1,205 research outputs found
Bone Material Analogues for PET/MRI Phantoms
Purpose: To develop bone material analogues that can be used in construction
of phantoms for simultaneous PET/MRI systems.
Methods: Plaster was used as the basis for the bone material analogues tested
in this study. It was mixed with varying concentrations of an iodinated CT
contrast, a gadolinium-based MR contrast agent, and copper sulfate to modulate
the attenuation properties and MRI properties (T1 and T2*). Attenuation was
measured with CT and 68Ge transmission scans, and MRI properties were measured
with quantitative ultrashort echo time pulse sequences. A proof-of-concept
skull was created by plaster casting.
Results: Undoped plaster has a 511 keV attenuation coefficient (~0.14 cm-1)
similar to cortical bone (0.10-0.15 cm-1), but slightly longer T1 (~500 ms) and
T2* (~1.2 ms) MR parameters compared to bone (T1 ~ 300 ms, T2* ~ 0.4 ms).
Doping with the iodinated agent resulted in increased attenuation with minimal
perturbation to the MR parameters. Doping with a gadolinium chelate greatly
reduced T1 and T2*, resulting in extremely short T1 values when the target T2*
values were reached, while the attenuation coefficient was unchanged. Doping
with copper sulfate was more selective for T2* shortening and achieved
comparable T1 and T2* values to bone (after 1 week of drying), while the
attenuation coefficient was unchanged.
Conclusions: Plaster doped with copper sulfate is a promising bone material
analogue for a PET/MRI phantom, mimicking the MR properties (T1 and T2*) and
511 keV attenuation coefficient of human cortical bone
Integrated supply chain design for commodity chemicals production via woody biomass fast pyrolysis and upgrading
This study investigates the optimal supply chain design for commodity chemicals (BTX, etc.) production via woody biomass fast pyrolysis and hydroprocessing pathway. The locations and capacities of distributed preprocessing hubs and integrated biorefinery facilities are optimized with a mixed integer linear programming model. In this integrated supply chain system, decisions on the biomass chipping methods (roadside chipping vs. facility chipping) are also explored. The economic objective of the supply chain model is to maximize the profit for a 20-year chemicals production system. In addition to the economic objective, the model also incorporates an environmental objective of minimizing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, analyzing the trade-off between the economic and environmental considerations. The capital cost, operating cost, and revenues for the biorefinery facilities are based on techno-economic analysis, and the proposed approach is illustrated through a case study of Minnesota, with Minneapolis-St. Paul serving as the chemicals distribution hub
Constraining the Detailed Balance Condition in Horava Gravity with Cosmic Accelerating Expansion
In 2009 Ho\v{r}ava proposed a power-counting renormalizable quantum gravity
theory. Afterwards a term in the action that softly violates the detailed
balance condition has been considered with the attempt of obtaining a more
realistic theory in its IR-limit. This term is proportional to , where is a constant parameter and is the spatial
Ricci scalar. In this paper we derive constraints on this IR-modified
Ho\v{r}ava theory using the late-time cosmic accelerating expansion
observations. We obtain a lower bound of that is nontrivial and
depends on , the cosmological constant of the three dimensional
spatial action in the Ho\v{r}ava gravity. We find that to preserve the detailed
balance condition, one needs to fine-tune such that - 2.29\times
10^{-4}< (c^2 \Lambda_W)/(H^2_0 \currentDE) - 2 < 0 , where and
\currentDE are the Hubble parameter and dark energy density fraction in the
present epoch, respectively. On the other hand, if we do not insist on the
detailed balance condition, then the valid region for is much
relaxed to -0.39< (c^2 \Lambda_W)/(H^2_0 \currentDE) - 2 < 0.12. We find that
although the detailed balance condition cannot be ruled out, it is strongly
disfavored.Comment: 22 pages with 7 figures, references adde
Asymmetric WIMP dark matter
In existing dark matter models with global symmetries the relic abundance of
dark matter is either equal to that of anti-dark matter (thermal WIMP), or
vastly larger, with essentially no remaining anti-dark matter (asymmetric dark
matter). By exploring the consequences of a primordial asymmetry on the coupled
dark matter and anti-dark matter Boltzmann equations we find large regions of
parameter space that interpolate between these two extremes. Interestingly,
this new asymmetric WIMP framework can accommodate a wide range of dark matter
masses and annihilation cross sections. The present-day dark matter population
is typically asymmetric, but only weakly so, such that indirect signals of dark
matter annihilation are not completely suppressed. We apply our results to
existing models, noting that upcoming direct detection experiments will
constrain a large region of the relevant parameter space.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures, updated references, updated XENON100 bounds,
typo in figure caption correcte
Theory of Star Formation
We review current understanding of star formation, outlining an overall
theoretical framework and the observations that motivate it. A conception of
star formation has emerged in which turbulence plays a dual role, both creating
overdensities to initiate gravitational contraction or collapse, and countering
the effects of gravity in these overdense regions. The key dynamical processes
involved in star formation -- turbulence, magnetic fields, and self-gravity --
are highly nonlinear and multidimensional. Physical arguments are used to
identify and explain the features and scalings involved in star formation, and
results from numerical simulations are used to quantify these effects. We
divide star formation into large-scale and small-scale regimes and review each
in turn. Large scales range from galaxies to giant molecular clouds (GMCs) and
their substructures. Important problems include how GMCs form and evolve, what
determines the star formation rate (SFR), and what determines the initial mass
function (IMF). Small scales range from dense cores to the protostellar systems
they beget. We discuss formation of both low- and high-mass stars, including
ongoing accretion. The development of winds and outflows is increasingly well
understood, as are the mechanisms governing angular momentum transport in
disks. Although outstanding questions remain, the framework is now in place to
build a comprehensive theory of star formation that will be tested by the next
generation of telescopes.Comment: 120 pages, to appear in ARAA. No changes from v1 text; permission
statement adde
Consensus Statement Immunonutrition and Exercise.
In this consensus statement on immunonutrition and exercise, a panel of knowledgeable contributors from across the globe provides a consensus of updated science, including the background, the aspects for which a consensus actually exists, the controversies and, when possible, suggested directions for future research
Analysis of serum inflammatory mediators identifies unique dynamic networks associated with death and spontaneous survival in pediatric acute liver failure
Background: Tools to predict death or spontaneous survival are necessary to inform liver transplantation (LTx) decisions in pediatric acute liver failure (PALF), but such tools are not available. Recent data suggest that immune/inflammatory dysregulation occurs in the setting of acute liver failure. We hypothesized that specific, dynamic, and measurable patterns of immune/inflammatory dysregulation will correlate with outcomes in PALF. Methods: We assayed 26 inflammatory mediators on stored serum samples obtained from a convenience sample of 49 children in the PALF study group (PALFSG) collected within 7 days after enrollment. Outcomes were assessed within 21 days of enrollment consisting of spontaneous survivors, non-survivors, and LTx recipients. Data were subjected to statistical analysis, patient-specific Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) inference. Findings: Raw inflammatory mediator levels assessed over time did not distinguish among PALF outcomes. However, DBN analysis did reveal distinct interferon-gamma-related networks that distinguished spontaneous survivors from those who died. The network identified in LTx patients pre-transplant was more like that seen in spontaneous survivors than in those who died, a finding supported by PCA. Interpretation: The application of DBN analysis of inflammatory mediators in this small patient sample appears to differentiate survivors from non-survivors in PALF. Patterns associated with LTx pre-transplant were more like those seen in spontaneous survivors than in those who died. DBN-based analyses might lead to a better prediction of outcome in PALF, and could also have more general utility in other complex diseases with an inflammatory etiology. Copyright: © 2013 Azhar et al
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