Industrial Problems Encountered in the Eddy Current Inspection of Steel

It is anticipated, that through exposing some of the problems encountered in industrial applications of eddy current technology, technical assistance may be generated through the theoretical community. The specific problem examined involves the development, storage\u27and utilization of calibration masters. Although the use of probes versus coils greatly reduces the number of calibration masters in that probes are not sensitive to overall geometry and mass variations, the eddy current response is influenced by near probe geometry variations. At present, an empirically derived algorithm is relied upon to characterize this phenomenon although it is hoped that an appropriate theoretical model will be developed. In addition to geometry, the non-linear permeability present in ferromagnetics, and the microstructural and compositional variations greatly increase the complexity of constructing such a model

First-line erlotinib and fixed dose-rate gemcitabine for advanced pancreatic cancer

AIM: To investigate activity, toxicity, and prognostic factors for survival of erlotinib and fixed dose-rate gemcitabine (FDR-Gem) in advanced pancreatic cancer. METHODS: We designed a single-arm prospective, multicentre, open-label phase II study to evaluate the combination of erlotinib (100 mg/d, orally) and weekly FDR-Gem (1000 mg/m2, infused at 10 mg/m2per minute) in a population of previously untreated patients with locally advanced, inoperable, or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Primary endpoint was the rate of progression-free survival at 6 mo (PFS-6); secondary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR), response duration, tolerability, overall survival (OS), and clinical benefit. Treatment was not considered to be of further interest if the PFS-6 was < 20% (p0 = 20%), while a PFS-6 > 40% would be of considerable interest (p1 = 40%); with a 5% rejection error (α = 5%) and a power of 80%, 35 fully evaluable patients with metastatic disease were required to be enrolled in order to complete the study. Analysis of prognostic factors for survival was also carried out. RESULTS: From May 2007 to September 2009, 46 patients were enrolled (male/female: 25/21; median age: 64 years; median baseline carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9): 897 U/mL; locally advanced/metastatic disease: 5/41). PFS-6 and median PFS were 30.4% and 14 wk (95%CI: 10-19), respectively; 1-year and median OS were 20.2% and 26 wk (95%CI: 8-43). Five patients achieved an objective response (ORR: 10.9%, 95%CI: 1.9-19.9); disease control rate was 56.5% (95%CI: 42.2-70.8); clinical benefit rate was 43.5% (95%CI: 29.1-57.8). CA 19-9 serum levels were decreased by > 25% as compared to baseline in 14/23 evaluable patients (63.6%). Treatment was well-tolerated, with skin rash being the most powerful predictor of both longer PFS (P < 0.0001) and OS (P = 0.01) at multivariate analysis (median OS for patients with or without rash: 42 wk vs 15 wk, respectively, Log-rank P = 0.03). Additional predictors of better outcome were: CA 19-9 reduction, female sex (for PFS), and good performance status (for OS). CONCLUSION: Primary study endpoint was not met. However, skin rash strongly predicted erlotinib efficacy, suggesting that a pharmacodynamic-based strategy for patient selection deserves further investigation

Repeat stereotactic radiosurgery in the management of brain metastases from NSCLC : a case report and review of the literature

The aims of radiotherapeutic treatment of brain metastases include maintaining neurocognitive function and improvement of survival. Based on these premises, we present a case report in which the role of repeat stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) was investigated in a patient with a recurrent brain metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer in the same area as previously treated with radiosurgery. A 40-year-old male caucasian patient was diagnosed with brain metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and underwent SRS. The patient developed a recurrence of the disease and a second SRS on the same area was performed. After 8 months, tumor restaging demonstrated a lesion compatible with a recurrence and the patient underwent surgery. Histological diagnosis following surgery revealed only the occurrence of radionecrosis. Radiotherapy was well-tolerated and no grade 3/4 neurological toxicity occurred. To date, no consensus exists on the efficacy of retreatment with SRS. Despite the limited number of studies in this field, in the present case report, we outline the outcomes of this unconventional approach

Multi-Satellite Rain Sensing: Design Criteria and Implementation Issues

In this paper, we propose a novel opportunistic multi-satellite sensor system which overcomes the limitations of the conventional single-satellite solutions of the literature. The considerable robustness to the possible unavailability of some satellites, besides being well suited for powerful 2D reconstruction techniques of the rain field, makes it an appealing solution for experimental tests within national and EU-funded research projects

Comparison of amsler–krumeich and sandali classifications for staging eyes with keratoconus

Keratoconus (KC) is the most common corneal ectasia characterized by progressive corneal thinning, protrusion, and irregular astigmatism. The Amsler–Krumeich classification based on the analysis of corneal topography, corneal thickness, refraction and biomicroscopy is the most commonly used; recently, a new classification based on anterior segment Optical Coherence Tomography was introduced by Sandali and colleagues. Since there is no information about the possible agreement between these two classifications, the aim of this study is to compare the stratification of consecutive KC patients using the Amsler–Krumeich and Sandali classifications, and to further ascertain KC cases in which one classification is preferred over the other. Overall, 252 eyes of 137 patients (41.45 ± 16.93 years) were analyzed: in 156 eyes (61.9%), the Amsler and Sandali staging differed in one stage while in 75 cases (29.8%) it differed in two or more stages. In 222 eyes (88.1%), the Sandali staging was higher compared to the Amsler one. These results show that the two classifications are not fully interchangeable: the Amsler–Krumeich classification is more appropriate in identifying and longitudinally monitoring patients with early stages of KC, while the Sandali classification for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with more advanced stages, particularly when a surgical planning has to be chosen

Wigner-function description of quantum teleportation in arbitrary dimensions and continuous limit

We present a unified approach to quantum teleportation in arbitrary dimensions based on the Wigner-function formalism. This approach provides us with a clear picture of all manipulations performed in the teleportation protocol. In addition within the framework of the Wigner-function formalism all the imperfections of the manipulations can be easily taken into account.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, 1 figure (included). Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. A A minor correction added on May 2

Modelling Quantum Mechanics by the Quantumlike Description of the Electric Signal Propagation in Transmission Lines

It is shown that the transmission line technology can be suitably used for simulating quantum mechanics. Using manageable and at the same time non-expensive technology, several quantum mechanical problems can be simulated for significant tutorial purposes. The electric signal envelope propagation through the line is governed by a Schrodinger-like equation for a complex function, representing the low-frequency component of the signal, In this preliminary analysis, we consider two classical examples, i.e. the Frank-Condon principle and the Ramsauer effect