Quantification of PSMA expression in prostate cancer by pharmacokinetic modeling of targeted ultrasound nanobubbles

The value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for prostate cancer diagnostics is still debated. Novel targeted ultrasound contrast agents enable visualization of molecular and cellular processes in vivo and non-invasively. Microbubbles targeted to the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 have been successfully tested in humans, but detection rate for prostate cancer was limited to 65%. While microbubbles can only target molecules in the blood vessels, novel nanobubbles (NBs) can extravasate, thus enabling reaching targets beyond the vessel wall. Recently, NBs targeted to the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is overexpressed by prostate cancer cells, have shown selective accumulation in prostate-tumor mouse models. However, methods for quantification of NB binding are still lacking. In this work, we propose a pharmacokinetic modeling approach to estimate the binding potential of PSMA-targeted NBs, and we test the proposed method in 7 dual-tumor mouse models of prostate cancer

Interface homem-máquina para controle de processos de resfriamento com ar forçado visando à economia de energia Man-machine interface for the control of cooling processes with forced-air aimed at energy savings

Apresenta-se o desenvolvimento de um equipamento microprocessado, com saída de corrente, para controle da velocidade de rotação do motor do ventilador de sistemas de ar forçado, usando inversor de freqüência. Através de programação (software IHM.EXE), o usuário pode definir a massa a ser resfriada em quilogramas de produto. O equipamento calcula, através de um polinômio previamente estabelecido e programável, a freqüência de operação do inversor, que corresponde a uma vazão de ar específica, dentro dos limites estabelecidos no projeto. O equipamento foi instalado num sistema de resfriamento com ar forçado, estimando-se, pelo cálculo da variação da potência útil mecânica, uma economia de energia da ordem de 82%, com uma rotação equivalente a 56% da nominal do ventilador, proporcionando, desta forma, uma economia significativa no custo de operação do sistema.<br>The development of micro processed equipment is presented, with current exit for control of the speed of rotation of the fan motor of the system of forced air, using investing of the frequency. Through programming (software IHM.EXE), the user can define the mass to be cooled, in kilograms of the product. The equipment calculates through a programmable polynomial previously defined, the frequency of operation of the investor which corresponds to air specific flux, within the limits of the project. The equipment was installed in a forced-air cooling system, being considered by the calculation in useful mechanical power, the energy savings is estimated at around 82% with a rotation equivalent to 56% of the fan nominal, thus providing significant savings in system operating costs