Internal Volume Research Articles

Application of ozone at low-pressure: Control of egg and larval phases of Zabrotes subfasciatus, inactivation of Aspergillus flavus and qualitative changes in bean grains

Ozone applied in a low-pressure system has been studied in packed grains. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of ozone applied at low-pressures for the control of egg and larval phases of Zabrotes subfasciatus and inactivation of Aspergillus flavus in beans and possible changes in product quality. Samples of 5.0 kg of beans packed in woven polypropylene bags were exposed to ozone in the hypobaric chamber of internal volume equal to 70 L. The application of ozone was preceded by the reduction of internal chamber pressure to 50000 Pa. The ozone was then injected until the chamber's internal pressure reached 100000 Pa. An inlet ozone concentration of 61.37 mg L−1 was applied in 1, 4, 7, and 10 injections and a flow rate of 1.0 L min−1. In the control treatment, oxygen was used. The ozonation of beans with 10 injections was efficient in controlling the egg and larval phases of Z. subfasciatus, reducing mass loss and inactivation of A. flavus in the grains. The increase in the number of injections increased the electrical conductivity of the beans. However, ozone did not affect the thousand-grain mass, percentage of whole grains after cooking, total soluble solids in the cooking broth, dimensions of the orthogonal axes of the grains, volume and length-width ratio of the cooked beans. The results suggest that the number of injections in the system at low-pressure is a determining factor for the concentration of ozone inside grain packages. In this system, the application of ozone adopting 10 injections is efficient in the control of Z. subfasciatus and in the inactivation of A. flavus, without affecting the quality of the beans.

Orderly arranged three-dimensional porous S/Ti3C2/NC potassiphilic scaffold enabling dendrite-free K metal deposition for potassium metal batteries

Potassium (K) metal battery is a promising future electrochemical energy storage system owing to the low electrochemical potential, high theoretical specific capacity, and inexhaustible K resources. However, the K metal anodes prematurely defeat due to the inescapable dendrites growth and volume variation, which severely hindered the practical application of K metal battery. To tackle these issues, we propose a S-modified Ti3C2-chitosan aerogel (S-TNC) with orderly arranged 3D porous structure and high potassiphilicity to construct K metal anode (S-TNC@K) by molten infusing with K metal. S-TNC scaffold buffers the internal volume variation via large porous voids during the plating/stripping, and accelerates electron/ion transport by interconnected conductive skeleton, inducing uniform K deposition. The monodispersed S and N sites in S-TNC improve the potassiphilicity of scaffold, reducing K nucleation barrier and inhibiting K dendrites growth. Benefiting from the above outstanding properties of S-TNC scaffold, the S-TNC@K//PTCDA full battery realizes excellent cycling stability with a boosted specific capacity of 90.2 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 1 C. This work solves the dendrites growth and volume variation problems in K metal batteries, which laid foundation for the further development of K metal battery.

Setup error of electronic portal image device in IMRT for thoracic tumors and its influence.

The aim of this study was to analyze the setup error of the electronics portal image device (EPID) in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for thoracic tumors and the influence on the outward expansion distance of the target area. A total of 202 patients with chest tumors admitted to our hospital from March 2016 to March 2018 were selected as the observation subjects. All patients were treated with IMRT. The original plan was developed based on the SM90 obtained by the planning target volume (PTV) expansion method, and the new plan was obtained by shifting the isocenter coordinates of the treatment plan according to the positioning error value obtained by EPID. Before the treatment, EPID scans were performed. The electronic radiation field images (ERIs) were registered with the digitally reconstructed radiographic images (DRRs) generated by the treatment planning system using the image registration software, and the setup errors in the X, Y, and Z directions were further measured. The PTV was developed according to ERIs, and the setup error was simulated to obtain the PTV with 95% internal target volume (ITV) reaching the prescribed dose under the condition of a setup error. The outward expansion distance of clinical target volume (CTV) → PTV was calculated. In this experiment, the setup errors in X, Y, and Z directions were (-2.00±1.16) mm, (0.16±1.14) mm, and (-0.55±1.16) mm, respectively. The systematic error in the Z direction was -3.00 mm, and the random error in the X direction was 3.30 mm. The CTV → PTV outward expansion distance was set as 7, 8 and 7 mm in the X direction, Y direction and Z direction, respectively. At this time, under the presence of setup error, the PTV D95 and the ITV V100 in the new plan were (62.23±3.85) Gy and (97.51±1.56) %, respectively, effectively ensuring that 95% ITV of 90% patients reached the prescribed dose. In contrast, the ITV D95 and ITV V100 in the presence of setup error were (56.11±5.26) Gy and (90.15±3.12) %, respectively, at a CTV → PTV outward expansion distance of 5 mm, which could not guarantee that 95% ITV of 90% patients reached the prescribed dose. In the presence of a setup error, the double-lung 5 Gy irradiation of the total heart volume (V5), the double-lung 20 Gy irradiation of the total heart volume (V20), mean lung dose (MLD), mean heart dose (MHD), and D1 cm3 of the new plan increased by 0.89%, 0.29%, 0.13%, 0.06%, and 5 Gy, respectively, compared with the original plan. In general, the first treatment of radiotherapy in thoracic tumors mostly has a certain degree of setup error, which is most evident in the X direction. When the CTV → PTV outward expansion distance is set at 7, 8, and 7 mm in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively, it can effectively ensure that 95% ITV reach the prescribed dose in 90% of patients in the presence of a setup error. EPID helps to achieve the desired effect of radiotherapy, improves the efficacy of radiotherapy, and reduces the side effects caused by radiotherapy errors.

A novel miniaturized waveguide all pole band pass filter using confined multi‐layered frequency selective surfaces

AbstractThis letter presents a novel technique for realizing waveguide all pole band pass filters (BPFs). To the best of the authors’ knowledge this work is the first of its kind to confine the frequency selective surface (FSS) within a waveguide to realize highly miniatured high‐performance BPF. For the proof of the concept, a sixth‐order all pole BPF is realized at 10 GHz with a fractional bandwidth of 10%. The measured peak insertion loss of the filter is better than 1.2 dB and return loss is better than 15 dB. The proposed concept yields a remarkable miniaturization with an internal volume reduction of 30%. Space mapping technique has been adopted to systematically design the filter.

Modular Multifunctional Composite Structure for CubeSat Applications: Embedded Battery Prototype Modal Analysis

Current CubeSats usually exhibit a low structural mass efficiency and a low internal volume for their payloads. The present work aims to propose an advanced structural architecture for CubeSats that addresses the issues of low structural mass efficiency and payload volume. The starting concept is the smart tiles architecture for satellites developed for the ARAMIS (an Italian acronym for a highly modular architecture for satellite infrastructures) CubeSat project. By introducing multifunctional structures and lightweight, composite materials in the design of smart tiles, the volumetric and structural mass efficiency of the entire CubeSat are enhanced. The advantages of the chosen approach are preliminarily analyzed in terms of the volumetric efficiency and amplitude of the payload design space. A 1U battery tile design is then selected to investigate the multifunctional structures design aspects in the project of space structures. A battery tile prototype is designed, produced, and tested. The CubeSat volumetric increment and the payload volume gain with respect to the traditional architecture is shown to reach a maximum of 37%. The CubeSat structural mass ratio can be reduced to 16.7%.

Deep learning based automatic internal gross target volume delineation from 4D-CT of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

The location and morphology of the liver are significantly affected by respiratory motion. Therefore, delineating the gross target volume (GTV) based on 4D medical images is more accurate than regular 3D-CT with contrast. However, the 4D method is also more time-consuming and laborious. This study proposes a deep learning (DL) framework based on 4D-CT that can achieve automatic delineation of internal GTV. The proposed network consists of two encoding paths, one for feature extraction of adjacent slices (spatial slices) in a specific 3D-CT sequence, and one for feature extraction of slices at the same location in three adjacent phase 3D-CT sequences (temporal slices), a feature fusion module based on an attention mechanism was proposed for fusing the temporal and spatial features. Twenty-six patients' 4D-CT, each consisting of 10 respiratory phases, were used as the dataset. The Hausdorff distance (HD95), Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), and volume difference (VD) between the manual and predicted tumor contour were computed to evaluate the model's segmentation accuracy. The predicted GTVs and IGTVs were compared quantitatively and visually with the ground truth. For the test dataset, the proposed method achieved a mean DSC of 0.869±0.089 and an HD95 of 5.14±3.34mm for all GTVs, with under-segmented GTVs on some CT slices being compensated by GTVs on other slices, resulting in better agreement between the predicted IGTVs and the ground truth, with a mean DSC of 0.882±0.085 and an HD95 of 4.88±2.84mm. The best GTV results were generally observed at the end-inspiration stage. Our proposed DL framework for tumor segmentation on 4D-CT datasets shows promise for fully automated delineation in the future. The promising results of this work provide impetus for its integration into the 4DCT treatment planning workflow to improve hepatocellular carcinoma radiotherapy.

Application of an Oscillatory Plug Flow Reactor to Enable Scalable and Fast Reactions in Water Using a Biomass-Based Polymeric Additive.

The utilization of water as a sustainable reaction medium has important advantages over traditional organic solvents. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose has emerged as a biomass-based polymeric additive that enables organic reactions in water through hydrophobic effects. However, such conditions imply slurries as reaction mixtures, where the efficacy of mass transfer and mixing decreases with increasing vessel size. In order to circumvent this limitation and establish an effectively scalable platform for performing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-mediated aqueous transformations, we utilized oscillatory plug flow reactors that feature a smart dimensioning design principle across different scales. Using nucleophilic aromatic substitutions as valuable model reactions, rapid parameter optimization was performed first in a small-scale instrument having an internal channel volume of 5 mL. The optimal conditions were then directly transferred to a 15 mL reactor, achieving a three-fold scale-up without re-optimizing any reaction parameters. By precisely fine-tuning the oscillation parameters, the system achieved optimal homogeneous suspension of solids, preventing settling of particles and clogging of process channels. Ultimately, this resulted in a robust and scalable platform for performing multiphasic reactions under aqueous conditions.

A unified presentation of phase stability analysis including all major specifications

The major specifications for phase equilibrium are: pressure and temperature (PT), volume, temperature and moles (VTN), pressure, enthalpy and moles (PHN), pressure, entropy and moles (PSN), internal energy, volume and moles (UVN) and entropy, volume and moles (SVN). For some of these specifications, stability testing is not well documented in the literature. It appears that derivations of stability criteria for PHN, PSN and SVN stability are presented here for the first time, as well as the possibility to solve the stability problem in their hyperspaces. Two general stability criteria are derived, which include all state functions and specifications. The general tangent plane distance (TPD) function degenerates to the TPD function corresponding to any desired specifications. The formalism is not model dependent. It is shown that stability testing for any specifications naturally reduces to either PT stability (when pressure is a specification, as in PHN and PSN stability) or VTN stability (when volume is a specification, as in UVN and SVN stability), by solving the appropriate nonlinear equation in temperature. In other words, there is no need (moreover, it is shown that there it is not even recommended) to minimize a specific TPD function in its hyperspace (defined by natural variables of the state function). This paper presents the first unified treatment of phase stability testing including all major specifications; beyond its theoretical importance, an important practical consequence is a unified calculation framework for phase stability testing, allowing a versatile numerical treatment and using existing highly robust and efficient procedures for PT, volume-based PT or VTN stability, whatever the specifications.

DEVELOPMENT OF ACECLOFENAC LOADED MICROSPONGE GELS: A STATISTICAL QUALITY BY DESIGN (QBD) APPROACH TOWARDS OPTIMIZATION AND EVALUATION

Objective: The current research aims to deliver Aceclofenac in a controlled manner through a microsponges-loaded drug delivery system for the treatment of inflammation. Methods: The formulations were prepared by the Quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method and characterized for particle size and drug entrapment efficiency. For the optimization of the formulation through the Quality by Design (QbD) approach, Quality target product profiles (QTPP) were set up considering various key factors that affect the quality of the formulation. Further optimization of the important factors in relation to the major Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) was conducted by applying full factorial design using the Design of Expert Software (11.0 software, Stat-Ease, Inc., USA). The optimized formulation was incorporated into the gel, and characterized for morphological analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), drug content, and ex-vivo permeation studies (DD solver, Version 2.0). Results: It was found that process parameters such as drug-to-polymer ratio, the volume of the internal phase, and concentration of the emulsifier and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), played a crucial role in improving the drug entrapment efficiency and particle size. On the other hand, stirring time did not significantly affect the particle size. Through Design of Expert (DOE) analysis, a PVA concentration of 0.641 mg/ml and an internal phase volume of 12.5 ml were identified to be the ideal concentrations to obtain the optimized microspongal gel formulation (MS4). Characterization studies were carried out on MS4, which displayed a drug encapsulation of 94%, with a Cmax of 81.62 mg/ml, and a Tmax of 12 h. Stability studies carried out as per the International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) guidelines confirmed no noticeable change in physical appearance and drug content. Conclusion: Overall, this study focused on optimizing the formulation of microsponges for efficient dermal drug delivery, considering various critical variables and process parameters. The resulting optimized formulation demonstrated promising drug release and potential for the effective management of inflammation disorders.

HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DIRECT CONTACT HUMIDIFIER FOR THERMAL DESALINATION SYSTEM

The aim of the work is to increase the efficiency of thermal desalination systems with a humidification-dehumidification air cycle due to the reduction of electricity consumption. The most common designs of heat exchangers for air humidification have significant aerodynamic and hydraulic drops. To eliminate this disadvantage, it is proposed to use the internal volume of the vertical tube as an active heat and mass transfer zone during moisture evaporation from salt water to air. The operation of such desalination system has been mathematically modeled and its energy characteristics were determined. A special feature of the mathematical model is the consideration of heat and mass transfer equations for the humidifier and dehumidifier. The effective air velocity in the tube is 3 m/s. Effective operation of thermal unit with a film humidifier is possible then air mass flow is equal to the salt water flow. In this case, the geometric dimensions of the tube must be within the following limits: diameter 20...30 mm, height 2...2.5 m. The conducted mathematical modeling and obtained results give reasons to assert, that for the same rate of evaporation, the film heat exchanger has the lowest aerodynamic and hydrodynamic drops compared to other types of humidifiers. The use of such direct contact device will lead to a decrease in the electricity consumption necessary for salt water and air circulation in the humidification-dehumidification thermal installation.

Dosimetric comparison of four-dimensional computed tomography based internal target volume against variations in respiratory motion during treatment between volumetric modulated arc therapy and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in lung stereotactic body radiotherapy.

This study focused on the dosimetric impact of variations in respiratory motion during lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Dosimetric comparisons between volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) were performed using four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT)-based internal target volumes (ITV). We created retrospective plans for ten patients with lung cancer who underwent SBRT using 3DCRT and VMAT techniques. A Delta4 Phantom + (ScandiDos, Uppsala, Sweden) was used to evaluate the dosimetric robustness of 4DCT-based ITV against variations in respiratory motion during treatment. We analyzed respiratory motion during treatment. Dose-volume histogram parameters were evaluated for the 95% dose (D95%) to the planning target volume (PTV) contoured on CT images obtained under free breathing. The correlations between patient respiratory parameters and dosimetric errors were also evaluated. In the phantom study, the average PTV D95% dose differences for all fractions were - 2.9 ± 4.4% (- 16.0 - 1.2%) and - 2.0 ± 2.8% (- 11.2 - 0.7%) for 3DCRT and VMAT, respectively. The average dose difference was < 3% for both 3DCRT and VMAT; however, in 5 out of 42 fractions in 3DCRT, the difference in PTV D95% was > 10%. Dosimetric errors were correlated with respiratory amplitude and velocity, and differences in respiratory amplitude between 4DCT and treatment days were the main factors causing dosimetric errors. The overall average dose error of the PTV D95% was small; however, both 3DCRT and VMAT cases exceeding 10% error were observed. Larger errors occurred with amplitude variation or baseline drift, indicating limited robustness of 4DCT-based ITV.

Dosimetric comparison of free-breathing versus respiratory motion-managed radiotherapy via four-dimensional computed tomography-based volumetric-modulated arctherapy for lung cancer

PurposeThe aim of this study is to use respiratory motion-managed radiotherapy (RT) to reduce side effects and to compare dosimetric factors with free-breathing planning in patients with lung cancer. Materials and methodsSimulation images were obtained in 10 respiratory phases with free breathing using four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) scanner. Planning target volume (PTV) was created with 5mm margins in each direction of the internal target volume delineated using the maximum intensity projection. A volumetric arc treatment (VMAT) plan was created so that the prescribed dose would cover 98% of the PTV. Target volumes for the free-breathing VMAT plan were created according to ICRU Reports 62 and the same prescribed dose was used. ResultsPatients were evaluated during January 2020. Median 63Gy (59.4–64) RT was administered. Median PTV volumes were 173.53 and 494.50cm3 (P=0.008) and dose covering 95% of PTV volume was 62.97 and 60.51Gy (P=0.13) in 4D-CT based and free-breathing VMAT plans, respectively. The mean and V50 heart dose was 6.03Gy (vs. 10.36Gy, P=0.043) and 8.2% (vs. 33.9%, P=0.007), and significantly lower in 4D-CT based VMAT plans and there was also found a non-significant reduction for other risky organ doses. ConclusionTen patients treated with respiratory motion-managed RT with 4D-CT based VMAT technique. It was observed that PTV did not increase, the target was covered with 95% accuracy, and with statistical significance in heart doses, all risky organ doses were found to be less.

General liquid vegetable oil structuring via high internal phase Pickering emulsion stabilized by soy protein isolate nanoparticles

Oil structuring has attracted immense interest in the last decades because it can transform liquid oils into elastic semi-solids, which has been widely used in material science, pharmaceutical industry, and food processing. However, the facile conversion of liquid vegetable oils into soft matters without changing their intrinsic nature is challenging. Here we report a general approach for structuring liquid vegetable oils by a high internal phase Pickering emulsion (HIPPE) stabilized by edible soy protein isolate (SPI) nanoparticles. SPI nanoparticles with moderate amphipathy (θ = 90.7°) and size (∼187 nm) were obtained via the heat-induced aggregation of native SPI. These SPI nanoparticles possessed excellent interfacial activity and emulsion stabilization ability and thus were suitable for preparing edible HIPPEs from diverse liquid vegetable oils. The effect of internal volume fraction (ϕ) and particle concentration, stability, and rheology of Pickering emulsions were studied. Particularly, the role of intrinsic surfactants (e.g., lecithin) in vegetable oils on the interfacial and macro rheology of the system was highlighted. Compared with native SPI, SPI nanoparticles endowed the HIPPEs with improved stability (>14 days), high interfacial pressure (>2 mN/m), and high elastic modulus (>900 Pa). Moreover, the HIPPEs stabilized by SPI nanoparticles exhibited a good ability to structure various vegetable oils, depending on oil types and ϕ. We envisage that this biomass-mediated HIPPE system provides a promising strategy to structure various liquid vegetable oils, significantly facilitating sustainable development.

Recommendations for improving the experimental protocol for the determination of photocatalytic activity by nitric oxide oxidation measurements.

The photocatalytic nitric oxide (NO) oxidation reaction is used as a standard diagnostic tool for photocatalytic activity according to the well-defined protocol described by ISO Standard 22197-1-2007. This protocol identifies the negative peak showing a NOx concentration drop during a gas flow switch from the calibration bypass to the reactor as adsorption of NOx on the surface. Evidence is provided for this first transient to be due to a dilution effect in the gas phase within the reactor. With proper models of residence time distribution analysis, this transient revealed the internal hydrodynamics and it can be used to determine the internal volumes of the system. The second transient occurs immediately after the light is switched on. The conversions strongly depend on the time constant of this transient. Controlled measurements of the effect of illumination intensity revealed that at higher light intensities the transient takes longer to reach steady state. The longer transient was attributed to the time needed to reach a thermal steady state of the hot spots generated by the recombination of excess charge carriers. When the catalyst amount was investigated as a parameter, a saturation effect was observed. This saturation effect was correlated with the gas phase concentrations of NOx and moisture and their ratios to the available specific surface area. Hence, additional constraints with respect to the illumination intensity and catalyst amounts are recommended for accurate measurements of photocatalytic activity by NO oxidation.

Selective Metal-Free CO2 Photoreduction in Water Using Porous Nanostructures with Internal Molecular Free Volume.

The conversion of CO2 to a sole carbonaceous product using photocatalysis is a sustainable solution for alleviating the increasing levels of CO2 emissions and reducing our dependence on nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuels. However, developing a photoactive, metal-free catalyst that is highly selective and efficient in the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) without the need for sacrificial agents, cocatalysts, and photosensitizers is challenging. Furthermore, due to the poor solubility of CO2 in water and the kinetically and thermodynamically favored hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), designing a highly selective photocatalyst is challenging. Here, we propose a molecular engineering approach to design a photoactive polymer with high CO2 permeability and low water diffusivity, promoting the mass transfer of CO2 while suppressing HER. We have incorporated a contorted triptycene scaffold with "internal molecular free volume (IMFV)" to enhance gas permeability to the active site by creating molecular channels through the inefficient packing of polymer chains. Additionally, we introduced a pyrene moiety to promote visible-light harvesting capability and charge separation. By leveraging these qualities, the polymer exhibited a high CO generation rate of 77.8 μmol g-1 h-1, with a high selectivity of ∼98% and good recyclability. The importance of IMFV was highlighted by replacing the contorted triptycene unit with a planar scaffold, which led to a selectivity reversal favoring HER over CO2RR in water. In situ electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy (TRPL), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) techniques, further supported by theoretical calculations, were employed to enlighten the mechanistic insight for metal-free CO2 reduction to exclusively CO in water.

High-pressure fluid-phase equilibria: Experimental methods, developments and systems investigated (2013–2016)

With this article we extend our review series on high-pressure (above 1 MPa) phase equilibrium data to articles published between 2013 and 2016, including a compilation of systems investigated, recent developments, and trends. We considered phase equilibria of vapor, liquid, and solid phases, hydrates, critical points, solubility of high-boiling substances in supercritical fluids, solubility of gases in liquids, and solubility (sorption) of volatile components in ionic liquids and in polymers. In total, we found 1400 relevant articles in the four-year period 2013–2016 which means a 40 % increase as compared to the previous review period 2009–2012. This can be explained by a more elaborated search strategy, new publication strategies of the authors, and by the ongoing scientific interest in high-pressure phase equilibria. We summarize scientific areas that drive the measurement of high-pressure phase equilibria, and we give examples of review articles, which focus on a specific topic related to experimental high-pressure phase equilibrium data.Apart from 14 systematically searched journals, we observed a tremendous increase in the number of articles found in other journals, rising from 59 articles (2009–2012) to 473 articles (2013–2016). Until the late 1990s, the average number of authors per article was approximately 3. From then on, it has been increasing almost linearly and has reached a value of 4.7 in 2016. More than one third of the articles contain data on only one system. While the average number of systems per article is close to 3, the median value is 2.For more than 4000 systems, the reference, the temperature and pressure range of the data, and the experimental method used for the measurements is given in 41 tables. Information on hydrate systems and systems containing ionic liquids are given in 6 additional tables. 47.1 % of all systems of the review period 2013–2016 contain CO2 as one of the components. Other frequently measured components are water (32 %), methane (12.3 %), nitrogen (5.1 %), propane (3.7 %), ethane (3 %), hydrogen (2.7 %), and ethanol (2.2 %). In the period 2013–2016, 18 % of the data sets involve hydrate equilibria, 15.4 % of the systems include an ionic liquid, and 7.7 % contain a refrigerant. In the period from 1988 to 2016, we observed a clear shift in the investigated systems from chlorofluorocarbon to hydrofluorocarbon and then to hydrofluoroolefin refrigerants.The number of investigations at very high temperatures and pressures has increased, since a higher number of data sets from the Earth and planetary sciences have been found and included in the period of this review. The average internal volume of all cells used for measurements in the review period is 141 mL. Many different methods for the measurements of high-pressure phase equilibrium data exist. We discuss the main advantages and challenges of the methods and give examples of their use in the period 2013–2016. The percentage of the use of synthetic methods constantly rose from 29 % in the first period (1988–1993) to 62 % in the fourth period (2005–2008). Since then, it has stayed almost constant. Analytical–isobaric–isothermal (flow) methods have been used less and less, from 22 % (1988–1993) to 5 % (2013–2016). Synthetic-nonvisual methods are used more and more often, rising from 3 % (1988–1993) to 23 % (2013–2016).

Four-Dimensional Imaging and Radiation Therapy: A Review of Challenges and Advancements in Clinical Practices

4-Dimensional Radiation therapy (4DRT) has been vastly developed in the past two decades. Motion management has become a vital part of high precision radiotherapy, wherein Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) turns out to be a great boon for treating thoracic and abdominal tumours with confidence. In this review paper, we have analyzed the development of motion management strategies and the advancement of 4DRT.We have discussed the evolution of Internal target volume (ITV), 4D imaging techniques and the problems of breathing motion. In the second part, we have discussed various methods to tackle breathing motion. We also have reviewed the dosimetric aspects of 4D imaging and its clinical implications. In the last section, we have elaborated the 4D radiation therapy and recent advancements and practices.

All-natural gel-in-gel water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions featuring biphasic network stabilization and application of 3D printing

Water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (W/O-HIPEs) are promising for 3D printing to design healthy foods with novel shapes and low calories/fats. Oleogel-based W/O-HIPE (O-HIPE) was formed by soybean phosphatidylethanolamine (SP) and beeswax. Based on stable O-HIPE, a gel-in-gel W/O-HIPE was prepared with potato starch hydrogel containing 80% internal phase volume, in which the fat volume was decreased to 20% to reduce the fat/calorie contents. Results showed that besides decreasing interfacial tension, SP could change crystal habit of beeswax to obtain denser (crystal size reducing from 4.09 Å to 3.85 Å) and stickier beeswax-based oleogel to restrict droplet movement and coalescence, leading to the formation of O-HIPE with smaller droplet size. With the addition of starch hydrogel, droplet size of gel-in-gel W/O-HIPE was further decreased to 3.23 µm in gel-in-gel W/O-HIPE. The viscoelasticity (higher storage modulus), deformation resistance (higher critical stress), and recovery (82.3%) were also improved. The enhanced rheological properties facilitated the printability of gel-in-gel W/O-HIPE, allowing the patterns to be printed with more delicate details and without collapse. Gel-in-gel W/O-HIPE has potential to broaden 3D printing applications.

Estimation of the representative temperatures of a typical electrochemical battery cell when cooling under natural convection conditions

Commercial thermal management systems for electrochemical batteries use information from temperature sensors on the battery surface as the main process characteristic. The main problem of batteries lies in the intense heat energy dissipation in the closed internal volume due to chemical reactions at cyclic charge and discharge. In addition, increasing in the energy intensity of modern batteries, charge and discharge rates, as well as cases of fires and explosions of the battery energy storage systems (ESS) indicate the need to analyze the thermal state of internal electrode battery structures. A multi-layered battery structure and low thermal conductivity of some materials requires ensuring minimum temperature variations between individual battery layers and the battery housing surface, as well as between the battery cells. Currently known instrumental methods for measuring battery cell temperatures do not provide reliable estimates of cell electrolyte, anode and cathode temperatures. The article presents the results of a theoretical analysis of representative temperatures of a typical cell of a fairly common lead-acid battery in typical operating conditions. The results were obtained using the electrothermal model and the solution of the system of non-stationary equations of heat conductivity in the two-dimensional formulation with the finite difference method. Typical operating conditions (ambient temperature of 20 °C, convective heat transfer coefficient 5 of W/(m2K), charge time of 8 h) were considered. The maximum cell temperature was 36 °C, the average temperature was 31 °C, and the case temperature was 26 °C. It has been concluded that it is impossible to predict real thermal condition of the battery without analysis of temperature differences by its cross-sections. Moreover, the temperature of the external surface of the battery housing cannot be used as a key characteristic of battery life analysis.

Intra- and inter-fraction breath-hold variations and margins for radiotherapy of abdominal targets

Radiotherapy in expiration breath-hold (EBH) has the potential to reduce treatment volumes of abdominal targets compared to an internal target volume concept in free-breathing. The reproducibility of EBH and required safety margins were investigated to quantify this volumetric benefit. Pre- and post-treatment diaphragm position difference and the positioning variability were determined on computed tomography. Systematic and random errors for EBH position reproducibility and positioning variability were calculated, resulting in margins of 7 to 12 mm depending on the prescription isodose and fractionation. A reduced volume was shown for EBH for lesions with superior-inferior breathing motion above 4 to 8 mm.