A framework for automatic creation of gold-standard rigid 3D-2D registration datasets.

PubMed

Madan, Hennadii; Pernuš, Franjo; Likar, Boštjan; Špiclin, Žiga

2017-02-01

Advanced image-guided medical procedures incorporate 2D intra-interventional information into pre-interventional 3D image and plan of the procedure through 3D/2D image registration (32R). To enter clinical use, and even for publication purposes, novel and existing 32R methods have to be rigorously validated. The performance of a 32R method can be estimated by comparing it to an accurate reference or gold standard method (usually based on fiducial markers) on the same set of images (gold standard dataset). Objective validation and comparison of methods are possible only if evaluation methodology is standardized, and the gold standard  dataset is made publicly available. Currently, very few such datasets exist and only one contains images of multiple patients acquired during a procedure. To encourage the creation of gold standard 32R datasets, we propose an automatic framework. The framework is based on rigid registration of fiducial markers. The main novelty is spatial grouping of fiducial markers on the carrier device, which enables automatic marker localization and identification across the 3D and 2D images. The proposed framework was demonstrated on clinical angiograms of 20 patients. Rigid 32R computed by the framework was more accurate than that obtained manually, with the respective target registration error below 0.027 mm compared to 0.040 mm. The framework is applicable for gold standard setup on any rigid anatomy, provided that the acquired images contain spatially grouped fiducial markers. The gold standard datasets and software will be made publicly available.

SU-E-J-37: Feasibility of Utilizing Carbon Fiducials to Increase Localization Accuracy of Lumpectomy Cavity for Partial Breast Irradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Y; Hieken, T; Mutter, R

2015-06-15

Purpose To investigate the feasibility of utilizing carbon fiducials to increase localization accuracy of lumpectomy cavity for partial breast irradiation (PBI). Methods Carbon fiducials were placed intraoperatively in the lumpectomy cavity following resection of breast cancer in 11 patients. The patients were scheduled to receive whole breast irradiation (WBI) with a boost or 3D-conformal PBI. WBI patients were initially setup to skin tattoos using lasers, followed by orthogonal kV on-board-imaging (OBI) matching to bone per clinical practice. Cone beam CT (CBCT) was acquired weekly for offline review. For the boost component of WBI and PBI, patients were setup with lasers,more » followed by OBI matching to fiducials, with final alignment by CBCT matching to fiducials. Using carbon fiducials as a surrogate for the lumpectomy cavity and CBCT matching to fiducials as the gold standard, setup uncertainties to lasers, OBI bone, OBI fiducials, and CBCT breast were compared. Results Minimal imaging artifacts were introduced by fiducials on the planning CT and CBCT. The fiducials were sufficiently visible on OBI for online localization. The mean magnitude and standard deviation of setup errors were 8.4mm ± 5.3 mm (n=84), 7.3mm ± 3.7mm (n=87), 2.2mm ± 1.6mm (n=40) and 4.8mm ± 2.6mm (n=87), for lasers, OBI bone, OBI fiducials and CBCT breast tissue, respectively. Significant migration occurred in one of 39 implanted fiducials in a patient with a large postoperative seroma. Conclusion OBI carbon fiducial-based setup can improve localization accuracy with minimal imaging artifacts. With increased localization accuracy, setup uncertainties can be reduced from 8mm using OBI bone matching to 3mm using OBI fiducial matching for PBI treatment. This work demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing carbon fiducials to increase localization accuracy to the lumpectomy cavity for PBI. This may be particularly attractive for localization in the setting of proton therapy and other

Evaluation of an automatic MR-based gold fiducial marker localisation method for MR-only prostate radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maspero, Matteo; van den Berg, Cornelis A. T.; Zijlstra, Frank; Sikkes, Gonda G.; de Boer, Hans C. J.; Meijer, Gert J.; Kerkmeijer, Linda G. W.; Viergever, Max A.; Lagendijk, Jan J. W.; Seevinck, Peter R.

2017-10-01

An MR-only radiotherapy planning (RTP) workflow would reduce the cost, radiation exposure and uncertainties introduced by CT-MRI registrations. In the case of prostate treatment, one of the remaining challenges currently holding back the implementation of an RTP workflow is the MR-based localisation of intraprostatic gold fiducial markers (FMs), which is crucial for accurate patient positioning. Currently, MR-based FM localisation is clinically performed manually. This is sub-optimal, as manual interaction increases the workload. Attempts to perform automatic FM detection often rely on being able to detect signal voids induced by the FMs in magnitude images. However, signal voids may not always be sufficiently specific, hampering accurate and robust automatic FM localisation. Here, we present an approach that aims at automatic MR-based FM localisation. This method is based on template matching using a library of simulated complex-valued templates, and exploiting the behaviour of the complex MR signal in the vicinity of the FM. Clinical evaluation was performed on seventeen prostate cancer patients undergoing external beam radiotherapy treatment. Automatic MR-based FM localisation was compared to manual MR-based and semi-automatic CT-based localisation (the current gold standard) in terms of detection rate and the spatial accuracy and precision of localisation. The proposed method correctly detected all three FMs in 15/17 patients. The spatial accuracy (mean) and precision (STD) were 0.9 mm and 0.5 mm respectively, which is below the voxel size of 1.1 × 1.1 × 1.2 mm3 and comparable to MR-based manual localisation. FM localisation failed (3/51 FMs) in the presence of bleeding or calcifications in the direct vicinity of the FM. The method was found to be spatially accurate and precise, which is essential for clinical use. To overcome any missed detection, we envision the use of the proposed method along with verification by an observer. This will result in a

SU-F-P-30: Clinical Assessment of Auto Beam-Hold Triggered by Fiducial Localization During Prostate RapidArc Delivery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Atkinson, P; Chen, Q

2016-06-15

Purpose: To assess the clinical efficacy of auto beam hold during prostate RapidArc delivery, triggered by fiducial localization on kV imaging with a Varian True Beam. Methods: Prostate patients with four gold fiducials were candidates in this study. Daily setup was accomplished by aligning to fiducials using orthogonal kV imaging. During RapidArc delivery, a kV image was automatically acquired with a momentary beam hold every 60 degrees of gantry rotation. The position of each fiducial was identified by a search algorithm and compared to a predetermined 1.4 cm diameter target area. Treatment continued if all the fiducials were within themore » target area. If any fiducial was outside the target area the beam hold was not released, and the operators determined if the patient needed re-alignment using the daily setup method. Results: Four patients were initially selected. For three patients, the auto beam hold performed seamlessly. In one instance, the system correctly identified misaligned fiducials, stopped treatment, and the patient was re-positioned. The fourth patient had a prosthetic hip which sometimes blocked the fiducials and caused the fiducial search algorithm to fail. The auto beam hold was disabled for this patient and the therapists manually monitored the fiducial positions during treatment. Average delivery time for a 2-arc fraction was increased by 59 seconds. Phantom studies indicated the dose discrepancy related to multiple beam holds is <0.1%. For a plan with 43 fractions, the additional imaging increased dose by an estimated 68 cGy. Conclusion: Automated intrafraction kV imaging can effectively perform auto beam holds due to patient movement, with the exception of prosthetic hip patients. The additional imaging dose and delivery time are clinically acceptable. It may be a cost-effective alternative to Calypso in RapidArc prostate patient delivery. Further study is warranted to explore its feasibility under various clinical conditions.« less

Visibility of solid and liquid fiducial markers used for image-guided radiation therapy on optical coherence tomography: an esophageal phantom study (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jelvehgaran, Pouya; Alderliesten, Tanja; Weda, Jelmer J. A.; de Bruin, Daniel M.; Faber, Dirk J.; Hulshof, Maarten C. C. M.; van Leeuwen, Ton G.; van Herk, Marcel B.; de Boer, Johannes F.

2017-03-01

Radiation therapy (RT) is used in operable and inoperable esophageal cancer patients. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fiducial marker placement allows improved translation of the disease extent on endoscopy to computed tomography (CT) images used for RT planning and enables image-guided RT. However, microscopic tumor extent at the time of RT planning is unknown. Endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution (10-30µm) imaging modality with the potential for accurately determining the longitudinal disease extent. Visibility of fiducial markers on OCT is crucial for integrating OCT findings with the RT planning CT. We investigated the visibility on OCT (NinePoint Medical, Inc.) of 13 commercially available solid (Visicoil, Gold Anchor, Flexicoil, Polymark, and QLRAD) and liquid (BioXmark, Lipiodol, and Hydrogel) fiducial markers of different diameter. We designed and manufactured a set of dedicated Silicone-based esophageal phantoms to perform imaging in a controlled environment. The esophageal phantoms consist of several layers with different TiO2 concentrations to simulate the scattering properties of a typical healthy human esophagus. Markers were placed at various depths (0.5, 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0mm). OCT imaging allowed detection of all fiducial markers and phantom layers. The signal to background ratio was 6-fold higher for the solid fiducial markers than the liquid fiducial markers, yet OCT was capable of visualizing all 13 fiducial markers at all investigated depths. We conclude that RT fiducial markers can be visualized with OCT. This allows integration of OCT findings with CT for image-guided RT.

Comparison between skin-mounted fiducials and bone-implanted fiducials for image-guided neurosurgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rost, Jennifer; Harris, Steven S.; Stefansic, James D.; Sillay, Karl; Galloway, Robert L., Jr.

2004-05-01

Point-based registration for image-guided neurosurgery has become the industry standard. While the use of intrinsic points is appealing because of its retrospective nature, affixing extrinsic objects to the head prior to scanning has been demonstrated to provide much more accurate registrations. Points of reference between image space and physical space are called fiducials. The extrinsic objects which generate those points are fiducial markers. The markers can be broken down into two classifications: skin-mounted and bone-implanted. Each has distinct advantages and disadvantages. Skin-mounted fiducials require simply sticking them on the patient in locations suggested by the manufacturer, however, they can move with tractions placed on the skin, fall off and perhaps the most dangerous problem, they can be replaced by the patient. Bone implanted markers being rigidly affixed to the skull do not present such problems. However, a minor surgical intervention (analogous to dental work) must be performed to implant the markers prior to surgery. Therefore marker type and use has become a decision point for image-guided surgery. We have performed a series of experiments in an attempt to better quantify aspects of the two types of markers so that better informed decisions can be made. We have created a phantom composed of a full-size plastic skull [Wards Scientific Supply] with a 500 ml bag of saline placed in the brain cavity. The skull was then sealed. A skin mimicking material, DragonSkinTM [SmoothOn Company] was painted onto the surface and allowed to dry. Skin mounted fiducials [Medtronic-SNT] and bone-implanted markers [Z-Kat]were placed on the phantom. In addition, three additional bone-implanted markers were placed (two on the base of the skull and one in the eye socket for use as targets). The markers were imaged in CT and 4 MRI sequences (T1-weighted, T2 weighted, SPGR, and a functional series.) The markers were also located in physical space using an Optotrak

WE-AB-303-05: Breathing Motion of Liver Segments From Fiducial Tracking During Robotic Radiosurgery and Comparison with 4D-CT-Derived Fiducial Motion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sutherland, J; Pantarotto, J; Nair, V

Purpose: To quantify respiratory-induced motion of liver segments using the positions of implanted fiducials during robotic radiosurgery. This study also compared fiducial motion derived from four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) maximum intensity projections (MIP) with motion derived from imaging during treatment. Methods: Forty-two consecutive liver patients treated with liver ablative radiotherapy were accrued to an ethics approved retrospective study. The liver segment in which each fiducial resided was identified. Fiducial positions throughout each treatment fraction were determined using orthogonal kilovoltage images. Any data due to patient repositioning or motion was removed. Mean fiducial positions were calculated. Fiducial positions beyond two standardmore » deviations of the mean were discarded and remaining positions were fit to a line segment using least squares minimization (LSM). For eight patients, fiducial motion was derived from 4D-CT MIPs by calculating the CT number weighted mean position of the fiducial on each slice and fitting a line segment to these points using LSM. Treatment derived fiducial trajectories were corrected for patient rotation and compared to MIP derived trajectories. Results: The mean total magnitude of fiducial motion across all liver segments in left-right, anteroposterior, and superoinferior (SI) directions were 3.0 ± 0.2 mm, 9.3 ± 0.4 mm, and 20.5 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. Differences in per-segment mean fiducial motion were found with SI motion ranging from 12.6 ± 0.8 mm to 22.6 ± 0.9 mm for segments 3 and 8, respectively. Large, varied differences between treatment and MIP derived motion at simulation were found with the mean difference for SI motion being 2.6 mm (10.8 mm standard deviation). Conclusion: The magnitude of liver fiducial motion was found to differ by liver segment. MIP derived liver fiducial motion differed from motion observed during treatment, implying that 4D-CTs may not accurately capture

RANDOM PULSE GENERATOR PRODUCING FIDUCIAL MARKS

DOEpatents

Nielsen, W.F.

1960-02-01

The apparatus for automatically applying a fiducial marking, having a nonrepetitive pattern, to a plurality of simultaneously made records comprises, in series, a bypass filter, a trigger circuit, and a pulse generator, with printing means connected to and controlled by the pulse generator for simultaneously making the visible fiducial marks on a plurality of simultaneously produced records.

Qualitative Evaluation of Fiducial Markers for Radiotherapy Imaging

PubMed Central

Chan, Maria F.; Cohen, Gil’ad N.; Deasy, Joseph O.

2016-01-01

EPID-MV imagers are used, the selection of fiducial markers is not straightforward. For hybrid kV/MV image-guided radiotherapy imaging, larger diameter markers are suggested. If using kV imaging alone, smaller sized markers may be used in smaller sized patients in order to reduce artifacts. Only larger diameter gold markers are visible across all imaging modalities. PMID:25230715

Superior long-term stability of a glucose biosensor based on inserted barrel plating gold electrodes.

PubMed

Hsu, Cheng-Teng; Hsiao, Hung-Chan; Fang, Mei-Yen; Zen, Jyh-Myng

2009-10-15

Disposable one shot usage blood glucose strips are routinely used in the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus and their performance can vary greatly. In this paper we critically evaluated the long-term stability of glucose strips made of barrel plating gold electrodes. Compared to other glucose biosensing platforms of vapor deposited palladium and screen printed carbon electrodes, the proposed glucose biosensor was found to show the best stability among the three biosensing platforms in thermal acceleration experiments at 40 degrees C for 6 months with an average bias of 3.4% at glucose concentrations of 5-20 mM. The precision test of this barrel plating gold glucose biosensor also showed the best performance (coefficients of variation in the range of 1.4-2.4%) in thermal acceleration experiments at 40 degrees C, 50 degrees C and 70 degrees C for 27 days. Error grid analysis revealed that all measurements fell in zone A and zone B. Regression analysis showed no significant difference between the proposed biosensor and the reference method at 99% confidence level. The amperometric glucose biosensor fabricated by inserting two barrel plating gold electrodes onto an injection-molding plastic base followed by immobilizing with a bio-reagent layer and membrane was very impressive with a long-term stability up to 2.5 years at 25 degrees C. Overall, these results indicated that the glucose oxidase/barrel plating gold biosensing platform is ideal for long-term accurate glycemic control.

Robust augmented reality registration method for localization of solid organs' tumors using CT-derived virtual biomechanical model and fluorescent fiducials.

PubMed

Kong, Seong-Ho; Haouchine, Nazim; Soares, Renato; Klymchenko, Andrey; Andreiuk, Bohdan; Marques, Bruno; Shabat, Galyna; Piechaud, Thierry; Diana, Michele; Cotin, Stéphane; Marescaux, Jacques

2017-07-01

Augmented reality (AR) is the fusion of computer-generated and real-time images. AR can be used in surgery as a navigation tool, by creating a patient-specific virtual model through 3D software manipulation of DICOM imaging (e.g., CT scan). The virtual model can be superimposed to real-time images enabling transparency visualization of internal anatomy and accurate localization of tumors. However, the 3D model is rigid and does not take into account inner structures' deformations. We present a concept of automated AR registration, while the organs undergo deformation during surgical manipulation, based on finite element modeling (FEM) coupled with optical imaging of fluorescent surface fiducials. Two 10 × 1 mm wires (pseudo-tumors) and six 10 × 0.9 mm fluorescent fiducials were placed in ex vivo porcine kidneys (n = 10). Biomechanical FEM-based models were generated from CT scan. Kidneys were deformed and the shape changes were identified by tracking the fiducials, using a near-infrared optical system. The changes were registered automatically with the virtual model, which was deformed accordingly. Accuracy of prediction of pseudo-tumors' location was evaluated with a CT scan in the deformed status (ground truth). In vivo: fluorescent fiducials were inserted under ultrasound guidance in the kidney of one pig, followed by a CT scan. The FEM-based virtual model was superimposed on laparoscopic images by automatic registration of the fiducials. Biomechanical models were successfully generated and accurately superimposed on optical images. The mean measured distance between the estimated tumor by biomechanical propagation and the scanned tumor (ground truth) was 0.84 ± 0.42 mm. All fiducials were successfully placed in in vivo kidney and well visualized in near-infrared mode enabling accurate automatic registration of the virtual model on the laparoscopic images. Our preliminary experiments showed the potential of a biomechanical model with fluorescent

Transpalatal insertion of radioactive gold grain for the treatment of persistent and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PubMed

Choy, D; Sham, J S; Wei, W I; Ho, C M; Wu, P M

1993-02-15

To evaluate the efficacy of radioactive gold grain implant via the split palate approach in the control of locally recurrent or persistent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Forty-three patients, 10 for persistent NPC, 28 for first relapse in the nasopharynx, and five for second relapse in the nasopharynx, were treated. The diameter of the tumors at the time of gold grain implant ranged from 0.5 to 5 cm, the number of gold grains inserted varied from 4 to 14, the median number was seven. There was no significant difference in the control of the primary tumor for persistent disease (80% at 5 years), first relapse (61% at 5 years) and second relapse (80% at 3 years), p = 0.8845. The difference in survival between the three subgroups of patients, however, was highly significant (p = 0.0040). Thirty patients had CT evaluation before gold grain implant and the tumor was found confined to the nasopharynx in 21, in the remaining nine patients erosion of the sphenoid sinus or other parts of the base of skull was noted. The difference in the control between those patients with tumors confined to the nasopharynx and those patients with extranasopharyngeal extension of tumor almost reached statistical significance (81% and 44% respectively at 5 years, p = 0.0554). For the six patients who developed local recurrence after gold grain implant and were evaluable for the pattern of failure, the recurrent tumors were considered originating from another region of the nasopharynx in four, and in-field failure in the other two cases. Radioactive gold grain implant as salvage treatment provides satisfactory control of persistent and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The local control was better when the tumor was localized to the nasopharynx, thus underlines the importance of close follow-up for early recognition of relapse and persistent tumor. However, such patients still suffered from high incidence of regional and distant failure, the pathophysiology and management of which require

A Fiducial Approach to Extremes and Multiple Comparisons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wandler, Damian V.

2010-01-01

Generalized fiducial inference is a powerful tool for many difficult problems. Based on an extension of R. A. Fisher's work, we used generalized fiducial inference for two extreme value problems and a multiple comparison procedure. The first extreme value problem is dealing with the generalized Pareto distribution. The generalized Pareto…

Sub-pixel localisation of passive micro-coil fiducial markers in interventional MRI.

PubMed

Rea, Marc; McRobbie, Donald; Elhawary, Haytham; Tse, Zion T H; Lamperth, Michael; Young, Ian

2009-04-01

Electromechanical devices enable increased accuracy in surgical procedures, and the recent development of MRI-compatible mechatronics permits the use of MRI for real-time image guidance. Integrated imaging of resonant micro-coil fiducials provides an accurate method of tracking devices in a scanner with increased flexibility compared to gradient tracking. Here we report on the ability of ten different image-processing algorithms to track micro-coil fiducials with sub-pixel accuracy. Five algorithms: maximum pixel, barycentric weighting, linear interpolation, quadratic fitting and Gaussian fitting were applied both directly to the pixel intensity matrix and to the cross-correlation matrix obtained by 2D convolution with a reference image. Using images of a 3 mm fiducial marker and a pixel size of 1.1 mm, intensity linear interpolation, which calculates the position of the fiducial centre by interpolating the pixel data to find the fiducial edges, was found to give the best performance for minimal computing power; a maximum error of 0.22 mm was observed in fiducial localisation for displacements up to 40 mm. The inherent standard deviation of fiducial localisation was 0.04 mm. This work enables greater accuracy to be achieved in passive fiducial tracking.

Effect of Gold Marker Seeds on Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of the Prostate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hossain, Murshed, E-mail: Murshed.Hossain@fccc.edu; Schirmer, Timo; Richardson, Theresa

2012-05-01

Purpose: Magnetic resonance stereoscopic imaging (MRSI) of the prostate is an emerging technique that may enhance targeting and assessment in radiotherapy. Current practices in radiotherapy invariably involve image guidance. Gold seed fiducial markers are often used to perform daily prostate localization. If MRSI is to be used in targeting prostate cancer and therapy assessment, the impact of gold seeds on MRSI must be investigated. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of gold seeds on the quality of MRSI data acquired in phantom experiments. Methods and Materials: A cylindrical plastic phantom with a spherical cavity 10 centimetersmore » in diameter wss filled with water solution containing choline, creatine, and citrate. A gold seed fiducial marker was put near the center of the phantom mounted on a plastic stem. Spectra were acquired at 1.5 Tesla by use of a clinical MRSI sequence. The ratios of choline + creatine to citrate (CC/Ci) were compared in the presence and absence of gold seeds. Spectra in the vicinity of the gold seed were analyzed. Results: The maximum coefficient of variation of CC/Ci induced by the gold seed was found to be 10% in phantom experiments at 1.5 T. Conclusion: MRSI can be used in prostate radiotherapy in the presence of gold seed markers. Gold seeds cause small effects (in the order of the standard deviation) on the ratio of the metabolite's CC/Ci in the phantom study done on a 1.5-T scanner. It is expected that gold seed markers will have similar negligible effect on spectra from prostate patients. The maximum of 10% of variation in CC/Ci found in the phantom study also sets a limit on the threshold accuracy of CC/Ci values for deciding whether the tissue characterized by a local spectrum is considered malignant and whether it is a candidate for local boost in radiotherapy dose.« less

Generating Fiducial Cuts for CLAS E5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenholt, Kristen

2005-04-01

The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, located in Newport News, Virginia, is home to CLAS (CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer) which observes the scattering effects of high-energy collisions of an electron beam and a proton or deuteron target. When data are collected with CLAS, one of the properties measured is the cross-section, which is proportional to the number of events and the efficiency and inversely proportional to the solid angle. The efficiency, or acceptance of the detector, is the ratio between the data one expects to observe in an ideal detector and the data that we actually measure with the real CLAS detector. In outlying azimuthal regions, the efficiency is less clearly understood, which leads to measurements which are reliant on the conditions of the detector itself. In order to analyze data which fall in regions of stable and well-understood efficiency, we generated fiducial cuts on CLAS. Our fiducial cuts fit a function to the edges of regions of stable efficiency. These cuts enable us to focus on the data with good acceptance/efficiency. When examining at the fiducial cuts, we required stable efficiency, or flat regions, a good visual fit, a minimized chi squared, and a reasonable behavior in each in azimuthal versus polar angle plane for each electron-momentum bin. Generating these fiducial cuts enables us to focus on data from CLAS where the efficiency of the detector is well understood.

Fiducial marker application method for position alignment of in situ multimodal X-ray experiments and reconstructions

DOE PAGES

Shade, Paul A.; Menasche, David B.; Bernier, Joel V.; ...

2016-03-01

An evolving suite of X-ray characterization methods are presently available to the materials community, providing a great opportunity to gain new insight into material behavior and provide critical validation data for materials models. Two critical and related issues are sample repositioning during anin situexperiment and registration of multiple data sets after the experiment. To address these issues, a method is described which utilizes a focused ion-beam scanning electron microscope equipped with a micromanipulator to apply gold fiducial markers to samples for X-ray measurements. The method is demonstrated with a synchrotron X-ray experiment involvingin situloading of a titanium alloy tensile specimen.

FILM FORMAT AND FIDUCIAL MARKS OF THE 20$sub 4$ BUBBLE CHAMBER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hart, E.L.

1962-12-31

A description is given of the 20-in. bubble chamber film format. The film format consists of: chamber image; Arabic picture number; binary data box; Arabic view number; and the Hough-Powell road fiducial marks. The fiducial marks and their relation to the chamber optical constants are discussed. The constants are based on the standard measuring fiducials a and d. (P.C.H.)

SU-G-BRA-07: An Innovative Fiducial-Less Tracking Method for Radiation Treatment of Abdominal Tumors by Diaphragm Disparity Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dick, D; Zhao, W; Wu, X

2016-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of tracking abdominal tumors without the use of gold fiducial markers Methods: In this simulation study, an abdominal 4DCT dataset, acquired previously and containing 8 phases of the breathing cycle, was used as the testing data. Two sets of DRR images (45 and 135 degrees) were generated for each phase. Three anatomical points along the lung-diaphragm interface on each of the Digital Reconstructed Radiograph(DRR) images were identified by cross-correlation. The gallbladder, which simulates the tumor, was contoured for each phase of the breathing cycle and the corresponding centroid values serve as the measured center ofmore » the tumor. A linear model was created to correlate the diaphragm’s disparity of the three identified anatomical points with the center of the tumor. To verify the established linear model, we sequentially removed one phase of the data (i.e., 3 anatomical points and the corresponding tumor center) and created new linear models with the remaining 7 phases. Then we substituted the eliminated phase data (disparities of the 3 anatomical points) into the corresponding model to compare model-generated tumor center and the measured tumor center. Results: The maximum difference between the modeled and the measured centroid values across the 8 phases were 0.72, 0.29 and 0.30 pixels in the x, y and z directions respectively, which yielded a maximum mean-squared-error value of 0.75 pixels. The outcomes of the verification process, by eliminating each phase, produced mean-squared-errors ranging from 0.41 to 1.28 pixels. Conclusion: Gold fiducial markers, requiring surgical procedures to be implanted, are conventionally used in radiation therapy. The present work shows the feasibility of a fiducial-less tracking method for localizing abdominal tumors. Through developed diaphragm disparity analysis, the established linear model was verified with clinically accepted errors. The tracking method in real time under

A Vibrating Wire System For Quadrupole Fiducialization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wolf, Zachary

2010-12-13

A vibrating wire system is being developed to fiducialize the quadrupoles between undulator segments in the LCLS. This note provides a detailed analysis of the system. The LCLS will have quadrupoles between the undulator segments to keep the electron beam focused. If the quadrupoles are not centered on the beam axis, the beam will receive transverse kicks, causing it to deviate from the undulator axis. Beam based alignment will be used to move the quadrupoles onto a straight line, but an initial, conventional alignment must place the quadrupole centers on a straight line to 100 {micro}m. In the fiducialization stepmore » of the initial alignment, the position of the center of the quadrupole is measured relative to tooling balls on the outside of the quadrupole. The alignment crews then use the tooling balls to place the magnet in the tunnel. The required error on the location of the quadrupole center relative to the tooling balls must be less than 25 {micro}m. In this note, we analyze a system under construction for the quadrupole fiducialization. The system uses the vibrating wire technique to position a wire onto the quadrupole magnetic axis. The wire position is then related to tooling balls using wire position detectors. The tooling balls on the wire position detectors are finally related to tooling balls on the quadrupole to perform the fiducialization. The total 25 {micro}m fiducialization error must be divided between these three steps. The wire must be positioned onto the quadrupole magnetic axis to within 10 {micro}m, the wire position must be measured relative to tooling balls on the wire position detectors to within 15 {micro}m, and tooling balls on the wire position detectors must be related to tooling balls on the quadrupole to within 10 {micro}m. The techniques used in these three steps will be discussed. The note begins by discussing various quadrupole fiducialization techniques used in the past and discusses why the vibrating wire technique is our

Recognition of fiducial surfaces in lidar surveys of coastal topography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, J.C.; Sallenger, A.H.; Krabill, W.B.; Swift, R.N.; Wright, C.W.

2001-01-01

A new method for the recognition and mapping of surfaces in coastal landscapes that provide accurate and low variability topographic measurements with respect to airborne lidar surveys is described and demonstrated in this paper. Such surfaces are herein termed "fiducial" because they can represent reference baseline morphology in Studies of coastal change due to natural or anthropogenic causes. Non-fiducial surfaces may also be identified in each separate lidar survey to be used in a given geomorphic change analysis. Sites that are non-fiducial in either or both lidar surveys that bracket the time period under investigation may be excluded from consideration in subsequent calculations of survey-to-survey elevation differences to eliminate spurious indications of landscape change. This new analysis method, or lidar fiducial surface recognition (LFSR) algorithm, is intended to more fully enable the non-ambiguous Use of topographic lidar in a range of coastal investigations. The LFSR algorithm may be widely applied, because it is based solely on the information inherent in the USGS/NASA/NOAA airborne topographic lidar coverage that exists for most of the contiguous U.S. coastline.

International global network of fiducial stations: Scientific and implementation issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1991-11-01

In this report, an ad hoc panel of the National Research Council's Committee on Geodesy, Board of Earth Sciences and Resources (1) evaluates the scientific importance of a global network of fiducial sites, monitored very precisely, using a combination of surface- and space-geodetic techniques; (2) examines strategies for implementing and operating such a network; and (3) assesses whether such a network would provide a suitable global infrastructure for geodetic and other geophysical systems of the next century. The panel concludes that a global network of fiducial sites would be a valuable tool for addressing global change issues and play a critical role in providing a reference frame for scientific Earth missions. The panel suggests that existing global networks be integrated and anticipates that such a network would grow from about 30 to the ultimate size of about 200 fiducial sites. It is noted that such a global network will provide a long-term infrastructure for geodetic and geophysical studies. The panel expects that these fiducial sites would evolve into terrestrial observatories or laboratories that would permit more comprehensive studies of the Earth than those now possible.

International global network of fiducial stations: Scientific and implementation issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

In this report, an ad hoc panel of the National Research Council's Committee on Geodesy, Board of Earth Sciences and Resources (1) evaluates the scientific importance of a global network of fiducial sites, monitored very precisely, using a combination of surface- and space-geodetic techniques; (2) examines strategies for implementing and operating such a network; and (3) assesses whether such a network would provide a suitable global infrastructure for geodetic and other geophysical systems of the next century. The panel concludes that a global network of fiducial sites would be a valuable tool for addressing global change issues and play a critical role in providing a reference frame for scientific Earth missions. The panel suggests that existing global networks be integrated and anticipates that such a network would grow from about 30 to the ultimate size of about 200 fiducial sites. It is noted that such a global network will provide a long-term infrastructure for geodetic and geophysical studies. The panel expects that these fiducial sites would evolve into terrestrial observatories or laboratories that would permit more comprehensive studies of the Earth than those now possible.

Fiducial-based fusion of 3D dental models with magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Abdi, Amir H; Hannam, Alan G; Fels, Sidney

2018-04-16

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in study of maxillofacial structures. While MRI is the modality of choice for soft tissues, it fails to capture hard tissues such as bone and teeth. Virtual dental models, acquired by optical 3D scanners, are becoming more accessible for dental practice and are starting to replace the conventional dental impressions. The goal of this research is to fuse the high-resolution 3D dental models with MRI to enhance the value of imaging for applications where detailed analysis of maxillofacial structures are needed such as patient examination, surgical planning, and modeling. A subject-specific dental attachment was digitally designed and 3D printed based on the subject's face width and dental anatomy. The attachment contained 19 semi-ellipsoidal concavities in predetermined positions where oil-based ellipsoidal fiducial markers were later placed. The MRI was acquired while the subject bit on the dental attachment. The spatial position of the center of mass of each fiducial in the resultant MR Image was calculated by averaging its voxels' spatial coordinates. The rigid transformation to fuse dental models to MRI was calculated based on the least squares mapping of corresponding fiducials and solved via singular-value decomposition. The target registration error (TRE) of the proposed fusion process, calculated in a leave-one-fiducial-out fashion, was estimated at 0.49 mm. The results suggest that 6-9 fiducials suffice to achieve a TRE of equal to half the MRI voxel size. Ellipsoidal oil-based fiducials produce distinguishable intensities in MRI and can be used as registration fiducials. The achieved accuracy of the proposed approach is sufficient to leverage the merged 3D dental models with the MRI data for a finer analysis of the maxillofacial structures where complete geometry models are needed.

Using dynamic programming to improve fiducial marker localization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Hanlin; Ge, Jiajia; Parikh, Parag

2014-04-01

Fiducial markers are used in a wide range of medical imaging applications. In radiation therapy, they are often implanted near tumors and used as motion surrogates that are tracked with fluoroscopy. We propose a novel and robust method based on dynamic programming (DP) for retrospectively localizing radiopaque fiducial markers in fluoroscopic images. Our method was compared to template matching (TM) algorithms on 407 data sets from 24 patients. We found that the performance of TM varied dramatically depending on the template used (ranging from 47% to 92% of data sets with a mean error <1 mm). DP by itself requires no template and performed as well as the best TM method, localizing the markers in 91% of the data sets with a mean error <1 mm. Finally, by combining DP and TM, we were able to localize the markers in 99% of the data sets with a mean error <1 mm, regardless of the template used. Our results show that DP can be a powerful tool for analyzing tumor motion, capable of accurately locating fiducial markers in fluoroscopic images regardless of marker type, shape, and size.

A novel fully automatic scheme for fiducial marker-based alignment in electron tomography.

PubMed

Han, Renmin; Wang, Liansan; Liu, Zhiyong; Sun, Fei; Zhang, Fa

2015-12-01

Although the topic of fiducial marker-based alignment in electron tomography (ET) has been widely discussed for decades, alignment without human intervention remains a difficult problem. Specifically, the emergence of subtomogram averaging has increased the demand for batch processing during tomographic reconstruction; fully automatic fiducial marker-based alignment is the main technique in this process. However, the lack of an accurate method for detecting and tracking fiducial markers precludes fully automatic alignment. In this paper, we present a novel, fully automatic alignment scheme for ET. Our scheme has two main contributions: First, we present a series of algorithms to ensure a high recognition rate and precise localization during the detection of fiducial markers. Our proposed solution reduces fiducial marker detection to a sampling and classification problem and further introduces an algorithm to solve the parameter dependence of marker diameter and marker number. Second, we propose a novel algorithm to solve the tracking of fiducial markers by reducing the tracking problem to an incomplete point set registration problem. Because a global optimization of a point set registration occurs, the result of our tracking is independent of the initial image position in the tilt series, allowing for the robust tracking of fiducial markers without pre-alignment. The experimental results indicate that our method can achieve an accurate tracking, almost identical to the current best one in IMOD with half automatic scheme. Furthermore, our scheme is fully automatic, depends on fewer parameters (only requires a gross value of the marker diameter) and does not require any manual interaction, providing the possibility of automatic batch processing of electron tomographic reconstruction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scherman Rydhög, Jonas, E-mail: per.jonas.scherman.rydhoeg@regionh.dk; Munck af Rosenschöld, Per; Irming Jølck, Rasmus

Purpose: A new biodegradable liquid fiducial marker was devised to allow for easy insertion in lung tumors using thin needles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the visibility of the liquid fiducial markers for image-guided radiation therapy and compare to existing solid fiducial markers and to one existing liquid fiducial marker currently commercially available. Methods: Fiducial marker visibility was quantified in terms of contrast to noise ratio (CNR) on planar kilovoltage x-ray images in a thorax phantom for different concentrations of the radio-opaque component of the new liquid fiducial marker, four solid fiducial markers, and one existing liquidmore » fiducial marker. Additionally, the image artifacts produced on computer tomography (CT) and cone-beam CT (CBCT) of all fiducial markers were quantified. Results: The authors found that the new liquid fiducial marker with the highest concentration of the radio-opaque component had a CNR > 2.05 for 62/63 exposures, which compared favorably to the existing solid fiducial markers and to the existing liquid fiducial marker evaluated. On CT and CBCT, the new liquid fiducial marker with the highest concentration produced lower streaking index artifact (30 and 14, respectively) than the solid gold markers (113 and 20, respectively) and the existing liquid fiducial marker (39 and 20, respectively). The size of the image artifact was larger for all of the liquid fiducial markers compared to the solid fiducial markers because of their larger physical size. Conclusions: The visibility and the image artifacts produced by the new liquid fiducial markers were comparable to existing solid fiducial markers and the existing liquid fiducial marker. The authors conclude that the new liquid fiducial marker represents an alternative to the fiducial markers tested.« less

Localization accuracy of sphere fiducials in computed tomography images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobler, Jan-Philipp; Díaz Díaz, Jesus; Fitzpatrick, J. Michael; Lexow, G. Jakob; Majdani, Omid; Ortmaier, Tobias

2014-03-01

In recent years, bone-attached robots and microstereotactic frames have attracted increasing interest due to the promising targeting accuracy they provide. Such devices attach to a patient's skull via bone anchors, which are used as landmarks during intervention planning as well. However, as simulation results reveal, the performance of such mechanisms is limited by errors occurring during the localization of their bone anchors in preoperatively acquired computed tomography images. Therefore, it is desirable to identify the most suitable fiducials as well as the most accurate method for fiducial localization. We present experimental results of a study focusing on the fiducial localization error (FLE) of spheres. Two phantoms equipped with fiducials made from ferromagnetic steel and titanium, respectively, are used to compare two clinically available imaging modalities (multi-slice CT (MSCT) and cone-beam CT (CBCT)), three localization algorithms as well as two methods for approximating the FLE. Furthermore, the impact of cubic interpolation applied to the images is investigated. Results reveal that, generally, the achievable localization accuracy in CBCT image data is significantly higher compared to MSCT imaging. The lowest FLEs (approx. 40 μm) are obtained using spheres made from titanium, CBCT imaging, template matching based on cross correlation for localization, and interpolating the images by a factor of sixteen. Nevertheless, the achievable localization accuracy of spheres made from steel is only slightly inferior. The outcomes of the presented study will be valuable considering the optimization of future microstereotactic frame prototypes as well as the operative workflow.

Polyethylenimine-mediated synthetic insertion of gold nanoparticles into mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug loading and biocatalysis.

PubMed

Pandey, Prem C; Pandey, Govind; Narayan, Roger J

2017-03-27

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) have been used as an efficient and safe carrier for drug delivery and biocatalysis. The surface modification of MSNPs using suitable reagents may provide a robust framework in which two or more components can be incorporated to give multifunctional capabilities (e.g., synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles within mesoporous architecture along with loading of a bioactive molecule). In this study, the authors reported on a new synthetic route for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) within (1) unmodified MSNPs and (2) 3-trihydroxysilylpropyl methylphosphonate-modified MSNPs. A cationic polymer, polyethylenimine (PEI), and formaldehyde were used to mediate synthetic incorporation of AuNPs within MSNPs. The AuNPs incorporated within the mesoporous matrix were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. PEI in the presence of formaldehyde enabled synthetic incorporation of AuNPs in both unmodified and modified MSNPs. The use of unmodified MSNPs was associated with an increase in the polycrystalline structure of the AuNPs within the MSNPs. The AuNPs within modified MSNPs showed better catalytic activity than those within unmodified MSNPs. MSNPs with an average size of 200 nm and with a pore size of 4-6 nm were used for synthetic insertion of AuNPs. It was found that the PEI coating enabled AuNPs synthesis within the mesopores in the presence of formaldehyde or tetrahydrofuran hydroperoxide at a temperature between 10 and 25 °C or at 60 °C in the absence of organic reducing agents. The as-made AuNP-inserted MSNPs exhibited enhanced catalytic activity. For example, these materials enabled rapid catalytic oxidation of the o-dianisidine substrate to produce a colored solution in proportion to the amount of H 2 O 2 generated as a function of glucose oxidase-catalyzed oxidation of glucose; a linear concentration range from 80 to

Fiducial marker for correlating images

DOEpatents

Miller, Lisa Marie [Rocky Point, NY; Smith, Randy J [Wading River, NY; Warren, John B [Port Jefferson, NY; Elliott, Donald [Hampton Bays, NY

2011-06-21

The invention relates to a fiducial marker having a marking grid that is used to correlate and view images produced by different imaging modalities or different imaging and viewing modalities. More specifically, the invention relates to the fiducial marking grid that has a grid pattern for producing either a viewing image and/or a first analytical image that can be overlaid with at least one other second analytical image in order to view a light path or to image different imaging modalities. Depending on the analysis, the grid pattern has a single layer of a certain thickness or at least two layers of certain thicknesses. In either case, the grid pattern is imageable by each imaging or viewing modality used in the analysis. Further, when viewing a light path, the light path of the analytical modality cannot be visualized by viewing modality (e.g., a light microscope objective). By correlating these images, the ability to analyze a thin sample that is, for example, biological in nature but yet contains trace metal ions is enhanced. Specifically, it is desired to analyze both the organic matter of the biological sample and the trace metal ions contained within the biological sample without adding or using extrinsic labels or stains.

Optimizing fiducial visibility on periodically acquired megavoltage and kilovoltage image pairs during prostate volumetric modulated arc therapy

PubMed Central

Zhang, Pengpeng; Happersett, Laura; Ravindranath, Bosky; Zelefsky, Michael; Mageras, Gig; Hunt, Margie

2016-01-01

Purpose: Robust detection of implanted fiducials is essential for monitoring intrafractional motion during hypofractionated treatment. The authors developed a plan optimization strategy to ensure clear visibility of implanted fiducials and facilitate 3D localization during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Methods: Periodic kilovoltage (kV) images were acquired at 20° gantry intervals and paired with simultaneously acquired 4.4° short arc megavoltage digital tomosynthesis (MV-DTS) to localize three fiducials during VMAT delivery for hypofractionated prostate cancer treatment. Beginning with the original optimized plan, control point segments where fiducials were consistently blocked by multileaf collimator (MLC) within each 4.4° MV-DTS interval were first identified. For each segment, MLC apertures were edited to expose the fiducial that led to the least increase in the cost function. Subsequently, MLC apertures of all control points not involved with fiducial visualization were reoptimized to compensate for plan quality losses and match the original dose–volume histogram. MV dose for each MV-DTS was also kept above 0.4 MU to ensure acceptable image quality. Different imaging (gantry) intervals and visibility margins around fiducials were also evaluated. Results: Fiducials were consistently blocked by the MLC for, on average, 36% of the imaging control points for five hypofractionated prostate VMAT plans but properly exposed after reoptimization. Reoptimization resulted in negligible dosimetric differences compared with original plans and outperformed simple aperture editing: on average, PTV D98 recovered from 87% to 94% of prescription, and PTV dose homogeneity improved from 9% to 7%. Without violating plan objectives and compromising delivery efficiency, the highest imaging frequency and largest margin that can be achieved are a 10° gantry interval, and 15 mm, respectively. Conclusions: VMAT plans can be made to accommodate MV-kV imaging of fiducials

Global geodesy using GPS without fiducial sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heflin, Michael; Bertiger, Willy; Blewitt, Geoff; Freedman, Adam; Hurst, Ken; Lichten, Steve; Lindqwister, Ulf; Vigue, Yvonne; Webb, Frank; Yunck, Tom

1992-01-01

Baseline lengths and geocentric radii have been determined from GPS data without the use of fiducial sites. Data from the first GPS experiment for the IERS and Geodynamics (GIG '91) have been analyzed with a no-fiducial strategy. A baseline length daily repeatability of 2 mm + 4 parts per billion was obtained for baselines in the Northern Hemisphere. Comparison of baseline lengths from GPS and the global VLBI solution GLB659 (Caprette et al. 1990) show rms agreement of 2.1 parts per billion. The geocentric radius mean daily repeatability for all sites was 15 cm. Comparison of geocentric radii from GPS and SV5 (Murray et al. 1990) show rms agreement of 3.8 cm. Given n globally distributed stations, the n(n - 1)/2 baseline lengths and n geocentric radii uniquely define a rigid closed polyhedron with a well-defined center of mass. Geodetic information can be obtained by examining the structure of the polyhedron and its change with time.

Specimen coordinate automated measuring machine/fiducial automated measuring machine

DOEpatents

Hedglen, Robert E.; Jacket, Howard S.; Schwartz, Allan I.

1991-01-01

The Specimen coordinate Automated Measuring Machine (SCAMM) and the Fiducial Automated Measuring Machine (FAMM) is a computer controlled metrology system capable of measuring length, width, and thickness, and of locating fiducial marks. SCAMM and FAMM have many similarities in their designs, and they can be converted from one to the other without taking them out of the hot cell. Both have means for: supporting a plurality of samples and a standard; controlling the movement of the samples in the +/- X and Y directions; determining the coordinates of the sample; compensating for temperature effects; and verifying the accuracy of the measurements and repeating as necessary. SCAMM and FAMM are designed to be used in hot cells.

Phase-space representations of symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued-measure fiducial states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saraceno, Marcos; Ermann, Leonardo; Cormick, Cecilia

2017-03-01

The problem of finding symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued-measures (SIC-POVMs) has been solved numerically for all dimensions d up to 67 [A. J. Scott and M. Grassl, J. Math. Phys. 51, 042203 (2010), 10.1063/1.3374022], but a general proof of existence is still lacking. For each dimension, it was shown that it is possible to find a SIC-POVM that is generated from a fiducial state upon application of the operators of the Heisenberg-Weyl group. We draw on the numerically determined fiducial states to study their phase-space features, as displayed by the characteristic function and the Wigner, Bargmann, and Husimi representations, adapted to a Hilbert space of finite dimension. We analyze the phase-space localization of fiducial states, and observe that the SIC-POVM condition is equivalent to a maximal delocalization property. Finally, we explore the consequences in phase space of the conjectured Zauner symmetry. In particular, we construct a Hermitian operator commuting with this symmetry that leads to a representation of fiducial states in terms of eigenfunctions with definite semiclassical features.

Thoracic spine localization using preoperative placement of fiducial markers and subsequent CT. A technical report.

PubMed

Anaizi, Amjad Nasr; Kalhorn, Christopher; McCullough, Michael; Voyadzis, Jean-Marc; Sandhu, Faheem A

2015-01-01

A retrospective case series evaluating the use of fiducial markers with subsequent computed tomography (CT) or CT myelography for intraoperative localization. To evaluate the safety and utility of preoperative fiducial placement, confirmed with CT myelography, for intraoperative localization of thoracic spinal levels. Thoracic spine surgery is associated with serious complications, not the least of which is the potential for wrong-level surgery. Intraoperative fluoroscopy is often used but can be unreliable due to the patient's body habitus and anatomical variation. Sixteen patients with thoracic spine pathology requiring surgical intervention underwent preoperative fiducial placement at the pedicle of the level of interest in the interventional radiology suite. CT or CT myelogram was then done to evaluate fiducial location relative to the level of pathology. Surgical treatment followed at a later date in all patients. All patients underwent preoperative fiducial placement and CT or CT myelography, which was done on an outpatient basis in 14 of the 16 patients. Intraoperatively, fiducial localization was easily and quickly done with intraoperative fluoroscopy leading to correct localization of spinal level in all cases. All patients had symptomatic improvement following surgery. There were no complications from preoperative localization or operative intervention. Preoperative placement of fiducial markers confirmed with a CT or CT myelogram allows for reliable and fast intraoperative localization of the spinal level of interest with minimal risks and potential complications to the patient. In most cases, a noncontrast CT should be sufficient. This should be an equally reliable means of localization while further decreasing potential for complications. CT myelography should be reserved for pathology that is not evident on noncontrast CT. Accuracy of localization is independent of variations in rib number or vertebral segmentation. The technique is a safe, reliable

A fiducial detection algorithm for real-time image guided IMRT based on simultaneous MV and kV imaging

PubMed Central

Mao, Weihua; Riaz, Nadeem; Lee, Louis; Wiersma, Rodney; Xing, Lei

2008-01-01

The advantage of highly conformal dose techniques such as 3DCRT and IMRT is limited by intrafraction organ motion. A new approach to gain near real-time 3D positions of internally implanted fiducial markers is to analyze simultaneous onboard kV beam and treatment MV beam images (from fluoroscopic or electronic portal image devices). Before we can use this real-time image guidance for clinical 3DCRT and IMRT treatments, four outstanding issues need to be addressed. (1) How will fiducial motion blur the image and hinder tracking fiducials? kV and MV images are acquired while the tumor is moving at various speeds. We find that a fiducial can be successfully detected at a maximum linear speed of 1.6 cm∕s. (2) How does MV beam scattering affect kV imaging? We investigate this by varying MV field size and kV source to imager distance, and find that common treatment MV beams do not hinder fiducial detection in simultaneous kV images. (3) How can one detect fiducials on images from 3DCRT and IMRT treatment beams when the MV fields are modified by a multileaf collimator (MLC)? The presented analysis is capable of segmenting a MV field from the blocking MLC and detecting visible fiducials. This enables the calculation of nearly real-time 3D positions of markers during a real treatment. (4) Is the analysis fast enough to track fiducials in nearly real time? Multiple methods are adopted to predict marker positions and reduce search regions. The average detection time per frame for three markers in a 1024×768 image was reduced to 0.1 s or less. Solving these four issues paves the way to tracking moving fiducial markers throughout a 3DCRT or IMRT treatment. Altogether, these four studies demonstrate that our algorithm can track fiducials in real time, on degraded kV images (MV scatter), in rapidly moving tumors (fiducial blurring), and even provide useful information in the case when some fiducials are blocked from view by the MLC. This technique can provide a gating signal

Note: A simple image processing based fiducial auto-alignment method for sample registration.

PubMed

Robertson, Wesley D; Porto, Lucas R; Ip, Candice J X; Nantel, Megan K T; Tellkamp, Friedjof; Lu, Yinfei; Miller, R J Dwayne

2015-08-01

A simple method for the location and auto-alignment of sample fiducials for sample registration using widely available MATLAB/LabVIEW software is demonstrated. The method is robust, easily implemented, and applicable to a wide variety of experiment types for improved reproducibility and increased setup speed. The software uses image processing to locate and measure the diameter and center point of circular fiducials for distance self-calibration and iterative alignment and can be used with most imaging systems. The method is demonstrated to be fast and reliable in locating and aligning sample fiducials, provided here by a nanofabricated array, with accuracy within the optical resolution of the imaging system. The software was further demonstrated to register, load, and sample the dynamically wetted array.

Preoperative fiducial coil placement facilitates robot-assisted laparoscopic excision of retroperitoneal small solitary metastasis of kidney cancer.

PubMed

Agrawal, Vineet; Sharma, Ashwani; Wu, Guan

2014-11-01

Image-guided fiducial markers are being used in surgery, especially in spine and breast surgery, and radiotherapy, allowing localization of tumor sites precisely. We report a case of fiducial coil use in a man undergoing a robot-assisted laparoscopic resection of a metastatic nodule under the ipsilateral diaphragm after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy performed 2 years ago for a left upper pole renal tumor. The fiducial coil facilitated the localization of the lesion, which would otherwise have been challenging because of its small size and location. In addition, the fiducial coil was helpful to avoid cutting into the lesion directly. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

B-Mode ultrasound pose recovery via surgical fiducial segmentation and tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asoni, Alessandro; Ketcha, Michael; Kuo, Nathanael; Chen, Lei; Boctor, Emad; Coon, Devin; Prince, Jerry L.

2015-03-01

Ultrasound Doppler imaging may be used to detect blood clots after surgery, a common problem. However, this requires consistent probe positioning over multiple time instances and therefore significant sonographic expertise. Analysis of ultrasound B-mode images of a fiducial implanted at the surgical site offers a landmark to guide a user to the same location repeatedly. We demonstrate that such an implanted fiducial may be successfully detected and tracked to calculate pose and guide a clinician consistently to the site of surgery, potentially reducing the ultrasound experience required for point of care monitoring.

Line fiducial material and thickness considerations for ultrasound calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ameri, Golafsoun; McLeod, A. J.; Baxter, John S. H.; Chen, Elvis C. S.; Peters, Terry M.

2015-03-01

Ultrasound calibration is a necessary procedure in many image-guided interventions, relating the position of tools and anatomical structures in the ultrasound image to a common coordinate system. This is a necessary component of augmented reality environments in image-guided interventions as it allows for a 3D visualization where other surgical tools outside the imaging plane can be found. Accuracy of ultrasound calibration fundamentally affects the total accuracy of this interventional guidance system. Many ultrasound calibration procedures have been proposed based on a variety of phantom materials and geometries. These differences lead to differences in representation of the phantom on the ultrasound image which subsequently affect the ability to accurately and automatically segment the phantom. For example, taut wires are commonly used as line fiducials in ultrasound calibration. However, at large depths or oblique angles, the fiducials appear blurred and smeared in ultrasound images making it hard to localize their cross-section with the ultrasound image plane. Intuitively, larger diameter phantoms with lower echogenicity are more accurately segmented in ultrasound images in comparison to highly reflective thin phantoms. In this work, an evaluation of a variety of calibration phantoms with different geometrical and material properties for the phantomless calibration procedure was performed. The phantoms used in this study include braided wire, plastic straws, and polyvinyl alcohol cryogel tubes with different diameters. Conventional B-mode and synthetic aperture images of the phantoms at different positions were obtained. The phantoms were automatically segmented from the ultrasound images using an ellipse fitting algorithm, the centroid of which is subsequently used as a fiducial for calibration. Calibration accuracy was evaluated for these procedures based on the leave-one-out target registration error. It was shown that larger diameter phantoms with lower

Human Kinematics of Cochlear Implant Surgery: An Investigation of Insertion Micro-Motions and Speed Limitations.

PubMed

Kesler, Kyle; Dillon, Neal P; Fichera, Loris; Labadie, Robert F

2017-09-01

Objectives Document human motions associated with cochlear implant electrode insertion at different speeds and determine the lower limit of continuous insertion speed by a human. Study Design Observational. Setting Academic medical center. Subjects and Methods Cochlear implant forceps were coupled to a frame containing reflective fiducials, which enabled optical tracking of the forceps' tip position in real time. Otolaryngologists (n = 14) performed mock electrode insertions at different speeds based on recommendations from the literature: "fast" (96 mm/min), "stable" (as slow as possible without stopping), and "slow" (15 mm/min). For each insertion, the following metrics were calculated from the tracked position data: percentage of time at prescribed speed, percentage of time the surgeon stopped moving forward, and number of direction reversals (ie, going from forward to backward motion). Results Fast insertion trials resulted in better adherence to the prescribed speed (45.4% of the overall time), no motion interruptions, and no reversals, as compared with slow insertions (18.6% of time at prescribed speed, 15.7% stopped time, and an average of 18.6 reversals per trial). These differences were statistically significant for all metrics ( P < .01). The metrics for the fast and stable insertions were comparable; however, stable insertions were performed 44% slower on average. The mean stable insertion speed was 52 ± 19.3 mm/min. Conclusion Results indicate that continuous insertion of a cochlear implant electrode at 15 mm/min is not feasible for human operators. The lower limit of continuous forward insertion is 52 mm/min on average. Guidelines on manual insertion kinematics should consider this practical limit of human motion.

Recognition of fiducial marks applied to robotic systems. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georges, Wayne D.

1991-01-01

The objective was to devise a method to determine the position and orientation of the links of a PUMA 560 using fiducial marks. As a result, it is necessary to design fiducial marks and a corresponding feature extraction algorithm. The marks used are composites of three basic shapes, a circle, an equilateral triangle and a square. Once a mark is imaged, it is thresholded and the borders of each shape are extracted. These borders are subsequently used in a feature extraction algorithm. Two feature extraction algorithms are used to determine which one produces the most reliable results. The first algorithm is based on moment invariants and the second is based on the discrete version of the psi-s curve of the boundary. The latter algorithm is clearly superior for this application.

Preclinical investigation for developing injectable fiducial markers using a mixture of BaSO{sub 4} and biodegradable polymer for proton therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahn, Sang Hee; Gil, Moon Soo; Lee, Doo Sung

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the use of mixture of BaSO{sub 4} and biodegradable polymer as an injectable nonmetallic fiducial marker to reduce artifacts in x-ray images, decrease the absorbed dose distortion in proton therapy, and replace permanent metal markers. Methods: Two samples were made with 90 wt. % polymer phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and 10 wt. % BaSO{sub 4} (B1) or 20 wt. % BaSO{sub 4} (B2). Two animal models (mice and rats) were used. To test the injectability and in vivo gelation, a volume of 200 μl at a pH 5.8 were injected intomore » the Sprague-Dawley rats. After sacrificing the rats over time, the authors checked the gel morphology. Detectability of the markers in the x-ray images was tested for two sizes (diameters of 1 and 2 mm) for B1 and B2. Four samples were injected into BALB/C mice. The polymer mixed with BaSO{sub 4} transform from SOL at 20 °C with a pH of 6.0 to GEL in the living body at 37 °C with a pH of 7.4, so the size of the fiducial marker could be controlled by adjusting the injected volume. The detectability of the BaSO{sub 4} marker was measured in x-ray images of cone beam CT (CBCT), on-board imager [anterior–posterior (AP), lateral], and fluoroscopy (AP, lateral) using a Novalis-TX (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) repeatedly over 4 months. The volume, HU, and artifacts for the markers were measured in the CBCT images. Artifacts were compared to those of gold marker by analyzing the HU distribution. The dose distortion in proton therapy was computed by using a Monte Carlo (MC) code. A cylindrical shaped marker (diameter: 1 or 2 mm, length: 3 mm) made of gold, stainless-steel [304], titanium, and 20 wt. % BaSO{sub 4} was positioned at the center of the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) in parallel or perpendicular to the beam entrance. The dose distortion was measured on the depth dose profile across the markers. Results: Transformation to GEL and the biodegradation were verified. All BaSO{sub 4

Development and clinical evaluation of automatic fiducial detection for tumor tracking in cine megavoltage images during volumetric modulated arc therapy.

PubMed

Azcona, Juan Diego; Li, Ruijiang; Mok, Edward; Hancock, Steven; Xing, Lei

2013-03-01

Real-time tracking of implanted fiducials in cine megavoltage (MV) imaging during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) delivery is complicated due to the inherent low contrast of MV images and potential blockage of dynamic leaves configurations. The purpose of this work is to develop a clinically practical autodetection algorithm for motion management during VMAT. The expected field-specific segments and the planned fiducial position from the Eclipse (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) treatment planning system were projected onto the MV images. The fiducials were enhanced by applying a Laplacian of Gaussian filter in the spatial domain for each image, with a blob-shaped object as the impulse response. The search of implanted fiducials was then performed on a region of interest centered on the projection of the fiducial when it was within an open field including the case when it was close to the field edge or partially occluded by the leaves. A universal template formula was proposed for template matching and normalized cross correlation was employed for its simplicity and computational efficiency. The search region for every image was adaptively updated through a prediction model that employed the 3D position of the fiducial estimated from the localized positions in previous images. This prediction model allowed the actual fiducial position to be tracked dynamically and was used to initialize the search region. The artifacts caused by electronic interference during the acquisition were effectively removed. A score map was computed by combining both morphological information and image intensity. The pixel location with the highest score was selected as the detected fiducial position. The sets of cine MV images taken during treatment were analyzed with in-house developed software written in MATLAB (The Mathworks, Inc., Natick, MA). Five prostate patients were analyzed to assess the algorithm performance by measuring their positioning accuracy during treatment

Development and clinical evaluation of automatic fiducial detection for tumor tracking in cine megavoltage images during volumetric modulated arc therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Azcona, Juan Diego; Li Ruijiang; Mok, Edward

2013-03-15

Purpose: Real-time tracking of implanted fiducials in cine megavoltage (MV) imaging during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) delivery is complicated due to the inherent low contrast of MV images and potential blockage of dynamic leaves configurations. The purpose of this work is to develop a clinically practical autodetection algorithm for motion management during VMAT. Methods: The expected field-specific segments and the planned fiducial position from the Eclipse (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) treatment planning system were projected onto the MV images. The fiducials were enhanced by applying a Laplacian of Gaussian filter in the spatial domain for each image,more » with a blob-shaped object as the impulse response. The search of implanted fiducials was then performed on a region of interest centered on the projection of the fiducial when it was within an open field including the case when it was close to the field edge or partially occluded by the leaves. A universal template formula was proposed for template matching and normalized cross correlation was employed for its simplicity and computational efficiency. The search region for every image was adaptively updated through a prediction model that employed the 3D position of the fiducial estimated from the localized positions in previous images. This prediction model allowed the actual fiducial position to be tracked dynamically and was used to initialize the search region. The artifacts caused by electronic interference during the acquisition were effectively removed. A score map was computed by combining both morphological information and image intensity. The pixel location with the highest score was selected as the detected fiducial position. The sets of cine MV images taken during treatment were analyzed with in-house developed software written in MATLAB (The Mathworks, Inc., Natick, MA). Five prostate patients were analyzed to assess the algorithm performance by measuring their positioning

A technique for reducing patient setup uncertainties by aligning and verifying daily positioning of a moving tumor using implanted fiducials

PubMed Central

Balter, Peter; Morice, Rodolfo C.; Choi, Bum; Kudchadker, Rajat J.; Bucci, Kara; Chang, Joe Y.; Dong, Lei; Tucker, Susan; Vedam, Sastry; Briere, Tina; Starkschall, George

2008-01-01

This study aimed to validate and implement a methodology in which fiducials implanted in the periphery of lung tumors can be used to reduce uncertainties in tumor location. Alignment software that matches marker positions on two‐dimensional (2D) kilovoltage portal images to positions on three‐dimensional (3D) computed tomography data sets was validated using static and moving phantoms. This software also was used to reduce uncertainties in tumor location in a patient with fiducials implanted in the periphery of a lung tumor. Alignment of fiducial locations in orthogonal projection images with corresponding fiducial locations in 3D data sets can position both static and moving phantoms with an accuracy of 1 mm. In a patient, alignment based on fiducial locations reduced systematic errors in the left–right direction by 3 mm and random errors by 2 mm, and random errors in the superior–inferior direction by 3 mm as measured by anterior–posterior cine images. Software that matches fiducial markers on 2D and 3D images is effective for aligning both static and moving fiducials before treatment and can be implemented to reduce patient setup uncertainties. PACS number: 81.40.Wx

Visibility of fiducial markers used for image-guided radiation therapy on optical coherence tomography for registration with CT: An esophageal phantom study.

PubMed

Jelvehgaran, Pouya; Alderliesten, Tanja; Weda, Jelmer J A; de Bruin, Martijn; Faber, Dirk J; Hulshof, Maarten C C M; van Leeuwen, Ton G; van Herk, Marcel; de Boer, Johannes F

2017-12-01

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is of interest to visualize microscopic esophageal tumor extensions to improve tumor delineation for radiation therapy (RT) planning. Fiducial marker placement is a common method to ensure target localization during planning and treatment. Visualization of these fiducial markers on OCT permits integrating OCT and computed tomography (CT) images used for RT planning via image registration. We studied the visibility of 13 (eight types) commercially available solid and liquid fiducial markers in OCT images at different depths using dedicated esophageal phantoms and evaluated marker placement depth in clinical practice. We designed and fabricated dedicated esophageal phantoms, in which three layers mimic the anatomical wall structures of a healthy human esophagus. We successfully implanted 13 commercially available fiducial markers that varied in diameter and material property at depths between 0.5 and 3.0 mm. The resulting esophageal phantoms were imaged with OCT, and marker visibility was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively using the contrast-to-background-noise ratio (CNR). The CNR was defined as the difference between the mean intensity of the fiducial markers and the mean intensity of the background divided by the standard deviation of the background intensity. To determine whether, in current clinical practice, the implanted fiducial markers are within the OCT visualization range (up to 3.0 mm depth), we retrospectively measured the distance of 19 fiducial markers to the esophageal lumen on CT scans of 16 esophageal cancer patients. In the esophageal phantoms, all the included fiducial markers were visible on OCT at all investigated depths. Solid fiducial markers were better visible on OCT than liquid fiducial markers with a 1.74-fold higher CNR. Although fiducial marker identification per type and size was slightly easier for superficially implanted fiducial markers, we observed no difference in the ability of OCT to

Optical fiducial timing system for X-ray streak cameras with aluminum coated optical fiber ends

DOEpatents

Nilson, David G.; Campbell, E. Michael; MacGowan, Brian J.; Medecki, Hector

1988-01-01

An optical fiducial timing system is provided for use with interdependent groups of X-ray streak cameras (18). The aluminum coated (80) ends of optical fibers (78) are positioned with the photocathodes (20, 60, 70) of the X-ray streak cameras (18). The other ends of the optical fibers (78) are placed together in a bundled array (90). A fiducial optical signal (96), that is comprised of 2.omega. or 1.omega. laser light, after introduction to the bundled array (90), travels to the aluminum coated (82) optical fiber ends and ejects quantities of electrons (84) that are recorded on the data recording media (52) of the X-ray streak cameras (18). Since both 2.omega. and 1.omega. laser light can travel long distances in optical fiber with only a slight attenuation, the initial arial power density of the fiducial optical signal (96) is well below the damage threshold of the fused silica or other material that comprises the optical fibers (78, 90). Thus the fiducial timing system can be repeatably used over long durations of time.

Geometry planning and image registration in magnetic particle imaging using bimodal fiducial markers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Werner, F., E-mail: f.werner@uke.de; Hofmann, M.; Them, K.

Purpose: Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a quantitative imaging modality that allows the distribution of superparamagnetic nanoparticles to be visualized. Compared to other imaging techniques like x-ray radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), MPI only provides a signal from the administered tracer, but no additional morphological information, which complicates geometry planning and the interpretation of MP images. The purpose of the authors’ study was to develop bimodal fiducial markers that can be visualized by MPI and MRI in order to create MP–MR fusion images. Methods: A certain arrangement of three bimodal fiducial markers was developed and usedmore » in a combined MRI/MPI phantom and also during in vivo experiments in order to investigate its suitability for geometry planning and image fusion. An algorithm for automated marker extraction in both MR and MP images and rigid registration was established. Results: The developed bimodal fiducial markers can be visualized by MRI and MPI and allow for geometry planning as well as automated registration and fusion of MR–MP images. Conclusions: To date, exact positioning of the object to be imaged within the field of view (FOV) and the assignment of reconstructed MPI signals to corresponding morphological regions has been difficult. The developed bimodal fiducial markers and the automated image registration algorithm help to overcome these difficulties.« less

Using size-selected gold clusters on graphene oxide films to aid cryo-transmission electron tomography alignment

PubMed Central

Arkill, Kenton P.; Mantell, Judith M.; Plant, Simon R.; Verkade, Paul; Palmer, Richard E.

2015-01-01

A three-dimensional reconstruction of a nano-scale aqueous object can be achieved by taking a series of transmission electron micrographs tilted at different angles in vitreous ice: cryo-Transmission Electron Tomography. Presented here is a novel method of fine alignment for the tilt series. Size-selected gold clusters of ~2.7 nm (Au561 ± 14), ~3.2 nm (Au923 ± 22), and ~4.3 nm (Au2057 ± 45) in diameter were deposited onto separate graphene oxide films overlaying holes on amorphous carbon grids. After plunge freezing and subsequent transfer to cryo-Transmission Electron Tomography, the resulting tomograms have excellent (de-)focus and alignment properties during automatic acquisition. Fine alignment is accurate when the evenly distributed 3.2 nm gold particles are used as fiducial markers, demonstrated with a reconstruction of a tobacco mosaic virus. Using a graphene oxide film means the fiducial markers are not interfering with the ice bound sample and that automated collection is consistent. The use of pre-deposited size-selected clusters means there is no aggregation and a user defined concentration. The size-selected clusters are mono-dispersed and can be produced in a wide size range including 2–5 nm in diameter. The use of size-selected clusters on a graphene oxide films represents a significant technical advance for 3D cryo-electron microscopy. PMID:25783049

SU-F-P-40: Analysis of Pelvic Lymph Node Margin Using Prostate Fiducial Markers, for SBRT Treatments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Torres, J; Castro Pena, P; Garrigo, E

2016-06-15

Purpose: The use of fiducials markers in prostate treatment allows a precise localization of this volume. Typical prostate SBRT margins with fiducials markers are 5mm in all directions, except toward the rectum, where 3mm is used. For some patients nearby pelvic lymph nodes with 5mm margin need to be irradiate assuming that its localization is linked to the prostate fiducial markers instead of bony anatomy. The purpose of this work was to analyze the geometric impact of locate the lymph node regions through the patient positioning by prostate fiducial markers. Methods: 10 patients with prostate SBRT with lymph nodes irradiationmore » were selected. Each patient had 5 implanted titanium fiducial markers. A Novalis TX (BrainLAB-Varian) with ExacTrac and aSi1000 portal image was used. Treatment plan uses 11 beams with a dose prescription (D95%) of 40Gy to the prostate and 25Gy to the lymph node in 5 fractions. Daily positioning was carried out by ExacTrac system based on the implanted fiducials as the reference treatment position; further position verification was performed using the ExacTrac and two portal images (gantry angle 0 and 90) based on bony structures. Comparison between reference position with bony based ExacTrac and portal image localization, was done for each treatment fraction Results: A total of 50 positioning analysis were done. The average discrepancy between reference treatment position and ExacTrac based on bony anatomy (pubic area) was 4.2mm [0.3; 11.2]. The discrepancy was <5mm in 61% of the cases and <9mm in 92%. Using portal images the average discrepancy was 3.7mm [0.0; 11.1]. The discrepancy was <5mm in 69% of the cases and <9mm in 96%. Conclusion: Localizing lymph node by prostate fiducial markers may produce large discrepancy as large as 11mm compared to bony based localization. Dosimetric impact of this discrepancy should be studied.« less

MO-FG-204-06: A New Algorithm for Gold Nano-Particle Concentration Identification in Dual Energy CT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, L; Shen, C; Ng, M

Purpose: Gold nano-particle (GNP) has recently attracted a lot of attentions due to its potential as an imaging contrast agent and radiotherapy sensitiser. Imaging the GNP at its low contraction is a challenging problem. We propose a new algorithm to improve the identification of GNP based on dual energy CT (DECT). Methods: We consider three base materials: water, bone, and gold. Determining three density images from two images in DECT is an under-determined problem. We propose to solve this problem by exploring image domain sparsity via an optimization approach. The objective function contains four terms. A data-fidelity term ensures themore » fidelity between the identified material densities and the DECT images, while the other three terms enforces the sparsity in the gradient domain of the three images corresponding to the density of the base materials by using total variation (TV) regularization. A primal-dual algorithm is applied to solve the proposed optimization problem. We have performed simulation studies to test this model. Results: Our digital phantom in the tests contains water, bone regions and gold inserts of different sizes and densities. The gold inserts contain mixed material consisting of water with 1g/cm3 and gold at a certain density. At a low gold density of 0.0008 g/cm3, the insert is hardly visible in DECT images, especially for those with small sizes. Our algorithm is able to decompose the DECT into three density images. Those gold inserts at a low density can be clearly visualized in the density image. Conclusion: We have developed a new algorithm to decompose DECT images into three different material density images, in particular, to retrieve density of gold. Numerical studies showed promising results.« less

Assessment of modified gold surfaced titanium implants on skeletal fixation

PubMed Central

Zainali, Kasra; Danscher, Gorm; Jakobsen, Thomas; Baas, Jorgen; Møller, Per; Bechtold, Joan E.; Soballe, Kjeld

2013-01-01

Noncemented implants are the primary choice for younger patients undergoing total hip replacements. However, the major concern in this group of patients regarding revision is the concern from wear particles, periimplant inflammation, and subsequently aseptic implant loosening. Macrophages have been shown to liberate gold ions through the process termed dissolucytosis. Furthermore, gold ions are known to act in an anti-inflammatory manner by inhibiting cellular NF-κB-DNA binding. The present study investigated whether partial coating of titanium implants could augment early osseointegration and increase mechanical fixation. Cylindrical porous coated Ti-6Al-4V implants partially coated with metallic gold were inserted in the proximal region of the humerus in ten canines and control implants without gold were inserted in contralateral humerus. Observation time was 4 weeks. Biomechanical push out tests and stereological histomorphometrical analyses showed no statistically significant differences in the two groups. The unchanged parameters are considered an improvement of the coating properties, as a previous complete gold-coated implant showed inferior mechanical fixation and reduced osseointegration compared to control titanium implants in a similar model. Since sufficient early mechanical fixation is achieved with this new coating, it is reasonable to investigate the implant further in long-term studies. PMID:22847873

Assessment of modified gold surfaced titanium implants on skeletal fixation.

PubMed

Zainali, Kasra; Danscher, Gorm; Jakobsen, Thomas; Baas, Jorgen; Møller, Per; Bechtold, Joan E; Soballe, Kjeld

2013-01-01

Noncemented implants are the primary choice for younger patients undergoing total hip replacements. However, the major concern in this group of patients regarding revision is the concern from wear particles, periimplant inflammation, and subsequently aseptic implant loosening. Macrophages have been shown to liberate gold ions through the process termed dissolucytosis. Furthermore, gold ions are known to act in an anti-inflammatory manner by inhibiting cellular NF-κB-DNA binding. The present study investigated whether partial coating of titanium implants could augment early osseointegration and increase mechanical fixation. Cylindrical porous coated Ti-6Al-4V implants partially coated with metallic gold were inserted in the proximal region of the humerus in ten canines and control implants without gold were inserted in contralateral humerus. Observation time was 4 weeks. Biomechanical push out tests and stereological histomorphometrical analyses showed no statistically significant differences in the two groups. The unchanged parameters are considered an improvement of the coating properties, as a previous complete gold-coated implant showed inferior mechanical fixation and reduced osseointegration compared to control titanium implants in a similar model. Since sufficient early mechanical fixation is achieved with this new coating, it is reasonable to investigate the implant further in long-term studies. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Global Geodesy Using GPS Without Fiducial Sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heflin, Michael B.; Blewitt, Geoffrey

1994-01-01

Global Positioning System, GPS, used to make global geodetic measurements without use of fiducial site coordinates. Baseline lengths and geocentric radii for each site determined without having to fix any site coordinates. Given n globally distributed sites, n baseline lengths and n geocentric radii form polyhedron with each site at vertex and with geocenter at intersection of all radii. Geodetic information derived from structure of polyhedron and its change with time. Approach applied to any global geodetic technique.

The use of virtual fiducials in image-guided kidney surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glisson, Courtenay; Ong, Rowena; Simpson, Amber; Clark, Peter; Herrell, S. D.; Galloway, Robert

2011-03-01

The alignment of image-space to physical-space lies at the heart of all image-guided procedures. In intracranial surgery, point-based registrations can be used with either skin-affixed or bone-implanted extrinsic objects called fiducial markers. The advantages of point-based registration techniques are that they are robust, fast, and have a well developed mathematical foundation for the assessment of registration quality. In abdominal image-guided procedures such techniques have not been successful. It is difficult to accurately locate sufficient homologous intrinsic points in imagespace and physical-space, and the implantation of extrinsic fiducial markers would constitute "surgery before the surgery." Image-space to physical-space registration for abdominal organs has therefore been dominated by surfacebased registration techniques which are iterative, prone to local minima, sensitive to initial pose, and sensitive to percentage coverage of the physical surface. In our work in image-guided kidney surgery we have developed a composite approach using "virtual fiducials." In an open kidney surgery, the perirenal fat is removed and the surface of the kidney is dotted using a surgical marker. A laser range scanner (LRS) is used to obtain a surface representation and matching high definition photograph. A surface to surface registration is performed using a modified iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm. The dots are extracted from the high definition image and assigned the three dimensional values from the LRS pixels over which they lie. As the surgery proceeds, we can then use point-based registrations to re-register the spaces and track deformations due to vascular clamping and surgical tractions.

Intraoperative Image-based Multiview 2D/3D Registration for Image-Guided Orthopaedic Surgery: Incorporation of Fiducial-Based C-Arm Tracking and GPU-Acceleration

PubMed Central

Armand, Mehran; Armiger, Robert S.; Kutzer, Michael D.; Basafa, Ehsan; Kazanzides, Peter; Taylor, Russell H.

2012-01-01

Intraoperative patient registration may significantly affect the outcome of image-guided surgery (IGS). Image-based registration approaches have several advantages over the currently dominant point-based direct contact methods and are used in some industry solutions in image-guided radiation therapy with fixed X-ray gantries. However, technical challenges including geometric calibration and computational cost have precluded their use with mobile C-arms for IGS. We propose a 2D/3D registration framework for intraoperative patient registration using a conventional mobile X-ray imager combining fiducial-based C-arm tracking and graphics processing unit (GPU)-acceleration. The two-stage framework 1) acquires X-ray images and estimates relative pose between the images using a custom-made in-image fiducial, and 2) estimates the patient pose using intensity-based 2D/3D registration. Experimental validations using a publicly available gold standard dataset, a plastic bone phantom and cadaveric specimens have been conducted. The mean target registration error (mTRE) was 0.34 ± 0.04 mm (success rate: 100%, registration time: 14.2 s) for the phantom with two images 90° apart, and 0.99 ± 0.41 mm (81%, 16.3 s) for the cadaveric specimen with images 58.5° apart. The experimental results showed the feasibility of the proposed registration framework as a practical alternative for IGS routines. PMID:22113773

Fiducial Marker Detection and Pose Estimation From LIDAR Range Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

of View FPA Focal Plane Array FPS Frames Per Second FRE Fiducial Registration Error GIS Geographic Information Systems GPS Global...applications to image analysis and automated cartography. Communications of the ACM, 24(6), 381–395. Bradski, G., & Kaehler, A. (2008). Learning OpenCV

Gold-based thin multilayers for ohmic contacts in RF-MEMS switches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulloni, V.; Iannacci, J.; Bartali, R.; Micheli, V.; Colpo, S.; Laidani, N.; Margesin, B.

2011-06-01

In RF-MEMS switches many reliability issues are related to the metal contacts in the switching area. The characteristics of this contact influence not only contact resistance and insertion loss, but also the most relevant switch failure mechanisms that are wear of ohmic contact, adhesion and stiction. Gold is widely used for this purpose because of its good conductivity and chemical inertness, but is a soft metal, and the development of hard contact materials with low resistivity is of great interest for RF-MEMS switch reliability. It is possible to increase the contact hardness preserving the convenient gold properties alternating gold layers with thin layers of different metals. The material becomes harder not only by simple alloying but also by the presence of interfaces which act as barriers for mechanical dislocation migration. A detailed study of mechanical, electrical and morphological properties of gold-chromium, gold-platinum and gold-palladium multilayers is presented and discussed. It is found that the annealing treatments are important for tuning hardness values, and a careful choice of the alloying metal is essential when the material is inserted in a real switch fabrication cycle, because hardness improvements can vanish during oxygen plasma treatments usually involved in RF-switches fabrication. Platinum is the only metal tested that is unaffected by oxidation, and also modifies the chromium adhesion layer diffusion on the contact surface.

MO-FG-BRA-05: Next Generation Radiotherapy Biomaterials Loaded With Gold Nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cifter, G; Ngwa, W; Univ Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA

2015-06-15

Purpose: It has been proposed that routinely used inert radiotherapy (RT) biomaterials (e.g. fiducials, spacers) can be upgraded to smarter ones by coating/loading them with radiosensitizing gold nanoparticles (GNPs), for sustained in-situ release after implantation to enhance RT. In this work, we developed prototypes of such RT biomaterials and investigated the sustained release of GNPs from the biomaterials as a function of design parameters. Methods: Prototype smart biomaterials were produced by incorporating the GNPs in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymer millirods during the gel phase of production. For comparison, commercially available spacers were also coated with a polymer film loaded with fluorescentmore » GNP. Optical/spectroscopy methods were used to monitor in vitro release of GNPs over time as a function of different design parameters: polymer weighting, type, and initial (loading) GNP concentrations. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was employed to verify GNP release. Results: Results showed that gold nanoparticles could be successfully loaded in the new RT biomaterial prototypes. Burst release of GNPs could be achieved within 1 to 25 days depending on the preparation approach. Burst release was followed by sustained release profile over time. The amount of released GNP increased with increasing loading concentration as expected. The release profiles could also be customized as a function of polymer weighting, or preparation approaches. Conclusion: Considered together, our results highlight potential for the development of next generation RT biomaterials loaded with GNPs customizable to different RT schedules. Such biomaterials could be employed as needed instead of currently used inert spacers/fiducials at no additional inconvenience to patients, to enhance RT.« less

SU-E-T-27: A Dosimetric Evaluation of Boney Anatomy Versus Fiducial Marker Alignment for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer Using Scanned Beam Proton Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Freund, D; Ding, X; Zhang, J

Purpose: In prostate proton radiotherapy, three fiducial markers are used for patient daily alignment. However fiducial alignment can change beamline heterogeneity in proton therapy. The purpose of this study is to determine the difference in fiducial and boney anatomy alignment for patient treatment. Methods and materials: Prostate cancer patients who received proton treatment were included in this study. 3 fiducial markers were implanted before the initial CT. All the patients were re-CT’d every 2 weeks to check the fiducial marker position reproducibility as well as dosimetric consistence of target coverage. In geometry study, re-CT were fused to the initial CTmore » base on the boney anatomy and the average fiducial marker displacement was measured the centers of the fiducials. Dosimetrically, the initial plan was recalculated directly to re-CT image set based on the boney alignment and fiducial alignment to determine the difference from daily treatment. Prostate coverage and hotspots were evaluated using the dose to 98% of the CTV (D98) and dose to 2% (D2), respectively. Results: The shift from the initial 6 patient CT image sets resulted in an average change in the fiducial location of 5.70 +/− 3 mm. Dosimetric comparison from a single patient revealed that differences from the planned dose resulted from both boney and fiducial alignment. Planned clinical treatment volume coverage resulted in a D98 of 70.44Gy and D2 of 70.84Gy compared to a D98 of 70.13Gy and D2 70.94Gy for boney alignment and a D98 of 70.08Gy and D2 71.18Gy for fiducial alignment respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that with boney anatomy alignment there is little change to CTV coverage and only slightly worse CTV coverage and hotspot production with fiducial alignment. An increase patient cohort and further investigation is necessary to determine the whether boney alignment can help better control dose heterogeneity.« less

Robust and efficient fiducial tracking for augmented reality in HD-laparoscopic video streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, M.; Groch, A.; Baumhauer, M.; Maier-Hein, L.; Teber, D.; Rassweiler, J.; Meinzer, H.-P.; Wegner, In.

2012-02-01

Augmented Reality (AR) is a convenient way of porting information from medical images into the surgical field of view and can deliver valuable assistance to the surgeon, especially in laparoscopic procedures. In addition, high definition (HD) laparoscopic video devices are a great improvement over the previously used low resolution equipment. However, in AR applications that rely on real-time detection of fiducials from video streams, the demand for efficient image processing has increased due to the introduction of HD devices. We present an algorithm based on the well-known Conditional Density Propagation (CONDENSATION) algorithm which can satisfy these new demands. By incorporating a prediction around an already existing and robust segmentation algorithm, we can speed up the whole procedure while leaving the robustness of the fiducial segmentation untouched. For evaluation purposes we tested the algorithm on recordings from real interventions, allowing for a meaningful interpretation of the results. Our results show that we can accelerate the segmentation by a factor of 3.5 on average. Moreover, the prediction information can be used to compensate for fiducials that are temporarily occluded or out of scope, providing greater stability.

Visibility of an iron-containing fiducial marker in magnetic resonance imaging for high-precision external beam prostate radiotherapy.

PubMed

Tanaka, Osamu; Komeda, Hisao; Hirose, Shigeki; Taniguchi, Takuya; Ono, Kousei; Matsuo, Masayuki

2017-11-29

Visualization of fiducial gold markers is critical for registration on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for imaging-guided radiotherapy. Although larger markers provide better visualization on MRI, they tend to generate artifacts on CT. MRI is strongly influenced by the presence of metals, such as iron, in the body. Here we compared efficacies of a 0.5% iron-containing gold marker (GM) and a traditional non-iron-containing marker. Twenty-seven patients underwent CT/MRI fusion-based intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Markers were placed by urologists under local anesthesia. Gold Anchor (GA; diameter: 0.28 mm; length: 10 mm), an iron-containing marker, was placed on the right side of the prostate using a 22-G needle and VISICOIL (VIS; diameter: 0.35 mm; length: 10 mm), a non-iron-containing marker, was placed on the left side using a 19-G needle. T2*-weighted images MRI sequences were obtained. Two radiation oncologists and a radiation technologist evaluated and assigned scores for visual quality on a five-point scale (1, poor; 5, best visibility). Artifact generation on CT was slightly greater with GA than with VIS. The mean marker visualization scores on MRI of all three observers were significantly superior for GA than for VIS (3.5 vs 3.2, 3.9 vs 3.2, and 4.0 vs 2.9). The actual size of the spherical GA was about 2 mm in diameter, but the signal void on MRI was approximately 5 mm. Although both markers were well visualized and can be recommended clinically, the results suggest that GA has some subtle advantages for quantitative visualization that could prove useful in certain situations of stereotactic body radiotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Bulk gold catalyzed oxidation reactions of amines and isocyanides and iron porphyrin catalyzed N-H and O-H bond insertion/cyclization reactions of diamines and aminoalcohols

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klobukowski, Erik

2011-01-01

and conditions, it was found that the oxidative dehydrogenation of dibenzylamine to Nbenzylidenebenzylamine, with N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO), was nearly quantitative (96%) within 24 h. However, the reaction with oxygen was much slower, with only a 52% yield of imine product over the same time period. Moreover, the rate of reaction was found to be influenced by the nature of the amine N-oxide. For example, the use of the weakly basic pyridine N-oxide (PyNO) led to an imine yield of only 6% after 24 h. A comparison of amine N-oxide and O2 was also examined in the oxidation of PhCH{sub 2}OH to PhCHO catalyzed by bulk gold. In this reaction, a 52% yield of the aldehyde was achieved when NMMO was used, while only a 7% product yield was afforded when O{sub 2} was the oxidant after 48 h. The bulk gold-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenation of cyclic amines generates amidines, which upon treatment with Aerosil and water were found to undergo hydrolysis to produce lactams. Moreover, 5-, 6-, and 7-membered lactams could be prepared through a one-pot reaction of cyclic amines by treatment with oxygen, water, bulk gold, and Aerosil. This method is much more atom economical than industrial processes, does not require corrosive acids, and does not generate undesired byproducts. Additionally, the gold and Aerosil catalysts can be readily separated from the reaction mixture. The second project involved studying iron(III) tetraphenylporphyrin chloride, Fe(TPP)Cl, as a homogeneous catalyst for the generation of carbenes from diazo reagents and their reaction with heteroatom compounds. Fe(TPP)Cl, efficiently catalyzed the insertion of carbenes derived from methyl 2-phenyldiazoacetates into O-H bonds of aliphatic and aromatic alcohols. Fe(TPP)Cl was also found to be an effective catalyst for tandem N-H and O-H insertion/cyclization reactions when 1,2-diamines and 1,2-alcoholamines were treated with diazo reagents. This approach provides a one-pot process for synthesizing

Impact of Concurrent Androgen Deprivation on Fiducial Marker Migration in External-beam Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tiberi, David A.; Carrier, Jean-Francois; Beauchemin, Marie-Claude

2012-09-01

Purpose: To determine the extent of gold fiducial marker (FM) migration in patients treated for prostate cancer with concurrent androgen deprivation and external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Methods and Materials: Three or 4 gold FMs were implanted in 37 patients with prostate adenocarcinoma receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in conjunction with 70-78 Gy. Androgen deprivation therapy was started a median of 3.9 months before EBRT (range, 0.3-12.5 months). To establish the extent of FM migration, the distance between each FM was calculated for 5-8 treatments once per week throughout the EBRT course. For each treatment, the distance between FMs was comparedmore » with the distance from the digitally reconstructed radiographs generated from the planning CT. A total of 281 treatments were analyzed. Results: The average daily migration was 0.8 {+-} 0.3 mm, with distances ranging from 0.2 mm-2.6 mm. Two of the 281 assessed treatments (0.7%) showed migrations >2 mm. No correlation between FM migration and patient weight or time delay between ADT and start of EBRT was found. There was no correlation between the extent of FM migration and prostate volume. Conclusion: This is the largest report of implanted FM migration in patients receiving concomitant ADT. Only 0.7% of the 281 treatments studied had significant marker migrations (>2 mm) throughout the course of EBRT. Consequently, the use of implanted FMs in these patients enables accurate monitoring of prostate gland position during treatment.« less

Effects of line fiducial parameters and beamforming on ultrasound calibration.

PubMed

Ameri, Golafsoun; Baxter, John S H; McLeod, A Jonathan; Peters, Terry M; Chen, Elvis C S

2017-01-01

Ultrasound (US)-guided interventions are often enhanced via integration with an augmented reality environment, a necessary component of which is US calibration. Calibration requires the segmentation of fiducials, i.e., a phantom, in US images. Fiducial localization error (FLE) can decrease US calibration accuracy, which fundamentally affects the total accuracy of the interventional guidance system. Here, we investigate the effects of US image reconstruction techniques as well as phantom material and geometry on US calibration. It was shown that the FLE was reduced by 29% with synthetic transmit aperture imaging compared with conventional B-mode imaging in a Z-bar calibration, resulting in a 10% reduction of calibration error. In addition, an evaluation of a variety of calibration phantoms with different geometrical and material properties was performed. The phantoms included braided wire, plastic straws, and polyvinyl alcohol cryogel tubes with different diameters. It was shown that these properties have a significant effect on calibration error, which is a variable based on US beamforming techniques. These results would have important implications for calibration procedures and their feasibility in the context of image-guided procedures.

Development of a robust MRI fiducial system for automated fusion of MR-US abdominal images.

PubMed

Favazza, Christopher P; Gorny, Krzysztof R; Callstrom, Matthew R; Kurup, Anil N; Washburn, Michael; Trester, Pamela S; Fowler, Charles L; Hangiandreou, Nicholas J

2018-05-21

We present the development of a two-component magnetic resonance (MR) fiducial system, that is, a fiducial marker device combined with an auto-segmentation algorithm, designed to be paired with existing ultrasound probe tracking and image fusion technology to automatically fuse MR and ultrasound (US) images. The fiducial device consisted of four ~6.4 mL cylindrical wells filled with 1 g/L copper sulfate solution. The algorithm was designed to automatically segment the device in clinical abdominal MR images. The algorithm's detection rate and repeatability were investigated through a phantom study and in human volunteers. The detection rate was 100% in all phantom and human images. The center-of-mass of the fiducial device was robustly identified with maximum variations of 2.9 mm in position and 0.9° in angular orientation. In volunteer images, average differences between algorithm-measured inter-marker spacings and actual separation distances were 0.53 ± 0.36 mm. "Proof-of-concept" automatic MR-US fusions were conducted with sets of images from both a phantom and volunteer using a commercial prototype system, which was built based on the above findings. Image fusion accuracy was measured to be within 5 mm for breath-hold scanning. These results demonstrate the capability of this approach to automatically fuse US and MR images acquired across a wide range of clinical abdominal pulse sequences. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Functionalization of lamellar molybdenum disulphide nanocomposite with gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavayen, V.; O'Dwyer, C.; Ana, M. A. Santa; Mirabal, N.; Benavente, E.; Cárdenas, G.; González, G.; Torres, C. M. Sotomayor

2007-01-01

This work explores the functionalization of an organic-inorganic MoS2 lamellar compound, prepared by a chemical liquid deposition method (CLD), that has an interlamellar distance of ∼5.2 nm, using clusters of gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticles have a mean diameter of 1.2 nm, a stability of ∼85 days, and a zeta potential measured to be ζ = -6.8 mV (solid). The nanoparticles are localized in the hydrophilic zones, defined by the presence of amine groups of the surfactant between the lamella of MoS2. SEM, TEM, EDAX and electron diffraction provide conclusive evidence of the interlamellar insertion of the gold nanoparticles in the MoS2.

Type IV Hypersensitivity to Gold Weight Upper-Eyelid Implant: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Kilduff, Caroline L S; Casswell, Edward J; Imonikhe, Richard; Marjanovic, Branka

2017-05-04

Complications associated with gold-weight insertion for lagophthalmos are uncommon, recent reports have provided evidence to suggest that type IV hypersensitivity to gold can cause a persistent inflammatory reaction. We present a case of a 46-year-old man who experienced persistent post-operative inflammation, and summarize previously documented cases. This patient underwent uncomplicated insertion of an upper eyelid gold weight for right-sided facial nerve palsy. He had no allergies or implanted metalwork. Post-operatively erythema was noted at seven-weeks and did not resolve. The weight was removed after six-months. The histopathological findings were in keeping with type IV hypersensitivity and similar to previous cases. Although infrequent, this complication has poor outcomes. The definitive management is removal of the weight. Information regarding implanted gold, and previous reactions should be elicited pre-operatively. Type IV hypersensitivity should be considered in patients with persistent inflammation that do not respond to antibiotic or steroid therapy.

Enhancement of radiation effect on cancer cells by gold-pHLIP

PubMed Central

Antosh, Michael P.; Wijesinghe, Dayanjali D.; Shrestha, Samana; Lanou, Robert; Huang, Yun Hu; Hasselbacher, Thomas; Fox, David; Neretti, Nicola; Sun, Shouheng; Katenka, Natallia; Cooper, Leon N; Andreev, Oleg A.; Reshetnyak, Yana K.

2015-01-01

Previous research has shown that gold nanoparticles can increase the effectiveness of radiation on cancer cells. Improved radiation effectiveness would allow lower radiation doses given to patients, reducing adverse effects; alternatively, it would provide more cancer killing at current radiation doses. Damage from radiation and gold nanoparticles depends in part on the Auger effect, which is very localized; thus, it is important to place the gold nanoparticles on or in the cancer cells. In this work, we use the pH-sensitive, tumor-targeting agent, pH Low-Insertion Peptide (pHLIP), to tether 1.4-nm gold nanoparticles to cancer cells. We find that the conjugation of pHLIP to gold nanoparticles increases gold uptake in cells compared with gold nanoparticles without pHLIP, with the nanoparticles distributed mostly on the cellular membranes. We further find that gold nanoparticles conjugated to pHLIP produce a statistically significant decrease in cell survival with radiation compared with cells without gold nanoparticles and cells with gold alone. In the context of our previous findings demonstrating efficient pHLIP-mediated delivery of gold nanoparticles to tumors, the obtained results serve as a foundation for further preclinical evaluation of dose enhancement. PMID:25870296

Effects of line fiducial parameters and beamforming on ultrasound calibration

PubMed Central

Ameri, Golafsoun; Baxter, John S. H.; McLeod, A. Jonathan; Peters, Terry M.; Chen, Elvis C. S.

2017-01-01

Abstract. Ultrasound (US)-guided interventions are often enhanced via integration with an augmented reality environment, a necessary component of which is US calibration. Calibration requires the segmentation of fiducials, i.e., a phantom, in US images. Fiducial localization error (FLE) can decrease US calibration accuracy, which fundamentally affects the total accuracy of the interventional guidance system. Here, we investigate the effects of US image reconstruction techniques as well as phantom material and geometry on US calibration. It was shown that the FLE was reduced by 29% with synthetic transmit aperture imaging compared with conventional B-mode imaging in a Z-bar calibration, resulting in a 10% reduction of calibration error. In addition, an evaluation of a variety of calibration phantoms with different geometrical and material properties was performed. The phantoms included braided wire, plastic straws, and polyvinyl alcohol cryogel tubes with different diameters. It was shown that these properties have a significant effect on calibration error, which is a variable based on US beamforming techniques. These results would have important implications for calibration procedures and their feasibility in the context of image-guided procedures. PMID:28331886

Preoperative Fiducial Marker Placement in the Thoracic Spine: A Technical Report.

PubMed

Madaelil, Thomas P; Long, Jeremiah R; Wallace, Adam N; Baker, Jonathan C; Ray, Wilson Z; Santiago, Paul; Buchowski, Jacob; Zebala, Lukas P; Jennings, Jack W

2017-05-15

A retrospective review. The aim of this study was to demonstrate proof-of-concept of preoperative percutaneous intraosseous fiducial marker placement before thoracic spine surgery. Wrong-level spine surgery is defined as a never event by Center for Medicare Services, yet the strength of data supporting the implementation of Universal Protocol to limit wrong level surgery is weak. The thoracic spine is especially prone to intraoperative mislocalization, particularly in cases of morbid obesity and anatomic variations. We retrospectively reviewed all cases of preoperative percutaneous image-guided intraosseous placement of a metallic marker in the thoracic spine. Indications for surgery included degenerative disc disease (16/19), osteochondroma resection, spinal metastasis, and ligation of dural arteriovenous malformation. All metallic markers were placed from a percutaneous transpedicular approach under imaging guidance [fluoroscopy and computed tomography (CT) or CT alone]. Patient body mass index (BMI) was recorded. Overweight and obese BMI was defined greater than 25 and 30 kg/m, respectively. All 19 patients underwent fiducial marker placement and intraoperative localization successfully without complication. Twenty-two thoracic spine levels were localized. The T7, T9, T10, and T11 levels were the most often localized at rate of 18.1% for each level (4/22). The most cranial and caudal levels localized were T4 and T11. About 84.2% (16/19) of the cohort was overweight (57.9%; 11/19) or obese (26.3%; 5/19). The median BMI was 30.2 kg/m (range, 23.9-54.3 kg/m). Preoperative percutaneous thoracic fiducial marker placement under imaging guidance is a safe method for facilitating intraoperative localization of the target spinal level, especially in obese patients. Further studies are needed to quantify changes in operative time and radiation exposure. 4.

Device and methods for "gold standard" registration of clinical 3D and 2D cerebral angiograms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madan, Hennadii; Likar, Boštjan; Pernuš, Franjo; Å piclin, Žiga

2015-03-01

Translation of any novel and existing 3D-2D image registration methods into clinical image-guidance systems is limited due to lack of their objective validation on clinical image datasets. The main reason is that, besides the calibration of the 2D imaging system, a reference or "gold standard" registration is very difficult to obtain on clinical image datasets. In the context of cerebral endovascular image-guided interventions (EIGIs), we present a calibration device in the form of a headband with integrated fiducial markers and, secondly, propose an automated pipeline comprising 3D and 2D image processing, analysis and annotation steps, the result of which is a retrospective calibration of the 2D imaging system and an optimal, i.e., "gold standard" registration of 3D and 2D images. The device and methods were used to create the "gold standard" on 15 datasets of 3D and 2D cerebral angiograms, whereas each dataset was acquired on a patient undergoing EIGI for either aneurysm coiling or embolization of arteriovenous malformation. The use of the device integrated seamlessly in the clinical workflow of EIGI. While the automated pipeline eliminated all manual input or interactive image processing, analysis or annotation. In this way, the time to obtain the "gold standard" was reduced from 30 to less than one minute and the "gold standard" of 3D-2D registration on all 15 datasets of cerebral angiograms was obtained with a sub-0.1 mm accuracy.

Mechanistic switch in dual gold catalysis of diynes: C(sp(3))-H activation through bifurcation--vinylidene versus carbene pathways.

PubMed

Hansmann, Max M; Rudolph, Matthias; Rominger, Frank; Hashmi, A Stephen K

2013-02-25

The other side of the mountain: Changing the framework of diyne systems opens up new cyclization modes for dual gold catalysis. Instead of a 5-endo cyclization and gold vinylidenes a 6-endo cyclization gives rise to gold-stabilized carbenes as key intermediates for selective C-H insertions. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Visibility and artifacts of gold fiducial markers used for image guided radiation therapy of pancreatic cancer on MRI

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gurney-Champion, Oliver J., E-mail: o.j.gurney-champion@amc.uva.nl; Lens, Eelco; Horst, Astrid van der

2015-05-15

Purpose: In radiation therapy of pancreatic cancer, tumor alignment prior to each treatment fraction is improved when intratumoral gold fiducial markers (from here onwards: markers), which are visible on computed tomography (CT) and cone beam CT, are used. Visibility of these markers on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might improve image registration between CT and magnetic resonance (MR) images for tumor delineation purposes. However, concomitant image artifacts induced by markers are undesirable. The extent of visibility and artifact size depend on MRI-sequence parameters. The authors’ goal was to determine for various markers their potential to be visible and to generate artifacts,more » using measures that are independent of the MRI-sequence parameters. Methods: The authors selected ten different markers suitable for endoscopic placement in the pancreas and placed them into a phantom. The markers varied in diameter (0.28–0.6 mm), shape, and iron content (0%–0.5%). For each marker, the authors calculated T{sub 2}{sup ∗}-maps and ΔB{sub 0}-maps using MRI measurements. A decrease in relaxation time T{sub 2}{sup ∗} can cause signal voids, associated with visibility, while a change in the magnetic field B{sub 0} can cause signal shifts, which are associated with artifacts. These shifts inhibit accurate tumor delineation. As a measure for potential visibility, the authors used the volume of low T{sub 2}{sup ∗}, i.e., the volume for which T{sub 2}{sup ∗} differed from the background by >15 ms. As a measure for potential artifacts, the authors used the volume for which |ΔB{sub 0}| > 9.4 × 10{sup −8} T (4 Hz). To test whether there is a correlation between visibility and artifact size, the authors calculated the Spearman’s correlation coefficient (R{sub s}) between the volume of low T{sub 2}{sup ∗} and the volume of high |ΔB{sub 0}|. The authors compared the maps with images obtained using a clinical MR-sequence. Finally, for the best visible

Clinical outcome of fiducial-less CyberKnife radiosurgery for stage I non-small cell lung cancer

PubMed Central

Jung, In-Hye; Jung, Jinhong; Cho, Byungchul; Kwak, Jungwon; Je, Hyoung Uk; Choi, Wonsik; Jung, Nuri Hyun; Kim, Su Ssan; Choi, Eun Kyung

2015-01-01

Purpose To evaluate the treatment results in early stage non-small cell lung cancer patients who have undergone fiducial-less CyberKnife radiosurgery (CKRS). Materials and Methods From June 2011 to November 2013, 58 patients underwent CKRS at Asan Medical Center for stage I lung cancer. After excluding 14 patients, we retrospectively reviewed the records of the remaining 44 patients. All analyses were performed using SPSS ver. 21. Results The median age at diagnosis was 75 years. Most patients had inoperable primary lung cancer with a poor pulmonary function test with comorbidity or old age. The clinical stage was IA in 30 patients (68.2%), IB in 14 (31.8%). The mean tumor size was 2.6 cm (range, 1.2 to 4.8 cm), and the tumor was smaller than 2 cm in 12 patients (27.3%). The radiation dose given was 48-60 Gy in 3-4 fractions. In a median follow-up of 23.1 months, local recurrence occurred in three patients (2-year local recurrence-free survival rate, 90.4%) and distant metastasis occurred in 13 patients. All patients tolerated the radiosurgery well, only two patients developing grade 3 dyspnea. The most common complications were radiation-induced fibrosis and pneumonitis. Eight patients died due to cancer progression. Conclusion The results showed that fiducial-less CKRS shows comparable local tumor control and survival rates to those of LINAC-based SABR or CKRS with a fiducial marker. Thus, fiducial-less CKRS using Xsight lung tracking system can be effectively and safely performed for patients with medically inoperable stage I non-small cell lung cancer without any risk of procedure-related complication. PMID:26157678

Clinical outcomes of image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) with gold fiducial vaginal cuff markers for high-risk endometrial cancer.

PubMed

Monroe, Alan T; Pikaart, Dirk; Peddada, Anuj V

2013-06-01

To report two year clinical outcomes of image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) to the vaginal cuff and pelvic lymph nodes in a series of high-risk endometrial cancer patients. Twenty-six consecutive high-risk endometrial cancer patients requiring adjuvant radiation to the vaginal cuff and regional lymph nodes were treated with vaginal cuff fiducial-based IGRT. Seventeen (65%) received sequential chemotherapy, most commonly with a sandwich technique. Brachytherapy followed external radiation in 11 patients to a median dose of 18 Gy in 3 fractions. The median external beam dose delivered was 47.5 Gy in 25 fractions. All 656 fractions were successfully imaged and treated. The median overall translational shift required for correction was 9.1 mm (standard deviation, 5.2 mm) relative to clinical set-up with skin tattoos. Shifts of 1 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2 cm or greater were performed in 43%, 14%, and 4% of patients, respectively. Acute grade 2 gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity occurred in eight patients (30%) and grade 3 toxicity occurred in one. At two years, there have been no local or regional failures and actuarial overall survival is 95%. Daily image guidance for high-risk endometrial cancer results in a low incidence of acute GI/genitourinary (GU) toxicity with uncompromised tumor control at two years. Vaginal cuff translations can be substantial and may possibly result in underdosing if not properly considered.

Orthogonal Rings, Fiducial Markers, and Overlay Accuracy When Image Fusion is Used for EVAR Guidance.

PubMed

Koutouzi, G; Sandström, C; Roos, H; Henrikson, O; Leonhardt, H; Falkenberg, M

2016-11-01

Evaluation of orthogonal rings, fiducial markers, and overlay accuracy when image fusion is used for endovascular aortic repair (EVAR). This was a prospective single centre study. In 19 patients undergoing standard EVAR, 3D image fusion was used for intra-operative guidance. Renal arteries and targeted stent graft positions were marked with rings orthogonal to the respective centre lines from pre-operative computed tomography (CT). Radiopaque reference objects attached to the back of the patient were used as fiducial markers to detect patient movement intra-operatively. Automatic 3D-3D registration of the pre-operative CT with an intra-operative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) as well as 3D-3D registration after manual alignment of nearby vertebrae were evaluated. Registration was defined as being sufficient for EVAR guidance if the deviation of the origin of the lower renal artery was less than 3 mm. For final overlay registration, the renal arteries were manually aligned using aortic calcification and vessel outlines. The accuracy of the overlay before stent graft deployment was evaluated using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as direct comparison. Fiducial markers helped in detecting misalignment caused by patient movement during the procedure. Use of automatic intensity based registration alone was insufficient for EVAR guidance. Manual registration based on vertebrae L1-L2 was sufficient in 7/19 patients (37%). Using the final adjusted registration as overlay, the median alignment error of the lower renal artery marking at pre-deployment DSA was 2 mm (0-5) sideways and 2 mm (0-9) longitudinally, mostly in a caudal direction. 3D image fusion can facilitate intra-operative guidance during EVAR. Orthogonal rings and fiducial markers are useful for visualization and overlay correction. However, the accuracy of the overlaid 3D image is not always ideal and further technical development is needed. Copyright © 2016 European Society for Vascular Surgery

A Non-Diazo Approach to α-Oxo Gold Carbenes via Gold-Catalyzed Alkyne Oxidation

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

For the past dozen years, homogeneous gold catalysis has evolved from a little known topic in organic synthesis to a fully blown research field of significant importance to synthetic practitioners, due to its novel reactivities and reaction modes. Cationic gold(I) complexes are powerful soft Lewis acids that can activate alkynes and allenes toward efficient attack by nucleophiles, leading to the generation of alkenyl gold intermediates. Some of the most versatile aspects of gold catalysis involve the generation of gold carbene intermediates, which occurs through the approach of an electrophile to the distal end of the alkenyl gold moiety, and their diverse transformations thereafter. On the other hand, α-oxo metal carbene/carbenoids are highly versatile intermediates in organic synthesis and can undergo various synthetically challenging yet highly valuable transformations such as C–H insertion, ylide formation, and cyclopropanation reactions. Metal-catalyzed dediazotizations of diazo carbonyl compounds are the principle and most reliable strategy to access them. Unfortunately, the substrates contain a highly energetic diazo moiety and are potentially explosive. Moreover, chemists need to use energetic reagents to prepare them, putting further constrains on operational safety. In this Account, we show that the unique access to the gold carbene species in homogeneous gold catalysis offers an opportunity to generate α-oxo gold carbenes if both nucleophile and electrophile are oxygen. Hence, this approach would enable readily available and safer alkynes to replace hazardous α-diazo carbonyl compounds as precursors in the realm of gold carbene chemistry. For the past several years, we have demonstrated that alkynes can indeed effectively serve as precursors to versatile α-oxo gold carbenes. In our initial study, we showed that a tethered sulfoxide can be a suitable oxidant, which in some cases leads to the formation of α-oxo gold carbene intermediates. The

A non-diazo approach to α-oxo gold carbenes via gold-catalyzed alkyne oxidation.

PubMed

Zhang, Liming

2014-03-18

For the past dozen years, homogeneous gold catalysis has evolved from a little known topic in organic synthesis to a fully blown research field of significant importance to synthetic practitioners, due to its novel reactivities and reaction modes. Cationic gold(I) complexes are powerful soft Lewis acids that can activate alkynes and allenes toward efficient attack by nucleophiles, leading to the generation of alkenyl gold intermediates. Some of the most versatile aspects of gold catalysis involve the generation of gold carbene intermediates, which occurs through the approach of an electrophile to the distal end of the alkenyl gold moiety, and their diverse transformations thereafter. On the other hand, α-oxo metal carbene/carbenoids are highly versatile intermediates in organic synthesis and can undergo various synthetically challenging yet highly valuable transformations such as C-H insertion, ylide formation, and cyclopropanation reactions. Metal-catalyzed dediazotizations of diazo carbonyl compounds are the principle and most reliable strategy to access them. Unfortunately, the substrates contain a highly energetic diazo moiety and are potentially explosive. Moreover, chemists need to use energetic reagents to prepare them, putting further constrains on operational safety. In this Account, we show that the unique access to the gold carbene species in homogeneous gold catalysis offers an opportunity to generate α-oxo gold carbenes if both nucleophile and electrophile are oxygen. Hence, this approach would enable readily available and safer alkynes to replace hazardous α-diazo carbonyl compounds as precursors in the realm of gold carbene chemistry. For the past several years, we have demonstrated that alkynes can indeed effectively serve as precursors to versatile α-oxo gold carbenes. In our initial study, we showed that a tethered sulfoxide can be a suitable oxidant, which in some cases leads to the formation of α-oxo gold carbene intermediates. The

Biological fiducial point based registration for multiple brain tissues reconstructed from different imaging modalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Huiqun; Zhou, Gangping; Geng, Xingyun; Zhang, Xiaofeng; Jiang, Kui; Tang, Lemin; Zhou, Guomin; Dong, Jiancheng

2013-10-01

With the development of computer aided navigation system, more and more tissues shall be reconstructed to provide more useful information for surgical pathway planning. In this study, we aimed to propose a registration framework for different reconstructed tissues from multi-modalities based on some fiducial points on lateral ventricles. A male patient with brain lesion was admitted and his brain scans were performed by different modalities. Then, the different brain tissues were segmented in different modality with relevant suitable algorithms. Marching cubes were calculated for three dimensional reconstructions, and then the rendered tissues were imported to a common coordinate system for registration. Four pairs of fiducial markers were selected to calculate the rotation and translation matrix using least-square measure method. The registration results were satisfied in a glioblastoma surgery planning as it provides the spatial relationship between tumors and surrounding fibers as well as vessels. Hence, our framework is of potential value for clinicians to plan surgery.

Intra- and inter-radiation therapist reproducibility of daily isocenter verification using prostatic fiducial markers

PubMed Central

Ullman, Karen L; Ning, Holly; Susil, Robert C; Ayele, Asna; Jocelyn, Lucresse; Havelos, Jan; Guion, Peter; Xie, Huchen; Li, Guang; Arora, Barbara C; Cannon, Angela; Miller, Robert W; Norman Coleman, C; Camphausen, Kevin; Ménard, Cynthia

2006-01-01

Background We sought to determine the intra- and inter-radiation therapist reproducibility of a previously established matching technique for daily verification and correction of isocenter position relative to intraprostatic fiducial markers (FM). Materials and methods With the patient in the treatment position, anterior-posterior and left lateral electronic images are acquired on an amorphous silicon flat panel electronic portal imaging device. After each portal image is acquired, the therapist manually translates and aligns the fiducial markers in the image to the marker contours on the digitally reconstructed radiograph. The distances between the planned and actual isocenter location is displayed. In order to determine the reproducibility of this technique, four therapists repeated and recorded this operation two separate times on 20 previously acquired portal image datasets from two patients. The data were analyzed to obtain the mean variability in the distances measured between and within observers. Results The mean and median intra-observer variability ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 mm and 0.3 to 0.6 mm respectively with a standard deviation of 0.4 to 1.0 mm. Inter-observer results were similar with a mean variability of 0.9 mm, a median of 0.6 mm, and a standard deviation of 0.7 mm. When using a 5 mm threshold, only 0.5% of treatments will undergo a table shift due to intra or inter-observer error, increasing to an error rate of 2.4% if this threshold were reduced to 3 mm. Conclusion We have found high reproducibility with a previously established method for daily verification and correction of isocenter position relative to prostatic fiducial markers using electronic portal imaging. PMID:16722575

Automatic and Robust Delineation of the Fiducial Points of the Seismocardiogram Signal for Non-invasive Estimation of Cardiac Time Intervals.

PubMed

Khosrow-Khavar, Farzad; Tavakolian, Kouhyar; Blaber, Andrew; Menon, Carlo

2016-10-12

The purpose of this research was to design a delineation algorithm that could detect specific fiducial points of the seismocardiogram (SCG) signal with or without using the electrocardiogram (ECG) R-wave as the reference point. The detected fiducial points were used to estimate cardiac time intervals. Due to complexity and sensitivity of the SCG signal, the algorithm was designed to robustly discard the low-quality cardiac cycles, which are the ones that contain unrecognizable fiducial points. The algorithm was trained on a dataset containing 48,318 manually annotated cardiac cycles. It was then applied to three test datasets: 65 young healthy individuals (dataset 1), 15 individuals above 44 years old (dataset 2), and 25 patients with previous heart conditions (dataset 3). The algorithm accomplished high prediction accuracy with the rootmean- square-error of less than 5 ms for all the test datasets. The algorithm overall mean detection rate per individual recordings (DRI) were 74, 68, and 42 percent for the three test datasets when concurrent ECG and SCG were used. For the standalone SCG case, the mean DRI was 32, 14 and 21 percent. When the proposed algorithm applied to concurrent ECG and SCG signals, the desired fiducial points of the SCG signal were successfully estimated with a high detection rate. For the standalone case, however, the algorithm achieved high prediction accuracy and detection rate for only the young individual dataset. The presented algorithm could be used for accurate and non-invasive estimation of cardiac time intervals.

Automatic intraoperative fiducial-less patient registration using cortical surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Xiaoyao; Roberts, David W.; Olson, Jonathan D.; Ji, Songbai; Paulsen, Keith D.

2017-03-01

In image-guided neurosurgery, patient registration is typically performed in the operating room (OR) at the beginning of the procedure to establish the patient-to-image transformation. The accuracy and efficiency of patient registration are crucial as they are associated with surgical outcome, workflow, and healthcare costs. In this paper, we present an automatic fiducial-less patient registration (FLR) by directly registering cortical surface acquired from intraoperative stereovision (iSV) with preoperative MR (pMR) images without incorporating any prior information, and illustrate the method using one patient example. T1-weighted MR images were acquired prior to surgery and the brain was segmented. After dural opening, an image pair of the exposed cortical surface was acquired using an intraoperative stereovision (iSV) system, and a three-dimensional (3D) texture-encoded profile of the cortical surface was reconstructed. The 3D surface was registered with pMR using a multi-start binary registration method to determine the location and orientation of the iSV patch with respect to the segmented brain. A final transformation was calculated to establish the patient-to-MR relationship. The total computational time was 30 min, and can be significantly improved through code optimization, parallel computing, and/or graphical processing unit (GPU) acceleration. The results show that the iSV texture map aligned well with pMR using the FLR transformation, while misalignment was evident with fiducial-based registration (FBR). The difference between FLR and FBR was calculated at the center of craniotomy and the resulting distance was 4.34 mm. The results presented in this paper suggest potential for clinical application in the future.

Synthesis and characterization of pHLIP® coated gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Daniels, Jennifer L; Crawford, Troy M; Andreev, Oleg A; Reshetnyak, Yana K

2017-07-01

Novel approaches in synthesis of spherical and multispiked gold nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and pH Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP ® ) were introduced. The presence of a tumor-targeting pHLIP ® peptide in the nanoparticle coating enhances the stability of particles in solution and promotes a pH-dependent cellular uptake. The spherical particles were prepared with sodium citrate as a gold reducing agent to form particles of 7.0±2.5 nm in mean metallic core diameter and ∼43 nm in mean hydrodynamic diameter. The particles that were injected into tumors in mice (21 µg of gold) were homogeneously distributed within a tumor mass with no staining of the muscle tissue adjacent to the tumor. Up to 30% of the injected gold dose remained within the tumor one hour post-injection. The multispiked gold nanoparticles with a mean metallic core diameter of 146.0±50.4 nm and a mean hydrodynamic size of ~161 nm were prepared using ascorbic acid as a reducing agent and disk-like bicelles as a template. Only the presence of a soft template, like bicelles, ensured the appearance of spiked nanoparticles with resonance in the near infrared region. The irradiation of spiked gold nanoparticles by an 805 nm laser led to the time- and concentration-dependent increase of temperature. Both pHLIP ® and PEG coated gold spherical and multispiked nanoparticles might find application in radiation and thermal therapies of tumors.

SU-E-J-219: Quantitative Evaluation of Motion Effects On Accuracy of Image-Guided Radiotherapy with Fiducial Markers Using CT Imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ali, I; Oyewale, S; Ahmad, S

2014-06-01

Purpose: To investigate quantitatively patient motion effects on the localization accuracy of image-guided radiation with fiducial markers using axial CT (ACT), helical CT (HCT) and cone-beam CT (CBCT) using modeling and experimental phantom studies. Methods: Markers with different lengths (2.5 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm) were inserted in a mobile thorax phantom which was imaged using ACT, HCT and CBCT. The phantom moved with sinusoidal motion with amplitudes ranging 0–20 mm and a frequency of 15 cycles-per-minute. Three parameters that include: apparent marker lengths, center position and distance between the centers of the markers were measured inmore » the different CT images of the mobile phantom. A motion mathematical model was derived to predict the variations in the previous three parameters and their dependence on the motion in the different imaging modalities. Results: In CBCT, the measured marker lengths increased linearly with increase in motion amplitude. For example, the apparent length of the 10 mm marker was about 20 mm when phantom moved with amplitude of 5 mm. Although the markers have elongated, the center position and the distance between markers remained at the same position for different motion amplitudes in CBCT. These parameters were not affected by motion frequency and phase in CBCT. In HCT and ACT, the measured marker length, center and distance between markers varied irregularly with motion parameters. The apparent lengths of the markers varied with inverse of the phantom velocity which depends on motion frequency and phase. Similarly the center position and distance between markers varied inversely with phantom speed. Conclusion: Motion may lead to variations in maker length, center position and distance between markers using CT imaging. These effects should be considered in patient setup using image-guided radiation therapy based on fiducial markers matching using 2D-radiographs or volumetric CT imaging.« less

Improvement of registration accuracy in accelerated partial breast irradiation using the point-based rigid-body registration algorithm for patients with implanted fiducial markers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Inoue, Minoru; Yoshimura, Michio, E-mail: myossy@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Sato, Sayaka

2015-04-15

Purpose: To investigate image-registration errors when using fiducial markers with a manual method and the point-based rigid-body registration (PRBR) algorithm in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) patients, with accompanying fiducial deviations. Methods: Twenty-two consecutive patients were enrolled in a prospective trial examining 10-fraction APBI. Titanium clips were implanted intraoperatively around the seroma in all patients. For image-registration, the positions of the clips in daily kV x-ray images were matched to those in the planning digitally reconstructed radiographs. Fiducial and gravity registration errors (FREs and GREs, respectively), representing resulting misalignments of the edge and center of the target, respectively, were comparedmore » between the manual and algorithm-based methods. Results: In total, 218 fractions were evaluated. Although the mean FRE/GRE values for the manual and algorithm-based methods were within 3 mm (2.3/1.7 and 1.3/0.4 mm, respectively), the percentages of fractions where FRE/GRE exceeded 3 mm using the manual and algorithm-based methods were 18.8%/7.3% and 0%/0%, respectively. Manual registration resulted in 18.6% of patients with fractions of FRE/GRE exceeding 5 mm. The patients with larger clip deviation had significantly more fractions showing large FRE/GRE using manual registration. Conclusions: For image-registration using fiducial markers in APBI, the manual registration results in more fractions with considerable registration error due to loss of fiducial objectivity resulting from their deviation. The authors recommend the PRBR algorithm as a safe and effective strategy for accurate, image-guided registration and PTV margin reduction.« less

Hydrogen in Mono-Atomic Gold Wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnett, Robert N.; Sherbakov, Andrew G.; Landman, Uzi; Hakkinen, Hannu

2004-03-01

Results of ab-initio scalar relativistic density functional calculations of the interaction between a mono-atomic gold wire (suspended between two gold tips) and a hydrogen molecule, at various stages of wire stretching, are presented. The hydrogen molecule does not bind to the wire until the wire is sufficiently stretched, i.e. starting to break, at which time the molecule inserts itself into the wire restoring a fraction of the conductance quantum g. With subsequent compression of the wire the axis of the molecule gradually tips away from the wire axis until it becomes "quasi-dissociated" with the H-H axis perpendicular to the wire. At this point the conductance almost vanishes, while for the bare wire the conductance at this tip-to-tip separation is close to 1g. These results, and the frequency of various vibrational modes of the hydrogen molecule, are compared with recent experimental and theoretical work involving platinum wires.

Origins of Protons in C-H Bond Insertion Products of Phenols: Proton-Self-Sufficient Function via Water Molecules.

PubMed

Luo, Zhoujie; Gao, Ya; Zhu, Tong; Zhang, John Zenghui; Xia, Fei

2017-08-31

Water molecules can serve as proton shuttles for proton transfer in the C-H bond insertion reactions catalyzed by transition metal complexes. Recently, the control experiments performed for C-H bond insertion of phenol and anisol by gold carbenes show that large discrepancy exists in the yields of hydrogenated and deuterated products. Thus, we conducted a detailed theoretical analysis on the function of water molecules in the C-H bond insertion reactions. The comparison of calculated results and control experiments indicates that the solution water molecules play a crucial role of proton shuttle in C-H bond insertion. In particular, it was found that the hydroxyl groups in phenols were capable of donating protons via water shuttles for the production of C-H products, which had a substantial influence on the yields of inserted products. The hydroxyl groups instead of C-H bonds in phenols function like "proton reservoirs" in the C-H bond insertion, which we call the "proton self-sufficient" (PSS) function of phenol. The PSS function of phenol indicates that the substrates with and without proton reservoirs will lead to different C-H bond insertion products.

4D modeling in a gimbaled linear accelerator by using gold anchor markers.

PubMed

Miura, Hideharu; Ozawa, Shuichi; Matsuura, Takaaki; Kawakubo, Atsushi; Hosono, Fumika; Yamada, Kiyoshi; Nagata, Yasushi

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to verify whether the dynamic tumor tracking (DTT) feature of a Vero4DRT system performs with 10-mm-long and 0.28 mm diameter gold anchor markers. Gold anchor markers with a length of 10 mm and a diameter of 0.28 mm were used. Gold anchor markers were injected with short and long types into bolus material. These markers were sandwiched by a Tough Water (TW) phantom in the bolus material. For the investigation of 4-dimensional (4D) modeling feasibility under various phantom thicknesses, the TW phantom was added at 2 cm intervals (in upper and lower each by 1 cm). A programmable respiratory motion table was used to simulate breathing-induced organ motion, with an amplitude of 30 mm and a breathing cycle of 3 s. X-ray imaging parameters of 80 kV and 125 kV (320 mA and 5 ms) were used. The least detection error of the fiducial marker was defined as the 4D-modeling limitation. The 4D modeling process was attempted using short and long marker types and its limitation with the short and long types was with phantom thicknesses of 6 and 10 cm at 80 kV and 125 kV, respectively. However, the loss in detectability of the gold anchor because of 4D-modeling errors was found to be approximately 6% (2/31) with a phantom thickness of 2 cm under 125 kV. 4D-modeling could be performed except under the described conditions. This work showed that a 10-mm-long gold anchor marker in short and long types can be used with DTT for short water equivalent path length site, such as lung cancer patients, in the Vero4DRT system.

Fiducial marker placement via conventional or electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB): an interdisciplinary approach to the curative management of lung cancer.

PubMed

Hagmeyer, Lars; Priegnitz, Christina; Kocher, Martin; Schilcher, Burkhart; Budach, Wilfried; Treml, Marcel; Stieglitz, Sven; Randerath, Winfried

2016-05-01

Conventional and electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) is generally used as a diagnostic tool in suspicious pulmonary nodules. The use of this technique for the placement of fiducial markers in patients with inoperable but early-stage lung cancer could present an innovative approach enabling risk-reduced therapy. We present seven clinical cases where conventional bronchoscopy and ENB were used as part of an experimental interdisciplinary approach to clinical management and therapy planning. In each case, we analyzed the clinical indication, endoscopic procedures and post-interventional outcome. In six patients (three females, three males) with peripheral non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), stage cT1cN0cM0, surgery and conventional stereotactic radiation therapy was not possible because of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ENB was used for fiducial marker placement prior to cyberknife radiotherapy. No procedure-related complications were observed. Complete remission could be achieved in four cases, partial remission in two cases and no relevant complications induced by radiotherapy were observed. In one male patient, an endoluminal relapse in the right lower lobe was diagnosed following a right upper lobe resection for a NSCLC. The tumor could not be clearly identified by computerized tomography, so that the bronchoscopic placement of a fiducial marker in the tumor was performed in order to allow stereotactic radiochemotherapy, by which complete remission could be achieved. Fiducial marker placement may be an interesting bronchoscopic technique in the interdisciplinary therapeutic approach to inoperable early-stage lung cancer. In the described cases, therapy planning was successful and no procedure-related complications were observed. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Passively mode-locking induced by gold nanorods in erbium-doped fiber lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Zhe; Xu, Yang; Zhang, Lei; Jia, Zhixu; Liu, Lai; Zhao, Dan; Feng, Yan; Qin, Guanshi; Qin, Weiping

2013-07-01

We demonstrated a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser by using gold nanorods as a saturable absorber. The gold nanorods (GNRs) were mixed with sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) to form GNRs-NaCMC films. By inserting one of the GNRs-NaCMC films into an EDFL cavity pumped by a 980 nm laser diode, stable passively mode-locking was achieved with a threshold pump power of ˜54 mW, and 12 ps pulses at 1561 nm with a repetition rate of 34.7 MHz and a maximum average power of ˜2.05 mW were obtained for a pump power of ˜62 mW.

Integrated fiducial sample mount and software for correlated microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Timothy R McJunkin; Jill R. Scott; Tammy L. Trowbridge

2014-02-01

A novel design sample mount with integrated fiducials and software for assisting operators in easily and efficiently locating points of interest established in previous analytical sessions is described. The sample holder and software were evaluated with experiments to demonstrate the utility and ease of finding the same points of interest in two different microscopy instruments. Also, numerical analysis of expected errors in determining the same position with errors unbiased by a human operator was performed. Based on the results, issues related to acquiring reproducibility and best practices for using the sample mount and software were identified. Overall, the sample mountmore » methodology allows data to be efficiently and easily collected on different instruments for the same sample location.« less

Method comparison of ultrasound and kilovoltage x-ray fiducial marker imaging for prostate radiotherapy targeting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, Clifton David; Thomas, Charles R., Jr.; Schwartz, Scott; Golden, Nanalei; Ting, Joe; Wong, Adrian; Erdogmus, Deniz; Scarbrough, Todd J.

2006-10-01

Several measurement techniques have been developed to address the capability for target volume reduction via target localization in image-guided radiotherapy; among these have been ultrasound (US) and fiducial marker (FM) software-assisted localization. In order to assess interchangeability between methods, US and FM localization were compared using established techniques for determination of agreement between measurement methods when a 'gold-standard' comparator does not exist, after performing both techniques daily on a sequential series of patients. At least 3 days prior to CT simulation, four gold seeds were placed within the prostate. FM software-assisted localization utilized the ExacTrac X-Ray 6D (BrainLab AG, Germany) kVp x-ray image acquisition system to determine prostate position; US prostate targeting was performed on each patient using the SonArray (Varian, Palo Alto, CA). Patients were aligned daily using laser alignment of skin marks. Directional shifts were then calculated by each respective system in the X, Y and Z dimensions before each daily treatment fraction, previous to any treatment or couch adjustment, as well as a composite vector of displacement. Directional shift agreement in each axis was compared using Altman-Bland limits of agreement, Lin's concordance coefficient with Partik's grading schema, and Deming orthogonal bias-weighted correlation methodology. 1019 software-assisted shifts were suggested by US and FM in 39 patients. The 95% limits of agreement in X, Y and Z axes were ±9.4 mm, ±11.3 mm and ±13.4, respectively. Three-dimensionally, measurements agreed within 13.4 mm in 95% of all paired measures. In all axes, concordance was graded as 'poor' or 'unacceptable'. Deming regression detected proportional bias in both directional axes and three-dimensional vectors. Our data suggest substantial differences between US and FM image-guided measures and subsequent suggested directional shifts. Analysis reveals that the vast majority of

Fiducial marker placement using endobronchial ultrasound and navigational bronchoscopy for stereotactic radiosurgery: an alternative strategy.

PubMed

Harley, Daniel P; Krimsky, William S; Sarkar, Saiyad; Highfield, David; Aygun, Cengis; Gurses, Burak

2010-02-01

Stereotactic radiosurgery is being increasingly used to treat patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) who are not candidates for surgical resection. Stereotactic radiosurgery usually needs fiducial markers (FMs) for the tracking process. FMs have generally been placed using percutaneous computed axial tomography scan guidance. We report the results of FM placement using endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) in 43 patients. A multidisciplinary tumor board evaluates NSCLC patients before they are offered stereotactic radiosurgery. In patients selected for stereotactic radiosurgery, FMs were inserted into peripheral, central, and mediastinal tumors using EBUS and, in selected patients, navigational bronchoscopy. Patients underwent repeat computed axial tomography chest scans 2 weeks later to ensure stability of the FMs before beginning stereotactic radiosurgery. Included were 43 consecutive patients (21 men, 22 women; mean age, 74.4 years). Forty-two (98%) had NSC carcinomas (5 recurrences); 1 had a carcinoid tumor. Twenty-two tumors were located in the left lung, 19 in the right lung, 1 at the carina, and 1 pretracheal. Two to 5 FMs were placed in and around all tumor masses using EBUS and, for peripheral lesions, EBUS combined with navigational bronchoscopy. Thirty patients had no displacement of FMs. In the 13 who had displaced 1 or more FMs, the ability to use the remaining FMs for stereotactic radiosurgery was unimpaired. EBUS and navigational bronchoscopy are safe and effective methods to position FMs for preparing patients with both central and peripheral lung cancers for stereotactic radiosurgery. 2010 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emission dynamics of hybrid plasmonic gold/organic GaN nanorods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammadi, F.; Schmitzer, H.; Kunert, G.; Hommel, D.; Ge, J.; Duscher, G.; Langbein, W.; Wagner, H. P.

2017-12-01

We studied the emission of bare and aluminum quinoline (Alq3)/gold coated wurtzite GaN nanorods by temperature- and intensity-dependent time-integrated and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL). The GaN nanorods of ˜1.5 μm length and ˜250 nm diameter were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Gold/Alq3 coated GaN nanorods were synthesized by organic molecular beam deposition. The near band-edge and donor-acceptor pair luminescence was investigated in bare GaN nanorods and compared with multilevel model calculations providing the dynamical parameters for electron-hole pairs, excitons, impurity bound excitons, donors and acceptors. Subsequently, the influence of a 10 nm gold coating without and with an Alq3 spacer layer was studied and the experimental results were analyzed with the multilevel model. Without a spacer layer, a significant PL quenching and lifetime reduction of the near band-edge emission is found. The behavior is attributed to surface band-bending and Förster energy transfer from excitons to surface plasmons in the gold layer. Inserting a 5 nm Alq3 spacer layer reduces the PL quenching and lifetime reduction which is consistent with a reduced band-bending and Förster energy transfer. Increasing the spacer layer to 30 nm results in lifetimes which are similar to uncoated structures, showing a significantly decreased influence of the gold coating on the excitonic dynamics.

Emission dynamics of hybrid plasmonic gold/organic GaN nanorods.

PubMed

Mohammadi, F; Schmitzer, H; Kunert, G; Hommel, D; Ge, J; Duscher, G; Langbein, W; Wagner, H P

2017-12-15

We studied the emission of bare and aluminum quinoline (Alq 3 )/gold coated wurtzite GaN nanorods by temperature- and intensity-dependent time-integrated and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL). The GaN nanorods of ∼1.5 μm length and ∼250 nm diameter were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Gold/Alq 3 coated GaN nanorods were synthesized by organic molecular beam deposition. The near band-edge and donor-acceptor pair luminescence was investigated in bare GaN nanorods and compared with multilevel model calculations providing the dynamical parameters for electron-hole pairs, excitons, impurity bound excitons, donors and acceptors. Subsequently, the influence of a 10 nm gold coating without and with an Alq 3 spacer layer was studied and the experimental results were analyzed with the multilevel model. Without a spacer layer, a significant PL quenching and lifetime reduction of the near band-edge emission is found. The behavior is attributed to surface band-bending and Förster energy transfer from excitons to surface plasmons in the gold layer. Inserting a 5 nm Alq 3 spacer layer reduces the PL quenching and lifetime reduction which is consistent with a reduced band-bending and Förster energy transfer. Increasing the spacer layer to 30 nm results in lifetimes which are similar to uncoated structures, showing a significantly decreased influence of the gold coating on the excitonic dynamics.

Intra-Operative Dosimetry in Prostate Brachytherapy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-01

labels in the ith la - beled seed-only image. The seed region with label k in ith image is covered by ||Ωik|| seeds where ||Ω i k|| is the cardinal of...using acetol. The phantom consists of twelve slabs with thickness of 5 mm and each slab has at least a hundred holes with 5 mm spacing where seeds can be...fiducial & the needle insertion template can be pre-calibrated using a rigid mount.(a) A CAD model of the FTRAC fiducial mounted on the seed-insertion needle

Accuracy of heart rate variability estimation by photoplethysmography using an smartphone: Processing optimization and fiducial point selection.

PubMed

Ferrer-Mileo, V; Guede-Fernandez, F; Fernandez-Chimeno, M; Ramos-Castro, J; Garcia-Gonzalez, M A

2015-08-01

This work compares several fiducial points to detect the arrival of a new pulse in a photoplethysmographic signal using the built-in camera of smartphones or a photoplethysmograph. Also, an optimization process for the signal preprocessing stage has been done. Finally we characterize the error produced when we use the best cutoff frequencies and fiducial point for smartphones and photopletysmograph and compare if the error of smartphones can be reasonably be explained by variations in pulse transit time. The results have revealed that the peak of the first derivative and the minimum of the second derivative of the pulse wave have the lowest error. Moreover, for these points, high pass filtering the signal between 0.1 to 0.8 Hz and low pass around 2.7 Hz or 3.5 Hz are the best cutoff frequencies. Finally, the error in smartphones is slightly higher than in a photoplethysmograph.

[ZHENG's gold hook fishing acupuncture for lumbar disc herniation: a clinical observation].

PubMed

Zhu, Bowen; Zhang, Xinghua; Sun, Runjie; Qin, Xiaoguang

2016-04-01

To compare the clinical efficacy differences between Zheng's gold hook, fishing acupuncture and electroacupuncture (EA) for lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Sixty patients of LDH were randomly allocated to a gold hook fishing acupuncture group and an EA group, 30 cases in each one. Lumbar Jiaji (EX-1 B 2), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25), Guanyuanshu (BL 26) and ashi points were selected in the gold hook fishing acupuncture group; after the needles were inserted, the manipulation of gold hook fishing acupuncture was applied at tendon junction points and ashi points. The identical acupoints were selected in the EA group and patients were treated with EA. The treatment was both given once a day; ten days of treatment were taken as one session, and totally 3 sessions were given. The clinical effective rate, visual analogue scale (VAS), low back pain score and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were used for efficacy evaluation. The effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the gold hook fishing acupuncture group, which was superior to 86.7% (26/30) in the EA group (P < 0.05). The VAS, low back pain score and ODI were both significantly improved after treatment (all P < 0.05), which were more significant in the gold hook fishing acupuncture group (all P < 0.05). ZHENG's gold hook fishing acupuncture could effectively improve the symptoms and sings of LDH, reduce the disability index and improve the quality of life, which is superior to EA.

Penile Lengthening, Girth, and Size Preservation at the Time of Penile Prosthesis Insertion.

PubMed

Tran, Henry; Goldfarb, Robert; Ackerman, Anika; Valenzuela, Robert J

2017-07-01

Penile prosthetic devices are the gold standard treatment of medication-refractory erectile dysfunction. Inflatable penile prosthetic (IPP) devices have been available and used for more than four decades. Oftentimes, medical conditions causing erectile dysfunction also cause penile shortening, causing decreased patient quality of life. To identify and review all available penile lengthening procedures that can be performed at time of IPP insertion. An extensive, systematic literature review was performed using PubMed searching for key terms penile lengthening, inflatable penile prosthesis, penile girth, corporoplasty, glans augmentation, and penile enhancement; all articles with subjective and/or objective penile length outcomes were reviewed. A review of various techniques for penile length and girth preservation and enhancement during penile prosthesis insertion. Several advanced and novel techniques were found for penile length preservation and enhancement at time of IPP insertion, including the sub-coronal IPP insertion technique, and adjuvant maneuvers during insertion, such as the sliding technique, modified sliding technique, multiple slice technique, and circumferential incision and grafting. Other adjuvant techniques that can enhance perception of increased length include ventral phalloplasty, suprapubic lipectomy, and suspensory ligament release. Further enhancement can be obtained using augmentation corporoplasty and glans augmentation with hyaluronic acid and other fillers. The different techniques vary in complexity and could require specialized training and experience. Maximum length gain appears to be limited by the length of the neurovascular bundles. Overall, surgical penile lengthening procedures at time of IPP insertion appear safe and effective for treatment of patients with penile shortening and severe erectile dysfunction. These therapies can significantly improve patient self-esteem and quality of life in properly selected patients. Tran H

Kilovoltage imaging of implanted fiducials to monitor intrafraction motion with abdominal compression during stereotactic body radiotherapy for GI tumors

PubMed Central

Yorke, Ellen; Xiong, Ying; Han, Qian; Zhang, Pengpeng; Mageras, Gikas; Lovelock, Michael; Pham, Hai; Xiong, Jian-Ping; Goodman, Karyn A.

2017-01-01

Purpose/Objective To assess intrafraction respiratory motion using a commercial kilovoltage imaging system for abdominal tumor patients with implanted fiducials and breathing constrained by pneumatic compression during stereotactic body radiotherapy (sbrt). Methods and Materials A pneumatic compression belt limited respiratory motion in 19 patients with radiopaque fiducials in or near their tumor during sbrt for abdominal tumors. Kilovoltage images were acquired at 5–6 sec intervals during treatment using a commercial system. Intrafractional fiducial displacements were measured using in-house software. The dosimetric effect of the observed displacements was calculated for three sessions for each patient. Results Intrafraction displacement patterns varied between patients and between individual treatment sessions. Averaged over 19 patients, 73 sessions, 7.6% of craniocaudal displacements exceeded 0.5 cm and 1.2% exceeded 0.75 cm. The calculated single session dose to 95% of gross tumor volume (GTVD95) differed from planned by an average of −1.2% (−11.1%−4.8%) but only for 4 patients was total 3-session calculated GTVD95 over 3% different from planned Conclusions Our pneumatic compression limited intrafractional abdominal target motion, maintained target position established at setup, and was moderately effective in preserving coverage. Commercially available intrafractional imaging is useful for surveillance but can be made more effective and reliable. PMID:26797539

Endoscopy/EUS-guided fiducial marker placement in patients with esophageal cancer: a comparative analysis of 3 types of markers.

PubMed

Machiels, Melanie; van Hooft, Jeanin; Jin, Peng; van Berge Henegouwen, Mark I; van Laarhoven, Hanneke M; Alderliesten, Tanja; Hulshof, Maarten C

2015-10-01

Markers placed at the borders of esophageal tumors are potentially useful to facilitate radiotherapy (RT) target delineation, which offers the possibility of image-guided RT. To evaluate and compare the feasibility and technical benefit of endoscopy/EUS-guided marker placement of 3 different types of markers in patients with esophageal cancer referred for RT. Prospective, single-center, feasibility and comparative study. Tertiary-care medical center. Thirty patients with esophageal cancer who were referred for RT. Patients underwent endoscopy/EUS-guided implantation of 1 type of marker. A solid gold marker (SM) with fixed dimensions, a flexible coil-shaped gold marker (FM) with hand-cut length (2-10 mm), and a radiopaque hydrogel marker (HG) were used. Technical feasibility and adverse events were registered. CT scans and cone-beam CT scans (CBCT) acquired during RT were analyzed to determine and compare the visibility and continuous clear visibility of the implanted markers. Technical feasibility, technical benefit, and adverse events of 3 types of markers. A total of 101 markers were placed in 30 patients. Implantation was technically feasible in all patients without grade 3 to 4 adverse events. Two patients with asymptomatic mediastinitis and one with asymptomatic pneumothorax were seen. Visibility on CT scan of all 3 types of implanted markers was adequate for target delineation. Eighty percent of FMs remained continuously visible over the treatment period on CBCT, significantly better than SMs (63%) and HGs (11%) (P = .015). When we selected FMs ≥5 mm, 90.5% remained visible on CBCT between implantation and the end of RT. Single-center, nonrandomized design. Endoscopy/EUS-guided fiducial marker placement for esophageal cancer is both safe and feasible and can be used for target volume delineation purposes on CT. Our results imply a significant advantage of FMs over SMs and HGs, regarding visibility and continuous clear visibility over the treatment period

A line fiducial method for geometric calibration of cone-beam CT systems with diverse scan trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, M. W.; Ketcha, M. D.; Capostagno, S.; Martin, A.; Uneri, A.; Goerres, J.; De Silva, T.; Reaungamornrat, S.; Han, R.; Manbachi, A.; Stayman, J. W.; Vogt, S.; Kleinszig, G.; Siewerdsen, J. H.

2018-01-01

Modern cone-beam CT systems, especially C-arms, are capable of diverse source-detector orbits. However, geometric calibration of these systems using conventional configurations of spherical fiducials (BBs) may be challenged for novel source-detector orbits and system geometries. In part, this is because the BB configurations are designed with careful forethought regarding the intended orbit so that BB marker projections do not overlap in projection views. Examples include helical arrangements of BBs (Rougee et al 1993 Proc. SPIE 1897 161-9) such that markers do not overlap in projections acquired from a circular orbit and circular arrangements of BBs (Cho et al 2005 Med. Phys. 32 968-83). As a more general alternative, this work proposes a calibration method based on an array of line-shaped, radio-opaque wire segments. With this method, geometric parameter estimation is accomplished by relating the 3D line equations representing the wires to the 2D line equations of their projections. The use of line fiducials simplifies many challenges with fiducial recognition and extraction in an orbit-independent manner. For example, their projections can overlap only mildly, for any gantry pose, as long as the wires are mutually non-coplanar in 3D. The method was tested in application to circular and non-circular trajectories in simulation and in real orbits executed using a mobile C-arm prototype for cone-beam CT. Results indicated high calibration accuracy, as measured by forward and backprojection/triangulation error metrics. Triangulation errors on the order of microns and backprojected ray deviations uniformly less than 0.2 mm were observed in both real and simulated orbits. Mean forward projection errors less than 0.1 mm were observed in a comprehensive sweep of different C-arm gantry angulations. Finally, successful integration of the method into a CT imaging chain was demonstrated in head phantom scans.

FIDUCIAL STELLAR POPULATION SEQUENCES FOR THE VJK{sub S} PHOTOMETRIC SYSTEM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brasseur, Crystal M.; VandenBerg, Don A.; Stetson, Peter B.

2010-12-15

We have obtained broadband near-infrared photometry for seven Galactic star clusters (M 92, M 15, M 13, M 5, NGC 1851, M 71, and NGC 6791) using the WIRCam wide-field imager on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, supplemented by images of NGC 1851 taken with HAWK-I on the Very Large Telescope. In addition, Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) observations of the [Fe/H] {approx}0.0 open cluster M 67 were added to the cluster database. From the resultant (V - J) - V and (V - K{sub S} ) - V color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), fiducial sequences spanning the range in metallicity, -2.4 {approx}fiducials provide a valuable set of empirical isochrones for the interpretation of stellar population data in the 2MASS system. We also compare our newly derived CMDs to Victoria isochrones that have been transformed to the observed plane using recent empirical and theoretical color-T{sub eff} relations. The models are able to reproduce the entire CMDs of clusters more metal rich than [Fe/H] {approx}-1.4 quite well, on the assumption of the same reddenings and distance moduli that yield good fits of the same isochrones to Johnson-Cousins BV(RI){sub C} photometry. However, the predicted giant branches become systematically redder than the observed RGBs as the cluster metallicity decreases. Possible explanations for these discrepancies are discussed.« less

Comparison of low‐dose, half‐rotation, cone‐beam CT with electronic portal imaging device for registration of fiducial markers during prostate radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Wee, Leonard; Hackett, Sara Lyons; Jones, Andrew; Lim, Tee Sin; Harper, Christopher Stirling

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the agreement of fiducial marker localization between two modalities — an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) and cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) — using a low‐dose, half‐rotation scanning protocol. Twenty‐five prostate cancer patients with implanted fiducial markers were enrolled. Before each daily treatment, EPID and half‐rotation CBCT images were acquired. Translational shifts were computed for each modality and two marker‐matching algorithms, seed‐chamfer and grey‐value, were performed for each set of CBCT images. The localization offsets, and systematic and random errors from both modalities were computed. Localization performances for both modalities were compared using Bland‐Altman limits of agreement (LoA) analysis, Deming regression analysis, and Cohen's kappa inter‐rater analysis. The differences in the systematic and random errors between the modalities were within 0.2 mm in all directions. The LoA analysis revealed a 95% agreement limit of the modalities of 2 to 3.5 mm in any given translational direction. Deming regression analysis demonstrated that constant biases existed in the shifts computed by the modalities in the superior–inferior (SI) direction, but no significant proportional biases were identified in any direction. Cohen's kappa analysis showed good agreement between the modalities in prescribing translational corrections of the couch at 3 and 5 mm action levels. Images obtained from EPID and half‐rotation CBCT showed acceptable agreement for registration of fiducial markers. The seed‐chamfer algorithm for tracking of fiducial markers in CBCT datasets yielded better agreement than the grey‐value matching algorithm with EPID‐based registration. PACS numbers: 87.55.km, 87.55.Qr PMID:23835391

Full automatic fiducial marker detection on coil arrays for accurate instrumentation placement during MRI guided breast interventions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippatos, Konstantinos; Boehler, Tobias; Geisler, Benjamin; Zachmann, Harald; Twellmann, Thorsten

2010-02-01

With its high sensitivity, dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging (DCE-MRI) of the breast is today one of the first-line tools for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, particularly in the dense breast of young women. However, many relevant findings are very small or occult on targeted ultrasound images or mammography, so that MRI guided biopsy is the only option for a precise histological work-up [1]. State-of-the-art software tools for computer-aided diagnosis of breast cancer in DCE-MRI data offer also means for image-based planning of biopsy interventions. One step in the MRI guided biopsy workflow is the alignment of the patient position with the preoperative MR images. In these images, the location and orientation of the coil localization unit can be inferred from a number of fiducial markers, which for this purpose have to be manually or semi-automatically detected by the user. In this study, we propose a method for precise, full-automatic localization of fiducial markers, on which basis a virtual localization unit can be subsequently placed in the image volume for the purpose of determining the parameters for needle navigation. The method is based on adaptive thresholding for separating breast tissue from background followed by rigid registration of marker templates. In an evaluation of 25 clinical cases comprising 4 different commercial coil array models and 3 different MR imaging protocols, the method yielded a sensitivity of 0.96 at a false positive rate of 0.44 markers per case. The mean distance deviation between detected fiducial centers and ground truth information that was appointed from a radiologist was 0.94mm.

Kilovoltage Imaging of Implanted Fiducials to Monitor Intrafraction Motion With Abdominal Compression During Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Gastrointestinal Tumors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yorke, Ellen, E-mail: yorke@mskcc.org; Xiong, Ying; Han, Qian

2016-07-01

Purpose: To assess intrafraction respiratory motion using a commercial kilovoltage imaging system for abdominal tumor patients with implanted fiducials and breathing constrained by pneumatic compression during stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Methods and Materials: A pneumatic compression belt limited respiratory motion in 19 patients with radiopaque fiducials in or near their tumor during SBRT for abdominal tumors. Kilovoltage images were acquired at 5- to 6-second intervals during treatment using a commercial system. Intrafractional fiducial displacements were measured using in-house software. The dosimetric effect of the observed displacements was calculated for 3 sessions for each patient. Results: Intrafraction displacement patterns variedmore » between patients and between individual treatment sessions. Averaged over 19 patients, 73 sessions, 7.6% of craniocaudal displacements exceeded 0.5 cm, and 1.2% exceeded 0.75 cm. The calculated single-session dose to 95% of gross tumor volume differed from planned by an average of −1.2% (range, −11.1% to 4.8%) but only for 4 patients was the total 3-session calculated dose to 95% of gross tumor volume more than 3% different from planned. Conclusions: Our pneumatic compression limited intrafractional abdominal target motion, maintained target position established at setup, and was moderately effective in preserving coverage. Commercially available intrafractional imaging is useful for surveillance but can be made more effective and reliable.« less

Kilovoltage Imaging of Implanted Fiducials to Monitor Intrafraction Motion With Abdominal Compression During Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Gastrointestinal Tumors.

PubMed

Yorke, Ellen; Xiong, Ying; Han, Qian; Zhang, Pengpeng; Mageras, Gikas; Lovelock, Michael; Pham, Hai; Xiong, Jian-Ping; Goodman, Karyn A

2016-07-01

To assess intrafraction respiratory motion using a commercial kilovoltage imaging system for abdominal tumor patients with implanted fiducials and breathing constrained by pneumatic compression during stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). A pneumatic compression belt limited respiratory motion in 19 patients with radiopaque fiducials in or near their tumor during SBRT for abdominal tumors. Kilovoltage images were acquired at 5- to 6-second intervals during treatment using a commercial system. Intrafractional fiducial displacements were measured using in-house software. The dosimetric effect of the observed displacements was calculated for 3 sessions for each patient. Intrafraction displacement patterns varied between patients and between individual treatment sessions. Averaged over 19 patients, 73 sessions, 7.6% of craniocaudal displacements exceeded 0.5 cm, and 1.2% exceeded 0.75 cm. The calculated single-session dose to 95% of gross tumor volume differed from planned by an average of -1.2% (range, -11.1% to 4.8%) but only for 4 patients was the total 3-session calculated dose to 95% of gross tumor volume more than 3% different from planned. Our pneumatic compression limited intrafractional abdominal target motion, maintained target position established at setup, and was moderately effective in preserving coverage. Commercially available intrafractional imaging is useful for surveillance but can be made more effective and reliable. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-G-JeP1-10: Feasibility of CyberKnife Tracking Using the Previously-Implanted Permanent Brachytherapy Seed Cloud

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheung, J; Cunha, J; Sudhyadhom, A

Purpose: Robotic radiosurgery is a salvage treatment option for patients with recurrent prostate cancer. We explored the feasibility of tracking the bolus of permanent prostate implants (PPI) using image recognition software optimized to track spinal anatomy. Methods: Forty-five inert iodine seeds were implanted into a gelatin-based prostate phantom. Four superficial gold seeds were inserted to provide ground-truth alignment. A CT scan of the phantom (120 kVp, 1 mm slice thickness) was acquired and a single-energy iterative metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithm was used to enhance the quality of the DRR used for tracking. CyberKnife treatment plans were generated from themore » MAR CT and regular CT (no-MAR) using spine tracking. The spine-tracking grid was centered on the bolus of seeds and resized to encompass the full seed cloud. A third plan was created from the regular CT scan, using fiducial tracking based on the 4 superficial gold seeds with identical align-center coordinates. The phantom was initially aligned using the fiducial-tracking plan. Then the MAR and no-MAR spine-tracking plans were loaded without moving the phantom. Differences in couch correction parameters were recorded in the case of perfect alignment and after the application of known rotations and translations (roll/pitch of 2 degrees; translations XYZ of 2 cm). Results: The spine tracking software was able to lock on to the bolus of seeds and provide couch corrections both in the MAR and no-MAR plans. In all cases, differences in the couch correction parameters from fiducial alignment were <0.5 mm in translations and <1 degree in rotations. Conclusion: We were able to successfully track the bolus of seeds with the spine-tracking grid in phantom experiments. For clinical applications, further investigation and developments to adapt the spine-tracking algorithm to optimize for PPI seed cloud tracking is needed to provide reliable tracking in patients. One of the authors (MD) has received

Multiple template-based fluoroscopic tracking of lung tumor mass without implanted fiducial markers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Ying; Dy, Jennifer G.; Sharp, Gregory C.; Alexander, Brian; Jiang, Steve B.

2007-10-01

Precise lung tumor localization in real time is particularly important for some motion management techniques, such as respiratory gating or beam tracking with a dynamic multi-leaf collimator, due to the reduced clinical tumor volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) margin and/or the escalated dose. There might be large uncertainties in deriving tumor position from external respiratory surrogates. While tracking implanted fiducial markers has sufficient accuracy, this procedure may not be widely accepted due to the risk of pneumothorax. Previously, we have developed a technique to generate gating signals from fluoroscopic images without implanted fiducial markers using a template matching method (Berbeco et al 2005 Phys. Med. Biol. 50 4481-90, Cui et al 2007 Phys. Med. Biol. 52 741-55). In this paper, we present an extension of this method to multiple-template matching for directly tracking the lung tumor mass in fluoroscopy video. The basic idea is as follows: (i) during the patient setup session, a pair of orthogonal fluoroscopic image sequences are taken and processed off-line to generate a set of reference templates that correspond to different breathing phases and tumor positions; (ii) during treatment delivery, fluoroscopic images are continuously acquired and processed; (iii) the similarity between each reference template and the processed incoming image is calculated; (iv) the tumor position in the incoming image is then estimated by combining the tumor centroid coordinates in reference templates with proper weights based on the measured similarities. With different handling of image processing and similarity calculation, two such multiple-template tracking techniques have been developed: one based on motion-enhanced templates and Pearson's correlation score while the other based on eigen templates and mean-squared error. The developed techniques have been tested on six sequences of fluoroscopic images from six lung cancer patients against the reference

Detecting fiducials affected by trombone delay in ARC and the main laser alignment at the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awwal, Abdul A. S.; Bliss, Erlan S.; Miller Kamm, Victoria; Leach, Richard R.; Roberts, Randy; Rushford, Michael C.; Lowe-Webb, Roger; Wilhelmsen, Karl

2015-09-01

Four of the 192 beams of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) are currently being diverted into the Advanced Radiographic Capability (ARC) system to generate a sequence of short (1-50 picoseconds) 1053 nm laser pulses. When focused onto high Z wires in vacuum, these pulses create high energy x-ray pulses capable of penetrating the dense, imploding fusion fuel plasma during ignition scale experiments. The transmitted x-rays imaged with x-ray diagnostics can create movie radiographs that are expected to provide unprecedented insight into the implosion dynamics. The resulting images will serve as a diagnostic for tuning the experimental parameters towards successful fusion reactions. Beam delays introduced into the ARC pulses via independent, free-space optical trombones create the desired x-ray image sequence, or movie. However, these beam delays cause optical distortion of various alignment fiducials viewed by alignment sensors in the NIF and ARC beamlines. This work describes how the position of circular alignment fiducials is estimated in the presence of distortion.

A method of measuring gold nanoparticle concentrations by x-ray fluorescence for biomedical applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu Di; Li Yuhua; Wong, Molly D.

Purpose: This paper reports a technique that enables the quantitative determination of the concentration of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) through the accurate detection of their fluorescence radiation in the diagnostic x-ray spectrum. Methods: Experimentally, x-ray fluorescence spectra of 1.9 and 15 nm GNP solutions are measured using an x-ray spectrometer, individually and within chicken breast tissue samples. An optimal combination of excitation and emission filters is determined to segregate the fluorescence spectra at 66.99 and 68.80 keV from the background scattering. A roadmap method is developed that subtracts the scattered radiation (acquired before the insertion of GNP solutions) from the signalmore » radiation acquired after the GNP solutions are inserted. Results: The methods effectively minimize the background scattering in the spectrum measurements, showing linear relationships between GNP solutions from 0.1% to 10% weight concentration and from 0.1% to 1.0% weight concentration inside a chicken breast tissue sample. Conclusions: The investigation demonstrated the potential of imaging gold nanoparticles quantitatively in vivo for in-tissue studies, but future studies will be needed to investigate the ability to apply this method to clinical applications.« less

Objective assessment of the aesthetic outcomes of breast cancer treatment: toward automatic localization of fiducial points on digital photographs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udpa, Nitin; Sampat, Mehul P.; Kim, Min Soon; Reece, Gregory P.; Markey, Mia K.

2007-03-01

The contemporary goals of breast cancer treatment are not limited to cure but include maximizing quality of life. All breast cancer treatment can adversely affect breast appearance. Developing objective, quantifiable methods to assess breast appearance is important to understand the impact of deformity on patient quality of life, guide selection of current treatments, and make rational treatment advances. A few measures of aesthetic properties such as symmetry have been developed. They are computed from the distances between manually identified fiducial points on digital photographs. However, this is time-consuming and subject to intra- and inter-observer variability. The purpose of this study is to investigate methods for automatic localization of fiducial points on anterior-posterior digital photographs taken to document the outcomes of breast reconstruction. Particular emphasis is placed on automatic localization of the nipple complex since the most widely used aesthetic measure, the Breast Retraction Assessment, quantifies the symmetry of nipple locations. The nipple complexes are automatically localized using normalized cross-correlation with a template bank of variants of Gaussian and Laplacian of Gaussian filters. A probability map of likely nipple locations determined from the image database is used to reduce the number of false positive detections from the matched filter operation. The accuracy of the nipple detection was evaluated relative to markings made by three human observers. The impact of using the fiducial point locations as identified by the automatic method, as opposed to the manual method, on the calculation of the Breast Retraction Assessment was also evaluated.

Experimental Attempts for Deep Insertion in Ultrasonically Forced Insertion Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ono, Satoshi; Aoyagi, Manabu; Tamura, Hideki; Takano, Takehiro

2011-07-01

In this paper, we describe two attempts of obtaining deep insertion in an ultrasonically forced insertion (USFI) process. One was to correct the inclination of an inserted rod by passively generated bending vibrations. The inclination causes a partial plastic deformation, which decreases the holding power of processing materials. Two types of horn with grooves for excitation of bending vibrations were examined. The other was to make differences in vibration velocity and the phase of a rod and a metal plate by damping the vibration of a metal plate by using a rubber sheet. As results, the attempts proposed in this study were confirmed to be effective to obtain a deep insertion.

Graphene-gold supercapacitor as a voltage controlled saturable absorber for femtosecond pulse generation.

PubMed

Baylam, Isinsu; Balci, Osman; Kakenov, Nurbek; Kocabas, Coskun; Sennaroglu, Alphan

2016-03-01

We report, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, use of a graphene-gold supercapacitor as a voltage controlled fast saturable absorber for femtosecond pulse generation. The unique design involving only one graphene electrode lowers the insertion loss of the device, in comparison with capacitor designs with two graphene electrodes. Furthermore, use of the high-dielectric electrolyte allows reversible, adjustable control of the absorption level up to the visible region with low bias voltages of only a few volts (0-2 V). The fast saturable absorber action of the graphene-gold supercapacitor was demonstrated inside a multipass-cavity Cr:forsterite laser to generate nearly transform-limited, sub-100 fs pulses at a pulse repetition rate of 4.51 MHz at 1.24 μm.

Synthesis of gold structures by gold-binding peptide governed by concentration of gold ion and peptide.

PubMed

Kim, Jungok; Kim, Dong-Hun; Lee, Sylvia J; Rheem, Youngwoo; Myung, Nosang V; Hur, Hor-Gil

2016-08-01

Although biological synthesis methods for the production of gold structures by microorganisms, plant extracts, proteins, and peptide have recently been introduced, there have been few reports pertaining to controlling their size and morphology. The gold ion and peptide concentrations affected on the size and uniformity of gold plates by a gold-binding peptide Midas-11. The higher concentration of gold ions produced a larger size of gold structures reached 125.5 μm, but an increased amount of Midas-11 produced a smaller size of gold platelets and increased the yield percentage of polygonal gold particles rather than platelets. The mechanisms governing factors controlling the production of gold structures were primarily related to nucleation and growth. These results indicate that the synthesis of gold architectures can be controlled by newly isolated and substituted peptides under different reaction conditions.

Selective detection and recovery of gold at tannin-immobilized non-conducting electrode.

PubMed

Banu, Khaleda; Shimura, Takayoshi; Sadeghi, Saman

2015-01-01

A tannin-immobilized glassy carbon electrode (TIGC) was prepared via electrochemical oxidation of the naturally occurring polyphenolic mimosa tannin, which generated a non-conducting polymeric film (NCPF) on the electrode surface. The fouling of the electrode surface by the electropolymerized film was evaluated by monitoring the electrode response of ferricyanide ions as a redox marker. The NCPF was permselective to HAuCl4, and the electrochemical reduction of HAuCl4 to metallic gold at the TIGC electrode was evaluated by recording the reduction current during cyclic voltammetry measurement. In the mixed electrolyte containing HAuCl4 along with FeCl3 and/or CuCl2, the NCPF remained selective toward the electrochemical reduction of HAuCl4 into the metallic state. The chemical reduction of HAuCl4 into metallic gold was also observed when the NCPF was inserted into an acidic gold solution overnight. The adsorption capacity of Au(III) on tannin-immobilized carbon fiber was 29±1.45 mg g(-1) at 60°C. In the presence of excess Cu(II) and Fe(III), tannin-immobilized NCPF proved to be an excellent candidate for the selective detection and recovery of gold through both electrochemical and chemical processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Indoor localization using pedestrian dead reckoning updated with RFID-based fiducials.

PubMed

House, Samuel; Connell, Sean; Milligan, Ian; Austin, Daniel; Hayes, Tamara L; Chiang, Patrick

2011-01-01

We describe a low-cost wearable system that tracks the location of individuals indoors using commonly available inertial navigation sensors fused with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags placed around the smart environment. While conventional pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) calculated with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) is susceptible to sensor drift inaccuracies, the proposed wearable prototype fuses the drift-sensitive IMU with a RFID tag reader. Passive RFID tags placed throughout the smart-building then act as fiducial markers that update the physical locations of each user, thereby correcting positional errors and sensor inaccuracy. Experimental measurements taken for a 55 m × 20 m 2D floor space indicate an over 1200% improvement in average error rate of the proposed RFID-fused system over dead reckoning alone.

Gold Rush!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brahier, Daniel J.

1997-01-01

Describes a mathematical investigation of gold--how it is weighed, stored, used, and valued. For grades 3-4, children estimate the value of treasure chests filled with gold coins and explore the size and weight of gold bars. Children in grades 5-6 explore how gold is mined and used, and how the value of gold changes over time. (PVD)

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at TeV with ATLAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; Abdel Khalek, S.; Abdinov, O.; Aben, R.; Abi, B.; Abolins, M.; AbouZeid, O. S.; Abramowicz, H.; Abreu, H.; Abreu, R.; Abulaiti, Y.; Acharya, B. S.; Adamczyk, L.; Adams, D. L.; Adelman, J.; Adomeit, S.; Adye, T.; Agatonovic-Jovin, T.; Aguilar-Saavedra, J. A.; Agustoni, M.; Ahlen, S. P.; Ahmadov, F.; Aielli, G.; Akerstedt, H.; Åkesson, T. P. A.; Akimoto, G.; Akimov, A. V.; Alberghi, G. L.; Albert, J.; Albrand, S.; Alconada Verzini, M. J.; Aleksa, M.; Aleksandrov, I. N.; Alexa, C.; Alexander, G.; Alexandre, G.; Alexopoulos, T.; Alhroob, M.; Alimonti, G.; Alio, L.; Alison, J.; Allbrooke, B. M. M.; Allison, L. J.; Allport, P. P.; Almond, J.; Aloisio, A.; Alonso, A.; Alonso, F.; Alpigiani, C.; Altheimer, A.; Alvarez Gonzalez, B.; Alviggi, M. G.; Amako, K.; Amaral Coutinho, Y.; Amelung, C.; Amidei, D.; Amor Dos Santos, S. P.; Amorim, A.; Amoroso, S.; Amram, N.; Amundsen, G.; Anastopoulos, C.; Ancu, L. S.; Andari, N.; Andeen, T.; Anders, C. F.; Anders, G.; Anderson, K. J.; Andreazza, A.; Andrei, V.; Anduaga, X. S.; Angelidakis, S.; Angelozzi, I.; Anger, P.; Angerami, A.; Anghinolfi, F.; Anisenkov, A. V.; Anjos, N.; Annovi, A.; Antonaki, A.; Antonelli, M.; Antonov, A.; Antos, J.; Anulli, F.; Aoki, M.; Aperio Bella, L.; Apolle, R.; Arabidze, G.; Aracena, I.; Arai, Y.; Araque, J. P.; Arce, A. T. H.; Arguin, J.-F.; Argyropoulos, S.; Arik, M.; Armbruster, A. J.; Arnaez, O.; Arnal, V.; Arnold, H.; Arratia, M.; Arslan, O.; Artamonov, A.; Artoni, G.; Asai, S.; Asbah, N.; Ashkenazi, A.; Åsman, B.; Asquith, L.; Assamagan, K.; Astalos, R.; Atkinson, M.; Atlay, N. B.; Auerbach, B.; Augsten, K.; Aurousseau, M.; Avolio, G.; Azuelos, G.; Azuma, Y.; Baak, M. A.; Baas, A.; Bacci, C.; Bachacou, H.; Bachas, K.; Backes, M.; Backhaus, M.; Backus Mayes, J.; Badescu, E.; Bagiacchi, P.; Bagnaia, P.; Bai, Y.; Bain, T.; Baines, J. T.; Baker, O. K.; Balek, P.; Balli, F.; Banas, E.; Banerjee, Sw.; Bannoura, A. A. E.; Bansal, V.; Bansil, H. S.; Barak, L.; Baranov, S. P.; Barberio, E. L.; Barberis, D.; Barbero, M.; Barillari, T.; Barisonzi, M.; Barklow, T.; Barlow, N.; Barnett, B. M.; Barnett, R. M.; Barnovska, Z.; Baroncelli, A.; Barone, G.; Barr, A. J.; Barreiro, F.; Barreiro Guimarães da Costa, J.; Bartoldus, R.; Barton, A. E.; Bartos, P.; Bartsch, V.; Bassalat, A.; Basye, A.; Bates, R. L.; Batley, J. R.; Battaglia, M.; Battistin, M.; Bauer, F.; Bawa, H. S.; Beattie, M. D.; Beau, T.; Beauchemin, P. H.; Beccherle, R.; Bechtle, P.; Beck, H. P.; Becker, K.; Becker, S.; Beckingham, M.; Becot, C.; Beddall, A. J.; Beddall, A.; Bedikian, S.; Bednyakov, V. A.; Bee, C. P.; Beemster, L. J.; Beermann, T. A.; Begel, M.; Behr, K.; Belanger-Champagne, C.; Bell, P. J.; Bell, W. H.; Bella, G.; Bellagamba, L.; Bellerive, A.; Bellomo, M.; Belotskiy, K.; Beltramello, O.; Benary, O.; Benchekroun, D.; Bendtz, K.; Benekos, N.; Benhammou, Y.; Benhar Noccioli, E.; Benitez Garcia, J. A.; Benjamin, D. P.; Bensinger, J. R.; Benslama, K.; Bentvelsen, S.; Berge, D.; Bergeaas Kuutmann, E.; Berger, N.; Berghaus, F.; Beringer, J.; Bernard, C.; Bernat, P.; Bernius, C.; Bernlochner, F. U.; Berry, T.; Berta, P.; Bertella, C.; Bertoli, G.; Bertolucci, F.; Bertsche, C.; Bertsche, D.; Besana, M. I.; Besjes, G. J.; Bessidskaia, O.; Bessner, M.; Besson, N.; Betancourt, C.; Bethke, S.; Bhimji, W.; Bianchi, R. M.; Bianchini, L.; Bianco, M.; Biebel, O.; Bieniek, S. P.; Bierwagen, K.; Biesiada, J.; Biglietti, M.; Bilbao De Mendizabal, J.; Bilokon, H.; Bindi, M.; Binet, S.; Bingul, A.; Bini, C.; Black, C. W.; Black, J. E.; Black, K. M.; Blackburn, D.; Blair, R. E.; Blanchard, J.-B.; Blazek, T.; Bloch, I.; Blocker, C.; Blum, W.; Blumenschein, U.; Bobbink, G. J.; Bobrovnikov, V. S.; Bocchetta, S. S.; Bocci, A.; Bock, C.; Boddy, C. R.; Boehler, M.; Boek, T. T.; Bogaerts, J. A.; Bogdanchikov, A. G.; Bogouch, A.; Bohm, C.; Bohm, J.; Boisvert, V.; Bold, T.; Boldea, V.; Boldyrev, A. S.; Bomben, M.; Bona, M.; Boonekamp, M.; Borisov, A.; Borissov, G.; Borri, M.; Borroni, S.; Bortfeldt, J.; Bortolotto, V.; Bos, K.; Boscherini, D.; Bosman, M.; Boterenbrood, H.; Boudreau, J.; Bouffard, J.; Bouhova-Thacker, E. V.; Boumediene, D.; Bourdarios, C.; Bousson, N.; Boutouil, S.; Boveia, A.; Boyd, J.; Boyko, I. R.; Bracinik, J.; Brandt, A.; Brandt, G.; Brandt, O.; Bratzler, U.; Brau, B.; Brau, J. E.; Braun, H. M.; Brazzale, S. F.; Brelier, B.; Brendlinger, K.; Brennan, A. J.; Brenner, R.; Bressler, S.; Bristow, K.; Bristow, T. M.; Britton, D.; Brochu, F. M.; Brock, I.; Brock, R.; Bromberg, C.; Bronner, J.; Brooijmans, G.; Brooks, T.; Brooks, W. K.; Brosamer, J.; Brost, E.; Brown, J.; Bruckman de Renstrom, P. A.; Bruncko, D.; Bruneliere, R.; Brunet, S.; Bruni, A.; Bruni, G.; Bruschi, M.; Bryngemark, L.; Buanes, T.; Buat, Q.; Bucci, F.; Buchholz, P.; Buckingham, R. M.; Buckley, A. G.; Buda, S. I.; Budagov, I. A.; Buehrer, F.; Bugge, L.; Bugge, M. K.; Bulekov, O.; Bundock, A. C.; Burckhart, H.; Burdin, S.; Burghgrave, B.; Burke, S.; Burmeister, I.; Busato, E.; Büscher, D.; Büscher, V.; Bussey, P.; Buszello, C. P.; Butler, B.; Butler, J. M.; Butt, A. I.; Buttar, C. M.; Butterworth, J. M.; Butti, P.; Buttinger, W.; Buzatu, A.; Byszewski, M.; Cabrera Urbán, S.; Caforio, D.; Cakir, O.; Calafiura, P.; Calandri, A.; Calderini, G.; Calfayan, P.; Calkins, R.; Caloba, L. P.; Calvet, D.; Calvet, S.; Camacho Toro, R.; Camarda, S.; Cameron, D.; Caminada, L. M.; Caminal Armadans, R.; Campana, S.; Campanelli, M.; Campoverde, A.; Canale, V.; Canepa, A.; Cano Bret, M.; Cantero, J.; Cantrill, R.; Cao, T.; Capeans Garrido, M. D. M.; Caprini, I.; Caprini, M.; Capua, M.; Caputo, R.; Cardarelli, R.; Carli, T.; Carlino, G.; Carminati, L.; Caron, S.; Carquin, E.; Carrillo-Montoya, G. D.; Carter, J. R.; Carvalho, J.; Casadei, D.; Casado, M. P.; Casolino, M.; Castaneda-Miranda, E.; Castelli, A.; Castillo Gimenez, V.; Castro, N. F.; Catastini, P.; Catinaccio, A.; Catmore, J. R.; Cattai, A.; Cattani, G.; Caughron, S.; Cavaliere, V.; Cavalli, D.; Cavalli-Sforza, M.; Cavasinni, V.; Ceradini, F.; Cerio, B.; Cerny, K.; Cerqueira, A. S.; Cerri, A.; Cerrito, L.; Cerutti, F.; Cerv, M.; Cervelli, A.; Cetin, S. A.; Chafaq, A.; Chakraborty, D.; Chalupkova, I.; Chang, P.; Chapleau, B.; Chapman, J. D.; Charfeddine, D.; Charlton, D. G.; Chau, C. C.; Chavez Barajas, C. A.; Cheatham, S.; Chegwidden, A.; Chekanov, S.; Chekulaev, S. V.; Chelkov, G. A.; Chelstowska, M. A.; Chen, C.; Chen, H.; Chen, K.; Chen, L.; Chen, S.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chen, Y.; Cheng, H. C.; Cheng, Y.; Cheplakov, A.; Cherkaoui El Moursli, R.; Chernyatin, V.; Cheu, E.; Chevalier, L.; Chiarella, V.; Chiefari, G.; Childers, J. T.; Chilingarov, A.; Chiodini, G.; Chisholm, A. S.; Chislett, R. T.; Chitan, A.; Chizhov, M. V.; Chouridou, S.; Chow, B. K. B.; Chromek-Burckhart, D.; Chu, M. L.; Chudoba, J.; Chwastowski, J. J.; Chytka, L.; Ciapetti, G.; Ciftci, A. K.; Ciftci, R.; Cinca, D.; Cindro, V.; Ciocio, A.; Cirkovic, P.; Citron, Z. H.; Citterio, M.; Ciubancan, M.; Clark, A.; Clark, P. J.; Clarke, R. N.; Cleland, W.; Clemens, J. C.; Clement, C.; Coadou, Y.; Cobal, M.; Coccaro, A.; Cochran, J.; Coffey, L.; Cogan, J. G.; Coggeshall, J.; Cole, B.; Cole, S.; Colijn, A. P.; Collot, J.; Colombo, T.; Colon, G.; Compostella, G.; Conde Muiño, P.; Coniavitis, E.; Conidi, M. C.; Connell, S. H.; Connelly, I. A.; Consonni, S. M.; Consorti, V.; Constantinescu, S.; Conta, C.; Conti, G.; Conventi, F.; Cooke, M.; Cooper, B. D.; Cooper-Sarkar, A. M.; Cooper-Smith, N. J.; Copic, K.; Cornelissen, T.; Corradi, M.; Corriveau, F.; Corso-Radu, A.; Cortes-Gonzalez, A.; Cortiana, G.; Costa, G.; Costa, M. J.; Costanzo, D.; Côté, D.; Cottin, G.; Cowan, G.; Cox, B. E.; Cranmer, K.; Cree, G.; Crépé-Renaudin, S.; Crescioli, F.; Cribbs, W. A.; Crispin Ortuzar, M.; Cristinziani, M.; Croft, V.; Crosetti, G.; Cuciuc, C.-M.; Cuhadar Donszelmann, T.; Cummings, J.; Curatolo, M.; Cuthbert, C.; Czirr, H.; Czodrowski, P.; Czyczula, Z.; D'Auria, S.; D'Onofrio, M.; Da Cunha Sargedas De Sousa, M. J.; Da Via, C.; Dabrowski, W.; Dafinca, A.; Dai, T.; Dale, O.; Dallaire, F.; Dallapiccola, C.; Dam, M.; Daniells, A. C.; Dano Hoffmann, M.; Dao, V.; Darbo, G.; Darmora, S.; Dassoulas, J. A.; Dattagupta, A.; Davey, W.; David, C.; Davidek, T.; Davies, E.; Davies, M.; Davignon, O.; Davison, A. R.; Davison, P.; Davygora, Y.; Dawe, E.; Dawson, I.; Daya-Ishmukhametova, R. K.; De, K.; de Asmundis, R.; De Castro, S.; De Cecco, S.; De Groot, N.; de Jong, P.; De la Torre, H.; De Lorenzi, F.; De Nooij, L.; De Pedis, D.; De Salvo, A.; De Sanctis, U.; De Santo, A.; De Vivie De Regie, J. B.; Dearnaley, W. J.; Debbe, R.; Debenedetti, C.; Dechenaux, B.; Dedovich, D. V.; Deigaard, I.; Del Peso, J.; Del Prete, T.; Deliot, F.; Delitzsch, C. M.; Deliyergiyev, M.; Dell'Acqua, A.; Dell'Asta, L.; Dell'Orso, M.; Della Pietra, M.; della Volpe, D.; Delmastro, M.; Delsart, P. A.; Deluca, C.; Demers, S.; Demichev, M.; Demilly, A.; Denisov, S. P.; Derendarz, D.; Derkaoui, J. E.; Derue, F.; Dervan, P.; Desch, K.; Deterre, C.; Deviveiros, P. O.; Dewhurst, A.; Dhaliwal, S.; Di Ciaccio, A.; Di Ciaccio, L.; Di Domenico, A.; Di Donato, C.; Di Girolamo, A.; Di Girolamo, B.; Di Mattia, A.; Di Micco, B.; Di Nardo, R.; Di Simone, A.; Di Sipio, R.; Di Valentino, D.; Dias, F. A.; Diaz, M. A.; Diehl, E. B.; Dietrich, J.; Dietzsch, T. A.; Diglio, S.; Dimitrievska, A.; Dingfelder, J.; Dionisi, C.; Dita, P.; Dita, S.; Dittus, F.; Djama, F.; Djobava, T.; do Vale, M. A. B.; Do Valle Wemans, A.; Doan, T. K. O.; Dobos, D.; Doglioni, C.; Doherty, T.; Dohmae, T.; Dolejsi, J.; Dolezal, Z.; Dolgoshein, B. A.; Donadelli, M.; Donati, S.; Dondero, P.; Donini, J.; Dopke, J.; Doria, A.; Dova, M. T.; Doyle, A. T.; Dris, M.; Dubbert, J.; Dube, S.; Dubreuil, E.; Duchovni, E.; Duckeck, G.; Ducu, O. A.; Duda, D.; Dudarev, A.; Dudziak, F.; Duflot, L.; Duguid, L.; Dührssen, M.; Dunford, M.; Duran Yildiz, H.; Düren, M.; Durglishvili, A.; Dwuznik, M.; Dyndal, M.; Ebke, J.; Edson, W.; Edwards, N. C.; Ehrenfeld, W.; Eifert, T.; Eigen, G.; Einsweiler, K.; Ekelof, T.; El Kacimi, M.; Ellert, M.; Elles, S.; Ellinghaus, F.; Ellis, N.; Elmsheuser, J.; Elsing, M.; Emeliyanov, D.; Enari, Y.; Endner, O. C.; Endo, M.; Engelmann, R.; Erdmann, J.; Ereditato, A.; Eriksson, D.; Ernis, G.; Ernst, J.; Ernst, M.; Ernwein, J.; Errede, D.; Errede, S.; Ertel, E.; Escalier, M.; Esch, H.; Escobar, C.; Esposito, B.; Etienvre, A. I.; Etzion, E.; Evans, H.; Ezhilov, A.; Fabbri, L.; Facini, G.; Fakhrutdinov, R. M.; Falciano, S.; Falla, R. J.; Faltova, J.; Fang, Y.; Fanti, M.; Farbin, A.; Farilla, A.; Farooque, T.; Farrell, S.; Farrington, S. 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D.; Mueller, F.; Mueller, J.; Mueller, K.; Mueller, T.; Mueller, T.; Muenstermann, D.; Munwes, Y.; Murillo Quijada, J. A.; Murray, W. J.; Musheghyan, H.; Musto, E.; Myagkov, A. G.; Myska, M.; Nackenhorst, O.; Nadal, J.; Nagai, K.; Nagai, R.; Nagai, Y.; Nagano, K.; Nagarkar, A.; Nagasaka, Y.; Nagel, M.; Nairz, A. M.; Nakahama, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Nakamura, T.; Nakano, I.; Namasivayam, H.; Nanava, G.; Narayan, R.; Nattermann, T.; Naumann, T.; Navarro, G.; Nayyar, R.; Neal, H. A.; Nechaeva, P. Yu.; Neep, T. J.; Nef, P. D.; Negri, A.; Negri, G.; Negrini, M.; Nektarijevic, S.; Nelson, A.; Nelson, T. K.; Nemecek, S.; Nemethy, P.; Nepomuceno, A. A.; Nessi, M.; Neubauer, M. S.; Neumann, M.; Neves, R. M.; Nevski, P.; Newman, P. R.; Nguyen, D. H.; Nickerson, R. B.; Nicolaidou, R.; Nicquevert, B.; Nielsen, J.; Nikiforou, N.; Nikiforov, A.; Nikolaenko, V.; Nikolic-Audit, I.; Nikolics, K.; Nikolopoulos, K.; Nilsson, P.; Ninomiya, Y.; Nisati, A.; Nisius, R.; Nobe, T.; Nodulman, L.; Nomachi, M.; Nomidis, I.; Norberg, S.; Nordberg, M.; Novgorodova, O.; Nowak, S.; Nozaki, M.; Nozka, L.; Ntekas, K.; Nunes Hanninger, G.; Nunnemann, T.; Nurse, E.; Nuti, F.; O'Brien, B. J.; O'grady, F.; O'Neil, D. C.; O'Shea, V.; Oakham, F. G.; Oberlack, H.; Obermann, T.; Ocariz, J.; Ochi, A.; Ochoa, M. I.; Oda, S.; Odaka, S.; Ogren, H.; Oh, A.; Oh, S. H.; Ohm, C. C.; Ohman, H.; Okamura, W.; Okawa, H.; Okumura, Y.; Okuyama, T.; Olariu, A.; Olchevski, A. G.; Olivares Pino, S. A.; Oliveira Damazio, D.; Oliver Garcia, E.; Olszewski, A.; Olszowska, J.; Onofre, A.; Onyisi, P. U. E.; Oram, C. J.; Oreglia, M. J.; Oren, Y.; Orestano, D.; Orlando, N.; Oropeza Barrera, C.; Orr, R. S.; Osculati, B.; Ospanov, R.; Otero y Garzon, G.; Otono, H.; Ouchrif, M.; Ouellette, E. A.; Ould-Saada, F.; Ouraou, A.; Oussoren, K. P.; Ouyang, Q.; Ovcharova, A.; Owen, M.; Ozcan, V. E.; Ozturk, N.; Pachal, K.; Pacheco Pages, A.; Padilla Aranda, C.; Pagáčová, M.; Pagan Griso, S.; Paganis, E.; Pahl, C.; Paige, F.; Pais, P.; Pajchel, K.; Palacino, G.; Palestini, S.; Palka, M.; Pallin, D.; Palma, A.; Palmer, J. D.; Pan, Y. B.; Panagiotopoulou, E.; Panduro Vazquez, J. G.; Pani, P.; Panikashvili, N.; Panitkin, S.; Pantea, D.; Paolozzi, L.; Papadopoulou, Th. D.; Papageorgiou, K.; Paramonov, A.; Paredes Hernandez, D.; Parker, M. A.; Parodi, F.; Parsons, J. A.; Parzefall, U.; Pasqualucci, E.; Passaggio, S.; Passeri, A.; Pastore, F.; Pastore, Fr.; Pásztor, G.; Pataraia, S.; Patel, N. D.; Pater, J. R.; Patricelli, S.; Pauly, T.; Pearce, J.; Pedersen, L. E.; Pedersen, M.; Pedraza Lopez, S.; Pedro, R.; Peleganchuk, S. V.; Pelikan, D.; Peng, C.; Peng, H.; Penning, B.; Penwell, J.; Perepelitsa, D. V.; Perez Codina, E.; Pérez García-Estañ, M. T.; Perez Reale, V.; Perini, L.; Pernegger, H.; Perrella, S.; Perrino, R.; Peschke, R.; Peshekhonov, V. D.; Peters, K.; Peters, R. F. Y.; Petersen, B. A.; Petersen, T. C.; Petit, E.; Petridis, A.; Petridou, C.; Petrolo, E.; Petrucci, F.; Pettersson, N. E.; Pezoa, R.; Phillips, P. W.; Piacquadio, G.; Pianori, E.; Picazio, A.; Piccaro, E.; Piccinini, M.; Piegaia, R.; Pignotti, D. T.; Pilcher, J. E.; Pilkington, A. D.; Pina, J.; Pinamonti, M.; Pinder, A.; Pinfold, J. L.; Pingel, A.; Pinto, B.; Pires, S.; Pitt, M.; Pizio, C.; Plazak, L.; Pleier, M.-A.; Pleskot, V.; Plotnikova, E.; Plucinski, P.; Poddar, S.; Podlyski, F.; Poettgen, R.; Poggioli, L.; Pohl, D.; Pohl, M.; Polesello, G.; Policicchio, A.; Polifka, R.; Polini, A.; Pollard, C. S.; Polychronakos, V.; Pommès, K.; Pontecorvo, L.; Pope, B. G.; Popeneciu, G. A.; Popovic, D. S.; Poppleton, A.; Portell Bueso, X.; Pospisil, S.; Potamianos, K.; Potrap, I. N.; Potter, C. J.; Potter, C. T.; Poulard, G.; Poveda, J.; Pozdnyakov, V.; Pralavorio, P.; Pranko, A.; Prasad, S.; Pravahan, R.; Prell, S.; Price, D.; Price, J.; Price, L. E.; Prieur, D.; Primavera, M.; Proissl, M.; Prokofiev, K.; Prokoshin, F.; Protopapadaki, E.; Protopopescu, S.; Proudfoot, J.; Przybycien, M.; Przysiezniak, H.; Ptacek, E.; Puddu, D.; Pueschel, E.; Puldon, D.; Purohit, M.; Puzo, P.; Qian, J.; Qin, G.; Qin, Y.; Quadt, A.; Quarrie, D. R.; Quayle, W. B.; Queitsch-Maitland, M.; Quilty, D.; Qureshi, A.; Radeka, V.; Radescu, V.; Radhakrishnan, S. K.; Radloff, P.; Rados, P.; Ragusa, F.; Rahal, G.; Rajagopalan, S.; Rammensee, M.; Randle-Conde, A. S.; Rangel-Smith, C.; Rao, K.; Rauscher, F.; Rave, T. C.; Ravenscroft, T.; Raymond, M.; Read, A. L.; Readioff, N. P.; Rebuzzi, D. M.; Redelbach, A.; Redlinger, G.; Reece, R.; Reeves, K.; Rehnisch, L.; Reisin, H.; Relich, M.; Rembser, C.; Ren, H.; Ren, Z. L.; Renaud, A.; Rescigno, M.; Resconi, S.; Rezanova, O. L.; Reznicek, P.; Rezvani, R.; Richter, R.; Ridel, M.; Rieck, P.; Rieger, J.; Rijssenbeek, M.; Rimoldi, A.; Rinaldi, L.; Ritsch, E.; Riu, I.; Rizatdinova, F.; Rizvi, E.; Robertson, S. H.; Robichaud-Veronneau, A.; Robinson, D.; Robinson, J. E. M.; Robson, A.; Roda, C.; Rodrigues, L.; Roe, S.; Røhne, O.; Rolli, S.; Romaniouk, A.; Romano, M.; Romero Adam, E.; Rompotis, N.; Ronzani, M.; Roos, L.; Ros, E.; Rosati, S.; Rosbach, K.; Rose, M.; Rose, P.; Rosendahl, P. L.; Rosenthal, O.; Rossetti, V.; Rossi, E.; Rossi, L. P.; Rosten, R.; Rotaru, M.; Roth, I.; Rothberg, J.; Rousseau, D.; Royon, C. R.; Rozanov, A.; Rozen, Y.; Ruan, X.; Rubbo, F.; Rubinskiy, I.; Rud, V. I.; Rudolph, C.; Rudolph, M. S.; Rühr, F.; Ruiz-Martinez, A.; Rurikova, Z.; Rusakovich, N. A.; Ruschke, A.; Rutherfoord, J. P.; Ruthmann, N.; Ryabov, Y. F.; Rybar, M.; Rybkin, G.; Ryder, N. C.; Saavedra, A. F.; Sacerdoti, S.; Saddique, A.; Sadeh, I.; Sadrozinski, H. F.-W.; Sadykov, R.; Safai Tehrani, F.; Sakamoto, H.; Sakurai, Y.; Salamanna, G.; Salamon, A.; Saleem, M.; Salek, D.; Sales De Bruin, P. H.; Salihagic, D.; Salnikov, A.; Salt, J.; Salvatore, D.; Salvatore, F.; Salvucci, A.; Salzburger, A.; Sampsonidis, D.; Sanchez, A.; Sánchez, J.; Sanchez Martinez, V.; Sandaker, H.; Sandbach, R. L.; Sander, H. G.; Sanders, M. P.; Sandhoff, M.; Sandoval, T.; Sandoval, C.; Sandstroem, R.; Sankey, D. P. C.; Sansoni, A.; Santoni, C.; Santonico, R.; Santos, H.; Santoyo Castillo, I.; Sapp, K.; Sapronov, A.; Saraiva, J. G.; Sarrazin, B.; Sartisohn, G.; Sasaki, O.; Sasaki, Y.; Sauvage, G.; Sauvan, E.; Savard, P.; Savu, D. O.; Sawyer, C.; Sawyer, L.; Saxon, D. H.; Saxon, J.; Sbarra, C.; Sbrizzi, A.; Scanlon, T.; Scannicchio, D. A.; Scarcella, M.; Scarfone, V.; Schaarschmidt, J.; Schacht, P.; Schaefer, D.; Schaefer, R.; Schaepe, S.; Schaetzel, S.; Schäfer, U.; Schaffer, A. C.; Schaile, D.; Schamberger, R. D.; Scharf, V.; Schegelsky, V. A.; Scheirich, D.; Schernau, M.; Scherzer, M. I.; Schiavi, C.; Schieck, J.; Schillo, C.; Schioppa, M.; Schlenker, S.; Schmidt, E.; Schmieden, K.; Schmitt, C.; Schmitt, S.; Schneider, B.; Schnellbach, Y. J.; Schnoor, U.; Schoeffel, L.; Schoening, A.; Schoenrock, B. D.; Schorlemmer, A. L. S.; Schott, M.; Schouten, D.; Schovancova, J.; Schramm, S.; Schreyer, M.; Schroeder, C.; Schuh, N.; Schultens, M. J.; Schultz-Coulon, H.-C.; Schulz, H.; Schumacher, M.; Schumm, B. A.; Schune, Ph.; Schwanenberger, C.; Schwartzman, A.; Schwegler, Ph.; Schwemling, Ph.; Schwienhorst, R.; Schwindling, J.; Schwindt, T.; Schwoerer, M.; Sciacca, F. G.; Scifo, E.; Sciolla, G.; Scott, W. G.; Scuri, F.; Scutti, F.; Searcy, J.; Sedov, G.; Sedykh, E.; Seidel, S. C.; Seiden, A.; Seifert, F.; Seixas, J. M.; Sekhniaidze, G.; Sekula, S. J.; Selbach, K. E.; Seliverstov, D. M.; Sellers, G.; Semprini-Cesari, N.; Serfon, C.; Serin, L.; Serkin, L.; Serre, T.; Seuster, R.; Severini, H.; Sfiligoj, T.; Sforza, F.; Sfyrla, A.; Shabalina, E.; Shamim, M.; Shan, L. Y.; Shang, R.; Shank, J. T.; Shapiro, M.; Shatalov, P. B.; Shaw, K.; Shehu, C. Y.; Sherwood, P.; Shi, L.; Shimizu, S.; Shimmin, C. O.; Shimojima, M.; Shiyakova, M.; Shmeleva, A.; Shochet, M. J.; Short, D.; Shrestha, S.; Shulga, E.; Shupe, M. A.; Shushkevich, S.; Sicho, P.; Sidiropoulou, O.; Sidorov, D.; Sidoti, A.; Siegert, F.; Sijacki, Dj.; Silva, J.; Silver, Y.; Silverstein, D.; Silverstein, S. B.; Simak, V.; Simard, O.; Simic, Lj.; Simion, S.; Simioni, E.; Simmons, B.; Simoniello, R.; Simonyan, M.; Sinervo, P.; Sinev, N. B.; Sipica, V.; Siragusa, G.; Sircar, A.; Sisakyan, A. N.; Sivoklokov, S. Yu.; Sjölin, J.; Sjursen, T. B.; Skottowe, H. P.; Skovpen, K. Yu.; Skubic, P.; Slater, M.; Slavicek, T.; Sliwa, K.; Smakhtin, V.; Smart, B. H.; Smestad, L.; Smirnov, S. Yu.; Smirnov, Y.; Smirnova, L. N.; Smirnova, O.; Smith, K. M.; Smizanska, M.; Smolek, K.; Snesarev, A. A.; Snidero, G.; Snyder, S.; Sobie, R.; Socher, F.; Soffer, A.; Soh, D. A.; Solans, C. A.; Solar, M.; Solc, J.; Soldatov, E. Yu.; Soldevila, U.; Solodkov, A. A.; Soloshenko, A.; Solovyanov, O. V.; Solovyev, V.; Sommer, P.; Song, H. Y.; Soni, N.; Sood, A.; Sopczak, A.; Sopko, B.; Sopko, V.; Sorin, V.; Sosebee, M.; Soualah, R.; Soueid, P.; Soukharev, A. M.; South, D.; Spagnolo, S.; Spanò, F.; Spearman, W. R.; Spettel, F.; Spighi, R.; Spigo, G.; Spiller, L. A.; Spousta, M.; Spreitzer, T.; Spurlock, B.; St. Denis, R. D.; Staerz, S.; Stahlman, J.; Stamen, R.; Stamm, S.; Stanecka, E.; Stanek, R. W.; Stanescu, C.; Stanescu-Bellu, M.; Stanitzki, M. M.; Stapnes, S.; Starchenko, E. A.; Stark, J.; Staroba, P.; Starovoitov, P.; Staszewski, R.; Stavina, P.; Steinberg, P.; Stelzer, B.; Stelzer, H. J.; Stelzer-Chilton, O.; Stenzel, H.; Stern, S.; Stewart, G. A.; Stillings, J. A.; Stockton, M. C.; Stoebe, M.; Stoicea, G.; Stolte, P.; Stonjek, S.; Stradling, A. R.; Straessner, A.; Stramaglia, M. E.; Strandberg, J.; Strandberg, S.; Strandlie, A.; Strauss, E.; Strauss, M.; Strizenec, P.; Ströhmer, R.; Strom, D. M.; Stroynowski, R.; Struebig, A.; Stucci, S. A.; Stugu, B.; Styles, N. A.; Su, D.; Su, J.; Subramaniam, R.; Succurro, A.; Sugaya, Y.; Suhr, C.; Suk, M.; Sulin, V. V.; Sultansoy, S.; Sumida, T.; Sun, S.; Sun, X.; Sundermann, J. E.; Suruliz, K.; Susinno, G.; Sutton, M. R.; Suzuki, Y.; Svatos, M.; Swedish, S.; Swiatlowski, M.; Sykora, I.; Sykora, T.; Ta, D.; Taccini, C.; Tackmann, K.; Taenzer, J.; Taffard, A.; Tafirout, R.; Taiblum, N.; Takai, H.; Takashima, R.; Takeda, H.; Takeshita, T.; Takubo, Y.; Talby, M.; Talyshev, A. A.; Tam, J. Y. C.; Tan, K. G.; Tanaka, J.; Tanaka, R.; Tanaka, S.; Tanaka, S.; Tanasijczuk, A. J.; Tannenwald, B. B.; Tannoury, N.; Tapprogge, S.; Tarem, S.; Tarrade, F.; Tartarelli, G. F.; Tas, P.; Tasevsky, M.; Tashiro, T.; Tassi, E.; Tavares Delgado, A.; Tayalati, Y.; Taylor, F. E.; Taylor, G. N.; Taylor, W.; Teischinger, F. A.; Teixeira Dias Castanheira, M.; Teixeira-Dias, P.; Temming, K. K.; Ten Kate, H.; Teng, P. K.; Teoh, J. J.; Terada, S.; Terashi, K.; Terron, J.; Terzo, S.; Testa, M.; Teuscher, R. J.; Therhaag, J.; Theveneaux-Pelzer, T.; Thomas, J. P.; Thomas-Wilsker, J.; Thompson, E. N.; Thompson, P. D.; Thompson, P. D.; Thompson, R. J.; Thompson, A. S.; Thomsen, L. A.; Thomson, E.; Thomson, M.; Thong, W. M.; Thun, R. P.; Tian, F.; Tibbetts, M. J.; Tikhomirov, V. O.; Tikhonov, Yu. A.; Timoshenko, S.; Tiouchichine, E.; Tipton, P.; Tisserant, S.; Todorov, T.; Todorova-Nova, S.; Toggerson, B.; Tojo, J.; Tokár, S.; Tokushuku, K.; Tollefson, K.; Tomlinson, L.; Tomoto, M.; Tompkins, L.; Toms, K.; Topilin, N. D.; Torrence, E.; Torres, H.; Torró Pastor, E.; Toth, J.; Touchard, F.; Tovey, D. R.; Tran, H. L.; Trefzger, T.; Tremblet, L.; Tricoli, A.; Trigger, I. M.; Trincaz-Duvoid, S.; Tripiana, M. F.; Trischuk, W.; Trocmé, B.; Troncon, C.; Trottier-McDonald, M.; Trovatelli, M.; True, P.; Trzebinski, M.; Trzupek, A.; Tsarouchas, C.; Tseng, J. C.-L.; Tsiareshka, P. V.; Tsionou, D.; Tsipolitis, G.; Tsirintanis, N.; Tsiskaridze, S.; Tsiskaridze, V.; Tskhadadze, E. G.; Tsukerman, I. I.; Tsulaia, V.; Tsuno, S.; Tsybychev, D.; Tudorache, A.; Tudorache, V.; Tuna, A. N.; Tupputi, S. A.; Turchikhin, S.; Turecek, D.; Turk Cakir, I.; Turra, R.; Tuts, P. M.; Tykhonov, A.; Tylmad, M.; Tyndel, M.; Uchida, K.; Ueda, I.; Ueno, R.; Ughetto, M.; Ugland, M.; Uhlenbrock, M.; Ukegawa, F.; Unal, G.; Undrus, A.; Unel, G.; Ungaro, F. C.; Unno, Y.; Unverdorben, C.; Urbaniec, D.; Urquijo, P.; Usai, G.; Usanova, A.; Vacavant, L.; Vacek, V.; Vachon, B.; Valencic, N.; Valentinetti, S.; Valero, A.; Valery, L.; Valkar, S.; Valladolid Gallego, E.; Vallecorsa, S.; Valls Ferrer, J. A.; Van Den Wollenberg, W.; Van Der Deijl, P. C.; van der Geer, R.; van der Graaf, H.; Van Der Leeuw, R.; van der Ster, D.; van Eldik, N.; van Gemmeren, P.; Van Nieuwkoop, J.; van Vulpen, I.; van Woerden, M. C.; Vanadia, M.; Vandelli, W.; Vanguri, R.; Vaniachine, A.; Vankov, P.; Vannucci, F.; Vardanyan, G.; Vari, R.; Varnes, E. W.; Varol, T.; Varouchas, D.; Vartapetian, A.; Varvell, K. E.; Vazeille, F.; Vazquez Schroeder, T.; Veatch, J.; Veloso, F.; Veneziano, S.; Ventura, A.; Ventura, D.; Venturi, M.; Venturi, N.; Venturini, A.; Vercesi, V.; Verducci, M.; Verkerke, W.; Vermeulen, J. C.; Vest, A.; Vetterli, M. C.; Viazlo, O.; Vichou, I.; Vickey, T.; Vickey Boeriu, O. E.; Viehhauser, G. H. A.; Viel, S.; Vigne, R.; Villa, M.; Villaplana Perez, M.; Vilucchi, E.; Vincter, M. G.; Vinogradov, V. B.; Virzi, J.; Vivarelli, I.; Vives Vaque, F.; Vlachos, S.; Vladoiu, D.; Vlasak, M.; Vogel, A.; Vogel, M.; Vokac, P.; Volpi, G.; Volpi, M.; von der Schmitt, H.; von Radziewski, H.; von Toerne, E.; Vorobel, V.; Vorobev, K.; Vos, M.; Voss, R.; Vossebeld, J. H.; Vranjes, N.; Vranjes Milosavljevic, M.; Vrba, V.; Vreeswijk, M.; Vu Anh, T.; Vuillermet, R.; Vukotic, I.; Vykydal, Z.; Wagner, P.; Wagner, W.; Wahlberg, H.; Wahrmund, S.; Wakabayashi, J.; Walder, J.; Walker, R.; Walkowiak, W.; Wall, R.; Waller, P.; Walsh, B.; Wang, C.; Wang, C.; Wang, F.; Wang, H.; Wang, H.; Wang, J.; Wang, J.; Wang, K.; Wang, R.; Wang, S. M.; Wang, T.; Wang, X.; Wanotayaroj, C.; Warburton, A.; Ward, C. P.; Wardrope, D. R.; Warsinsky, M.; Washbrook, A.; Wasicki, C.; Watkins, P. M.; Watson, A. T.; Watson, I. J.; Watson, M. F.; Watts, G.; Watts, S.; Waugh, B. M.; Webb, S.; Weber, M. S.; Weber, S. W.; Webster, J. S.; Weidberg, A. R.; Weigell, P.; Weinert, B.; Weingarten, J.; Weiser, C.; Weits, H.; Wells, P. S.; Wenaus, T.; Wendland, D.; Weng, Z.; Wengler, T.; Wenig, S.; Wermes, N.; Werner, M.; Werner, P.; Wessels, M.; Wetter, J.; Whalen, K.; White, A.; White, M. J.; White, R.; White, S.; Whiteson, D.; Wicke, D.; Wickens, F. J.; Wiedenmann, W.; Wielers, M.; Wienemann, P.; Wiglesworth, C.; Wiik-Fuchs, L. A. M.; Wijeratne, P. A.; Wildauer, A.; Wildt, M. A.; Wilkens, H. G.; Will, J. Z.; Williams, H. H.; Williams, S.; Willis, C.; Willocq, S.; Wilson, A.; Wilson, J. A.; Wingerter-Seez, I.; Winklmeier, F.; Winter, B. T.; Wittgen, M.; Wittig, T.; Wittkowski, J.; Wollstadt, S. J.; Wolter, M. W.; Wolters, H.; Wosiek, B. K.; Wotschack, J.; Woudstra, M. J.; Wozniak, K. W.; Wright, M.; Wu, M.; Wu, S. L.; Wu, X.; Wu, Y.; Wulf, E.; Wyatt, T. R.; Wynne, B. M.; Xella, S.; Xiao, M.; Xu, D.; Xu, L.; Yabsley, B.; Yacoob, S.; Yakabe, R.; Yamada, M.; Yamaguchi, H.; Yamaguchi, Y.; Yamamoto, A.; Yamamoto, K.; Yamamoto, S.; Yamamura, T.; Yamanaka, T.; Yamauchi, K.; Yamazaki, Y.; Yan, Z.; Yang, H.; Yang, H.; Yang, U. K.; Yang, Y.; Yanush, S.; Yao, L.; Yao, W.-M.; Yasu, Y.; Yatsenko, E.; Yau Wong, K. H.; Ye, J.; Ye, S.; Yeletskikh, I.; Yen, A. L.; Yildirim, E.; Yilmaz, M.; Yoosoofmiya, R.; Yorita, K.; Yoshida, R.; Yoshihara, K.; Young, C.; Young, C. J. S.; Youssef, S.; Yu, D. R.; Yu, J.; Yu, J. M.; Yu, J.; Yuan, L.; Yurkewicz, A.; Yusuff, I.; Zabinski, B.; Zaidan, R.; Zaitsev, A. M.; Zaman, A.; Zambito, S.; Zanello, L.; Zanzi, D.; Zeitnitz, C.; Zeman, M.; Zemla, A.; Zengel, K.; Zenin, O.; Ženiš, T.; Zerwas, D.; Zevi della Porta, G.; Zhang, D.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, X.; Zhang, Z.; Zhao, Z.; Zhemchugov, A.; Zhong, J.; Zhou, B.; Zhou, L.; Zhou, N.; Zhu, C. G.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, J.; Zhu, Y.; Zhuang, X.; Zhukov, K.; Zibell, A.; Zieminska, D.; Zimine, N. I.; Zimmermann, C.; Zimmermann, R.; Zimmermann, S.; Zimmermann, S.; Zinonos, Z.; Ziolkowski, M.; Zobernig, G.; Zoccoli, A.; zur Nedden, M.; Zurzolo, G.; Zutshi, V.; Zwalinski, L.

2014-09-01

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb-1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) {-/2.9 + 3.2} (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Gold

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirkemo, Harold; Newman, William L.; Ashley, Roger P.

1998-01-01

Through the ages, men and women have cherished gold, and many have had a compelling desire to amass great quantities of it -- so compelling a desire, in fact, that the frantic need to seek and hoard gold has been aptly named "gold fever." Gold was among the first metals to be mined because it commonly occurs in its native form -- that is, not combined with other elements -- because it is beautiful and imperishable, and because exquisite objects can be made from it.

Gold in minerals and the composition of native gold

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Robert Sprague; Fleischer, Michael

1969-01-01

Gold occurs in nature mainly as the metal and as various alloys. It forms complete series of solid solutions with silver, copper, nickel, palladium, and platinum. In association with the platinum metals, gold occurs as free gold as well as in solid solution. The native elements contain the most gold, followed by the sulfide minerals. Several gold tellurides are known, but no gold selenides have been reported, and only one sulfide, the telluride-sulfide mineral nagyagite, is known. The nonmetallic minerals carry the least gold, and the light-colored minerals generally contain less gold than the dark minerals. Some conclusions in the literature are conflicting in regard to the relation of fineness of native gold to its position laterally and vertically within a lode, the nature of the country rocks, and the location and size of nuggets in a streambed, as well as to the variation of fineness within an individual nugget.

Influence of the number of elongated fiducial markers on the localization accuracy of the prostate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Boer, Johan; de Bois, Josien; van Herk, Marcel; Sonke, Jan-Jakob

2012-10-01

Implanting fiducial markers for localization purposes has become an accepted practice in radiotherapy for prostate cancer. While many correction strategies correct for translations only, advanced correction protocols also require knowledge of the rotation of the prostate. For this purpose, typically, three or more markers are implanted. Elongated fiducial markers provide more information about their orientation than traditional round or cylindrical markers. Potentially, fewer markers are required. In this study, we evaluate the effect of the number of elongated markers on the localization accuracy of the prostate. To quantify the localization error, we developed a model that estimates, at arbitrary locations in the prostate, the registration error caused by translational and rotational uncertainties of the marker registration. Every combination of one, two and three markers was analysed for a group of 24 patients. The average registration errors at the prostate surface were 0.3-0.8 mm and 0.4-1 mm for registrations on, respectively, three markers and two markers located on different sides of the prostate. Substantial registration errors (2.0-2.2 mm) occurred at the prostate surface contralateral to the markers when two markers were implanted on the same side of the prostate or only one marker was used. In conclusion, there is no benefit in using three elongated markers: two markers accurately localize the prostate if they are implanted at some distance from each other.

Propagation and stability characteristics of a 500-m-long laser-based fiducial line for high-precision alignment of long-distance linear accelerators.

PubMed

Suwada, Tsuyoshi; Satoh, Masanori; Telada, Souichi; Minoshima, Kaoru

2013-09-01

A laser-based alignment system with a He-Ne laser has been newly developed in order to precisely align accelerator units at the KEKB injector linac. The laser beam was first implemented as a 500-m-long fiducial straight line for alignment measurements. We experimentally investigated the propagation and stability characteristics of the laser beam passing through laser pipes in vacuum. The pointing stability at the last fiducial point was successfully obtained with the transverse displacements of ±40 μm level in one standard deviation by applying a feedback control. This pointing stability corresponds to an angle of ±0.08 μrad. This report contains a detailed description of the experimental investigation for the propagation and stability characteristics of the laser beam in the laser-based alignment system for long-distance linear accelerators.

Derivatized gold clusters and antibody-gold cluster conjugates

DOEpatents

Hainfeld, James F.; Furuya, Frederic R.

1994-11-01

Antibody- or antibody fragment-gold cluster conjugates are shown wherein the conjugate size can be as small as 5.0 nm. Methods and reagents are disclosed in which antibodies, Fab' or F(ab').sub.2 fragments thereof are covalently bound to a stable cluster of gold atoms. The gold clusters may contain 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 55 or 67 gold atoms in their inner core. The clusters may also contain radioactive gold. The antibody-cluster conjugates are useful in electron microscopy applications as well as in clinical applications that include imaging, diagnosis and therapy.

Intra-operative fiducial-based CT/fluoroscope image registration framework for image-guided robot-assisted joint fracture surgery.

PubMed

Dagnino, Giulio; Georgilas, Ioannis; Morad, Samir; Gibbons, Peter; Tarassoli, Payam; Atkins, Roger; Dogramadzi, Sanja

2017-08-01

Joint fractures must be accurately reduced minimising soft tissue damages to avoid negative surgical outcomes. To this regard, we have developed the RAFS surgical system, which allows the percutaneous reduction of intra-articular fractures and provides intra-operative real-time 3D image guidance to the surgeon. Earlier experiments showed the effectiveness of the RAFS system on phantoms, but also key issues which precluded its use in a clinical application. This work proposes a redesign of the RAFS's navigation system overcoming the earlier version's issues, aiming to move the RAFS system into a surgical environment. The navigation system is improved through an image registration framework allowing the intra-operative registration between pre-operative CT images and intra-operative fluoroscopic images of a fractured bone using a custom-made fiducial marker. The objective of the registration is to estimate the relative pose between a bone fragment and an orthopaedic manipulation pin inserted into it intra-operatively. The actual pose of the bone fragment can be updated in real time using an optical tracker, enabling the image guidance. Experiments on phantom and cadavers demonstrated the accuracy and reliability of the registration framework, showing a reduction accuracy (sTRE) of about [Formula: see text] (phantom) and [Formula: see text] (cadavers). Four distal femur fractures were successfully reduced in cadaveric specimens using the improved navigation system and the RAFS system following the new clinical workflow (reduction error [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. Experiments showed the feasibility of the image registration framework. It was successfully integrated into the navigation system, allowing the use of the RAFS system in a realistic surgical application.

Multivariate analysis for the estimation of target localization errors in fiducial marker-based radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takamiya, Masanori; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro, E-mail: m-nkmr@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Akimoto, Mami

Purpose: To assess the target localization error (TLE) in terms of the distance between the target and the localization point estimated from the surrogates (|TMD|), the average of respiratory motion for the surrogates and the target (|aRM|), and the number of fiducial markers used for estimating the target (n). Methods: This study enrolled 17 lung cancer patients who subsequently underwent four fractions of real-time tumor tracking irradiation. Four or five fiducial markers were implanted around the lung tumor. The three-dimensional (3D) distance between the tumor and markers was at maximum 58.7 mm. One of the markers was used as themore » target (P{sub t}), and those markers with a 3D |TMD{sub n}| ≤ 58.7 mm at end-exhalation were then selected. The estimated target position (P{sub e}) was calculated from a localization point consisting of one to three markers except P{sub t}. Respiratory motion for P{sub t} and P{sub e} was defined as the root mean square of each displacement, and |aRM| was calculated from the mean value. TLE was defined as the root mean square of each difference between P{sub t} and P{sub e} during the monitoring of each fraction. These procedures were performed repeatedly using the remaining markers. To provide the best guidance on the answer with n and |TMD|, fiducial markers with a 3D |aRM ≥ 10 mm were selected. Finally, a total of 205, 282, and 76 TLEs that fulfilled the 3D |TMD| and 3D |aRM| criteria were obtained for n = 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Multiple regression analysis (MRA) was used to evaluate TLE as a function of |TMD| and |aRM| in each n. Results: |TMD| for n = 1 was larger than that for n = 3. Moreover, |aRM| was almost constant for all n, indicating a similar scale for the marker’s motion near the lung tumor. MRA showed that |aRM| in the left–right direction was the major cause of TLE; however, the contribution made little difference to the 3D TLE because of the small amount of motion in the left–right direction

Turbine vane segment and impingement insert configuration for fail-safe impingement insert retention

DOEpatents

Burdgick, Steven Sebastian; Kellock, Iain Robertson

2003-05-13

An impingement insert sleeve is provided that is adapted to be disposed in a coolant cavity defined through a stator vane. The insert has a generally open inlet end and first and second pairs of diametrically opposed side walls, and at least one fail-safe tab defined at a longitudinal end of the insert for limiting radial displacement of the insert with respect to the stator vane.

Extended DBI massive gravity with generalized fiducial metric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chullaphan, Tossaporn; Tannukij, Lunchakorn; Wongjun, Pitayuth

2015-06-01

We consider an extended model of DBI massive gravity by generalizing the fiducial metric to be an induced metric on the brane corresponding to a domain wall moving in five-dimensional Schwarzschild-Anti-de Sitter spacetime. The model admits all solutions of FLRW metric including flat, closed and open geometries while the original one does not. The background solutions can be divided into two branches namely self-accelerating branch and normal branch. For the self-accelerating branch, the graviton mass plays the role of cosmological constant to drive the late-time acceleration of the universe. It is found that the number degrees of freedom of gravitational sector is not correct similar to the original DBI massive gravity. There are only two propagating degrees of freedom from tensor modes. For normal branch, we restrict our attention to a particular class of the solutions which provides an accelerated expansion of the universe. It is found that the number of degrees of freedom in the model is correct. However, at least one of them is ghost degree of freedom which always present at small scale implying that the theory is not stable.

Derivatized gold clusters and antibody-gold cluster conjugates

DOEpatents

Hainfeld, J.F.; Furuya, F.R.

1994-11-01

Antibody- or antibody fragment-gold cluster conjugates are shown wherein the conjugate size can be as small as 5.0 nm. Methods and reagents are disclosed in which antibodies, Fab' or F(ab')[sub 2] fragments are covalently bound to a stable cluster of gold atoms. The gold clusters may contain 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 55 or 67 gold atoms in their inner core. The clusters may also contain radioactive gold. The antibody-cluster conjugates are useful in electron microscopy applications as well as in clinical applications that include imaging, diagnosis and therapy. 7 figs.

Teleoperated master-slave needle insertion.

PubMed

Abolhassani, Niki; Patel, Rajni V

2009-12-01

Accuracy of needle tip placement and needle tracking in soft tissue are of particular importance in many medical procedures. In recent years, developing autonomous and teleoperated systems for needle insertion has become an active area of research. In this study, needle insertion was performed using a master-slave set-up with multi-degrees of freedom. The effect of force feedback on the accuracy of needle insertion was investigated. In addition, this study compared autonomous, teleoperated and semi-autonomous needle insertion. The results of this study show that incorporation of force feedback can improve teleoperated needle insertion. However, autonomous and semi-autonomous needle insertions, which use feedback from a deflection model, provide significantly better performance. Development of a haptic master-slave needle insertion system, which is capable of performing some autonomous tasks based on feedback from tissue deformation and needle deflection models, can improve the performance of autonomous robotics-based insertions as well as non-autonomous teleoperated manual insertions. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Not All That Glitters is Gold: Gold Imitations in History.

PubMed

Karpenko, Vladimír

2007-07-01

When gold became considered as a precious metal for decorative purposes and later for coinage, attempts at producing imitations soon began to appear. There were two motives behind this activity: to make a metal that could pass as gold, and to quite openly imitate this precious metal for people who could not afford true gold. Imitation gold was produced by metallurgists, and later also by alchemists. This paper is about gold imitations that did not contain any precious metal. Gold-like alloys of silver are thus excluded. An attempt is further undertaken to classify into separate groups the various gold imitations that have appeared in different cultures throughout time, with an emphasis on brass as a typical imitation of gold.

The Direct Insertion of the ACL Carries More Load than the Indirect Insertion

PubMed Central

Nawabi, Danyal H.; Tucker, Scott; Jones, Kristofer J.; Nguyen, Joseph; Wickiewicz, Thomas L.; Imhauser, Carl; Pearle, Andrew

2014-01-01

Objectives: Recent histological studies have shown that the ACL consists of two different structures: the direct and indirect insertions. The direct insertion is located along the lateral intercondylar ridge and the indirect insertion is ‘lower’ in the notch, adjacent to the posterior articular cartilage. The ‘lower’ position has become more popular for locating the femoral tunnel, as surgeons switch to the anteromedial (AM) portal drilling technique in order to place the graft in the region of the native footprint. However, a recent registry-based outcomes study has reported a 1.5 times higher graft failure rate for AM portal versus traditional transtibial techniques. The objective of this study was to investigate the load characteristics of the native ACL in the regions of the direct and indirect insertions. We hypothesized that the direct insertion would carry more load than the indirect insertion. Methods: Twelve cadaveric knees were mounted to a six degree of freedom robot equipped with a universal force-moment sensor. We simulated the Lachman and anterior drawer tests at 30oand 90o of flexion by applying a 134N anterior load, and the pivot shift test at 15o flexion by applying combined valgus (8Nm) and internal (4Nm) rotational moments. The kinematic pathway required to achieve these loading conditions was recorded for each intact knee. Using position control to repeat the loading paths, the robot recorded the loads for the ACL intact, ACL partially sectioned, and ACL completely sectioned states. Sectioning Protocol: The lateral intercondylar ridge and posterior articular margin was identified in each case. The 50% mark between this two areas was used to delineate the regions of the direct and indirect insertions (Fig. 1). Sectioning order was alternated between each cadaver. Footprint Digitization: The borders of the sectioned areas were digitized post-sectioning and mapped onto a computed tomography (CT) scan of each knee. The sectioning method was

Phage based green chemistry for gold ion reduction and gold retrieval.

PubMed

Setyawati, Magdiel I; Xie, Jianping; Leong, David T

2014-01-22

The gold mining industry has taken its toll on the environment, triggering the development of more environmentally benign processes to alleviate the waste load release. Here, we demonstrate the use of bacteriophages (phages) for biosorption and bioreduction of gold ions from aqueous solution, which potentially can be applied to remediate gold ions from gold mining waste effluent. Phage has shown a remarkably efficient sorption of gold ions with a maximum gold adsorption capacity of 571 mg gold/g dry weight phage. The product of this phage mediated process is gold nanocrystals with the size of 30-630 nm. Biosorption and bioreduction processes are mediated by the ionic and covalent interaction between gold ions and the reducing groups on the phage protein coat. The strategy offers a simple, ecofriendly and feasible option to recover of gold ions to form readily recoverable products of gold nanoparticles within 24 h.

31 CFR 100.4 - Gold coin and gold certificates in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Gold coin and gold certificates in... MONETARY OFFICES, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY EXCHANGE OF PAPER CURRENCY AND COIN In General § 100.4 Gold coin and gold certificates in general. Gold coins, and gold certificates of the type issued before...

31 CFR 100.4 - Gold coin and gold certificates in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Gold coin and gold certificates in... MONETARY OFFICES, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY EXCHANGE OF PAPER CURRENCY AND COIN In General § 100.4 Gold coin and gold certificates in general. Gold coins, and gold certificates of the type issued before...

31 CFR 100.4 - Gold coin and gold certificates in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Gold coin and gold certificates in... MONETARY OFFICES, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY EXCHANGE OF PAPER CURRENCY AND COIN In General § 100.4 Gold coin and gold certificates in general. Gold coins, and gold certificates of the type issued before...

31 CFR 100.4 - Gold coin and gold certificates in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Gold coin and gold certificates in... MONETARY OFFICES, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY EXCHANGE OF PAPER CURRENCY AND COIN In General § 100.4 Gold coin and gold certificates in general. Gold coins, and gold certificates of the type issued before...

Propagation and stability characteristics of a 500-m-long laser-based fiducial line for high-precision alignment of long-distance linear accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suwada, Tsuyoshi; Satoh, Masanori; Telada, Souichi

2013-09-15

A laser-based alignment system with a He-Ne laser has been newly developed in order to precisely align accelerator units at the KEKB injector linac. The laser beam was first implemented as a 500-m-long fiducial straight line for alignment measurements. We experimentally investigated the propagation and stability characteristics of the laser beam passing through laser pipes in vacuum. The pointing stability at the last fiducial point was successfully obtained with the transverse displacements of ±40 μm level in one standard deviation by applying a feedback control. This pointing stability corresponds to an angle of ±0.08 μrad. This report contains a detailedmore » description of the experimental investigation for the propagation and stability characteristics of the laser beam in the laser-based alignment system for long-distance linear accelerators.« less

31 CFR 100.4 - Gold coin and gold certificates in general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Gold coin and gold certificates in... EXCHANGE OF PAPER CURRENCY AND COIN In General § 100.4 Gold coin and gold certificates in general. Gold coins, and gold certificates of the type issued before January 30, 1934, are exchangeable, as provided...

Multi-layer imager design for mega-voltage spectral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myronakis, Marios; Hu, Yue-Houng; Fueglistaller, Rony; Wang, Adam; Baturin, Paul; Huber, Pascal; Morf, Daniel; Star-Lack, Josh; Berbeco, Ross

2018-05-01

The architecture of multi-layer imagers (MLIs) can be exploited to provide megavoltage spectral imaging (MVSPI) for specific imaging tasks. In the current work, we investigated bone suppression and gold fiducial contrast enhancement as two clinical tasks which could be improved with spectral imaging. A method based on analytical calculations that enables rapid investigation of MLI component materials and thicknesses was developed and validated against Monte Carlo computations. The figure of merit for task-specific imaging performance was the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the gold fiducial when the CNR of bone was equal to zero after a weighted subtraction of the signals obtained from each MLI layer. Results demonstrated a sharp increase in the CNR of gold when the build-up component or scintillation materials and thicknesses were modified. The potential for low-cost, prompt implementation of specific modifications (e.g. composition of the build-up component) could accelerate clinical translation of MVSPI.

Gold and gold working in Late Bronze Age Northern Greece.

PubMed

Vavelidis, M; Andreou, S

2008-04-01

Numerous objects of gold displaying an impressive variety of types and manufacturing techniques are known from the Late Bronze Age (LBA) contexts of Mycenaean Greece, but very little is known about the origin and processing of gold during the second millennium B.C: . Ancient literature and recent research indicate that northern Greece is probably the richest gold-bearing region in Greece, and yet, very little evidence exists regarding the exploitation of its deposits and the production as well as use of gold in the area during prehistory. The unusual find of a group of small stone crucibles at the prehistoric settlement of Thessaloniki Toumba, one with visible traces of gold melting, proves local production and offers a rare opportunity to examine the process of on-site gold working. Furthermore, the comparison of the chemical composition of prehistoric artefacts from two settlements with those of gold deposits in their immediate areas supports the local extraction of gold and opens up the prospect for some of the Mycenaean gold to have originated in northern Greece. The scarcity of gold items in northern Greek LBA contexts may not represent the actual amount of gold produced and consumed, but could be a result of the local social attitudes towards the circulation and deposition of artefacts from precious metals.

Gold and gold working in Late Bronze Age Northern Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vavelidis, M.; Andreou, S.

2008-04-01

Numerous objects of gold displaying an impressive variety of types and manufacturing techniques are known from the Late Bronze Age (LBA) contexts of Mycenaean Greece, but very little is known about the origin and processing of gold during the second millennium b.c. Ancient literature and recent research indicate that northern Greece is probably the richest gold-bearing region in Greece, and yet, very little evidence exists regarding the exploitation of its deposits and the production as well as use of gold in the area during prehistory. The unusual find of a group of small stone crucibles at the prehistoric settlement of Thessaloniki Toumba, one with visible traces of gold melting, proves local production and offers a rare opportunity to examine the process of on-site gold working. Furthermore, the comparison of the chemical composition of prehistoric artefacts from two settlements with those of gold deposits in their immediate areas supports the local extraction of gold and opens up the prospect for some of the Mycenaean gold to have originated in northern Greece. The scarcity of gold items in northern Greek LBA contexts may not represent the actual amount of gold produced and consumed, but could be a result of the local social attitudes towards the circulation and deposition of artefacts from precious metals.

A new fiducial marker for Image-guided radiotherapy of prostate cancer: clinical experience.

PubMed

Carl, Jesper; Nielsen, Jane; Holmberg, Mats; Højkjaer Larsen, Erik; Fabrin, Knud; Fisker, Rune V

2008-01-01

A new fiducial marker for image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) based on a removable prostate stent made of Ni Ti has been developed during two previous clinical feasibility studies. The marker is currently being evaluated for IGRT treatment in a third clinical study. The new marker is used to co-register MR and planning CT scans with high accuracy in the region around the prostate. The co-registered MR-CT volumes are used for delineation of GTV before planning. In each treatment session the IGRT system is used to position the patient before treatment. The IGRT system use a stereo pair of kV images matched to corresponding Digital Reconstructed Radiograms (DRR) from the planning CT scan. The match is done using mutual gray scale information. The pair of DRR's for positioning is created in the IGRT system with a threshold in the Look Up Table (LUT). The resulting match provides the necessary shift in couch coordinates to position the stent with an accuracy of 1-2 mm within the planned position. At the present time 39 patients have received the new marker. Of the 39 one has migrated to the bladder. Deviations of more than 5 mm between CTV outlined on CT and MR are seen in several cases and in anterior-posterior (AP), left-right (LR) and cranial-caudal (CC) directions. Intra-fraction translation movements up to +/- 3 mm are seen as well. As the stent is also clearly visible on images taken with high voltage x-rays using electronic portal images devices (EPID), the positioning has been verified independently of the IGRT system. The preliminary result of an on going clinical study of a Ni Ti prostate stent, potentially a new fiducial marker for image guided radiotherapy, looks promising. The risk of migration appears to be much lower compared to previous designs.

4D cone-beam CT imaging for guidance in radiation therapy: setup verification by use of implanted fiducial markers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Peng; van Wieringen, Niek; Hulshof, Maarten C. C. M.; Bel, Arjan; Alderliesten, Tanja

2016-03-01

The use of 4D cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and fiducial markers for guidance during radiation therapy of mobile tumors is challenging due to the trade-off between image quality, imaging dose, and scanning time. We aimed to investigate the visibility of markers and the feasibility of marker-based 4D registration and manual respiration-induced marker motion quantification for different CBCT acquisition settings. A dynamic thorax phantom and a patient with implanted gold markers were included. For both the phantom and patient, the peak-to-peak amplitude of marker motion in the cranial-caudal direction ranged from 5.3 to 14.0 mm, which did not affect the marker visibility and the associated marker-based registration feasibility. While using a medium field of view (FOV) and the same total imaging dose as is applied for 3D CBCT scanning in our clinic, it was feasible to attain an improved marker visibility by reducing the imaging dose per projection and increasing the number of projection images. For a small FOV with a shorter rotation arc but similar total imaging dose, streak artifacts were reduced due to using a smaller sampling angle. Additionally, the use of a small FOV allowed reducing total imaging dose and scanning time (~2.5 min) without losing the marker visibility. In conclusion, by using 4D CBCT with identical or lower imaging dose and a reduced gantry speed, it is feasible to attain sufficient marker visibility for marker-based 4D setup verification. Moreover, regardless of the settings, manual marker motion quantification can achieve a high accuracy with the error <1.2 mm.

Tool Removes Coil-Spring Thread Inserts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, Gerald J., Jr.; Swenson, Gary J.; Mcclellan, J. Scott

1991-01-01

Tool removes coil-spring thread inserts from threaded holes. Threads into hole, pries insert loose, grips insert, then pulls insert to thread it out of hole. Effects essentially reverse of insertion process to ease removal and avoid further damage to threaded inner surface of hole.

LOCALIZATION OF GOLD IN MOUSE BRAIN IN RELATION TO GOLD THIOGLUCOSE OBESITY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Debons, A.F.; Silver, L.; Cronkite, E.P.

1962-04-01

Administration of gold thioglucose led to the development of hyperphagia and obesity in mice; this confirmed findings by previous investigators. By employing neutron activation analysis and radioautography, it was observed that this syndrome was associated with focal accumulation of gold in the hypothalamus. Animals treated with gold thiomalate failed to show any hypothalamic Iocalization of gold radioautographically or any evidence of the syndrome of hyperphagla and obesity. In additlon, other foci of gold locallzation were found in gold thioglucose-treated but not in the gold thiomalate-treated animals. Gamma spectroscopy studies made possible quantitative measurements of the gold content ln the brainsmore » of both treated groups. Gold thioglucose-treated as well as gold thiomalate-treated animals had appreciable quantities of gold in the brain proper. Phosphorus-32 generated by neutron activation of the sulfur moiety of gold thioglucose proved to be insigniflcant in its contribution to the radioautographic flndings. Implication of the above findings for the glucostatic theory of appetite regulation is discussed. (auth)« less

Mechanisms of gold bioaccumulation by filamentous cyanobacteria from gold(III)-chloride complex.

PubMed

Lengke, Maggy F; Ravel, Bruce; Fleet, Michael E; Wanger, Gregory; Gordon, Robert A; Southam, Gordon

2006-10-15

The mechanisms of gold bioaccumulation by cyanobacteria (Plectonema boryanum UTEX 485) from gold(III)-chloride solutions have been studied at three gold concentrations (0.8,1.7, and 7.6 mM) at 25 degrees C, using both fixed-time laboratory and real-time synchrotron radiation absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments. Interaction of cyanobacteria with aqueous gold(III)-chloride initially promoted the precipitation of nanoparticles of amorphous gold(I)-sulfide at the cell walls, and finally deposited metallic gold in the form of octahedral (111) platelets (approximately 10 nm to 6 microm) near cell surfaces and in solutions. The XAS results confirm that the reduction mechanism of gold(III)-chloride to metallic gold by cyanobacteria involves the formation of an intermediate Au(I) species, gold(I)-sulfide.

Insertion device and method for accurate and repeatable target insertion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gubeli, III, Joseph F.; Shinn, Michelle D.; Bevins, Michael E.

The present invention discloses a device and a method for inserting and positioning a target within a free electron laser, particle accelerator, or other such device that generates or utilizes a beam of energy or particles. The system includes a three-point registration mechanism that insures angular and translational accuracy and repeatability of positioning upon multiple insertions within the same structure.

Sea Temperature Fiducial Reference Measurements for the Validation and Data Gap Bridging of Satellite SST Data Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wimmer, Werenfrid

2016-08-01

The Infrared Sea surface temperature Autonomous Radiometer (ISAR) was developed to provide reference data for the validation of satellite Sea Surface Temperature at the Skin interface (SSTskin) temperature data products, particularly the Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR). Since March 2004 ISAR instruments have been deployed nearly continuously on ferries crossing the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay, between Portsmouth (UK) and Bilbao/Santander (Spain). The resulting twelve years of ISAR data, including an individual uncertainty estimate for each SST record, are calibrated with traceability to national standards (National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA (NIST) and National Physical Laboratory, Teddigton, UK (NPL), Fiducial Reference Measurements for satellite derived surface temperature product validation (FRM4STS)). They provide a unique independent in situ reference dataset against which to validate satellite derived products. We present results of the AATSR validation, and show the use of ISAR fiducial reference measurements as a common traceable validation data source for both AATSR and Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR). ISAR data were also used to review performance of the Operational Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Ice Analysis (OSTIA) Sea Surface Temperature (SST) analysis before and after the demise of ESA Environmental Satellite (Envisat) when AATSR inputs ceased This demonstrates use of the ISAR reference data set for validating the SST climatologies that will bridge the data gap between AATSR and SLSTR.

Tailoring four-dimensional cone-beam CT acquisition settings for fiducial marker-based image guidance in radiation therapy.

PubMed

Jin, Peng; van Wieringen, Niek; Hulshof, Maarten C C M; Bel, Arjan; Alderliesten, Tanja

2018-04-01

Use of four-dimensional cone-beam CT (4D-CBCT) and fiducial markers for image guidance during radiation therapy (RT) of mobile tumors is challenging due to the trade-off among image quality, imaging dose, and scanning time. This study aimed to investigate different 4D-CBCT acquisition settings for good visibility of fiducial markers in 4D-CBCT. Using these 4D-CBCTs, the feasibility of marker-based 4D registration for RT setup verification and manual respiration-induced motion quantification was investigated. For this, we applied a dynamic phantom with three different breathing motion amplitudes and included two patients with implanted markers. Irrespective of the motion amplitude, for a medium field of view (FOV), marker visibility was improved by reducing the imaging dose per projection and increasing the number of projection images; however, the scanning time was 4 to 8 min. For a small FOV, the total imaging dose and the scanning time were reduced (62.5% of the dose using a medium FOV, 2.5 min) without losing marker visibility. However, the body contour could be missing for a small FOV, which is not preferred in RT. The marker-based 4D setup verification was feasible for both the phantom and patient data. Moreover, manual marker motion quantification can achieve a high accuracy with a mean error of [Formula: see text].

Software-implemented fault insertion: An FTMP example

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Czeck, Edward W.; Siewiorek, Daniel P.; Segall, Zary Z.

1987-01-01

This report presents a model for fault insertion through software; describes its implementation on a fault-tolerant computer, FTMP; presents a summary of fault detection, identification, and reconfiguration data collected with software-implemented fault insertion; and compares the results to hardware fault insertion data. Experimental results show detection time to be a function of time of insertion and system workload. For the fault detection time, there is no correlation between software-inserted faults and hardware-inserted faults; this is because hardware-inserted faults must manifest as errors before detection, whereas software-inserted faults immediately exercise the error detection mechanisms. In summary, the software-implemented fault insertion is able to be used as an evaluation technique for the fault-handling capabilities of a system in fault detection, identification and recovery. Although the software-inserted faults do not map directly to hardware-inserted faults, experiments show software-implemented fault insertion is capable of emulating hardware fault insertion, with greater ease and automation.

Facility target insert shielding assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mocko, Michal

2015-10-06

Main objective of this report is to assess the basic shielding requirements for the vertical target insert and retrieval port. We used the baseline design for the vertical target insert in our calculations. The insert sits in the 12”-diameter cylindrical shaft extending from the service alley in the top floor of the facility all the way down to the target location. The target retrieval mechanism is a long rod with the target assembly attached and running the entire length of the vertical shaft. The insert also houses the helium cooling supply and return lines each with 2” diameter. In themore » present study we focused on calculating the neutron and photon dose rate fields on top of the target insert/retrieval mechanism in the service alley. Additionally, we studied a few prototypical configurations of the shielding layers in the vertical insert as well as on the top.« less

Gold and gold-iron oxide magnetic glyconanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and magnetic properties.

PubMed

de la Fuente, Jesús M; Alcántara, David; Eaton, Peter; Crespo, Patricia; Rojas, Teresa C; Fernandez, Asunción; Hernando, Antonio; Penadés, Soledad

2006-07-06

The preparation, characterization and the magnetic properties of gold and gold-iron oxide glyconanoparticles (GNPs) are described. Glyconanoparticles were prepared in a single step procedure in the presence of aqueous solution of thiol functionalized neoglycoconjugates and either gold salts or both gold and iron salts. Neoglycoconjugates of lactose and maltose disaccharides with different linkers were used. Iron-free gold or gold-iron oxide GNPs with controlled gold-iron ratios were obtained. The average core-size diameters are in the range of 1.5-2.5 nm. The GNPs are fully characterized by (1)H NMR spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-vis and X-ray absorption (XAS) spectroscopies. Inductive plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP) and elemental analysis gave the average number of neoglycoconjugates per cluster. The magnetic properties were measured in a SQUID magnetometer. The most remarkable results was the observation of a permanent magnetism up to room temperature in the iron-free gold GNPs, that was not present in the corresponding gold-iron oxide GNPs.

Fiducial marker guided prostate radiotherapy: a review

PubMed Central

Jain, Suneil; Hounsell, Alan R; O'Sullivan, Joe M

2016-01-01

Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is an essential tool in the accurate delivery of modern radiotherapy techniques. Prostate radiotherapy positioned using skin marks or bony anatomy may be adequate for delivering a relatively homogeneous whole-pelvic radiotherapy dose, but these surrogates are not reliable when using reduced margins, dose escalation or hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. Fiducial markers (FMs) for prostate IGRT have been in use since the 1990s. They require surgical implantation and provide a surrogate for the position of the prostate gland. A variety of FMs are available and they can be used in a number of ways. This review aimed to establish the evidence for using prostate FMs in terms of feasibility, implantation procedures, types of FMs used, FM migration, imaging modalities used and the clinical impact of FMs. A search strategy was defined and a literature search was carried out in Medline. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, which resulted in 50 articles being included in this review. The evidence demonstrates that FMs provide a more accurate surrogate for the position of the prostate than either external skin marks or bony anatomy. A combination of FM alignment and soft-tissue analysis is currently the most effective and widely available approach to ensuring accuracy in prostate IGRT. FM implantation is safe and well tolerated. FM migration is possible but minimal. Standardization of all techniques and procedures in relation to the use of prostate FMs is required. Finally, a clinical trial investigating a non-surgical alternative to prostate FMs is introduced. PMID:27585736

Origin of the transition voltage in gold-vacuum-gold atomic junctions.

PubMed

Wu, Kunlin; Bai, Meilin; Sanvito, Stefano; Hou, Shimin

2013-01-18

The origin and the distance dependence of the transition voltage of gold-vacuum-gold junctions are investigated by employing first-principles quantum transport simulations. Our calculations show that atomic protrusions always exist on the electrode surface of gold-vacuum-gold junctions fabricated using the mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) method. The transition voltage of these gold-vacuum-gold junctions with atomically sharp electrodes is determined by the local density of states (LDOS) of the apex gold atom on the electrode surface rather than by the vacuum barrier shape. More specifically, the absolute value of the transition voltage roughly equals the rising edge of the LDOS peak contributed by the 6p atomic orbitals of the gold atoms protruding from the electrode surface, whose local Fermi level is shifted downwards when a bias voltage is applied. Since the LDOS of the apex gold atom depends strongly on the exact shape of the electrode, the transition voltage is sensitive to the variation of the atomic configuration of the junction. For asymmetric junctions, the transition voltage may also change significantly depending on the bias polarity. Considering that the occurrence of the transition voltage requires the electrode distance to be larger than a critical value, the interaction between the two electrodes is actually rather weak. Consequently, the LDOS of the apex gold atom is mainly determined by its local atomic configuration and the transition voltage only depends weakly on the electrode distance as observed in the MCBJ experiments.

Multiple ECG Fiducial Points-Based Random Binary Sequence Generation for Securing Wireless Body Area Networks.

PubMed

Zheng, Guanglou; Fang, Gengfa; Shankaran, Rajan; Orgun, Mehmet A; Zhou, Jie; Qiao, Li; Saleem, Kashif

2017-05-01

Generating random binary sequences (BSes) is a fundamental requirement in cryptography. A BS is a sequence of N bits, and each bit has a value of 0 or 1. For securing sensors within wireless body area networks (WBANs), electrocardiogram (ECG)-based BS generation methods have been widely investigated in which interpulse intervals (IPIs) from each heartbeat cycle are processed to produce BSes. Using these IPI-based methods to generate a 128-bit BS in real time normally takes around half a minute. In order to improve the time efficiency of such methods, this paper presents an ECG multiple fiducial-points based binary sequence generation (MFBSG) algorithm. The technique of discrete wavelet transforms is employed to detect arrival time of these fiducial points, such as P, Q, R, S, and T peaks. Time intervals between them, including RR, RQ, RS, RP, and RT intervals, are then calculated based on this arrival time, and are used as ECG features to generate random BSes with low latency. According to our analysis on real ECG data, these ECG feature values exhibit the property of randomness and, thus, can be utilized to generate random BSes. Compared with the schemes that solely rely on IPIs to generate BSes, this MFBSG algorithm uses five feature values from one heart beat cycle, and can be up to five times faster than the solely IPI-based methods. So, it achieves a design goal of low latency. According to our analysis, the complexity of the algorithm is comparable to that of fast Fourier transforms. These randomly generated ECG BSes can be used as security keys for encryption or authentication in a WBAN system.

Inserts Automatically Lubricate Ball Bearings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hager, J. A.

1983-01-01

Inserts on ball-separator ring of ball bearings provide continuous film of lubricant on ball surfaces. Inserts are machined or molded. Small inserts in ball pockets provide steady supply of lubricant. Technique is utilized on equipment for which maintenance is often poor and lubrication interval is uncertain, such as household appliances, automobiles, and marine engines.

Is It Real Gold?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Harold H.

1999-01-01

Features acid tests for determining whether jewelry is "real" gold or simply gold-plated. Describes the carat system of denoting gold content and explains how alloys are used to create various shades of gold jewelry. Addresses the question of whether gold jewelry can turn a wearer's skin green by considering various oxidation reactions.…

EUVL back-insertion layout optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Civay, D.; Laffosse, E.; Chesneau, A.

2018-03-01

Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is targeted for front-up insertion at advanced technology nodes but will be evaluated for back insertion at more mature nodes. EUVL can put two or more mask levels back on one mask, depending upon what level(s) in the process insertion occurs. In this paper, layout optimization methods are discussed that can be implemented when EUVL back insertion is implemented. The layout optimizations can be focused on improving yield, reliability or density, depending upon the design needs. The proposed methodology modifies the original two or more colored layers and generates an optimized single color EUVL layout design.

Towards active image-guidance: tracking of a fiducial in the thorax during respiration under X-ray fluoroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddique, Sami; Jaffray, David

2007-03-01

A central purpose of image-guidance is to assist the interventionalist with feedback of geometric performance in the direction of therapy delivery. Tradeoffs exist between accuracy, precision and the constraints imposed by parameters used in the generation of images. A framework that uses geometric performance as feedback to control these parameters can balance such tradeoffs in order to maintain the requisite localization precision for a given clinical procedure. We refer to this principle as Active Image-Guidance (AIG). This framework requires estimates of the uncertainty in the estimated location of the object of interest. In this study, a simple fiducial marker detected under X-ray fluoroscopy is considered and it is shown that a relation exists between the applied imaging dose and the uncertainty in localization for a given observer. A robust estimator of the location of a fiducial in the thorax during respiration under X-ray fluoroscopy is demonstrated using a particle filter based approach that outputs estimates of the location and the associated spatial uncertainty. This approach gives an rmse of 1.3mm and the uncertainty estimates are found to be correlated with the error in the estimates. Furthermore, the particle filtering approach is employed to output location estimates and the associated uncertainty not only at instances of pulsed exposure but also between exposures. Such a system has applications in image-guided interventions (surgery, radiotherapy, interventional radiology) where there are latencies between the moment of imaging and the act of intervention.

[Inserts for foot deformities].

PubMed

Stinus, H; Weber, F

2005-08-01

Inserts are orthopedic aids in the treatment of foot disorders that result from changes of the static or dynamic situation. Provision of appropriate orthopedic devices can relieve the pain caused by forefoot deformities either in lieu of surgical intervention or in rare cases also following surgical treatment to improve the symptoms of residual pain.Available materials provide support, padding, and cushioning. Inserts are custom-made to measure and/or based on a plaster impression. Determining the indication, prescribing the inlay, and checking the orthosis are the tasks of the physician. One treatment option for relieving the pain of forefoot deformities consists in conservative therapy with an insert combining features of padding and support as well as adjusting a ready-made shoe. The shoe and inlay should constitute a functional unit since often the optimal effect is only achieved with a combination of insert and orthopedic adjustment of the ready-made shoe.

Gold paragenesis and chemistry at Batu Hijau, Indoneisa: implications for gold-rich porphyry copper deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arif, J.; Baker, T.

2004-10-01

Gold is an important by-product in many porphyry-type deposits but the distribution and chemistry of gold in such systems remains poorly understood. Here we report the results of petrographic, electron microprobe, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and flotation test studies of gold and associated copper sulfides within a paragenetic framework from the world-class Batu Hijau (914 mt @ 0.53% Cu, 0.40 g/t Au) porphyry copper gold deposit, Indonesia. Unlike many other porphyry copper gold deposits, early copper minerals (bornite digenite chalcocite) are well preserved at Batu Hijau and the chalcopyrite pyrite overprint is less developed. Hence, it provides an excellent opportunity to study the entire gold paragenesis of the porphyry system. In 105 polished thin sections, 699 native gold grains were identified. Almost all of the native gold grains occurred either within quartz veins, attached to sulfide, or as free gold along quartz or silicate grain boundaries. The native gold grains are dominantly round in shape and mostly 1 12 μm in size. The majority of gold was deposited during the formation of early ‘A’ veins and is dominantly associated with bornite rather than chalcopyrite. The petrographic and LA-ICP-MS study results indicate that in bornite-rich ores gold mostly occurs within copper sulfide grains as invisible gold (i.e., within the sulfide structure) or as native gold grains. In chalcopyrite-rich ores gold mostly occurs as native gold grains with lesser invisible gold. Petrographic observations also indicate a higher proportion of free gold (native gold not attached to any sulfide) in chalcopyrite-rich ores compared to bornite rich ores. The pattern of free gold distribution appears to correlate with the flotation test data, where the average gold recovery value from chalcopyrite-rich ores is consistently lower than bornite-rich ores. Our data suggest that porphyry copper-gold deposits with chalcopyrite-rich ores

Enhancement of gold recovery using bioleaching from gold concentrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, S. H.; Cho, K. H.; Kim, B. J.; Choi, N. C.; Park, C. Y.

2012-04-01

The gold in refractory ores is encapsulated as fine particles (sometimes at a molecular level) in the crystal structure of the sulfide (typically pyrite with or without arsenopyrite) matrix. This makes it impossible to extract a significant amount of refractory gold by cyanidation since the cyanide solution cannot penetrate the pyrite/arsenopyrite crystals and dissolve gold particles, even after fine grinding. To effectively extract gold from these ores, an oxidative pretreatment is necessary to break down the sulfide matrix. The most popular methods of pretreatment include nitric acid oxidation, roasting, pressure oxidation and biological oxidation by microorganisms. This study investigated the bioleaching efficiency of Au concentrate under batch experimental conditions (adaptation cycles and chemical composition adaptation) using the indigenous acidophilic bacteria collected from gold mine leachate in Sunsin gold mine, Korea. We conducted the batch experiments at two different chemical composition (CuSO4 and ZnSO4), two different adaptation cycles 1'st (3 weeks) and 2'nd (6 weeks). The results showed that the pH in the bacteria inoculating sample decreased than initial condition and Eh increased. In the chemical composition adaptation case, the leached accumulation content of Fe and Pb was exhibited in CuSO4 adaptation bacteria sample more than in ZnSO4 adaptation bacteria samples, possibly due to pre-adaptation effect on chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) in gold concentrate. And after 21 days on the CuSO4 adaptation cycles case, content of Fe and Pb was appeared at 1'st adaptation bacteria sample(Fe - 1.82 and Pb - 25.81 times per control sample) lower than at 2'nd adaptation bacteria sample(Fe - 2.87 and Pb - 62.05 times per control sample). This study indicates that adaptation chemical composition and adaptation cycles can play an important role in bioleaching of gold concentrate in eco-/economic metallurgy process.

Human lamina cribrosa insertion and age.

PubMed

Sigal, Ian A; Flanagan, John G; Lathrop, Kira L; Tertinegg, Inka; Bilonick, Richard

2012-10-03

To test the hypothesis that in healthy human eyes the lamina cribrosa (LC) insertion into the pia mater increases with age. The optic nerve heads (ONHs) of donor eyes fixed at either 5 or 50 mm Hg of IOP were sectioned, stained, and imaged under bright- and dark-field conditions. A 3-dimensional (3D) model of each ONH was reconstructed. From the 3D models we measured the area of LC insertion into the peripapillary scleral flange and into the pia, and computed the total area of insertion and fraction of LC inserting into the pia. Linear mixed effect models were used to determine if the measurements were associated with age or IOP. We analyzed 21 eyes from 11 individuals between 47 and 91 years old. The LC inserted into the pia in all eyes. The fraction of LC inserting into the pia (2.2%-29.6%) had a significant decrease with age (P = 0.049), which resulted from a nonsignificant increase in the total area of LC insertion (P = 0.41) and a nonsignificant decrease in the area of LC insertion into the pia (P = 0.55). None of the measures was associated with fixation IOP (P values 0.44-0.81). Differences between fellow eyes were smaller than differences between unrelated eyes. The LC insertion into the pia mater is common in middle-aged and older eyes, and does not increase with age. The biomechanical and vascular implications of the LC insertion into the pia mater are not well understood and should be investigated further.

Effects of Burning Conditions to the Formation of Gold Layer Photograph and Gold Layer Hologram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuge, Ken'ichi; Takahashi, Ataru; Harada, Takahito; Doi, Keiji; Sakai, Tomoko

Burning stage from gold nanoparticles to gold layer in the formation process of gold-layer photograph using gold deposition development was investigated. The gelatin layer holding gold nanoparticles is carbonized at about 400°C and burned out until about 500°C. Because gold nanoparticles would be compressed only to vertical direction and then melt to form the gold layer, the gold-layer photograph still holds the high resolution. Gold nanoparaticles do not melt completely even at 900°C, and form continuous clusters of several hundred nm.

Influence of gold content on copper oxidation from silver-gold-copper alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swinbourne, D. R.; Barbante, G. G.; Strahan, A.

1996-10-01

In the final stages of the smelting of copper anode slimes, a silver alloy, known as “doré,” is produced. Oxidation refining is used to remove copper since this element interferes with subsequent electroparting of the small amounts of gold and platinum group metals in the doré. The gold content of doré can be greatly increased by gold scrap additions and this may affect the minimum achievable copper content of doré. In this work, silver-gold-copper alloys were oxidized by injecting pure oxygen at 1100 °C in the absence of any slag cover. For the gold contents expected in practice, the equilibrium copper content of the doré did not increase significantly as the gold content increased. However, at the other extreme of composition, the equilibrium copper content was a very strong function of the silver content of the gold bullion. The activity coefficient of copper in silver-gold alloys was calculated and compared to those predicted from a ternary subregular solution model of the system Ag-Au-Cu. Satisfactory agreement was found.

Enrichment of Gold in Antimony Matte by Direct Smelting of Refractory Gold Concentrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Tianzu; Xie, Boyi; Liu, Weifeng; Zhang, Duchao; Chen, Lin

2018-04-01

Conventional cyanidation technology achieves low gold recovery when used to process refractory gold concentrate. Based on the geochemical characteristics of gold deposit mineralization, a new method is proposed herein for gold enrichment in antimony matte by smelting of refractory gold concentrate. The effects of the FeO/SiO2 and CaO/SiO2 ratios, smelting temperature, and smelting time on the gold recovery were investigated in detail. The optimum conditions were determined to be FeO/SiO2 ratio of 1.2, CaO/SiO2 ratio of 0.4, smelting temperature of 1200°C, and smelting time of 45 min. The gold content in antimony matte and smelting slag was 96.68 and 1.13 g/t, respectively. The gold, antimony, and arsenic recovery was 97.72%, 26.89%, and 6.56%, respectively, with most of the antimony and arsenic volatilized into dust. Mineral liberation analyzer results showed that the antimony matte mainly consisted of FeS and FeO, with three phases, viz. FeAs, SbAs, and AuSb, embedded between them, indicating that gold was easily enriched with antimony and arsenic during smelting of refractory gold concentrate.

Enrichment of Gold in Antimony Matte by Direct Smelting of Refractory Gold Concentrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Tianzu; Xie, Boyi; Liu, Weifeng; Zhang, Duchao; Chen, Lin

2018-06-01

Conventional cyanidation technology achieves low gold recovery when used to process refractory gold concentrate. Based on the geochemical characteristics of gold deposit mineralization, a new method is proposed herein for gold enrichment in antimony matte by smelting of refractory gold concentrate. The effects of the FeO/SiO2 and CaO/SiO2 ratios, smelting temperature, and smelting time on the gold recovery were investigated in detail. The optimum conditions were determined to be FeO/SiO2 ratio of 1.2, CaO/SiO2 ratio of 0.4, smelting temperature of 1200°C, and smelting time of 45 min. The gold content in antimony matte and smelting slag was 96.68 and 1.13 g/t, respectively. The gold, antimony, and arsenic recovery was 97.72%, 26.89%, and 6.56%, respectively, with most of the antimony and arsenic volatilized into dust. Mineral liberation analyzer results showed that the antimony matte mainly consisted of FeS and FeO, with three phases, viz. FeAs, SbAs, and AuSb, embedded between them, indicating that gold was easily enriched with antimony and arsenic during smelting of refractory gold concentrate.

A low voltage programmable unipolar inverter with a gold nanoparticle monolayer on plastic.

PubMed

Zhou, Ye; Han, Su-Ting; Huang, Long-Biao; Huang, Jing; Yan, Yan; Zhou, Li; Roy, V A L

2013-05-24

A programmable low voltage unipolar inverter with saturated-load configuration has been demonstrated on a plastic substrate. A self-assembled monolayer of gold (Au) nanoparticles was inserted into the dielectric layer acting as a charge trapping layer. The inverter operated well with supply voltages of < - 5 V and the switching voltage was tuned in a wide range under low program/erase bias. The retention and endurance test at ambient conditions confirmed the reliability of the inverter. Furthermore, the programmable behavior was maintained well at various bending states, demonstrating the adequate flexibility of our devices.

Gold Leaching Characteristics and Intensification of a High S and As-Bearing Gold Concentrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yong-bin; Liu, Xiao-liang; Jiang, Tao; Li, Qian; Xu, Bin; Zhang, Yan

Some high sulfur and arsenic-bearing gold concentrate has a gold leaching rate less than 80% by oxidation roasting-pickling-cyanidation process. The characteristics and intensification of gold leaching were studied systemically. By combining chemical composition and phase analysis, the low gold leaching rate was found to lie in the capsulation of gold by iron-containing phases including iron oxides, arsenopyrite and pyrite. 96.66% of gold in the industrial leaching residue was capsulated and 95.88% of the capsulated turned out to be in the iron-containing phases. The results of laboratory pickling-cyanidation experiments on the calcine and industrial leaching residue presented further demonstration for the fact that gold capsulated in the iron-containing phases was hard to be leached. However, the gold cyanide leaching rate of calcine could be raised over 95% by a reduction roasting-pickling pretreatment which played such a significant role in exposing the capsulated gold that gold leaching was intensified remarkably.

In vivo evaluation of needle force and friction stress during insertion at varying insertion speed into the brain.

PubMed

Casanova, Fernando; Carney, Paul R; Sarntinoranont, Malisa

2014-11-30

Convection enhanced delivery (CED) infuses drugs directly into brain tissue. Needle insertion is required and results in tissue damage which can promote flowback along the needle track and improper targeting. The goal of this study was to evaluate friction stress (calculated from needle insertion force) as a measure of tissue contact and damage during needle insertion for varying insertion speeds. Forces and surface dimpling during needle insertion were measured in rat brain in vivo. Needle retraction forces were used to calculate friction stresses. These measures were compared to track damage from a previous study. Differences between brain tissues and soft hydrogels were evaluated for varying insertion speeds: 0.2, 2, and 10mm/s. In brain tissue, average insertion force and surface dimpling increased with increasing insertion speed. Average friction stress along the needle-tissue interface decreased with insertion speed (from 0.58 ± 0.27 to 0.16 ± 0.08 kPa). Friction stress varied between brain regions: cortex (0.227 ± 0.27 kPa), external capsule (0.222 ± 0.19 kPa), and CPu (0.383 ± 0.30 kPa). Hydrogels exhibited opposite trends for dimpling and friction stress with insertion speed. Previously, increasing needle damage with insertion speed has been measured with histological methods. Friction stress appears to decrease with increasing tissue damage and decreasing tissue contact, providing the potential for in vivo and real time evaluation along the needle track. Force derived friction stress decreased with increasing insertion speed and was smaller within white matter regions. Hydrogels exhibited opposite trends to brain tissue. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ECG fiducial point extraction using switching Kalman filter.

PubMed

Akhbari, Mahsa; Ghahjaverestan, Nasim Montazeri; Shamsollahi, Mohammad B; Jutten, Christian

2018-04-01

In this paper, we propose a novel method for extracting fiducial points (FPs) of the beats in electrocardiogram (ECG) signals using switching Kalman filter (SKF). In this method, according to McSharry's model, ECG waveforms (P-wave, QRS complex and T-wave) are modeled with Gaussian functions and ECG baselines are modeled with first order auto regressive models. In the proposed method, a discrete state variable called "switch" is considered that affects only the observation equations. We denote a mode as a specific observation equation and switch changes between 7 modes and corresponds to different segments of an ECG beat. At each time instant, the probability of each mode is calculated and compared among two consecutive modes and a path is estimated, which shows the relation of each part of the ECG signal to the mode with the maximum probability. ECG FPs are found from the estimated path. For performance evaluation, the Physionet QT database is used and the proposed method is compared with methods based on wavelet transform, partially collapsed Gibbs sampler (PCGS) and extended Kalman filter. For our proposed method, the mean error and the root mean square error across all FPs are 2 ms (i.e. less than one sample) and 14 ms, respectively. These errors are significantly smaller than those obtained using other methods. The proposed method achieves lesser RMSE and smaller variability with respect to others. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human Lamina Cribrosa Insertion and Age

PubMed Central

Sigal, Ian A.; Flanagan, John G.; Lathrop, Kira L.; Tertinegg, Inka; Bilonick, Richard

2012-01-01

Purpose. To test the hypothesis that in healthy human eyes the lamina cribrosa (LC) insertion into the pia mater increases with age. Methods. The optic nerve heads (ONHs) of donor eyes fixed at either 5 or 50 mm Hg of IOP were sectioned, stained, and imaged under bright- and dark-field conditions. A 3-dimensional (3D) model of each ONH was reconstructed. From the 3D models we measured the area of LC insertion into the peripapillary scleral flange and into the pia, and computed the total area of insertion and fraction of LC inserting into the pia. Linear mixed effect models were used to determine if the measurements were associated with age or IOP. Results. We analyzed 21 eyes from 11 individuals between 47 and 91 years old. The LC inserted into the pia in all eyes. The fraction of LC inserting into the pia (2.2%–29.6%) had a significant decrease with age (P = 0.049), which resulted from a nonsignificant increase in the total area of LC insertion (P = 0.41) and a nonsignificant decrease in the area of LC insertion into the pia (P = 0.55). None of the measures was associated with fixation IOP (P values 0.44–0.81). Differences between fellow eyes were smaller than differences between unrelated eyes. Conclusions. The LC insertion into the pia mater is common in middle-aged and older eyes, and does not increase with age. The biomechanical and vascular implications of the LC insertion into the pia mater are not well understood and should be investigated further. PMID:22956611

A first-in-man study of 68Ga-nanocolloid PET-CT sentinel lymph node imaging in prostate cancer demonstrates aberrant lymphatic drainage pathways.

PubMed

Doughton, Jacki A; Hofman, Michael S; Eu, Peter; Hicks, Rodney J; Williams, Scott G

2018-05-04

Purpose: To assess feasibility, safety and utility of a novel 68 Ga-nanocolloid radio-tracer with PET-CT lymphoscintigraphy for identification of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN). Methods: Pilot study of patients from a tertiary cancer hospital who required insertion of gold fiducials for prostate cancer radiation therapy. Participation did not affect cancer management. Ultrasound-guided transperineal intra-prostatic injection of PET tracer (iron oxide nanocolloid labelled with gallium-68) after placement of fiducials. PET-CT lymphoscintigraphy imaging at approximately 45 and 100 minutes after in-jection of tracer. The study was monitored using Bayesian trial design with the as-sumption that at least one sentinel lymph node (SLN) could be identified in at least two-thirds of cases with >80% confidence. Results: SLN identification was successful in all 5 participants, allowing completion of the pilot study as per protocol. No adverse effects were observed. Unexpected po-tential pathways for transit of malignant cells as well as expected regional drainage pathways were discovered. Rapid tracer drainage to pelvic bone, perivesical, mesorec-tal, inguinal and Virchow's nodes was identified. Conclusion: SLN identification using 68 Ga-nanocolloid PET-CT can be successfully performed. Non-traditional pathways of disease spread were identified including drainage to pelvic bone as well as perivesical, mesorectal, inguinal and Virchow's nodes. Prevalence of both aberrant and non-lymphatic pathways of spread should be further investigated with this technique. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Gold in placer deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yeend, Warren; Shawe, Daniel R.; Wier, Kenneth L.

1989-01-01

Man most likely first obtained gold from placer deposits, more than 6,000 years ago. Placers account for more than two-thirds of the total world gold supply, and roughly half of that mined in the States of California, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho.Placer deposits result from weathering and release of gold from lode deposits, transportation of the gold, and concentration of the gold dominantly in stream gravels. Unless preserved by burial, a placer subsequently may be eroded, and either dispersed or reconcentrated.California has produced more than 40 million troy ounces of gold from placers, both modern and fossil (Tertiary). The source of the great bulk of the gold is numerous quartz veins and mineralized zones of the Mother Lode and related systems in the western Sierra Nevada region. The gold-bearing lodes were emplaced in Carboniferous and Jurassic metamorphic rocks intruded by small bodies of Jurassic and Cretaceous igneous rocks. Mineralization occurred probably in Late Cretaceous time. Significant amounts of placer gold also were mined along the Salmon and Trinity Rivers in northern California. Source of the gold is lode deposits in Paleozoic and Mesozoic metamorphic rocks that were intruded by Mesozoic igneous rocks.Alaska has produced roughly 21 million ounces of gold from placer deposits. Most (about 13 million ounces) has come from the interior region, including 7,600,000 ounces from the Fairbanks district and 1,300,000 ounces from the Iditarod district. Lode sources are believed to be mostly quartz veins in Precambrian or Paleozoic metamorphic rocks intruded by small igneous bodies near Fairbanks, and shear zones in Tertiary(?) quartz monzonite stocks at Iditarod. The Seward Peninsula has produced more than 6 million ounces of placer gold, including about 4,000,000 ounces from the Nome district. Most of the gold was derived from raised beach deposits. Source of the gold probably is Tertiary-mineralized faults and joints in metamorphic rocks of late

Effect of Off-Axis Screw Insertion, Insertion Torque, and Plate Contouring on Locked Screw Strength

PubMed Central

Gallagher, Bethany; Silva, Matthew J.; Ricci, William M.

2015-01-01

Objectives This study quantifies the effects of insertion torque, off-axis screw angulation, and plate contouring on the strength of locking plate constructs. Methods Groups of locking screws (n = 6–11 screws) were inserted at 50%, 100%, 150%, and 200% of the manufacturer-recommended torque (3.2 Nm) into locking compression plates at various angles: orthogonal (control), 5-degree angle off-axis, and 10-degree angle off-axis. Screws were loaded to failure by a transverse force (parallel to the plate) either in the same (“+”) or opposite direction (“−”) of the initial screw angulation. Separately, locking plates were bent to 5 and 10-degree angles, with the bend apex at a screw hole. Locking screws inserted orthogonally into the apex hole at 100% torque were loaded to failure. Results Orthogonal insertion resulted in the highest average load to failure, 2577 ± 141 N (range, 2413–2778 N), whereas any off-axis insertion significantly weakened constructs (165–1285 N, at 100% torque) (P < 0.05). For “+” loading, torque beyond 100% did not increase strength, but 50% torque reduced screw strength (P < 0.05). Loading in the “−” direction consistently resulted in higher strengths than “+” loading (P < 0.05). Plate contouring of 5-degree angle did not significantly change screw strength compared with straight plates but contouring of 10-degree angle significantly reduced load to failure (P < 0.05). Conclusions To maximize the screw plate interface strength, locking screws should be inserted without cross-threading. The mechanical stability of locked screws is significantly compromised by loose insertion, off-axis insertion, or severe distortion of the locking mechanism. PMID:24343255

Coal-oil gold agglomeration assisted flotation to recover gold from refractory ore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otsuki, A.; Yue, C.

2017-07-01

This study aimed to investigate the applicability of coal-oil gold agglomeration (CGA) assisted flotation to recover gold from a refractory ore. The ore with the grade of 2-5 g/t was tested with the CGA-flotation process in six different size fractions from 38 to 300 urn using different collector types and dosages. In addition, the flotation without CGA was performed under the same condition for comparison. The results showed that the higher gold grade and recovery were achieved by applying the CGA-flotation, compared with the flotation without CGA. More than 20-60 times grade increase from the head grade was obtained with CGA-flotation. The elemental analysis of gold and sulphur explained their relationship with gold recovery. The results well indicated the applicability of CGA to upgrade the refractory gold ore.

Thought Insertion Clarified

PubMed Central

Ratcliffe, Matthew; Wilkinson, Sam

2016-01-01

‘Thought insertion’ in schizophrenia involves somehow experiencing one’s own thoughts as someone else’s. Some philosophers try to make sense of this by distinguishing between ownership and agency: one still experiences oneself as the owner of an inserted thought but attributes it to another agency. In this paper, we propose that thought insertion involves experiencing thought contents as alien, rather than episodes of thinking. To make our case, we compare thought insertion to certain experiences of ‘verbal hallucination’ and show that they amount to different descriptions of the same phenomenon: a quasi-perceptual experience of thought content. We add that the agency/ownership distinction is unhelpful here. What requires explanation is not why a person experiences a type of intentional state without the usual sense of agency, but why she experiences herself as the agent of one type of intentional state rather than another. We conclude by sketching an account of how this might happen. PMID:28123340

Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Insertion.

PubMed

Crabtree, John H; Chow, Kai-Ming

2017-01-01

The success of peritoneal dialysis as renal-replacement therapy depends on a well-functioning peritoneal catheter. Knowledge of best practices in catheter insertion can minimize the risk of catheter complications that lead to peritoneal dialysis failure. The catheter placement procedure begins with preoperative assessment of the patient to determine the most appropriate catheter type, insertion site, and exit site location. Preoperative preparation of the patient is an instrumental step in facilitating the performance of the procedure, avoiding untoward events, and promoting the desired outcome. Catheter insertion methods include percutaneous needle-guidewire with or without image guidance, open surgical dissection, peritoneoscopic procedure, and surgical laparoscopy. The insertion technique used often depends on the geographic availability of material resources and local provider expertise in placing catheters. Independent of the catheter implantation approach, adherence to a number of universal details is required to ensure the best opportunity for creating a successful long-term peritoneal access. Finally, appropriate postoperative care and catheter break-in enables a smooth transition to dialysis therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation of conductive gold nanowires in confined environment of gold-filled polymer nanotubes.

PubMed

Mitschang, Fabian; Langner, Markus; Vieker, Henning; Beyer, André; Greiner, Andreas

2015-02-01

Continuous conductive gold nanofibers are prepared via the "tubes by fiber templates" process. First, poly(l-lactide) (PLLA)-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNP) with over 60 wt% gold are synthesized and characterized, including gel permeation chromatography coupled with a diode array detector. Subsequent electrospinning of these AuNP with template PLLA results in composite nanofibers featuring a high gold content of 57 wt%. Highly homogeneous gold nanowires are obtained after chemical vapor deposition of 345 nm of poly(p-xylylene) (PPX) onto the composite fibers followed by pyrolysis of the polymers at 1050 °C. The corresponding heat-induced transition from continuous gold-loaded polymer tubes to smooth gold nanofibers is studied by transmission electron microscopy and helium ion microscopy using both secondary electrons and Rutherford backscattered ions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Screw-Thread Inserts As Temporary Flow Restrictors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trimarchi, Paul

1992-01-01

Coil-spring screw-thread inserts found useful as temporary flow restrictors. Inserts placed in holes through which flow restricted, effectively reducing cross sections available for flow. Friction alone holds inserts against moderate upstream pressures. Use of coil-spring thread inserts as flow restrictors conceived as inexpensive solution to problem of adjusting flow of oxygen through orifices in faceplate into hydrogen/oxygen combustion chamber. Installation and removal of threaded inserts gentle enough not to deform orifice tubes.

Quench Module Insert (QMI) and the Diffusion Module Insert (DMI) Furnace Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crouch, Myscha R.; Carswell, William E.; Farmer, Jeff; Rose, Fred; Tidwell, Paul H., II

2000-01-01

The Quench Module Insert (QMI) and the Diffusion Module Insert (DMI) are microgravity furnaces under development at Marshall Space Flight Center. The furnaces are being developed for the first Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) of the Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF), one of the first International Space Station (ISS) scientific payloads. QMI is a Bridgman furnace with quench capability for studying interface behavior during directional solidification of metallic and alloy materials. DMI will be a Bridgman-Stockbarger furnace to study diffusion processes in semiconductors. The design for each insert, both QMI and DMI, is driven by specific science, operations and safety requirements, as well as by constraints arising from resource limitations, such as volume, mass and power. Preliminary QMI analysis and testing indicates that the design meets these requirements.

Distribution and composition of gold in porphyry gold systems: example from the Biely Vrch deposit, Slovakia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koděra, Peter; Kozák, Jaroslav; Brčeková, Jana; Chovan, Martin; Lexa, Jaroslav; Jánošík, Michal; Biroň, Adrián; Uhlík, Peter; Bakos, František

2018-03-01

The Biely Vrch deposit in the Western Carpathians is assigned to the shallow, sulfide-poor porphyry gold deposit type and has an exceptionally low Cu/Au ratio. According to 3-D geochemical models, there is a limited spatial correlation between Au and Cu due to the primary introduction of gold by a salt melt and Cu by low-density vapor. Despite a rough spatial correlation of gold grades with quartz stockwork intensity, gold is hosted mostly by altered rock, exclusively in native form. Three main gold mineral assemblages were recognized here. In the deepest parts of the system, the K- and Ca-Na silicate gold assemblage is associated with minerals of high-temperature alteration (plagioclase, K-feldspar, actinolite), with gold grades and fineness depending on depth and potassium content of the host rock: K-silicate alteration hosts the lowest fineness gold ( 914), whereas Ca-Na silicate alteration has the highest ( 983). The intermediate argillic gold assemblage is the most widespread, with gold hosted mainly by chlorite, illite, smectite, and interstratified illite-chlorite-smectite minerals. The gold fineness is mostly variable (875-990) and inherited from the former gold mineral assemblages. The latest advanced argillic gold assemblage has its gold mostly in kaolinite. The extremely high fineness ( 994) results from gold remobilization by late-stage aqueous magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. Uncommon bonanza-grade appears where the earlier gold mineral assemblages were further enriched by this remobilized gold. Primary precipitation of gold occurred during ascent and cooling of salt melts at 450 to 309 °C, mostly during retrograde quartz solubility.

Effect of the starting point of half-pin insertion on the insertional torque of the pin at the tibia.

PubMed

Kim, Sung Jae; Kim, Sung Hwan; Kim, Young Hwan; Chun, Yong Min

2015-01-01

The authors have observed a failure to achieve secure fixation in elderly patients when inserting a half-pin at the anteromedial surface of the tibia. The purpose of this study was to compare two methods for inserting a half-pin at tibia diaphysis in elderly patients. Twenty cadaveric tibias were divided into Group C or V. A half-pin was inserted into the tibias of Group C via the conventional method, from the anteromedial surface to the interosseous border of the tibia diaphysis, and into the tibias of Group V via the vertical method, from the anterior border to the posterior surface at the same level. The maximum insertion torque was measured during the bicortical insertion with a torque driver. The thickness of the cortex was measured by micro-computed tomography. The relationship between the thickness of the cortex engaged and the insertion torque was investigated. The maximum insertion torque and the thickness of the cortex were significantly higher in Group V than Group C. Both groups exhibited a statistically significant linear correlation between torque and thickness by Spearman's rank correlation analysis. Half-pins inserted by the vertical method achieved purchase of more cortex than those inserted by the conventional method. Considering that cortical thickness and insertion torque in Group V were significantly greater than those in Group C, we suggest that the vertical method of half-pin insertion may be an alternative to the conventional method in elderly patients.

Chassis unit insert tightening-extract device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haerther, L. W.; Zimmerman, P. A. (Inventor)

1964-01-01

The invention relates to the insertion and extraction of rack mounted electronic units and in particular to a screw thread insert tightening and extract device, for chassis units having a collar which may be rotatably positioned manually for the insert tightening or extraction of various associated chassis units, as desired.

Silver, gold, and alloyed silver-gold nanoparticles: characterization and comparative cell-biologic action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahl, Dirk; Diendorf, Jörg; Ristig, Simon; Greulich, Christina; Li, Zi-An; Farle, Michael; Köller, Manfred; Epple, Matthias

2012-10-01

Silver, gold, and silver-gold-alloy nanoparticles were prepared by citrate reduction modified by the addition of tannin during the synthesis, leading to a reduction in particle size by a factor of three. Nanoparticles can be prepared by this easy water-based synthesis and subsequently functionalized by the addition of either tris(3-sulfonatophenyl)phosphine or poly( N-vinylpyrrolidone). The resulting nanoparticles of silver (diameter 15-25 nm), gold (5-6 nm), and silver-gold (50:50; 10-12 nm) were easily dispersable in water and also in cell culture media (RPMI + 10 % fetal calf serum), as shown by nanoparticle tracking analysis and differential centrifugal sedimentation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed a polycrystalline nature of all nanoparticles. EDX on single silver-gold nanoparticles indicated that the concentration of gold is higher inside a nanoparticle. The biologic action of the nanoparticles toward human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) was different: Silver nanoparticles showed a significant concentration-dependent influence on the viability of hMSC. Gold nanoparticles showed only a small effect on the viability of hMSC after 7 days. Surprisingly, silver-gold nanoparticles had no significant influence on the viability of hMSC despite the silver content. Silver nanoparticles and silver-gold nanoparticles in the concentration range of 5-20 μg mL-1 induced the activation of hMSC as indicated by the release of IL-8. In contrast, gold nanoparticles led to a reduction of the release of IL-6 and IL-8.

CRISPR/Cas9 cleavages in budding yeast reveal templated insertions and strand-specific insertion/deletion profiles.

PubMed

Lemos, Brenda R; Kaplan, Adam C; Bae, Ji Eun; Ferrazzoli, Alexander E; Kuo, James; Anand, Ranjith P; Waterman, David P; Haber, James E

2018-02-27

Harnessing CRISPR-Cas9 technology provides an unprecedented ability to modify genomic loci via DNA double-strand break (DSB) induction and repair. We analyzed nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair induced by Cas9 in budding yeast and found that the orientation of binding of Cas9 and its guide RNA (gRNA) profoundly influences the pattern of insertion/deletions (indels) at the site of cleavage. A common indel created by Cas9 is a 1-bp (+1) insertion that appears to result from Cas9 creating a 1-nt 5' overhang that is filled in by a DNA polymerase and ligated. The origin of +1 insertions was investigated by using two gRNAs with PAM sequences located on opposite DNA strands but designed to cleave the same sequence. These templated +1 insertions are dependent on the X-family DNA polymerase, Pol4. Deleting Pol4 also eliminated +2 and +3 insertions, which are biased toward homonucleotide insertions. Using inverted PAM sequences, we also found significant differences in overall NHEJ efficiency and repair profiles, suggesting that the binding of the Cas9:gRNA complex influences subsequent NHEJ processing. As with events induced by the site-specific HO endonuclease, CRISPR-Cas9-mediated NHEJ repair depends on the Ku heterodimer and DNA ligase 4. Cas9 events are highly dependent on the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 complex, independent of Mre11's nuclease activity. Inspection of the outcomes of a large number of Cas9 cleavage events in mammalian cells reveals a similar templated origin of +1 insertions in human cells, but also a significant frequency of similarly templated +2 insertions.

GOLD PLATING PROCESS

DOEpatents

Seegmiller, R.

1957-08-01

An improved bath is reported for plating gold on other metals. The composition of the plating bath is as follows: Gold cyanide from about 15 to about 50 grams, potassium cyanide from about 70 to about 125 grams, and sulfonated castor oil from about 0.1 to about 10 cc. The gold plate produced from this bath is smooth, semi-hard, and nonporous.

Gold deposit styles and placer gold characterisation in northern and east-central Madagascar

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitfield, Peter E. J; Styles, Michael T.; Taylor, Cliff D.; Key, Roger M.; Bauer,; Ralison, A

2009-01-01

Microchemical characterisation of bedrock and placer gold grains from six gold districts within the Archaean domains and intervening Neoproterozoic Anaboriana-Manampotsy belt of northern and east-central Madagascar show few opaque inclusions (e.g pyrrhotite, Bi tellurides) but wide range of Ag contents (40wt%). Some districts exhibit multiple source populations of grains. The ‘greenstone belt’ terranes have an orogenic gold signature locally with an intrusion-related to epithermal overprint. Proterozoic metasediments with felsic to ultramafic bodies yield dominantly intrusion-related gold. A high proportion of secondary gold (<0.5wt% Ag) is related to recycling of paleoplacers and erosion of post-Gondwana planation surfaces and indicates that some mesothermal gold systems were already partially to wholly removed by erosion by the PermoTriassic.

Gold-bearing skarns

USGS Publications Warehouse

Theodore, Ted G.; Orris, Greta J.; Hammerstrom, Jane M.; Bliss, James D.

1991-01-01

In recent years, a significant proportion of the mining industry's interest has been centered on discovery of gold deposits; this includes discovery of additional deposits where gold occurs in skarn, such as at Fortitude, Nevada, and at Red Dome, Australia. Under the classification of Au-bearing skarns, we have modeled these and similar gold-rich deposits that have a gold grade of at least 1 g/t and exhibit distinctive skarn mineralogy. Two subtypes, Au-skarns and byproduct Au-skarns, can be recognized on the basis of gold, silver, and base-metal grades, although many other geological factors apparently are still undistinguishable largely because of a lack of detailed studies of the Au-skarns. Median grades and tonnage for 40 Au-skarn deposits are 8.6 g/t Au, 5.0 g/t Ag, and 213,000 t. Median grades and tonnage for 50 byproduct and Au-skarn deposits are 3.7 g/t Au, 37 g/t Ag, and 330,000 t. Gold-bearing skarns are generally calcic exoskarns associated with intense retrograde hydrosilicate alteration. These skarns may contain economic amounts of numerous other commodities (Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, As, Bi, W, Sb, Co, Cd, and S) as well as gold and silver. Most Au-bearing skarns are found in Paleozoic and Cenozoic orogenic-belt and island-arc settings and are associated with felsic to intermediate intrusive rocks of Paleozoic to Tertiary age. Native gold, electru, pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena, bismuth minerals, and magnetite or hematite are the most common opaque minerals. Gangue minerals typically include garnet (andradite-grossular), pyroxene (diopside-hedenbergite), wollastonite, chlorite, epidote, quartz, actinolite-tremolite, and (or) calcite.

Restraint deformation and corrosion protection of gold deposited aluminum mirrors for cold optics of mid-infrared instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchiyama, Mizuho; Miyata, Takashi; Sako, Shigeyuki; Kamizuka, Takafumi; Nakamura, Tomohiko; Asano, Kentaro; Okada, Kazushi; Onaka, Takashi; Sakon, Itsuki; Kataza, Hirokazu; Sarugaku, Yuki; Kirino, Okiharu; Nakagawa, Hiroyuki; Okada, Norio; Mitsui, Kenji

2014-07-01

We report the restraint deformation and the corrosion protection of gold deposited aluminum mirrors for mid-infrared instruments. To evaluate the deformation of the aluminum mirrors by thermal shrinkage, monitoring measurement of the surface of a mirror has been carried out in the cooling cycles from the room temperature to 100 K. The result showed that the effect of the deformation was reduced to one fourth if the mirror was screwed with spring washers. We have explored an effective way to prevent the mirror from being galvanically corroded. A number of samples have been prepared by changing the coating conditions, such as inserting an insulation layer, making a multi-layer and overcoating water blocking layer, or carrying out precision cleaning before coating. Precision cleaning before the deposition and protecting coat with SiO over the gold layer seemed to be effective in blocking corrosion of the aluminum. The SiO over-coated mirror has survived the cooling test for the mid-infrared use and approximately 1 percent decrease in the reflectance has been detected at 6-25 microns compared to gold deposited mirror without coating.

Sequential cooling insert for turbine stator vane

DOEpatents

Jones, Russel B

2017-04-04

A sequential flow cooling insert for a turbine stator vane of a small gas turbine engine, where the impingement cooling insert is formed as a single piece from a metal additive manufacturing process such as 3D metal printing, and where the insert includes a plurality of rows of radial extending impingement cooling air holes alternating with rows of radial extending return air holes on a pressure side wall, and where the insert includes a plurality of rows of chordwise extending second impingement cooling air holes on a suction side wall. The insert includes alternating rows of radial extending cooling air supply channels and return air channels that form a series of impingement cooling on the pressure side followed by the suction side of the insert.

The accuracy and the safety of individualized 3D printing screws insertion templates for cervical screw insertion.

PubMed

Deng, Ting; Jiang, Minghui; Lei, Qing; Cai, Lihong; Chen, Li

2016-12-01

Clinical trial for cervical screw insertion by using individualized 3-dimensional (3D) printing screw insertion templates device. The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and accuracy of the individualized 3D printing screw insertion template in the cervical spine. Ten patients who underwent posterior cervical fusion surgery with cervical pedicle screws, laminar screws or lateral mass screws between December 2014 and December 2015 were involved in this study. The patients were examined by CT scan before operation. The individualized 3D printing templates were made with photosensitive resin by a 3D printing system to ensure the screw shafts entered the vertebral body without breaking the pedicle or lamina cortex. The templates were sterilized by a plasma sterilizer and used during the operation. The accuracy and the safety of the templates were evaluated by CT scans at the screw insertion levels after operation. The accuracy of this patient-specific template technique was demonstrated. Only one screw axis greatly deviated from the planned track and breached the cortex of the pedicle because the template was split by rough handling and then we inserted the screws under the fluoroscopy. The remaining screws were inserted in the track as preoperative design and the screw axis deviated by less than 2 mm. Vascular or neurologic complications or injuries did not happen. And no infection, broken nails, fracture of bone structure, or screw pullout occurred. This study verified the safety and the accuracy of the individualized 3D printing screw insertion templates in the cervical spine as a kind of intraoperative screw navigation. This individualized 3D printing screw insertion template was user-friendly, moderate cost, and enabled a radiation-free cervical screw insertion.

Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty Tissue Insertion Devices

PubMed Central

Khan, Salman Nasir; Shiakolas, Panos S.; Mootha, Venkateswara Vinod

2015-01-01

This review study provides information regarding the construction, design, and use of six commercially available endothelial allograft insertion devices applied for Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). We also highlight issues being faced in DSAEK and discuss the methods through which medical devices such as corneal inserters may alleviate these issues. Inserter selection is of high importance in the DSAEK procedure since overcoming the learning curve associated with the use of an insertion device is a time and energy consuming process. In the present review, allograft insertion devices were compared in terms of design, construction material, insertion technique, dimensions, incision requirements and endothelial cell loss to show their relative merits and capabilities based on available data in the literature. Moreover, the advantages/disadvantages of various insertion devices used for allograft insertion in DSAEK are reviewed and compared. The information presented in this review can be utilized for better selection of an insertion device for DSAEK. PMID:27051492

Controlling the electronic and geometric structures of 2D insertions to realize high performance metal/insertion-MoS2 sandwich interfaces.

PubMed

Su, Jie; Feng, Liping; Zeng, Wei; Liu, Zhengtang

2017-06-08

Metal/insertion-MoS 2 sandwich interfaces are designed to reduce the Schottky barriers at metal-MoS 2 interfaces. The effects of geometric and electronic structures of two-dimensional (2D) insertion materials on the contact properties of metal/insertion-MoS 2 interfaces are comparatively studied by first-principles calculations. Regardless of the geometric and electronic structures of 2D insertion materials, Fermi level pinning effects and charge scattering at the metal/insertion-MoS 2 interface are weakened due to weak interactions between the insertion and MoS 2 layers, no gap states and negligible structural deformations for MoS 2 layers. The Schottky barriers at metal/insertion-MoS 2 interfaces are induced by three interface dipoles and four potential steps that are determined by the charge transfers and structural deformations of 2D insertion materials. The lower the electron affinities of 2D insertion materials, the more are the electrons lost from the Sc surface, resulting in lower n-type Schottky barriers at Sc/insertion-MoS 2 interfaces. The larger the ionization potentials and the thinner the thicknesses of 2D insertion materials, the fewer are the electrons that accumulate at the Pt surface, leading to lower p-type Schottky barriers at Pt/insertion-MoS 2 interfaces. All Sc/insertion-MoS 2 interfaces exhibited ohmic characters. The Pt/BN-MoS 2 interface exhibits the lowest p-type Schottky barrier of 0.52 eV due to the largest ionization potential (∼6.88 eV) and the thinnest thickness (single atomic layer thickness) of BN. These results in this work are beneficial to understand and design high performance metal/insertion-MoS 2 interfaces through 2D insertion materials.

Peak insertion torque values of five mini-implant systems under different insertion loads.

PubMed

Quraishi, Erma; Sherriff, Martyn; Bister, Dirk

2014-06-01

To assess the effect of 1 and 3 kg insertion load on five makes of self-drilling mini-implants on peak insertion torque values to establish risk factors involved in the fracture of mini-implants. Two different loads were applied during insertion of 40 mini-implants from five different manufacturers (Dual Top(™) (1·6×8 mm), Infinitas(™) (1·5×9 mm), Ortho Easy(™) (1·7×8 mm), Spider Screw(™) (1·5×8 mm) and Vector TAS(™) (1·4×8 mm)) into acrylic blocks at 8 rev/min utilizing a Motorized Torque Measurement Stand. Peak insertion torque values for both loads were highest for Vector TAS followed by Ortho Easy and Dual Top and were nearly three times higher than Infinitas (original version) and Spider Screws(TM). The log-rank test showed statistically significant differences for both loads for Vector TAS, Ortho Easy and Spider Screws. Unlike other designs tested, both tapered mini-implant designs (Spider Screw and Infinitas) showed a tendency to buckle in the middle of the body but fractured at the tip. Non-tapered mini-implants fractured at significantly higher torque values compared to tapered designs under both loads. Increased pressure resulted in slightly higher maximum torque values at fracture for some of the mini-implant designs, although this is unlikely to be of clinical relevance. Tripling insertion pressure from 1 to 3 kg increased the risk of bending tapered mini-implants before fracture. © 2014 British Orthodontic Society.

Gold Fever! Seattle Outfits the Klondike Gold Rush. Teaching with Historic Places.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, Marc K.

This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file, "Pioneer Square Historic District," and other sources about Seattle (Washington) and the Klondike Gold Rush. The lesson helps students understand how Seattle exemplified the prosperity of the Klondike Gold Rush after 1897 when news of a gold strike in…

In-office insertion of a miniaturized insertable cardiac monitor: Results from the Reveal LINQ In-Office 2 randomized study.

PubMed

Rogers, John D; Sanders, Prashanthan; Piorkowski, Christopher; Sohail, M Rizwan; Anand, Rishi; Crossen, Karl; Khairallah, Farhat S; Kaplon, Rachelle E; Stromberg, Kurt; Kowal, Robert C

2017-02-01

Recent miniaturization of an insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) may make it possible to move device insertion from a hospital to office setting. However, the safety of this strategy is unknown. The primary objective was to compare the safety of inserting the Reveal LINQ ICM in an office vs a hospital environment. Ancillary objectives included summarizing device- and procedure-related adverse events and responses to a physician questionnaire. Five hundred twenty-one patients indicated for an ICM were randomized (1:1 ratio) to undergo ICM insertion in a hospital or office environment at 26 centers in the United States in the Reveal LINQ In-Office 2 study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02395536). Patients were followed for 90 days. ICM insertion was successful in all 482 attempted patients (office: 251; hospital: 231). The untoward event rate (composite of unsuccessful insertion and ICM- or insertion-related complications) was 0.8% (2 of 244) in the office and 0.9% (2 of 227) in the hospital (95% confidence interval, -3.0% to 2.9%; 5% noninferiority: P < .001). In addition, adverse events occurred during 2.5% (6 of 244) of office and 4.4% (10 of 227) of hospital insertions (95% confidence interval [office minus inhospital rates], -5.8% to 1.9%; 5% noninferiority: P < .001). Physicians indicated that for procedures performed in an office vs a hospital, there were fewer delays >15 minutes (16% vs 35%; P < .001) and patient response was more often "very positive." Physicians considered the office location "very convenient" more frequently than the hospital location (85% vs 27%; P < .001). The safety profile for the insertion of the Reveal LINQ ICM is excellent irrespective of insertion environment. These results may expand site of service options for LINQ insertion. Copyright © 2016 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An insertion approach electrochemical aptasensor for mucin 1 detection based on exonuclease-assisted target recycling.

PubMed

Wen, Wei; Hu, Rong; Bao, Ting; Zhang, Xiuhua; Wang, Shengfu

2015-09-15

In this work, a sensitive exonuclease-assisted amplification electrochemical aptasensor through insertion approach was developed for the detection of mucin 1 (MUC 1). In order to construct the aptasensor, 6-Mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH) was used to block partial sites of gold electrode (GE), followed by thiolated capture probe self-assembled on GE. Methylene blue (MB) labeled aptamer hybridized with capture probe at both ends to form double-strand DNA. For the MB labeled termini was close to GE, the electrochemical response was remarkable. The presence of MUC 1 caused the dissociation of the double-strand DNA owing to the specific recognition of aptamer to MUC 1. Then exonuclease I (Exo I) selectively digested the aptamer which bound with MUC 1, the released MUC 1 participated new binding with the rest aptamer. Insertion approach improved the reproducibility and Exo I-catalyzed target recycling improved the sensitivity of the aptasensor significantly. Under optimal experimental conditions, the proposed aptasensor had a good linear correlation ranged from 10 pM to 1 μM with a detection limit of 4 pM (Signal to Noise ratio, S/N=3). The strategy had great potential for the simple and sensitive detection of other cancer markers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mammalian sensitivity to elemental gold (Au?)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eisler, R.

2004-01-01

There is increasing documentation of allergic contact dermatitis and other effects from gold jewelry, gold dental restorations, and gold implants. These effects were especially pronounced among females wearing body-piercing gold objects. One estimate of the prevalence of gold allergy worldwide is 13%, as judged by patch tests with monovalent organogold salts. Eczema of the head and neck was the most common response of individuals hypersensitive to gold, and sensitivity can last for at least several years. Ingestion of beverages containing flake gold can result in allergic-type reactions similar to those seen in gold-allergic individuals exposed to gold through dermal contact and other routes. Studies with small laboratory mammals and injected doses of colloidal gold showed increased body temperatures, accumulations in reticular cells, and dose enhancement in tumor therapy; gold implants were associated with tissue injuries. It is proposed that Au? toxicity to mammals is associated, in part, with formation of the more reactive Au+ and Au3+ species.

Technical Note: Computer-Manufactured Inserts for Prosthetic Sockets

PubMed Central

Sanders, Joan E.; McLean, Jake B.; Cagle, John C.; Gardner, David W.; Allyn, Katheryn J.

2016-01-01

The objective of this research was to use computer-aided design software and a tabletop 3-D additive manufacturing system to design and fabricate custom plastic inserts for trans-tibial prosthesis users. Shape quality of inserts was tested right after they were inserted into participant’s test sockets and again after four weeks of wear. Inserts remained properly positioned and intact throughout testing. Right after insertion the inserts caused the socket to be slightly under-sized, by a mean of 0.11 mm, approximately 55% of the thickness of a nylon sheath. After four weeks of wear the under-sizing was less, averaging 0.03 mm, approximately 15% of the thickness of a nylon sheath. Thus the inserts settled into the sockets over time. If existing prosthetic design software packages were enhanced to conduct insert design and to automatically generate fabrication files for manufacturing, then computer manufactured inserts may offer advantages over traditional methods in terms of speed of fabrication, ease of design, modification, and record keeping. PMID:27212209

Technical note: Computer-manufactured inserts for prosthetic sockets.

PubMed

Sanders, Joan E; McLean, Jake B; Cagle, John C; Gardner, David W; Allyn, Katheryn J

2016-08-01

The objective of this research was to use computer-aided design software and a tabletop 3-D additive manufacturing system to design and fabricate custom plastic inserts for trans-tibial prosthesis users. Shape quality of inserts was tested right after they were inserted into participant's test sockets and again after four weeks of wear. Inserts remained properly positioned and intact throughout testing. Right after insertion the inserts caused the socket to be slightly under-sized, by a mean of 0.11mm, approximately 55% of the thickness of a nylon sheath. After four weeks of wear the under-sizing was less, averaging 0.03mm, approximately 15% of the thickness of a nylon sheath. Thus the inserts settled into the sockets over time. If existing prosthetic design software packages were enhanced to conduct insert design and to automatically generate fabrication files for manufacturing, then computer manufactured inserts may offer advantages over traditional methods in terms of speed of fabrication, ease of design, modification, and record keeping. Copyright © 2016 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Image-guided ex-vivo targeting accuracy using a laparoscopic tissue localization system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bieszczad, Jerry; Friets, Eric; Knaus, Darin; Rauth, Thomas; Herline, Alan; Miga, Michael; Galloway, Robert; Kynor, David

2007-03-01

In image-guided surgery, discrete fiducials are used to determine a spatial registration between the location of surgical tools in the operating theater and the location of targeted subsurface lesions and critical anatomic features depicted in preoperative tomographic image data. However, the lack of readily localized anatomic landmarks has greatly hindered the use of image-guided surgery in minimally invasive abdominal procedures. To address these needs, we have previously described a laser-based system for localization of internal surface anatomy using conventional laparoscopes. During a procedure, this system generates a digitized, three-dimensional representation of visible anatomic surfaces in the abdominal cavity. This paper presents the results of an experiment utilizing an ex-vivo bovine liver to assess subsurface targeting accuracy achieved using our system. During the experiment, several radiopaque targets were inserted into the liver parenchyma. The location of each target was recorded using an optically-tracked insertion probe. The liver surface was digitized using our system, and registered with the liver surface extracted from post-procedure CT images. This surface-based registration was then used to transform the position of the inserted targets into the CT image volume. The target registration error (TRE) achieved using our surface-based registration (given a suitable registration algorithm initialization) was 2.4 mm +/- 1.0 mm. A comparable TRE (2.6 mm +/- 1.7 mm) was obtained using a registration based on traditional fiducial markers placed on the surface of the same liver. These results indicate the potential of fiducial-free, surface-to-surface registration for image-guided lesion targeting in minimally invasive abdominal surgery.

Method Of Wire Insertion For Electric Machine Stators

DOEpatents

Brown, David L; Stabel, Gerald R; Lawrence, Robert Anthony

2005-02-08

A method of inserting coils in slots of a stator is provided. The method includes interleaving a first set of first phase windings and a first set of second phase windings on an insertion tool. The method also includes activating the insertion tool to radially insert the first set of first phase windings and the first set of second phase windings in the slots of the stator. In one embodiment, interleaving the first set of first phase windings and the first set of second phase windings on the insertion tool includes forming the first set of first phase windings in first phase openings defined in the insertion tool, and forming the first set of second phase windings in second phase openings defined in the insertion tool.

Gold grade distribution within an epithermal quartz vein system, Kestanelik, NW Turkey: implications for gold exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulyuz, Nilay; Shipton, Zoe; Gulyuz, Erhan; Lord, Richard; Kaymakci, Nuretdin; Kuscu, İlkay

2017-04-01

Vein-hosted gold deposits contribute a large part to the global gold production. Discovery of these deposits mainly include drilling of hundreds of holes, collecting thousands of soil and rock samples and some geophysical surveys which are expensive and time consuming. Understanding the structures hosting the veins and the variations in gold concentrations within the veins is crucial to constrain a more economic exploration program. The main aim of this study is to investigate the gold grade distribution in the mineralized quartz veins of a well exposed epithermal gold deposit hosted by Paleozoic schist and Eocene quartz-feldspar-hornblende porphyry in Lapseki, NW Turkey. We have constructed 3D architecture of the vein surfaces by mapping their outcrop geometries using a highly sensitive Trimble GPS, collecting detailed field data, well-logs and geochemistry data from 396 drill holes (255 diamond cut and 141 reverse circulation holes). Modelling was performed in MOVE Structural Modelling and Analysis software granted by Midland Valley's Academic Software Initiative, and GIS application softwares Global Mapper and Esri-ArcGIS. We envisaged that while fluid entering the conduit ascents, a sudden thickness increase in the conduit would lead to a drop in the fluid pressure causing boiling (the most dominant gold precipitation mechanism) and associated gold precipitation. Regression analysis was performed between the orthogonal thickness values and gold grades of each vein, and statistical analyses were performed to see if the gold is concentrated at specific structural positions along dip. Gold grades in the alteration zones were compared to those in the adjacent veins to understand the degree of mineralization in alteration zones. A possible correlation was also examined between the host rock type and the gold grades in the veins. These studies indicated that gold grades are elevated in the adjacent alteration zones where high gold grades exist in the veins. Schist

Mineral resource of the month: gold

USGS Publications Warehouse

George, Micheal W.

2009-01-01

The article presents information on the valuable mineral called gold. It states that early civilizations valued gold because of its scarcity, durability and characteristics yellow color. By the late 20th century, gold was used as an industrial metal because of its unique physicochemical properties. The U.S. has several productive deposits of gold, including placer, gold-quartz lode, epithermal and Carlin-type gold deposits.

[Effects of slow twisting needle insertion and tubing needle insertion at Neiguan (PC 6) on cardiovascular function: a comparative study].

PubMed

Ning, Shaoli; Zhao, Lihua; Xu, Lingjun; Huang, Yu; Pang, Yong; Huang, Dingjian

2016-01-01

To compare the effects between slow twisting needle insertion and tubing needle insertion. With cross-over design, 100 healthy young subjects (half male and half female) aged from 19 to 23 years were randomly divided into two groups by random digital table, 50 cases in each one. At the first stage, subjects in the group A were treated with slow twisting needle insertion while, subjects in,the group B were treated with tubing needle insertion. One week later, the procedure of second stage was performed alternately. The needle was inserted into Neiguan (PC 6) with two methods by one acupuncturist. The needle was retained for 5 min before removal. Five min before needle insertion as well as needle withdrawal and 30 min after needle withdrawal, ZXG-E automatic cardiovascular diagnostic apparatus was used to test cardiovascular function. At the tim of needle withdrawal, slow twisting needle insertion could improve effect work of kinetics (EWK), effective blood volume (BV) and reduce elastic expansion coefficient of blood vessel (FEK) and left ventricular spray blood impedance (VER), which was significantly different from tubing needle insertion (all P < 0.05). Thirty min after needle withdrawal, the differences of the indices of cardiovascular function between the two groups were not significant (all P > 0.05). The slow twisting needle insertion is significantly superior to tubing needle insertion on lowering vascular tension and VER, improving EWK and BV.

Occurrences of dendritic gold at the McLaughlin Mine hot-spring gold deposit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherlock, R. L.; Lehrman, N. J.

1995-06-01

Two styles of gold dendrites are variably developed at the McLaughlin Mine. The most abundant occurrence is hosted by amber-coloured hydrocarbon-rich opal. Silica likely precipitated from a boiling hydrothermal fluid and complexed with immiscible hydrocarbons forming an amorphous hydrocarbon-silica phase. This phase likely scavenged particulate gold by electrostatic attraction to the hydrocarbon-silica phase. The dendritic nature of the gold is secondary and is the result of dewatering of the amorphous hydrocarbon-silica phase and crystallization of gold into syneresis fractures. The second style of dendritic gold is hosted within vein swarms that focused large volumes of fluid flow. The dendrites occur along with hydrocarbon-rich silica at the upper contact of the vein margins which isolated the dendrites allowing sufficient time for them to grow. In a manner similar to the amber-coloured opal, the dendrites may have formed by scavenging particulate gold by electrostatic attraction to the hydrocarbon-silica phase.

Modeling of gold production in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muda, Nora; Ainuddeen, Nasihah Rasyiqah; Ismail, Hamizun; Umor, Mohd Rozi

2013-04-01

This study was conducted to identify the main factors that contribute to the gold production and hence determine the factors that affect to the development of the mining industry in Malaysia. An econometric approach was used by performing the cointegration analysis among the factors to determine the existence of long term relationship between the gold prices, the number of gold mines, the number of workers in gold mines and the gold production. The study continued with the Granger analysis to determine the relationship between factors and gold production. Results have found that there are long term relationship between price, gold production and number of employees. Granger causality analysis shows that there is only one way relationship between the number of employees with gold production in Malaysia and the number of gold mines in Malaysia.

Measurement of differential and integrated fiducial cross sections for Higgs boson production in the four-lepton decay channel in pp collisions at $$ \\sqrt{s}=7 $$ and 8 TeV

DOE PAGES

Khachatryan, Vardan

2016-04-01

Integrated fiducial cross sections for the production of four leptons via the H → 4ℓ decays (ℓ = e, μ) are measured in pp collisions atmore » $$ \\sqrt{s}=7 $$ and 8TeV. Measurements are performed with data corresponding to integrated luminosities of 5.1 fb$$^{–1}$$ at 7TeV, and 19.7 fb$$^{–1}$$ at 8 TeV, collected with the CMS experiment at the LHC. Differential cross sections are measured using the 8 TeV data, and are determined as functions of the transverse momentum and rapidity of the four-lepton system, accompanying jet multiplicity, transverse momentum of the leading jet, and difference in rapidity between the Higgs boson candidate and the leading jet. A measurement of the Z → 4ℓ cross section, and its ratio to the H → 4ℓ cross section is also performed. All cross sections are measured within a fiducial phase space defined by the requirements on lepton kinematics and event topology. Here, the integrated H → 4ℓ fiducial cross section is measured to be 0.56$$_{–0.44}^{+0.67}$$ (stat)$$_{–0.06}^{+0.21}$$ (syst) fb at 7 TeV, and 1.11$$_{–0.35}^{+0.41}$$ (stat)$$_{–0.10}^{+0.14}$$ (syst) fb at 8 TeV. The measurements are found to be compatible with theoretical calculations based on the standard model.« less

21 CFR 886.5420 - Contact lens inserter/remover.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Contact lens inserter/remover. 886.5420 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5420 Contact lens inserter/remover. (a) Identification. A contact lens inserter/remover is a handheld device intended to insert or remove...

Insert metering plates for gas turbine nozzles

DOEpatents

Burdgick, Steven S.; Itzel, Gary; Chopra, Sanjay; Abuaf, Nesim; Correia, Victor H.

2004-05-11

The invention comprises a metering plate which is assembled to an impingement insert for use in the nozzle of a gas turbine. The metering plate can have one or more metering holes and is used to balance the cooling flow within the nozzle. A metering plate with multiple holes reduces static pressure variations which result from the cooling airflow through the metering plate. The metering plate can be assembled to the insert before or after the insert is inserted into the nozzle.

Surface-stabilized gold nanocatalysts

DOEpatents

Dai, Sheng [Knoxville, TN; Yan, Wenfu [Oak Ridge, TN

2009-12-08

A surface-stabilized gold nanocatalyst includes a solid support having stabilizing surfaces for supporting gold nanoparticles, and a plurality of gold nanoparticles having an average particle size of less than 8 nm disposed on the stabilizing surfaces. The surface-stabilized gold nanocatalyst provides enhanced stability, such as at high temperature under oxygen containing environments. In one embodiment, the solid support is a multi-layer support comprising at least a first layer having a second layer providing the stabilizing surfaces disposed thereon, the first and second layer being chemically distinct.

Integrating a high-force optical trap with gold nanoposts and a robust gold-DNA bond.

PubMed

Paik, D Hern; Seol, Yeonee; Halsey, Wayne A; Perkins, Thomas T

2009-08-01

Gold-thiol chemistry is widely used in nanotechnology but has not been exploited in optical-trapping experiments due to laser-induced ablation of gold. We circumvented this problem by using an array of gold nanoposts (r = 50-250 nm, h approximately 20 nm) that allowed for quantitative optical-trapping assays without direct irradiation of the gold. DNA was covalently attached to the gold via dithiol phosphoramidite (DTPA). By using three DTPAs, the gold-DNA bond was not cleaved in the presence of excess thiolated compounds. This chemical robustness allowed us to reduce nonspecific sticking by passivating the unreacted gold with methoxy-(polyethylene glycol)-thiol. We routinely achieved single beads anchored to the nanoposts by single DNA molecules. We measured DNA's elasticity and its overstretching transition, demonstrating moderate- and high-force optical-trapping assays using gold-thiol chemistry. Force spectroscopy measurements were consistent with the rupture of the strepavidin-biotin bond between the bead and the DNA. This implied that the DNA remained anchored to the surface due to the strong gold-thiol bond. Consistent with this conclusion, we repeatedly reattached the trapped bead to the same individual DNA molecule. Thus, surface conjugation of biomolecules onto an array of gold nanostructures by chemically and mechanically robust bonds provides a unique way to carry out spatially controlled, repeatable measurements of single molecules.

Getting the Gold Treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Epner Technology, Inc., worked with Goddard Space Center to apply gold coating to the Vegetation Canopy Lidar (VCL) mirror. This partnership resulted in new commercial applications for Epner's LaserGold(R) process in the automotive industry. Previously, the company did not have equipment large enough to handle the plating of the stainless steel panels cost effectively. Seeing a chance to renew this effort, Epner Technology and Goddard entered into an agreement by which NASA would fund the facility needed to do the gold-plating, and Epner Technology would cover all other costs as part of their internal research and development. The VCL mirror project proceeded successfully, fulfilling Goddard's needs and leaving Epner Technology with a new facility to provide LaserGold for the automotive industry. The new capability means increased power savings and improvements in both quality and production time for BMW Manufacturing Corporation of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Cadillac of Detroit, Michigan, as well as other manufacturers who have implemented Epner Technology's LaserGold process. LaserGold(R) is a registered trademark of Epner Technology, Inc.

Field errors in hybrid insertion devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schlueter, R.D.

1995-02-01

Hybrid magnet theory as applied to the error analyses used in the design of Advanced Light Source (ALS) insertion devices is reviewed. Sources of field errors in hybrid insertion devices are discussed.

A porphyrin complex of Gold(I): (Phosphine)gold(I) azides as cation precursors

PubMed Central

Partyka, David V.; Robilotto, Thomas J.; Zeller, Matthias; Hunter, Allen D.; Gray, Thomas G.

2008-01-01

A silver- and Brönsted acid-free protocol for generating the (tricyclohexylphosphine)gold(I) cation from the corresponding azide complexes is disclosed. The gold(I) cations so liberated are trapped by complexation with octaethylporphyrin. The first structurally authenticated gold(I) porphyrin complex crystallizes with formula C72H112Au2F12N4P2Sb2, space group C2/c, a = 21.388 (4), b = 19.679 (4), c = 19.231 (3) Å; β = 111.030 (3)°. Solution spectroscopic studies indicate that the di-gold complex fragments on dissolution in organic solvents. Approximate density-functional theory calculations find an electrostatic origin for the binding of two gold(I) centers to the unprotonated nitrogen atoms, despite greater orbital density on the porphyrin meso carbons. PMID:18780788

Is periprostatic nerve block a gold standard in case of transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy?

PubMed Central

Kumar, Ashok; Griwan, Mahavir Singh; Singh, Santosh Kumar; Sen, Jyotsna; Pawar, D. S.

2013-01-01

Introduction: Controversy exists over the pain during prostate biopsy. Periprostatic nerve block (PNB) is a gold standard anesthetic technique during transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy. Recent studies showed that PNB alone is insufficient as analgesic. We compared the efficacy of tramadol and intraprostatic nerve block (INB) in addition to PNB. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective double blinded placebo controlled study at our institute in 150 consecutive patients. Patients were randomized into three groups. Group A received PNB with INB with 1% lignocaine. Group B received oral tramadol with PNB. Group C patients were administered PNB only with 1% lignocaine. Patients were asked to grade the pain level using 11 point linear visual analog scale (VAS) at the time of ultrasound probe insertion, at time of anesthesia, during biopsy, and 30 min after biopsy. Results: The study groups were comparable in demographic profile, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and prostate size. Group A recorded the minimum mean pain score of 2.66 during prostate biopsy which was significantly lower than group 3 (P < 0.001). Group B recorded significantly lower pain score at time of probe insertion and at anesthetic needle insertion than other two groups. Conclusions: PNB provides better pain control in TRUS-guided prostate biopsy but still there is need of additional analgesic in the form of tramadol or INB. Tramadol has advantage of oral intake and analgesic effect at time of probe insertion and at nerve block. Both tramadol and INB may be used in combination along with PNB. PMID:24049376

A novel 'Gold on Gold' biosensing scheme for an on-fiber immunoassay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punjabi, N.; Satija, J.; Mukherji, S.

2015-05-01

In this paper, we propose a novel „gold on gold‟ biosensing scheme for absorbance based fiber-optic biosensor. First, a self-assembled monolayer of gold nanoparticles is formed at the sensing region of the fiber-optic probe by incubating an amino-silanized probe in a colloidal gold solution. Thereafter, the receptor moieties, i.e. Human immunoglobulin G (HIgG) were immobilized by using standard alkanethiol and classic carbodiimide coupling chemistry. Finally, biosensing experiments were performed with different concentrations of gold nanoparticle-tagged analyte, i.e. Goat anti- Human immunoglobulin G (Nanogold-GaHIgG). The sensor response was observed to be more than five-fold compared to the control bioassay, in which the sensor matrix was devoid of gold nanoparticle film. Also, the response was found to be ~10 times higher compared to the FITC-tagged scheme and ~14.5 times better compared to untagged scheme. This novel scheme also demonstrated the potential in improving the limit of detection for the fiber-optic biosensors.

Feasibility study on image guided patient positioning for stereotactic body radiation therapy of liver malignancies guided by liver motion.

PubMed

Heinz, Christian; Gerum, Sabine; Freislederer, Philipp; Ganswindt, Ute; Roeder, Falk; Corradini, Stefanie; Belka, Claus; Niyazi, Maximilian

2016-06-27

Fiducial markers are the superior method to compensate for interfractional motion in liver SBRT. However this method is invasive and thereby limits its application range. In this retrospective study, the compensation method for the interfractional motion using fiducial markers (gold standard) was compared to a new non-invasive approach, which does rely on the organ motion of the liver and the relative tumor position within this volume. We analyzed six patients (3 m, 3f) treated with SBRT in 2014. After fiducial marker implantation, all patients received a treatment CT (free breathing, without abdominal compression) and a 4D-CT (consisting of 10 respiratory phases). For all patients the gross tumor volumes (GTVs), internal target volume (ITV), planning target volume (PTV), internal marker target volumes (IMTVs) and the internal liver target volume (ILTV) were delineated based on the CT and 4D-CT images. CBCT imaging was used for the standard treatment setup based on the fiducial markers. According to the patient coordinates the 3 translational compensation values (t x , t y , t z ) for the interfractional motion were calculated by matching the blurred fiducial markers with the corresponding IMTV structures. 4 observers were requested to recalculate the translational compensation values for each CBCT (31) based on the ILTV structures. The differences of the translational compensation values between the IMTV and ILTV approach were analyzed. The magnitude of the mean absolute 3D registration error with regard to the gold standard overall patients and observers was 0.50 cm ± 0.28 cm. Individual registration errors up to 1.3 cm were observed. There was no significant overall linear correlation between the respiratory motion and the registration error of the ILTV approach. Two different methods to calculate the translational compensation values for interfractional motion in stereotactic liver therapy were evaluated. The registration accuracy of the ILTV approach is

Comparing performance of mothers using simplified mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) classification devices with an improved MUAC insertion tape in Isiolo County, Kenya.

PubMed

Grant, Angeline; Njiru, James; Okoth, Edgar; Awino, Imelda; Briend, André; Murage, Samuel; Abdirahman, Saida; Myatt, Mark

2018-01-01

A novel approach for improving community case-detection of acute malnutrition involves mothers/caregivers screening their children for acute malnutrition using a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) insertion tape. The objective of this study was to test three simple MUAC classification devices to determine whether they improved the sensitivity of mothers/caregivers at detecting acute malnutrition. Prospective, non-randomised, partially-blinded, clinical diagnostic trial describing and comparing the performance of three "Click-MUAC" devices and a MUAC insertion tape. The study took place in twenty-one health facilities providing integrated management of acute malnutrition (IMAM) services in Isiolo County, Kenya. Mothers/caregivers classified their child ( n =1040), aged 6-59 months, using the "Click-MUAC" devices and a MUAC insertion tape. These classifications were compared to a "gold standard" classification (the mean of three measurements taken by a research assistant using the MUAC insertion tape). The sensitivity of mother/caregiver classifications was high for all devices (>93% for severe acute malnutrition (SAM), defined by MUAC < 115 mm, and > 90% for global acute malnutrition (GAM), defined by MUAC < 125 mm). Mother/caregiver sensitivity for SAM and GAM classification was higher using the MUAC insertion tape (100% sensitivity for SAM and 99% sensitivity for GAM) than using "Click-MUAC" devices. Younden's J for SAM classification, and sensitivity for GAM classification, were significantly higher for the MUAC insertion tape (99% and 99% respectively). Specificity was high for all devices (>96%) with no significant difference between the "Click-MUAC" devices and the MUAC insertion tape. The results of this study indicate that, although the "Click-MUAC" devices performed well, the MUAC insertion tape performed best. The results for sensitivity are higher than found in previous studies. The high sensitivity for both SAM and GAM classification by mothers

Insertion of coherence requests for debugging a multiprocessor

DOEpatents

Blumrich, Matthias A.; Salapura, Valentina

2010-02-23

A method and system are disclosed to insert coherence events in a multiprocessor computer system, and to present those coherence events to the processors of the multiprocessor computer system for analysis and debugging purposes. The coherence events are inserted in the computer system by adding one or more special insert registers. By writing into the insert registers, coherence events are inserted in the multiprocessor system as if they were generated by the normal coherence protocol. Once these coherence events are processed, the processing of coherence events can continue in the normal operation mode.

Analysis of gold(I/III)-complexes by HPLC-ICP-MS demonstrates gold(III) stability in surface waters.

PubMed

Ta, Christine; Reith, Frank; Brugger, Joël; Pring, Allan; Lenehan, Claire E

2014-05-20

Understanding the form in which gold is transported in surface- and groundwaters underpins our understanding of gold dispersion and (bio)geochemical cycling. Yet, to date, there are no direct techniques capable of identifying the oxidation state and complexation of gold in natural waters. We present a reversed phase ion-pairing HPLC-ICP-MS method for the separation and determination of aqueous gold(III)-chloro-hydroxyl, gold(III)-bromo-hydroxyl, gold(I)-thiosulfate, and gold(I)-cyanide complexes. Detection limits for the gold species range from 0.05 to 0.30 μg L(-1). The [Au(CN)2](-) gold cyanide complex was detected in five of six waters from tailings and adjacent monitoring bores of working gold mines. Contrary to thermodynamic predictions, evidence was obtained for the existence of Au(III)-complexes in circumneutral, hypersaline waters of a natural lake overlying a gold deposit in Western Australia. This first direct evidence for the existence and stability of Au(III)-complexes in natural surface waters suggests that Au(III)-complexes may be important for the transport and biogeochemical cycling of gold in surface environments. Overall, these results show that near-μg L(-1) enrichments of Au in environmental waters result from metastable ligands (e.g., CN(-)) as well as kinetically controlled redox processes leading to the stability of highly soluble Au(III)-complexes.

Structural controls on Carlin-type gold mineralization in the gold bar district, Eureka County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yigit, O.; Nelson, E.P.; Hitzman, M.W.; Hofstra, A.H.

2003-01-01

The Gold Bar district in the southern Roberts Mountains, 48 km northwest of Eureka, Nevada, contains one main deposit (Gold Bar), five satellite deposits, and other resources. Approximately 0.5 Moz of gold have been recovered from a resource of 1,639,000 oz of gold in Carlin-type gold deposits in lower plate, miogeoclinal carbonate rocks below the Roberts Mountains thrust. Host rocks are unit 2 of the Upper Member of the Devonian Denay Formation and the Bartine Member of the McColley Canyon Formation. Spatial and temporal relations between structures and gold mineralization indicate that both pre-Tertiary and Tertiary structures were important controls on gold mineralization. Gold mineralization occurs primarily along high-angle Tertiary normal faults, some of which are reactivated reverse faults of Paleozoic or Mesozoic age. Most deposits are localized at the intersection of northwest- and northeast-striking faults. Alteration includes decalcification, and to a lesser extent, silicification along high-angle faults. Jasperoid (pervasive silicification), which formed along most faults and in some strata-bound zones, accounts for a small portion of the ore in every deposit. In the Gold Canyon deposit, a high-grade jasperoid pipe formed along a Tertiary normal fault which was localized along a zone of overturned fault-propagation folds and thrust faults of Paleozoic or Mesozoic age.

Insert sleeve prevents tube soldering contamination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stein, J.

1966-01-01

Teflon sleeve insert prevents contamination of internal tube surfaces by solder compound during soldering operations that connect and seal the tube ends. The sleeve insert is pressed into the mating tube ends with a slight interference fit.

4D ultrasound speckle tracking of intra-fraction prostate motion: a phantom-based comparison with x-ray fiducial tracking using CyberKnife

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Shea, Tuathan P.; Garcia, Leo J.; Rosser, Karen E.; Harris, Emma J.; Evans, Philip M.; Bamber, Jeffrey C.

2014-04-01

This study investigates the use of a mechanically-swept 3D ultrasound (3D-US) probe for soft-tissue displacement monitoring during prostate irradiation, with emphasis on quantifying the accuracy relative to CyberKnife® x-ray fiducial tracking. An US phantom, implanted with x-ray fiducial markers was placed on a motion platform and translated in 3D using five real prostate motion traces acquired using the Calypso system. Motion traces were representative of all types of motion as classified by studying Calypso data for 22 patients. The phantom was imaged using a 3D swept linear-array probe (to mimic trans-perineal imaging) and, subsequently, the kV x-ray imaging system on CyberKnife. A 3D cross-correlation block-matching algorithm was used to track speckle in the ultrasound data. Fiducial and US data were each compared with known phantom displacement. Trans-perineal 3D-US imaging could track superior-inferior (SI) and anterior-posterior (AP) motion to ≤0.81 mm root-mean-square error (RMSE) at a 1.7 Hz volume rate. The maximum kV x-ray tracking RMSE was 0.74 mm, however the prostate motion was sampled at a significantly lower imaging rate (mean: 0.04 Hz). Initial elevational (right-left RL) US displacement estimates showed reduced accuracy but could be improved (RMSE <2.0 mm) using a correlation threshold in the ultrasound tracking code to remove erroneous inter-volume displacement estimates. Mechanically-swept 3D-US can track the major components of intra-fraction prostate motion accurately but exhibits some limitations. The largest US RMSE was for elevational (RL) motion. For the AP and SI axes, accuracy was sub-millimetre. It may be feasible to track prostate motion in 2D only. 3D-US also has the potential to improve high tracking accuracy for all motion types. It would be advisable to use US in conjunction with a small (˜2.0 mm) centre-of-mass displacement threshold in which case it would be possible to take full advantage of the accuracy and high imaging

Nozzle cavity impingement/area reduction insert

DOEpatents

Yu, Yufeng Phillip; Itzel, Gary Michael; Osgood, Sarah Jane

2002-01-01

A turbine vane segment is provided that has inner and outer walls spaced from one another, a vane extending between the inner and outer walls and having leading and trailing edges and pressure and suction sides, the vane including discrete leading edge, intermediate, aft and trailing edge cavities between the leading and trailing edges and extending lengthwise of the vane for flowing a cooling medium; and an insert sleeve within at least one of the cavities and spaced from interior wall surfaces thereof. The insert sleeve has an inlet for flowing the cooling medium into the insert sleeve and has impingement holes defined in first and second walls thereof that respectively face the pressure and suction sides of the vane. The impingement holes of at least one of those first and second walls are defined along substantially only a first, upstream portion thereof, whereby the cooling flow is predominantly impingement cooling along a first region of the insert wall corresponding to the first, upstream portion and the cooling flow is predominantly convective cooling along a second region corresponding to a second, downstream portion of the at least one wall of the insert sleeve.

Peripherally inserted central catheters in the neonatal period.

PubMed

Uygun, Ibrahim; Okur, Mehmet Hanifi; Otcu, Selcuk; Ozturk, Hayrettin

2011-10-01

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) have been extensively used in neonates. However, insertion of these thinnest catheters is a very delicate procedure associated with a high failure rate. In our Neonatal Surgical Intensive Care Unit, we developed a very easy new PICC insertion and evaluated the neonates treated with PICCs which were inserted by using our technique as well as catheter features such as success rate, number of insertion attempts, reason for removal and complications. Information was retrospectively collected on all 40 PICCs inserted at Kutahya Evliya Celebi Goverment Hospital and Dicle University Hospital during a 6-years period from September 2004 to September 2010. A total of 40 PICCs were inserted in 37 patients (26, 70% males, 11, 30% females) by using new technique. The median age of patients was 8.3 days (range 1 to 66 days) and the median weight of patients was 2365 g (range 600 to 5000 g). The vein most commonly accessed was long saphenous vein (85%). The length of PICCs in the body was 19.6 cm (range 5 cm to 30 cm). The tip was located in a central vein in all patients. Surgical abdomen was the most common cause for PICC insertion (38%). Duration of catheterization was 7.7±5.6 days (1-F 5.5 days, 2-F 8.6 days). Almost all of the PICCs were inserted successfully (40/42, success rate 95%) and in the first venipucture (36/42, 86%). Completion of therapy and removed after death were achieved with 87% of PICCs. Three minor complications were noted. Minor bleeding in the insertion site which was stopped via compression occurred in two neonates. Major complication was not seen. No deaths were directly attributed to PICCs use. The new insertion technique of the neonatal peripherally inserted central catheters may be one of the easiest and safest techniques, in comparison to previous techniques reported in the literature.

Z-2 Threaded Insert Design and Testing Abstract

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, RIchard; Graziosi, Dave; Jones, Bobby; Ferl, Jinny; Scarborough, Steve; Sweeney, Mitch

2016-01-01

The Z-2 Prototype Planetary Extravehicular Space Suit Assembly is a continuation of NASA's Z series of spacesuits. The Z-2 is another step in the NASA's technology development roadmap leading to human exploration of the Martian surface. To meet a more challenging set of requirements than previous suit systems standard design features, such as threaded inserts, have been re-analyzed and improved. NASA's Z-2 prototype space suit contains several components fabricated from an advanced hybrid composite laminate consisting of IM10 carbon fiber and fiber glass. One requirement NASA levied on the suit composites was the ability to have removable, replaceable helicoil inserts to which other suit components would be fastened. An approach utilizing bonded in inserts with helicoils inside of them was implemented. The design of the interface flanges of the composites allowed some of the inserts to be a "T" style insert that was installed through the entire thickness of the laminate. The flange portion of the insert provides a mechanical lock as a redundancy to the adhesive aiding in the pullout load that the insert can withstand. In some locations it was not possible to utilize at "T" style insert and a blind insert was used instead. These inserts rely completely on the bond strength of the adhesive to resist pullout. It was determined during the design of the suit that the inserts did not need to withstand loads induced from pressure cycling but instead tension induced from torqueing the screws to bolt on hardware which creates a much higher stress on them. Bolt tension is determined by dividing the torque on the screw by a k value multiplied by the thread diameter of the bolt. The k value is a factor that accounts for friction in the system. A common value used for k for a non-lubricated screw is 0.2. The k value can go down by as much as 0.1 if the screw is lubricated which means for the same torque, a much larger tension could be placed on the bolt and insert. This paper

Design and evaluation of moxifloxacin hydrochloride ocular inserts.

PubMed

Pawar, Pravin K; Katara, Rajesh; Majumdar, Dipak K

2012-03-01

The objective of the present investigation was to prepare and evaluate ocular inserts of moxifloxacin. An ocular insert was made from an aqueous dispersion of moxifloxacin, sodium alginate, polyvinyl alcohol, and dibutyl phthalate by the film casting method. The ocular insert (5.5 mm diameter) was cross-linked by CaCl2 and was coated with Eudragit S-100, RL-100, RS-100, E-100 or L-100. The in vitro drug drainage/permeation studies were carried out using an all-glass modified Franz diffusion cell. The drug concentration and mucoadhesion time of the ocular insert were found satisfactory. Cross-linking and coating with polymers extended the drainage from inserts. The cross-linked ocular insert coated with Eudragit RL-100 showed maximum drug permeation compared to other formulations.

Gold grade variation and particle microchemistry in exploration pits of the Batouri gold district, SE Cameroon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vishiti, A.; Suh, C. E.; Lehmann, B.; Egbe, J. A.; Shemang, E. M.

2015-11-01

The Batouri area hosts lode-gold mineralization under several-m-thick lateritic cover. Pitting to bed rock on a geochemical Au anomaly defined from previous reconnaissance soil sampling identified five horizons ranging from saprock at the base to laterite at the top. Analysis of bulk samples from each horizon by fire assay shows that most of the horizons are barren although 119 ppb and 48 ppb Au values were obtained from one laterite horizon and one saprolite horizon, respectively, from two separate pits. All the horizons were panned and particulate gold was also recovered only from these two horizons. The gold grains from both horizons are morphologically and compositionally indistinguishable with rare quartz, pyrite and galena inclusions. The grains have irregular, sub-rounded, bean to elongated shapes and they show a remarkable core-rim zonation. Electron microprobe analysis of the grains recorded high gold content in the rims (86.3-100 wt%) and along fissures within the grains (95.1-100 wt%). The cores are relatively Ag rich (11.8-14 wt% Ag) while the rims (0.63-13.7 wt% Ag, most of the values fall within the lower limit of this range) and fissures (0.03-5.02 wt% Ag) are poor in Ag. The low Ag concentration in the rims and along fissures is attributed to preferential leaching of Ag; a process recognized in gold grains and platiniferous alloys from alluvia. The core composition of the grains is similar to that of primary gold composition in the bedrock. These results show that gold in the soil is relic particulate gold derived from the primary source with no evidence of secondary gold precipitation in the weathering cycle. In all the pits no horizon was systematically enriched in gold suggesting there has been no chemical remobilization of gold in this environment. Rather the dispersion of gold here is in the particulate form. Therefore combining particulate gold features with assay data is relevant to exploration in such tropical environments.

[Unilateral pleural effusion caused by vessel perforation due to peripherally inserted central catheter: Indocyanine green as a diagnostic tool].

PubMed

Álvarez-Baena, L; Duque, P; Ramos, R; Zarain Obrador, L; Fernández-Quero, L

2016-01-01

A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) was inserted into a 44-year-old man to provide parenteral nutrition in a protein-calorie malnutrition secondary to a benign pyloric stenosis. On the fifth day while monitoring the catheter, the patient presented with a massive whitish pleural effusion after undergoing gastric endoscopy in order to treat pyloric stenosis. Chylothorax was initially suspected, and the patient was admitted to a recovery unit. Indocyanine green was administered through the PICC, obtaining a greenish discoloration in the pleural effusion 30 min later. This led to the diagnosis of a pleural effusion caused by a vessel perforation due to the PICC, leading to parenteral nutrition extravasation. Thoraco-abdominal computed tomography was performed, which confirmed an innominate vein perforation due to the PICC. PICC insertion may be associated with severe complications, such as central vessel perforation, and therefore the correct position of a central catheter should be always checked. Intravenous computed tomography contrast is the gold standard for central vascular perforation diagnosis. However if a pleural effusion occurs in this context, it is possible to use a dye, which administered intravenously can lead us to the correct diagnosis in situ. Indocyanine green was used for this purpose in this case. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

SU-E-J-64: Feasibility Study of Surgical Clips for Fiducial Tracking in CyberKnife System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, H; Yoon, J; Lee, E

Purpose: To investigate the ability of CyberKnife to track surgical clips used as fiducial markers. Methods: The Octavius 1000SRS detector and solid water (RW3) slab phantom were used with motion platform to evaluate the study. The RW3 slab phantom was set up to measure the dose distribution from coronal plane. It consists of 9 plates and the thickness of each plate is 10mm. Among them, one plate was attached with 3 surgical clips, which are orthogonally positioned on outer region of array. The length of attached clip was represented as 1cm on planning CT. The clip plate was placed onmore » the 1000SRS detector and 3 slabs were stacked up on the plate to build the measuring depth. Below the detector, 5 slabs were set. The two-axis motion platform was programmed with 1D sinusoidal movement (20mm peak-to-peak, 3s period) toward superior/inferior and left/right directions to simulate target motion. During delivery, two clips were extracted by two X-ray imagers, which led to translational error correction only. Synchrony was also used for dynamic tracking. After the irradiation, the measured dose distribution of coronal plane was compared with the planar dose distribution calculated by the CyberKnife treatment planning system (Multiplan) for cross verification. The results were assessed by comparing the absolute Gamma (γ) index. Results: The dose distributions measured by the 1000SRS detector were in good agreements with those calculated by Multiplan. In the dosimetric comparison using γ-function criteria based on the distance-to-agreement of 3mm and the local dose difference of 3%, the passing rate with γ- parameter ≤1 was 91% in coronal plane. Conclusion: The surgical clips can be considered as new fiducials for robotic radiosurgery delivery by considering the target margin with less than 5mm.« less

Nozzle insert for mixed mode fuel injector

DOEpatents

Lawrence, Keith E [Peoria, IL

2006-11-21

A fuel injector includes a homogenous charge nozzle outlet set and a conventional nozzle outlet set controlled respectively, by first and second needle valve members. The homogeneous charged nozzle outlet set is defined by a nozzle insert that is attached to an injector body, which defines the conventional nozzle outlet set. The nozzle insert is a one piece metallic component with a large diameter segment separated from a small diameter segment by an annular engagement surface. One of the needle valve members is guided on an outer surface of the nozzle insert, and the nozzle insert has an interference fit attachment to the injector body.

Effect of vibration frequency on biopsy needle insertion force.

PubMed

Tan, Lei; Qin, Xuemei; Zhang, Qinhe; Zhang, Hongcai; Dong, Hongjian; Guo, Tuodang; Liu, Guowei

2017-05-01

Needle insertion is critical in many clinical medicine procedures, such as biopsy, brachytherapy, and injection therapy. A platform with two degrees of freedom was set up to study the effect of vibration frequency on needle insertion force. The gel phantom deformation at the needle cutting edge and the Voigt model are utilized to develop a dynamic model to explain the relationship between the insertion force and needle-tip velocity. The accuracy of this model was verified by performing needle insertions into phantom gel. The effect of vibration on insertion force can be explained as the vibration increasing the needle-tip velocity and subsequently increasing the insertion force. In a series of needle insertion experiments with different vibration frequencies, the peak forces were selected for comparison to explore the effect of vibration frequency on needle insertion force. The experimental results indicate that the insertion force at 500Hz increases up to 17.9% compared with the force at 50Hz. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal stability of supported gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turba, Timothy Fredrick

Nanoparticle gold is of interest for a wide array of applications including catalysis, gas sensing, and light absorption for color filters and optical switches. Many of these applications are dependent upon the particles having sizes <5nm. In this paper, the thermal stability of nanoparticle gold is evaluated. Unsupported gold nanoparticles can grow (and in some cases double their size) even at room temperature. An important approach to stabilizing gold nanoparticles is through an interaction with a suitable substrate support material. Semiconductor substrates such as GaN are important supports for gold nanoparticles for applications such as sensors, but GaN does not provide a significant stabilizing effect at high temperatures. This paper covers a number of different substrate materials and in particular shows that for some substrates, such as SiO2, gold nanoparticles can be stable at temperatures up to 500°C, which is significantly above the Tammann temperature for bulk gold (395°C). In this dissertation, gold nanoparticles are shown to have complete stability on aluminum-supported silica nanosprings at 550°C in air. This stability window is one of the highest reported for nanoparticle gold and potentially enables a number of applications for this highly active catalyst. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were performed before and after heating to 550°C to determine the nature of the interaction between gold and SiO2. A 1.2 eV drop in gold 4f binding energy after heating signified a shift to anionic gold particles (i.e., Au delta-) indicative of strong bonds to oxygen vacancies with neighboring Sidelta+ atoms. Heating in hydrogen at 550°C resulted in a binding energy decrease of 0.4 eV due to an increased fraction of particles with decreased coordination numbers (i.e., more atoms at edges and corners). Lastly, heating gold nanoparticles in an atmosphere of 10% relative humidity at 550°C resulted in apparent encapsulation of the gold.

Native gold in Hawaiian alkalic magma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sisson, T.W.

2003-01-01

Native gold found in fresh basanite glass from the early submarine phase of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, may be the first documented case of the transport of gold as a distinct precious metal phase in a mantle-derived magma. The gold-bearing glass is a grain in bedded volcanic glass sandstone (Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) sample S508-R3) collected by the submersible Shinkai 6500 at 3879 m depth off Kilauea's south flank. Extensive outcrops there expose debris-flow breccias and sandstones containing submarine-erupted alkalic rock fragments and glasses from early Kilauea. Precipitation of an immiscible gold liquid resulted from resorption of magmatic sulfides during crystallization-differentiation, with consequent liberation of sulfide-hosted gold. Elevated whole-rock gold concentrations (to 36 ppb) for fresh lavas and clasts from early Kilauea further show that some magmas erupted at the beginning stages of Hawaiian shield volcanoes were distinctly gold rich, most likely owing to limited residual sulfide in their mantle source. Alkalic magmas at other ocean islands may also be gold rich, and oceanic hot-spot provinces may contain underappreciated gold resources.

Computer-aided insertion of endosteal implants in the zygoma: a pilot study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkfellner, Wolfgang; Watzinger, Franz; Wanschitz, Felix; Ziya, F.; Kremser, J.; Potyka, A.; Mayr, R.; Huber, Klaus; Kainberger, F.; Ewers, Rolf; Bergmann, Helmar

2000-04-01

Endosteal implants facilitate obturator prosthesis fixation in tumor patients after maxillectomy. Previous clinical studies shown however, that survival of implants placed into available bone after maxillectomy is generally poor. Implants positioned optimally in residual zygomatic bone provide superior stability form a biomechanical point of view as well as improved survival. In a pilot study, we have assessed the precision of VISIT, a surgical navigation system developed for research purposes at our institution. VISIT is based on the AVW-library and a number of in-house developed algorithms for communication with an optical tracker and patient-to-CT-registration. The final platform independent application was assembled within 6 man-months using ANSI-C and Tcl/Tk. Five cadaver specimens underwent hemimaxillectomy. The cadaver head was matched to a preoperative high resolution CT by using implanted surgical microscrews as fiducial markers. The position of a surgical drill relative to the cadaver head was determined with an optical tracking system. Implants were placed into the zygomatic arch where maximum bone volume was available. The results were assessed using test for allocation accuracy and postoperative CT-scans of the cadaver specimens. The average allocation accuracy of landmarks on the bony skull was 0.6 +/- 0.3 mm determined with a 5 degree-of-freedom pointer probe. The allocation accuracy of the tip of the implant burr was 1.7 +/- 0.4 mm. The accuracy of the implant position compared to the planned position was 1.5 +/- 1.1 mm. 8 out of 10 implants were inserted with maximum contact to surrounding bone, two implants were located unfavorably. However, reliable placement of implants in this region is difficult to achieve. The techqni3u described in this paper may be very helpful in the management of patients after maxillary resection without sufficient retention for obturator prostheses.

Chest tube insertion

MedlinePlus

... leaks from inside the lung into the chest ( pneumothorax ) Fluid buildup in the chest (called a pleural ... on the reason a chest tube is inserted. Pneumothorax most often improves, but sometimes surgery is needed ...

Validation of deformable image registration algorithms on CT images of ex vivo porcine bladders with fiducial markers.

PubMed

Wognum, S; Heethuis, S E; Rosario, T; Hoogeman, M S; Bel, A

2014-07-01

The spatial accuracy of deformable image registration (DIR) is important in the implementation of image guided adaptive radiotherapy techniques for cancer in the pelvic region. Validation of algorithms is best performed on phantoms with fiducial markers undergoing controlled large deformations. Excised porcine bladders, exhibiting similar filling and voiding behavior as human bladders, provide such an environment. The aim of this study was to determine the spatial accuracy of different DIR algorithms on CT images of ex vivo porcine bladders with radiopaque fiducial markers applied to the outer surface, for a range of bladder volumes, using various accuracy metrics. Five excised porcine bladders with a grid of 30-40 radiopaque fiducial markers attached to the outer wall were suspended inside a water-filled phantom. The bladder was filled with a controlled amount of water with added contrast medium for a range of filling volumes (100-400 ml in steps of 50 ml) using a luer lock syringe, and CT scans were acquired at each filling volume. DIR was performed for each data set, with the 100 ml bladder as the reference image. Six intensity-based algorithms (optical flow or demons-based) implemented in theMATLAB platform DIRART, a b-spline algorithm implemented in the commercial software package VelocityAI, and a structure-based algorithm (Symmetric Thin Plate Spline Robust Point Matching) were validated, using adequate parameter settings according to values previously published. The resulting deformation vector field from each registration was applied to the contoured bladder structures and to the marker coordinates for spatial error calculation. The quality of the algorithms was assessed by comparing the different error metrics across the different algorithms, and by comparing the effect of deformation magnitude (bladder volume difference) per algorithm, using the Independent Samples Kruskal-Wallis test. The authors found good structure accuracy without dependency on

Validation of deformable image registration algorithms on CT images of ex vivo porcine bladders with fiducial markers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wognum, S., E-mail: s.wognum@gmail.com; Heethuis, S. E.; Bel, A.

2014-07-15

Purpose: The spatial accuracy of deformable image registration (DIR) is important in the implementation of image guided adaptive radiotherapy techniques for cancer in the pelvic region. Validation of algorithms is best performed on phantoms with fiducial markers undergoing controlled large deformations. Excised porcine bladders, exhibiting similar filling and voiding behavior as human bladders, provide such an environment. The aim of this study was to determine the spatial accuracy of different DIR algorithms on CT images ofex vivo porcine bladders with radiopaque fiducial markers applied to the outer surface, for a range of bladder volumes, using various accuracy metrics. Methods: Fivemore » excised porcine bladders with a grid of 30–40 radiopaque fiducial markers attached to the outer wall were suspended inside a water-filled phantom. The bladder was filled with a controlled amount of water with added contrast medium for a range of filling volumes (100–400 ml in steps of 50 ml) using a luer lock syringe, and CT scans were acquired at each filling volume. DIR was performed for each data set, with the 100 ml bladder as the reference image. Six intensity-based algorithms (optical flow or demons-based) implemented in theMATLAB platform DIRART, a b-spline algorithm implemented in the commercial software package VelocityAI, and a structure-based algorithm (Symmetric Thin Plate Spline Robust Point Matching) were validated, using adequate parameter settings according to values previously published. The resulting deformation vector field from each registration was applied to the contoured bladder structures and to the marker coordinates for spatial error calculation. The quality of the algorithms was assessed by comparing the different error metrics across the different algorithms, and by comparing the effect of deformation magnitude (bladder volume difference) per algorithm, using the Independent Samples Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The authors found good

Sensing Membrane Stresses by Protein Insertions

PubMed Central

Campelo, Felix; Kozlov, Michael M.

2014-01-01

Protein domains shallowly inserting into the membrane matrix are ubiquitous in peripheral membrane proteins involved in various processes of intracellular membrane shaping and remodeling. It has been suggested that these domains sense membrane curvature through their preferable binding to strongly curved membranes, the binding mechanism being mediated by lipid packing defects. Here we make an alternative statement that shallow protein insertions are universal sensors of the intra-membrane stresses existing in the region of the insertion embedding rather than sensors of the curvature per se. We substantiate this proposal computationally by considering different independent ways of the membrane stress generation among which some include changes of the membrane curvature whereas others do not alter the membrane shape. Our computations show that the membrane-binding coefficient of shallow protein insertions is determined by the resultant stress independently of the way this stress has been produced. By contrast, consideration of the correlation between the insertion binding and the membrane curvature demonstrates that the binding coefficient either increases or decreases with curvature depending on the factors leading to the curvature generation. To validate our computational model, we treat quantitatively the experimental results on membrane binding by ALPS1 and ALPS2 motifs of ArfGAP1. PMID:24722359

Distal Insertions of the Biceps Femoris

PubMed Central

Branch, Eric A.; Anz, Adam W.

2015-01-01

Background: Avulsion of the biceps femoris from the fibula and proximal tibia is encountered in clinical practice. While the anatomy of the primary posterolateral corner structures has been qualitatively and quantitatively described, a quantitative analysis regarding the insertions of the biceps femoris on the fibula and proximal tibia is lacking. Purpose: To quantitatively assess the insertions of the biceps femoris, fibular collateral ligament (FCL), and anterolateral ligament (ALL) on the fibula and proximal tibia as well as establish relationships among these structures and to pertinent surgical anatomy. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Dissections were performed on 12 nonpaired, fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens identifying the biceps femoris, FCL, and ALL, and their insertions on the proximal tibia and fibula. The footprint areas, orientations, and distances from relevant osseous landmarks were measured using a 3-dimensional coordinate measurement device. Results: Dissection produced 6 easily identifiable and reproducible anatomic footprints. Tibial footprints included the insertion of the ALL and an insertion of the biceps femoris (TBF). Fibular footprints included the insertion of the FCL, a distal insertion of the biceps femoris (DBF), a medial footprint of the biceps femoris (MBF), and a proximal footprint of the biceps femoris (PBF). The mean area of these footprints (95% CI) was as follows: ALL, 53.0 mm2 (38.4-67.6); TBF, 93.9 mm2 (72.0-115.8); FCL, 86.8 mm2 (72.3-101.2); DBF, 119 mm2 (91.1-146.9); MBF, 46.8 mm2 (29.0-64.5); and PBF, 215 mm2 (192.4-237.5). The mean distance (95% CI) from the Gerdy tubercle to the center of the ALL footprint was 24.3 mm (21.6-27.0) and to the center of the TBF was 22.5 mm (21.0-24.0). The center of the DBF was 8.68 mm (7.0-10.3) from the anterior border of the fibula, the center of the FCL was 14.6 mm (12.5-16.7) from the anterior border of the fibula and 20.7 mm (19.0-22.4) from the tip of the fibular

Turbine airfoil having near-wall cooling insert

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, Jr., Nicholas F.; Wiebe, David J.

A turbine airfoil is provided with at least one insert positioned in a cavity in an airfoil interior. The insert extends along a span-wise extent of the turbine airfoil and includes first and second opposite faces. A first near-wall cooling channel is defined between the first face and a pressure sidewall of an airfoil outer wall. A second near-wall cooling channel is defined between the second face and a suction sidewall of the airfoil outer wall. The insert is configured to occupy an inactive volume in the airfoil interior so as to displace a coolant flow in the cavity towardmore » the first and second near-wall cooling channels. A locating feature engages the insert with the outer wall for supporting the insert in position. The locating feature is configured to control flow of the coolant through the first or second near-wall cooling channel.« less

Landscape of Insertion Polymorphisms in the Human Genome

PubMed Central

Onozawa, Masahiro; Goldberg, Liat; Aplan, Peter D.

2015-01-01

Nucleotide substitutions, small (<50 bp) insertions or deletions (indels), and large (>50 bp) deletions are well-known causes of genetic variation within the human genome. We recently reported a previously unrecognized form of polymorphic insertions, termed templated sequence insertion polymorphism (TSIP), in which the inserted sequence was templated from a distant genomic region, and was inserted in the genome through reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate. TSIPs can be grouped into two classes based on nucleotide sequence features at the insertion junctions; class 1 TSIPs show target site duplication, polyadenylation, and preference for insertion at a 5′-TTTT/A-3′ sequence, suggesting a LINE-1 based insertion mechanism, whereas class 2 TSIPs show features consistent with repair of a DNA double strand break by nonhomologous end joining. To gain a more complete picture of TSIPs throughout the human population, we evaluated whole-genome sequence from 52 individuals, and identified 171 TSIPs. Most individuals had 25–30 TSIPs, and common (present in >20% of individuals) TSIPs were found in individuals throughout the world, whereas rare TSIPs tended to cluster in specific geographic regions. The number of rare TSIPs was greater than the number of common TSIPs, suggesting that TSIP generation is an ongoing process. Intriguingly, mitochondrial sequences were a frequent template for class 2 insertions, used more commonly than any nuclear chromosome. Similar to single nucleotide polymorphisms and indels, we suspect that these TSIPs may be important for the generation of human diversity and genetic diseases, and can be useful in tracking historical migration of populations. PMID:25745018

21 CFR 310.515 - Patient package inserts for estrogens.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Patient package inserts for estrogens. 310.515... package inserts for estrogens. (a) Requirement for a patient package insert. FDA concludes that the safe... patient package insert containing information concerning the drug's benefits and risks. An estrogen drug...

Cruciate retaining and cruciate substituting ultra-congruent insert

PubMed Central

Deledda, Davide; Rosso, Federica; Ratto, Nicola; Bruzzone, Matteo; Bonasia, Davide Edoardo; Rossi, Roberto

2016-01-01

The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) conservation and the polyethylene insert constraint in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are still debated. The PCL is one of the primary stabilizers of the joint, but cruciate retaining (CR) implants have the disadvantage of a difficult balancing of the PCL. Postero-stabilized (PS) implants were introduced to reduce this problem. However, also the PS implants have some disadvantages, due to the cam-mechanism, such as high risk of cam-mechanism polyethylene wear. To minimize the polyethylene wear of the cam-mechanism and the bone sacrifice due to the intercondylar box, different types of inserts were developed, trying to increase the implant conformity and to reduce stresses on the bone-implant interface. In this scenario ultra-congruent (UC) inserts were developed. Those inserts are characterized by a high anterior wall and a deep-dished plate. This conformation should guarantee a good stability without the posterior cam. Few studies on both kinematic and clinical outcomes of UC inserts are available. Clinical and radiological outcomes, as well as kinematic data are similar between UC mobile bearing (MB) and standard PS MB inserts at short to mid-term follow-up. In this manuscript biomechanics and clinical outcomes of UC inserts will be described, and they will be compared to standard PS or CR inserts. PMID:26855938

Fiducial and differential cross sections of Higgs boson production measured in the four-lepton decay channel in pp collisions at √{ s} = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; Abdel Khalek, S.; Abdinov, O.; Aben, R.; Abi, B.; Abolins, M.; Abouzeid, O. S.; Abramowicz, H.; Abreu, H.; Abreu, R.; Abulaiti, Y.; Acharya, B. S.; Adamczyk, L.; Adams, D. L.; Adelman, J.; Adomeit, S.; Adye, T.; Agatonovic-Jovin, T.; Aguilar-Saavedra, J. A.; Agustoni, M.; Ahlen, S. P.; Ahmadov, F.; Aielli, G.; Akerstedt, H.; Åkesson, T. P. A.; Akimoto, G.; Akimov, A. V.; Alberghi, G. L.; Albert, J.; Albrand, S.; Alconada Verzini, M. J.; Aleksa, M.; Aleksandrov, I. N.; Alexa, C.; Alexander, G.; Alexandre, G.; Alexopoulos, T.; Alhroob, M.; Alimonti, G.; Alio, L.; Alison, J.; Allbrooke, B. M. M.; Allison, L. J.; Allport, P. P.; Aloisio, A.; Alonso, A.; Alonso, F.; Alpigiani, C.; Altheimer, A.; Alvarez Gonzalez, B.; Alviggi, M. G.; Amako, K.; Amaral Coutinho, Y.; Amelung, C.; Amidei, D.; Amor Dos Santos, S. P.; Amorim, A.; Amoroso, S.; Amram, N.; Amundsen, G.; Anastopoulos, C.; Ancu, L. S.; Andari, N.; Andeen, T.; Anders, C. F.; Anders, G.; Anderson, K. J.; Andreazza, A.; Andrei, V.; Anduaga, X. S.; Angelidakis, S.; Angelozzi, I.; Anger, P.; Angerami, A.; Anghinolfi, F.; Anisenkov, A. V.; Anjos, N.; Annovi, A.; Antonaki, A.; Antonelli, M.; Antonov, A.; Antos, J.; Anulli, F.; Aoki, M.; Aperio Bella, L.; Apolle, R.; Arabidze, G.; Aracena, I.; Arai, Y.; Araque, J. P.; Arce, A. T. H.; Arguin, J.-F.; Argyropoulos, S.; Arik, M.; Armbruster, A. J.; Arnaez, O.; Arnal, V.; Arnold, H.; Arratia, M.; Arslan, O.; Artamonov, A.; Artoni, G.; Asai, S.; Asbah, N.; Ashkenazi, A.; Åsman, B.; Asquith, L.; Assamagan, K.; Astalos, R.; Atkinson, M.; Atlay, N. B.; Auerbach, B.; Augsten, K.; Aurousseau, M.; Avolio, G.; Azuelos, G.; Azuma, Y.; Baak, M. A.; Baas, A. E.; Bacci, C.; Bachacou, H.; Bachas, K.; Backes, M.; Backhaus, M.; Backus Mayes, J.; Badescu, E.; Bagiacchi, P.; Bagnaia, P.; Bai, Y.; Bain, T.; Baines, J. T.; Baker, O. K.; Balek, P.; Balli, F.; Banas, E.; Banerjee, Sw.; Bannoura, A. A. E.; Bansal, V.; Bansil, H. S.; Barak, L.; Baranov, S. P.; Barberio, E. L.; Barberis, D.; Barbero, M.; Barillari, T.; Barisonzi, M.; Barklow, T.; Barlow, N.; Barnett, B. M.; Barnett, R. M.; Barnovska, Z.; Baroncelli, A.; Barone, G.; Barr, A. J.; Barreiro, F.; Barreiro Guimarães da Costa, J.; Bartoldus, R.; Barton, A. E.; Bartos, P.; Bartsch, V.; Bassalat, A.; Basye, A.; Bates, R. L.; Batley, J. R.; Battaglia, M.; Battistin, M.; Bauer, F.; Bawa, H. S.; Beattie, M. D.; Beau, T.; Beauchemin, P. H.; Beccherle, R.; Bechtle, P.; Beck, H. P.; Becker, K.; Becker, S.; Beckingham, M.; Becot, C.; Beddall, A. J.; Beddall, A.; Bedikian, S.; Bednyakov, V. A.; Bee, C. P.; Beemster, L. J.; Beermann, T. A.; Begel, M.; Behr, K.; Belanger-Champagne, C.; Bell, P. J.; Bell, W. H.; Bella, G.; Bellagamba, L.; Bellerive, A.; Bellomo, M.; Belotskiy, K.; Beltramello, O.; Benary, O.; Benchekroun, D.; Bendtz, K.; Benekos, N.; Benhammou, Y.; Benhar Noccioli, E.; Benitez Garcia, J. A.; Benjamin, D. P.; Bensinger, J. R.; Benslama, K.; Bentvelsen, S.; Berge, D.; Bergeaas Kuutmann, E.; Berger, N.; Berghaus, F.; Beringer, J.; Bernard, C.; Bernat, P.; Bernius, C.; Bernlochner, F. U.; Berry, T.; Berta, P.; Bertella, C.; Bertoli, G.; Bertolucci, F.; Bertsche, C.; Bertsche, D.; Besana, M. I.; Besjes, G. J.; Bessidskaia, O.; Bessner, M.; Besson, N.; Betancourt, C.; Bethke, S.; Bhimji, W.; Bianchi, R. M.; Bianchini, L.; Bianco, M.; Biebel, O.; Bieniek, S. P.; Bierwagen, K.; Biesiada, J.; Biglietti, M.; Bilbao de Mendizabal, J.; Bilokon, H.; Bindi, M.; Binet, S.; Bingul, A.; Bini, C.; Black, C. W.; Black, J. E.; Black, K. M.; Blackburn, D.; Blair, R. E.; Blanchard, J.-B.; Blazek, T.; Bloch, I.; Blocker, C.; Blum, W.; Blumenschein, U.; Bobbink, G. J.; Bobrovnikov, V. S.; Bocchetta, S. S.; Bocci, A.; Bock, C.; Boddy, C. R.; Boehler, M.; Boek, T. T.; Bogaerts, J. A.; Bogdanchikov, A. G.; Bogouch, A.; Bohm, C.; Bohm, J.; Boisvert, V.; Bold, T.; Boldea, V.; Boldyrev, A. S.; Bomben, M.; Bona, M.; Boonekamp, M.; Borisov, A.; Borissov, G.; Borri, M.; Borroni, S.; Bortfeldt, J.; Bortolotto, V.; Bos, K.; Boscherini, D.; Bosman, M.; Boterenbrood, H.; Boudreau, J.; Bouffard, J.; Bouhova-Thacker, E. V.; Boumediene, D.; Bourdarios, C.; Bousson, N.; Boutouil, S.; Boveia, A.; Boyd, J.; Boyko, I. R.; Bozic, I.; Bracinik, J.; Brandt, A.; Brandt, G.; Brandt, O.; Bratzler, U.; Brau, B.; Brau, J. E.; Braun, H. M.; Brazzale, S. F.; Brelier, B.; Brendlinger, K.; Brennan, A. J.; Brenner, R.; Bressler, S.; Bristow, K.; Bristow, T. M.; Britton, D.; Brochu, F. M.; Brock, I.; Brock, R.; Bromberg, C.; Bronner, J.; Brooijmans, G.; Brooks, T.; Brooks, W. K.; Brosamer, J.; Brost, E.; Brown, J.; Bruckman de Renstrom, P. A.; Bruncko, D.; Bruneliere, R.; Brunet, S.; Bruni, A.; Bruni, G.; Bruschi, M.; Bryngemark, L.; Buanes, T.; Buat, Q.; Bucci, F.; Buchholz, P.; Buckingham, R. M.; Buckley, A. G.; Buda, S. I.; Budagov, I. A.; Buehrer, F.; Bugge, L.; Bugge, M. 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J.; Therhaag, J.; Theveneaux-Pelzer, T.; Thomas, J. P.; Thomas-Wilsker, J.; Thompson, E. N.; Thompson, P. D.; Thompson, P. D.; Thompson, R. J.; Thompson, A. S.; Thomsen, L. A.; Thomson, E.; Thomson, M.; Thong, W. M.; Thun, R. P.; Tian, F.; Tibbetts, M. J.; Tikhomirov, V. O.; Tikhonov, Yu. A.; Timoshenko, S.; Tiouchichine, E.; Tipton, P.; Tisserant, S.; Todorov, T.; Todorova-Nova, S.; Toggerson, B.; Tojo, J.; Tokár, S.; Tokushuku, K.; Tollefson, K.; Tolley, E.; Tomlinson, L.; Tomoto, M.; Tompkins, L.; Toms, K.; Topilin, N. D.; Torrence, E.; Torres, H.; Torró Pastor, E.; Toth, J.; Touchard, F.; Tovey, D. R.; Tran, H. L.; Trefzger, T.; Tremblet, L.; Tricoli, A.; Trigger, I. M.; Trincaz-Duvoid, S.; Tripiana, M. F.; Trischuk, W.; Trocmé, B.; Troncon, C.; Trottier-McDonald, M.; Trovatelli, M.; True, P.; Trzebinski, M.; Trzupek, A.; Tsarouchas, C.; Tseng, J. C.-L.; Tsiareshka, P. V.; Tsionou, D.; Tsipolitis, G.; Tsirintanis, N.; Tsiskaridze, S.; Tsiskaridze, V.; Tskhadadze, E. G.; Tsukerman, I. I.; Tsulaia, V.; Tsuno, S.; Tsybychev, D.; Tudorache, A.; Tudorache, V.; Tuna, A. N.; Tupputi, S. A.; Turchikhin, S.; Turecek, D.; Turk Cakir, I.; Turra, R.; Turvey, A. J.; Tuts, P. M.; Tykhonov, A.; Tylmad, M.; Tyndel, M.; Uchida, K.; Ueda, I.; Ueno, R.; Ughetto, M.; Ugland, M.; Uhlenbrock, M.; Ukegawa, F.; Unal, G.; Undrus, A.; Unel, G.; Ungaro, F. C.; Unno, Y.; Unverdorben, C.; Urbaniec, D.; Urquijo, P.; Usai, G.; Usanova, A.; Vacavant, L.; Vacek, V.; Vachon, B.; Valencic, N.; Valentinetti, S.; Valero, A.; Valery, L.; Valkar, S.; Valladolid Gallego, E.; Vallecorsa, S.; Valls Ferrer, J. A.; van den Wollenberg, W.; van der Deijl, P. C.; van der Geer, R.; van der Graaf, H.; van der Leeuw, R.; van der Ster, D.; van Eldik, N.; van Gemmeren, P.; van Nieuwkoop, J.; van Vulpen, I.; van Woerden, M. C.; Vanadia, M.; Vandelli, W.; Vanguri, R.; Vaniachine, A.; Vankov, P.; Vannucci, F.; Vardanyan, G.; Vari, R.; Varnes, E. W.; Varol, T.; Varouchas, D.; Vartapetian, A.; Varvell, K. E.; Vazeille, F.; Vazquez Schroeder, T.; Veatch, J.; Veloso, F.; Veneziano, S.; Ventura, A.; Ventura, D.; Venturi, M.; Venturi, N.; Venturini, A.; Vercesi, V.; Verducci, M.; Verkerke, W.; Vermeulen, J. C.; Vest, A.; Vetterli, M. C.; Viazlo, O.; Vichou, I.; Vickey, T.; Vickey Boeriu, O. E.; Viehhauser, G. H. A.; Viel, S.; Vigne, R.; Villa, M.; Villaplana Perez, M.; Vilucchi, E.; Vincter, M. G.; Vinogradov, V. B.; Virzi, J.; Vivarelli, I.; Vives Vaque, F.; Vlachos, S.; Vladoiu, D.; Vlasak, M.; Vogel, A.; Vogel, M.; Vokac, P.; Volpi, G.; Volpi, M.; von der Schmitt, H.; von Radziewski, H.; von Toerne, E.; Vorobel, V.; Vorobev, K.; Vos, M.; Voss, R.; Vossebeld, J. H.; Vranjes, N.; Vranjes Milosavljevic, M.; Vrba, V.; Vreeswijk, M.; Vu Anh, T.; Vuillermet, R.; Vukotic, I.; Vykydal, Z.; Wagner, P.; Wagner, W.; Wahlberg, H.; Wahrmund, S.; Wakabayashi, J.; Walder, J.; Walker, R.; Walkowiak, W.; Wall, R.; Waller, P.; Walsh, B.; Wang, C.; Wang, C.; Wang, F.; Wang, H.; Wang, H.; Wang, J.; Wang, J.; Wang, K.; Wang, R.; Wang, S. M.; Wang, T.; Wang, X.; Wanotayaroj, C.; Warburton, A.; Ward, C. P.; Wardrope, D. R.; Warsinsky, M.; Washbrook, A.; Wasicki, C.; Watkins, P. M.; Watson, A. T.; Watson, I. J.; Watson, M. F.; Watts, G.; Watts, S.; Waugh, B. M.; Webb, S.; Weber, M. S.; Weber, S. W.; Webster, J. S.; Weidberg, A. R.; Weigell, P.; Weinert, B.; Weingarten, J.; Weiser, C.; Weits, H.; Wells, P. S.; Wenaus, T.; Wendland, D.; Weng, Z.; Wengler, T.; Wenig, S.; Wermes, N.; Werner, M.; Werner, P.; Wessels, M.; Wetter, J.; Whalen, K.; White, A.; White, M. J.; White, R.; White, S.; Whiteson, D.; Wicke, D.; Wickens, F. J.; Wiedenmann, W.; Wielers, M.; Wienemann, P.; Wiglesworth, C.; Wiik-Fuchs, L. A. M.; Wijeratne, P. A.; Wildauer, A.; Wildt, M. A.; Wilkens, H. G.; Will, J. Z.; Williams, H. H.; Williams, S.; Willis, C.; Willocq, S.; Wilson, A.; Wilson, J. A.; Wingerter-Seez, I.; Winklmeier, F.; Winter, B. T.; Wittgen, M.; Wittig, T.; Wittkowski, J.; Wollstadt, S. J.; Wolter, M. W.; Wolters, H.; Wosiek, B. K.; Wotschack, J.; Woudstra, M. J.; Wozniak, K. W.; Wright, M.; Wu, M.; Wu, S. L.; Wu, X.; Wu, Y.; Wulf, E.; Wyatt, T. R.; Wynne, B. M.; Xella, S.; Xiao, M.; Xu, D.; Xu, L.; Yabsley, B.; Yacoob, S.; Yakabe, R.; Yamada, M.; Yamaguchi, H.; Yamaguchi, Y.; Yamamoto, A.; Yamamoto, K.; Yamamoto, S.; Yamamura, T.; Yamanaka, T.; Yamauchi, K.; Yamazaki, Y.; Yan, Z.; Yang, H.; Yang, H.; Yang, U. K.; Yang, Y.; Yanush, S.; Yao, L.; Yao, W.-M.; Yasu, Y.; Yatsenko, E.; Yau Wong, K. H.; Ye, J.; Ye, S.; Yeletskikh, I.; Yen, A. L.; Yildirim, E.; Yilmaz, M.; Yoosoofmiya, R.; Yorita, K.; Yoshida, R.; Yoshihara, K.; Young, C.; Young, C. J. S.; Youssef, S.; Yu, D. R.; Yu, J.; Yu, J. M.; Yu, J.; Yuan, L.; Yurkewicz, A.; Yusuff, I.; Zabinski, B.; Zaidan, R.; Zaitsev, A. M.; Zaman, A.; Zambito, S.; Zanello, L.; Zanzi, D.; Zeitnitz, C.; Zeman, M.; Zemla, A.; Zengel, K.; Zenin, O.; Ženiš, T.; Zerwas, D.; Zevi Della Porta, G.; Zhang, D.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, X.; Zhang, Z.; Zhao, Z.; Zhemchugov, A.; Zhong, J.; Zhou, B.; Zhou, L.; Zhou, N.; Zhu, C. G.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, J.; Zhu, Y.; Zhuang, X.; Zhukov, K.; Zibell, A.; Zieminska, D.; Zimine, N. I.; Zimmermann, C.; Zimmermann, R.; Zimmermann, S.; Zimmermann, S.; Zinonos, Z.; Ziolkowski, M.; Zobernig, G.; Zoccoli, A.; Zur Nedden, M.; Zurzolo, G.; Zutshi, V.; Zwalinski, L.; Atlas Collaboration

2014-11-01

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections of Higgs boson production in the H → ZZ* → 4 ℓ decay channel are presented. The cross sections are determined within a fiducial phase space and corrected for detection efficiency and resolution effects. They are based on 20.3 fb-1 of pp collision data, produced at √{ s} = 8 TeV centre-of-mass energy at the LHC and recorded by the ATLAS detector. The differential measurements are performed in bins of transverse momentum and rapidity of the four-lepton system, the invariant mass of the subleading lepton pair and the decay angle of the leading lepton pair with respect to the beam line in the four-lepton rest frame, as well as the number of jets and the transverse momentum of the leading jet. The measured cross sections are compared to selected theoretical calculations of the Standard Model expectations. No significant deviation from any of the tested predictions is found.

Rectal suppository: commonsense and mode of insertion.

PubMed

Abd-el-Maeboud, K H; el-Naggar, T; el-Hawi, E M; Mahmoud, S A; Abd-el-Hay, S

1991-09-28

Rectal suppository is a well-known form of medication and its use is increasing. The commonest shape is one with an apex (pointed end) tapering to a base (blunt end). Because of a general lack of information about mode of insertion, we asked 360 lay subjects (Egyptians and non-Egyptians) and 260 medical personnel (physicians, pharmacists, and nurses) by questionnaire which end they inserted foremost. Apart from 2 individuals, all subjects suggested insertion with the apex foremost. Commonsense was the most frequent basis for this practice (86.9% of lay subjects and 84.6% of medical personnel) followed by information from a relative, a friend, or medical personnel, or from study at medical school. Suppository insertion with the base or apex foremost was compared in 100 subjects (60 adults, 40 infants and children). Retention with the former method was more easily achieved in 98% of the cases, with no need to introduce a finger in the anal canal (1% vs 83%), and lower expulsion rate (0% vs 3%). The designer of the "torpedo-shaped" suppository suggested its insertion with apex foremost. Our data suggest that a suppository is better inserted with the base foremost. Reversed vermicular contractions or pressure gradient of the anal canal might press it inwards.

Detailed energy distributions in laser-produced plasmas of solid gold and foam gold planar targets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dong, Yunsong; Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084; Zhang, Lu

Foam gold was proposed to increase the laser to x-ray conversion efficiency due to its important applications. To understand the mechanism of x-ray enhancement, the detailed energy distributions and plasma profiles for laser-irradiated solid gold and foam gold targets were studied comparatively by hydrodynamic simulations using the code Multi-1D. It is confirmed that the radiation heat wave is subsonic for the normal solid gold target, while supersonic for the foam gold target. The shock wave, which is behind the supersonic radiation heat wave for the foam gold target, generates a plasma temperature gradient with high temperature near the shock wavemore » front to produce an additional net outward radiation for enhancement of the x-ray emission. Much larger inward plasma velocity is also driven by the shock wave as an initial plasma velocity for the laser deposition and electron thermal conduct zone, which decreases the expanding plasma kinetic energy loss and helps to increase the x-ray radiation.« less

41 CFR 101-45.002 - Gold.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2014-07-01 2012-07-01 true Gold. 101-45.002 Section... PERSONAL PROPERTY § 101-45.002 Gold. (a) Gold will be sold in accordance with this section and part 102-38 of the Federal Management Regulation. (b) Sales of gold shall be processed to— (1) Use the sealed bid...

41 CFR 101-45.002 - Gold.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Gold. 101-45.002 Section... PERSONAL PROPERTY § 101-45.002 Gold. (a) Gold will be sold in accordance with this section and part 102-38 of the Federal Management Regulation. (b) Sales of gold shall be processed to— (1) Use the sealed bid...

41 CFR 101-45.002 - Gold.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2011-07-01 2007-07-01 true Gold. 101-45.002 Section... PERSONAL PROPERTY § 101-45.002 Gold. (a) Gold will be sold in accordance with this section and part 102-38 of the Federal Management Regulation. (b) Sales of gold shall be processed to— (1) Use the sealed bid...

41 CFR 101-45.002 - Gold.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Gold. 101-45.002 Section... PERSONAL PROPERTY § 101-45.002 Gold. (a) Gold will be sold in accordance with this section and part 102-38 of the Federal Management Regulation. (b) Sales of gold shall be processed to— (1) Use the sealed bid...

41 CFR 101-45.002 - Gold.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Gold. 101-45.002 Section... PERSONAL PROPERTY § 101-45.002 Gold. (a) Gold will be sold in accordance with this section and part 102-38 of the Federal Management Regulation. (b) Sales of gold shall be processed to— (1) Use the sealed bid...

Operation Greenhouse. Scientific Director's report of atomic-weapon tests at Eniwetok, 1951. Annex 1. 11. Timing and firing and fiducial markers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grier, H.E.

1985-09-01

An automatic remote-control system armed and fired the bomb and sent out a sequence of time signals to experimental equipment on the atoll. A central station at Parry Island sent signals via submarine cables to a timer station on a shot island. The timer station controlled signals to the zero station and to experiments on the island, and through auxiliary stations, it also controlled signal distribution on adjacent islands. Light-sensitive triggering units for apparatus and for accurate standard zero-time reference were provided in the form of Blue Boxes, or fiducial markers.

Gold metal liquid-like droplets.

PubMed

Smirnov, Evgeny; Scanlon, Micheál D; Momotenko, Dmitry; Vrubel, Heron; Méndez, Manuel A; Brevet, Pierre-Francois; Girault, Hubert H

2014-09-23

Simple methods to self-assemble coatings and films encompassing nanoparticles are highly desirable in many practical scenarios, yet scarcely any examples of simple, robust approaches to coat macroscopic droplets with continuous, thick (multilayer), reflective and stable liquid nanoparticle films exist. Here, we introduce a facile and rapid one-step route to form films of reflective liquid-like gold that encase macroscopic droplets, and we denote these as gold metal liquid-like droplets (MeLLDs). The present approach takes advantage of the inherent self-assembly of gold nanoparticles at liquid-liquid interfaces and the increase in rates of nanoparticle aggregate trapping at the interface during emulsification. The ease of displacement of the stabilizing citrate ligands by appropriate redox active molecules that act as a lubricating molecular glue is key. Specifically, the heterogeneous interaction of citrate stabilized aqueous gold nanoparticles with the lipophilic electron donor tetrathiafulvalene under emulsified conditions produces gold MeLLDs. This methodology relies exclusively on electrochemical reactions, i.e., the oxidation of tetrathiafulvalene to its radical cation by the gold nanoparticle, and electrostatic interactions between the radical cation and nanoparticles. The gold MeLLDs are reversibly deformable upon compression and decompression and kinetically stable for extended periods of time in excess of a year.

Gold Coating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Epner Technology Inc. responded to a need from Goddard Space Flight Center for the ultimate in electroplated reflectivity needed for the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). Made of beryllium, the MOLA mirror was coated by Epner Technology Laser Gold process, specially improved for the project. Improved Laser Gold- coated reflectors have found use in an epitaxial reactor built for a large semiconductor manufacturer as well as the waveguide in Braun-Thermoscan tympanic thermometer and lasing cavities in various surgical instruments.

Biorecovery of gold

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eisler, R.

2003-01-01

Recovery of ionic and metallic gold (Au) from a wide variety of solutions by selected species of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, algae, and higher plants is documented. Gold accumulations were up to 7.0 g/kg dry weight (DW) in various species of bacteria, 25.0 g/kg DW in freshwater algae, 84.0 g/kg DW in peat, and 100.0 g/kg DW in dried fungus mixed with keratinous material. Mechanisms of accumulation include oxidation, dissolution, reduction, leaching, and sorption. Uptake patterns are significantly modified by the physicochemical milieu. Crab exoskeletons accumulate up to 4.9 g Au/kg DW; however, gold accumulations in various tissues of living teleosts, decapod crustaceans, and bivalve molluscs are negligible.

Mechanisms for sodium insertion in carbon materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, David Andrew

2000-12-01

This thesis details the mechanisms for sodium insertion into different carbons using both electrochemical and vapour techniques. Room temperature electrochemical measurements were completed to examine the insertion and removal of sodium from soft (graphitizable) and nanoporous hard (non-graphitizable) carbons prepared by the heat treatment of organic precursors to a range of temperatures. The mechanisms identified from these studies were further investigated through a series of in situ x-ray scattering studies on operating electrochemical cells. The results obtained were then compared with x-ray scattering measurements on carbons after exposure to sodium vapour at 890C. This work is primarily driven by the aluminium industry's need to understand how sodium insertion causes carbon cathode blocks in aluminium reduction cells to swell. The results obtained are also of relevance to the lithium-ion battery field as they help to verify mechanisms proposed in the literature for lithium insertion into carbon hosts. Some carbons were also identified that could accommodate large amounts of sodium, making them attractive candidates for anodes in rechargeable sodium ion batteries. For soft carbons, the results showed that both sodium and lithium insert between approximately parallel carbon layers along the sloping voltage region of the electrochemical curves, increasing the average interlayer spacing. The sodium and lithium capacities decreased with increasing carbon heat treatment temperature. For the soft carbons studied, the sodium capacity was found to be consistently lower than the lithium capacity, implying that some lithium-accessible sites were unavailable for sodium insertion. The electrochemical profiles for the hard carbons also contained capacity along a sloping voltage region and, as with the soft carbons, this was shown to result from the insertion of sodium and lithium between approximately parallel carbon layers. In contrast to the soft carbons, however, the

Development of PET/MRI with insertable PET for simultaneous PET and MR imaging of human brain.

PubMed

Jung, Jin Ho; Choi, Yong; Jung, Jiwoong; Kim, Sangsu; Lim, Hyun Keong; Im, Ki Chun; Oh, Chang Hyun; Park, Hyun-wook; Kim, Kyung Min; Kim, Jong Guk

2015-05-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a dual-modality positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with insertable PET for simultaneous PET and MR imaging of the human brain. The PET detector block was composed of a 4 × 4 matrix of detector modules, each consisting of a 4 × 4 array LYSO coupled to a 4 × 4 Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (GAPD) array. The PET insert consisted of 18 detector blocks, circularly mounted on a custom-made plastic base to form a ring with an inner diameter of 390 mm and axial length of 60 mm. The PET gantry was shielded with gold-plated conductive fabric tapes with a thickness of 0.1 mm. The charge signals of PET detector transferred via 4 m long flat cables were fed into the position decoder circuit. The flat cables were shielded with a mesh-type aluminum sheet with a thickness of 0.24 mm. The position decoder circuit and field programmable gate array-embedded DAQ modules were enclosed in an aluminum box with a thickness of 10 mm and located at the rear of the MR bore inside the MRI room. A 3-T human MRI system with a Larmor frequency of 123.7 MHz and inner bore diameter of 60 cm was used as the PET/MRI hybrid system. A custom-made radio frequency (RF) coil with an inner diameter of 25 cm was fabricated. The PET was positioned between gradient and the RF coils. PET performance was measured outside and inside the MRI scanner using echo planar imaging, spin echo, turbo spin echo, and gradient echo sequences. MRI performance was also evaluated with and without the PET insert. The stability of the newly developed PET insert was evaluated and simultaneous PET and MR images of a brain phantom were acquired. No significant degradation of the PET performance caused by MR was observed when the PET was operated using various MR imaging sequences. The signal-to-noise ratio of MR images was slightly degraded due to the PET insert installed inside the MR bore while the homogeneity was maintained. The change of gain of

Development of PET/MRI with insertable PET for simultaneous PET and MR imaging of human brain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jung, Jin Ho; Choi, Yong, E-mail: ychoi.image@gmail.com; Jung, Jiwoong

2015-05-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a dual-modality positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with insertable PET for simultaneous PET and MR imaging of the human brain. Methods: The PET detector block was composed of a 4 × 4 matrix of detector modules, each consisting of a 4 × 4 array LYSO coupled to a 4 × 4 Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (GAPD) array. The PET insert consisted of 18 detector blocks, circularly mounted on a custom-made plastic base to form a ring with an inner diameter of 390 mm and axial length of 60 mm. Themore » PET gantry was shielded with gold-plated conductive fabric tapes with a thickness of 0.1 mm. The charge signals of PET detector transferred via 4 m long flat cables were fed into the position decoder circuit. The flat cables were shielded with a mesh-type aluminum sheet with a thickness of 0.24 mm. The position decoder circuit and field programmable gate array-embedded DAQ modules were enclosed in an aluminum box with a thickness of 10 mm and located at the rear of the MR bore inside the MRI room. A 3-T human MRI system with a Larmor frequency of 123.7 MHz and inner bore diameter of 60 cm was used as the PET/MRI hybrid system. A custom-made radio frequency (RF) coil with an inner diameter of 25 cm was fabricated. The PET was positioned between gradient and the RF coils. PET performance was measured outside and inside the MRI scanner using echo planar imaging, spin echo, turbo spin echo, and gradient echo sequences. MRI performance was also evaluated with and without the PET insert. The stability of the newly developed PET insert was evaluated and simultaneous PET and MR images of a brain phantom were acquired. Results: No significant degradation of the PET performance caused by MR was observed when the PET was operated using various MR imaging sequences. The signal-to-noise ratio of MR images was slightly degraded due to the PET insert installed inside the MR bore while the homogeneity was

The IGY Gold History Preservation Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, B. J.; Cliver, E. W.; Gentile, L. C.; Sigsbee, K. M.; Doel, R. E.

2006-05-01

An important part of the 2007 International Year activities will be preserving the history and memory of IGY 1957. The "IGY Gold" History initiative has several goals: 1) identifying and recognizing planners of and participants in the first IGY, 2) preserving memoirs, articles, photographs, and all items of historical significance for the IGY, 3) making these items available to historians, researchers, etc., 4) serving as a contact service for these activities, 5) spreading awareness of the history of geophysics, and 6) planning special events and "reunions." The IGY "Gold" Club identifies participants from the first IGY (gold symbolizing the 50th anniversary). "Gold club" participants will be rewarded with a special "IGY Gold Anniversary" certificate of recognition and a special commemorative "IGY Gold" lapel pin. Many IGY participants from around the globe have received IGY Gold Club awards, and many have submitted valuable historical material about the IGY activities. This is a joint program of the IHY, eGY, IPY, IYPE and IUGG.

The Hatu gold anomaly, Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region, China - testing the hypothesis of aeolian transport of gold

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, D.B.; Theobald, P.K.; Shiquan, S.; Tianxiang, R.; Zhihui, H.

1993-01-01

In 1987, a cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration was initiated to evaluate the origin of the Hatu gold anomaly. The anomaly is located in the Hatu mining district in the northwest corner of Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China. The climate is semiarid to arid and wind erosion predominates. A regional soil survey of the Hatu district, based on samples collected on a 200 by 500 m grid and composited prior to chemical analysis to a density of one sample per square km, delineated a series of south-southeast-trending Au anomalies. Anomalous Au values range from 5 ppb to more than 700 ppb. The Hatu anomaly, the most prominent of these anomalies, is more than 30 km long and about 5 km wide. The mining town of Hatu and the economic gold deposits of Qiqu 1 and Qiqu 2 are at the northern end of this anomaly. The axis of the Hatu anomaly cuts across mapped structure and stratigraphy in the district, but is parallel to the prevailing wind direction. This observation led to the hypothesis that the Hatu anomaly is the result of acolian dispersion of gold from the vicinity of Qiqu 1 and Qiqu 2. The alternative interpretation, that the anomalies reflected additional primary gold occurrences, was not consistent with existing information on the known occurrences and the geology. The investigation led to the identification of three types of gold in heavy-mineral concentrates derived from stream sediments that were collected along the axis of the Hatu anomaly: (1) free gold, (2) gold in pyrite, and (3) gold included in quartz. Gold in quartz was only observed within 2 km of Qiqu 1. The size of the gold particles and the number of gold particles in these samples did not decrease with distance from Qiqu 1 as would be expected from aeolian or fluvial dispersion from a point source. Instead, both the size and amount of gold increased significantly at a distance of 3.5 km from Qiqu 1 and this

Recessed impingement insert metering plate for gas turbine nozzles

DOEpatents

Itzel, Gary Michael; Burdgick, Steven Sebastian

2002-01-01

An impingement insert sleeve is provided that is adapted to be disposed in a coolant cavity defined through a stator vane. The insert has a generally open inlet end and first and second diametrically opposed, perforated side walls. A metering plate having at least one opening defined therethrough for coolant flow is mounted to the side walls to generally transverse a longitudinal axis of the insert, and is disposed downstream from said inlet end. The metering plate improves flow distribution while reducing ballooning stresses within the insert and allowing for a more flexible insert attachment.

Strength of inserts in titanium alloy machining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozlov, V.; Huang, Z.; Zhang, J.

2016-04-01

In this paper, a stressed state of a non-worn cutting wedge in a machined titanium alloy (Ti6Al2Mo2Cr) is analyzed. The distribution of contact loads on the face of a cutting tool was obtained experimentally with the use of a ‘split cutting tool’. Calculation of internal stresses in the indexable insert made from cemented carbide (WC8Co) was carried out with the help of ANSYS 14.0 software. Investigations showed that a small thickness of the cutting insert leads to extremely high compressive stresses near the cutting edge, stresses that exceed the ultimate compressive strength of cemented carbide. The face and the base of the insert experience high tensile stresses, which approach the ultimate tensile strength of cemented carbide and increase a probability of cutting insert destruction. If the thickness of the cutting insert is bigger than 5 mm, compressive stresses near the cutting edge decrease, and tensile stresses on the face and base decrease to zero. The dependences of the greatest normal and tangential stresses on thickness of the cutting insert were found. Abbreviation and symbols: m/s - meter per second (cutting speed v); mm/r - millimeter per revolution (feed rate f); MPa - mega Pascal (dimension of specific contact loads and stresses); γ - rake angle of the cutting tool [°] α - clearance angle of the sharp cutting tool [°].

Effect of insertion torque on bone screw pullout strength.

PubMed

Lawson, K J; Brems, J

2001-05-01

The effect of insertion torque on the holding strength of 4.5-mm ASIF/AO cortical bone screws was studied in vitro. Screw holding strength was determined using an Instron materials testing machine (Bristol, United Kingdom) on 55 lamb femora and 30 human tibiocortical bone sections. Holding strength was defined as tensile stress at pullout with rapid loading to construct failure. Different insertion torques were tested, normalizing to the thickness of cortical bone specimen engaged. These represented low, intermediate, high, and thread-damaging insertion torque. All screws inserted with thread-damaging torque and single cortex engaging screws inserted to high torque tightening moments showed diminished holding strength. This loss of strength amounted to 40%-50% less than screws inserted with less torque.

The extractive metallurgy of gold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kongolo, K.; Mwema, M. D.

1998-12-01

Mössbauer spectroscopy has been successfully used in investigation of the gold compounds present in ores and the gold species which occur during the process metallurgy of this metal. This paper is a survey of the basic recovery methods and techniques used in extractive metallurgy of gold. Process fundamentals on mineral processing, ore leaching, zinc dust cementation, adsorption on activated carbon, electrowinning and refining are examined. The recovery of gold as a by-product of the copper industry is also described. Alternative processing methods are indicated in order to shed light on new interesting research topics where Mössbauer spectroscopy could be applied.

Intracochlear Pressure Transients During Cochlear Implant Electrode Insertion.

PubMed

Greene, Nathaniel T; Mattingly, Jameson K; Banakis Hartl, Renee M; Tollin, Daniel J; Cass, Stephen P

2016-12-01

Cochlear implant (CI) electrode insertion into the round window induces pressure transients in the cochlear fluid comparable to high-intensity sound transients. Many patients receiving a CI have some remaining functional hearing at low frequencies; thus, devices and surgical techniques have been developed to use this residual hearing. To maintain functional acoustic hearing, it is important to retain function of any hair cells and auditory nerve fibers innervating the basilar membrane; however, in a subset of patients, residual low-frequency hearing is lost after CI insertion. Here, we test the hypothesis that transient intracochlear pressure spikes are generated during CI electrode insertion, which could cause damage and compromise residual hearing. Human cadaveric temporal bones were prepared with an extended facial recess. Pressures in the scala vestibuli and tympani were measured with fiber-optic pressure sensors inserted into the cochlea near the oval and round windows, whereas CI electrodes (five styles from two manufacturers) were inserted into the cochlea via a round window approach. Pressures in the scala tympani tended to be larger in magnitude than pressures in the scala vestibuli, consistent with electrode insertion into the scala tympani. CI electrode insertion produced a range of pressure transients in the cochlea that could occur alone or as part of a train of spikes with equivalent peak sound pressure levels in excess of 170 dB sound pressure level. Instances of pressure transients varied with electrode styles. Results suggest electrode design, insertion mechanism, and surgical technique affect the magnitude and rate of intracochlear pressure transients during CI electrode insertion. Pressure transients showed intensities similar to those elicited by high-level sounds and thus could cause damage to the basilar membrane and/or hair cells.

Intracochlear pressure transients during cochlear implant electrode insertion

PubMed Central

Greene, Nathaniel T.; Mattingly, Jameson K.; Banakis Hartl, Renee M.; Tollin, Daniel J.; Cass, Stephen P.

2016-01-01

Hypothesis Cochlear implant (CI) electrode insertion into the round window induces pressure transients in the cochlear fluid comparable to high intensity sound transients. Background Many patients receiving a CI have some remaining functional hearing at low frequencies, thus devices and surgical techniques have been developed to utilize this residual hearing. To maintain functional acoustic hearing, it is important to retain function of any hair cells and auditory nerve fibers innervating the basilar membrane; however, in a subset of patients, residual low frequency hearing is lost following CI insertion. Here, we test the hypothesis that transient intracochlear pressure spikes are generated during CI electrode insertion, which could cause damage and compromise residual hearing. Methods Human cadaveric temporal bones were prepared with an extended facial recess. Pressures in the scala vestibuli (PSV) and tympani (PST) were measured with fiber-optic pressure sensors inserted into the cochlea near the oval and round windows while CI electrodes (five styles from two manufacturers) were inserted into the cochlea via a round window approach. Results PST tended to be larger in magnitude than PSV, consistent with electrode insertion into the scala tympani. CI electrode insertion produced a range of pressure transients in the cochlea that could occur alone or as part of a train of spikes with equivalent peak sound pressure levels in excess of 170dB SPL. Instances of pressure transients varied with electrode styles. Conclusions Results suggest electrode design, insertion mechanism, and surgical technique affect the magnitude and rate of intracochlear pressure transients during CI electrode insertion. Pressure transients showed intensities similar to those elicited by high level sounds and thus could cause damage to the basilar membrane and/or hair cells. PMID:27753703

Templated sequence insertion polymorphisms in the human genome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onozawa, Masahiro; Aplan, Peter

2016-11-01

Templated Sequence Insertion Polymorphism (TSIP) is a recently described form of polymorphism recognized in the human genome, in which a sequence that is templated from a distant genomic region is inserted into the genome, seemingly at random. TSIPs can be grouped into two classes based on nucleotide sequence features at the insertion junctions; Class 1 TSIPs show features of insertions that are mediated via the LINE-1 ORF2 protein, including 1) target-site duplication (TSD), 2) polyadenylation 10-30 nucleotides downstream of a “cryptic” polyadenylation signal, and 3) preference for insertion at a 5’-TTTT/A-3’ sequence. In contrast, class 2 TSIPs show features consistent with repair of a DNA double-strand break via insertion of a DNA “patch” that is derived from a distant genomic region. Survey of a large number of normal human volunteers demonstrates that most individuals have 25-30 TSIPs, and that these TSIPs track with specific geographic regions. Similar to other forms of human polymorphism, we suspect that these TSIPs may be important for the generation of human diversity and genetic diseases.

Insertion Loss of Personal Protective Clothing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shull D.J.; Biesel, V.B.; Cunefare, K.A.

1999-05-13

'The use of personal protective clothing that covers the head is a common practice in many industries. Such personal protective clothing will impact the sound pressure level and the frequency content of sounds to which the wearer will be exposed. The use of such clothing, then, may impact speech and alarm audibility. A measure of the impact of such clothing is its insertion loss. Insertion loss measurements were performed on four types of personal protective clothing in use by Westinghouse Savannah River Company personnel which utilize cloth and plastic hood configurations to protect the head. All clothing configurations tested atmore » least partially cover the ears. The measurements revealed that insertion loss of the items tested was notable at frequencies above 1000 Hz only and was a function of material stiffness and acoustic flanking paths to the ear. Further, an estimate of the clothing''s noise reduction rating reveals poor performance in that regard, even though the insertion loss of the test articles was significant at frequencies at and above 1000 Hz.'« less

Insertable fluid flow passage bridgepiece and method

DOEpatents

Jones, Daniel O.

2000-01-01

A fluid flow passage bridgepiece for insertion into an open-face fluid flow channel of a fluid flow plate is provided. The bridgepiece provides a sealed passage from a columnar fluid flow manifold to the flow channel, thereby preventing undesirable leakage into and out of the columnar fluid flow manifold. When deployed in the various fluid flow plates that are used in a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell, bridgepieces of this invention prevent mixing of reactant gases, leakage of coolant or humidification water, and occlusion of the fluid flow channel by gasket material. The invention also provides a fluid flow plate assembly including an insertable bridgepiece, a fluid flow plate adapted for use with an insertable bridgepiece, and a method of manufacturing a fluid flow plate with an insertable fluid flow passage bridgepiece.

Elliptically polarizing adjustable phase insertion device

DOEpatents

Carr, Roger

1995-01-01

An insertion device for extracting polarized electromagnetic energy from a beam of particles is disclosed. The insertion device includes four linear arrays of magnets which are aligned with the particle beam. The magnetic field strength to which the particles are subjected is adjusted by altering the relative alignment of the arrays in a direction parallel to that of the particle beam. Both the energy and polarization of the extracted energy may be varied by moving the relevant arrays parallel to the beam direction. The present invention requires a substantially simpler and more economical superstructure than insertion devices in which the magnetic field strength is altered by changing the gap between arrays of magnets.

Elliptically polarizing adjustable phase insertion device

DOEpatents

Carr, R.

1995-01-17

An insertion device for extracting polarized electromagnetic energy from a beam of particles is disclosed. The insertion device includes four linear arrays of magnets which are aligned with the particle beam. The magnetic field strength to which the particles are subjected is adjusted by altering the relative alignment of the arrays in a direction parallel to that of the particle beam. Both the energy and polarization of the extracted energy may be varied by moving the relevant arrays parallel to the beam direction. The present invention requires a substantially simpler and more economical superstructure than insertion devices in which the magnetic field strength is altered by changing the gap between arrays of magnets. 3 figures.

Histological Analysis of the Tibial Anterior Cruciate Ligament Insertion

PubMed Central

Siebold, Rainer; Oka, Shinya; Traut, Ulrike; Schuhmacher, Peter; Kirsch, Joachim

2017-01-01

Objective: To describe the morphology of the tibial ACL insertion by histological assessment in the sagittal plane. Methods: For histology the native (undissected) tibial ACL insertion of 6 fresh-frozen cadaveric knees was cut into 4 sagittal sections parallel to the long axis of the medial tibial spine. The slices were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Safranin O and Russell-Movat pentachrome. All slices were digitalized and analyzed at a magnification of ×20. Results: From medial to lateral the anterior-posterior lengths of the ACL insertion were an average of 10.2, 9.3, 7.6 and 5.8 mm. The anterior margin of the tibial ACL insertion raised from an anterior ridge. The most medial ACL fibers rose along with a peak of the anterior part of the medial tibial spine in which the direct insertion was adjacent to the articular cartilage. Parts of the bony insertions of the anterior and posterior horns of the lateral meniscus were in close contact to the lateral ACL insertion. A small fat pad was located just posterior to the tibial ACL insertion. There were no central or posterolateral inserting ACL fibers in the area intercondylaris anterior. Conclusion: The functional intraligamentous midsubstance ACL fibers arose from the most posterior part of its bony tibial insertion in a flat and “C-shape” way. The anterior border of this functional ACL started from a bony ‘anterior ridge’ and the medial border was along with a peak of the medial tibial spine.

The feasibility of polychromatic cone-beam x-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) imaging of gold nanoparticle-loaded objects: a Monte Carlo study.

PubMed

Jones, Bernard L; Cho, Sang Hyun

2011-06-21

A recent study investigated the feasibility to develop a bench-top x-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) system capable of determining the spatial distribution and concentration of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in vivo using a diagnostic energy range polychromatic (i.e. 110 kVp) pencil-beam source. In this follow-up study, we examined the feasibility of a polychromatic cone-beam implementation of XFCT by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations using the MCNP5 code. In the current MC model, cylindrical columns with various sizes (5-10 mm in diameter) containing water loaded with GNPs (0.1-2% gold by weight) were inserted into a 5 cm diameter cylindrical polymethyl methacrylate phantom. The phantom was then irradiated by a lead-filtered 110 kVp x-ray source, and the resulting gold fluorescence and Compton-scattered photons were collected by a series of energy-sensitive tallies after passing through lead parallel-hole collimators. A maximum-likelihood iterative reconstruction algorithm was implemented to reconstruct the image of GNP-loaded objects within the phantom. The effects of attenuation of both the primary beam through the phantom and the gold fluorescence photons en route to the detector were corrected during the image reconstruction. Accurate images of the GNP-containing phantom were successfully reconstructed for three different phantom configurations, with both spatial distribution and relative concentration of GNPs well identified. The pixel intensity of regions containing GNPs was linearly proportional to the gold concentration. The current MC study strongly suggests the possibility of developing a bench-top, polychromatic, cone-beam XFCT system for in vivo imaging.

Intravascular Placement of Metallic Coils as Lung Tumor Markers for CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiation Therapy.

PubMed

Karaman, Kutlay; Dokdok, A Murat; Karadeniz, Oktay; Ceylan, Cemile; Engin, Kayıhan

2015-01-01

To present our experience with placing endovascular coils in pulmonary arteries used as a fiducial marker for CyberKnife therapy and to describe the technical details and complications of the procedure. Between June 2005 and September 2013, 163 patients with primary or secondary lung malignancies, referred for fiducial placement for stereotactic radiosurgery, were retrospectively reviewed. Fourteen patients (9 men, 5 women; mean age, 70 years) with a history of pneumonectomy (n = 3), lobectomy (n = 3) or with severe cardiopulmonary co-morbidity (n = 8) underwent coil (fiducial marker) placement. Pushable or detachable platinum micro coils (n = 49) 2-3 mm in size were inserted through coaxial microcatheters into a small distal pulmonary artery in the vicinity of the tumor under biplane angiography/fluoroscopy guidance. Forty nine coils with a median number of 3 coils per tumor were placed with a mean tumor-coil distance of 2.7 cm. Forty three (87.7%) of 49 coils were successfully used as fiducial markers. Two coils could not be used due to a larger tumor-coil distance (> 50 mm). Four coils were in an acceptable position but their non-coiling shape precluded tumor tracking for CyberKnife treatment. No major complications needing further medication other than nominal therapy, hospitalization more than one night or permanent adverse sequale were observed. Endovascular placement of coil as a fiducial marker is safe and feasible during CyberKnife therapy, and might be an option for the patients in which percutaneous transthoracic fiducial placement might be risky.

Laparoscopic insertion of the Moss feeding tube.

PubMed

Albrink, M H; Hagan, K; Rosemurgy, A S

1993-12-01

Placement of enteral feeding tubes is an important part of a surgeon's skill base. Surgical insertion of feeding tubes has been performed safely for many years with very few modifications. With the recent surge in interest and applicability of other laparoscopic procedures, it is well within the skills of the average laparoscopic surgeon to insert feeding tubes. We describe herein a simple technique for the insertion of the Moss feeding tube. The procedure described has a minimum of invasion, along with simplicity, safety, and accuracy.

The Correlation between Insertion Depth of Prodisc-C Artificial Disc and Postoperative Kyphotic Deformity: Clinical Importance of Insertion Depth of Artificial Disc.

PubMed

Lee, Do-Youl; Kim, Se-Hoon; Suh, Jung-Keun; Cho, Tai-Hyoung; Chung, Yong-Gu

2012-09-01

This study was designed to investigate the correlation between insertion depth of artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity after Prodisc-C total disc replacement surgery, and the range of artificial disc insertion depth which is effective in preventing postoperative whole cervical or segmental kyphotic deformity. A retrospective radiological analysis was performed in 50 patients who had undergone single level total disc replacement surgery. Records were reviewed to obtain demographic data. Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were assessed to determine C2-7 Cobb's angle and segmental angle and to investigate postoperative kyphotic deformity. A formula was introduced to calculate insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc. Statistical analysis was performed to search the correlation between insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity, and to estimate insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc to prevent postoperative kyphotic deformity. In this study no significant statistical correlation was observed between insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity regarding C2-7 Cobb's angle. Statistical correlation between insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc and postoperative kyphotic deformity was observed regarding segmental angle (p<0.05). It failed to estimate proper insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc effective in preventing postoperative kyphotic deformity. Postoperative segmental kyphotic deformity is associated with insertion depth of Prodisc-C artificial disc. Anterior located artificial disc leads to lordotic segmental angle and posterior located artificial disc leads to kyphotic segmental angle postoperatively. But C2-7 Cobb's angle is not affected by artificial disc location after the surgery.

Cancer gene discovery: exploiting insertional mutagenesis

PubMed Central

Ranzani, Marco; Annunziato, Stefano; Adams, David J.; Montini, Eugenio

2013-01-01

Insertional mutagenesis has been utilized as a functional forward genetics screen for the identification of novel genes involved in the pathogenesis of human cancers. Different insertional mutagens have been successfully used to reveal new cancer genes. For example, retroviruses (RVs) are integrating viruses with the capacity to induce the deregulation of genes in the neighborhood of the insertion site. RVs have been employed for more than 30 years to identify cancer genes in the hematopoietic system and mammary gland. Similarly, another tool that has revolutionized cancer gene discovery is the cut-and-paste transposons. These DNA elements have been engineered to contain strong promoters and stop cassettes that may function to perturb gene expression upon integration proximal to genes. In addition, complex mouse models characterized by tissue-restricted activity of transposons have been developed to identify oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that control the development of a wide range of solid tumor types, extending beyond those tissues accessible using RV-based approaches. Most recently, lentiviral vectors (LVs) have appeared on the scene for use in cancer gene screens. LVs are replication defective integrating vectors that have the advantage of being able to infect non-dividing cells, in a wide range of cell types and tissues. In this review, we describe the various insertional mutagens focusing on their advantages/limitations and we discuss the new and promising tools that will improve the insertional mutagenesis screens of the future. PMID:23928056

Nature vs. nurture: gold perpetuates "stemness".

PubMed

Paul, Willi; Sharma, Chandra P; Deb, Kaushik Dilip

2011-01-01

Adult tissues contain quiescent reservoirs of multipotent somatic stem cells and pluripotent embryonic-like stem cells (ELSCs). Credited with regenerative properties gold is used across both -contemporary and -ancient medicines. Here, we show that gold exerted these effects by enhancing the pool of pluripotent ELSC while improving their stemness. We used hESCs as an in-vitro model to understand if gold could enhance self-renewal and pluripotency. Swarna-bhasma (SB), an ancient Indian gold microparticulate (41.1 nm), preparation, reduced spontaneous-differentiation, improved self-renewal, pluripotency and proliferation of hESCs. Colloidal gold-nanoparticles (GNP) (15.59 nm) were tested to confirm that the observations were attributable to nanoparticulate-gold. SB and GNP exposure: maintained -stemness, -karyotypic stability, enhanced pluripotency till day-12, increased average colony-sizes, and reduced the number of autonomously-derived differentiated FGFR1 positive fibroblast-niche-cells/colony. Particulate-gold induced upregulation of FGFR1 and IGF2 expression, and decrease in IGF1 secretion indicates IGF1/2 mediated support for enhanced pluripotency and self-renewal in hESCs.

Lichenoid dermatitis after consumption of gold-containing liquor.

PubMed

Russell, M A; Langley, M; Truett, A P; King, L E; Boyd, A S

1997-05-01

Medicinal gold has a well-known side effect profile that includes mucocutaneous eruptions. We describe three patients with a pruritic dermatitis that began after consumption of a gold-containing alcoholic beverage. Blood and urine gold levels, chemistry panels, hepatitis screens, skin biopsies, and patch tests were performed. The gold-containing liquor was analyzed for the presence and quantity of gold. The liquor consumed by all of the patients was a cinnamon schnapps with free-floating gold-colored flakes. Gold is present in the liquid portion of this liquor and in the solid flakes. Elevated levels of gold in the urine and blood were present in one patient 3 months after last drinking this beverage. Another patient had a positive patch test to gold sodium thiosulfate. All patients experienced improvement of their dermatitis after they stopped drinking the gold-containing liquor.

Z-2 Threaded Insert Design and Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Amy; Rhodes, Richard; Jones, Robert J.; Graziosi, David; Ferl, Jinny; Sweeny, Mitch; Scarborough, Stephen

2016-01-01

NASA's Z-2 prototype space suit contains several components fabricated from an advanced hybrid composite laminate consisting of IM10 carbon fiber and fiber glass. One requirement was to have removable, replaceable helicoil inserts to which other suit components would be fastened. An approach utilizing bonded in inserts with helicoils inside of them was implemented. During initial assembly, cracking sounds were heard followed by the lifting of one of the blind inserts out of its hole when the screws were torqued. A failure investigation was initiated to understand the mechanism of the failure. Ultimately, it was determined that the pre-tension caused by torqueing the fasteners is a much larger force than induced from the pressure loads of the suit which was not considered in the insert design. Bolt tension is determined by dividing the torque on the screw by a k value multiplied by the thread diameter of the bolt. The k value is a factor that accounts for friction in the system. A common value used for k for a non-lubricated screw is 0.2. The k value can go down by as much as 0.1 if the screw is lubricated which means for the same torque, a much larger tension could be placed on the bolt and insert. This paper summarizes the failure investigation that was performed to identify the root cause of the suit failure and details how the insert design was modified to resist a higher pull out tension.

Optimization of multi-image pose recovery of fluoroscope tracking (FTRAC) fiducial in an image-guided femoroplasty system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wen P.; Armand, Mehran; Otake, Yoshito; Taylor, Russell H.

2011-03-01

Percutaneous femoroplasty [1], or femoral bone augmentation, is a prospective alternative treatment for reducing the risk of fracture in patients with severe osteoporosis. We are developing a surgical robotics system that will assist orthopaedic surgeons in planning and performing a patient-specific, augmentation of the femur with bone cement. This collaborative project, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has been the topic of previous publications [2],[3] from our group. This paper presents modifications to the pose recovery of a fluoroscope tracking (FTRAC) fiducial during our process of 2D/3D registration of X-ray intraoperative images to preoperative CT data. We show improved automata of the initial pose estimation as well as lower projection errors with the advent of a multiimage pose optimization step.

Bulkhead insert for an internal combustion engine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maki, Clifford E.; Chottiner, Jeffrey Eliot; Williams, Rick L.

An engine includes a cylinder block defining at least one main bearing bulkhead adjacent to a cylinder, and a crankshaft rotatably housed within the block by a main bearing. A bulkhead insert has a cap portion, and an insert portion provided within the bulkhead. The insert portion has having first and second end regions connected by first and second straps. Each strap having a flanged beam cross section. The first and second ends of the insert portion are configured to connect a main bearing cap column to a cylinder head column. Each of the first and second end regions definemore » at least one protrusion having a surface substantially normal to engine combustion and reactive loads. The cap portion is configured to mate with the first end region at the main bearing cap column and support the main bearing.« less

Antibody-gold cluster conjugates

DOEpatents

Hainfeld, J.F.

1988-06-28

Antibody- or antibody fragment-gold cluster conjugates are shown wherein the conjugate size can be about 5.0 nm. Methods and reagents are disclosed in which antibodies or Fab' fragments thereof are covalently bound to a stable cluster of gold atoms. 2 figs.

Gold Nanoparticles Cytotoxicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mironava, Tatsiana

Over the last two decades gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been used for many scientific applications and have attracted attention due to the specific chemical, electronic and optical size dependent properties that make them very promising agents in many fields such as medicine, imagine techniques and electronics. More specifically, biocompatible gold nanoparticles have a huge potential for use as the contrast augmentation agent in X-ray Computed Tomography and Photo Acoustic Tomography for early tumor diagnostic as well these nanoparticles are extensively researched for enhancing the targeted cancer treatment effectiveness such as photo-thermal and radiotherapy. In most biomedical applications biocompatible gold nanoparticles are labeled with specific tumor or other pathology targeting antibodies and used for site specific drug delivery. However, even though gold nanoparticles poses very high level of anti cancer properties, the question of their cytotoxicity ones they are released in normal tissue has to be researched. Moreover, the huge amount of industrially produced gold nanoparticles raises the question of these particles being a health hazard, since the penetration is fairly easy for the "nano" size substances. This study focuses on the effect of AuNPs on a human skin tissue, since it is fall in both categories -- the side effects for biomedical applications and industrial workers and users' exposure during production and handling. Therefore, in the present project, gold nanoparticles stabilized with the biocompatible agent citric acid were generated and characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The cytotoxic effect of AuNPs release to healthy skin tissue was modeled on 3 different cell types: human keratinocytes, human dermal fibroblasts, and human adipose derived stromal (ADS) cells. The AuNPs localization inside the cell was found to be cell type dependent. Overall cytotoxicity was found to be dependent

Dating native gold by noble gas analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niedermann, S.; Eugster, O.; Hofmann, B.; Thalmann, CH.; Reimold, W. U.

1993-01-01

Our recent work on He, Ne, and Ar in Alpine gold samples has demonstrated that gold is extremely retentive for He and could thus, in principle, be used for U/Th-He-4 dating. For vein-type gold from Brusson, Northern Italy, we derived a U/Th-He-4 age of 36 Ma, in agreement with the K-Ar formation age of associated muscovites and biotites. However, in placer gold from the Napf area, Central Switzerland, we observed large excesses of both He-4 and radiogenic Ar-40 (Ar-40 sub rad, defined as Ar-40-295.5-Ar-.36). The gas release systematics indicate two distinct noble gas components, one of which is released below about 800 C and the other one at the melting point of gold (1064 C). We now present results of He and Xe measurements in a 1 g placer gold sample from the river Kruempelgraben, as well as He and Ar data for Brusson vein-type gold and for gold from the Lily Gold Mine, South Africa. We calculate reasonable U/Th-He-4 as well as U-Xe ages based on those gases which are released at approximately 800 C. Probably the low-temperature components represent in-situ-produced radiogenic He and fission Xe, whereas the gases evolving when gold melts have been trapped during gold formation. Therefore, only the low-temperature components are relevant for dating purposes.

Human Alu insertion polymorphisms in North African populations.

PubMed

Cherni, Loth; Frigi, Sabeh; Ennafaa, Hajer; Mtiraoui, Nabil; Mahjoub, Touhami; Benammar-Elgaaied, Amel

2011-10-01

Several features make Alu insertions a powerful tool used in population genetic studies: the polymorphic nature of many Alu insertions, the stability of an Alu insertion event and, furthermore, the ancestral state of an Alu insertion is known to be the absence of the Alu element at a particular locus and the presence of an Alu insertion at the site that forward mutational change. This study analyses seven Alu insertion polymorphisms in a sample of 297 individuals from the autochthonous population of Tunisia (Thala, Smar, Zarzis, and Bou Salem) and Libya with the aim of studying their genetic structure with respect to the populations of North Africa, Western, Eastern and Central Europe. The comparative analyses carried out using the MDS and AMOVA methods reveal the existence of spatial heterogeneity, and identify four population groups. Study populations (Libya, Smar, Zarzis, and Bou Salem) are closest to North African populations whereas Thala is isolated and is closest to Western European populations. In conclusion, Results of the present study support the important role that migratory movements have played in the North African gene pool, at least since the Neolithic period.

Redundant via insertion in self-aligned double patterning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Youngsoo; Jung, Jinwook; Shin, Youngsoo

2017-03-01

Redundant via (RV) insertion is employed to enhance via manufacturability, and has been extensively studied. Self-aligned double patterning (SADP) process, brings a new challenge to RV insertion since newly created cut for each RV insertion has to be taken care of. Specifically, when a cut for RV, which we simply call RV-cut, is formed, cut conflict may occur with nearby line-end cuts, which results in a decrease in RV candidates. We introduce cut merging to reduce the number of cut conflicts; merged cuts are processed with stitch using litho-etch-litho-etch (LELE) multi-patterning method. In this paper, we propose a new RV insertion method with cut merging in SADP for the first time. In our experiments, a simple RV insertion yields 55.3% vias to receives RVs; our proposed method that considers cut merging increases that number to 69.6% on average of test circuits.

Fungal Biorecovery of Gold From E-waste.

PubMed

Bindschedler, Saskia; Vu Bouquet, Thi Quynh Trang; Job, Daniel; Joseph, Edith; Junier, Pilar

2017-01-01

Waste electric and electronic devices (e-waste) represent a source of valuable raw materials of great interest, and in the case of metals, e-waste might become a prized alternative source. Regarding gold, natural ores are difficult to mine due to their refractory nature and the richest ores have almost all been exploited. Additionally, some gold mining areas are present in geopolitically unstable regions. Finally, the gold mining industry produces toxic compounds, such as cyanides. As a result, the gold present in e-waste represents a nonnegligible resource (urban mining). Extraction methods of gold from natural ores (pyro- and hydrometallurgy) have been adapted to this particular type of matrix. However, to propose novel approaches with a lower environmental footprint, biotechnological methods using microorganisms are being developed (biometallurgy). These processes use the extensive metabolic potential of microbes (algae, bacteria, and fungi) to mobilize and immobilize gold from urban and industrial sources. In this review, we focus on the use of fungi for gold biomining. Fungi interact with gold by mobilizing it through mechanical attack as well as through biochemical leaching by the production of cyanides. Moreover, fungi are also able to release Au through the degradation of cyanide from aurocyanide complexes. Finally, fungi immobilize gold through biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biomineralization, in particular, as gold nanoparticles. Overall, the diversity of mechanisms of gold recycling using fungi combined with their filamentous lifestyle, which allows them to thrive in heterogeneous and solid environments such as e-waste, makes fungi an important bioresource to be harnessed for the biorecovery of gold. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shoe inserts and orthotics for sport and physical activities.

PubMed

Nigg, B M; Nurse, M A; Stefanyshyn, D J

1999-07-01

The purposes of this paper were to discuss the perceived benefits of inserts and orthotics for sport activities and to propose a new concept for inserts and orthotics. There is evidence that inserts or orthotics reduce or prevent movement-related injuries. However, there is limited knowledge about the specific functioning an orthotic or insert provides. The same orthotic or insert is often proposed for different problems. Changes in skeletal movement due to inserts or orthotics seem to be small and not systematic. Based on the results of a study using bone pins, one may question the idea that a major function of orthotics or inserts consists in aligning the skeleton. Impact cushioning with shoe inserts or orthotics is typically below 10%. Such small reductions might not be important for injury reduction. It has been suggested that changes in material properties might produce adjustments in the muscular response of the locomotor system. The foot has various sensors to detect input signals with subject specific thresholds. Subjects with similar sensitivity threshold levels seem to respond in their movement pattern in a similar way. Comfort is an important variable. From a biomechanical point of view, comfort may be related to fit, additional stabilizing muscle work, fatigue, and damping of soft tissue vibrations. Based on the presented evidence, the concept of minimizing muscle work is proposed when using orthotics or inserts. A force signal acts as an input variable on the shoe. The shoe sole acts as a first filter, the insert or orthotic as a second filter, the plantar surface of the foot as a third filter for the force input signal. The filtered information is transferred to the central nervous system that provides a subject specific dynamic response. The subject performs the movement for the task at hand. For a given movement task, the skeleton has a preferred path. If an intervention supports/counteracts the preferred movement path, muscle activity can/must be

Fracture of Reduced-Diameter Zirconia Dental Implants Following Repeated Insertion.

PubMed

Karl, Matthias; Scherg, Stefan; Grobecker-Karl, Tanja

Achievement of high insertion torque values indicating good primary stability is a goal during dental implant placement. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether or not two-piece implants made from zirconia ceramic may be damaged as a result of torque application. A total of 10 two-piece zirconia implants were repeatedly inserted into polyurethane foam material with increasing density and decreasing osteotomy size. The insertion torque applied was measured, and implants were checked for fractures by applying the fluorescent penetrant method. Weibull probability of failure was calculated based on the recorded insertion torque values. Catastrophic failures could be seen in five of the implants from two different batches at insertion torques ranging from 46.0 to 70.5 Ncm, while the remaining implants (all belonging to one batch) survived. Weibull probability of failure seems to be low at the manufacturer-recommended maximum insertion torque of 35 Ncm. Chipping fractures at the thread tips as well as tool marks were the only otherwise observed irregularities. While high insertion torques may be desirable for immediate loading protocols, zirconia implants may fracture when manufacturer-recommended insertion torques are exceeded. Evaluating bone quality prior to implant insertion may be useful.

Histological analysis of the tibial anterior cruciate ligament insertion.

PubMed

Oka, Shinya; Schuhmacher, Peter; Brehmer, Axel; Traut, Ulrike; Kirsch, Joachim; Siebold, Rainer

2016-03-01

This study was performed to investigate the morphology of the tibial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) by histological assessment. The native (undissected) tibial ACL insertion of six fresh-frozen cadaveric knees was cut into four sagittal sections parallel to the long axis of the medial tibial spine. For histological evaluation, the slices were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, Safranin O and Russell-Movat pentachrome. All slices were digitalized and analysed at a magnification of 20×. The anterior tibial ACL insertion was bordered by a bony anterior ridge. The most medial ACL fibres inserted from the medial tibial spine and were adjacent to the articular cartilage of the medial tibial plateau. Parts of the bony insertions of the anterior and posterior horns of the lateral meniscus were in close contact with the lateral part of the tibial ACL insertion. A small fat pad was located just posterior to the functional ACL fibres. The anterior-posterior length of the medial ACL insertion was an average of 10.8 ± 1.1 mm compared with the lateral, which was only 6.2 ± 1.1 mm (p < 0.001). There were no central or posterolateral inserting ACL fibres. The shape of the bony tibial ACL insertion was 'duck-foot-like'. In contrast to previous findings, the functional mid-substance fibres arose from the most posterior part of the 'duck-foot' in a flat and 'c-shaped' way. The most anterior part of the tibial ACL insertion was bordered by a bony anterior ridge and the most medial by the medial tibial spine. No posterolateral fibres nor ACL bundles have been found histologically. This histological investigation may improve our understanding of the tibial ACL insertion and may provide important information for anatomical ACL reconstruction.

Immobilization of gold nanoparticles on cell culture surfaces for safe and enhanced gold nanoparticle-mediated laser transfection.

PubMed

Kalies, Stefan; Heinemann, Dag; Schomaker, Markus; Gentemann, Lara; Meyer, Heiko; Ripken, Tammo

2014-01-01

In comparison to standard transfection methods, gold nanoparticle-mediated laser transfection has proven to be a versatile alternative. This is based on its minor influence on cell viability and its high efficiency, especially for the delivery of small molecules like small interfering RNA. However, in order to transfer it to routine usage, a safety aspect is of major concern: The avoidance of nanoparticle uptake by the cells is desired. The immobilization of the gold nanoparticles on cell culture surfaces can address this issue. In this study, we achieved this by silanization of the appropriate surfaces and the binding of gold nanoparticles to them. Comparable perforation efficiencies to the previous approaches of gold nanoparticle-mediated laser transfection with free gold nanoparticles are demonstrated. The uptake of the immobilized particles by the cells is unlikely. Consequently, these investigations offer the possibility of bringing gold nanoparticle-mediated laser transfection closer to routine usage.

Effects of P Element Insertions on Quantitative Traits in Drosophila Melanogaster

PubMed Central

Mackay, TFC.; Lyman, R. F.; Jackson, M. S.

1992-01-01

P element mutagenesis was used to construct 94 third chromosome lines of Drosophila melanogaster which contained on average 3.1 stable P element inserts, in an inbred host strain background previously free of P elements. The homozygous and heterozygous effects of the inserts on viability and abdominal and sternopleural bristle number were ascertained by comparing the chromosome lines with inserts to insert-free control lines of the inbred host strain. P elements reduced average homozygous viability by 12.2% per insert and average heterozygous viability by 5.5% per insert, and induced recessive lethal mutations at a rate of 3.8% per insert. Mutational variation for the bristle traits averaged over both sexes was 0.03V(e) per homozygous P insert and 0.003V(e) per heterozygous P insert, where V(e) is the environmental variance. Mutational variation was greater for the sexes considered separately because inserts had large pleiotropic effects on sex dimorphism of bristle characters. The distributions of homozygous effects of inserts on the bristle traits were asymmetrical, with the largest effects in the direction of reducing bristle number; and highly leptokurtic, with most of the increase in variance contributed by a few lines with large effects. The inserts had partially recessive effects on the bristle traits. Insert lines with extreme bristle effects had on average greatly reduced viability. PMID:1311697

Informed peg-in-hole insertion using optical sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulos, Eric; Canny, John F.

1993-08-01

Peg-in-hole insertion is not only a longstanding problem in robotics but the most common automated mechanical assembly task. In this paper we present a high precision, self-calibrating peg-in-hole insertion strategy using several very simple, inexpensive, and accurate optical sensors. The self-calibrating feature allows us to achieve successful dead-reckoning insertions with tolerances of 25 microns without any accurate initial position information for the robot, pegs, or holes. The program we implemented works for any cylindrical peg, and the sensing steps do not depend on the peg diameter, which the program does not know. The key to the strategy is the use of a fixed sensor to localize both a mobile sensor and the peg, while the mobile sensor localizes the hole. Our strategy is extremely fast, localizing pegs as they are in route to their insertion location without pausing. The result is that insertion times are dominated by the transport time between pick and place operations.

Enhanced chemiluminescence-based detection on gold substrate after electrografting of diazonium precursor-coated gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Houmed Adabo, Ali; Zeggari, Rabah; Mohamed Saïd, Nasser; Bazzi, Rana; Elie-Caille, Céline; Marquette, Christophe; Martini, Matteo; Tillement, Olivier; Perriat, Pascal; Chaix, Carole; Boireau, Wilfrid; Roux, Stéphane

2016-04-01

Since it was demonstrated that nanostructured surfaces are more efficient for the detection based on the specific capture of analytes, there is a real need to develop strategies for grafting nanoparticles onto flat surfaces. Among the different routes for the functionalization of a surface, the reduction of diazonium salts appears very attractive for the covalent immobilization of nanoparticles because this method does not require a pre-treatment of the surface. For achieving this goal, gold nanoparticles coated by precursor of diazonium salts were synthesized by reduction of gold salt in presence of mercaptoaniline. These mercaptoaniline-coated gold nanoparticles (Au@MA) were successfully immobilized onto various conducting substrates (indium tin oxide (ITO), glassy carbon (GC) and gold electrodes with flat terraces) after addition of sodium nitrite at fixed potential. When applied onto the gold electrodes, such a grafting strategy led to an obvious enhancement of the luminescence of luminol used for the biodetection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sequential cooling insert for turbine stator vane

DOEpatents

Jones, Russell B.; Krueger, Judson J.; Plank, William L.

2014-04-01

A sequential impingement cooling insert for a turbine stator vane that forms a double impingement for the pressure and suction sides of the vane or a triple impingement. The insert is formed from a sheet metal formed in a zigzag shape that forms a series of alternating impingement cooling channels with return air channels, where pressure side and suction side impingement cooling plates are secured over the zigzag shaped main piece. Another embodiment includes the insert formed from one or two blocks of material in which the impingement channels and return air channels are machined into each block.

Sequential cooling insert for turbine stator vane

DOEpatents

Jones, Russel B; Krueger, Judson J; Plank, William L

2014-11-04

A sequential impingement cooling insert for a turbine stator vane that forms a double impingement for the pressure and suction sides of the vane or a triple impingement. The insert is formed from a sheet metal formed in a zigzag shape that forms a series of alternating impingement cooling channels with return air channels, where pressure side and suction side impingement cooling plates are secured over the zigzag shaped main piece. Another embodiment includes the insert formed from one or two blocks of material in which the impingement channels and return air channels are machined into each block.

Gold(I) Carbenoids: On‐Demand Access to Gold(I) Carbenes in Solution

PubMed Central

Sarria Toro, Juan M.; García‐Morales, Cristina; Raducan, Mihai; Smirnova, Ekaterina S.

2017-01-01

Abstract Chloromethylgold(I) complexes of phosphine, phosphite, and N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands are easily synthesized by reaction of trimethylsilyldiazomethane with the corresponding gold chloride precursors. Activation of these gold(I) carbenoids with a variety of chloride scavengers promotes reactivity typical of metallocarbenes in solution, namely homocoupling to ethylene, olefin cyclopropanation, and Buchner ring expansion of benzene. PMID:28090747

Synthesis of camptothecin-loaded gold nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Zhimin; Liu, Zhiguo; Zu, Yuangang; Fu, Yujie; Zhao, Chunjian; Zhao, Xiuhua; Meng, Ronghua; Tan, Shengnan

2010-04-01

Camptothecin-loaded gold nanomaterials have been synthesized by the sodium borohydride reduction method under a strong basic condition. The obtained gold nanomaterials have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The camptothecin-loaded gold colloidal solution was very stable and can be stored for more than two months at room temperature without obvious changes. The color of the colloidal solution can change from wine red to purple and blue during the acidifying process. It was revealed that the release of camptothecin and the aggregation of gold nanoparticles can be controlled by tuning the solution pH. The present study implied that the gold nanomaterials can be used as the potential carrier for CPT delivery.

Concentration of gold in natural waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

McHugh, J.B.

1988-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the amount of gold present in natural waters. One hundred and thirty-two natural water samples were collected from various sources and analyzed for gold by the latest techniques. Background values for gold in natural waters range from <0.001 to 0.005 ppb, and anomalous values range from 0.010 to 2.8 ppb. Waters collected from mineralized areas have a mean gold value of 0.101 ppb, whereas waters collected from unmineralized areas have a mean of 0.002 ppb. Some of the high gold values reported in the earlier literature were probably due to interferences by high salt content in the sample and/or lack of proper filter procedures. ?? 1988.

Gold and its relationship to neurological/glandular conditions.

PubMed

Richards, Douglas G; McMillin, David L; Mein, Eric A; Nelson, Carl D

2002-01-01

Despite increasing sales of gold supplements, and claims of benefits for neurological and glandular conditions, gold has received little attention in modern medical literature except as a drug for rheumatoid arthritis. Historically, however, gold had a reputation as a "nervine," a therapy for nervous disorders. A review of the historical literature shows gold in use during the 19th century for conditions including depression, epilepsy, migraine, and glandular problems such as amenorrhea and impotence. The most notable use of gold was in a treatment for alcoholism developed by Keeley (1897). In the modern medical literature, gold-containing medicines for rheumatoid arthritis are known to have occasional neurotoxic adverse effects. There are also a few studies suggesting a role for gold as a naturally occurring trace element in the reproductive glands. One small recent study demonstrated a possible positive effect of gold on cognitive ability. There is a need for more experimental and clinical research of the neuropharmacology and neurochemistry of gold, and for the exploration of gold's possible role as a trace element.

Gold - Old Drug with New Potentials.

PubMed

Faa, Gavino; Gerosa, Clara; Fanni, Daniela; Lachowicz, Joanna I; Nurchi, Valeria M

2018-01-01

Research into gold-based drugs for a range of human diseases has seen a revival in recent years. This article reviews the most important applications of gold products in different fields of human pathology. Au(I) and Au(III) compounds have been re-introduced in clinical practice for targeting the cellular components involved in the onset and progression of viral and parasitic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. After some brief historical notes, this article takes into account the applications of gold compounds against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and also in tuberculosis and in rheumatoid arthritis treatment. The use of gold containing drugs in the cure of cancer are then considered, with special emphasis to the use of nanoparticles and to the photo-thermal cancer therapy. The use of colloidal gold in diagnostics, introduced in the last decade is widely discussed. As a last point a survey on the adverse effects and on the toxicity of the various gold derivatives in use in medicine is presented. In this review, we described the surprisingly broad spectrum of possible uses of gold in diagnostics and in therapeutic approaches to multiple human diseases, ranging from degenerative to infectious diseases, and to cancer. In particular, gold nanoparticles appear as attractive elements in modern clinical medicine, combining high therapeutic properties, high selectivity in targeting cancer cells and low toxicity. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Shrink-Fit Solderable Inserts Seal Hermetically

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croucher, William C.

1992-01-01

Shrink-fit stainless-steel insert in aluminum equipment housing allows electrical connectors to be replaced by soldering, without degrading hermeticity of housing or connector. Welding could destroy electrostatic-sensitive components and harm housing and internal cables. Steel insert avoids problems because connector soldered directly to it rather than welded to housing. Seals between flange and housing, and between connector and flange resistant to leaks, even after mechanical overloading and thermal shocking.

Intrauterine device insertion in the postpartum period: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sonalkar, Sarita; Kapp, Nathalie

2015-02-01

Given new research on postpartum placement of levonorgestrel and copper intrauterine devices (IUDs), our objective was to update a prior systematic review of the safety and expulsion rates of postpartum IUDs. We searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL, LILACS, POPLINE, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases for articles between the database inception until July 2013. We included studies that compared IUD insertion time intervals and routes during the postpartum period. We used standard abstract forms and the United States Preventive Services Task Force grading system to summarise and assess the quality of the evidence. We included 18 articles. New evidence suggests that a levonorgestrel releasing-intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) insertion within 48 hours of delivery is safe. Postplacental insertion and insertion between 10 minutes and 48 hours after delivery result in higher expulsion rates than insertion 4 to 6 weeks postpartum, or non-postpartum insertion. Insertion at the time of caesarean section is associated with lower expulsion rates than postplacental insertion at the time of vaginal delivery. This review supports the evidence that insertion of an intrauterine contraceptive within the first 48 hours of vaginal or caesarean delivery is safe. Expulsion rates should be further studied in larger randomised controlled trials.

Identifying transposon insertions and their effects from RNA-sequencing data.

PubMed

de Ruiter, Julian R; Kas, Sjors M; Schut, Eva; Adams, David J; Koudijs, Marco J; Wessels, Lodewyk F A; Jonkers, Jos

2017-07-07

Insertional mutagenesis using engineered transposons is a potent forward genetic screening technique used to identify cancer genes in mouse model systems. In the analysis of these screens, transposon insertion sites are typically identified by targeted DNA-sequencing and subsequently assigned to predicted target genes using heuristics. As such, these approaches provide no direct evidence that insertions actually affect their predicted targets or how transcripts of these genes are affected. To address this, we developed IM-Fusion, an approach that identifies insertion sites from gene-transposon fusions in standard single- and paired-end RNA-sequencing data. We demonstrate IM-Fusion on two separate transposon screens of 123 mammary tumors and 20 B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias, respectively. We show that IM-Fusion accurately identifies transposon insertions and their true target genes. Furthermore, by combining the identified insertion sites with expression quantification, we show that we can determine the effect of a transposon insertion on its target gene(s) and prioritize insertions that have a significant effect on expression. We expect that IM-Fusion will significantly enhance the accuracy of cancer gene discovery in forward genetic screens and provide initial insight into the biological effects of insertions on candidate cancer genes. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Gas turbine nozzle vane insert and methods of installation

DOEpatents

Miller, William John; Predmore, Daniel Ross; Placko, James Michael

2002-01-01

A pair of hollow elongated insert bodies are disposed in one or more of the nozzle vane cavities of a nozzle stage of a gas turbine. Each insert body has an outer wall portion with apertures for impingement-cooling of nozzle wall portions in registration with the outer wall portion. The insert bodies are installed into the cavity separately and spreaders flex the bodies toward and to engage standoffs against wall portions of the nozzle whereby the designed impingement gap between the outer wall portions of the insert bodies and the nozzle wall portions is achieved. The spreaders are secured to the inner wall portions of the insert bodies and the bodies are secured to one another and to the nozzle vane by welding or brazing.

Time-elapsed screw insertion with microCT imaging.

PubMed

Ryan, M K; Mohtar, A A; Cleek, T M; Reynolds, K J

2016-01-25

Time-elapsed analysis of bone is an innovative technique that uses sequential image data to analyze bone mechanics under a given loading regime. This paper presents the development of a novel device capable of performing step-wise screw insertion into excised bone specimens, within the microCT environment, whilst simultaneously recording insertion torque, compression under the screw head and rotation angle. The system is computer controlled and screw insertion is performed in incremental steps of insertion torque. A series of screw insertion tests to failure were performed (n=21) to establish a relationship between the torque at head contact and stripping torque (R(2)=0.89). The test-device was then used to perform step-wise screw insertion, stopping at intervals of 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% between screw head contact and screw stripping. Image data-sets were acquired at each of these time-points as well as at head contact and post-failure. Examination of the image data revealed the trabecular deformation as a result of increased insertion torque was restricted to within 1mm of the outer diameter of the screw thread. Minimal deformation occurred prior to the step between the 80% time-point and post-failure. The device presented has allowed, for the first time, visualization of the micro-mechanical response in the peri-implant bone with increased tightening torque. Further testing on more samples is expected to increase our understanding of the effects of increased tightening torque at the micro-structural level, and the failure mechanisms of trabeculae. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gold ink coating of thermocouple sheaths

DOEpatents

Ruhl, H. Kenneth

1992-01-01

A method is provided for applying a gold ink coating to a thermocouple sheath which includes the steps of electropolishing and oxidizing the surface of the thermocouple sheath, then dipping the sheath into liquid gold ink, and finally heat curing the coating. The gold coating applied in this manner is highly reflective and does not degrade when used for an extended period of time in an environment having a temperature over 1000.degree. F. Depending on the application, a portion of the gold coating covering the tip of the thermocouple sheath is removed by abrasion.

Directed assembly of gold nanowires on silicon via reorganization and simultaneous fusion of randomly distributed gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Reinhardt, Hendrik M; Bücker, Kerstin; Hampp, Norbert A

2015-05-04

Laser-induced reorganization and simultaneous fusion of nanoparticles is introduced as a versatile concept for pattern formation on surfaces. The process takes advantage of a phenomenon called laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) which originates from periodically alternating photonic fringe patterns in the near-field of solids. Associated photonic fringe patterns are shown to reorganize randomly distributed gold nanoparticles on a silicon wafer into periodic gold nanostructures. Concomitant melting due to optical heating facilitates the formation of continuous structures such as periodic gold nanowire arrays. Generated patterns can be converted into secondary structures using directed assembly or self-organization. This includes for example the rotation of gold nanowire arrays by arbitrary angles or their fragmentation into arrays of aligned gold nanoparticles.

Diazonium-derived aryl films on gold nanoparticles: evidence for a carbon-gold covalent bond.

PubMed

Laurentius, Lars; Stoyanov, Stanislav R; Gusarov, Sergey; Kovalenko, Andriy; Du, Rongbing; Lopinski, Gregory P; McDermott, Mark T

2011-05-24

Tailoring the surface chemistry of metallic nanoparticles is generally a key step for their use in a wide range of applications. There are few examples of organic films covalently bound to metal nanoparticles. We demonstrate here that aryl films are formed on gold nanoparticles from the spontaneous reduction of diazonium salts. The structure and the bonding of the film is probed with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Extinction spectroscopy and SERS show that a nitrobenzene film forms on gold nanoparticles from the corresponding diazonium salt. Comparison of the SERS spectrum with spectra computed from density functional theory models reveals a band characteristic of a Au-C stretch. The observation of this stretch is direct evidence of a covalent bond. A similar band is observed in high-resolution electron energy loss spectra of nitrobenzene layers on planar gold. The bonding of these types of films through a covalent interaction on gold is consistent with their enhanced stability observed in other studies. These findings provide motivation for the use of diazonium-derived films on gold and other metals in applications where high stability and/or strong adsorbate-substrate coupling are required.

New insights into the extraction of invisible gold in a low-grade high-sulfur Carlin-type gold concentrate by bio-pretreatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Xiao-bin; Wen, Jian-kang; Huang, Song-tao; Yang, Hong-ying; Liu, Mei-lin; Wu, Biao

2017-10-01

To extract gold from a low-grade (13.43 g/t) and high-sulfur (39.94wt% sulfide sulfur) Carlin-type gold concentrate from the Nibao deposit, Guizhou, a bio-pretreatment followed by carbon-in-pulp (CIP) cyanide leaching process was used. Various methods were used to detect the low-grade gold in the concentrate; however, only time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) was successful. With bio-pretreatment, the gold recovery rate increased by approximately 70.16% compared with that obtained by direct cyanide leaching of the concentrate. Various attempts were made to increase the final gold recovery rate. However, approximately 20wt% of the gold was non-extractable. To determine the nature of this non-extractable gold, mineralogy liberation analysis (MLA), formation of secondary product during the bio-pretreatment, and the preg-robbing capacity of the carbonaceous matter in the ore were investigated. The results indicated that at least four factors affected the gold recovery rate: gold occurrence, tight junctions of gold-bearing pyrite with gangue minerals, jarosite coating of the ore, and the carbonaceous matter content.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Acyloxy Migration of Propargylic Esters in Cycloadditions, Inspiration from Recent “Gold Rush”

PubMed Central

Shu, Xing-Zhong; Shu, Dongxu; Schienebeck, Casi M.

2012-01-01

Transition metal-catalyzed acyloxy migration of propargylic esters offers versatile entries to allene and vinyl carbene intermediates for various fascinating subsequent transformations. Most π-acidic metals (e.g. gold and platinum) are capable of facilitating these acyloxy migration events. However, very few of these processes involve redox chemistry, which are well-known for most other transition metals such as rhodium. The coupling of acyloxy migration of propargylic esters with oxidative addition, migratory insertion, and reductive elimination may lead to ample new opportunities for the design of new reactions. This tutorial review summarizes recent developments in Rh-catalyzed 1,3- and 1,2-acyloxy migration of propargylic esters in a number of cycloaddition reactions. Related Au- and Pt-catalyzed cycloadditions involving acyloxy migration are also discussed. PMID:22895533

The gold rush 1925-35.

PubMed Central

Keers, R Y

1980-01-01

Although from the time of Koch onwards there had been desultory experiments with a variety of gold preparations in the management of pulmonary tuberculosis, gold as a recognised and accepted treatment did not emerge until 1925. In that year Holger Mollgaard of Copenhagen introduced sanocrysin, a double thiosulphate of gold and sodium, with which he had conducted an extensive series of animal experiments. The results of these were considered to justify its use in clinical practice and two physicians, Secher and Faber, undeterred by its toxicity, reported enthusiastically in its favour. Other Danish physicians followed but, alarmed by violent reactions, modified the dosage, an example followed by British workers. Encouraging results continued to be reported although each series contained a significant proportion of failures, and toxicity remained high. The first properly planned and fully controlled clinical trial took place in the United States and produced a report which was wholly adverse and which sounded the death knell of gold therapy throughout America. Until 1934-35 gold was used extensively in Europe but thereafter there was a sudden and largely universal cessation of interest and within a few years gold, introduced with such éclat and carrying so many high hopes, had vanished from the therapy of tuberculosis even though, at that point, no better alternative was available. PMID:6791290

Sensitive flotation-spectrophotometric determination of gold, based on the gold(I)-iodide-methylene blue system.

PubMed

Marczenko, Z; Jankowski, K

1985-04-01

The gold(I)-iodide-Methylene Blue (MB) system is suitable for flotation separation and spectrophotometric determination of gold. Under the optimum conditions [(MB(+))(AuI(2)(-))].3[(MB(+))(I(3)(-))] is formed, and floated with cyclohexane. The product is dissolved in methanol and its absorbance measured. The molar absorptivity is 3.4 x 10(5)1.mole(-1).cm(-1) at 655 nm. The proposed method is more than three times as sensitive as the Rhodamine B method. Pt, Pd, Ag and Hg interfere seriously, and Ir, Rh, Bi and Cd to a smaller extent. Preliminary separation of gold by precipitation with tellurium as a collector is recommended. The method has been applied to determination of gold traces (about 1 x 10(-4)%) in a copper sample.

Measurements of fiducial cross-sections for $$t\\bar{t}$$ production with one or two additional b-jets in pp collisions at $$\\sqrt{s}$$ =8 TeV using the ATLAS detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aad, G.; Aad, G.; Abbott, B.

2016-01-07

Fiducial cross-sections formore » $$t\\bar{t}$$ production with one or two additional b-jets are reported, using an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb -1 of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider, collected with the ATLAS detector.« less

Bats, cyanide, and gold mining

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Donald R.

1991-01-01

Although the boom days of prospectors and gold nuggets are long gone, modern technology enables gold to continue to be extracted from ore. Unfortunately, the extraction method has often been disastrous for bats and other wildlife, an issue I first became aware of in early 1989. Phone calls from Drs. Merlin Tuttle and Elizabeth Pierson, a BCI member and bat researcher from Berkeley, California, alerted me that bats were dying from apparent cyanide poisoning at gold mines in the western United States.

Precipitation of lamellar gold nanocrystals in molten polymers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palomba, M.; Carotenuto, G., E-mail: giancaro@unina.it

Non-aggregated lamellar gold crystals with regular shape (triangles, squares, pentagons, etc.) have been produced by thermal decomposition of gold chloride (AuCl) molecules in molten amorphous polymers (polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate)). Such covalent inorganic gold salt is high soluble into non-polar polymers and it thermally decomposes at temperatures compatible with the polymer thermal stability, producing gold atoms and chlorine radicals. At the end of the gold precipitation process, the polymer matrix resulted chemically modified because of the partial cross-linking process due to the gold atom formation reaction.

A method for improving the accuracy of stereotaxic procedures in monkeys using implanted fiducial markers in CT scans that also serve as anchor points in a stereotaxic frame.

PubMed

Risher, D W; Zhang, X; Kostarczyk, E; Gokin, A P; Honda, C N; Giesler, G J

1997-04-25

We developed a relatively inexpensive method for stereotaxic placement of electrodes or needles in the brains of monkeys. Steel balls were affixed to the skulls of monkeys. These balls served as fiducial markers and were also used as points at which the monkey's skull was held in a modified stereotaxic apparatus. Computed tomography (CT) was used to establish the location of an injection target with respect to the fiducial markers. A computer program related the CT coordinates to stereotaxic coordinates. These were used to direct an electrode marker toward a target in the hypothalamus. With the marker left in place, the monkey was removed from the stereotaxic frame and a second CT scan was performed. Corrections for errors in marker placement were made and retrograde tracers were injected. This procedure was found to be more accurate and reliable than conventional stereotaxic procedures. The accuracy and repeatability of the technique were also established using a phantom model of a monkey's skull. Two important advantages of this method are that animals can be repeatedly placed into the stereotaxic frame in precisely the same position and that there are many opportunities during the procedure to check for and correct errors.

Cholesterol blocks spontaneous insertion of membrane proteins into liposomes of phosphatidylcholine.

PubMed

Nakamura, Shota; Suzuki, Sonomi; Saito, Hiroaki; Nishiyama, Ken-Ichi

2018-04-01

Spontaneous insertion of membrane proteins into liposomes formed from Escherichia coli polar phospholipids is blocked by diacylglycerol (DAG) at a physiological level. We found that cholesterol also blocks this spontaneous insertion, although a much larger amount is necessary for sufficient blockage. Reversely, sphingomyelin enhanced the spontaneous insertion. DAG at a physiological level was found not to block spontaneous insertion into liposomes formed from phosphatidylcholine (PC), while non-physiologically high concentrations of DAG reduced it. On the other hand, cholesterol blocked the spontaneous insertion into PC liposomes at a physiological level, explaining that both PC and cholesterol are absent in E. coli. While sphingomyelin did not enhance spontaneous insertion into PC liposomes, the effect of cholesterol on blockage of spontaneous insertion was dominant over that of sphingomyelin, suggesting that cholesterol functions as a blocker of disordered spontaneous insertion in eukaryotic cells. Lower amount of cholesterol was necessary to block spontaneous insertion into ER-mimic liposomes, explaining that ER membranes contain less amount of cholesterol. These results also explain that cholesterol, but not DAG, is involved in blockage of spontaneous insertion in eukaryotic cells, since DAG plays an important role as a second messenger in signal transduction.

Establishment of gold-quartz standard GQS-1

USGS Publications Warehouse

Millard, Hugh T.; Marinenko, John; McLane, John E.

1969-01-01

A homogeneous gold-quartz standard, GQS-1, was prepared from a heterogeneous gold-bearing quartz by chemical treatment. The concentration of gold in GQS-1 was determined by both instrumental neutron activation analysis and radioisotope dilution analysis to be 2.61?0.10 parts per million. Analysis of 10 samples of the standard by both instrumental neutron activation analysis and radioisotope dilution analysis failed to reveal heterogeneity within the standard. The precision of the analytical methods, expressed as standard error, was approximately 0.1 part per million. The analytical data were also used to estimate the average size of gold particles. The chemical treatment apparently reduced the average diameter of the gold particles by at least an order of magnitude and increased the concentration of gold grains by a factor of at least 4,000.

Methanol Formation via Oxygen Insertion Chemistry in Ices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergner, Jennifer B.; Öberg, Karin I.; Rajappan, Mahesh

2017-08-01

We present experimental constraints on the insertion of oxygen atoms into methane to form methanol in astrophysical ice analogs. In gas-phase and theoretical studies this process has previously been demonstrated to have a very low or nonexistent energy barrier, but the energetics and mechanisms have not yet been characterized in the solid state. We use a deuterium UV lamp filtered by a sapphire window to selectively dissociate O2 within a mixture of O2:CH4 and observe efficient production of CH3OH via O(1D) insertion. CH3OH growth curves are fit with a kinetic model, and we observe no temperature dependence of the reaction rate constant at temperatures below the oxygen desorption temperature of 25 K. Through an analysis of side products we determine the branching ratio of ice-phase oxygen insertion into CH4: ˜65% of insertions lead to CH3OH, with the remainder leading instead to H2CO formation. There is no evidence for CH3 or OH radical formation, indicating that the fragmentation is not an important channel and that insertions typically lead to increased chemical complexity. CH3OH formation from O2 and CH4 diluted in a CO-dominated ice similarly shows no temperature dependence, consistent with expectations that insertion proceeds with a small or nonexistent barrier. Oxygen insertion chemistry in ices should therefore be efficient under low-temperature ISM-like conditions and could provide an important channel to complex organic molecule formation on grain surfaces in cold interstellar regions such as cloud cores and protoplanetary disk midplanes.

Frameless stereotaxy using bone fiducial markers for deep brain stimulation.

PubMed

Holloway, Kathryn L; Gaede, Steven E; Starr, Philip A; Rosenow, Joshua M; Ramakrishnan, Viswanathan; Henderson, Jaimie M

2005-09-01

Functional neurosurgical interventions such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) are traditionally performed with the aid of a stereotactic frame. Although frameless techniques have been perceived as less accurate, data from a recent phantom study of a modified frameless approach demonstrated a laboratory accuracy exceeding that obtained using a common frame system. The present study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of a frameless system in routine clinical use. Deep brain stimulation leads were implanted in 38 patients by using a skull-mounted trajectory guide and an image-guided workstation. Registration was accomplished with bone fiducial markers. Final lead positions were measured on postoperative computerized tomography scans and compared with the planned lead positions. The accuracy of the Leksell frame within the clinical situation has been reported on in a recent study; these raw data served as a comparison data set. The difference between expected and actual lead locations in the x plane was 1.4 mm in the frame-based procedure and 1.6 mm in the frameless procedure. Similarly, the difference in the y plane was 1.6 mm in the frame-based system and 1.3 mm in the frameless one. The error was greatest in the z plane, that is, 1.7 mm in the frame-based method and 2 mm in the frameless system. Multivariate analysis of variance demonstrated no statistically significant difference in the accuracy of the two methods. The accuracy of the frame-based and frameless systems was not statistically significantly different (p = 0.22). Note, however, that frameless techniques offer advantages in patient comfort, separation of imaging from surgery, and decreased operating time.

Gel Electrophoresis of Gold-DNA Nanoconjugates

DOE PAGES

Pellegrino, T.; Sperling, R. A.; Alivisatos, A. P.; ...

2007-01-01

Gold-DNA conjugates were investigated in detail by a comprehensive gel electrophoresis study based on 1200 gels. A controlled number of single-stranded DNA of different length was attached specifically via thiol-Au bonds to phosphine-stabilized colloidal gold nanoparticles. Alternatively, the surface of the gold particles was saturated with single stranded DNA of different length either specifically via thiol-Au bonds or by nonspecific adsorption. From the experimentally determined electrophoretic mobilities, estimates for the effective diameters of the gold-DNA conjugates were derived by applying two different data treatment approaches. The first method is based on making a calibration curve for the relation between effectivemore » diameters and mobilities with gold nanoparticles of known diameter. The second method is based on Ferguson analysis which uses gold nanoparticles of known diameter as reference database. Our study shows that effective diameters derived from gel electrophoresis measurements are affected with a high error bar as the determined values strongly depend on the method of evaluation, though relative changes in size upon binding of molecules can be detected with high precision. Furthermore, in this study, the specific attachment of DNA via gold-thiol bonds to Au nanoparticles is compared to nonspecific adsorption of DNA. Also, the maximum number of DNA molecules that can be bound per particle was determined.« less

Plastic deformation in nanoscale gold single crystals and open-celled nanoporous gold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Dongyun; Wei, Xiaoding; Zhao, Manhong; Chen, Xi; Jun, Seong C.; Hone, James; Kysar, Jeffrey W.

2007-01-01

The results of two sets of experiments to measure the elastic-plastic behaviour of gold at the nanometre length scale are reported. One set of experiments was on free-standing nanoscale single crystals of gold, and the other was on free-standing nanoscale specimens of open-celled nanoporous gold. Both types of specimens were fabricated from commercially available leaf which was either pure Au or a Au/Ag alloy following by dealloying of the Ag. Mechanical testing specimens of a 'dog-bone' shape were fabricated from the leaf using standard lithographic procedures after the leaf had been glued onto a silicon wafer. The thickness of the gauge portion of the specimens was about 100 nm, the width between 250 nm and 300 nm and the length 7 µm. The specimens were mechanically loaded with a nanoindenter (MTS) at the approximate midpoint of the gauge length. The resulting force-displacement curve of the single crystal gold was serrated and it was evident that slip localization occurred on individual slip systems; however, the early stages of the plastic deformation occurred in a non-localized manner. The results of detailed finite element analyses of the specimen suggest that the critical resolved shear stress of the gold single crystal was as high as 135 MPa which would lead to a maximum uniaxial stress of about 500 MPa after several per cent strain. The behaviour of the nanoporous gold was substantially different. It exhibited an apparent elastic behaviour until the point where it failed in an apparently brittle manner, although it is assumed that plastic deformation occurred in the ligaments prior to failure. The average elastic stiffness of three specimens was measured to be Enp = 8.8 GPa and the stress at ultimate failure averaged 190 MPa for the three specimens tested. Scaling arguments suggest that the stress in the individual ligaments could approach the theoretical shear strength. Presented at the IUTAM Symposium on Plasticity at the Micron Scale, Technical

The developmental morphology of a "periosteal" ligament insertion: growth and maturation of the tibial insertion of the rabbit medial collateral ligament.

PubMed

Matyas, J R; Bodie, D; Andersen, M; Frank, C B

1990-05-01

The structural properties of ligament insertions change dramatically during growth and maturation, but little is known about their developmental anatomy. This study describes and quantifies changes in the gross and microscopic anatomy of the tibial insertion of the rabbit medial collateral ligament (MCL) during development and at skeletal maturity. Eighty animals were used for growth and descriptive studies. From this group, 27 animals, ranging in age from 1 to 24 months, were injected with fluorescent bone markers and their tibial insertions were processed undecalcified for histology. Sections were examined by polarized light and fluorescence microscopy to identify matrix and cells and to quantify mineral formation. Results showed that animals achieved histological skeletal maturity between 9 and 12 months of age. Body weights were a poor index of skeletal maturity. The tibial insertion was composed of five tissue layers, which changed proportions during growth and maturation. In immature animals, MCL fibers entered the periosteum; in older animals, MCL fibers were cemented to the tibia by advancing mineral. The tibial attachment of the MCL was thus transferred from the periosteum to the cortex during growth, suggesting that the term "periosteal insertion" is imprecise in adults. The hypothesis is put forward that these structural changes account for the reported increase in tensile failure of this insertion near skeletal maturity.

Insertion in Persian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kambuziya, Aliyeh Kord-e Zafaranlu; Dehghan, Masoud

2011-01-01

This paper investigates epenthesis process in Persian to catch some results in relating to vowel and consonant insertion in Persian lexicon. This survey has a close relationship to the description of epenthetic consonants and the conditions in which these consonants are used. Since no word in Persian may begin with a vowel, so that hiatus can't be…

Biophysical characterization of gold nanoparticles-loaded liposomes.

PubMed

Mady, Mohsen Mahmoud; Fathy, Mohamed Mahmoud; Youssef, Tareq; Khalil, Wafaa Mohamed

2012-10-01

Gold nanoparticles were prepared and loaded into the bilayer of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes, named as gold-loaded liposomes. Biophysical characterization of gold-loaded liposomes was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as well as turbidity and rheological measurements. FTIR measurements showed that gold nanoparticles made significant changes in the frequency of the CH(2) stretching bands, revealing that gold nanoparticles increased the number of gauche conformers and create a conformational change within the acyl chains of phospholipids. The transmission electron micrographs (TEM) revealed that gold nanoparticles were loaded in the liposomal bilayer. The zeta potential of DPPC liposomes had a more negative value after incorporating of Au NPs into liposomal membranes. Turbidity studies revealed that the loading of gold nanoparticles into DPPC liposomes results in shifting the temperature of the main phase transition to a lower value. The membrane fluidity of DPPC bilayer was increased by loading the gold nanoparticles as shown from rheological measurements. Knowledge gained in this study may open the door to pursuing liposomes as a viable strategy for Au NPs delivery in many diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Copyright © 2011 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functionalization of gold nanoparticles as antidiabetic nanomaterial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatachalam, M.; Govindaraju, K.; Mohamed Sadiq, A.; Tamilselvan, S.; Ganesh Kumar, V.; Singaravelu, G.

2013-12-01

In the present investigation, functionalization of gold nanoparticles synthesized using propanoic acid 2-(3-acetoxy-4,4,14-trimethylandrost-8-en-17-yl) (PAT) an active biocomponent isolated from Cassia auriculata is studied in detail. On reaction of PAT with aqueous HAuCl4, rapid formation of stable gold nanoparticles was achieved. Formation of gold nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD, GC-MS, FTIR, TEM and SEM with EDAX. Gold nanoparticles mostly were monodisperse, spherical in shape and ranged in size 12-41 nm. Gold nanoparticles synthesised using PAT was administered to alloxan (150 mg/kg body weight) induced diabetic male albino rats at different doses (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 mg/kg body weight) for 28 days. Plasma glucose level, cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly (p < 0.001) reduced in experimental animals treated with gold nanoparticles at dosage of 0.5 mg/kg body weight and plasma insulin increased significantly. The newly genre green gold nanoparticles exhibit remarkable protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitory activity.

Gold and Iron-Gold Nanoparticles for Intracellular Tracking and in Vivo Medical Applicatons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Wei

2005-03-01

We have fabricated Au and Fe-Au nanoparticles for potential use in ex vivo experiments such as intracellular tracking, as well as a variety of in vivo medical applications. In order to improve their targeting potential, circulation time and flexibility, gold NPs were surface modified using a hetero-bifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, MW 1,500) spacers. A coumarin-PEG-gold NP complex was formed and cell viability studies and optical fluorescence experiments were carried out demonstrating the use of these surface-modified gold NPs for drug delivery, gene therapy and cell trafficking experiments. Fe-Au nanoparticles were also fabricated and show significant contrast enhancement in MRI studies through a substantial reduction of the T2 relaxation time.

[Biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles by Azospirillum brasilense].

PubMed

Kupriashina, M A; Vetchinkina, E P; Burov, A M; Ponomareva, E G; Nikitina, V E

2014-01-01

Plant-associated nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria Azospirillum brasilense were shown to reduce the gold of chloroauric acid to elemental gold, resulting in formation of gold nanoparicles. Extracellular phenoloxidizing enzymes (laccases and Mn peroxidases) were shown to participate in reduction of Au+3 (HAuCl4) to Au(0). Transmission electron microscopy revealed accumulation of colloidal gold nanoparticles of diverse shape in the culture liquid of A. brasilense strains Sp245 and Sp7. The size of the electron-dense nanospheres was 5 to 50 nm, and the size of nanoprisms varied from 5 to 300 nm. The tentative mechanism responsible for formation of gold nanoparticles is discussed.

Facile preparation of gold nanocages and hollow gold nanospheres via solvent thermal treatment and their surface plasmon resonance and photothermal properties.

PubMed

Wang, Haifei; Han, Jing; Lu, Wensheng; Zhang, Jianping; Li, Jinru; Jiang, Long

2015-02-15

Although template etching method is one of the most common ways of preparation of hollow gold nanostructures, this approach still requires further improvements to avoid the collapse of gold shells after the cores were removed. In this work, an improved template etching method, with which hollow gold nanostructure is fabricated by etching Polystyrene (PS) cores from PS@Au core-shell nanospheres with solvent thermal treatment in N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF), is demonstrated. When PS cores were removed by a thermal treatment process, gold nanoshells reconstruct and the collapse of the nanoshells is avoided. Gold nanocages and hollow gold nanospheres are easily obtained from the various structures of PS@Au core-shell nanospheres. These hollow nanostructures represent special near infrared (NIR) optical property and photothermal property. Compared with hollow gold nanospheres, the gold nanocages show higher temperature increase at the same particle concentration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Site-specific biomolecule labeling with gold clusters.

PubMed

Ackerson, Christopher J; Powell, Richard D; Hainfeld, James F

2010-01-01

Site-specific labeling of biomolecules in vitro with gold clusters can enhance the information content of electron cryomicroscopy experiments. This chapter provides a practical overview of well-established techniques for forming biomolecule/gold cluster conjugates. Three bioconjugation chemistries are covered: linker-mediated bioconjugation, direct gold-biomolecule bonding, and coordination-mediated bonding of nickel(II) nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-derivatized gold clusters to polyhistidine (His)-tagged proteins. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protein targets for anticancer gold compounds: mechanistic inferences.

PubMed

Gabbiani, Chiara; Messori, Luigi

2011-12-01

Gold compounds form an interesting class of antiproliferative agents of potential pharmacological use in cancer treatment. Indeed, a number of gold compounds, either gold(III) or gold(I), were recently described and characterised that manifested remarkable cytotoxic properties in vitro against cultured cancer cells; for some of them encouraging in vivo results were also reported toward a few relevant animal models of cancer. The molecular mechanisms through which gold compounds exert their biological effects are still largely unknown and the subject of intense investigations. Recent studies point out that the modes of action of cytotoxic gold compounds are essentially DNA-independent and cisplatin-unrelated, relying -most likely- on gold interactions with a variety of protein targets. Notably, a few cellular proteins playing relevant functional roles were proposed to represent effective targets for cytotoxic gold compounds but these hypotheses need adequate validation. The state of the art of this research area and the perspectives for future studies are herein critically analysed and discussed.

Molecular Simulations of The Formation of Gold-Molecule-Gold Junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Huachuan

2013-03-01

We perform classical molecular simulations by combining grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) sampling with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to explore the dynamic gold nanojunctions in a Alkenedithiol (ADT) solvent. With the aid of a simple driving-spring model, which can reasonably represent the long-range elasticity of the gold electrode, the spring forces are obtained during the dynamic stretching procedure. A specific multi-time-scale double reversible reference system propagator (double-RESPA) algorithm has been designed for the metal-organic complex in MD simulations to identify the detailed metal-molecule bonding geometry at metal-molecule-metal interface. We investigate the variations of bonding sites of ADT molecules on gold nanojunctions at Au (111) surface at a constant chemical potential. Simulation results show that an Au-ADT-Au interface is formed on Au nanojunctions, bond-breaking intersection is at 1-1 bond of the monatomic chain of the cross-section, instead of at the Au-S bond. Breaking force is around 1.5 nN. These are consistent with the experimental measurements.

Gold deposits of the Carolina Slate Belt, southeastern United States--Age and origin of the major gold producers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foley, Nora K.; Ayuso, Robert A.

2012-01-01

Gold- and iron sulfide-bearing deposits of the southeastern United States have distinctive mineralogical and geochemical features that provide a basis for constructing models of ore genesis for exploration and assessment of gold resources. The largest (historic) deposits, in approximate million ounces of gold (Moz Au), include those in the Haile (~ 4.2 Moz Au), Ridgeway (~1.5 Moz Au), Brewer (~0.25 Moz Au), and Barite Hill (0.6 Moz Au) mines. Host rocks are Late Proterozoic to early Paleozoic (~553 million years old) metaigneous and metasedimentary rocks of the Carolina Slate Belt that share a geologic affinity with the classic Avalonian tectonic zone. The inferred syngenetic and epithermal-subvolcanic quartz-porphyry settings occur stratigraphically between sequences of metavolcanic rocks of the Persimmon Fork and Uwharrie Formations and overlying volcanic and epiclastic rocks of the Tillery and Richtex Formations (and regional equivalents). The Carolina Slate Belt is highly prospective for many types of gold ore hosted within quartz-sericite-pyrite altered volcanic rocks, juvenile metasedimentary rocks, and in associated shear zones. For example, sheared and deformed auriferous volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits at Barite Hill, South Carolina, and in the Gold Hill trend, North Carolina, are hosted primarily by laminated mudstone and felsic volcanic to volcaniclastic rocks. The high-sulfidation epithermal style of gold mineralization at Brewer and low-sulfidation gold ores of the Champion pit at Haile occur in breccias associated with subvolcanic quartz porphyry and within crystal-rich tuffs, ash flows, and subvolcanic rhyolite. The Ridgeway and Haile deposits are primarily epithermal replacements and feeder zones within (now) metamorphosed crystal-rich tuffs, volcaniclastic sediments, and siltstones originally deposited in a marine volcanic-arc basinal setting. Recent discoveries in the region include (1) extensions of known deposits, such as at Haile where

Methanol Formation via Oxygen Insertion Chemistry in Ices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bergner, Jennifer B.; Öberg, Karin I.; Rajappan, Mahesh

We present experimental constraints on the insertion of oxygen atoms into methane to form methanol in astrophysical ice analogs. In gas-phase and theoretical studies this process has previously been demonstrated to have a very low or nonexistent energy barrier, but the energetics and mechanisms have not yet been characterized in the solid state. We use a deuterium UV lamp filtered by a sapphire window to selectively dissociate O{sub 2} within a mixture of O{sub 2}:CH{sub 4} and observe efficient production of CH{sub 3}OH via O({sup 1}D) insertion. CH{sub 3}OH growth curves are fit with a kinetic model, and we observemore » no temperature dependence of the reaction rate constant at temperatures below the oxygen desorption temperature of 25 K. Through an analysis of side products we determine the branching ratio of ice-phase oxygen insertion into CH{sub 4}: ∼65% of insertions lead to CH{sub 3}OH, with the remainder leading instead to H{sub 2}CO formation. There is no evidence for CH{sub 3} or OH radical formation, indicating that the fragmentation is not an important channel and that insertions typically lead to increased chemical complexity. CH{sub 3}OH formation from O{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} diluted in a CO-dominated ice similarly shows no temperature dependence, consistent with expectations that insertion proceeds with a small or nonexistent barrier. Oxygen insertion chemistry in ices should therefore be efficient under low-temperature ISM-like conditions and could provide an important channel to complex organic molecule formation on grain surfaces in cold interstellar regions such as cloud cores and protoplanetary disk midplanes.« less

An optically passive method that doubles the rate of 2-Ghz timing fiducials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boni, R.; Kendrick, J.; Sorce, C.

2017-08-01

Solid-state optical comb-pulse generators provide a convenient and accurate method to include timing fiducials in a streak camera image for time base correction. Commercially available vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's) emitting in the visible currently in use can be modulated up to 2 GHz. An optically passive method is presented to interleave a time-delayed path of the 2-GHz comb with itself, producing a 4-GHz comb. This technique can be applied to VCSEL's with higher modulation rates. A fiber-delivered, randomly polarized 2-GHz VCSEL comb is polarization split into s-polarization and p-polarization paths. One path is time delayed relative to the other by twice the 2-GHz rate with +/-1-ps accuracy; the two paths then recombine at the fiber-coupled output. High throughput (>=90%) is achieved by carefully using polarization beam-splitting cubes, a total internal reflection beam-path-steering prism, and antireflection coatings. The glass path-length delay block and turning prism are optically contacted together. The beam polarizer cubes that split and recombine the paths are precision aligned and permanently cemented into place. We expect the palm-sized, inline fiber-coupled, comb-rate-doubling device to maintain its internal alignment indefinitely.

Deep electrode insertion and sound coding in cochlear implants.

PubMed

Hochmair, Ingeborg; Hochmair, Erwin; Nopp, Peter; Waller, Melissa; Jolly, Claude

2015-04-01

Present-day cochlear implants demonstrate remarkable speech understanding performance despite the use of non-optimized coding strategies concerning the transmission of tonal information. Most systems rely on place pitch information despite possibly large deviations from correct tonotopic placement of stimulation sites. Low frequency information is limited as well because of the constant pulse rate stimulation generally used and, being even more restrictive, of the limited insertion depth of the electrodes. This results in a compromised perception of music and tonal languages. Newly available flexible long straight electrodes permit deep insertion reaching the apical region with little or no insertion trauma. This article discusses the potential benefits of deep insertion which are obtained using pitch-locked temporal stimulation patterns. Besides the access to low frequency information, further advantages of deeply inserted long electrodes are the possibility to better approximate the correct tonotopic location of contacts, the coverage of a wider range of cochlear locations, and the somewhat reduced channel interaction due to the wider contact separation for a given number of channels. A newly developed set of strategies has been shown to improve speech understanding in noise and to enhance sound quality by providing a more "natural" impression, which especially becomes obvious when listening to music. The benefits of deep insertion should not, however, be compromised by structural damage during insertion. The small cross section and the high flexibility of the new electrodes can help to ensure less traumatic insertions as demonstrated by patients' hearing preservation rate. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled . Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gold in the hills: patterns of placer gold accumulation under dynamic tectonic and climatic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Sam; Upton, Phaedra; Craw, Dave

2018-01-01

Formation of placer accumulations in fluvial environments requires 103-106 or even greater times concentration of heavy minerals. For this to occur, regular sediment supply from erosion of adjacent topography is required, the river should remain within a single course for an extended period of time and the material must be reworked such that a high proportion of the sediment is removed while a high proportion of the heavy minerals remains. We use numerical modeling, constrained by observations of circum-Pacific placer gold deposits, to explore processes occurring in evolving river systems in dynamic tectonic environments. A fluvial erosion/transport model is used to determine the mobility of placer gold under variable uplift rate, storm intensity, and rock mass strength conditions. Gold concentration is calculated from hydraulic and bedload grain size conditions. Model results suggest that optimal gold concentration occurs in river channels that frequently approach a threshold between detachment-limited and transport-limited hydraulic conditions. Such a condition enables the accumulation of gold particles within the framework of a residual gravel lag. An increase in transport capacity, which can be triggered by faster uplift rates, more resistant bedrock, or higher intensity storm events, will strip all bedload from the channel. Conversely, a reduction in transport capacity, triggered by a reduction in uplift rate, bedrock resistance, or storm intensity, will lead to a greater accumulation of a majority of sediments and a net decrease in gold concentration. For our model parameter range, the optimal conditions for placer gold concentration are met by 103 times difference in strength between bedrock and fault, uplift rates between 1 and 5 mm a-1, and moderate storm intensities. Fault damage networks are shown to be a critical factor for high Au concentrations and should be a target for exploration.

Accuracy of pedicle screw insertion by AIRO® intraoperative CT in complex spinal deformity assessed by a new classification based on technical complexity of screw insertion.

PubMed

Rajasekaran, S; Bhushan, Manindra; Aiyer, Siddharth; Kanna, Rishi; Shetty, Ajoy Prasad

2018-01-09

To develop a classification based on the technical complexity encountered during pedicle screw insertion and to evaluate the performance of AIRO ® CT navigation system based on this classification, in the clinical scenario of complex spinal deformity. 31 complex spinal deformity correction surgeries were prospectively analyzed for performance of AIRO ® mobile CT-based navigation system. Pedicles were classified according to complexity of insertion into five types. Analysis was performed to estimate the accuracy of screw placement and time for screw insertion. Breach greater than 2 mm was considered for analysis. 452 pedicle screws were inserted (T1-T6: 116; T7-T12: 171; L1-S1: 165). The average Cobb angle was 68.3° (range 60°-104°). We had 242 grade 2 pedicles, 133 grade 3, and 77 grade 4, and 44 pedicles were unfit for pedicle screw insertion. We noted 27 pedicle screw breach (medial: 10; lateral: 16; anterior: 1). Among lateral breach (n = 16), ten screws were planned for in-out-in pedicle screw insertion. Among lateral breach (n = 16), ten screws were planned for in-out-in pedicle screw insertion. Average screw insertion time was 1.76 ± 0.89 min. After accounting for planned breach, the effective breach rate was 3.8% resulting in 96.2% accuracy for pedicle screw placement. This classification helps compare the accuracy of screw insertion in range of conditions by considering the complexity of screw insertion. Considering the clinical scenario of complex pedicle anatomy in spinal deformity AIRO ® navigation showed an excellent accuracy rate of 96.2%.

Growth process and anticancer properties of gold nanorods.

PubMed

Zhang, Junyan; Wang, Mian; Webster, Thomas J

2017-09-01

Gold nanoparticles have been of great interest because of their unique optical properties, facile synthesis and conjugation. Among various shapes of gold nanoparticles, gold nanorods have been widely studied. They can be conjugated with different molecules for biomedical applications, such as tumor imaging and therapy. However, few researchers have studied the antitumor properties of bare gold nanorods. In this study, unfunctionalized gold nanorods were synthesized and tested on breast tumor cells. Results showed that the aspect ratio of gold nanorods could be easily influenced by both reaction time and the amount of silver nitrate in the growth solution. A new growth process is proposed here based on the UV-Vis spectra and TEM images of gold nanorods at different reaction times. More importantly, cell studies showed that within a certain concentration range, the gold nanorods can selectively kill tumor cells while having limited or little influence on healthy mammalian (dermal fibroblast) cells. Thus, this study shows promise for the use of bare gold nanorods for further study alone or in combination with photothermal treatment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2616-2621, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Method for improving the durability of ion insertion materials

DOEpatents

Lee, Se-Hee; Tracy, C. Edwin; Cheong, Hyeonsik M.

2002-01-01

The invention provides a method of protecting an ion insertion material from the degradative effects of a liquid or gel-type electrolyte material by disposing a protective, solid ion conducting, electrically insulating, layer between the ion insertion layer and the liquid or gel-type electrolyte material. The invention further provides liquid or gel-type electrochemical cells having improved durability having a pair of electrodes, a pair of ion insertion layers sandwiched between the pair of electrodes, a pair of solid ion conducting layers sandwiched between the ion insertion layers, and a liquid or gel-type electrolyte material disposed between the solid ion conducting layers, where the solid ion conducting layer minimizes or prevents degradation of the faces of the ion insertion materials facing the liquid or gel-type electrolyte material. Electrochemical cells of this invention having increased durability include secondary lithium batteries and electrochromic devices.

Insert Design and Manufacturing for Foam-Core Composite Sandwich Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lares, Alan

Sandwich structures have been used in the aerospace industry for many years. The high strength to weight ratios that are possible with sandwich constructions makes them desirable for airframe applications. While sandwich structures are effective at handling distributed loads such as aerodynamic forces, they are prone to damage from concentrated loads at joints or due to impact. This is due to the relatively thin face-sheets and soft core materials typically found in sandwich structures. Carleton University's Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Project Team has designed and manufactured a UAV (GeoSury II Prototype) which features an all composite sandwich structure fuselage structure. The purpose of the aircraft is to conduct geomagnetic surveys. The GeoSury II Prototype serves as the test bed for many areas of research in advancing UAV technologies. Those areas of research include: low cost composite materials manufacturing, geomagnetic data acquisition, obstacle detection, autonomous operations and magnetic signature control. In this thesis work a methodology for designing and manufacturing inserts for foam-core sandwich structures was developed. The results of this research work enables a designer wishing to design a foam-core sandwich airframe structure, a means of quickly manufacturing optimized inserts for the safe introduction of discrete loads into the airframe. The previous GeoSury II Prototype insert designs (v.1 & v.2) were performance tested to establish a benchmark with which to compare future insert designs. Several designs and materials were considered for the new v.3 inserts. A plug and sleeve design was selected, due to its ability to effectively transfer the required loads to the sandwich structure. The insert material was chosen to be epoxy, reinforced with chopped carbon fibre. This material was chosen for its combination of strength, low mass and also compatibility with the face-sheet material. The v.3 insert assembly is 60% lighter than the

Tailoring surface plasmon resonance and dipole cavity plasmon modes of scattering cross section spectra on the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chou Chau, Yuan-Fong, E-mail: chou.fong@ubd.edu.bn; Lim, Chee Ming; Kumara, N. T. R. N.

Tunable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and dipole cavity plasmon modes of the scattering cross section (SCS) spectra on the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod have been numerically investigated by using the finite element method. Various effects, such as the influence of SCS spectra under x- and y-polarizations on the surface of the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod, are discussed in detail. With the single gold-shell nanorod, one can independently tune the relative SCS spectrum width by controlling the rod length and rod diameter, and the surface scattering by varying the shell thickness and polarization direction, as well as the dipole peak energy. These behaviorsmore » are consistent with the properties of localized SPRs and offer a way to optically control and produce selected emission wavelengths from the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod. The electric field and magnetic distributions provide us a qualitative idea of the geometrical properties of the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod on plasmon resonance.« less

Tailoring surface plasmon resonance and dipole cavity plasmon modes of scattering cross section spectra on the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chou Chau, Yuan-Fong; Lim, Chee Ming; Lee, Chuanyo; Huang, Hung Ji; Lin, Chun-Ting; Kumara, N. T. R. N.; Yoong, Voo Nyuk; Chiang, Hai-Pang

2016-09-01

Tunable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and dipole cavity plasmon modes of the scattering cross section (SCS) spectra on the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod have been numerically investigated by using the finite element method. Various effects, such as the influence of SCS spectra under x- and y-polarizations on the surface of the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod, are discussed in detail. With the single gold-shell nanorod, one can independently tune the relative SCS spectrum width by controlling the rod length and rod diameter, and the surface scattering by varying the shell thickness and polarization direction, as well as the dipole peak energy. These behaviors are consistent with the properties of localized SPRs and offer a way to optically control and produce selected emission wavelengths from the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod. The electric field and magnetic distributions provide us a qualitative idea of the geometrical properties of the single solid-gold/gold-shell nanorod on plasmon resonance.

Industrial stator vane with sequential impingement cooling inserts

DOEpatents

Jones, Russell B; Fedock, John A; Goebel, Gloria E; Krueger, Judson J; Rawlings, Christopher K; Memmen, Robert L

2013-08-06

A turbine stator vane for an industrial engine, the vane having two impingement cooling inserts that produce a series of impingement cooling from the pressure side to the suction side of the vane walls. Each insert includes a spar with a row of alternating impingement cooling channels and return air channels extending in a radial direction. Impingement cooling plates cover the two sides of the insert and having rows of impingement cooling holes aligned with the impingement cooling channels and return air openings aligned with the return air channel.

Gold leaf counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimada, Kazuhiro; Toyoda, Takeshi

2018-03-01

In this study, a gold leaf 100 nm thin film is used as the counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. The traditional method of hammering gold foil to obtain a thin gold leaf, which requires only small amounts of gold, was employed. The gold leaf was then attached to the substrate using an adhesive to produce the gold electrode. The proposed approach for fabricating counter electrodes is demonstrated to be facile and cost-effective, as opposed to existing techniques. Compared with electrodes prepared with gold foil and sputtered gold, the gold leaf counter electrode demonstrates higher catalytic activity with a cobalt-complex electrolyte and higher cell efficiency. The origin of the improved performance was investigated by surface morphology examination (scanning electron microscopy), various electrochemical analyses (cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), and crystalline analysis (X-ray diffractometry).

Rack Insertion End Effector (RIEE) automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malladi, Narasimha

1993-01-01

NASA is developing a mechanism to manipulate and insert Racks into the Space Station Logistic modules. The mechanism consists of the following: a base with three motorized degrees of freedom, a 3 section motorized boom that goes from 15 to 44 feet in length, and a Rack Insertion End Effector (RIEE) with 5 hand wheels for precise alignment. The robotics section was tasked with the automation of the RIEE unit. In this report, for the automation of the RIEE unit, application of the Perceptics Vision System was conceptually developed to determine the position and orientation of the RIEE relative to the logistic module, and a MathCad program is written to display the needed displacements for precise alignment and final insertion of the Rack. The uniqueness of this report is that the whole report is in fact a MathCad program including text, derivations, and executable equations with example inputs and outputs.

Hydrofluorination of Alkynes Catalysed by Gold Bifluorides.

PubMed

Nahra, Fady; Patrick, Scott R; Bello, Davide; Brill, Marcel; Obled, Alan; Cordes, David B; Slawin, Alexandra M Z; O'Hagan, David; Nolan, Steven P

2015-01-01

We report the synthesis of nine new N -heterocyclic carbene gold bifluoride complexes starting from the corresponding N -heterocyclic carbene gold hydroxides. A new methodology to access N,N' -bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene gold(I) fluoride starting from N,N' -bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene gold(I) hydroxide and readily available potassium bifluoride is also reported. These gold bifluorides were shown to be efficient catalysts in the hydrofluorination of symmetrical and unsymmetrical alkynes, thus affording fluorinated stilbene analogues and fluorovinyl thioethers in good to excellent yields with high stereo- and regioselectivity. The method is exploited further to access a fluorinated combretastatin analogue selectively in two steps starting from commercially available reagents.

Effect of shoe insert construction on foot and leg movement.

PubMed

Nigg, B M; Khan, A; Fisher, V; Stefanyshyn, D

1998-04-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in foot eversion and tibial rotation during running resulting from systematic changes of material composition of five shoe inserts of the same shape. Tests were performed with 12 subjects. The inserts had a bilayer design using two different materials at the top and bottom of the insert. The functional kinematic variables examined in this study were the foot-leg in-eversion angle, beta, and the leg-foot tibial rotation, rho. Additionally, the subject characteristics of arch height, relative arch deformation, and active range of motion were quantified. The statistical analysis used was a two way repeated measures MANOVA (within trials and inserts). The average group changes resulting from the studied inserts in total shoe eversion, total foot eversion, and total internal tibial rotation were typically smaller than 1 degree when compared with the no-insert condition and were statistically not significant. The measured ranges of total foot eversion for all subjects were smallest for the softest and about twice as large for the hardest insert construction. Thus, the soft insert construction was more restrictive, forcing all feet into a similar movement pattern, whereas the harder combinations allowed for more individual variation of foot and leg movement and did not force the foot into a preset movement pattern. The individual results showed substantial differences between subjects and a trend: Subjects who generally showed a reduction of tibial rotation with all tested inserts typically had a flexible foot. However, subjects who generally showed an increase of tibial rotation typically had a stiff foot. The results of this study suggest that subject specific factors such as static, dynamic, and neuro-physiological characteristics of foot and leg are important to match specific feet and shoe inserts optimally.

Gold, currencies and market efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristoufek, Ladislav; Vosvrda, Miloslav

2016-05-01

Gold and currency markets form a unique pair with specific interactions and dynamics. We focus on the efficiency ranking of gold markets with respect to the currency of purchase. By utilizing the Efficiency Index (EI) based on fractal dimension, approximate entropy and long-term memory on a wide portfolio of 142 gold price series for different currencies, we construct the efficiency ranking based on the extended EI methodology we provide. Rather unexpected results are uncovered as the gold prices in major currencies lay among the least efficient ones whereas very minor currencies are among the most efficient ones. We argue that such counterintuitive results can be partly attributed to a unique period of examination (2011-2014) characteristic by quantitative easing and rather unorthodox monetary policies together with the investigated illegal collusion of major foreign exchange market participants, as well as some other factors discussed in some detail.

Radiological Tenckhoff catheter insertion for peritoneal dialysis: A cost-effective approach.

PubMed

Lee, James; Mott, Nigel; Mahmood, Usman; Clouston, John; Summers, Kara; Nicholas, Pauline; Gois, Pedro Henrique França; Ranganathan, Dwarakanathan

2018-04-01

Radiological insertion of Tenckhoff catheters can be an alternative option for peritoneal dialysis access creation, as compared to surgical catheter insertion. This study will review the outcomes and complications of radiological Tenckhoff catheter insertion in a metropolitan renal service and compare costs between surgical and radiological insertion. Data were collected prospectively for all patients who had a Tenckhoff catheter insertion for peritoneal dialysis (PD) under radiological guidance at our hospital from May 2014 to November 2016. The type of catheter used and complications, including peri-catheter leak, exit site infection and peritonitis were reviewed. Follow-up data were also collected at points 3, 6 and 12 months from catheter insertion. Costing data were obtained from Queensland Health Electronic Reporting System (QHERS) data, average staff salaries and consumable contract price lists. In the 30-month evaluation period, 70 catheters were inserted. Two patients had an unsuccessful procedure due to the presence of abdominal adhesions. Seven patients had an episode of peri-catheter leak, and four patients had an exit site infection following catheter insertion. Peritonitis was observed in nine patients during the study period. The majority of patients (90%) remained on peritoneal dialysis at 3-month follow-up. The average costs of surgical and radiological insertion were noted to be AUD$7788.34 and AUD$1597.35, respectively. Radiological Tenckhoff catheter insertion for peritoneal dialysis appears to be an attractive and cost-effective option given less waiting periods for the procedure, the relatively low cost of insertion and comparable rates of complications. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Gold-Decorated Supraspheres of Block Copolymer Micelles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, M. P.; Kang, D. J.; Kannon, A. G.; Jung, D.-W.; Yi, G. R.; Kim, B. J.

2012-02-01

Gold-decorated supraspheres displaying various surface morphologies were prepared by infiltration of gold precursor into polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) supraspheres under acidic condition. The supraspheres were fabricated by emulsifying PS-b-P2VP polymer solution into surfactant solution. Selective swelling of P2VP in the suprasphere by gold precursor under acidic condition resulted in the formation of gold-decorated supraspheres with various surface structures. As evidenced by TEM and SEM images, dot pattern was formed in the case of smaller supraspheres than 800 nm; whereas fingerprint-like pattern was observed in larger supraspheres than 800 nm. Gold nanoparticles were located inside P2VP domains near the surface of prepared supraspheres as confirmed by TEM. The optical property of the supraspheres was characterized using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and the maximum absorption peak at around 580 nm was observed, which means that gold nanoparticles densely packed into P2VP domain on the suprasphere. Our approach to prepare gold-decorated supraspheres can be extended to other metallic particles such as iron oxide or platinum nanoparticles, and those precursors can be also selectively incorporated into the P2VP domain.

Gold/silver/gold trilayer films on nanostructured polycarbonate substrates for direct and label-free nanoplasmonic biosensing.

PubMed

López-Muñoz, Gerardo A; Estévez, M-Carmen; Vázquez-García, Marc; Berenguel-Alonso, Miguel; Alonso-Chamarro, Julián; Homs-Corbera, Antoni; Lechuga, Laura M

2018-05-01

Ultrasmooth gold/silver/gold trilayer nanostructured plasmonic sensors were obtained using commercial Blu-ray optical discs as nanoslits-based flexible polymer substrates. A thin gold film was used as an adhesion and nucleation layer to improve the chemical stability and reduce the surface roughness of the overlying silver film, without increasing ohmic plasmon losses. The structures were physically and optically characterized and compared with nanostructures of single gold layer. Ultrasmooth and chemically stable trilayer nanostructures with a surface roughness <0.5 nm were obtained following a simple and reproducible fabrication process. They showed a figure of merit (FOM) value up to 69.2 RIU -1 which is significantly higher (more than 95%) than the gold monolayer counterpart. Their potential for biosensing was demonstrated by employing the trilayer sensor for the direct and refractometric (label-free) detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) biomarker in undiluted urine achieving a Limit of Detection (LOD) in the pM order. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrochemical Assay of Gold-Plating Solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiodo, R.

1982-01-01

Gold content of plating solution is assayed by simple method that required only ordinary electrochemical laboratory equipment and materials. Technique involves electrodeposition of gold from solution onto electrode, the weight gain of which is measured. Suitable fast assay methods are economically and practically necessary in electronics and decorative-plating industries. If gold content in plating bath is too low, poor plating may result, with consequent economic loss to user.

[Theragnostic approaches using gold nanorods and near infrared light].

PubMed

Niidome, Takuro; Shiotani, Atsushi; Akiyama, Yasuyuki; Ohga, Akira; Nose, Keisuke; Pissuwan, Dakrong; Niidome, Yasuro

2010-12-01

Gold nanoparticles have unique optical properties such as surface-plasmon and photothermal effects. Such properties have resulted in gold nanoparticles having several clinical applications. Gold nanorods (which are rod-shaped gold nanoparticles) show a surface plasmon band in the near-infrared region. They have therefore been proposed as contrast agents for bioimaging, or as heating devices for photothermal therapy. Polyethylene glycol-modified gold nanorods systemically administrated into mice can be detected with integrating sphere, and the stability of the gold nanorods in blood flow evaluated. After intravenous injection of gold nanorods followed by near-infrared laser irradiation, significant tumor damage triggered by the photothermal effect was observed. To deliver gold nanorods to the target tissue, thermosensitive polymer gel-coated gold nanorods were prepared. After intravenous injection of the gel-modified gold nanorods and irradiation of the tumor, a larger amount of gold was detected in the irradiated tumor than in the non-irradiated tumor. This effect is due to the hydrophobic interaction between the cellular membrane or the extracellular matrix and the gel surfaces induced by the photothermal effect. Furthermore, the photothermal effect enhanced the permeability of the stratum corneum of the skin. As a result of treatment of the skin with ovalbumin and gold nanorods followed by near-infrared light irradiation, a significant amount of protein was detected in the skin. The gold nanorods therefore showed several functions as a photothermal nanodevice for bioimaging, thermal therapy, and a drug delivery system.

Cross-correlations and influence in world gold markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Min; Wang, Gang-Jin; Xie, Chi; Stanley, H. Eugene

2018-01-01

Using the detrended cross-correlation analysis (DCCA) coefficient and the detrended partial cross-correlation analysis (DPCCA) coefficient, we investigate cross-correlations and net cross-correlations among five major world gold markets (London, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Mumbai) at different time scales. We propose multiscale influence measures for examining the influence of individual markets on other markets and on the entire system. We find (i) that the cross-correlations, net cross-correlations, and net influences among the five gold markets vary across time scales, (ii) that the cross-market correlation between London and New York at each time scale is intense and inherent, meaning that the influence of other gold markets on the London-New York market is negligible, (iii) that the remaining cross-market correlations (i.e., those other than London-New York) are greatly affected by other gold markets, and (iv) that the London gold market significantly affects the other four gold markets and dominates the world-wide gold market. Our multiscale findings give market participants and market regulators new information on cross-market linkages in the world-wide gold market.

Gold nanoprobes for theranostics

PubMed Central

Panchapakesan, Balaji; Book-Newell, Brittany; Sethu, Palaniappan; Rao, Madhusudhana; Irudayaraj, Joseph

2011-01-01

Gold nanoprobes have become attractive diagnostic and therapeutic agents in medicine and life sciences research owing to their reproducible synthesis with atomic level precision, unique physical and chemical properties, versatility of their morphologies, flexibility in functionalization, ease of targeting, efficiency in drug delivery and opportunities for multimodal therapy. This review highlights some of the recent advances and the potential for gold nanoprobes in theranostics. PMID:22122586

Continuous monitoring of prostate position using stereoscopic and monoscopic kV image guidance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stevens, M. Tynan R.; Parsons, Dave D.; Robar, James L.

2016-05-15

Purpose: To demonstrate continuous kV x-ray monitoring of prostate motion using both stereoscopic and monoscopic localizations, assess the spatial accuracy of these techniques, and evaluate the dose delivered from the added image guidance. Methods: The authors implemented both stereoscopic and monoscopic fiducial localizations using a room-mounted dual oblique x-ray system. Recently developed monoscopic 3D position estimation techniques potentially overcome the issue of treatment head interference with stereoscopic imaging at certain gantry angles. To demonstrate continuous position monitoring, a gold fiducial marker was placed in an anthropomorphic phantom and placed on the Linac couch. The couch was used as a programmablemore » translation stage. The couch was programmed with a series of patient prostate motion trajectories exemplifying five distinct categories: stable prostate, slow drift, persistent excursion, transient excursion, and high frequency excursions. The phantom and fiducial were imaged using 140 kVp, 0.63 mAs per image at 1 Hz for a 60 s monitoring period. Both stereoscopic and monoscopic 3D localization accuracies were assessed by comparison to the ground-truth obtained from the Linac log file. Imaging dose was also assessed, using optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter inserts in the phantom. Results: Stereoscopic localization accuracy varied between 0.13 ± 0.05 and 0.33 ± 0.30 mm, depending on the motion trajectory. Monoscopic localization accuracy varied from 0.2 ± 0.1 to 1.1 ± 0.7 mm. The largest localization errors were typically observed in the left–right direction. There were significant differences in accuracy between the two monoscopic views, but which view was better varied from trajectory to trajectory. The imaging dose was measured to be between 2 and 15 μGy/mAs, depending on location in the phantom. Conclusions: The authors have demonstrated the first use of monoscopic localization for a room-mounted dual x-ray system

Submillisecond Dynamics of Mastoparan X Insertion into Lipid Membranes.

PubMed

Schuler, Erin E; Nagarajan, Sureshbabu; Dyer, R Brian

2016-09-01

The mechanism of protein insertion into a lipid bilayer is poorly understood because the kinetics of this process is difficult to measure. We developed a new approach to study insertion of the antimicrobial peptide Mastoparan X into zwitterionic lipid vesicles, using a laser-induced temperature-jump to initiate insertion on the microsecond time scale and infrared and fluorescence spectroscopies to follow the kinetics. Infrared probes the desolvation of the peptide backbone and yields biphasic kinetics with relaxation lifetimes of 12 and 117 μs, whereas fluorescence probes the intrinsic tryptophan residue located near the N-terminus and yields a single exponential phase with a lifetime of 440 μs. Arrhenius analysis of the temperature-dependent rates yields an activation energy for insertion of 96 kJ/mol. These results demonstrate the complexity of the insertion process and provide mechanistic insight into the interplay between peptides and the lipid bilayer required for peptide transport across cellular membranes.

Additive Manufacturing for Highly Efficient Window Inserts CRADA Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roschli, Alex C.; Chesser, Phillip C.; Love, Lonnie J.

ORNL partnered with the Mackinac Technology Company to demonstrate how additive manufacturing can be used to create highly energy efficient window inserts for retrofit in pre-existing buildings. Many early iterations of the window inserts were fabricated using carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics and polycarbonate films as a stand in for the low-e coated films produced by the Mackinac Technology Company. After demonstration of the proof of concept, i.e. custom window inserts with tensioned film, the materials used for the manufacture of the frames was more closely examined. Hollow particle-filled syntactic foam and low-density polymer composites formed by expandable microspheres were exploredmore » as the materials used to additively manufacture the frames of the inserts. It was concluded that low-cost retrofit window inserts in custom sizes could be easily fabricated using large scale additive manufacturing. Furthermore, the syntactic and expanded foams developed and tested satisfy the mechanical performance requirements for the application.« less

The effect of 3 torque delivery systems on gold screw preload at the gold cylinder-abutment screw joint.

PubMed

Tan, Keson B; Nicholls, Jack I

2002-01-01

This study measured the gold screw preload at the gold cylinder-abutment screw joint interface obtained by 3 torque delivery systems. Using a precalibrated, strain-gauged standard abutment as the load cell, 3 torque delivery systems tested were shown to have significant differences in gold screw preload when a gold cylinder was attached. Mean preloads measured were 291.2 N for hand torque drivers set at 10 Ncm, 340.3 N for electronic torque controllers at low setting/10 Ncm, 384.4 N for electronic torque controllers at high setting/10 Ncm; and 140.8 N for hand-tightening with a prosthetic slot screwdriver. Significant differences in screw preload were also found between operators using a hand torque driver. Hand-tightening delivered insufficient preload and cannot be recommended for final gold screw tightening. Different electronic torque controller units set at 10 Ncm induced mean gold screw preloads that ranged from 264.1 N to as high as 501.2 N. Electronic torque controllers should be regularly recalibrated to ensure optimal output.

Preparation, characterization, and optical properties of gold, silver, and gold-silver alloy nanoshells having silica cores.

PubMed

Kim, Jun-Hyun; Bryan, William W; Lee, T Randall

2008-10-07

This report describes the structural and optical properties of a series of spherical shell/core nanoparticles in which the shell is comprised of a thin layer of gold, silver, or gold-silver alloy, and the core is comprised of a monodispersed silica nanoparticle. The silica core particles were prepared using the Stöber method, functionalized with terminal amine groups, and then seeded with small gold nanoparticles (approximately 2 nm in diameter). The gold-seeded silica particles were coated with a layer of gold, silver, or gold-silver alloy via solution-phase reduction of an appropriate metal ion or mixture of metal ions. The size, morphology, and elemental composition of the composite nanoparticles were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The optical properties of the nanoparticles were analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy, which showed strong absorptions ranging from 400 nm into the near-IR region, where the position of the plasmon band reflected not only the thickness of the metal shell, but also the nature of the metal comprising the shell. Importantly, the results demonstrate a new strategy for tuning the position of the plasmon resonance without having to vary the core diameter or the shell thickness.

Validation of a Projection-domain Insertion of Liver Lesions into CT Images

PubMed Central

Chen, Baiyu; Ma, Chi; Leng, Shuai; Fidler, Jeff L.; Sheedy, Shannon P.; McCollough, Cynthia H.; Fletcher, Joel G.; Yu, Lifeng

2016-01-01

Rationale and Objectives The aim of this study was to validate a projection-domain lesion-insertion method with observer studies. Materials and Methods A total of 51 proven liver lesions were segmented from computed tomography images, forward projected, and inserted into patient projection data. The images containing inserted and real lesions were then reconstructed and examined in consensus by two radiologists. First, 102 lesions (51 original, 51 inserted) were viewed in a randomized, blinded fashion and scored from 1 (absolutely inserted) to 10 (absolutely real). Statistical tests were performed to compare the scores for inserted and real lesions. Subsequently, a two-alternative-forced-choice test was conducted, with lesions viewed in pairs (real vs. inserted) in a blinded fashion. The radiologists selected the inserted lesion and provided a confidence level of 1 (no confidence) to 5 (completely certain). The number of lesion pairs that were incorrectly classified was calculated. Results The scores for inserted and proven lesions had the same median (8) and similar interquartile ranges (inserted, 5.5–8; real, 6.5–8). The means scores were not significantly different between real and inserted lesions (P value = 0.17). The receiver operating characteristic curve was nearly diagonal, with an area under the curve of 0.58 ± 0.06. For the two-alternative-forced-choice study, the inserted lesions were incorrectly identified in 49% (25 out of 51) of pairs; radiologists were incorrect in 38% (3 out of 8) of pairs even when they felt very confident in identifying the inserted lesion (confidence level ≥4). Conclusions Radiologists could not distinguish between inserted and real lesions, thereby validating the lesion-insertion technique, which may be useful for conducting virtual clinical trials to optimize image quality and radiation dose. PMID:27432267

Structure and reactivity of a mononuclear gold(II) complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preiß, Sebastian; Förster, Christoph; Otto, Sven; Bauer, Matthias; Müller, Patrick; Hinderberger, Dariush; Hashemi Haeri, Haleh; Carella, Luca; Heinze, Katja

2017-12-01

Mononuclear gold(II) complexes are very rare labile species. Transient gold(II) species have been suggested in homogeneous catalysis and in medical applications, but their geometric and electronic structures have remained essentially unexplored: even fundamental data, such as the ionic radius of gold(II), are unknown. Now, an unprecedentedly stable neutral gold(II) complex of a porphyrin derivative has been isolated, and its structural and spectroscopic features determined. The gold atom adopts a 2+2 coordination mode in between those of gold(III) (four-coordinate square planar) and gold(I) (two-coordinate linear), owing to a second-order Jahn-Teller distortion enabled by the relativistically lowered 6s orbital of gold. The reactivity of this gold(II) complex towards dioxygen, nitrosobenzene and acids is discussed. This study provides insight on the ionic radius of gold(II), and allows it to be placed within the homologous series of nd9 Cu/Ag/Au divalent ions and the 5d8/9/10 Pt/Au/Hg 'relativistic' triad in the periodic table.

NOTE: Fluoroscopic gating without implanted fiducial markers for lung cancer radiotherapy based on support vector machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Ying; Dy, Jennifer G.; Alexander, Brian; Jiang, Steve B.

2008-08-01

Various problems with the current state-of-the-art techniques for gated radiotherapy have prevented this new treatment modality from being widely implemented in clinical routine. These problems are caused mainly by applying various external respiratory surrogates. There might be large uncertainties in deriving the tumor position from external respiratory surrogates. While tracking implanted fiducial markers has sufficient accuracy, this procedure may not be widely accepted due to the risk of pneumothorax. Previously, we have developed a technique to generate gating signals from fluoroscopic images without implanted fiducial markers using template matching methods (Berbeco et al 2005 Phys. Med. Biol. 50 4481-90, Cui et al 2007b Phys. Med. Biol. 52 741-55). In this note, our main contribution is to provide a totally different new view of the gating problem by recasting it as a classification problem. Then, we solve this classification problem by a well-studied powerful classification method called a support vector machine (SVM). Note that the goal of an automated gating tool is to decide when to turn the beam ON or OFF. We treat ON and OFF as the two classes in our classification problem. We create our labeled training data during the patient setup session by utilizing the reference gating signal, manually determined by a radiation oncologist. We then pre-process these labeled training images and build our SVM prediction model. During treatment delivery, fluoroscopic images are continuously acquired, pre-processed and sent as an input to the SVM. Finally, our SVM model will output the predicted labels as gating signals. We test the proposed technique on five sequences of fluoroscopic images from five lung cancer patients against the reference gating signal as ground truth. We compare the performance of the SVM to our previous template matching method (Cui et al 2007b Phys. Med. Biol. 52 741-55). We find that the SVM is slightly more accurate on average (1-3%) than

Ballistic Testing for Interceptor Body Armor Inserts Needs Improvement

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-01

030, “Ballistic Testing and Product Quality Surveillance for the Interceptor Body Armor - Vest Components Need Improvement,” January 3, 2011. This...Body Armor Ballistic Inserts Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) is a modular body armor system that consists of an outer tactical vest , ballistic inserts...altitude tests was because the ceramic ballistic inserts are solid structures that are not sensitive to reduced pressure and moisture. PM SEQ offered no

Synthesis, characterization, cytotoxic and antitubercular activities of new gold(I) and gold(III) complexes containing ligands derived from carbohydrates.

PubMed

Chaves, Joana Darc Souza; Damasceno, Jaqueline Lopes; Paula, Marcela Cristina Ferreira; de Oliveira, Pollyanna Francielli; Azevedo, Gustavo Chevitarese; Matos, Renato Camargo; Lourenço, Maria Cristina S; Tavares, Denise Crispim; Silva, Heveline; Fontes, Ana Paula Soares; de Almeida, Mauro Vieira

2015-10-01

Novel gold(I) and gold(III) complexes containing derivatives of D-galactose, D-ribose and D-glucono-1,5-lactone as ligands were synthesized and characterized by IR, (1)H, and (13)C NMR, high resolution mass spectra and cyclic voltammetry. The compounds were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity against three types of tumor cells: cervical carcinoma (HeLa) breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and glioblastoma (MO59J) and one non-tumor cell line: human lung fibroblasts (GM07492A). Their antitubercular activity was evaluated as well expressed as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) in μg/mL. In general, the gold(I) complexes were more active than gold(III) complexes, for example, the gold(I) complex (1) was about 8.8 times and 7.6 times more cytotoxic than gold(III) complex (8) in MO59J and MCF-7 cells, respectively. Ribose and alkyl phosphine derivative complexes were more active than galactose and aryl phosphine complexes. The presence of a thiazolidine ring did not improve the cytotoxicity. The study of the cytotoxic activity revealed effective antitumor activities for the gold(I) complexes, being more active than cisplatin in all the tested tumor cell lines. Gold(I) compounds (1), (2), (3), (4) and (6) exhibited relevant antitubercular activity even when compared with first line drugs such as rifampicin.

Colloidal-gold electrosensor measuring device

DOEpatents

Wegner, S.; Harpold, M.A.; McCaffrey, T.M.; Morris, S.E.; Wojciechowski, M.; Zhao, J.; Henkens, R.W.; Naser, N.; O`Daly, J.P.

1995-11-21

The present invention provides a new device for use in measuring lead levels in biological and environmental samples. Using square wave coulometry and colloidal gold particles impregnated on carbon electrodes, the present invention provides a rapid, reliable, portable and inexpensive means of detecting low lead levels. The colloidal gold modified electrodes have microelectrode array characteristics and produce significantly higher stripping detection signals for lead than are produced at bulk gold electrode surfaces. The method is effective in determining levels of lead down to at least 5 {micro}g/dL in blood samples as small as 10 {micro}L. 9 figs.

Colloidal-gold electrosensor measuring device

DOEpatents

Wegner, Steven; Harpold, Michael A.; McCaffrey, Terence M.; Morris, Susan E.; Wojciechowski, Marek; Zhao, Junguo; Henkens, Robert W.; Naser, Najih; O'Daly, John P.

1995-01-01

The present invention provides a new device for use in measuring lead levels in biological and environmental samples. Using square wave coulometry and colloidal gold particles impregnated on carbon electrodes, the present invention provides a rapid, reliable, portable and inexpensive means of detecting low lead levels. The colloidal gold modified electrodes have microelectrode array characteristics and produce significantly higher stripping detection signals for lead than are produced at bulk gold electrode surfaces. The method is effective in determining levels of lead down to at least 5 .mu.g/dL in blood samples as small as 10 .mu.L.

Patient positioning based on a radioactive tracer implanted in patients with localized prostate cancer: a performance and safety evaluation.

PubMed

de Kruijf, Willy J M; Verstraete, Jan; Neustadter, David; Corn, Benjamin W; Hol, Sandra; Venselaar, Jack L M; Davits, Rob J; Wijsman, Bart P; Van den Bergh, Laura; Budiharto, Tom; Oyen, Raymond; Haustermans, Karin; Poortmans, Philip M P

2013-02-01

To evaluate the performance and safety of a radiation therapy positioning system (RealEye) based on tracking a radioactive marker (Tracer) implanted in patients with localized prostate cancer. We performed a single-arm multi-institutional trial in 20 patients. The iridium-192 ((192)Ir)-containing Tracer was implanted in the patient together with 4 standard gold seed fiducials. Patient prostate-related symptoms were evaluated with the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire. Computed tomography (CT) was performed for treatment planning, during treatment, and after treatment to evaluate the migration stability of the Tracer. At 5 treatment sessions, cone beam CT was performed to test the positioning accuracy of the RealEye. The Tracer was successfully implanted in all patients. No device or procedure-related adverse events occurred. Changes in IPSS scores were limited. The difference between the mean change in Tracer-fiducial distance and the mean change in fiducial-fiducial distance was -0.39 mm (95% confidence interval [CI] upper boundary, -0.22 mm). The adjusted mean difference between Tracer position according to RealEye and the Tracer position on the CBCT for all patients was 1.34 mm (95% CI upper boundary, 1.41 mm). Implantation of the Tracer is feasible and safe. Migration stability of the Tracer is good. Prostate patients can be positioned and monitored accurately by using RealEye. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Redbed-type gold mineralisation, Kupferschiefer, south-west Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piestrzyński, Adam; Pieczonka, Jadwiga; Głuszek, Adam

2002-06-01

A new type of gold mineralisation containing minor amounts of platinum and palladium has been found proximal to the secondary redox interface located below the Cu-Ag Kupferschiefer orebody of the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine in the south-western part of the Lubin-Sieroszowice district, Poland. This deposit can be classified as redbed-type gold. Our study shows that gold, platinum and palladium occur in secondary red-coloured sections of the basal Zechstein sedimentary rocks and in the uppermost Weissliegendes sandstone. Noble metal mineralisation occurs within an average interval of 0.22 m, which lies directly below the copper ores. The average grade of the horizon is 2.25 ppm Au, 0.138 ppm Pt and 0.082 ppm Pd with a metal content of several tens of tonnes of gold. A transition zone has been recognised between the gold-bearing horizon and the copper deposit. This transition zone is characterised by the presence of low grades of copper (<0.2 wt%) and elevated gold contents (>0.5 ppm). Native gold accompanied by electrum, mercury-bearing gold, haematite, covellite, chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite has been identified in the gold-bearing horizon. In some sections, Pd-arsenides, tetra-auricupride, Co-arsenides, clausthalite, tennantite, digenite, yarrowite, spionkopite and galena have also been noted.

Mercury contamination from historical gold mining in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alpers, Charles N.; Hunerlach, Michael P.; May, Jason T.; Hothem, Roger L.

2005-01-01

Mercury contamination from historical gold mines represents a potential risk to human health and the environment. This fact sheet provides background information on the use of mercury in historical gold mining and processing operations in California, with emphasis on historical hydraulic mining areas. It also describes results of recent USGS projects that address the potential risks associated with mercury contamination. Miners used mercury (quicksilver) to recover gold throughout the western United States. Gold deposits were either hardrock (lode, gold-quartz veins) or placer (alluvial, unconsolidated gravels). Underground methods (adits and shafts) were used to mine hardrock gold deposits. Hydraulic, drift, or dredging methods were used to mine the placer gold deposits. Mercury was used to enhance gold recovery in all the various types of mining operations; historical records indicate that more mercury was used and lost at hydraulic mines than at other types of mines. On the basis of USGS studies and other recent work, a better understanding is emerging of mercury distribution, ongoing transport, transformation processes, and the extent of biological uptake in areas affected by historical gold mining. This information has been used extensively by federal, state, and local agencies responsible for resource management and public health in California.

Increased cellular uptake of peptide-modified PEGylated gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

He, Bo; Yang, Dan; Qin, Mengmeng; Zhang, Yuan; He, Bing; Dai, Wenbing; Wang, Xueqing; Zhang, Qiang; Zhang, Hua; Yin, Changcheng

2017-12-09

Gold nanoparticles are promising drug delivery vehicles for nucleic acids, small molecules, and proteins, allowing various modifications on the particle surface. However, the instability and low bioavailability of gold nanoparticles compromise their clinical application. Here, we functionalized gold nanoparticles with CPP fragments (CALNNPFVYLI, CALRRRRRRRR) through sulfhydryl PEG to increase their stability and bioavailability. The resulting gold nanoparticles were characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-visible spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the stability in biological solutions was evaluated. Comparing to PEGylated gold nanoparticles, CPP (CALNNPFVYLI, CALRRRRRRRR)-modified gold nanoparticles showed 46 folds increase in cellular uptake in A549 and B16 cell lines, as evidenced by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The interactions between gold nanoparticles and liposomes indicated CPP-modified gold nanoparticles bind to cell membrane more effectively than PEGylated gold nanoparticles. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to measure interactions between nanoparticles and the membrane. TEM and uptake inhibitor experiments indicated that the cellular entry of gold nanoparticles was mediated by clathrin and macropinocytosis. Other energy independent endocytosis pathways were also identified. Our work revealed a new strategy to modify gold nanoparticles with CPP and illustrated the cellular uptake pathway of CPP-modified gold nanoparticles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Core Vessel Insert Handling Robot for the Spallation Neutron Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Graves, Van B; Dayton, Michael J

2011-01-01

The Spallation Neutron Source provides the world's most intense pulsed neutron beams for scientific research and industrial development. Its eighteen neutron beam lines will eventually support up to twenty-four simultaneous experiments. Each beam line consists of various optical components which guide the neutrons to a particular instrument. The optical components nearest the neutron moderators are the core vessel inserts. Located approximately 9 m below the high bay floor, these inserts are bolted to the core vessel chamber and are part of the vacuum boundary. They are in a highly radioactive environment and must periodically be replaced. During initial SNS construction,more » four of the beam lines received Core Vessel Insert plugs rather than functional inserts. Remote replacement of the first Core Vessel Insert plug was recently completed using several pieces of custom-designed tooling, including a highly complicated Core Vessel Insert Robot. The design of this tool are discussed.« less

The Niassa Gold Belt, northern Mozambique - A segment of a continental-scale Pan-African gold-bearing structure?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bjerkgard, T.; Stein, H. J.; Bingen, B.; Henderson, I. H. C.; Sandstad, J. S.; Moniz, A.

2009-01-01

The Niassa Gold Belt, in northernmost Mozambique, is hosted in the Txitonga Group, a Neoproterozoic rift sequence overlying Paleoproterozoic crust of the Congo-Tanzania Craton and deformed during the Pan-African Orogeny. The Txitonga Group is made up of greenschist-facies greywacke and schist and is characterized by bimodal, mainly mafic, magmatism. A zircon U-Pb age for a felsic volcanite dates deposition of the sequence at 714 ± 17 Ma. Gold is mined artisanally from alluvial deposits and primary chalcopyrite-pyrite-bearing quartz veins containing up to 19 ppm Au have been analyzed. In the Cagurué and M'Papa gold fields, dominantly N-S trending quartz veins, hosted in metagabbro and schist, are regarded as tension gashes related to regional strike-slip NE-SW-trending Pan-African shear zones. These gold deposits have been classified as mesozonal and metamorphic in origin. Re-Os isotopic data on sulfides suggest two periods of gold deposition for the Cagurué Gold Field. A coarse-crystalline pyrite-chalcopyrite assemblage yields an imprecise Pan-African age of 483 ± 72 Ma, dating deposition of the quartz veins. Remobilization of early-formed sulfides, particularly chalcopyrite, took place at 112 ± 14 Ma, during Lower Cretaceous Gondwana dispersal. The ˜483 Ma assemblage yields a chondritic initial 187Os/ 188Os ratio of 0.123 ± 0.058. This implies a juvenile source for the ore fluids, possibly involving the hosting Neoproterozoic metagabbro. The Niassa Gold Belt is situated at the eastern end of a SW-NE trending continental-scale lineament defined by the Mwembeshi Shear Zone and the southern end of a NW-SE trending lineament defined by the Rukwa Shear Zone. We offer a review of gold deposits in Zambia and Tanzania associated with these polyphase lineaments and speculate on their interrelation.

Pressure redistribution by molded inserts in diabetic footwear: a pilot study.

PubMed

Lord, M; Hosein, R

1994-08-01

A small-scale trial is described to demonstrate and evaluate the redistribution of plantar pressure resulting from the use of custom-molded inserts in the orthopedic shoes of diabetic patients at risk of plantar ulceration. A pressure-measuring insole based on force-sensitive resistor technology enabled the load distribution to be compared using molded inserts and flat inserts fitted into the same shoes. An analysis of the 12 peaks of pressure that could be identified under a discrete metatarsal head of six subjects in the trial showed that the pressure was significantly reduced with the use of molded inserts (flat inserts: 305 +/- 79 kPa; molded inserts: 216 +/- 70 kPa; n = 6 p < 0.005). Technical limitations of the equipment and the difficult choice of match of flat insert to molded for comparison suggest that further studies are required for a definitive result.

Pulling monatomic gold wires with single molecules: an Ab initio simulation.

PubMed

Krüger, Daniel; Fuchs, Harald; Rousseau, Roger; Marx, Dominik; Parrinello, Michele

2002-10-28

Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that pulling a single thiolate molecule anchored on a stepped gold surface does not preferentially break the sulfur-gold chemical bond. Instead, it is found that this process leads to the formation of a monoatomic gold nanowire, followed by breaking a gold-gold bond with a rupture force of about 1.2 nN. The simulations also indicate that previous single-molecule thiolate-gold and gold-gold rupture experiments both probe the same phenomenon, namely, the breaking of a gold-gold bond within a gold nanowire.

Subchronic inhalation toxicity of gold nanoparticles

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Gold nanoparticles are widely used in consumer products, including cosmetics, food packaging, beverages, toothpaste, automobiles, and lubricants. With this increase in consumer products containing gold nanoparticles, the potential for worker exposure to gold nanoparticles will also increase. Only a few studies have produced data on the in vivo toxicology of gold nanoparticles, meaning that the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of gold nanoparticles remain unclear. Results The toxicity of gold nanoparticles was studied in Sprague Dawley rats by inhalation. Seven-week-old rats, weighing approximately 200 g (males) and 145 g (females), were divided into 4 groups (10 rats in each group): fresh-air control, low-dose (2.36 × 104 particle/cm3, 0.04 μg/m3), middle-dose (2.36 × 105 particle/cm3, 0.38 μg/m3), and high-dose (1.85 × 106 particle/cm3, 20.02 μg/m3). The animals were exposed to gold nanoparticles (average diameter 4-5 nm) for 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 90-days in a whole-body inhalation chamber. In addition to mortality and clinical observations, body weight, food consumption, and lung function were recorded weekly. At the end of the study, the rats were subjected to a full necropsy, blood samples were collected for hematology and clinical chemistry tests, and organ weights were measured. Cellular differential counts and cytotoxicity measurements, such as albumin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and total protein were also monitored in a cellular bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Among lung function test measurements, tidal volume and minute volume showed a tendency to decrease comparing control and dose groups during the 90-days of exposure. Although no statistically significant differences were found in cellular differential counts, histopathologic examination showed minimal alveoli, an inflammatory infiltrate with a mixed cell type, and increased macrophages in the high-dose rats. Tissue distribution of gold

Mars Observer Lecture: Mars Orbit Insertion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dodd, Suzanne R. (Personal Name)

1993-01-01

The Mars Observer mission spacecraft was primarily designed for exploring Mars and the Martian environment. The Mars Observer was launched on September 25, 1992. The spacecraft was lost in the vicinity of Mars on August 21, 1993 when the spacecraft began its maneuvering sequence for Martian orbital insertion. This videotape shows a lecture by Suzanne R. Dodd, the Mission Planning Team Chief for the Mars Observer Project. Ms Dodd begins with a brief overview of the mission and the timeline from the launch to orbital insertion. Ms Dodd then reviews slides showing the trajectory of the spacecraft on its trip to Mars. Slides of the spacecraft being constructed are also shown. She then discusses the Mars orbit insertion and the events that will occur to move the spacecraft from the capture orbit into a mapping orbit. During the trip to Mars, scientists at JPL had devised a new strategy, called Power In that would allow for an earlier insertion into the mapping orbit. The talk summarizes this strategy, showing on a slide the planned transition orbits. There are shots of the Martian moon, Phobos, taken from the Viking spacecraft, as Ms Dodd explains that the trajectory will allow the orbiter to make new observations of that moon. She also explains the required steps to prepare for mapping after the spacecraft has achieved the mapping orbit around Mars. The lecture ends with a picture of Mars from the Observer on its approach to the planet.

Eyelid reanimation with gold weight implant and tendon sling suspension: evaluation of excursion and velocity using the FACIAL CLIMA system.

PubMed

Hontanilla, Bernardo; Marre, Diego

2013-04-01

This study aims to analyse the efficacy of static techniques, namely gold weight implant and tendon sling, in the reanimation of the paralytic eyelid. Upper eyelid rehabilitation in terms of excursion and blinking velocity is performed using the automatic motion capture system, FACIAL CLIMA. Seventy-four patients underwent a total of 101 procedures including 58 upper eyelid gold weight implants and 43 lower eyelid tendon suspension with 27 patients undergoing both procedures. The presence of lagophtalmos, eye dryness, corneal ulcer, epiphora and lower lid ptosis/ectropion was assessed preoperatively. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare preoperative versus postoperative measurements of upper eyelid excursion and blinking velocity determined with FACIAL CLIMA. Significance was set at p <0.05. FACIAL CLIMA revealed significant improvement of eyelid excursion and velocity of blinking (p < 0.001). Eye dryness improved in 49 patients (90.7%) and corneal ulcer resolved without any further treatment in 12 (85.7%) of those with a gold weight inserted. Implant extrusion was observed in 8.6% of the cases. Of the patients with lower lid tendon suspension, correction of ptosis/ectropion and epiphora was achieved in 93.9% and 91.9% of cases, respectively. In eight patients (18.6%), further surgery was needed to adjust tendon tension. The paralytic upper and lower eyelid can be successfully managed with gold weight implant and tendon suspension. The FACIAL CLIMA system is a reliable method to quantify upper eyelid excursion and blinking velocity and to detect the exact position of the lower eyelid. Copyright © 2012 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study on Sumbawa gold ore liberation using rod mill: effect of rod-number and rotational speed on particle size distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasetya, A.; Mawadati, A.; Putri, A. M. R.; Petrus, H. T. B. M.

2018-01-01

Comminution is one of crucial steps in gold ore processing used to liberate the valuable minerals from gaunge mineral. This research is done to find the particle size distribution of gold ore after it has been treated through the comminution process in a rod mill with various number of rod and rotational speed that will results in one optimum milling condition. For the initial step, Sumbawa gold ore was crushed and then sieved to pass the 2.5 mesh and retained on the 5 mesh (this condition was taken to mimic real application in artisanal gold mining). Inserting the prepared sample into the rod mill, the observation on effect of rod-number and rotational speed was then conducted by variating the rod number of 7 and 10 while the rotational speed was varied from 60, 85, and 110 rpm. In order to be able to provide estimation on particle distribution of every condition, the comminution kinetic was applied by taking sample at 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes for size distribution analysis. The change of particle distribution of top and bottom product as time series was then treated using Rosin-Rammler distribution equation. The result shows that the homogenity of particle size and particle size distribution is affected by rod-number and rotational speed. The particle size distribution is more homogeneous by increasing of milling time, regardless of rod-number and rotational speed. Mean size of particles do not change significantly after 60 minutes milling time. Experimental results showed that the optimum condition was achieved at rotational speed of 85 rpm, using rod-number of 7.

21 CFR 310.501 - Patient package inserts for oral contraceptives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Patient package inserts for oral contraceptives... Patient package inserts for oral contraceptives. (a) Requirement for a patient package insert. The safe and effective use of oral contraceptive drug products requires that patients be fully informed of the...

21 CFR 310.501 - Patient package inserts for oral contraceptives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Patient package inserts for oral contraceptives... Patient package inserts for oral contraceptives. (a) Requirement for a patient package insert. The safe and effective use of oral contraceptive drug products requires that patients be fully informed of the...

21 CFR 310.501 - Patient package inserts for oral contraceptives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Patient package inserts for oral contraceptives... Patient package inserts for oral contraceptives. (a) Requirement for a patient package insert. The safe and effective use of oral contraceptive drug products requires that patients be fully informed of the...

21 CFR 876.5830 - Hemodialyzer with disposable insert (Kiil type).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Hemodialyzer with disposable insert (Kiil type). (a) Identification. A hemodialyzer with disposable inserts (Kiil type) is a device that is used as a part of an artificial kidney system for the treatment of patients with renal failure or toxemic conditions and that includes disposable inserts consisting of layers...

Evaluation of a high resolution silicon PET insert module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grkovski, Milan; Brzezinski, Karol; Cindro, Vladimir; Clinthorne, Neal H.; Kagan, Harris; Lacasta, Carlos; Mikuž, Marko; Solaz, Carles; Studen, Andrej; Weilhammer, Peter; Žontar, Dejan

2015-07-01

Conventional PET systems can be augmented with additional detectors placed in close proximity of the region of interest. We developed a high resolution PET insert module to evaluate the added benefit of such a combination. The insert module consists of two back-to-back 1 mm thick silicon sensors, each segmented into 1040 1 mm2 pads arranged in a 40 by 26 array. A set of 16 VATAGP7.1 ASICs and a custom assembled data acquisition board were used to read out the signal from the insert module. Data were acquired in slice (2D) geometry with a Jaszczak phantom (rod diameters of 1.2-4.8 mm) filled with 18F-FDG and the images were reconstructed with ML-EM method. Both data with full and limited angular coverage from the insert module were considered and three types of coincidence events were combined. The ratio of high-resolution data that substantially improves quality of the reconstructed image for the region near the surface of the insert module was estimated to be about 4%. Results from our previous studies suggest that such ratio could be achieved at a moderate technological expense by using an equivalent of two insert modules (an effective sensor thickness of 4 mm).

Gold-Collar Workers. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wonacott, Michael E.

The gold-collar worker has problem-solving abilities, creativity, talent, and intelligence; performs non-repetitive and complex work difficult to evaluate; and prefers self management. Gold-collar information technology workers learn continually from experience; recognize the synergy of teams; can demonstrate leadership; and are strategic thinkers…

Safety and Effectiveness of Percutaneously Inserted Peritoneal Ports Compared to Surgically Inserted Ports in a Retrospective Study of 87 Patients with Ovarian Carcinoma over a 10-Year Period

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woodley-Cook, Joel, E-mail: jwoodleycook@gmail.com; Tarulli, Emidio; Tan, Kong T.

PurposePlacement of peritoneal ports has become a favorable technique for direct chemotherapy infusion in treating peritoneal metastases from ovarian cancer. We aim to outline an approach to the percutaneous insertion of peritoneal ports and to characterize success and complication rates compared to surgically inserted ports.Materials and MethodsRetrospective analysis was collected from 87 patients who had peritoneal port insertion (28 inserted surgically and 59 percutaneously) for treatment of peritoneal metastases from ovarian cancer from July 2004 to July 2014. Complications were classified according to the SIR Clinical Practice Guidelines as major or minor.ResultsTechnical success rates for surgically and percutaneously inserted portsmore » were 100 and 96.7 %, respectively (p = 0.44), with the two percutaneous failures successful at a later date. There were no major complications in either group. Minor complication rates for surgically versus percutaneously inserted ports were 46.4 versus 22.0 %, respectively (p = 0.02). The infection rate for surgically inserted versus percutaneously inserted ports was 14.3 and 0 %, respectively (p = 0.002). The relative risk of developing a complication from percutaneous peritoneal port insertion without ascites was 3.4 (p = 0.04). For percutaneously inserted ports, the mean in-room procedure time was 81 ± 1.3 min and mean fluoroscopy time was 5.0 ± 4.5 min.ConclusionPercutaneously inserted peritoneal ports are a safe alternative to surgically inserted ports, demonstrating similar technical success and lower complication rates.« less

Nanoporous Gold for Enzyme Immobilization.

PubMed

Stine, Keith J; Jefferson, Kenise; Shulga, Olga V

2017-01-01

Nanoporous gold (NPG) is a material of emerging interest for immobilization of biomolecules, especially enzymes. The material provides a high surface area form of gold that is suitable for physisorption or for covalent modification by self-assembled monolayers. The material can be used as a high surface area electrode and with immobilized enzymes can be used for amperometric detection schemes. NPG can be prepared in a variety of formats from alloys containing between 20 and 50 % atomic composition of gold and less noble element(s) by dealloying procedures. Materials resembling NPG can be prepared by hydrothermal and electrodeposition methods. Related high surface area gold structures have been prepared using templating approaches. Covalent enzyme immobilization can be achieved by first forming a self-assembled monolayer on NPG bearing a terminal reactive functional group followed by conjugation to the enzyme through amide linkages to lysine residues. Enzymes can also be entrapped by physisorption or immobilized by electrostatic interactions.

The Carnegie Mellon University Insert Project

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-02-01

Real - Time Systems (INSERT) project under the DARPA Evolutionary Design for Complex Software (EDCS) Program. The INSERT team has completed an initial API definition and ported the existing real-time publication subscription group communication software to LynxOS 2.4, a POSIX.1b compliant OS. The distributed real-time publisher/subscriber communication model is now supported by a processor membership protocol which allows a node in the system to fail, or to rejoin the system later. When a node fails, all the publishers and subscribers on that node have to be

Radiation of the high-order plasmonic modes of large gold nanospheres excited by surface plasmon polaritons.

PubMed

Chen, Jing-Dong; Xiang, Jin; Jiang, Shuai; Dai, Qiao-Feng; Tie, Shao-Long; Lan, Sheng

2018-05-17

Large metallic nanoparticles with sizes comparable to the wavelength of light are expected to support high-order plasmon modes exhibiting resonances in the visible to near infrared spectral range. However, the radiation behavior of high-order plasmon modes, including scattering spectra and radiation patterns, remains unexplored. Here, we report on the first observation and characterization of the high-order plasmon modes excited in large gold nanospheres by using the surface plasmon polaritons generated on the surface of a thin gold film. The polarization-dependent scattering spectra were measured by inserting a polarization analyzer in the collection channel and the physical origins of the scattering peaks observed in the scattering spectra were clearly identified. More interestingly, the radiation of electric quadrupoles and octupoles was resolved in both frequency and spatial domains. In addition, the angular dependences of the radiation intensity for all plasmon modes were extracted by fitting the polarization-dependent scattering spectra with multiple Lorentz line shapes. A significant enhancement of the electric field was found in the gap plasmon modes and it was employed to generate hot-electron intraband luminescence. Our findings pave the way for exploiting the high-order plasmon modes of large metallic nanoparticles in the manipulation of light radiation and light-matter interaction.

Detection of squamous carcinoma cells using gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Wei-Yun; Lee, Sze-tsen; Hsu, Yih-Chih

2015-03-01

The goal of this study is to use gold nanoparticle as a diagnostic agent to detect human squamous carcinoma cells. Gold nanoparticles were synthesized and the gold nanoparticle size was 34.3 ± 6.2 nm. Based on the over-expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) biomarkers in squamous carcinoma cells, we hypothesized that EGFR could be a feasible biomarker with a target moiety for detection. We further modified polyclonal antibodies of EGFR on the surface of gold nanoparticles. We found selected squamous carcinoma cells can be selectively detected using EGFR antibody-modified gold nanoparticles via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Cell death was also examined to determine the survival status of squamous carcinoma cells with respect to gold nanoparticle treatment and EGFR polyclonal antibody modification.

Precipitation of gold by the reaction of aqueous gold(III)-chloride with cyanobacteria at 25-80{degrees}C, studied by x-ray absorption spectroscopy.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lengke, M. F.; Ravel, B.; Fleet, M. E.

2007-10-01

The mechanisms of gold precipitation by the interaction of cyanobacteria (Plectonema boryanum UTEX 485) and gold(III) chloride aqueous solutions (7.6 mmol/L final gold) have been studied at 25, 60, and 80 C, using both laboratory and real-time synchrotron radiation absorption spectroscopy experiments. Addition of aqueous gold(III) chloride to the cyanobacterial culture initially promoted the precipitation of amorphous gold(I) sulfide at the cell walls and finally caused the formation of octahedral (111) platelets (<1 to 6 {micro}m) of gold metal near cell surfaces and in solutions. X-ray absorption spectroscopy results confirmed that the reduction mechanism of gold(III) chloride to elemental goldmore » by cyanobacteria involves the formation of an intermediate Au(I) species, gold(I) sulfide, with sulfur originating from cyanobacterial proteins, presumably cysteine or methionine. Although the bioreduction of gold(III) chloride to gold(I) sulfide was relatively rapid at all temperatures, the reaction rate increased with the increase in temperature. At the completion of the experiments, elemental gold was the major species present at all temperatures.« less

Antifungal activity of gold nanoparticles prepared by solvothermal method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmad, Tokeer, E-mail: tahmad3@jmi.ac.in; Wani, Irshad A.; Lone, Irfan H.

2013-01-15

Graphical abstract: Gold nanoparticles (7 and 15 nm) of very high surface area (329 and 269 m{sup 2}/g) have been successfully synthesized through solvothermal method by using tin chloride and sodium borohydride as reducing agents. As-prepared gold nanoparticles shows very excellent antifungal activity against Candida isolates and activity increases with decrease in the particle size. Display Omitted Highlights: ► Effect of reducing agents on the morphology of gold nanoparticles. ► Highly uniform and monodisperse gold nanoparticles (7 nm). ► Highest surface area of gold nanoparticles (329 m{sup 2/}g). ► Excellent antifungal activity of gold nanoparticles against Candida strains. -- Abstract:more » Gold nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by solvothermal method using SnCl{sub 2} and NaBH{sub 4} as reducing agents. X-ray diffraction studies show highly crystalline and monophasic nature of the gold nanoparticles with face centred cubic structure. The transmission electron microscopic studies show the formation of nearly spherical gold nanoparticles of average size of 15 nm using SnCl{sub 2}, however, NaBH{sub 4} produced highly uniform, monodispersed and spherical gold nanoparticles of average grain size of 7 nm. A high surface area of 329 m{sup 2}/g for 7 nm and 269 m{sup 2}/g for 15 nm gold nanoparticles was observed. UV–vis studies assert the excitations over the visible region due to transverse and longitudinal surface plasmon modes. The gold nanoparticles exhibit excellent size dependant antifungal activity and greater biocidal action against Candida isolates for 7 nm sized gold nanoparticles restricting the transmembrane H{sup +} efflux of the Candida species than 15 nm sized gold nanoparticles.« less

Orogenic gold and geologic time: A global synthesis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goldfarb, R.J.; Groves, D.I.; Gardoll, S.

2001-01-01

Orogenic gold deposits have formed over more than 3 billion years of Earth's history, episodically during the Middle Archean to younger Precambrian, and continuously throughout the Phanerozoic. This class of gold deposit is characteristically associated with deformed and metamorphosed mid-crustal blocks, particularly in spatial association with major crustal structures. A consistent spatial and temporal association with granitoids of a variety of compositions indicates that melts and fluids were both inherent products of thermal events during orogenesis. Including placer accumulations, which are commonly intimately associated with this mineral deposit type, recognized production and resources from economic Phanerozoic orogenic-gold deposits are estimated at just over one billion ounces gold. Exclusive of the still-controversial Witwatersrand ores, known Precambrian gold concentrations are about half this amount. The recent increased applicability of global paleo-reconstructions, coupled with improved geochronology from most of the world's major gold camps, allows for an improved understanding of the distribution pattern of orogenic gold in space and time.

Three-year clinical performance of cast gold vs ceramic partial crowns.

PubMed

Federlin, M; Wagner, J; Männer, T; Hiller, K-A; Schmalz, G

2007-12-01

Cast gold partial crowns (CGPC) and partial ceramic crowns (PCC) are both accepted for restoring posterior teeth with extended lesions today. However, as esthetics in dentistry becomes increasingly important, CGPC are being progressively replaced by PCC. The aim of the present prospective split-mouth study was the comparison of the clinical performance of PCC and CGPC after 3 years of clinical service. Twenty-eight patients (11 men and 17 women) participated in the 3-year recall with a total of 56 restorations. In each patient, one CGPC (Degulor C) and one PCC (Vita Mark II ceramic/Cerec III) had been inserted at baseline. CGPC were placed using a zinc phosphate cement (Harvard); PCC were adhesively luted (Variolink II/Excite). All restorations were clinically assessed using modified US Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria at baseline, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years after insertion. Twenty-eight CGPC and 14 PCC were placed in molars, and 14 PCC were placed in premolars. Early data were reported previously under the same study design. After 3 years, the evaluation according to USPHS criteria revealed no statistically significant differences between both types of restorations with the exception of marginal adaptation and marginal discoloration: A statistically significant difference within the PCC group (baseline/3 years) was determined for the criterion marginal adaptation. For the 3-year recall period, overall failure was 0% for CGPC and 6.9% for PCC. At 3 years, PCC meet American Dental Association Acceptance Guidelines criteria for tooth-colored restorative materials for posterior teeth.

Reconnaissance guidelines for gold exploration in Central Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Light, T.D.; Moll, S.H.; Bie, S.W.; Lee, G.K.

1993-01-01

Distribution of more than 300 gold-bearing samples from the Livengood (Tolovana) and parts of the Fairbanks and Rampart mining districts in central Alaska, USA, indicate that the concentration of gold in placers is spatially related both to structural features and to Late Cretaceous and (or) Tertiary felsic plutons. The regional consistency of these spatial relationships is demonstrated by proximity analysis using a Geographic Information System (GIS), and suggests a genetic association between faults, felsic plutons, and gold occurrences. The local presence of gold within several of the plutons indicates that these are the source of some of the gold. In addition, some gold occurs proximal to faults where plutons are not present, suggesting that some of the gold was also derived from the country rock. We envision a model whereby weakly mineralized solutions, thermally driven by latent plutonic heat, were enriched by circulation through clastic units that may have had a naturally elevated gold background. The resultant enriched solutions were channeled and reconcentrated along or adjacent to large-scale fault systems. Future exploration to define individual target areas should be directed toward areas where Late Cretaceous and (or) Tertiary felsic plutons occur near major faults. ?? 1993.

Thiosulfate leaching of gold from waste mobile phones.

PubMed

Ha, Vinh Hung; Lee, Jae-chun; Jeong, Jinki; Hai, Huynh Trung; Jha, Manis K

2010-06-15

The present communication deals with the leaching of gold from the printed circuit boards (PCBs) of waste mobile phones using an effective and less hazardous system, i.e., a copper-ammonia-thiosulfate solution, as an alternative to the conventional and toxic cyanide leaching of gold. The influence of thiosulfate, ammonia and copper sulfate concentrations on the leaching of gold from PCBs of waste mobile phones was investigated. Gold extraction was found to be enhanced with solutions containing 15-20 mM cupric, 0.1-0.14 M thiosulfate, and 0.2-0.3 M ammonia. Similar trends were obtained for the leaching of gold from two different types of scraps and PCBs of waste mobile phones. From the scrap samples, 98% of the gold was leached out using a solution containing 20 mM copper, 0.12 M thiosulfate and 0.2 M ammonia. Similarly, the leaching of gold from the PCBs samples was also found to be good, but it was lower than that of scrap samples in similar experimental conditions. In this case, only 90% of the gold was leached, even with a contact time of 10h. The obtained data will be useful for the development of processes for the recycling of gold from waste mobile phones. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bending stiffness, torsional stability, and insertion force of cementless femoral stems.

PubMed

Incavo, S J; Johnson, C C; Churchill, D L; Beynnon, B D

2001-04-01

In cementless total hip arthroplasty, increased femoral stem flexibility and decreased fracture propensity are desirable characteristics. The slotting and tapering of the stem have been introduced to achieve this. These features should not, however, be allowed to interfere with the ability of the distal stem to provide initial mechanical stability, especially under rotation. This study was done to investigate the ability of slotted and tapered stem designs to reduce stiffness and insertion force while still maintaining adequate torsional strength. The torsional strength, maximum insertion force, and insertional work of straight, slotted, and taper stems were measured by inserting each type into rigid polyurethane foam and torque testing to failure. Bending stiffness of each stem design was calculated using numerical methods. When compared to a straight stem, a unislot stem has similar torsional strength, maximum insertional force, and work of insertion. The bending stiffness is decreased by 19% to 82% depending on the bending direction. A trislot design decreased torque strength by 29%, maximal insertion force by 36%, and work by 11%. Bending stiffness was decreased by 74% and was not dependent on bending direction. A 0.5-mm taper decreased torque strength by 11% and insertional work by 14%. No difference was seen in maximum insertional force. We conclude that the design features studied (slots and taper) are effective in decreasing stem stiffness and reducing fracture propensity.

Gold absorbing film for a composite bolometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dragovan, M.; Moseley, S. H.

1984-01-01

The principles governing the design of metal films are reviewed, with attention also given to the choice of metals. A description is then given of the characteristics of a bolometer with a gold absorbing film. It is demonstrated that gold is effective as an absorbing film for a millimeter bolometer operated at 1.5 K. At 1.5 K, gold is significantly better than bismuth since gold has a lower heat capacity for the absorbing film. At 0.3 K, gold and bismuth are both suitable. It is pointed out that at temperatures below 0.3 K, a superconducting absorbing film can have a heat capacity low enough not to dominate the heat capacity of the detector; for this reason, it may give better performance than a nonsuperconducting absorbing film.

Concealed Accessory Pathways with a Single Ventricular and Two Discrete Atrial Insertion Sites.

PubMed

Kipp, Ryan T; Abu Sham'a, Raed; Hiroyuki, Ito; Han, Frederick T; Refaat, Marwan; Hsu, Jonathan C; Field, Michael E; Kopp, Douglas E; Marcus, Gregory M; Scheinman, Melvin M; Hoffmayer, Kurt S

2017-03-01

Atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT) utilizing a concealed accessory pathway is common. It is well appreciated that some patients may have multiple accessory pathways with separate atrial and ventricular insertion sites. We present three cases of AVRT utilizing concealed pathways with evidence that each utilizing a single ventricular insertion and two discrete atrial insertion sites. In case one, two discrete atrial insertion sites were mapped in two separate procedures, and only during the second ablation was the Kent potential identified. Ablation of the Kent potential at this site remote from the two atrial insertion sites resulted in the termination of the retrograde conduction in both pathways. Case two presented with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with alternating eccentric atrial activation patterns without alteration in the tachycardia cycle length. The two distinct atrial insertion sites during orthodromic AVRT and ventricular pacing were targeted and each of the two atrial insertion sites were successfully mapped and ablated. In case three, retrograde decremental conduction utilizing both atrial insertion sites was identified prior to ablation. After mapping and ablation of the first discrete atrial insertion site, tachycardia persisted utilizing the second atrial insertion site. Only after ablation of the second atrial insertion site was SVT noninducible, and VA conduction was no longer present. Concealed retrograde accessory pathways with discrete atrial insertion sites may have a common ventricular insertion site. Identification and ablation of the ventricular insertion site or the separate discrete atrial insertion sites result in successful treatment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

21 CFR 886.5420 - Contact lens inserter/remover.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Contact lens inserter/remover. 886.5420 Section 886.5420 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 886.5420 Contact lens inserter/remover...

A relative navigation sensor for CubeSats based on LED fiducial markers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sansone, Francesco; Branz, Francesco; Francesconi, Alessandro

2018-05-01

Small satellite platforms are becoming very appealing both for scientific and commercial applications, thanks to their low cost, short development times and availability of standard components and subsystems. The main disadvantage with such vehicles is the limitation of available resources to perform mission tasks. To overcome this drawback, mission concepts are under study that foresee cooperation between autonomous small satellites to accomplish complex tasks; among these, on-orbit servicing and on-orbit assembly of large structures are of particular interest and the global scientific community is putting a significant effort in the miniaturization of critical technologies that are required for such innovative mission scenarios. In this work, the development and the laboratory testing of an accurate relative navigation package for nanosatellites compliant to the CubeSat standard is presented. The system features a small camera and two sets of LED fiducial markers, and is conceived as a standard package that allows small spacecraft to perform mutual tracking during rendezvous and docking maneuvers. The hardware is based on off-the-shelf components assembled in a compact configuration that is compatible with the CubeSat standard. The image processing and pose estimation software was custom developed. The experimental evaluation of the system allowed to determine both the static and dynamic performances. The system is capable to determine the close range relative position and attitude faster than 10 S/s, with errors always below 10 mm and 2 deg.

A Placer-Gold Evaluation Exercise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tunley, A. Tom

1984-01-01

A laboratory exercise allowing students to use drillhole data to simulate the process of locating a placer gold paystreak is presented. As part of the activity students arithmetically compute the value of their gold, mining costs, and personal profits or losses, and decide on development plans for the claim. (BC)

Bottom-up formation of robust gold carbide

PubMed Central

Westenfelder, Benedikt; Biskupek, Johannes; Meyer, Jannik C.; Kurasch, Simon; Lin, Xiaohang; Scholz, Ferdinand; Gross, Axel; Kaiser, Ute

2015-01-01

A new phenomenon of structural reorganization is discovered and characterized for a gold-carbon system by in-situ atomic-resolution imaging at temperatures up to 1300 K. Here, a graphene sheet serves in three ways, as a quasi transparent substrate for aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, as an in-situ heater, and as carbon supplier. The sheet has been decorated with gold nanoislands beforehand. During electron irradiation at 80 kV and at elevated temperatures, the accumulation of gold atoms has been observed on defective graphene sites or edges as well as at the facets of gold nanocrystals. Both resulted in clustering, forming unusual crystalline structures. Their lattice parameters and surface termination differ significantly from standard gold nanocrystals. The experimental data, supported by electron energy loss spectroscopy and density-functional theory calculations, suggests that isolated gold and carbon atoms form – under conditions of heat and electron irradiation – a novel type of compound crystal, Au-C in zincblende structure. The novel material is metastable, but surprisingly robust, even under annealing condition. PMID:25772348

Formation of neutral and charged gold carbonyls on highly facetted gold nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chau, Thoi-Dai; Visart de Bocarmé, Thierry; Kruse, Norbert; Wang, Richard L. C.; Kreuzer, Hans Jürgen

2003-12-01

We show that gold mono- and di-carbonyls are formed on gold field emitter tips during interaction with carbon monoxide gas at room temperature and in the presence of high electrostatic fields. The experiments are done in a time-of-flight atom probe to obtain mass spectra. The yield of monocarbonyl cations is about twice that of di-carbonyl ions. Density functional theory calculations are reported that explain the field stabilization of adsorbed carbonyls and the desorption yield of their cations.

Beamline Insertions Manager at Jefferson Lab

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Michael C.

2015-09-01

The beam viewer system at Jefferson Lab provides operators and beam physicists with qualitative and quantitative information on the transverse electron beam properties. There are over 140 beam viewers installed on the 12 GeV CEBAF accelerator. This paper describes an upgrade consisting of replacing the EPICS-based system tasked with managing all viewers with a mixed system utilizing EPICS and high-level software. Most devices, particularly the beam viewers, cannot be safely inserted into the beam line during high-current beam operations. Software is partly responsible for protecting the machine from untimely insertions. The multiplicity of beam-blocking and beam-vulnerable devices motivates us tomore » try a data-driven approach. The beamline insertions application components are centrally managed and configured through an object-oriented software framework created for this purpose. A rules-based engine tracks the configuration and status of every device, along with the beam status of the machine segment containing the device. The application uses this information to decide on which device actions are allowed at any given time.« less

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING INSERTION OF ROD

DOEpatents

Beaty, B.J.

1958-10-14

A device for rapidly inserting a safety rod into a nuclear reactor upon a given signal or in the event of a power failure in order to prevent the possibility of extensive damage caused by a power excursion is described. A piston is slidably mounted within a vertical cylinder with provision for an electromagnetic latch at the top of the cylinder. This assembly, with a safety rod attached to the piston, is mounted over an access port to the core region of the reactor. The piston is normally latched at the top of the cylinder with the safety rod clear of the core area, however, when the latch is released, the piston and rod drop by their own weight to insert the rod. Vents along the side of the cylinder permit the escape of the air entrapped under the piston over the greater part of the distance, however, at the end of the fall the entrapped air is compressed thereby bringing the safety rod gently to rest, thus providing for a rapid automatic insertion of the rod with a minimum of structural shock.

Correction of hypermobile flatfoot in children by molded insert.

PubMed

Bordelon, R L

1980-11-01

One hundred feet in 50 children between the ages of 3 and 9 years with a diagnosis of idiopathic hypermobile flatfoot had a custom-molded insert ordered. A specific method of casting, correcting the various components of the deformity was utilized. An 1/8-inch polypropolene insert was fabricated from the positive cast. The insert was worn in leather shoes with a long counter, steel shank, and Thomas heel. The flatfoot was evaluated and classified by measurement of the talometatarsal angle on a standing lateral X-ray. The insert was fabricated so that the standing lateral talometatarsal angle was corrected to neutral with the insert on the foot and the foot in the shoe. The preliminary reports indicate that a correction can be obtained at the rate of 0.41 degrees per month or approximately 5 degrees per year. There was no significant loss of motion of the foot or the ankle. Perhaps this regimen may be utilized in those children with a hypermobile flatfoot for whom treatment is advised.

Linear response formulism of a carbon nano-onion stringed to gold electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Milanpreet; Sawhney, Ravinder Singh; Engles, Derick

2017-04-01

Density functional theory is used to investigate the electronic state of a carbon nano-onion conglobated by endohedral-ing the highly curved C20 fullerene within its parent fullerene C60. The Non-Equilibrium Green's Function is later employed to examine the quantum transport when the carbon nano-onion, C20@C60 is stringed to the pair of gold electrodes of (001) plane. The computed results are evaluated and compared with C20 and C60 junctions. The calculated electronic parameters of these molecular junctions are utilized to extrapolate their two electrical parameters: current and conductance. The carbon nano-onion junction assembled from the C20 and C60 molecules displays the combined effect of their molecular junctions when organized separately. Also, the insertion of C20 molecule in the hollow cavity of C60 fullerene leads to the enhancement of its current and conductance in carbon nano-onion junction formed, when compared to the one constructed otherwise.

Highly active thermally stable nanoporous gold catalyst

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biener, Juergen; Wittstock, Arne; Biener, Monika M.

In one embodiment, a system includes a nanoporous gold structure and a plurality of oxide particles deposited on the nanoporous gold structure; the oxide particles are characterized by a crystalline phase. In another embodiment, a method includes depositing oxide nanoparticles on a nanoporous gold support to form an active structure and functionalizing the deposited oxide nanoparticles.

Predicting cancellous bone failure during screw insertion.

PubMed

Reynolds, Karen J; Cleek, Tammy M; Mohtar, Aaron A; Hearn, Trevor C

2013-04-05

Internal fixation of fractures often requires the tightening of bone screws to stabilise fragments. Inadequate application of torque can leave the fracture unstable, while over-tightening results in the stripping of the thread and loss of fixation. The optimal amount of screw torque is specific to each application and in practice is difficult to attain due to the wide variability in bone properties including bone density. The aim of the research presented in this paper is to investigate the relationships between motor torque and screw compression during powered screw insertion, and to evaluate whether the torque during insertion can be used to predict the ultimate failure torque of the bone. A custom test rig was designed and built for bone screw experiments. By inserting cancellous bone screws into synthetic, ovine and human bone specimens, it was established that variations related to bone density could be automatically detected through the effects of the bone on the rotational characteristics of the screw. The torque measured during screw insertion was found to be directly related to bone density and can be used, on its own, as a good predictor of ultimate failure torque of the bone. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insertion Sequences

PubMed Central

Mahillon, Jacques; Chandler, Michael

1998-01-01

Insertion sequences (ISs) constitute an important component of most bacterial genomes. Over 500 individual ISs have been described in the literature to date, and many more are being discovered in the ongoing prokaryotic and eukaryotic genome-sequencing projects. The last 10 years have also seen some striking advances in our understanding of the transposition process itself. Not least of these has been the development of various in vitro transposition systems for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic elements and, for several of these, a detailed understanding of the transposition process at the chemical level. This review presents a general overview of the organization and function of insertion sequences of eubacterial, archaebacterial, and eukaryotic origins with particular emphasis on bacterial elements and on different aspects of the transposition mechanism. It also attempts to provide a framework for classification of these elements by assigning them to various families or groups. A total of 443 members of the collection have been grouped in 17 families based on combinations of the following criteria: (i) similarities in genetic organization (arrangement of open reading frames); (ii) marked identities or similarities in the enzymes which mediate the transposition reactions, the recombinases/transposases (Tpases); (iii) similar features of their ends (terminal IRs); and (iv) fate of the nucleotide sequence of their target sites (generation of a direct target duplication of determined length). A brief description of the mechanism(s) involved in the mobility of individual ISs in each family and of the structure-function relationships of the individual Tpases is included where available. PMID:9729608

Local density variation of gold nanoparticles in aquatic environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseinzadeh, F.; Shirazian, F.; Shahsavari, R.; Khoei, A. R.

2016-10-01

Gold (Au) nanoparticles are widely used in diagnosing cancer, imaging, and identification of therapeutic methods due to their particular quantum characteristics. This research presents different types of aqueous models and potentials used in TIP3P, to study the effect of the particle size and density of Au clusters in aquatic environments; so it can be useful to facilitate future investigation of the interaction of proteins with Au nanoparticles. The EAM potential is used to model the structure of gold clusters. It is observed that in the systems with identical gold/water density and different cluster radii, gold particles are distributed in aqueous environment almost identically. Thus, Au particles have identical local densities, and the root mean square displacement (RMSD) increases with a constant slope. However in systems with constant cluster radii and different gold/water densities, Au particle dispersion increases with density; as a result, the local density decreases and the RMSD increases with a larger slope. In such systems, the larger densities result in more blunted second peaks in gold-gold radial distribution functions, owing to more intermixing of the clusters and less FCC crystalline features at longer range, a mechanism that is mediated by the competing effects of gold-water and gold-gold interactions.

Sorting genomes by reciprocal translocations, insertions, and deletions.

PubMed

Qi, Xingqin; Li, Guojun; Li, Shuguang; Xu, Ying

2010-01-01

The problem of sorting by reciprocal translocations (abbreviated as SBT) arises from the field of comparative genomics, which is to find a shortest sequence of reciprocal translocations that transforms one genome Pi into another genome Gamma, with the restriction that Pi and Gamma contain the same genes. SBT has been proved to be polynomial-time solvable, and several polynomial algorithms have been developed. In this paper, we show how to extend Bergeron's SBT algorithm to include insertions and deletions, allowing to compare genomes containing different genes. In particular, if the gene set of Pi is a subset (or superset, respectively) of the gene set of Gamma, we present an approximation algorithm for transforming Pi into Gamma by reciprocal translocations and deletions (insertions, respectively), providing a sorting sequence with length at most OPT + 2, where OPT is the minimum number of translocations and deletions (insertions, respectively) needed to transform Pi into Gamma; if Pi and Gamma have different genes but not containing each other, we give a heuristic to transform Pi into Gamma by a shortest sequence of reciprocal translocations, insertions, and deletions, with bounds for the length of the sorting sequence it outputs. At a conceptual level, there is some similarity between our algorithm and the algorithm developed by El Mabrouk which is used to sort two chromosomes with different gene contents by reversals, insertions, and deletions.