Even though battles have been fought in built-up areas for a long time, there have not been any specific theories connected to it. As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, the problem of not having any complete theories with which to analyze military operations in urban terrain becomes bigger. This essay aims to contribute to the field of military theory by investigating if Robert Leonhard’s theory of combined arms can be used in analyzing such operations and to be able to explaining the outcome of them.   The main question posed in this essay is; to what extent can Leonhard’s theory explain the outcome of military operations in urban terrain? The method used to answer this question is a comparative method formed as a case study of two military operations in urban terrain, Operation Vigilant Resolve and Operation Phantom Fury, which both took place in Fallujah during the Iraq war 2004. The intention is to test Leonhard’s theory in both cases by assigning the theory several indicators, which are tested in each case.   The result shows that the indicators appeared almost equally in both cases, even though one of the operations was said to be a success and the other a failure. However during the occasions when the coalition force used combined arms, both operations achieved military effectiveness. The conclusion is that Leonhard’s theory of combined arms cannot be used to explain the outcome of military operations in urban terrain. The theory has not been verified and strengthened by empirical evidence, but weakened, which is the opposite of what should have been the result. Combined arms-theory cannot be used to assimilate lessons learned from military operations in urban terrain.

The objectives of this study were: 1) to compare and contrast the effects of variations in natural densities of two common freshwater predators of crustacean zooplankton, Chaoborus spp. and Mysis relicta; and 2) to determine whether the combined impacts of these predators together differed from their effects when alone. In deep (>10m) mesocosms, additions of Chaoborus and Mysis at natural densities did not result in large changes in zooplankton abundances, lengths, or biomass. Significant decreases in abundance were observed only for Bosmina longirostris and Daphnia spp. In small (~20L) enclosures, higher predator densities caused zooplankton declines over three days. Strong interactive effects between Chaoborus and Mysis were not detected in either the large or small enclosures. This suggests that the combined effects of these two predators can be predicted from their effects determined in isolation.

Magnetic Resonance Elastography is a method of imaging the elasticity of soft tissues through measurement of small motions induced into a sample. It shows great promise in the detection of a wide variety of pathologies, especially tumours. An imaging protocol was developed to acquire MR elastography data for use in a clinical setting. A 3D gradient echo sequence was modified to allow for the detection of harmonic motion and tested on silicone phantoms and ex-vivo muscle and brain samples. The time for acquiring a high resolution, quantitative dataset of 3D motions was about 45 minutes. Our imaging method included motion encoding along all three coordinate axes and at several time points along the motion cycle. This time could be easily be reduced by more than half for future clinical use, while still retaining full quantitative data. A modified EPI sequence shows promise for even faster acquisition. The ability to detect the mechanical anisotropy of brain and muscle tissue in ex-vivo samples was also investigated. Initial results from the muscle data indicate a change in shear wavelength is observed for actuation along orthogonal axes. This is a strong indicator of anisotropy detection. Further work needs to be done to improve results from the brain sample as preliminary results are inconclusive.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:07:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ElianoSS_DISSERT_1red.pdf: 5373199 bytes, checksum: ee59048924e698c1f31b1138cc36cf78 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-09-28 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / Mammography is a diagnostic imaging method in which interpretation depends on knowledge of radiological aspects as well as the clinical exam and pathophysiology of breast diseases. In this work a mammography phantom was developed to be used for training in the operation of mammographic x-ray equipment, image quality evaluation, self-examination and clinical examination of palpation. Polyurethane was used for the production of the phantoms for its physical and chemical properties and because it is one of the components normally used in prostheses. According to the range of flexibility of the polyurethane, it was possible to simulate breasts with higher or lower amount of adipose tissue. Pathologies such as areolar necrosis and tissue rejection due to surgery reconstruction after partial mastectomy were also simulated. Calcifications and nodules were simulated using the following materials: polyethylene, poly (methyl methacrylate), polyamide, polyurethane and poly (dimethyl silicone). Among these, polyethylene was able to simulate characteristics of calcification as well as breast nodules. The results from mammographic techniques used in this paper for the evaluation of the phantoms are in agreement with data found in the literature. The image analyses of four phantoms indicated significant similarities with the human skin texture and the female breast parenchyma. It was possible to detect in the radiographic images produced regions of high and low radiographic optical density, which are characteristic of breasts with regions of different amount of adipose tissue. The stiffnesses of breast phantoms were adjusted according to the formulation of the polyurethane which enabled the production of phantoms with distinct radiographic features and texture similar to human female breast parenchyma. Clinical palpation exam of the phantoms developed in this work indicated characteristics similar to human breast in skin texture, areolar region and parenchyma / A mamografia ? um m?todo de diagn?stico por imagem, cuja interpreta??o depende do conhecimento dos aspectos radiol?gicos assim como da cl?nica e da fisiopatologia das doen?as mam?rias. A metodologia deste trabalho permitiu o desenvolvimento de um simulador (phantom) mam?rio com aplica??o voltada para o uso did?tico em equipamento mamogr?fico, avalia??o de qualidade da imagem dos equipamentos mamogr?ficos, autoexame e treinamento did?tico para o exame cl?nico de palpa??o. O material usado para a produ??o do simulador foi ? base de poliuretano sendo consideradas suas propriedades f?sicas, qu?micas e por ser este um dos componentes de pr?teses utilizadas em seres humanos. Variando a faixa de flexibilidade do poliuretano foi poss?vel simular mamas com maior e menor quantidade de tecido adiposo, resultados verificados nas imagens dos exames mamogr?ficos. Patologias de necrose da ar?ola da mama e degenerativas ocasionadas por rejei??o de tecido devido ? cirurgia de reconstitui??o ap?s mastectomia parcial, tamb?m foram simuladas. Calcifica??es e n?dulos foram simulados utilizando os seguintes materiais: polietileno, poli(metacrilato de metila), poliamida, poliuretano e o poli(silicone de dimetila). Destaca-se entre estes materiais o polietileno que apresentou caracter?sticas tanto de calcifica??o quanto n?dulo. Os resultados das t?cnicas mamogr?ficas utilizadas neste trabalho para os exames mamogr?ficos dos phantoms est?o de acordo com a faixa de valores encontrados na literatura. A an?lise das imagens realizadas para quatro phantoms indicaram semelhan?as significativas com a textura da pele e do par?nquima da mama humana feminina. Foi poss?vel detectar nas imagens radiogr?ficas geradas regi?es de baixa e alta densidade ?ptica radiogr?fica, caracter?stica de mamas com regi?es de menor e maior quantidade de tecido adiposo. Devido ? formula??o do poliuretano formado ocorreu varia??o da rigidez do simulador mam?rio, o que possibilitou a produ??o de mamas com caracter?sticas radiogr?ficas distintas al?m de textura similar ao par?nquima da mama humana feminina. Foram observadas as caracter?sticas similares da textura da pele, regi?o areolar e par?nquima no exame cl?nico palpat?rio dos simuladores desenvolvidos neste trabalho

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2015-05-20T17:36:43Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-20T17:36:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Tese (Doutorado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

abstract: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) has a high negative predictive value for ruling out coronary artery disease with non-invasive evaluation of the coronary arteries. My work has attempted to provide metrics that could increase the positive predictive value of coronary CTA through the use of dual energy CTA imaging. After developing an algorithm for obtaining calcium scores from a CTA exam, a dual energy CTA exam was performed on patients at dose levels equivalent to levels for single energy CTA with a calcium scoring exam. Calcium Agatston scores obtained from the dual energy CTA exam were within ±11% of scores obtained with conventional calcium scoring exams. In the presence of highly attenuating coronary calcium plaques, the virtual non-calcium images obtained with dual energy CTA were able to successfully measure percent coronary stenosis within 5% of known stenosis values, which is not possible with single energy CTA images due to the presence of the calcium blooming artifact. After fabricating an anthropomorphic beating heart phantom with coronary plaques, characterization of soft plaque vulnerability to rupture or erosion was demonstrated with measurements of the distance from soft plaque to aortic ostium, percent stenosis, and percent lipid volume in soft plaque. A classification model was developed, with training data from the beating heart phantom and plaques, which utilized support vector machines to classify coronary soft plaque pixels as lipid or fibrous. Lipid versus fibrous classification with single energy CTA images exhibited a 17% error while dual energy CTA images in the classification model developed here only exhibited a 4% error. Combining the calcium blooming correction and the percent lipid volume methods developed in this work will provide physicians with metrics for increasing the positive predictive value of coronary CTA as well as expanding the use of coronary CTA to patients with highly attenuating calcium plaques. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Bioengineering 2013

Considering the difficulties related to determination the dose delivered on the bladder during procedures of gynecological brachytherapy of high dose rate, this study presents a prototype of a dynamic simulator (phantom) suitable for experimental dosimetry of these organs during this type of procedure. In order to evaluate the phantom´s ability to simulate real clinical situations, a dosimetric study was conducted using radiochromic film and optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs). The phantom was constructed of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and ácido polilático (PLA). Artificial bladders were printed in three dimensions, from computed tomography images (CT) of real patients with brachytherapy applicators already positioned. In the phantom, the artificial bladder can move in all directions. The films and OSLDs were placed on the artificial bladder walls and the applicators were placed according to the original CT image. The prototype phantom simulated the behavior of dose on the surface of each printed bladder. The dosimetric study showed agreement in most cases, with the results obtained from a computerized planning system. In this sense, the methodology presented in this study provides conditions for experimental investigations on the behavior of dose on the surface of the bladder due procedures of intracavitary brachytherapy of cervix. / Considerando as dificuldades relacionadas à determinação da dose experimentada pela bexiga urinária durante procedimentos de braquiterapia ginecológica de alta taxa de dose, este estudo apresenta um protótipo de um objeto simulador dinâmico (fantoma) apropriado para dosimetria experimental desse órgão nesses tipos de procedimentos. Com o intuito de avaliar a capacidade do fantoma em simular situações clínicas reais, um estudo dosimétrico foi realizado utilizando filme radiocrômico e dosímetros de luminescência opticamente estimulada (OSLDs). O fantoma foi construído de polimetilmetacrilato (PMMA) e ácido polilático (PLA). Bexigas artificiais foram impressas em três dimensões,a partir de imagens de tomografia computadorizada (TC) de pacientes reais com os aplicadores braquiterápicos já posicionados. No fantoma, após o posicionamento, uma bexiga artificial pode se mover em todas as direções. Os filmes e os OSLDs foram posicionados nas paredes das bexigas artificiais, e os aplicadores foram colocados de acordo com a imagem original TC. O fantoma protótipo simulou o comportamento da dose na superfície de cada bexiga impressa. Os estudos dosimétricos exibiram concordância, na maioria dos casos, com os resultados obtidos a partir de um sistema de planejamento computadorizado. Nesse sentido, a metodologia apresentada nesse estudo oferece condições para investigações experimentais sobre o comportamento da dose na superfície da bexiga devido procedimentos de braquiterapia intracavitária de colo do útero.

Orientador: Vera Lucia da Silveira Nantes Button / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T03:52:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Zucatti_GlauciaRibeiro_M.pdf: 2508491 bytes, checksum: f6ba34520ac2e744607166ba5fb60754 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2003 / Resumo: A necessidade da Garantia da Qualidade do serviço prestado no ambiente hospitalar tem sido enfatizada nas publicações em Engenharia Clínica. Este trabalho tem por objetivo principal o desenvolvimento de um programa de controle de qualidade de imagem aplicado a equipamentos de imagem médica gerada por ultra-som Modo-S, envolvendo a elaboração e aplicação de protocolos que descrevam inspeção física e mecânica e testes de desempenho aplicados a estes equipamentos. Para a realização dos testes de desempenho, utilizamos um phantom que permite a aquisição das seguintes características do equipamento: uniformidade de imagem, profundidade de penetração do campo ultra-sônico, precisão das medidas do sistema, detecção de vazios esféricos, resoluções axial e lateral e zona morta. Os procedimentos adotados para a avaliação destas características foram estabelecidos através da consulta a normas internacionais e outras bibliografias específicas. Estas bibliografias especificam que os controles do equipamento devem ser ajustados da mesma maneira a cada teste, portanto, neste trabalho também foi realizado um estudo que avalia a influência dos controles de ganho geral, faixa dinâmica e ampliação da imagem nos testes de desempenho. Foram avaliados dez equipamentos de dois departamentos de ecografia distintos. Os resultados dos testes de controle de qualidade de imagem demonstram que 60% dos equipamentos analisados apresentaram algum tipo de defeito na inspeção física e mecânica e que 95,83% dos transdutores analisados apresentou algum dos indicadores de qualidade além do limite de tolerância / Abstract: Clinical Engineering publications have emphasized the necessity of quality assurance of the services done in the hospital environment. The objective of this work was to develop an image quality control program to be applied to B-mode ultrasound scanners, which included the development and application of protocols which describe physical and mechanical inspection and performance tests. For the accomplishment of the performance tests, we have used a multipurpose phantom that allowed the evaluation of the following scanners characteristics: uniformity of image, sensibility (depth of the ultrasonic field penetration), precision of the system measurements, detection of spherical voids, axial and lateral resolutions and dead zone. The procedures adopted for the evaluation of these characteristics have been established through the examination of international standards and specialized publications. These bibliographic materials specify that the controls of the equipment must be adjusted in the same way at each test realization; therefore, this work also have carried through a study that evaluated the influence of varying the general gain and dynamic range controls and the magnification (zoom) of the image field view in the performance tests results. The quality control tests results showed that 60% of the evaluated equipments presented some kind of problem in the physical and mechanical inspections, and that 95.83% of the evaluated transducers presented some of the quality pointers values beyond the limit of tolerance / Mestrado / Engenharia Biomedica / Mestre em Engenharia Elétrica

Submitted by Claudinei Pracidelli (cpracide@ipen.br) on 2015-05-20T17:36:43Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-20T17:36:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / A radioterapia é uma das três principais modalidades utilizadas no tratamento de doenças malignas como o câncer; as outras duas são a quimioterapia e a radiocirurgia. Em contraste com outras especialidades médicas que necessitam principalmente do conhecimento clínico e da experiência de especialistas, a radioterapia, com a utilização da radiação ionizante no tratamento do câncer, depende do investimento pesado em tecnologias modernas e dos esforços colaborativos de diversos profissionais, cuja equipe coordenada influencia, sobremaneira, o resultado do tratamento. A Radioterapia de intensidade modulada (IMRT) com o uso de colimadores multilâminas (multileaf collimators MLCs) tem o potencial para alcançar um alto grau de conformidade da dose no alvo (tumor a ser tratado) e ainda promover a proteção de tecidos normais do que a maioria de outras técnicas de tratamento, especialmente para volumes-alvo ou órgãos de risco com formatos complexos. Entretanto, estudos recentes mostraram que baixas doses de radiação podem causar tumores secundários. Esse trabalho tem como objetivo a determinação da distribuição de dose de radiação absorvida em diversas simulações de tratamentos radioterápicos com o uso de dosímetros compostos de LiF:Mg,Ti; CaSO4:Dy e Al2O3:C, utilizando um objeto simulador de polimetilmetacrilato (PMMA) empregando as seguintes técnicas dosimétricas: termoluminescência (TL), luminescência opticamente estimulada (OSL) e detectores semicondutores (diodos). / Tese (Doutorado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

La programación orientada a aspectos es un paradigma de programación que intenta solucionar el problema de las funcionalidades transversales, esto es, funcionalidades de la aplicación que están dispersas por muchas áreas del código, y no pueden separarse en forma eficiente usando el paradigma de programación orientada a objetos. Un aspecto representa una funcionalidad transversal de la aplicación. Éste incluye en su definición un pointcut, que representa un conjunto de puntos en la ejecución de la aplicación que van a ser capturados por el aspecto, y un advice, que representa la funcionalidad del aspecto, esto es, el código que va a ser ejecutado en los puntos capturados. En este trabajo se diseñó e implementó un lenguaje de aspectos para el lenguaje de programación Pharo Smalltalk, donde se incluyeron características destacadas de otros lenguajes de aspectos, junto a nuevas funcionalidades que le otorgan un mayor control y flexibilidad al lenguaje desarrollado. El lenguaje desarrollado incluye un sistema de definición de patrones para la definición de los pointcuts, reglas de precedencia globales y a nivel de pointcut. También contiene modificadores de clases similares a las inter-type declarationsde AspectJ, y un sistema de control dinámico en el orden de ejecución de los advice. Para el lenguaje desarrollado se implementó el concepto de membranas computacionales. Éstas son una forma de controlar el alcance que tienen los aspectos en el sistema, permitiendo controlar problemas como la reentrancia en los aspectos, esto es, cuando un aspecto captura un evento desencadenado por sí mismo. Junto a esto, las membranas computacionales son capaces de controlar la visibilidad que los aspectos tienen sobre el sistema donde son instalados. Se creó una suite de test usando el framework para test unitarios de Pharo Smalltalk, para comprobar el correcto funcionamiento del lenguaje desarrollado, además, se comprobó el grado de cobertura de la suite de test usando el software Hapao. Finalmente, se comprobó el funcionamiento del lenguaje de aspectos desarrollado, usándolo para refactorizar algunas partes del software de análisis dinámico de código Spy. Se realizaron algunos benchmark para comprobar el sobrecosto generado por la infraestructura de aspectos desarrollada, donde se pudo apreciar un sobrecosto variable, siendo elevado en algunos casos.