EP-1526: Analysis of dose deposition in lung lesions: a modified PTV for a more robust optimization

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Temperature behavior of radiochromic poly(vinyl-alcohol)–glutaraldehyde Fricke gel dosimeters in practice

The use of synthetic gel matrices prepared with poly(vinyl-alcohol) (PVA) cross-linked by glutaraldehyde (GTA) contributed to enhance the interest toward radiochromic Fricke gel (FG) dosimeters. As it occurs in several chemical dosimeters, the response of PVA-GTA Fricke gels could be affected by temperature. Aim of this work is to study the dependence of the dosimetric properties of PVA-GTA Fricke gel dosimeters both on the irradiation temperature and on temperature changes possibly occurring between the irradiation and readout phases. Such effects were investigated by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical absorbance (OA) measurements. The results did not reveal any significant dependence of the sensitivity of the dosimeters on the irradiation temperature in the investigated interval 20\ub0C-35\ub0C. By contrast, auto-oxidation phenomena confirmed to be a critical aspect for FG dosimeters, also in case of use of PVA matrix. The extent such phenomena, that might impair the accuracy of dose estimations, proved to critically depend on the temperature at which FG dosimeters are subjected before and after irradiation, as well as on the duration of possible thermal-stress

dropwise condensation on superhydrophobic nanostructured surfaces literature review and experimental analysis

It is well established that the dropwise condensation (DWC) mode can lead up to significant enhancement in heat transfer coefficients as compared to the filmwise mode (FWC). Typically, hydrophobic surfaces are expected to promote DWC, while hydrophilic ones induce FWC. To this end, superhydrophobic surfaces, where a combination of low surface energy and surface texturing is used to enhance the hydrophobicity, have recently been proposed as a promising approach to promote dropwise condensation. An attractive feature of using superhydrophobic surfaces is to facilitate easy roll-off of the droplets as they form during condensation, thus leading to a significant improvement in the heat transfer associated with the condensation process. High droplet mobility can be obtained acting on the surface chemistry, decreasing the surface energy, and on the surface structure, obtaining a micro- or nano- superficial roughness. The first part of this paper will present a literature review of the most relevant works about DWC on superhydrophobic nanotextured substrates, with particular attention on the fabrication processes. In the second part, experimental data about DWC on superhydrophobic nanotextured samples will be analyzed. Particular attention will be paid to the effect of vapour velocity on the heat transfer. Results clearly highlight the excellent potential of nanostructured surfaces for application in flow condensation applications. However, they highlight the need to perform flow condensation experiments at realistic high temperature and saturation conditions in order to evaluate the efficacy of superhydrophobic surfaces for practically relevant pure vapor condensation applications

Performance of three model-based iterative reconstruction algorithms using a CT task-based image quality metric

In this study we evaluated the task-based image quality of a low contrast clinical task for the abdomen protocol (e.g., pancreatic tumour) of three different CT vendors, exploiting three model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) levels. We used three CT systems equipped with a full, partial, advanced MBIR algorithms. Acquisitions were performed on a phantom at three dose levels. Acquisitions were reconstructed with a standard kernel, using filtered back projection algorithm (FBP) and three levels of the MBIR. The noise power spectrum (NPS), the normalized one (nNPS) and the task-based transfer function (TTF) were computed following the method proposed by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine task group report-233 (AAPM TG-233). Detectability index (d') of a small lesion (small feature; 100 HU and 5-mm diameter) was calculated using non-prewhitening with eye-filter model observer (NPWE).The nNPS, NPS and TTF changed differently depending on CT system. Higher values of d' were obtained with advanced-MBIR, followed by full-MBIR and partial-MBIR.Task-based image quality was assessed for three CT scanners of different vendors, considering a clinical question. Detectability can be a tool for protocol optimisation and dose reduction since the same dose levels on different scanners correspond to different d' values.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 3 table

Radiomics predicts response of individual HER2-amplified colorectal cancer liver metastases in patients treated with HER2-targeted therapy

The aim of our study was to develop and validate a machine learning algorithm to predict response of individual HER2-amplified colorectal cancer liver metastases (lmCRC) undergoing dual HER2-targeted therapy. Twenty-four radiomics features were extracted after 3D manual segmentation of 141 lmCRC on pretreatment portal CT scans of a cohort including 38 HER2-amplified patients; feature selection was then performed using genetic algorithms. lmCRC were classified as nonresponders (R−), if their largest diameter increased more than 10% at a CT scan performed after 3 months of treatment, responders (R+) otherwise. Sensitivity, specificity, negative (NPV) and positive (PPV) predictive values in correctly classifying individual lesion and overall patient response were assessed on a training dataset and then validated on a second dataset using a Gaussian naïve Bayesian classifier. Per-lesion sensitivity, specificity, NPV and PPV were 89%, 85%, 93%, 78% and 90%, 42%, 73%, 71% respectively in the testing and validation datasets. Per-patient sensitivity and specificity were 92% and 86%. Heterogeneous response was observed in 9 of 38 patients (24%). Five of nine patients were carriers of nonresponder lesions correctly classified as such by our radiomics signature, including four of seven harboring only one nonresponder lesion. The developed method has been proven effective in predicting behavior of individual metastases to targeted treatment in a cohort of HER2 amplified patients. The model accurately detects responder lesions and identifies nonresponder lesions in patients with heterogeneous response, potentially paving the way to multimodal treatment in selected patients. Further validation will be needed to confirm our findings

Computed tomography use in a large Italian region: trend analysis 2004-2014 of emergency and outpatient CT examinations in children and adults

Objectives: To analyse CT use in recent years in a high-density Italian area (\ub110 million inhabitants, including 1 million children), focusing on developing age. Methods: Retrospective analysis of records from HealthCare IT System, covering >400 hospitals and clinics. Description of CT use between 2004\u20132014 in emergency and outpatient care and assessment of radiation exposure trend. Results: Over 9 million scans were performed. Emergency procedures showed a global increase of 230 %, mainly head examinations. In the global outpatient setting, the annual number of CT scans/person increased \ub119 %. A moderate increase in CT examinations was observed in the developing age population, while a remarkable increase in dental, chest and abdominal procedures occurred for the 10- to 30-year age range. The increase in mean annual dose/capita in the global patient pool was approximately 42 %, increasing from 0.72\u20131.03 mSv. The population rate receiving an annual CT radiation dose/capita higher than 1 mSv tripled in the 11-year interval, increasing from 16\u201348 %. Conclusions: The remarkable increase in radiation exposure raises a special concern for teenagers and young adults, whose risk tends to be underestimated. The fivefold increase in dental CTs in the younger age groups requires further investigations. Key Points: \u2022 Literature highlights a remarkable increase in CT use over the last decades.\u2022 The paediatric age had higher exposure to X-ray risk.\u2022 A detailed retrospective analysis of more than 9 million scans was performed.\u2022 Dental, chest, abdominal procedures increased remarkably in 10- to 30-year age range.\u2022 This study raises concern about exposure for teenagers and young adults

Brixsino High-Flux Dual X-Ray and THz Radiation Source Based on Energy Recovery Linacs

We present the conceptual design of a compact light source named BriXSinO. BriXSinO was born as demonstrator of the Marix project, but it is also a dual high flux radiation source Inverse Compton Source (ICS) of X-ray and Free-Electron Laser of THz spectral range radiation conceived for medical applications and general applied research. The accelerator is a push-pull CW-SC Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) based on superconducting cavities technology and allows to sustain MW-class beam power with almost just one hundred kW active power dissipation/consumption. ICS line produces 33 keV monochromatic X-Rays via Compton scattering of the electron beam with a laser system in Fabry-Pérot cavity at a repetition rate of 100 MHz. The THz FEL oscillator is based on an undulator imbedded in optical cavity and generates THz wavelengths from 15 to 50 micron

Monitoring and evaluation of breast cancer screening programmes : Selecting candidate performance indicators

In the scope of the European Commission Initiative on Breast Cancer (ECIBC) the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) subgroup was tasked to identify breast cancer screening programme (BCSP) performance indicators, including their acceptable and desirable levels, which are associated with breast cancer (BC) mortality. This paper documents the methodology used for the indicator selection. The indicators were identified through a multi-stage process. First, a scoping review was conducted to identify existing performance indicators. Second, building on existing frameworks for making well-informed health care choices, a specific conceptual framework was developed to guide the indicator selection. Third, two group exercises including a rating and ranking survey were conducted for indicator selection using pre-determined criteria, such as: relevance, measurability, accurateness, ethics and understandability. The selected indicators were mapped onto a BC screening pathway developed by the M&E subgroup to illustrate the steps of BC screening common to all EU countries. A total of 96 indicators were identified from an initial list of 1325 indicators. After removing redundant and irrelevant indicators and adding those missing, 39 candidate indicators underwent the rating and ranking exercise. Based on the results, the M&E subgroup selected 13 indicators: screening coverage, participation rate, recall rate, breast cancer detection rate, invasive breast cancer detection rate, cancers > 20 mm, cancers ≤10 mm, lymph node status, interval cancer rate, episode sensitivity, time interval between screening and first treatment, benign open surgical biopsy rate, and mastectomy rate. This systematic approach led to the identification of 13 BCSP candidate performance indicators to be further evaluated for their association with BC mortality

Electrostatic charging of jumping droplets

With the broad interest in and development of superhydrophobic surfaces for self-cleaning, condensation heat transfer enhancement and anti-icing applications, more detailed insights on droplet interactions on these surfaces have emerged. Specifically, when two droplets coalesce, they can spontaneously jump away from a superhydrophobic surface due to the release of excess surface energy. Here we show that jumping droplets gain a net positive charge that causes them to repel each other mid-flight. We used electric fields to quantify the charge on the droplets and identified the mechanism for the charge accumulation, which is associated with the formation of the electric double layer at the droplet–surface interface. The observation of droplet charge accumulation provides insight into jumping droplet physics as well as processes involving charged liquid droplets. Furthermore, this work is a starting point for more advanced approaches for enhancing jumping droplet surface performance by using external electric fields to control droplet jumping.United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Solid-State Solar-Thermal Energy Conversion Center Award DE-FG02-09ER46577)United States. Office of Naval ResearchNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (Major Research Instrumentation Grant for Rapid Response Research (MRI- RAPID))National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Award ECS-0335765)National Science Foundation (U.S.). Graduate Research Fellowship Program (Grant 1122374