Properties of KCo2_2As2_2 and Alloys with Fe and Ru: Density Functional Calculations

Electronic structure calculations are presented for KCo$_2$As$_2$ and alloys with KFe$_2$As$_2$ and KRu$_2$As$_2$. These materials show electronic structures characteristic of coherent alloys, with a similar Fermi surface structure to that of the Fe-based superconductors, when the $d$ electron count is near six per transition metal. However, they are less magnetic than the corresponding Fe compounds. These results are discussed in relation to superconductivity.Comment: 5 page

Untersuchung zur Genauigkeit verschiedener Abformmethoden in Kombination verschiedener Abformmaterialien bei Verwendung des Brånemark®-Implant-Systems

Im Laufe der letzten zwanzig Jahre hat sich die orale, enossale Implantologie zu einem anerkannten Therapieverfahren entwickelt. Die Anzahl der implantatprothetisch versorgten Patienten nimmt stetig zu. Um diese hochwertigen Versorgungen herzustellen bedarf es eines Höchstmaßes an Präzision eines jeden Arbeitsschrittes, wobei die Abdrucknahme und die Herstellung von Präzisionsmodellen zentrale Punkte bei der Anfertigung dauerhafter Versorgungen sind. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war deshalb die Untersuchung der Genauigkeit verschiedener Abformtechniken mittels unterschiedlicher Abformmaterialien bei Verwendung des Brånemark®-Implantat-systems, indem sowohl die hergestellten Modelle als auch die Abformungen vermessen wurden. Auf der Basis eines simulierten Patientenfalles wurde ein Kunststoffmodell mit fünf parallel inserierten Brånemark®-Implantaten hergestellt. Um dieses Modell reproduzierbar abzuformen, kam eine speziell entwickelte Abformvorrichtung zur Anwendung. Dieselbe Apparatur wurde zusätzlich für die Modellherstellung verwendet. Folgende Techniken und Materialien wurden untersucht: 1. Geschlossene Abformtechnik (Pfosten wird reponiert) mit den Materialien Monopren® transfer und Provil® P / M.C.D. (Doppelmisch- und Korrekturtechnik) 2. Offene Abformtechnik (Pfosten verbleibt in Abformung) mit den Materialien Impregum®, Baysilex® C.D., Monopren® transfer und Provil® P / M.C.D (Doppelmischtechnik) Es wurden mit jeder Material/Technikkombination fünf Abformungen und fünf Modelle hergestellt. Die verwendeten Abformpfosten und Modellimplantate wurden innerhalb der Versuchsreihe wiederverwendet. Die Implantatabstände wurden in zehn Messstrecken unterteilt und in der Horizontalebene mittels eines elektronischen Messmikroskops TP 300 der Firma Leitz mit einer Genauigkeit von ±7 µm ermittelt. Vermessen wurden die Abformungen vor der Modellherstellung sowie die hergestellten Superhartgipsmodelle. Die geringsten Abweichungen entstanden bei den Abformungen bei den monophasigen Materialien unter Anwendung der offenen Abformtechnik, die höchsten Abweichungen bei Monopren/geschlossen sowie bei Provil K/geschlossen. Es ergaben sich für die Abformungen mit der offenen Technik signifikant präzisere Reproduktionen des Urmodells. Ein ähnliches Bild zeigt sich für die Wiedergabe der Messstrecken der Modelle. Der gewählte Ansatz der Untersuchung sah eine Vermessung von Abformungen und Modellen vor, erlaubte somit eine genaue Analyse des entstandenen Fehlers und ermöglichte Rückschlüsse darüber, ob Fehler, die durch die Abformung entstanden waren, auf dem Modell reproduziert wurden, oder ob die Fehler der Modelle unabhängig von denjenigen der Abformungen auftraten. Die durchgeführte Korrelationsanalyse ergab eine höchst signifikante mittlere Korrelation für die Kombinationen Impregum offen (r = 0,501***) und alle geschlossenen Kombinationen (r = 0,514*** – 0,634***). Es wurde weiterhin untersucht, ob bei mehrfacher Verwendung der Übertragungsaufbauten und Modellimplantate die Präzision der ermittelten Werte abnimmt. Bei viermaliger Wiederverwendung dieser Implantatteile konnte keine signifikante Abnahme der Übertragungsgenauigkeit festgestellt werden

Quick X-ray microtomography using a laser-driven betatron source

Laser-driven X-ray sources are an emerging alternative to conventional X-ray tubes and synchrotron sources. We present results on microtomographic X-ray imaging of a cancellous human bone sample using synchrotron-like betatron radiation. The source is driven by a 100-TW-class titanium-sapphire laser system and delivers over $10^8$ X-ray photons per second. Compared to earlier studies, the acquisition time for an entire tomographic dataset has been reduced by more than an order of magnitude. Additionally, the reconstruction quality benefits from the use of statistical iterative reconstruction techniques. Depending on the desired resolution, tomographies are thereby acquired within minutes, which is an important milestone towards real-life applications of laser-plasma X-ray sources

Robustness of sweeping-window arc therapy treatment sequences against intrafractional tumor motion

Purpose: Due to the potentially periodic collimator dynamic in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) dose deliveries with the sweeping-window arc therapy (SWAT) technique, additional manifestations of dosimetric deviations in the presence of intrafractional motion may occur. With a fast multileaf collimator (MLC), and a flattening filter free dose delivery, treatment times close to 60 s per fraction are clinical reality. For these treatment sequences, the human breathing period can be close to the collimator sweeping period. Compared to a random arrangement of the segments, this will cause a further degradation of the dose homogeneity. Methods: Fifty VMAT sequences of potentially moving target volumes were delivered on a two dimensional ionization chamber array. In order to detect interplay effects along all three coordinate axes, time resolved measurements were performed twice-with the detector aligned in vertical (V) or horizontal (H) orientation. All dose matrices were then moved within a simulation software by a time-dependent motion vector. The minimum relative equivalent uniform dose EUDr,m for all breathing starting phases was determined for each amplitude and period. Furthermore, an estimation of periods with minimum EUD was performed. Additionally, LINAC logfiles were recorded during plan delivery. The MLC, jaw, gantry angle, and monitor unit settings were continuously saved and used to calculate the correlation coefficient between the target motion and the dose weighed collimator motion component for each direction (CC, LR, AP) separately. Results: The resulting EUDr,m were EUDr,m(CCV) = (98.3 +/- 0.6)%, EUDr,m(CCH) = (98.6 +/- 0.5)%, EUDr,m(AP(V)) = (97.7 +/- 0.9)%, and EUDr,m(LRH) = (97.8 +/- 0.9)%. The overall minimum relative EUD observed for 360. arc midventilation treatments was 94.6%. The treatment plan with the shortest period and a minimum relative EUD of less than 97% was found at T = 6.1 s. For a partial 120 degrees arc, an EUDr,m = 92.0% was found. In all cases, a correlation coefficient above 0.5 corresponded to a minimum in EUD. Conclusions: With the advent of fast VMAT delivery techniques, nonrobust treatment sequences for human breathing patterns can be generated. These sequences are characterized by a large correlation coefficient between a target motion component and the corresponding collimator dynamic. By iteratively decreasing the maximum allowed dose rate, a low correlation coefficient and consequentially a robust treatment sequence are ensured. (C) 2015 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

Fermionization of two distinguishable fermions

In this work we study a system of two distinguishable fermions in a 1D harmonic potential. This system has the exceptional property that there is an analytic solution for arbitrary values of the interparticle interaction. We tune the interaction strength via a magnetic offset field and compare the measured properties of the system to the theoretical prediction. At the point where the interaction strength diverges, the energy and square of the wave function for two distinguishable particles are the same as for a system of two identical fermions. This is referred to as fermionization. We have observed this phenomenon by directly comparing two distinguishable fermions with diverging interaction strength with two identical fermions in the same potential. We observe good agreement between experiment and theory. By adding one or more particles our system can be used as a quantum simulator for more complex few-body systems where no theoretical solution is available

Quantification and Assessment of Interfraction Setup Errors Based on Cone Beam CT and Determination of Safety Margins for Radiotherapy

Introduction To quantify interfraction patient setup-errors for radiotherapy based on cone-beam computed tomography and suggest safety margins accordingly. Material and Methods Positioning vectors of pre-treatment cone-beam computed tomography for different treatment sites were collected (n = 9504). For each patient group the total average and standard deviation were calculated and the overall mean, systematic and random errors as well as safety margins were determined Results The systematic (and random errors) in the superior-inferior, left-right and anterior-posterior directions were: for prostate, 2.5(3.0), 2.6(3.9) and 2.9(3.9) mm; for prostate bed, 1.7(2.0), 2.2(3.6) and 2.6(3.1) mm; for cervix, 2.8(3.4), 2.3(4.6) and 3.2(3.9) mm; for rectum, 1.6(3.1), 2.1(2.9) and 2.5(3.8) mm; for anal, 1.7(3.7), 2.1(5.1) and 2.5(4.8) mm; for head and neck, 1.9(2.3), 1.4(2.0) and 1.7(2.2) mm; for brain, 1.0(1.5), 1.1(1.4) and 1.0(1.1) mm; and for mediastinum, 3.3(4.6), 2.6(3.7) and 3.5(4.0) mm. The CTV-to-PTV margins had the smallest value for brain (3.6, 3.7 and 3.3mm) and the largest for mediastinum (11.5, 9.1 and 11.6mm). For pelvic treatments the means (and standard deviations) were 7.3 (1.6), 8.5 (0.8) and 9.6 (0.8) mm. Conclusions Systematic and random setup-errors were smaller than 5mm. The largest errors were found for organs with higher motion probability. The suggested safety margins were comparable to published values in previous but often smaller studies

Bioprinting of vascularized bone tissue equivalents

Bone tissue is one of the most frequently transplanted tissues. Since procedures like the transplantation of autologous bone bear risks, though, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering reach to face those problems by engineering bone substitutes by using suitable materials and living cells. A crucial factor is the vascularization of the constructed tissue to ensure supply of the included cells with nutrients and oxygen. For the fabrication of such bone tissue equivalents, evolving manufacturing techniques like bioprinting can be used to construct geometrically defined three-dimensional structures. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract