[en] Partners in Solutions is an exciting new program in which AAPM partners with our vendors to present practical “hands-on” information about the equipment and software systems that we use in our clinics. The imaging topic this year is CT scanner dose optimization capabilities. Note that the sessions are being held in a special purpose room built on the Exhibit Hall Floor, to encourage further interaction with the vendors. Siemens‘ Commitment to the Right Dose in Computed Tomography Presentation Time: 11:15 - 11:45 AM Providing sustainable clinical results at highest patient safety: This is the challenge in medical imaging. Especially for Computed Tomography this means applying not simply the lowest, but the right dose for sound diagnostic imaging. Consequently, Siemens is committed to deliver the right dose in CT. In order to reduce radiation to the right dose, the first step is to provide the right dose technology. Through decades of research and development in CT imaging, Siemens CT has constantly introduced new ideas leading to a comprehensive portfolio of unique CARE technologies to deliver the right dose. For example automated kV adjustment based on patient size and the clinical question with CARE kV and three generations of iterative reconstruction. Based on the right dose technology, the next step is to actually scan at the right dose. For this, it is key to know the right dose targets for every examination. Siemens continuously involves CT experts to push developments further and outline how users can best adapt their procedures to the right dose. For users to know whether they met the right dose targets, it is therefore important to understand and monitor the actual absolute dose values. All scanners are delivered with defined default protocols which automatically use the available right dose technologies. Finally, to deliver the right dose not just in singular cases, but ideally to patients everywhere, organizations need then to manage dose across their institutions. Here Siemens offers the right dose management tools for administrations to analyze and document dose, to train their clinical staff and to continuously optimize the application of the right dose in clinical routine. Siemens CT is not only adhering to the ALARA principle, but is inspired by it. With CARE Right Siemens show their commitment to the right dose in CT. Toshiba Aquilion CT Dose Management Tools Presentation Time: 11:45 - 12:15 PM A practical review of Toshiba’s CT dose management technologies from the physicist’s perspective. This presentation will include an overview of Toshiba’s CT dose reduction technologies and dose safeguards. Content will include answers to frequently asked questions relating to dose management, dose tracking, CTDI measurement, ACR accreditation, ACR QC, and protocol review on Toshiba CT systems. Specific topics will include the following: Toshiba’s mechanism of tube current modulation; Exposure record format and interpretation of the values; Dose reporting and dose safeguard tools; Use of AIDR 3D iterative reconstruction; The configuration of task specific image quality target and its integration with AIDR 3D; Tips for scanning the ACR phantom with wide beam geometry; Measuring CTDI for wide beam geometry; Discussion of daily QC procedures and specifications; Tips for annual QC evaluation; Protocol management tools

[en] An overview of the current status of WIMP direct searches is presented, emphasizing strategies, achievements and prospects

[en] Computations with weakly-coupled plasmas and some lattice results suggest that the heavy quarkonium potential has an imaginary part that is important in order to study dissociation. This imaginary part is due to the scattering with partons in the medium in a process called quasi-free dissociation. At temperatures much below dissociation another process that is known to be important is the gluo-dissociation. The aim of this work is to clarify in a perturbative framework the relation of the different expressions for the quarkonium cross sections that can be found in the literature with the quarkonium thermal width. Finally, with the use of effective field theories we evaluate the quasi-free and gluo-dissociation cross sections in a wide range of temperatures ranging from the binding energy to the dissociation temperature. The work presented here is based on [N. Brambilla, M. A. Escobedo, J. Ghiglieri and A. Vairo, preprint number TUM-EFT 27/11, in preparation]

[en] The low-risk human papillomavirus type 2a (HPV2a) has been found associated with benign skin epithelial tumors and has only been very rarely identified in malignized epithelia. Here we report the identification of the E5 gene of HPV2a and demonstrate that the protein is mainly expressed in the Golgi apparatus of transfected cells, similar to the known high-risk types E5 proteins. Further, we present experimental evidence demonstrating that HPV2a E5, similar to HPV16 E5, is able to modulate EGF-mediated erk1/2 MAP kinase activation and to down-regulate the expression of MHC class I molecules at the plasma membrane. Thus, the E5 gene of at least one cutaneous low-risk HPV type displays similar biological characteristics to those described for the high-risk type HPV16

[en] Ursolic acid is a triterpenoid with pleiotropic biological effects. In this report, we study the effects of ursolic acid on different key steps of angiogenesis. Our results show that ursolic acid is able to inhibit key steps of angiogenesis in vitro, including endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. At the same time, it seems to stimulate other key steps of angiogenesis, such as extracellular matrix degradation by MMP-2 and urokinase. Although ursolic acid can inhibit in vivo angiogenesis in the CAM assay, the different signs of the effects it causes on different steps of angiogenesis force one to be cautious concerning its anti-angiogenic potential

[en] Highlights: • We perform neutronic calculations for the preliminary DCLL Blanket design. • We study the tritium breeding capability of the reactor. • We determine the nuclear heating in the main components. • We verify if the shielding of the TF coil is maintained. - Abstract: In the frame of the newly established EUROfusion WPBB Project for the period 2014–2018, four breeding blanket options are being investigated to be used in the fusion power demonstration plant DEMO. CIEMAT is leading the development of the conceptual design of the Dual Coolant Lithium Lead, DCLL, breeding blanket. The primary role of the blanket is of energy extraction, tritium production, and radiation shielding. With this aim the DCLL uses LiPb as primary coolant, tritium breeder and neutron multiplier and Eurofer as structural material. Focusing on the achievement of the fundamental neutronic responses a preliminary blanket model has been designed. Thus detailed 3D neutronic models of the whole blanket modules have been generated, arranged in a specific DCLL segmentation and integrated in the generic DEMO model. The initial design has been studied to demonstrate its viability. Thus, the neutronic behaviour of the blanket and of the shield systems in terms of tritium breeding capabilities, power generation and shielding efficiency has been assessed in this paper. The results demonstrate that the primary nuclear performances are already satisfactory at this preliminary stage of the design, having obtained the tritium self-sufficiency and an adequate shielding.

[en] Highlights: • Numerical study of nanofluid heat transfer in thermosyphon heat pipes is performed. • Effect of nanoparticle concentration and operating temperature are studied. • Fe₂O₃–water nanofluid with 5.3% volume concentration shows the best performance. • Results show the improvement the thermal performances of thermosyphon heat pipe with nanofluids. - Abstract: In this work, a three-dimensional analysis is used to investigate the heat transfer of thermosyphon heat pipe using water and nanofluids as the working fluid. The study focused mainly on the effects of volume concentrations of nanoparticles and the operating temperature on the heat transfer performance of the thermosyphon heat pipe using the nanofluids. The analysis was performed for water and γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, three volume concentrations of nanoparticles (0 vol.%, 2 vol.% and 5.3 vol.%) and four operating temperatures (60, 70, 80 and 90 °C). The numerical results show that the volume concentration of nanoparticles had a significant effect in reducing the temperature difference between the evaporator and condenser. Experimental and numerical results show qualitatively that the thermosyphon heat pipe using the nanofluid has better heat transfer characteristics than the thermosyphon heat pipe using water

[en] The cleanup of hazardous nuclear and chemical wastes is a major environmental problem. Some of the material is so toxic that handling it will require the use of remotely/controlled robots. Operators of the robots will be situated remotely from the waste and will need a user interface for controlling the robot within its environment. The remote robot will have a variety of sensors in addition to the usual video feedback. The three dimensional data from these multiple sensors must be displayable in an integrated way on the two dimensional user interface. This project has investigated the design of a user interface for tele/robotic systems. We have developed a number of three dimensional visualization tools for use with standard user interface toolkits. (author) 6 figs., 7 refs

[en] Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been used to assess the environmental sustainability of the chlor-alkali production in Europe. The three current technologies applied nowadays are mercury, diaphragm, and membrane cell technology. Despite, having achieved higher energy efficiencies since the introduction of membrane technology, energy consumption is still one of the most important issues in this sector. An emerging technology namely oxygen-depolarised cathodes (ODC) is suggested as a promising approach for reducing the electrolysis energy demand. However, its requirement of pure oxygen and the lack of production of hydrogen, which could otherwise be valorised, are controversial features for greener chlorine production. The aim of this work is to evaluate and compare the environmental profiles of the current and emerging technologies for chlorine production and to identify the main hot spots of the process. Salt mining, brine preparation, electrolysis technology and products treatment are included inside the system boundaries. Twelve environmental impact categories grouped into natural resources usage and environmental burdens are assessed from cradle to gate and further normalised and weighted. Furthermore, hydrogen valorisation, current density and allocation procedure are subjected to sensitivity analysis. Results show that the electrolysis stage is the main contributor to the environmental impacts due to energy consumption, causing 99.5–72% of these impacts. Mercury is the less environmentally sustainable technology, closely followed by diaphragm. This difference becomes bigger after normalisation, owing to hazardous waste generated by mercury technique. Conversely, best results are obtained for ODC instead of membrane scenario, although the reduction in energy requirements is lesser than expected (7%). - Highlights: • Environmental profile of emerging vs current chlor-akali technologies • LCA approach based on natural resources and environmental burdens methodology • Majority of impacts due to energy consumption in electrolysis stage • Hydrogen valorisation through electricity generation to tackle energy dependency • Expected results for emergent technology worsen due to lack of hydrogen production.

[en] "6"8Ga-DOTA-peptides are a promising PET radiotracers used in the detection of different tumours types due to their ability for binding specifically receptors overexpressed in these. Furthermore, "6"8Ga can be produced by a "6"8Ge/"6"8Ga generator on site which is a very good alternative to cyclotron-based PET isotopes. Here, we describe a manual labelling approach for the synthesis of "6"8Ga-labelled DOTA-peptides based on concentration and purification of the commercial "6"8Ga/"6"8Ga generator eluate using an anion exchange-cartridge. "6"8Ga-DOTA-TATE was used to image a pheochromocytoma xenograft mouse model by a microPET/CT scanner. The method described provides satisfactory results, allowing the subsequent "6"8Ga use to label DOTA-peptides. The simplicity of the method along with its implementation reduced cost, makes it useful in preclinical PET studies. - Highlights: • Concentration and purification method using anion exchange resin for "6"8Ga synthesis. • Manual radiolabelling DOTA-TATE. • Small-animal pheochromocytoma tumour PET imaging.