Transition of synthetic chromium oxide gel to crystalline chromium oxide : a hot stage Raman spectroscopic study

Chromium oxide gel material was synthesised and appeared to be X-ray amorphous. The changes in the structure of the synthetic chromium oxide gel were investigated using hot-stage Raman spectroscopy based upon the results of thermogravimetric analysis. The thermally decomposed product of the synthetic chromium oxide gel in nitrogen atmosphere was confirmed to be crystalline Cr2O3 as determined by the hot-stage Raman spectra. Two bands were observed at 849 and 735 cm-1 in the Raman spectrum at 25 °C, which were attributed to the symmetric stretching modes of O-CrIII-OH and O-CrIII-O. With temperature increase, the intensity of the band at 849 cm-1 decreased, while the band at 735 cm-1 increased. These changes in intensity are attributed to the loss of OH groups and formation of O-CrIII-O units in the structure. A strongly hydrogen bonded water H-O-H bending band was found at 1704 cm-1 in the Raman spectrum of the chromium oxide gel, however this band shifted to around 1590 cm-1 due to destruction of the hydrogen bonds upon thermal treatment. Six new Raman bands were observed at 578, 540, 513, 390, 342 and 303 cm-1 attributed to the thermal decomposed product Cr2O3. The use of the hot-stage Raman microscope enabled low-temperature phase changes brought about through dehydration and dehydroxylation to be studied.

Improved image quality for x-ray CT imaging of gel dosimeters

Purpose: This study provides a simple method for improving precision of x-ray computed tomography (CT) scans of irradiated polymer gel dosimetry. The noise affecting CT scans of irradiated gels has been an impediment to the use of clinical CT scanners for gel dosimetry studies. Method: In this study, it is shown that multiple scans of a single PAGAT gel dosimeter can be used to extrapolate a ‘zero-scan’ image which displays a similar level of precision to an image obtained by averaging multiple CT images, without the compromised dose measurement resulting from the exposure of the gel to radiation from the CT scanner. Results: When extrapolating the zero-scan image, it is shown that exponential and simple linear fits to the relationship between Hounsfield unit and scan number, for each pixel in the image, provides an accurate indication of gel density. Conclusions: It is expected that this work will be utilised in the analysis of three-dimensional gel volumes irradiated using complex radiotherapy treatments.

Monte Carlo verification of gel dosimetry measurements for stereotactic radiotherapy

The quality assurance of stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatments requires the use of small-field dose measurements that can be experimentally challenging. This study used Monte Carlo simulations to establish that PAGAT dosimetry gel can be used to provide accurate, high resolution, three-dimensional dose measurements of stereotactic radiotherapy fields. A small cylindrical container (4 cm height, 4.2 cm diameter) was filled with PAGAT gel, placed in the parietal region inside a CIRS head phantom, and irradiated with a 12 field stereotactic radiotherapy plan. The resulting three-dimensional dose measurement was read out using an optical CT scanner and compared with the treatment planning prediction of the dose delivered to the gel during the treatment. A BEAMnrc DOSXYZnrc simulation of this treatment was completed, to provide a standard against which the accuracy of the gel measurement could be gauged. The three dimensional dose distributions obtained from Monte Carlo and from the gel measurement were found to be in better agreement with each other than with the dose distribution provided by the treatment planning system's pencil beam calculation. Both sets of data showed close agreement with the treatment planning system's dose distribution through the centre of the irradiated volume and substantial disagreement with the treatment planning system at the penumbrae. The Monte Carlo calculations and gel measurements both indicated that the treated volume was up to 3 mm narrower, with steeper penumbrae and more variable out-of-field dose, than predicted by the treatment planning system. The Monte Carlo simulations allowed the accuracy of the PAGAT gel dosimeter to be verified in this case, allowing PAGAT gel to be utilised in the measurement of dose from stereotactic and other radiotherapy treatments, with greater confidence in the future.

Mathematical modelling of the drying of sol gel microspheres

This thesis presents a mathematical model of the evaporation of colloidal sol droplets suspended within an atmosphere consisting of water vapour and air. The main purpose of this work is to investigate the causes of the morphologies arising within the powder collected from a spray dryer into which the precursor sol for Synroc™ is sprayed. The morphology is of significant importance for the application to storage of High Level Liquid Nuclear Waste. We begin by developing a model describing the evaporation of pure liquid droplets in order to establish a framework. This model is developed through the use of continuum mechanics and thermodynamic theory, and we focus on the specific case of pure water droplets. We establish a model considering a pure water vapour atmosphere, and then expand this model to account for the presence of an atmospheric gas such as air. We model colloidal particle-particle interactions and interactions between colloid and electrolyte using DLVO Theory and reaction kinetics, then incorporate these interactions into an expression for net interaction energy of a single particle with all other particles within the droplet. We account for the flow of material due to diffusion, advection, and interaction between species, and expand the pure liquid droplet models to account for the presence of these species. In addition, the process of colloidal agglomeration is modelled. To obtain solutions for our models, we develop a numerical algorithm based on the Control Volume method. To promote numerical stability, we formulate a new method of convergence acceleration. The results of a MATLAB™ code developed from this algorithm are compared with experimental data collected for the purposes of validation, and further analysis is done on the sensitivity of the solution to various controlling parameters.

Carbohydrate gel ingestion and immunoendocrine responses to cycling in temperate and hot conditions

PURPOSE: Heat stress might attenuate the effects of carbohydrate on immunoendocrine responses to exercise by increasing endogenous glucose production and reducing the rate of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation. The authors compared the efficacy of carbohydrate consumption on immune responses to exercise in temperate vs. hot conditions. METHODS: Ten male cyclists exercised on 2 separate occasions in temperate (18.1 +/- 0.4 degrees C, 58% +/- 8% relative humidity) and on another 2 occasions in hot conditions (32.2 +/- 0.7 degrees C, 55% +/- 2% relative humidity). On each occasion, the cyclists exercised in a fed state for 90 min at approximately 60% VO2max and then completed a 16.1-km time trial. Every 15 min during the first 90 min of exercise, they consumed 0.24 g/kg body mass of a carbohydrate or placebo gel. RESULTS: Neutrophil counts increased during exercise in all trials (p < .05) and were significantly lower (40%, p = .006) after the carbohydrate than after the placebo trial in 32 degrees C. The concentrations of serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-10 and plasma granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor, myeloperoxidase, and calprotectin also increased during exercise in all trials but did not differ significantly between the carbohydrate and placebo trials. Plasma norepinephrine concentration increased during exercise in all trials and was significantly higher (50%, p = .01) after the carbohydrate vs. the placebo trial in 32 degrees C. CONCLUSION: Carbohydrate ingestion attenuated neutrophil counts during exercise in hot conditions, whereas it had no effect on any other immune variables in either temperate or hot conditions.

Measurement of a PAGAT gel dosimeter by ultrasound computed tomography

In this work we used a 3D quantitative CT ultrasound imaging system to characterise polymer gel dosimeters. The system comprised of two identical 5 MHz 128 element phased-array ultrasound transducers co-axially aligned and submerged in water as a coupling agent. Rotational and translational movement of the gel dosimeter sample between the transducers were performed using a robotic arm. Ultrasound signals were generated and received using an Olympus Omniscan unit. Dose sensitivity of attenuation and time of flight ultrasonic parameters were assessed using this system.

Quantitative evaluation of polymer gel dosimeters by broadband ultrasound attenuation

Ultrasound has been examined previously as an alternative readout method for irradiated polymer gel dosimeters, with authors reporting varying dose response to ultrasound transmission measurements. In this current work we extend previous work to measure the broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) response of irradiated PAGAT gel dosimeters, using a novel ultrasound computed tomography system.

Reconstructing 3D x-ray CT images of polymer gel dosimeters using the zero-scan method

In this study x-ray CT has been used to produce a 3D image of an irradiated PAGAT gel sample, with noise-reduction achieved using the ‘zero-scan’ method. The gel was repeatedly CT scanned and a linear fit to the varying Hounsfield unit of each pixel in the 3D volume was evaluated across the repeated scans, allowing a zero-scan extrapolation of the image to be obtained. To minimise heating of the CT scanner’s x-ray tube, this study used a large slice thickness (1 cm), to provide image slices across the irradiated region of the gel, and a relatively small number of CT scans (63), to extrapolate the zero-scan image. The resulting set of transverse images shows reduced noise compared to images from the initial CT scan of the gel, without being degraded by the additional radiation dose delivered to the gel during the repeated scanning. The full, 3D image of the gel has a low spatial resolution in the longitudinal direction, due to the selected scan parameters. Nonetheless, important features of the dose distribution are apparent in the 3D x-ray CT scan of the gel. The results of this study demonstrate that the zero-scan extrapolation method can be applied to the reconstruction of multiple x-ray CT slices, to provide useful 2D and 3D images of irradiated dosimetry gels.