After a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) event, there will not be time to transport people to a whole-body-counter (WBC), since it is a specialized instrument. This work will assess the feasibility of using handheld spectrometers for measuring the radioactivity that may have been inhaled by a victim as a consequence of an RDD event. Measurements were made with a handheld isotope identifier using a slab phantom and several radioactive point sources. A Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Realistic Torso Phantom and a set of phantoms based on Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) reports were also used in this work. These phantoms include the human skeleton and have tissue-equivalent organs. Computational models were developed of all of the phantoms using the Monte Carlo Transport code MCNP. After validation of the computer model, MCNP runs were conducted using other sources that are likely to be used in a RDD. Calculations were then done to find the Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA) of all sources used. The Minimum Detectable Dose (MDD) was then calculated for the MIRD phantoms at various times after inhalation.

Shear wave (SW) imaging is an ultrasound elastogrpahy technique for estimating the elastic properties of biological tissues. Increasing the frequency would improve both the confinement of the radiation force generating the shear wave, and the imaging spatial resolution. The objectives of the study were to realize a simple high frequency (HF) system for the generation and detection of SW propagation and to implement this system to develop and characterize tissue-mimicking gelatin phantoms (TMGP) for HF SWI with elastic properties in the range of those encountered in biological tissue. A 5 MHz and 10 MHz focused transducer were used to induced SW’s in TMGP ranging from 4% to 12% gelatin with 3% silica for scattering and a 25 MHz single-element focused transducer recorded pulse-echo signals in order to capture the SW. The shear wave speeds in the TMGP were found to range linearly from 1.59-4.59 m/s in the 4% to 12% gelatin samples.

Shear wave (SW) imaging is an ultrasound elastogrpahy technique for estimating the elastic properties of biological tissues. Increasing the frequency would improve both the confinement of the radiation force generating the shear wave, and the imaging spatial resolution. The objectives of the study were to realize a simple high frequency (HF) system for the generation and detection of SW propagation and to implement this system to develop and characterize tissue-mimicking gelatin phantoms (TMGP) for HF SWI with elastic properties in the range of those encountered in biological tissue. A 5 MHz and 10 MHz focused transducer were used to induced SW’s in TMGP ranging from 4% to 12% gelatin with 3% silica for scattering and a 25 MHz single-element focused transducer recorded pulse-echo signals in order to capture the SW. The shear wave speeds in the TMGP were found to range linearly from 1.59-4.59 m/s in the 4% to 12% gelatin samples.

This thesis includes the development, construction and testing of internal organ phantoms, with focus on the liver, for biomechanical testing. Phantoms have various biomedical applications such as surgical simulations, minimally invasive surgery, soft tissue characterization, diagnostic tools and instrumentation calibration. However, there is little work present in literature regarding phantoms and the work that is currently available does not account for the non-linear viscoelastic properties as well as the Glisson’s capsule. In this work, three different phantoms are presented: a fluid-filled phantom, a perfused phantom and a hydrogel-based liver phantom. A testing apparatus is designed, built and used to measure the force-displacement data during the indentation of the phantom. The first phantom that is designed and constructed follows the basis of a fluid-filled vessel. It is composed of a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) bag filled with different fluids namely: water, a 1:1 water/glycerine mixture and glycerine. The phantoms are subjected to quasi-static loading as well as relaxation testing. The effect of density and viscosity, its size, and confined and unconfined boundary conditions are characterized. The second phantom is designed to investigate the effects of hepatic macrocirculation on the biomechanical properties of the liver. The phantom is made of two-part silicone (Smooth-On, ECOFLEX 00-30), and contains a network of conduits to model the large ! iv! blood vessels in the liver. A perfusion system that captures the general features of the human hepatic circulation is used to help investigate the effects of the different flow parameters such as pressure and flow rate on the biomechanical characteristics of the liver. The perfusion system is designed to reproduce comparable pressures to the human portal vein and hepatic artery. The third phantom is made of two parts, a hydrogel inner layer with a LLDPE outer layer. The idea behind this phantom is to represent the organ as accurately as possible by accounting for the capsule that surrounds the organ as well as the biphasic (solid and fluid) nature of the organ. A biphasic poroviscoelastic model is used to model the hydrogel while the LLDPE uses a non-linear hyperelastic and viscoelastic model. Modeling is done in ABAQUS to fit the experimental data obtained from quasi-static indentation and relaxation testing using a parametric study. In conclusion, phantoms replicating the non-linear viscoelastic properties observed in organs are presented and characterized. Main Thesis Contributions • Development and characterization of a simple fluid-filled phantom to represent the mechanical properties of the liver • Development and characterization of hydrogel-based liver phantom with representation of the biphasic nature of the organ and the Glisson’s capsule. ! v! • Development and characterization of perfused liver phantom with ability to be recreated with various vessel configurations. • Development of testing set-up to characterize various phantoms.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2002. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Thesis (M. S.)--Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Chair: Nolan Hertel; Committee Member: Armin Ansari; Committee Member: Chris Wang; Committee Member: Rebecca Howell.

Thesis (M.S.)--Medical University of Ohio, 2005. / "In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences." Major advisor: Michael J. Dennis. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: iii, 82 p. Title from title page of PDF document. Title at ETD Web site: A positron emission tomography (PET) system comparison utilizing the American College of Radiology accreditation phantom. Bibliography: pages 43-44.

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Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Esta dissertação desenvolve-se a partir da seguinte hipótese: à semelhança de todas as demais culturas ao redor do mundo e em todas as épocas, o Antigo Israel cultivou crenças em assombrações. Dessa hipótese, desdobra-se uma pergunta central: a Bíblia judaica conservou vestígios dessas crenças? A pesquisa elabora uma resposta em três capítulos. No primeiro, estabelece-se uma definição geral de assombração para, em seguida, aplicá-la a alguns textos da Bíblia judaica na forma de duas categorias básicas: demônios e fantasmas. Comentam-se, desse modo, especialmente sete assombrações ` a zāzēl, Lîlîṯ, os ś e `îrîm, Maḥîṯ, a mão fantasmagórica, Bēs e os ś e rāpîm do templo de Jerusalém , as quais, ao mesmo tempo que enquadradas dentro das categorias anteriores, são agrupadas numa tipologia baseada em elementos que estabelecem afinidades entre elas: assombrações de lugares desertos, assombrações insalubres ou mortíferas, assombrações agourentas e assombrações benevolentes. No segundo capítulo, utilizando a metodologia de exegese histórico-crítica, propõe-se uma análise de Ex 4.24-26. O objetivo é investigar a possibilidade de haver uma versão mais antiga desse texto, segundo a qual o filho de Zípora, e não Moisés, fora atacado no lugar do pernoite por um demônio. Diante da ameaça, a mãe do menino efetuou-lhe a circuncisão e proferiu um dito, dois atos que poderiam ser entendidos como integrantes de um ritual de exorcismo. Uma releitura monoteísta teria sido responsável por três modificações básicas: a) substituição do demônio por YHWH; b) inclusão de Moisés na história, provável causa da confusão dos pronomes pessoais masculinos e c) reinterpretação da circuncisão, a qual passou de procedimento de exorcismo para sinal de pertencimento ao povo de YHWH no contexto da narrativa da saída de Israel do Egito (Ex 1 15). No terceiro capítulo, emprega- se, uma vez mais, a metodologia de exegese histórico-crítica para analisar 1Sm 28.3-25. Pela comparação com outros textos de cunho deuteronomista, identificaram-se prováveis acréscimos redacionais que sugeririam ter havido, em um estágio mais antigo, uma narrativa que contava como um ancestral falecido anônimo anunciou a morte de Saul nas mãos dos filisteus. Não se percebia necessariamente uma censura à prática da consulta aos mortos, apenas a exposição de variados meios de consulta a um oráculo. Mais tarde, o trabalho deuteronomista sobre essa peça literária teria transformado Saul num perseguidor daquela arte, tornando-o, simultaneamente, culpado de recorrer àquilo que ele mesmo havia proibido. Além disso, substituiu-se o ancestral anônimo original evocado pela mulher de En-Dor pelo profeta Samuel, cuja palavra se cumpre justamente por ser ele, de acordo com a perspectiva deuteronomista, um porta-voz autorizado de YHWH. Pode-se, portanto, considerar Ex 4.24- 26 e 1Sm 28.3-25 como dois exemplos de histórias de assombração na Bíblia judaica. / This thesis is developed based on the following hypothesis: similar to all other cultures around the world and in all periods, Ancient Israel cultivated beliefs in apparitions. From this hypothesis stems a central question: did the Jewish Bible retain vestiges of these beliefs? The research elaborates an answer in three chapters. In the first it establishes a general definition of apparition to, following, apply it to some texts of the Jewish Bible in the form of two basic categories: demons and phantoms. In this sense, seven apparitions are especially commented on ` a zāzēl, Lîlîṯ, the ś e `îrîm, Maḥîṯ, the phantasmagoric hand, Bēs and the ś e rāpîm of the temple of Jerusalem which, while at the same time fitting into the prior categories, they are also grouped in a typology based on elements which establish affinities among them: apparitions of desert places, unwholesome or deadly apparitions, ominous apparitions and benevolent apparitions. In the second chapter, utilizing the methodology of historical-critical exegesis, an analysis of Ex. 4:24-26 is proposed. The goal is to investigate the possibility of the existence of a more ancient version of this text, according to which the son of Zipporah, and not Moses, was attacked in the overnight place by a demon. Confronted with the threat, the mother of the boy carried out the circumcision and pronounced a saying, two acts which could be understood as being part of an exorcism ritual. A monotheistic reading would be responsible for three basic modifications: a) substitution of the demon with YHWH; b) inclusion of Moses in the story, probable cause of the confusion of the masculine personal pronouns and c) reinterpretation of circumcision, which went from being a procedure of exorcism to a sign of belonging to the people of YHWH in the context of the narrative of the exodus of Israel from Egypt (Ex. 1-15). In the third chapter, once again the historical-critical methodology of exegesis is used to analyze 1 Sam. 28:3-25. In comparing with other texts of Deuteronomic character, probable redactional additions were identified which could suggest that there was, in a more ancient stage, a narrative which told of how an anonymous dead ancestor announced the death of Saul at the hands of the Philistines. One does not necessarily perceive a censorship of the practice of consulting the dead, only the exposition of various ways of consulting an oracle. Later, the Deuteronomic work on this literary piece would have transformed Saul into a persecutor of that art, making him, simultaneously, guilty of resorting to that which he himself had forbidden. Beyond this, the original anonymous ancestor evoked by the woman of En-Dor was substituted by the prophet Samuel, whose word is fulfilled precisely because he, according to the Deuteronomic perspective, is an authorized spokesperson of YHWH. Therefore, one can consider Ex. 4: 24-26 and 1 Sam. 28:3-25 as two examples of stories of apparitions in the Jewish Bible.

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