scholarly journals The IOERT IntraLine accelerator – the development, current state, and future plans

Nukleonika ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Przemysław Adrich ◽  
Radosław Hanke ◽  
Ewa Kulczycka ◽  
Konrad Kosiński ◽  
Bartosz Meglicki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Time ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Treatment Method ◽  
Tumor Treatment ◽  
Oncologic Surgery ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Electron Beam Radiotherapy ◽  
Mechanical Optimization ◽  
Near Future

Abstract Intraoperative electron radiation therapy (IOERT) is a cancer treatment method that combines oncologic surgery with electron beam radiotherapy. This method can reduce the duration of entire tumor treatment and increase its effectiveness. Moreover, shortening the treatment time significantly reduces the cost and accessibility of the therapy. As a result of interdisciplinary research, an innovative accelerator for IOERT, the IntraLine, was developed. In the course of this work, four patent applications were filed. Today, the work is half way through. In the near future, the device will be optimized. New mechanical design solutions will be developed. Mechanical optimization will significantly reduce the weight of the device. Accelerators control system, which today is in the demo phase, will also be significantly upgraded. This paper describes the stages of the IntraLine accelerator development, its current state and plans for the future R&D work, within the scope of our new Intra-Dose project.

Static and Modal Topology Optimization of Turbomachinery Components

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Rindi ◽  
Enrico Meli ◽  
Enrico Boccini ◽  
Giuseppe Iurisci ◽  
Simone Corbò ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Topology Optimization ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Optimization Methods ◽  
Technical Documentation ◽  
Performance Targets ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Turbine Component ◽  
Mechanical Optimization ◽  
Turbomachinery Design ◽  
Near Future

The need to be more and more competitive is pushing the complexity of aerodynamic and mechanical design of rotating machines at very high levels. New concepts are required to improve the current machine performances from many points of view: aerodynamics, mechanics, rotordynamics, and manufacturing. Topology optimization is one of the most promising new approaches in the turbomachinery field for mechanical optimization of rotoric and statoric components. It can be a very effective enabler to individuate new paths and strategies, and to go beyond techniques already consolidated in turbomachinery design, such as parametric and shape optimizations. Topology optimization methods improve material distribution within a given design space (for a given set of boundary conditions and loads) to allow the resulting layout to meet a prescribed set of performance targets. Topology optimization allows also to change the topology of the structures (e.g., when a shape splits into two parts or develops holes). This methodology has been applied to a turbine component to reduce the static stress level and the weight of the part and, at the same time, to tune natural frequencies. Thus, the interest of this work is to investigate both static and dynamic/modal aspects of the structural optimization. These objectives can be applied alone or in combination, performing a single analysis or a multiple analysis optimization. It has been possible to improve existing components and to design new concepts with higher performances compared to the traditional ones. This approach could be also applied to other generic components. The research paper has been developed in collaboration with Nuovo Pignone General Electric S.p.A. that has provided all the technical documentation. The developed geometries of the prototypes will be manufactured in the near future with the help of an industrial partner.

Resource efficiency in deinked pulp production: a review

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
LIISA KOTANEN ◽  
MIKA KÖRKKÖ ◽  
ARI ÄMMÄLÄ ◽  
JOUKO NIINIMÄKI
Keyword(s):  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Resource Efficiency ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Ecological Strategy ◽  
Recycled Paper ◽  
Paper Production ◽  
Recycled Pulp ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Pulp Production

The use of recovered paper as a raw material for paper production is by far the most economical and ecological strategy for the disposal of waste paper. However, paper production from recovered paper furnish generates a great amount of residues, and the higher the demand requirements for the end product, the higher the amount of rejected material. The reason for this is that the selectivity of the deinking process is limited; therefore, some valuable components are also lost in reject streams. The rejection of usable components affects the economics of recycled paper production. As the cost of waste disposal continues to increase, this issue is becoming more and more severe. This paper summarizes the current state of the resource efficiency in recycled pulp production and provides information on the volumes of rejected streams and the usable material within them. Various means to use these reject streams are also discussed, including the main findings of a recent thesis by the main author. This review summarizes current internal and external use of reject streams generated in the deinking operations.

Cost- und Monitoring-Projekt: Zwei neue forstliche Meinungsumfragen im Vergleich | The Cost- and Monitoring-Projects: A Comparison of Two New Forestry Opinion Polls

2000 ◽  
Vol 151 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Wild-Eck ◽  
Willi Zimmermann
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Forest Policy ◽  
Forest Economics ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Federal Institute ◽  
Swiss Confederation ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Opinion Polls

Two large-scale surveys looking at attitudes towards forests, forestry and forest policy in the second half ofthe nineties have been carried out. This work was done on behalf of the Swiss Confederation by the Chair of Forest Policy and Forest Economics of the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. Not only did the two studies use very different methods, but the results also varied greatly as far as infrastructure and basic conditions were concerned. One of the main differences between the two studies was the fact that the first dealt only with mountainous areas, whereas the second was carried out on the whole Swiss population. The results of the studies reflect these differences:each produced its own specific findings. Where the same (or similar) questions were asked, the answers highlight not only how the attitudes of those questioned differ, but also views that they hold in common. Both surveys showed positive attitudes towards forests in general, as well as a deep-seated appreciation ofthe forest as a recreational area, and a positive approach to tending. Detailed results of the two surveys will be available in the near future.

scholarly journals CAR-NK Cells in the Treatment of Solid Tumors

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5899
Author(s):  
Ewa Wrona ◽  
Maciej Borowiec ◽  
Piotr Potemski
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Solid Tumors ◽  
Hematological Malignancies ◽  
Toxicity Profile ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Hematological Neoplasms ◽  
Current State ◽  
Car T ◽  
The Cost

CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T) cells have emerged as a milestone in the treatment of patients with refractory B-cell neoplasms. However, despite having unprecedented efficacy against hematological malignancies, the treatment is far from flawless. Its greatest drawbacks arise from a challenging and expensive production process, strict patient eligibility criteria and serious toxicity profile. One possible solution, supported by robust research, is the replacement of T lymphocytes with NK cells for CAR expression. NK cells seem to be an attractive vehicle for CAR expression as they can be derived from multiple sources and safely infused regardless of donor–patient matching, which greatly reduces the cost of the treatment. CAR-NK cells are known to be effective against hematological malignancies, and a growing number of preclinical findings indicate that they have activity against non-hematological neoplasms. Here, we present a thorough overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the use of CAR-NK cells in treating various solid tumors.

scholarly journals A decision model on the repair and maintenance of shipping containers

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niclas Hoffmann ◽  
Robert Stahlbock ◽  
Stefan Voß
Keyword(s):  
Decision Model ◽  
Individual Decision ◽  
Microsoft Excel ◽  
Current State ◽  
Repair Costs ◽  
Transport Chain ◽  
Shipping Containers ◽  
Logistic Chain ◽  
Safe Transport ◽  
Near Future

Abstract The use of shipping containers for the transport of goods has become indispensable and a crucial factor for globalization by providing inexpensive and safe transport opportunities. It is expected that the number of globally operating containers will increase in the near future. Despite a high technical modernisation of the logistic chain, the container still faces a risk of damage at any time and any place within the transport chain. In principle, a container is taken out of service, when a damage is recognized. Different causes of damage exist and various types of damage could occur to the container, ranging from minor to substantial major ones that do not permit the continued proper use of the container. Thus, an individual decision on repair and maintenance (R&M) for each damaged container is necessary. Aside from technical aspects, it has to be decided from an economical perspective whether a repair should be performed. A profound decision should consider various criteria like, e.g., repair costs, lifespan of the container, future yields and possible sales price. Based on a regulatory, practical, and scientific view, this paper proposes a multi-criteria decision model for the economic decision on the R&M of a damaged container. Implemented in Microsoft Excel, this decision model is easily applicable. The user can deduce a first (limited) guidance for dealing with a respective damaged container based on its current state and general market conditions.

scholarly journals Analysis of Non-Idealities on CMOS Passive Mixers

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1105
Author(s):  
Antonio D. Martinez-Perez ◽  
Francisco Aznar ◽  
Guillermo Royo ◽  
Santiago Celma
Keyword(s):  
Final Section ◽  
Cmos Technology ◽  
Monte Carlo Analysis ◽  
Image Rejection ◽  
Structure Approach ◽  
Quadrature Scheme ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Image Rejection Ratio ◽  
The Ideal

In the current state of the art, WiFi-alike standards require achieving a high Image Rejection Ratio (IRR) while having low power consumption. Thus, quadrature structures based on passive ring mixers offer an attractive and widely used solution, as they can achieve a high IRR while being a passive block. However, it is not easy for the designer to know when a simple quadrature scheme is enough and when they should aim for a double quadrature structure approach, as the latter can improve the performance at the cost of requiring more area and complexity. This study focuses on the IRR, which crucially depends on the symmetry between the I and Q branches. Non-idealities (component mismatches, parasitics, etc.) will degrade the ideal balance by affecting the mixer and/or following/previous stages. This paper analyses the effect of imbalances, providing the constraints for obtaining a 40 dB IRR in the case of a conversion from a one-hundred-megahertz signal to the five-gigahertz range (upconversion) and vice versa (downconversion) for simple and double quadrature schemes. All simulations were carried out with complete device models from 65 nm standard CMOS technology and also a post-layout Monte Carlo analysis was included for mismatch analysis. The final section includes guidelines to help designers choose the most adequate scheme for each case.

Computing Robust Principal Components by A* Search

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (07) ◽  
pp. 1860013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swair Shah ◽  
Baokun He ◽  
Crystal Maung ◽  
Haim Schweitzer
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Low Rank ◽  
A Algorithm ◽  
Running Time ◽  
Current State ◽  
Dimensionality Reduction Technique ◽  
Related Variant ◽  
Low Rank Representation ◽  
The Cost

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a classical dimensionality reduction technique that computes a low rank representation of the data. Recent studies have shown how to compute this low rank representation from most of the data, excluding a small amount of outlier data. We show how to convert this problem into graph search, and describe an algorithm that solves this problem optimally by applying a variant of the A* algorithm to search for the outliers. The results obtained by our algorithm are optimal in terms of accuracy, and are shown to be more accurate than results obtained by the current state-of-the- art algorithms which are shown not to be optimal. This comes at the cost of running time, which is typically slower than the current state of the art. We also describe a related variant of the A* algorithm that runs much faster than the optimal variant and produces a solution that is guaranteed to be near the optimal. This variant is shown experimentally to be more accurate than the current state-of-the-art and has a comparable running time.

scholarly journals The Development of Patient Scheduling Groups for an Effective Appointment System

2016 ◽  
Vol 07 (01) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Li Huang
Keyword(s):  
Access To Care ◽  
Treatment Time ◽  
Optimization Technique ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
Patient Scheduling ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Patient Type ◽  
Clinic Efficiency ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

SummaryPatient access to care and long wait times has been identified as major problems in outpatient delivery systems. These aspects impact medical staff productivity, service quality, clinic efficiency, and health-care cost.This study proposed to redesign existing patient types into scheduling groups so that the total cost of clinic flow and scheduling flexibility was minimized. The optimal scheduling group aimed to improve clinic efficiency and accessibility.The proposed approach used the simulation optimization technique and was demonstrated in a Primary Care physician clinic. Patient type included, emergency/urgent care (ER/UC), follow-up (FU), new patient (NP), office visit (OV), physical exam (PE), and well child care (WCC). One scheduling group was designed for this physician. The approach steps were to collect physician treatment time data for each patient type, form the possible scheduling groups, simulate daily clinic flow and patient appointment requests, calculate costs of clinic flow as well as appointment flexibility, and find the scheduling group that minimized the total cost.The cost of clinic flow was minimized at the scheduling group of four, an 8.3% reduction from the group of one. The four groups were: 1. WCC, 2. OV, 3. FU and ER/UC, and 4. PE and NP. The cost of flexibility was always minimized at the group of one. The total cost was minimized at the group of two. WCC was considered separate and the others were grouped together. The total cost reduction was 1.3% from the group of one.This study provided an alternative method of redesigning patient scheduling groups to address the impact on both clinic flow and appointment accessibility. Balance between them ensured the feasibility to the recognized issues of patient service and access to care. The robustness of the proposed method on the changes of clinic conditions was also discussed.

scholarly journals Pulp Revascularization of Immature Permanent Teeth: A Review of the Literature and a Proposal of a New Clinical Protocol

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie Namour ◽  
Stephanie Theys
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Method ◽  
Permanent Teeth ◽  
Clinical Protocol ◽  
Therapeutic Success ◽  
Immature Teeth ◽  
Triple Antibiotic Paste ◽  
New Treatment ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Pulp Revascularization ◽  
Stimulation Of

Tissue engineering is a growing field. In the near future, it will probably be possible to generate a complete vital tooth from a single stem cell. Pulp revascularization is dependent on the ability of residual pulp and apical and periodontal stem cells to differentiate. These cells have the ability to generate a highly vascularized and a conjunctive rich living tissue. This one is able to colonize the available pulp space. Revascularization is a new treatment method for immature necrotic permanent teeth. Up to now, apexification procedures were applied for these teeth, using calcium dihydroxide or MTA to produce an artificial apical barrier. However, the pulp revascularization allows the stimulation of the apical development and the root maturation of immature teeth. Two pulp revascularization techniques are used in the literature, one using calcium dihydroxide and the second using a triple antibiotic paste. Based on these two different pulp revascularization protocols, which obtain the desired therapeutic success, the literature will be reviewed and analyzed according to the relevance of their choice of materials. Based on the literature, we propose a new relevant protocol and a new mixture of antibiotics.

Criteria for the Evaluation of Social Policy Effectiveness of States

2014 ◽  
pp. 87-97
Author(s):  
V. Sautkina
Keyword(s):  
Developed Countries ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Educational Services ◽  
State Control ◽  
National Education ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Government ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Cost

The following article is devoted to the study of current state of national education and healthcare systems. The cost of services in these areas constantly increases, there for even developed countries are forced to make significant efforts in order to maintain earlier achieved results. Due to this reason countries entered into the period of constant reforms with the purpose of maintaining that high level of health and educational services for all segments of population with a constant reduction of its volume of financing. The legal aspects of these changes are requiring manifestation of the will of politicians in order to overcome the opposition of parties which are defending their interests. As an example, the main opponents of the healthcare reforms proposed by Barak Obama in the USA are Republicans who are concerned about a significant increase of a state control over the entire national insurance system. The author comes to the conclusion that only joint actions of the government and every segment of population might actually improve the quality of medical and educational services.

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