Advanced Diagnostic Technique Research Articles

The advancement of predictive diagnosis and molecular mechanism in multiple primary lung cancer

Due to the advanced diagnostic technique and better understanding for multiple primary lung cancers (MPLC), the increasing incidence of MPLC has been reported. Very often, MPLC are misdiagnosed as metastasis because of lacking efficient molecular biomarkers for prediction and diagnosis. Studies on the molecular mechanism for tumorgenesis and progression of MPLC may therefore facilitate the discovery of biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis, so that an individual and rational treatment can be achieved. We tried to further our understanding and improve the diagnostic skill for MPLC by reviewing the current status and the latest advancement of molecular markers related to MPLC.

Validation of a diagnostic method for estimating the compression condition of direct injection diesel engines

The compression stroke is an important index for engine operation because in-cylinder conditions at the end of compression have a major effect on its overall performance and efficiency. It is widely recognized that the compression stroke is strongly affected, beyond heat losses, by the initial pressure at inlet valve closure, the compression ratio (CR), and the blow-by rate. However, when a compression degradation is detected (i.e. decrease in peak compression pressure), it is very difficult to directly define the actual cause for this. In the present work, an advanced diagnostic technique is used to estimate the compression condition of a direct injection diesel engine and determine the actual cause for a reduction in peak compression pressure. To validate the proposed technique, a detailed experimental investigation was conducted on a single-cylinder test engine installed in the author's laboratory. At first, measurements were taken during the engine's normal operation (i.e. firing and motoring conditions). Then, ‘virtual’ faults have been created on the engine (i.e. reduced CR, cylinder mass leakage increase, and inlet chocking), aiming to reduce the peak compression pressure. The diagnostic technique is applied for each test case to estimate the cylinder compression condition and to detect the actual parameter that causes a decrease in peak compression pressure. The diagnosis results reveal that the technique can determine correctly the actual parameter responsible for compression deterioration in each case. This is accomplished even in cases where a combination of faults exists. The results obtained are extremely valuable, because the proposed diagnostic technique can be applied to any type of diesel engine and mainly to large-scale diesel engines (i.e. marine or stationary applications), where the application of non-catastrophic methods (i.e. without modifications or interventions to the engine cylinder) for estimating the cylinder compression conditions is extremely important.

Classical and ablative Richtmyer–Meshkov instability and other ICF-relevant plasma flows diagnosed with monochromatic x-ray imaging

In inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high-energy density physics (HEDP), the most important manifestations of the hydrodynamic instabilities and other mixing processes involve lateral motion of the accelerated plasmas. In order to understand the experimental observations and to advance the numerical simulation codes to the point of predictive capability, it is critically important to accurately diagnose the motion of the dense plasma mass. The most advanced diagnostic technique recently developed for this purpose is the monochromatic x-ray imaging that combines large field of view with high contrast, high spatial resolution and large throughput, ensuring high temporal resolution at large magnification. Its application made it possible for the experimentalists to observe for the first time important hydrodynamic effects that trigger compressible turbulent mixing in laser targets, such as ablative Richtmyer–Meshkov (RM) instability, feedout, interaction of an RM-unstable interface with shock and rarefaction waves. It also helped to substantially improve the accuracy of diagnosing many other important plasma flows, ranging from laser-produced jets to electromagnetically driven wires in a Z-pinch, and to test various methods suggested for mitigation of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability. We will review the results obtained with the aid of this technique in ICF-HEDP studies at the Naval Research Laboratory and the prospects of its future applications.

Maxillary sinus carcinoma: The only symptom was neck lymph node swelling

Objective Since maxillary sinus is composed of bone structure, the main symptoms of maxillary sinus carcinoma are related to the anatomical feature and the destructive lesion of the bony wall, such as cheek pain and nasal obstruction. Methods We report a female case with undifferentiated carcinoma in the right maxillary sinus, only appearing cervical swelling which was revealed as lymph node metastasis. Results CT and MRI findings showed just maxillary sinusitis with minor bone destruction. However, fluorine 18-labelled deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) was useful for the detection of the primary site. The patient received concomitant chemoradiotherapy, and showed a complete response both in the primary site and neck lymph nodes. She has no recurrence for 18 months after the primary therapy. Conclusion The main symptoms of maxillary sinus carcinoma are related to the local progression, and known to have less cervical lymph node metastasis. However, like the present case, there is a rare case that has no symptom and organic features associated with the local mass. With the best use of advanced diagnostic technique, e.g., FDG-PET, we could diagnose and treat atypical maxillary sinus carcinoma patients.

Positron Emission Tomography: An Advanced Nuclear Medicine Imaging Technique from Research to Clinical Practice

This chapter describes the use of positron emission tomography (PET) in clinical practice. PET is an advanced diagnostic imaging technique, which can not only detect and localize, but also quantify physiological and biochemical processes in the body noninvasively. The ability of PET to study various biological processes opens up the new possibilities for both fundamental research and day-to-day clinical use. PET has played an important role for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in patients with neurological and cardiological infections and inflammations, vasculitis, and other autoimmune diseases. Fluoro-d–glucose (FDG) PET has been used successfully as a noninvasive diagnostic test for solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN) in order to distinguish benign lesions from malignancies. It is found that a whole-body FDG PET scan is as accurate as a panel of imaging modalities currently employed in detecting disease and is significantly more accurate in detecting multifocal disease, lymph node involvement, and distant metastasis. FDG PET is also accepted as a useful and highly sensitive tool for the localization of epileptogenic zones.

Analysis of photobioreactors for culturing high-value microalgae and cyanobacteria via an advanced diagnostic technique: CARPT

Photosynthetic algal cultures are a potential source of many high-value products. In photobioreactors (PBR), the availability and the intensity of the light, which are affected by the cells’ movement, are the major factors controlling the biomass productivity. Hydrodynamics, hence, play a significant role in the reactor's performance, as they determine not only the flow field, i.e. liquid flow and mixing, shear stresses, etc., but also the movements of the cells. In this work, computer-automated radioactive particle tracking (CARPT) technique was employed to evaluate its feasibility for characterizing PBRs. Liquid velocity profiles, cells’ movement, and the temporal irradiance patterns obtained by coupling the cells’ trajectories and the irradiance distribution model have been determined. The effects of the biomass concentration, reactor geometry, and the aeration rate on the irradiance patterns are discussed. The results demonstrate that the CARPT technique is promising for PBR analysis. It provides fundamental information needed to advance the cells’ growth prediction and modeling, and the design, scale-up and operation of PBRs.

Diagnosis of a Faulty I/O Circuit Using PICA (Picosecond Imaging Circuit Analysis)

Abstract Picosecond imaging circuit analysis (PICA) is an advanced diagnostic technique that measures device switching activity on CMOS ICs through the backside of the die. Due to its relatively large field of view, it can quickly locate defects among large numbers of candidates. In this case study, the authors explain how they used PICA to identify a particular I/O circuit defect on the IBM System/390 G5 microprocessor. They also explain how they verified the diagnostic result using circuit simulations.

Collective Thomson Scattering Diagnostic for Fast Ion and Deuterium to Tritium Ratio Measurement in Open Magnetic Systems

An advanced diagnostic technique to measure the ion temperature and fast ions in open magnetic field systems is described. The method for the determination of deuterium to tritium ratio and the helium ash density in DT burning plasmas is also proposed. The measurement is made by small angle collective Thomson scattering (CTS) using a high power pulsed CO2 laser and heterodyne receiver system. The axial profiles can be measured by an axially injected beamline. Attenuation and refraction in the plasma are unimportant even for large devices. Scattered spectrum of the expected DT fusion plasma with currently developed laser and receiver system is presented. The component of scattered laser power nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field giving rise to ion cyclotron modulation of the scattered spectrum. Spectrum from pure deuterium and from D-T mixed plasma show the possibility of fuel ratio measurement. The scattered spectrum of D-T plasmas with thermalized helium ash is also calculated. Experimental arrangement to improve the S/N ratio in low density open magnetic systems are also discussed. The possibility of ion temperature and modulation measurement using a homodyne receiver system in GAMMA 10 are also evaluated.

Advanced impurity measurement for deuterium–tritium-burning plasmas using pulsed CO2 laser collective Thomson scattering

Knowledge of the dynamics and concentration of impurities in the plasma core is crucial to the development of a deuterium–tritium (DT) tokamak fusion reactor. In this article, we first describe an advanced diagnostic technique to measure the impurities, thermalized helium density, and the deuterium-to-tritium density ratio in DT-burning plasmas. The measurement is made by small-angle collective Thomson scattering using a high-power pulsed CO2 laser and heterodyne receiver system. The component of scattered laser power nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field gives rise to ion cyclotron modulation of the scattered spectrum. Scattered spectrum of expected impurities (Ar, Be, and He ash) are presented for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor plasmas. The method for the determination of the helium ash density and deuterium-to-tritium ratio are also proposed. Modulation spectra as a function of frequency for different magnetic-field angles are confirmed. Experimental requirements to measure a scattered spectrum with fine details resulting from ion cyclotron oscillations are also discussed.