105 research outputs found
Thermalization of an anisotropic granular particle
We investigate the dynamics of a needle in a two-dimensional bath composed of
thermalized point particles. Collisions between the needle and points are
inelastic and characterized by a normal restitution coefficient . By
using the Enskog-Boltzmann equation, we obtain analytical expressions for the
translational and rotational granular temperatures of the needle and show that
these are, in general, different from the bath temperature. The translational
temperature always exceeds the rotational one, though the difference decreases
with increasing moment of inertia. The predictions of the theory are in very
good agreement with numerical simulations of the model.Comment: 7 pages, 6 Figures, submitted to PRE. Revised version (Fig1, Fig5 and
Fig6 corrected + minor typos
Studies of Mass and Size Effects in Three-Dimensional Vibrofluidized Granular Mixtures
We examine the steady state properties of binary systems of driven inelastic
hard spheres. The spheres, which move under the influence of gravity, are
contained in a vertical cylinder with a vibrating base. We computed the
trajectories of the spheres using an event-driven molecular dynamics algorithm.
In the first part of the study, we chose simulation parameters that match those
of experiments performed by Wildman and Parker. Various properties computed
from the simulation including the density profile, granular temperature and
circulation pattern are in good qualitative agreement with the experiments. We
then studied the effect of varying the mass ratio and the size ratio
independently while holding the other parameters constant. The mass and size
ratio are shown to affect the distribution of the energy. The changes in the
energy distributions affect the packing fraction and temperature of each
component. The temperature of the heavier component has a non-linear dependence
on the mass of the lighter component, while the temperature of the lighter
component is approximately proportional to its mass. The temperature of both
components is inversely dependent on the size of the smaller component.Comment: 14 Pages, 12 Figures, RevTeX
ImageParser: a tool for finite element generation from three-dimensional medical images
BACKGROUND: The finite element method (FEM) is a powerful mathematical tool to simulate and visualize the mechanical deformation of tissues and organs during medical examinations or interventions. It is yet a challenge to build up an FEM mesh directly from a volumetric image partially because the regions (or structures) of interest (ROIs) may be irregular and fuzzy. METHODS: A software package, ImageParser, is developed to generate an FEM mesh from 3-D tomographic medical images. This software uses a semi-automatic method to detect ROIs from the context of image including neighboring tissues and organs, completes segmentation of different tissues, and meshes the organ into elements. RESULTS: The ImageParser is shown to build up an FEM model for simulating the mechanical responses of the breast based on 3-D CT images. The breast is compressed by two plate paddles under an overall displacement as large as 20% of the initial distance between the paddles. The strain and tangential Young's modulus distributions are specified for the biomechanical analysis of breast tissues. CONCLUSION: The ImageParser can successfully exact the geometry of ROIs from a complex medical image and generate the FEM mesh with customer-defined segmentation information
Diffusion of impurities in a granular gas
Diffusion of impurities in a granular gas undergoing homogeneous cooling
state is studied. The results are obtained by solving the Boltzmann--Lorentz
equation by means of the Chapman--Enskog method. In the first order in the
density gradient of impurities, the diffusion coefficient is determined as
the solution of a linear integral equation which is approximately solved by
making an expansion in Sonine polynomials. In this paper, we evaluate up to
the second order in the Sonine expansion and get explicit expressions for
in terms of the restitution coefficients for the impurity--gas and gas--gas
collisions as well as the ratios of mass and particle sizes. To check the
reliability of the Sonine polynomial solution, analytical results are compared
with those obtained from numerical solutions of the Boltzmann equation by means
of the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. In the simulations, the
diffusion coefficient is measured via the mean square displacement of
impurities. The comparison between theory and simulation shows in general an
excellent agreement, except for the cases in which the gas particles are much
heavier and/or much larger than impurities. In theses cases, the second Sonine
approximation to improves significantly the qualitative predictions made
from the first Sonine approximation. A discussion on the convergence of the
Sonine polynomial expansion is also carried out.Comment: 9 figures. to appear in Phys. Rev.
Do quantitative and qualitative shear wave elastography have a role in evaluating musculoskeletal soft tissue masses?
Objectives: To determine if quantitative and qualitative shear wave elastography have roles in evaluating musculoskeletal masses. Methods: 105 consecutive patients, prospectively referred for biopsy within a specialist sarcoma centre, underwent B-mode, quantitative (m/s) and qualitative (colour map) shear wave elastography. Reference was histology from subsequent biopsy or excision where possible. Statistical modelling was performed to test elastography data and/or B-mode imaging in predicting malignancy. Results: Of 105 masses, 39 were malignant and 6 had no histology but benign characteristics at 12 months. Radiologist agreement for B-mode and elastography was moderate to excellent Kw 0.52-0.64; PABAKw 0.85-0.90). B-Mode imaging had 78.8% specificity, 76.9% sensitivity for malignancy. Quantitatively, adjusting for age, B-mode and lesion volume there was no statistically significant association between longitudinal velocity and malignancy (OR [95% CI] 0.40[0.10, 1.60], p=0.193), but some evidence that higher transverse velocity was associated with decreased odds of malignancy (0.28[0.06, 1.28], p=0.101). Qualitatively malignant masses tended to be towards the blue spectrum (lower velocities); 39.5% (17/43) of predominantly blue masses were malignant, compared to 14.3% (1/7) of red lesions. Conclusions: Quantitatively and qualitatively there is no statistically significant association between shear wave velocity and malignancy. There is no clear additional role to B-mode imaging currently. Key Points: • Correlation between shear wave velocity and soft tissue malignancy was statistically insignificant• B-mode ultrasound is 76.9 % sensitive and 78.8 % specific• Statistical models show elastography does not significantly add to lesion assessmen
Evaluation of 3D modality-independent elastography for breast imaging: a simulation study
Variation in sitting pressure distribution and location of the points of maximum pressure with rotation of the pelvis, gender and body characteristics
- …