Today, computed tomography (CT) systems routinely use automatic exposure control (AEC), which modulates the tube current. However, for optimal use, there are several aspects of an AEC system that need to be considered. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the Siemens CARE Dose 4D AEC system, discuss practical tips and demonstrate potential pitfalls. Two adult anthropomorphic phantoms were examined using two different Siemens CT systems. When optimising the CT radiation dose and image quality, the projection angle of the localiser, patient centring, protocol selection, scanning direction and the use of protective devices requires special attention. The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) complicates underlying lung disease, including treated tuberculosis. Measurement of Aspergillus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a key diagnostic step. Cutoffs have been proposed based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses comparing CPA cases to healthy controls, but performance in at-risk populations with underlying lung disease is unclear. We evaluated optimal cutoffs for the Siemens Immulite Aspergillus-specific IgG assay for CPA diagnosis in relation to large groups of healthy and diseased controls with treated pulmonary tuberculosis. Sera from 241 patients with CPA attending the UK National Aspergillosis Centre, 299 Ugandan blood donors (healthy controls), and 398 Ugandans with treated pulmonary tuberculosis (diseased controls) were tested. Radiological screening removed potential CPA cases from diseased controls (234 screened diseased controls). ROC curve analyses were performed and optimal cutoffs identified by Youden J statistic. CPA versus control ROC area under curve (AUC) results were: healthy controls 0.984 (95% confidence interval 0.972-0.997), diseased controls 0.972 (0.959-0.985), screened diseased controls 0.979 (0.967-0.992). Optimal cutoffs were: healthy controls 15 mg/l (94.6% sensitivity, 98% specificity), unscreened diseased controls 15 mg/l (94.6% sensitivity, 94.5% specificity), screened diseased controls 25 mg/l (92.9% sensitivity, 98.7% specificity). Results were similar in healthy and diseased controls. We advocate a cutoff of 20 mg/l as this is the midpoint of the range of optimal cutoffs. Cutoffs calculated in relation to healthy controls for other assays are likely to remain valid for use in a treated tuberculosis population.
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Les revetements par projection thermique HVOF (High Velocity Oxy-Fuel) sont communement utilises dans l'industrie aeronautique, notamment au sein du partenaire industriel du projet (Tecnickrome Aeronautique Inc), comme des remplacants pour les revetements produits par l'electrodeposition du chrome dur due aux problemes environnementaux. Ce projet avait pour but de trouver une poudre alternative a celle qui est actuellement utilisee pour la production des revetements de type WC-10Co-4Cr obtenus avec la technologie de projection thermique a haute vitesse HVOF et en utilisant le systeme de projection HVOF-JET KOTERTM III. Dans un premier temps, cinq poudres incluant celle de reference, ayant des distributions granulometriques differentes, ont ete projetees dans le but d'identifier quelles poudres pouvaient etre utilisees avec le systeme de projection HVOF-JET KOTERTM III en gardant des parametres similaires (debit d'hydrogene, debit d'oxygene, debit de poudre et distance de projection) que pour la poudre de reference. Les revetements obtenus a partir des poudres etudiees ont ete evalues selon les criteres d'acceptation des revetements sollicites par les principaux manufacturiers des trains d'atterrissage. Les tests ont porte sur l'epaisseur, l'adhesion, la microstructure, la microdurete, les contraintes residuelles et la rugosite. A partir des resultats obtenus, seulement deux poudres ont rencontre toutes les proprietes demandees par les specifications aeronautiques. L'influence de la variation de la distance de projection sur la qualite des revetements a ete etudiee. Cinq distances (100, 125, 150, 175 et 200 mm) ont ete choisies pour faire la projection des deux poudres selectionnees. Les revetements obtenus ont montre de proprietes des revetements similaires (epaisseur, adhesion, microstructure, microdurete, contraintes residuelles et rugosite). Il a ete trouve que la distance de projection est un parametre indirect du systeme de projection HVOF-JET KOTERTM III et
Biodiesel produced from ethanolysis is more renewable and have better properties (higher oxidation stability, lower cloud and pour point) compared to methanolysis, but it has a disadvantage such as complicated purification. To improve ethanolysis process, deep eutectic solvent (DES) can be prepared from choline chloride and glycerol and used as co-solvent in ethanolysis. The deep eutectic solvent is formed from a quaternary ammonium salt (choline chloride) and a hydrogen bond donor (Glycerol), it is a non-toxic, biodegradable solvent compared to a conventional volatile organic solvent such as hexane. The deep eutectic solvent is prepared by mixing choline chloride and glycerol with molar ratio 1:2 at temperature 80 C, stirring speed 300 rpm for 1 hour. The DES is characterized by its density and viscosity. The ethanolysis is performed at a reaction temperature of 70 C, ethanol to oil molar ratio of 9:1, potassium hydroxide as catalyst concentration of 1.2 wt. DES as co-solvent with concentration 0.5 to 3 wt. stirring speed 400 rpm, and a reaction time 1 hour. The obtained biodiesel is then characterized by its density, viscosity, and ester content. The oil - ethanol phase condition is observed in the reaction tube. The oil - ethanol phase with DES tends to form meniscus compared to without DES, showed that oil and ethanol become more slightly miscible, which favors the reaction. Using DES as co-solvent in ethanolysis showed increasing in yield and easier purification. The esters properties meet the international standards ASTM D6751, with the highest yield achieved 83,67 with 99,77 conversion at DES concentration 2 . Increasing DES concentration above 2 in ethanolysis decrease the conversion and yield, because of the excessive glycerol in the systems makes the reaction equilibrium moves to the reactant side.
We use mock galaxy survey simulations designed to resemble the Dark Energy Survey Year 1 (DES Y1) data to validate and inform cosmological parameter estimation. When similar analysis tools are applied to both simulations and real survey data, they provide powerful validation tests of the DES Y1 cosmological analyses presented in companion papers. We use two suites of galaxy simulations produced using different methods, which therefore provide independent tests of our cosmological parameter inference. The cosmological analysis we aim to validate is presented in DES Collaboration et al. (2017) and uses angular two-point correlation functions of galaxy number counts and weak lensing shear, as well as their cross-correlation, in multiple redshift bins. While our constraints depend on the specific set of simulated realisations available, for both suites of simulations we find that the input cosmology is consistent with the combined constraints from multiple simulated DES Y1 realizations in themore $$\\Omega_m-\\sigma_8$$ plane. For one of the suites, we are able to show with high confidence that any biases in the inferred $$S_8=\\sigma_8(\\Omega_m/0.3)^0.5$$ and $$\\Omega_m$$ are smaller than the DES Y1 $$1-\\sigma$$ uncertainties. For the other suite, for which we have fewer realizations, we are unable to be this conclusive; we infer a roughly 70% probability that systematic biases in the recovered $$\\Omega_m$$ and $$S_8$$ are sub-dominant to the DES Y1 uncertainty. As cosmological analyses of this kind become increasingly more precise, validation of parameter inference using survey simulations will be essential to demonstrate robustness. less 2ff7e9595c
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