2,246 research outputs found
GRAIL, an omni-directional gravitational wave detector
A cryogenic spherical and omni-directional resonant-mass detector proposed by
the GRAIL collaboration is described.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figs., contribution to proceedings GW Data Analysis
Workshop, Paris, nov. 199
Contralateral breast cancer risk is influenced by the age at onset in BRCA1-associated breast cancer
BRCA1/2 mutation carriers diagnosed with breast cancer have a strongly elevated life-time risk of developing a contralateral tumour. We studied the contralateral breast cancer risk in 164 patients from 83 families with a proven BRCA1 mutation in relation to the age at diagnosis of the first primary breast cancer. In the actuarial outcomes after 10 years’ follow-up, 40% of the 124 BRCA1-patients diagnosed with breast cancer < 50 years had developed contralateral breast cancer, vs 12% of the 40 patients > 50 years at first diagnosis (Plogrank= 0.02). These data suggest that age at diagnosis of the first tumour should be taken into account when prophylactic mastectomy in BRCA1-patients is considered. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig
Polynomial algorithm for finding the largest independent sets in graphs without forks
AbstractA fork is a graph that is obtained from K1,3 by subdividing one edge. It is known [6–8] that for K1,3-free graphs the problem of finding the largest independent set can be solved in a polynomial time. In this paper, we prove that this is also true for the wider class of fork-free graphs
Time-saving opportunities in knee osteoarthritis: T2 mapping and structural imaging of the knee using a single 5-min MRI scan.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the discriminative power of a 5-min quantitative double-echo steady-state (qDESS) sequence for simultaneous T2 measurements of cartilage and meniscus, and structural knee osteoarthritis (OA) assessment, in a clinical OA population, using radiographic knee OA as reference standard. METHODS: Fifty-three subjects were included and divided over three groups based on radiographic and clinical knee OA: 20 subjects with no OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade (KLG) 0), 18 with mild OA (KLG2), and 15 with moderate OA (KLG3). All patients underwent a 5-min qDESS scan. We measured T2 relaxation times in four cartilage and four meniscus regions of interest (ROIs) and performed structural OA evaluation with the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) using qDESS with multiplanar reformatting. Between-group differences in T2 values and MOAKS were calculated using ANOVA. Correlations of the reference standard (i.e., radiographic knee OA) with T2 and MOAKS were assessed with correlation analyses for ordinal variables. RESULTS: In cartilage, mean T2 values were 36.1 ± SD 4.3, 40.6 ± 5.9, and 47.1 ± 4.3 ms for no, mild, and moderate OA, respectively (p < 0.001). In menisci, mean T2 values were 15 ± 3.6, 17.5 ± 3.8, and 20.6 ± 4.7 ms for no, mild, and moderate OA, respectively (p < 0.001). Statistically significant correlations were found between radiographic OA and T2 and between radiographic OA and MOAKS in all ROIs (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Quantitative T2 and structural assessment of cartilage and meniscus, using a single 5-min qDESS scan, can distinguish between different grades of radiographic OA, demonstrating the potential of qDESS as an efficient tool for OA imaging. KEY POINTS: • Quantitative T 2values of cartilage and meniscus as well as structural assessment of the knee with a single 5-min quantitative double-echo steady-state (qDESS) scan can distinguish between different grades of knee osteoarthritis (OA). • Quantitative and structural qDESS-based measurements correlate significantly with the reference standard, radiographic degree of OA, for all cartilage and meniscus regions. • By providing quantitative measurements and diagnostic image quality in one rapid MRI scan, qDESS has great potential for application in large-scale clinical trials in knee OA
Measurement of mechanical vibrations excited in aluminium resonators by 0.6 GeV electrons
We present measurements of mechanical vibrations induced by 0.6 GeV electrons
impinging on cylindrical and spherical aluminium resonators. To monitor the
amplitude of the resonator's vibrational modes we used piezoelectric ceramic
sensors, calibrated by standard accelerometers. Calculations using the
thermo-acoustic conversion model, agree well with the experimental data, as
demonstrated by the specific variation of the excitation strengths with the
absorbed energy, and with the traversing particles' track positions. For the
first longitudinal mode of the cylindrical resonator we measured a conversion
factor of 7.4 +- 1.4 nm/J, confirming the model value of 10 nm/J. Also, for the
spherical resonator, we found the model values for the L=2 and L=1 mode
amplitudes to be consistent with our measurement. We thus have confirmed the
applicability of the model, and we note that calculations based on the model
have shown that next generation resonant mass gravitational wave detectors can
only be expected to reach their intended ultra high sensitivity if they will be
shielded by an appreciable amount of rock, where a veto detector can reduce the
background of remaining impinging cosmic rays effectively.Comment: Tex-Article with epsfile, 34 pages including 13 figures and 5 tables.
To be published in Rev. Scient. Instr., May 200
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