monte Carlo code was adopted to simulate an X-ray source irradiating phantoms of the MIRD-5 type with different ages (10, 15 and 40 years old) to calculate the conversion coefficients which transform the exposure at skin to equivalent doses at several organs and tissues of interest. In order to check the computer program, simulations were performed for adult patients using the original code (ADAM,FOR developed by GSF Germany) and the adapted program (MCDRO,PAS). Good agreement between results obtained by both programs was observed. Applications to incisive, canine and molar teeth were simulated. The conversion factors were calculated for the following organs and tissues: thyroid, active bone marrow (head and whole body), bone (facial skeleton, cranium and whole body), skin (head and whole body) and crystalline. Based on the obtained results, it follows that the younger the patient and the langer the field area, the higher the doses in assessed organs and tissues

  19. The Source Equivalence Acceleration Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Everson, Matthew S.; Forget, Benoit

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We present a new acceleration method, the Source Equivalence Acceleration Method. • SEAM forms an equivalent coarse group problem for any spatial method. • Equivalence is also formed across different spatial methods and angular quadratures. • Testing is conducted using OpenMOC and performance is compared with CMFD. • Results show that SEAM is preferable for very expensive transport calculations. - Abstract: Fine-group whole-core reactor analysis remains one of the long sought goals of the reactor physics community. Such a detailed analysis is typically too computationally expensive to be realized on anything except the largest of supercomputers. Recondensation using the Discrete Generalized Multigroup (DGM) method, though, offers a relatively cheap alternative to solving the fine group transport problem. DGM, however, suffered from inconsistencies when applied to high-order spatial methods. While an exact spatial recondensation method was developed and provided full spatial consistency with the fine group problem, this approach substantially increased memory requirements for realistic problems. The method described in this paper, called the Source Equivalence Acceleration Method (SEAM), forms a coarse-group problem which preserves the fine-group problem even when using higher order spatial methods. SEAM allows recondensation to converge to the fine-group solution with minimal memory requirements and little additional overhead. This method also provides for consistency when using different spatial methods and angular quadratures between the coarse group and fine group problems. SEAM was implemented in OpenMOC, a 2D MOC code developed at MIT, and its performance tested against Coarse Mesh Finite Difference (CMFD) acceleration on the C5G7 benchmark problem and on a 361 group version of the problem. For extremely expensive transport calculations, SEAM was able to outperform CMFD, resulting in speed-ups of 20–45 relative to the normal power

  20. Using frequency equivalency in stability calculations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gruzdev, I.A.; Temirbulatov, R.A.; Tereshko, L.A.

    1981-01-01

    A methodology for calculating oscillatory instability that involves using frequency equivalency is employed in carrying out the following proceedures: dividing an electric power system into subgroups; determining the adjustments to the automatic excitation control in each subsystem; simplifying the mathematical definition of the separate subsystems by using frequency equivalency; gradually re-tuning the automatic excitation control in the separate subsystems to account for neighboring subsystems by using their equivalent frequency characteristics. The methodology is to be used with a computer program to determine the gain in the stabilization channels of the automatic excitation control unit in which static stability of the entire aggregate of normal and post-breakdown conditions acceptable damping of transient processes are provided. The possibility of reducing the equation series to apply to chosen regions of the existing range of frequencies is demonstrated. The use of the methodology is illustrated in a sample study on stability in a Siberian unified power system.

  1. Water equivalence of polymer gel dosimeters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sellakumar, P.; James Jebaseelan Samuel, E.; Supe, Sanjay S.

    2007-01-01

    To evaluate the water equivalence and radiation transport properties of polymer gel dosimeters over the wide range of photon and electron energies 14 different types of polymer gels were considered. Their water equivalence was evaluated in terms of effective atomic number (Z eff ), electron density (ρ e ), photon mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), photon mass energy absorption coefficient (μ en /ρ) and total stopping power (S/ρ) tot of electrons using the XCOM and the ESTAR database. The study showed that the effective atomic number of polymer gels were very close ( en /ρ for all polymer gels were in close agreement ( tot of electrons in polymer gel dosimeters were within 1% agreement with that of water. From the study we conclude that at lower energy (<80keV) the polymer gel dosimeters cannot be considered water equivalent and study has to be carried out before using the polymer gel for clinical application

  2. Equivalence principle violations and couplings of a light dilaton

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damour, Thibault; Donoghue, John F.

    2010-01-01

    We consider possible violations of the equivalence principle through the exchange of a light 'dilaton-like' scalar field. Using recent work on the quark-mass dependence of nuclear binding, we find that the dilaton-quark-mass coupling induces significant equivalence-principle-violating effects varying like the inverse cubic root of the atomic number - A -1/3 . We provide a general parametrization of the scalar couplings, but argue that two parameters are likely to dominate the equivalence-principle phenomenology. We indicate the implications of this framework for comparing the sensitivities of current and planned experimental tests of the equivalence principle.

  3. A bicategorical approach to Morita equivalence for von Neumann algebras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brouwer, R. M.

    2003-01-01

    We relate Morita equivalence for von Neumann algebras to the ''Connes fusion'' tensor product between correspondences. In the purely algebraic setting, it is well known that rings are Morita equivalent if they are equivalent objects in a bicategory whose 1-cells are bimodules. We present a similar result for von Neumann algebras. We show that von Neumann algebras form a bicategory, having Connes's correspondences as 1-morphisms, and (bounded) intertwiners as 2-morphisms. Further, we prove that two von Neumann algebras are Morita equivalent iff they are equivalent objects in the bicategory. The proofs make extensive use of the Tomita-Takesaki modular theory

  4. Evaluation of impedance on biological Tissues using automatic control measurement system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kil, Sang Hyeong; Shin, Dong Hoon; Lee, Seong Mo [Pusan National University, Yangsan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Moo Seok; Kim, Sang Sik [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Gun FDo; Lee, Jong Kyu [Pukyung National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-08-15

    Each biological tissue has endemic electrical characteristics owing to various differences such as those in cellular arrangement or organization form. The endemic electrical characteristics change when any biological change occurs. This work is a preliminary study surveying the changes in the electrical characteristics of biological tissue caused by radiation exposure. For protection against radiation hazards, therefore the electrical characteristics of living tissue were evaluated after development of the automatic control measurement system using LabVIEW. No alteration of biological tissues was observed before and after measurement of the electrical characteristics, and the biological tissues exhibited similar patterns. Through repeated measurements using the impedance/gain-phase analyzer, the coefficient of variation was determined as within 10%. The reproducibility impedance phase difference in electrical characteristics of the biological tissue did not change, and the tissue had resistance. The absolute value of impedance decreased constantly in proportion to the frequency. It has become possible to understand the electrical characteristics of biological tissues through the measurements made possible by the use of the developed.

  5. Evaluation of impedance on biological Tissues using automatic control measurement system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kil, Sang Hyeong; Shin, Dong Hoon; Lee, Seong Mo; Lee, Moo Seok; Kim, Sang Sik; Kim, Gun FDo; Lee, Jong Kyu

    2015-01-01

    Each biological tissue has endemic electrical characteristics owing to various differences such as those in cellular arrangement or organization form. The endemic electrical characteristics change when any biological change occurs. This work is a preliminary study surveying the changes in the electrical characteristics of biological tissue caused by radiation exposure. For protection against radiation hazards, therefore the electrical characteristics of living tissue were evaluated after development of the automatic control measurement system using LabVIEW. No alteration of biological tissues was observed before and after measurement of the electrical characteristics, and the biological tissues exhibited similar patterns. Through repeated measurements using the impedance/gain-phase analyzer, the coefficient of variation was determined as within 10%. The reproducibility impedance phase difference in electrical characteristics of the biological tissue did not change, and the tissue had resistance. The absolute value of impedance decreased constantly in proportion to the frequency. It has become possible to understand the electrical characteristics of biological tissues through the measurements made possible by the use of the developed.

  6. The principle of proportionality revisited: interpretations and applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hermerén, Göran

    2012-11-01

    The principle of proportionality is used in many different contexts. Some of these uses and contexts are first briefly indicated. This paper focusses on the use of this principle as a moral principle. I argue that under certain conditions the principle of proportionality is helpful as a guide in decision-making. But it needs to be clarified and to be used with some flexibility as a context-dependent principle. Several interpretations of the principle are distinguished, using three conditions as a starting point: importance of objective, relevance of means, and most favourable option. The principle is then tested against an example, which suggests that a fourth condition, focusing on non-excessiveness, needs to be added. I will distinguish between three main interpretations of the principle, some primarily with uses in research ethics, others with uses in other areas of bioethics, for instance in comparisons of therapeutic means and ends. The relations between the principle of proportionality and the precautionary principle are explored in the following section. It is concluded that the principles are different and may even clash. In the next section the principle of proportionality is applied to some medical examples drawn from research ethics and bioethics. In concluding, the status of the principle of proportionality as a moral principle is discussed. What has been achieved so far and what remains to be done is finally summarized.

  7. An equivalent fluid/equivalent medium approach for the numerical simulation of coastal landslides propagation: theory and case studies

    OpenAIRE

    P. Mazzanti; F. Bozzano

    2009-01-01

    Coastal and subaqueous landslides can be very dangerous phenomena since they are characterised by the additional risk of induced tsunamis, unlike their completely-subaerial counterparts. Numerical modelling of landslides propagation is a key step in forecasting the consequences of landslides. In this paper, a novel approach named Equivalent Fluid/Equivalent Medium (EFEM) has been developed. It adapts common numerical models and software that were originally designed for subaerial landslides i...

  8. Tissue distribution and excretion of radioactivity following administration of 14C-labeled deoxynivalenol to White Leghorn hens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prelusky, D.B.; Hamilton, R.M.; Trenholm, H.L.; Miller, J.D.

    1986-01-01

    The disposition of [ 14 C]deoxynivalenol ([ 14 C]DON) administered to hens as either a single oral dose or consumed in spiked feed over a 6-day period was determined by tracing the specific radioactivity of tissues and excreta. Following a single intubated dose (2.2 mg [ 14 C]DON; 2.4 microCi/bird), the toxin was found to be poorly absorbed; peak plasma levels (2-2.5 hr post-treatment) accounted for less than 1% of the administered dose. Maximum tissue residues were measured at 3 hr in all tissues (liver, kidney, brain, heart, spleen, proventriculus, gizzard, small intestine) except for fat, muscle, and oviduct which occurred at 6 hr postdosing. Among the organs, the highest activities were measured in kidney, liver, and spleen; however, these levels were equal to less than 500 ng DON equivalents/g tissue, and declined quickly. Clearance of radioactivity from tissue had an average half-life of 16.83 +/- 8.2 hr (range 7.7-33.3 hr, depending on the tissue). Elimination of the labeled toxin in excreta occurred rapidly; recovery of radioactivity accounted for 78.6, 92.1, and 98.5% of the dose by 24, 48, and 72 hr, respectively. In continuously dosed birds fed 2.2 mg unlabeled DON for 6 days followed by 2.2 mg (1.5 microCi) [ 14 C]DON for 6 days, accumulation of radioactivity in tissues did not occur. Maximum residual levels, which occurred in the kidneys, were only 60 ng DON equivalents/g. Estimated level of residues contained in the edible tissues amounted to only 13-16 micrograms DON/1.5 kg hen

  9. The equivalence principle in classical mechanics and quantum mechanics

    OpenAIRE

    Mannheim, Philip D.

    1998-01-01

    We discuss our understanding of the equivalence principle in both classical mechanics and quantum mechanics. We show that not only does the equivalence principle hold for the trajectories of quantum particles in a background gravitational field, but also that it is only because of this that the equivalence principle is even to be expected to hold for classical particles at all.

  10. Simulation of silicon microdosimetry spectra in fast neutron therapy using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo toolkit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornelius, I.M.; Rosenfeld, A.B.

    2003-01-01

    Microdosimetry is used to predict the biological effects of the densely ionizing radiation environments of hadron therapy and space. The creation of a solid state microdosimeter to replace the conventional Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) is a topic of ongoing research. The Centre for Medical Radiation Physics has been investigating a technique using microscopic arrays of reverse biased PN junctions. A prototype silicon-on-insulator (SOI) microdosimeter was developed and preliminary measurements have been conducted at several hadron therapy facilities. Several factors impede the application of silicon microdosimeters to hadron therapy. One of the major limitations is that of tissue equivalence, ideally the silicon microdosimeter should provide a microdosimetry distribution identical to that of a microscopic volume of tissue. For microdosimetry in neutron fields, such as Fast Neutron Therapy, it is important that products resulting from neutron interactions in the non tissue equivalent sensitive volume do not contribute significantly to the spectrum. Experimental measurements have been conducted at the Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center, Harper Hospital, Detroit by Bradley et al. The aim was to provide a comparison with measurements performed with a TEPC under identical experimental conditions. Monte Carlo based calculations of these measurements were made using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo toolkit. Agreement between experimental and theoretical results was observed. The model illustrated the importance of neutron interactions in the non tissue equivalent sensitive volume and showed this effect to decrease with sensitive volume size as expected. Simulations were also performed for 1 micron cubic silicon sensitive volumes embedded in tissue equivalent material to predict the best case scenario for silicon microdosimetry in Fast Neutron Therapy

  11. Electrical circuit modeling and analysis of microwave acoustic interaction with biological tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Fei; Zheng, Qian; Zheng, Yuanjin

    2014-05-01

    Numerical study of microwave imaging and microwave-induced thermoacoustic imaging utilizes finite difference time domain (FDTD) analysis for simulation of microwave and acoustic interaction with biological tissues, which is time consuming due to complex grid-segmentation and numerous calculations, not straightforward due to no analytical solution and physical explanation, and incompatible with hardware development requiring circuit simulator such as SPICE. In this paper, instead of conventional FDTD numerical simulation, an equivalent electrical circuit model is proposed to model the microwave acoustic interaction with biological tissues for fast simulation and quantitative analysis in both one and two dimensions (2D). The equivalent circuit of ideal point-like tissue for microwave-acoustic interaction is proposed including transmission line, voltage-controlled current source, envelop detector, and resistor-inductor-capacitor (RLC) network, to model the microwave scattering, thermal expansion, and acoustic generation. Based on which, two-port network of the point-like tissue is built and characterized using pseudo S-parameters and transducer gain. Two dimensional circuit network including acoustic scatterer and acoustic channel is also constructed to model the 2D spatial information and acoustic scattering effect in heterogeneous medium. Both FDTD simulation, circuit simulation, and experimental measurement are performed to compare the results in terms of time domain, frequency domain, and pseudo S-parameters characterization. 2D circuit network simulation is also performed under different scenarios including different sizes of tumors and the effect of acoustic scatterer. The proposed circuit model of microwave acoustic interaction with biological tissue could give good agreement with FDTD simulated and experimental measured results. The pseudo S-parameters and characteristic gain could globally evaluate the performance of tumor detection. The 2D circuit network

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2013-01-01

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

  13. One-Step Preservation of Phosphoproteins and Tissue Morphology at Room Temperature for Diagnostic and Research Specimens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Claudius; Edmiston, Kirsten H.; Carpenter, Calvin; Gaffney, Eoin; Ryan, Ciara; Ward, Ronan; White, Susan; Memeo, Lorenzo; Colarossi, Cristina; Petricoin, Emanuel F.; Liotta, Lance A.; Espina, Virginia

    2011-01-01

    Background There is an urgent need to measure phosphorylated cell signaling proteins in cancer tissue for the individualization of molecular targeted kinase inhibitor therapy. However, phosphoproteins fluctuate rapidly following tissue procurement. Snap-freezing preserves phosphoproteins, but is unavailable in most clinics and compromises diagnostic morphology. Formalin fixation preserves tissue histomorphology, but penetrates tissue slowly, and is unsuitable for stabilizing phosphoproteins. We originated and evaluated a novel one-step biomarker and histology preservative (BHP) chemistry that stabilizes signaling protein phosphorylation and retains formalin-like tissue histomorphology with equivalent immunohistochemistry in a single paraffin block. Results Total protein yield extracted from BHP-fixed, routine paraffin-embedded mouse liver was 100% compared to snap-frozen tissue. The abundance of 14 phosphorylated proteins was found to be stable over extended fixation times in BHP fixed paraffin embedded human colon mucosa. Compared to matched snap-frozen tissue, 8 phosphoproteins were equally preserved in mouse liver, while AMPKβ1 Ser108 was slightly elevated after BHP fixation. More than 25 tissues from mouse, cat and human specimens were evaluated for preservation of histomorphology. Selected tissues were evaluated in a multi-site, independent pathology review. Tissue fixed with BHP showed equivalent preservation of cytoplasmic and membrane cytomorphology, with significantly better nuclear chromatin preservation by BHP compared to formalin. Immunohistochemical staining of 13 non-phosphorylated proteins, including estrogen receptor alpha, progesterone receptor, Ki-67 and Her2, was equal to or stronger in BHP compared to formalin. BHP demonstrated significantly improved immunohistochemical detection of phosphorylated proteins ERK Thr202/Tyr204, GSK3-α/β Ser21/Ser9, p38-MAPK Thr180/Tyr182, eIF4G Ser1108 and Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Ser79. Conclusion In a single

  14. One-step preservation of phosphoproteins and tissue morphology at room temperature for diagnostic and research specimens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudius Mueller

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need to measure phosphorylated cell signaling proteins in cancer tissue for the individualization of molecular targeted kinase inhibitor therapy. However, phosphoproteins fluctuate rapidly following tissue procurement. Snap-freezing preserves phosphoproteins, but is unavailable in most clinics and compromises diagnostic morphology. Formalin fixation preserves tissue histomorphology, but penetrates tissue slowly, and is unsuitable for stabilizing phosphoproteins. We originated and evaluated a novel one-step biomarker and histology preservative (BHP chemistry that stabilizes signaling protein phosphorylation and retains formalin-like tissue histomorphology with equivalent immunohistochemistry in a single paraffin block. RESULTS: Total protein yield extracted from BHP-fixed, routine paraffin-embedded mouse liver was 100% compared to snap-frozen tissue. The abundance of 14 phosphorylated proteins was found to be stable over extended fixation times in BHP fixed paraffin embedded human colon mucosa. Compared to matched snap-frozen tissue, 8 phosphoproteins were equally preserved in mouse liver, while AMPKβ1 Ser108 was slightly elevated after BHP fixation. More than 25 tissues from mouse, cat and human specimens were evaluated for preservation of histomorphology. Selected tissues were evaluated in a multi-site, independent pathology review. Tissue fixed with BHP showed equivalent preservation of cytoplasmic and membrane cytomorphology, with significantly better nuclear chromatin preservation by BHP compared to formalin. Immunohistochemical staining of 13 non-phosphorylated proteins, including estrogen receptor alpha, progesterone receptor, Ki-67 and Her2, was equal to or stronger in BHP compared to formalin. BHP demonstrated significantly improved immunohistochemical detection of phosphorylated proteins ERK Thr202/Tyr204, GSK3-α/β Ser21/Ser9, p38-MAPK Thr180/Tyr182, eIF4G Ser1108 and Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Ser79

  15. A Neurocomputational Approach to Trained and Transitive Relations in Equivalence Classes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ángel E. Tovar

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available A stimulus class can be composed of perceptually different but functionally equivalent stimuli. The relations between the stimuli that are grouped in a class can be learned or derived from other stimulus relations. If stimulus A is equivalent to B, and B is equivalent to C, then the equivalence between A and C can be derived without explicit training. In this work we propose, with a neurocomputational model, a basic learning mechanism for the formation of equivalence. We also describe how the relatedness between the members of an equivalence class is developed for both trained and derived stimulus relations. Three classic studies on stimulus equivalence are simulated covering typical and atypical populations as well as nodal distance effects. This model shows a mechanism by which certain stimulus associations are selectively strengthened even when they are not co-presented in the environment. This model links the field of equivalence classes to accounts of Hebbian learning and categorization, and points to the pertinence of modeling stimulus equivalence to explore the effect of variations in training protocols.

  16. Investigating the protective properties of milk phospholipids against ultraviolet light exposure in a skin equivalent model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Ashley; Laubscher, Andrea; Jimenez-Flores, Rafael; Laiho, Lily H.

    2010-02-01

    Current research on bioactive molecules in milk has documented health advantages of bovine milk and its components. Milk Phospholipids, selected for this study, represent molecules with great potential benefit in human health and nutrition. In this study we used confocal reflectance and multiphoton microscopy to monitor changes in skin morphology upon skin exposure to ultraviolet light and evaluate the potential of milk phospholipids in preventing photodamage to skin equivalent models. The results suggest that milk phospholipids act upon skin cells in a protective manner against the effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Similar results were obtained from MTT tissue viability assay and histology.

  17. Position sensitive proportional counters as focal plane detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ford, J.L.C. Jr.

    1979-01-01

    The rise time and charge division techniques for position decoding with RC-line proportional counters are reviewed. The advantages that these detectors offer as focal plane counters for nuclear spectroscopy performed with magnetic spectrographs are discussed. The theory of operation of proportional counters as position sensing devices is summarized, as well as practical aspects affecting their application. Factors limiting the position and energy resolutions obtainable with a focal plane proportional counter are evaluated and measured position and energy loss values are presented for comparison. Detector systems capable of the multiparameter measurements required for particle identification, background suppression and ray-tracing are described in order to illustrate the wide applicability of proportional counters within complex focal plane systems. Examples of the use of these counters other than with magnetic spectrographs are given in order to demonstrate their usefulness in not only nuclear physics but also in fields such as solid state physics, biology, and medicine. The influence of the new focal plane detector systems on future magnetic spectrograph designs is discussed. (Auth.)

  18. Count rate effect in proportional counters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bednarek, B.

    1980-01-01

    A critical evaluaton is presented of the actual state of investigations and explanations of the resolution and pulse height changes resulted in proportional counters from radiation intensity variations. (author)

  19. Self-assembly of tissue spheroids on polymeric membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messina, Antonietta; Morelli, Sabrina; Forgacs, Gabor; Barbieri, Giuseppe; Drioli, Enrico; De Bartolo, Loredana

    2017-07-01

    In this study, multicellular tissue spheroids were fabricated on polymeric membranes in order to accelerate the fusion process and tissue formation. To this purpose, tissue spheroids composed of three different cell types, myoblasts, fibroblasts and neural cells, were formed and cultured on agarose and membranes of polycaprolactone (PCL) and chitosan (CHT). Membranes prepared by a phase-inversion technique display different physicochemical, mechanical and transport properties, which can affect the fusion process. The membranes accelerated the fusion process of a pair of spheroids with respect to the inert substrate. In this process, a critical role is played by the membrane properties, especially by their mechanical characteristics and oxygen and carbon dioxide mass transfer. The rate of fusion was quantified and found to be similar for fibroblast, myoblast and neural tissue spheroids on membranes, which completed the fusion within 3 days. These spheroids underwent faster fusion and maturation on PCL membrane than on agarose, the rate of fusion being proportional to the value of oxygen and carbon dioxide permeances and elastic characteristics. Consequently, tissue spheroids on the membranes expressed high biological activity in terms of oxygen uptake, making them more suitable as building blocks in the fabrication of tissues and organs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. X-ray proportional counter for the Viking Lander

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glesius, F.L.; Kroon, J.C.; Castro, A.J.; Clark, B.C.

    1978-01-01

    A set of four sealed proportional counters with optimized energy response is employed in the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer units aboard the two Viking Landers. The instruments have provided quantitative elemental analyses of soil samples taken from the Martian surface. This paper discusses the design and development of these miniature proportional counters, and describes their performance on Mars

  1. Antiobesity effects of resveratrol: which tissues are involved?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Quintela, Alfredo; Milton-Laskibar, Iñaki; González, Marcela; Portillo, Maria P

    2017-09-01

    The prevalence of obesity has been increasing in recent decades and is reaching epidemic proportions. The current options for overweight and obesity management are energy restriction and physical activity. However, compliance with these treatments is frequently poor and less successful than expected. Therefore, the scientific community is interested in active biomolecules, which may be useful in body weight management. Among them, resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) has generated great interest as an antiobesity agent. The focus of this report is the mechanisms of action of resveratrol on several tissues (i.e., white and brown adipose tissues, liver, and skeletal muscle). Resveratrol blunts fat accumulation through decreasing adipogenesis and/or de novo lipogenesis in white adipose tissue. The effects on lipolysis are controversial. Regarding brown adipose tissue, resveratrol increases the capacity for adaptive thermogenesis. As far as liver and skeletal muscle is concerned, resveratrol increases lipid oxidation in both tissues. Therefore, in rodents, there is a general consensus concerning the effect of resveratrol on reducing body fat accumulation. By contrast, in humans, the studies are scarce, and no clear antiobesity action has been revealed so far. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

  2. The lexicographical handling of grammatical equivalence: the case ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Lexicographers compiling translating dictionaries are not exclusively concerned with semantic equivalence when selecting translating equivalents for lemmata, but often include also grammatical information in illustrative examples when the lexical item to be translated does not have an exact grammatical counterpart in the ...

  3. Physical and microdosimetric studies of neutron beams used in radiobiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavigne, Bernard.

    1978-10-01

    Microdosimetry is concerned with the energy imparted in microscopic regions irradiated with different radiations. The energy imparted is subject to random fluctuations. The probability distribution may be estimated by measurements or by computing code. The results obtained with a tissue-equivalent proportional counter of Rossi type are compared with those obtained by means of the computer code of DENNIS and EDWARDS. Beams of monoenergetic neutrons of 0.68 MeV, 2.18 MeV, 3.53 MeV, 5.5 MeV and 14.18 MeV, and fission neutrons were used. The computer code requires that neutron spectrum and W, the mean energy expanded in a gas per ion pair formed are determined. The first part of the report thus describes: -spectrometric measurements done with a NE 213 scintillator; -W measurements with a chamber operating alternately as ionization chamber and proportional counter. Results are given for H + , He + , C + , N + and O + ions in argon and tissue-equivalent gas in the energy range 25 keV - 500 keV [fr

  4. Polychlorinated naphthalenes in human adipose tissue from New York, USA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kunisue, Tatsuya; Johnson-Restrepo, Boris; Hilker, David R.; Aldous, Kenneth M.; Kannan, Kurunthachalam

    2009-01-01

    Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic contaminants. Prior to this study, the occurrence of PCNs in human adipose tissues from the USA has not been analyzed. Here, we have measured concentrations of PCNs in human adipose tissue samples collected in New York City during 2003-2005. Concentrations of PCNs were in the range of 61-2500 pg/g lipid wt. in males and 21-910 pg/g lipid wt. in females. PCN congeners 52/60 (1,2,3,5,7/1,2,4,6,7) and 66/67 (1,2,3,4,6,7/1,2,3,5,6,7) were predominant, collectively accounting for 66% of the total PCN concentrations. Concentrations of PCNs in human adipose tissues were 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the previously reported concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Concentrations of PCNs were not correlated with PCB concentrations. The contribution of PCNs to dioxin-like toxic equivalents (TEQs) in human adipose tissues was estimated to be <1% of the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofuran (PCDD/F)-TEQs. - Polychlorinated naphthalenes have been measured in human adipose tissues from the USA for the first time

  5. The cross-cultural equivalence of participation instruments: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevelink, S A M; van Brakel, W H

    2013-07-01

    Concepts such as health-related quality of life, disability and participation may differ across cultures. Consequently, when assessing such a concept using a measure developed elsewhere, it is important to test its cultural equivalence. Previous research suggested a lack of cultural equivalence testing in several areas of measurement. This paper reviews the process of cross-cultural equivalence testing of instruments to measure participation in society. An existing cultural equivalence framework was adapted and used to assess participation instruments on five categories of equivalence: conceptual, item, semantic, measurement and operational equivalence. For each category, several aspects were rated, resulting in an overall category rating of 'minimal/none', 'partial' or 'extensive'. The best possible overall study rating was five 'extensive' ratings. Articles were included if the instruments focussed explicitly on measuring 'participation' and were theoretically grounded in the ICIDH(-2) or ICF. Cross-validation articles were only included if it concerned an adaptation of an instrument developed in a high or middle-income country to a low-income country or vice versa. Eight cross-cultural validation studies were included in which five participation instruments were tested (Impact on Participation and Autonomy, London Handicap Scale, Perceived Impact and Problem Profile, Craig Handicap Assessment Reporting Technique, Participation Scale). Of these eight studies, only three received at least two 'extensive' ratings for the different categories of equivalence. The majority of the cultural equivalence ratings given were 'partial' and 'minimal/none'. The majority of the 'none/minimal' ratings were given for item and measurement equivalence. The cross-cultural equivalence testing of the participation instruments included leaves much to be desired. A detailed checklist is proposed for designing a cross-validation study. Once a study has been conducted, the checklist can

  6. Simulation-Based Prediction of Equivalent Continuous Noises during Construction Processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hong; Pei, Yun

    2016-08-12

    Quantitative prediction of construction noise is crucial to evaluate construction plans to help make decisions to address noise levels. Considering limitations of existing methods for measuring or predicting the construction noise and particularly the equivalent continuous noise level over a period of time, this paper presents a discrete-event simulation method for predicting the construction noise in terms of equivalent continuous level. The noise-calculating models regarding synchronization, propagation and equivalent continuous level are presented. The simulation framework for modeling the noise-affected factors and calculating the equivalent continuous noise by incorporating the noise-calculating models into simulation strategy is proposed. An application study is presented to demonstrate and justify the proposed simulation method in predicting the equivalent continuous noise during construction. The study contributes to provision of a simulation methodology to quantitatively predict the equivalent continuous noise of construction by considering the relevant uncertainties, dynamics and interactions.

  7. Proportional feedback control of laminar flow over a hemisphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jung Il [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Son, Dong Gun [Severe Accident and PHWR Safety Research Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-08-15

    In the present study, we perform a proportional feedback control of laminar flow over a hemisphere at Re = 300 to reduce its lift fluctuations by attenuating the strength of the vortex shedding. As a control input, blowing/suction is distributed on the surface of hemisphere before the separation, and its strength is linearly proportional to the transverse velocity at a sensing location in the centerline of the wake. The sensing location is determined based on a correlation function between the lift force and the time derivative of sensing velocity. The optimal proportional gains for the proportional control are obtained for the sensing locations considered. The present control successfully attenuates the velocity fluctuations at the sensing location and three dimensional vertical structures in the wake, resulting in the reduction of lift fluctuations of hemisphere.

  8. Multiphase poroelastic finite element models for soft tissue structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, B.R.

    1992-01-01

    During the last two decades, biological structures with soft tissue components have been modeled using poroelastic or mixture-based constitutive laws, i.e., the material is viewed as a deformable (porous) solid matrix that is saturated by mobile tissue fluid. These structures exhibit a highly nonlinear, history-dependent material behavior; undergo finite strains; and may swell or shrink when tissue ionic concentrations are altered. Give the geometric and material complexity of soft tissue structures and that they are subjected to complicated initial and boundary conditions, finite element models (FEMs) have been very useful for quantitative structural analyses. This paper surveys recent applications of poroelastic and mixture-based theories and the associated FEMs for the study of the biomechanics of soft tissues, and indicates future directions for research in this area. Equivalent finite-strain poroelastic and mixture continuum biomechanical models are presented. Special attention is given to the identification of material properties using a porohyperelastic constitutive law ans a total Lagrangian view for the formulation. The associated FEMs are then formulated to include this porohyperelastic material response and finite strains. Extensions of the theory are suggested in order to include inherent viscoelasticity, transport phenomena, and swelling in soft tissue structures. A number of biomechanical research areas are identified, and possible applications of the porohyperelastic and mixture-based FEMs are suggested. 62 refs., 11 figs., 3 tabs

  9. The Application of Equivalence Theory to Advertising Translation

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    张颖

    2017-01-01

    Through analyzing equivalence theory, the author tries to find a solution to the problems arising in the process of ad?vertising translation. These problems include cultural diversity, language diversity and special requirement of advertisement. The author declares that Nida''s functional equivalence is one of the most appropriate theories to deal with these problems. In this pa?per, the author introduces the principles of advertising translation and culture divergences in advertising translation, and then gives some advertising translation practices to explain and analyze how to create good advertising translation by using functional equivalence. At last, the author introduces some strategies in advertising translation.

  10. The principle of equivalence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Unnikrishnan, C.S.

    1994-01-01

    Principle of equivalence was the fundamental guiding principle in the formulation of the general theory of relativity. What are its key elements? What are the empirical observations which establish it? What is its relevance to some new experiments? These questions are discussed in this article. (author). 11 refs., 5 figs

  11. Equivalent Colorings with "Maple"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cecil, David R.; Wang, Rongdong

    2005-01-01

    Many counting problems can be modeled as "colorings" and solved by considering symmetries and Polya's cycle index polynomial. This paper presents a "Maple 7" program link http://users.tamuk.edu/kfdrc00/ that, given Polya's cycle index polynomial, determines all possible associated colorings and their partitioning into equivalence classes. These…

  12. Lipschitz equivalence of self-similar sets with touching structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruan, Huo-Jun; Wang, Yang; Xi, Li-Feng

    2014-01-01

    Lipschitz equivalence of self-similar sets is an important area in the study of fractal geometry. It is known that two dust-like self-similar sets with the same contraction ratios are always Lipschitz equivalent. However, when self-similar sets have touching structures the problem of Lipschitz equivalence becomes much more challenging and intriguing at the same time. So far, all the known results only cover self-similar sets in R with no more than three branches. In this study we establish results for the Lipschitz equivalence of self-similar sets with touching structures in R with arbitrarily many branches. Key to our study is the introduction of a geometric condition for self-similar sets called substitutable. (paper)

  13. Estimating water equivalent snow depth from related meteorological variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steyaert, L.T.; LeDuc, S.K.; Strommen, N.D.; Nicodemus, M.L.; Guttman, N.B.

    1980-05-01

    Engineering design must take into consideration natural loads and stresses caused by meteorological elements, such as, wind, snow, precipitation and temperature. The purpose of this study was to determine a relationship of water equivalent snow depth measurements to meteorological variables. Several predictor models were evaluated for use in estimating water equivalent values. These models include linear regression, principal component regression, and non-linear regression models. Linear, non-linear and Scandanavian models are used to generate annual water equivalent estimates for approximately 1100 cooperative data stations where predictor variables are available, but which have no water equivalent measurements. These estimates are used to develop probability estimates of snow load for each station. Map analyses for 3 probability levels are presented

  14. Saving Money Using Proportional Reasoning

    Science.gov (United States)

    de la Cruz, Jessica A.; Garney, Sandra

    2016-01-01

    It is beneficial for students to discover intuitive strategies, as opposed to the teacher presenting strategies to them. Certain proportional reasoning tasks are more likely to elicit intuitive strategies than other tasks. The strategies that students are apt to use when approaching a task, as well as the likelihood of a student's success or…

  15. A bicategorical approach to Morita equivalence for Von Neumann algebras

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.M. Brouwer (Rachel)

    2003-01-01

    textabstractWe relate Morita equivalence for von Neumann algebras to the ``Connes fusion'' tensor product between correspondences. In the purely algebraic setting, it is well known that rings are Morita equivalent if and only if they are equivalent objects in a bicategory whose 1-cells are

  16. Les proportions des verbes SAY/DIRE/ŘÍCI dans les propositions incises et leurs équivalents en traduction : étude sur corpus parallèle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga Nádvorníková

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available EN: The aim of this paper is to identify and compare the distribution of the verbs say/dire/říci-říkat in reporting clauses placed medially or finally, and to analyze types of their equivalents in translations (French-English-Czech. Our hypothesis is that in translations from a language with a higher proportion of the neutral verbs say/dire/říci-říkat in reporting clauses into a language where their proportion is lower, the number of replacements of these verbs, especially using explicitation, will be higher than in the opposite direction of translation. The analysis is based on fiction texts from the InterCorp parallel corpus. FR: L’objectif du présent article est d’identifier et de comparer les proportions des verbes say/dire/ří- ci-říkat dans les propositions incises et d’analyser les types de leurs équivalents en traduction (français-anglais-tchèque. Nous avançons l’hypothèse que dans les traductions depuis des langues à proportion élevée de ces verbes de dire neutres dans les incises vers les langues où leur proportion s’avère moins élevée, les traducteurs auront davantage recours à l’explicitation ou à d’autres remplacements du verbe de dire neutre que dans l’autre sens de la traduction. L’analyse est basée sur le corpus parallèle InterCorp, limité aux textes littéraires.

  17. The new remcounter LB6411: Measurement of neutron ambient dose equivalent H*(10) according to ICRP60 with high sensitivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klett, A.; Burgkhardt, B.

    1996-01-01

    Since the International Commission on Radiological Protection has issued in publication ICRP60 new recommendations on radiation protection quantities, in neutron monitoring there is now increasing Interest in commercially available instruments optimized and calibrated for the measurement of ambient dose equivalent H*(10). Therefore within a joint cooperation between the Research Center Karlsruhe and EG ampersand G Berthold the neutron-dose-rate meter LB6411 was newly developed. The detector system with integrated electronics has a 3 He proportional counter tube centered in a moderating sphere. The response between thermal energies and 20 MeV was optimized with the help of extensive MCNP Monte-Carlo calculations. The instrument has extremely high sensitivity of approximately 3 counts per nSv and can be used both as a portable or as a stationary neutron monitor. Fluence responses and angular dependencies had been measured in monoenergetic neutron beams provided by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig, Germany. The ambient dose equivalent response of the LB6411 is reported over the whole energy range

  18. Coronaviruses in brain tissue from patients with multiple sclerosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dessau, R B; Lisby, G; Frederiksen, J L

    2001-01-01

    Brain tissue from 25 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) and as controls brain tissue from 36 patients without neurological disease was tested for the presence of human coronaviral RNA. Four PCR assays with primers specific for N-protein of human coronavirus strain 229E...... and three PCR assays with primers specific for the nucleocapsid protein of human coronavirus strain OC43 were performed. Sporadic positive PCR assays were observed in both patients and controls in some of the PCR assays. However, these results were not reproducible and there was no difference...... in the proportion of positive signals from the MS patients compared to controls. Evidence for a chronic infection with the human coronaviruses strain 229E or OC43 in brain tissue from patients with MS or controls has not been found in this study....

  19. Bisimulation Meet PCTL Equivalences for Probabilistic Automata (Journal Version)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Song, Lei; Zhang, Lijun; Godskesen, Jens Christian

    2013-01-01

    Probabilistic automata (PA) have been successfully applied in the formal verification of concurrent and stochastic systems. Efficient model checking algorithms have been studied, where the most often used logics for expressing properties are based on PCTL and its extension PCTL*. Various behavioral...... equivalences are proposed for PAs, as a powerful tool for abstraction and compositional minimization for PAs. Unfortunately, the behavioral equivalences are well-known to be strictly stronger than the logical equivalences induced by PCTL or PCTL*. This paper introduces novel notions of strong bisimulation...... relations, which characterizes PCTL and PCTL* exactly. We also extend weak bisimulations characterizing PCTL and PCTL* without next operator, respectively. Thus, our paper bridges the gap between logical and behavioral equivalences in this setting....

  20. A reduced feedback proportional fair multiuser scheduling scheme

    KAUST Repository

    Shaqfeh, Mohammad

    2011-12-01

    Multiuser switched-diversity scheduling schemes were recently proposed in order to overcome the heavy feedback requirements of conventional opportunistic scheduling schemes by applying a threshold-based, distributed and ordered scheduling mechanism. A slight reduction in the prospected multiuser diversity gains is an acceptable trade-off for great savings in terms of required channel-state-information feedback messages. In this work, we propose a novel proportional fair multiuser switched-diversity scheduling scheme and we demonstrate that it can be optimized using a practical and distributed method to obtain the per-user feedback thresholds. We demonstrate by numerical examples that our reduced feedback proportional fair scheduler operates within 0.3 bits/sec/Hz from the achievable rates by the conventional full feedback proportional fair scheduler in Rayleigh fading conditions. © 2011 IEEE.