EVALUATION OF ROBOTIC CLEANING TECHNOLOGIES: PRESERVING A BRITISH ICONIC BUILDING

The engineering building of the University Leicester built-in 1963 has been a British icon for decades now. Applications of Robotic technologies are uprising nowadays, which provides a contingency to manipulate the benefits of robotics for executing challenging and precarious facade cleaning processes. This paper surveys the facade cleaning robotic technologies exist in the market. It exhibits the comparative analysis of four notorious robotic facade cleaning solutions namely Sky Pro, Gekko, BFMR (Building Façade Maintenance Robot) and Sirius_c. The comparison is executed using Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) techniques. This study analyses the performance of the robots based on the critical parameters such as water consumption, cleaning efficiency, cleaning dimensions and ease of implementation. Although none of these robotic solutions are implemented off the shelf, some adaptation on these solutions is necessary for the development of robotic techniques work successfully in real time. This paper proposes a hybrid robotic solution combining the vacuum pump adhesion and wheeled locomotion for the effective cleaning of the complex external building structure based on the MCDA and QFD analysis. It highlights the significant future research directions in this field

Test Particle Acceleration In Three-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence

We perform numerical experiments of test particle acceleration on turbulent magnetic and electric fields obtained from pseudospectral direct numerical solutions of the compressible three-dimensional MHD equations. We find consistent acceleration of the particles to many times the plasma characteristic (Alfven) speed and extended power laws in the density distribution of energies. Scaling laws of maximum and mean energy of particles with the nominal gyrofrequency and the MHD electric field are observed and a simple estimate is presented

Evaluation of total choline from in-vivo volume localized proton MR spectroscopy and its response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer

Results of the proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy carried out on normal, benign breast disease and locally advanced breast cancer patients are presented. The in-vivo MR spectra of malignant breast tissue of patients (n = 67) suffering from infiltrating ductal carcinoma are dominated by the water resonance, while the spectra of the unaffected contralateral breast tissue of these patients are mainly dominated by resonance arising from lipids which is similar to the spectra of normal breast tissue obtained from volunteers (controls, n = 16). In addition to the water and lipid peaks, in majority of the patients (~80%) the water suppressed spectra showed a resonance at 3.2 ppm due to choline containing compounds (TCho) before treatment. In patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, absence/reduction in choline was observed in 89% of the patients. TCho was also observed in 2 of 14 benign lesions. The sensitivity and specificity of in-vivo MRS in detecting TCho in malignant tumours was 78% and 86%, respectively. Observation of TCho before treatment and its disappearance (or reduction) after treatment may be a useful indicator of response of locally advanced breast cancer to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Lattice QCD workflows

This paper discusses the application of existing workflow management systems to a real world science application (LQCD). Typical workflows and execution environment used in production are described. Requirements for the LQCD production system are discussed. The workflow management systems Askalon and Swift were tested by implementing the LQCD workflows and evaluated against the requirements. We report our findings and future work

Biochemical characterization of metastatic lymph nodes of breast cancer patients by in vitro <SUP>1</SUP>H magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a pilot study

Using one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods, the perchloric acid extract of involved (n=11) and noninvolved (n=12) axillary lymph nodes (ALN) of breast cancer patients was investigated. Resonances from 40 metabolites such as lactate (Lac), glucose, several amino acids (alanine, lysine, glutamic acid, glutamine, etc.), nucleotides (adenosine triphosphate, guanosine triphosphate, uridine triphosphate, uridine monophosphate, etc.), membrane metabolites [glycerophosphocholine (GPC), phosphocoline (PC), phosphoethanolamine (PE), choline] were unambiguously assigned in both the involved and noninvolved ALN. The concentration of PC/GPC (p=0.002) was significantly higher in the involved compared to noninvolved nodes. In addition, the concentration of glycolytic product Lac (p=0.0001) was also found to be significantly higher in involved nodes. Increased concentration of membrane metabolites PC/GPC may be attributed to increased membrane synthesis in malignant cells and, therefore, suggests the presence of metastatic cells in lymph nodes. The higher concentration of Lac is indicative of the presence of malignant cells that derive energy via anaerobic glycolytic pathway. Present results demonstrate the potentials of in vitro proton NMR in detecting malignant cells in ALN and such studies may have an important bearing in determining the prognosis of breast cancer patients

Evaluation of robotic cleaning technologies: preserving a british iconic building

The engineering building of the University Leicester built-in 1963 has been a British icon for decades now. Applications of Robotic technologies are uprising nowadays, which provides a contingency to manipulate the benefits of robotics for executing challenging and precarious facade cleaning processes. This paper surveys the facade cleaning robotic technologies exist in the market. It exhibits the comparative analysis of four notorious robotic facade cleaning solutions namely Sky Pro, Gekko, BFMR (Building Façade Maintenance Robot) and Sirius_c. The comparison is executed using Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) techniques. This study analyses the performance of the robots based on the critical parameters such as water consumption, cleaning efficiency, cleaning dimensions and ease of implementation. Although none of these robotic solutions are implemented off the shelf, some adaptation on these solutions is necessary for the development of robotic techniques work successfully in real time. This paper proposes a hybrid robotic solution combining the vacuum pump adhesion and wheeled locomotion for the effective cleaning of the complex external building structure based on the MCDA and QFD analysis. It highlights the significant future research directions in this field

An Overview of the Fovista and Rinucumab Trials and the Fate of Anti-PDGF Medications

The vitreoretinal community will remember 2016 as the year that unfavorable anti–platelet-derived growth factor (anti-PDGF) clinical trial results ended the development of Fovista (pegpleranib; Ophthotech, New York, NY) and Rinucumab (Regeneron, Tarrytown, NY). The failure of these trials reaffirmed how important the innovations made in 2006 with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) were to our field and our patients. Evan N. Dunn, MD, and Veeral S. Sheth, MD, were tasked with analyzing and dissecting the anti-PDGF clinical trials — beginning with the basic science behind anti-PDGF. They will also review novel, multitarget approaches to our diseases, as well as unique routes of delivery such as topical and suprachoroidal administration. Reading this article leads one to appreciate how high the anti-VEGF class of molecules has set the bar for the treatment of vitreoretinal disease. Although recent clinical trial results have been a disappointment to our community (and our patients), we should be reassured by the fact that many development programs are strongly underway investigating novel approaches to treat back-of-the-eye disorders. Drs. Dunn and Sheth's insights will be highly valued by our community

Monitoring the therapeutic response of locally advanced breast cancer patients: sequential in vivo proton MR spectroscopy study

Purpose: To evaluate the use of the water-to-fat (W-F) value obtained from in vivo proton (1H) MR spectroscopy (MRS) as a response indicator of cytologically confirmed patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC), and to monitor the therapeutic response of such patients to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) Materials and Methods: Serial 1H MR spectra were recorded both before and after the completion of chemotherapy in 33 LABC patients (with infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC)) at 1.5T. In addition, spectra from normal breast tissues of 28 healthy volunteers were recorded. Results: Malignant breast tissues showed elevated W-F values compared to normal breast tissues of controls. Statistically significant higher pretherapy W-F value (P &lt; 0.01) was observed in patients compared to controls. In patients who received NACT resulting in the reduction of the primary tumor size, the W-F value showed a decrease that was statistically significant (P &lt; 0.01). Analysis of the MR data further indicates that the W-F value had no correlation with the menstrual status of the patients. A comparison of pretherapy W-F value with pretherapy tumor volume showed a fair correlation (P = 0.05), while the posttherapy W-F value showed no such correlation with the posttherapy tumor volume. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that simple, conventional in vivo 1H MRS is a useful technique for monitoring the therapeutic response of breast cancer patients. The observed trend in the reduction of W-F value provides a noninvasive response indicator to monitor the clinical outcome of locally advanced breast cancer patients to NACT

Potential of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to detect metastasis in axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer

Focused pathological evaluation of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer is gaining importance. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy that assesses the whole of the specimen has the potential in evaluating micrometastases. The biochemical changes associated with breast cancer metastases in axillary nodes by in vitro NMR and its use in the detection of axillary metastases in a clinical setting in comparison with conventional histopathology is presented in this study. Eighty-eight lymph nodes obtained from 30 patients with breast cancer were investigated. Histopathology revealed metastases in 20 nodes from 11 patients, while in vitro NMR spectroscopy revealed metastases in 22 nodes. Out of these 22 nodes, 16 were the same, which showed metastases on histopathology, while 6 nodes have shown metastases only on in vitro magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). These 6 nodes with suspicion of metastases on MRS were subjected to reevaluation with serial sectioning and immunohistochemistry, but no additional metastases were revealed. Forty metabolites could be identified from the MR spectrum of lymph nodes. The levels of the glycerophosphocholine-phosphocholine (GPC-PC), choline, lactate, alanine and uridine diphosphoglucose were elevated significantly in nodes with metastases. In addition, the intensity ratio of GPC-PC/threonine (Thr) was higher in nodes with metastases, and using this as marker, MRS detected the axillary metastases with a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 80%, 91% and 88%, respectively. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) lowered the concentrations of GPC-PC and GPC-PC/Thr ratio. The accuracy of MRS in detecting metastases was 75% in patients who received NACT (n=9) as compared to 96% in those who did not (n=21). Our results demonstrate the potential of in vitro MRS in characterizing the metabolite profile of the axillary nodes with breast cancer metastases. It detected axillary metastases with reasonable accuracy and can be complementary to histopathological evaluation and immunohistochemistry

Microsoft Word - 01

ABSTRACT The electrochemical determination of lenalidomide (LND) in pharmaceutical, human urine and serum samples using polyaniline (PAN) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) modified glassy carbon electrode (PAN/MWCNT/GCE), as a working electrode. Electrochemical behaviour and surface characteristics of the PAN/MWCNT/GCE was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The PAN/MWCNT/GCE shows excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of LND under the optimum conditions. It exhibits irreversible cathodic peak at potential -0.71V over the pH 2.0-10.0 in Britton-Robinson buffer. The effects of Initial scan potential, pulse amplitude accumulation potential, accumulation time and pulse width were examined for the optimization of voltammetric conditions. The differential pulse voltammetric method was successfully applied to commercial tablets of 5.5×10 −7 M LND in pharmaceutical human urine and serum samples with average percentage recovery and relative standard deviations (RSD) are 98.85% and 1.45% respectively