Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “consistency”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8

Gradient Theory simulations of pure fluid interfaces using a generalized expression for influence parameters and a Helmholtz energy equation of state for fundamentally consistent two-phase calculations

The fidelity of Gradient Theory simulations depends on the accuracy of saturation properties and influence parameters, and require equations of state (EoS) which exhibit a fundamentally consistent behavior in the two-phase regime. Widely applied multi-parameter EoS, however, are generally invalid inside this region. Hence, they may not be fully suitable for application in concert with Gradient Theory despite their ability to accurately predict saturation properties. The commonly assumed temperature-dependence of pure component influence parameters usually restricts their validity to subcritical temperature regimes. This may distort predictions for general multi-component interfaces where temperatures often exceed the critical temperature of vapor phase components. Then, the calculation of influence parameters is not well defined. In this paper, one of the first studies is presented in which Gradient Theory is combined with a next-generation Helmholtz energy EoS which facilitates fundamentally consistent calculations over the entire two-phase regime. Illustrated on pentafluoroethane as an example, reference simulations using this method are performed. They demonstrate the significance of such high-accuracy and fundamentally consistent calculations for the computation of interfacial properties. These reference simulations are compared to corresponding results from cubic PR EoS, widely-applied in combination with Gradient Theory, and mBWR EoS. The analysis reveals that neither of those two methods succeeds to consistently capture the qualitative distribution of obtained key thermodynamic properties in Gradient Theory. Furthermore, a generalized expression of the pure component influence parameter is presented. This development is informed by its fundamental definition based on the direct correlation function of the homogeneous fluid and by presented high-fidelity simulations of interfacial density profiles. As a result, the new model preserves the accuracy of previous temperature-dependent expressions, remains well-defined at supercritical temperatures, and is fully suitable for calculations of general multi-component two-phase interfaces.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

An algebraic method for constructing stable and consistent autoregressive filters

In this paper, we introduce an algebraic method to construct stable and consistent univariate autoregressive (AR) models of low order for filtering and predicting nonlinear turbulent signals with memory depth. By stable, we refer to the classical stability condition for the AR model. By consistent, we refer to the classical consistency constraints of Adams–Bashforth methods of order-two. One attractive feature of this algebraic method is that the model parameters can be obtained without directly knowing any training data set as opposed to many standard, regression-based parameterization methods. It takes only long-time average statistics as inputs. The proposed method provides a discretization time step interval which guarantees the existence of stable and consistent AR model and simultaneously produces the parameters for the AR models. In our numerical examples with two chaotic time series with different characteristics of decaying time scales, we find that the proposed AR models produce significantly more accurate short-term predictive skill and comparable filtering skill relative to the linear regression-based AR models. These encouraging results are robust across wide ranges of discretization times, observation times, and observation noise variances. Finally, we also find that the proposed model produces an improved short-time prediction relative to the linear regression-based AR-models in forecasting a data set that characterizes the variability of the Madden–Julian Oscillation, a dominant tropical atmospheric wave pattern.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Synthesis and characterization of two polyoxometalates consisting of different Cu-ligand hydrogen phosphate units

Two polyoxometalates [(Cu-mbpy){sub 4}(HPO{sub 4}){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}][PMo{sub 12}O{sub 40}]·H{sub 2}O (1) and [(Cu-mbpy){sub 6}(HPO{sub 4}){sub 4}][PW{sub 12}O{sub 40}]·4H{sub 2}O (2) (mbpy=4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-dipyridyl in 1; 5,5″-dimethyl-2,2'-dipyridyl in 2) have been synthesized and characterized by IR, X-ray powder diffraction, TG analysis and electrochemical property. The structural features of 1–2 are in their cationic moieties consisting of different linkages of [Cu-mbpy]{sup 2+} and HPO{sub 4}{sup 2−} groups. In 1 four Cu-mbpy bridged by two HPO{sub 4}{sup 2−} ions form a discrete cluster with an interesting octahedron of (Cu{sub 4}P{sub 2}), while in 2 Cu-mbpy fragments are bridged by HPO{sub 4}{sup 2−} ions into 1D structure consisting of trigonal bipyramidal polyhedra of (Cu{sub 3}P{sub 2}). Photocatalytic experiments indicate that compounds 1 and 2 are actively photocatalytic for degradation of methyl orange in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} under UV light irradiation. -- Graphical abstract: Two polyoxometalate-based supramolecular compounds consisting of different linkages based on Cu-ligand and HPO{sub 4}{sup 2−} groups have been synthesized and characterized. The photocatalytic activity are studied. Highlights: • Two polyoxometalate-based supramolecular compounds consisting of different linkages based on Cu-ligand and HPO{sub 4}{sup 2−} groups have been synthesized. • Hydrogen bonding and π…π interactions play important roles in constructing crystal supramolecular frameworks. • Two compounds represent a high photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methyl orange.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Consistency-Enhanced Evolution for Variable Selection Can Identify Key Chemical Information from Spectroscopic Data

In the last few decades, spectroscopic techniques such as near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy have gained wide applications in several industries, such as the pharmaceutical, agricultural, oil, and gas industries. As a result, various soft sensors have been developed to predict sample properties from spectroscopic readings. Because the spectroscopic readings at different wavelengths, especially at the adjacent wavelengths, are highly correlated, it has been shown that variable selection could significantly improve a soft sensor’s prediction performance while reducing the model complexity. To improve the prediction performance, most variable selection methods focus on identifying the variables (i.e., wavelengths or wavelength segments) that are strongly correlated with the dependent variable. Although many successful applications have been reported, these variable selection methods do have their limitations. Specifically, the selected wavelengths sometimes show little connection to the chemical bounds or functional groups presenting in the sample. In addition, the selected variables can be quite sensitive to the choice of the training samples. In this work, we address these limitations from a different perspective: if a variable selection algorithm can identify the truly relevant input variables, it should consistently identify the same subset of variables regardless of the choice of the training samples. Therefore, we propose a variable selection method that aims to improve the consistency of variable selection resulting from different training samples. Furthermore, the new algorithm is termed consistency-enhanced evolution for variable selection (CEEVS). To demonstrate the performance and robustness of CEEVS, we compare the proposed method with three representative variable selection methods using five published NIR data sets. These case studies clearly demonstrate that by improving the variable selection consistency, we can not only achieve improved prediction performance, but also identify key chemical information from spectroscopic data.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Performance and Self-Consistency of the Generalized Dielectric Dependent Hybrid Functional

Here, we analyze the performance of the recently proposed screened exchange constant functional (SX) on the GW100 test set, and we discuss results obtained at different levels of self-consistency. The SX functional is a generalization of dielectric dependent hybrid functionals to finite systems; it is nonempirical and depends on the average screening of the exchange interaction. We compare results for ionization potentials obtained with SX to those of CCSD(T) calculations and experiments, and we find excellent agreement, on par with recent state of the art methods based on many body perturbation theory. Applying SX perturbatively to correct PBE eigenvalues yields improved results in most cases, except for ionic molecules, for which wave function self-consistency is instead crucial. Calculations where wave functions and the screened exchange constant (α SX ) are determined self-consistently, and those where α SX is fixed to the value determined within PBE, yield results of comparable accuracy. Perturbative G 0 W 0 corrections of eigenvalues obtained with self-consistent αSX are small on average, for all molecules in the GW100 test set.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Moment-based, self-consistent linear analysis of gyrotron oscillators

A new model for simulating gyrotron oscillators in the monomode time-dependent linear self-consistent regime is presented. Starting from a nonlinear time-dependent monomode model, the linearization and the following simplification of the model, based on a moment approach, are described. This simplified model represents a numerically efficient model and allows to have a deeper physical insight, in particular, for regimes dominated by self-consistent effects such as for the gyro-backward wave instability. One specific case of a gyrotron cavity is studied in detail and compared with experimental results, with special attention to self-consistent effects and to the differences with a model using a fixed field profile. Self-consistent linear simulations are, amongst other applications, important for the design of frequency-tunable gyrotrons or high-power gyrotrons with cavities having a relatively low quality factor, but also for studies of parasitic oscillations as they may occur in beam ducts and/or in the launcher section following the interaction cavity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Efficient self-consistent quantum transport simulator for quantum devices

We present a self-consistent one-dimensional (1D) quantum transport simulator based on the Contact Block Reduction (CBR) method, aiming for very fast and robust transport simulation of 1D quantum devices. Applying the general CBR approach to 1D open systems results in a set of very simple equations that are derived and given in detail for the first time. The charge self-consistency of the coupled CBR-Poisson equations is achieved by using the predictor-corrector iteration scheme with the optional Anderson acceleration. In addition, we introduce a new way to convert an equilibrium electrostatic barrier potential calculated from an external simulator to an effective doping profile, which is then used by the CBR-Poisson code for transport simulation of the barrier under non-zero biases. The code has been applied to simulate the quantum transport in a double barrier structure and across a tunnel barrier in a silicon double quantum dot. Extremely fast self-consistent 1D simulations of the differential conductance across a tunnel barrier in the quantum dot show better qualitative agreement with experiment than non-self-consistent simulations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Self-consistent implementation of meta-GGA functionals for the ONETEP linear-scaling electronic structure package

Accurate and computationally efficient exchange-correlation functionals are critical to the successful application of linear-scaling density functional theory (DFT). Local and semi-local functionals of the density are naturally compatible with linear-scaling approaches, having a general form which assumes the locality of electronic interactions and which can be efficiently evaluated by numerical quadrature. Presently, the most sophisticated and flexible semi-local functionals are members of the meta-generalized-gradient approximation (meta-GGA) family, and depend upon the kinetic energy density, τ, in addition to the charge density and its gradient. In order to extend the theoretical and computational advantages of τ-dependent meta-GGA functionals to large-scale DFT calculations on thousands of atoms, we have implemented support for τ-dependent meta-GGA functionals in the ONETEP program. In this paper we lay out the theoretical innovations necessary to implement τ-dependent meta-GGA functionals within ONETEP's linear-scaling formalism. We present expressions for the gradient of the τ-dependent exchange-correlation energy, necessary for direct energy minimization. We also derive the forms of the τ-dependent exchange-correlation potential and kinetic energy density in terms of the strictly localized, self-consistently optimized orbitals used by ONETEP. To validate the numerical accuracy of our self-consistent meta-GGA implementation, we performed calculations using the B97M-V and PKZB meta-GGAs on a variety of small molecules. Using only a minimal basis set of self-consistently optimized local orbitals, we obtain energies in excellent agreement with large basis set calculations performed using other codes. Lastly, to establish the linear-scaling computational cost and applicability of our approach to large-scale calculations, we present the outcome of self-consistent meta-GGA calculations on amyloid fibrils of increasing size, up to tens of thousands of atoms.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Simple eigenvalue-self-consistent $\overline{Δ}GW_0$

We show that a rigid scissors-like GW self-consistency approach, labeled here $\overline{Δ}GW_0$, can be trivially implemented at zero additional cost for large scale one-shot $G_0W_0$ calculations. The method significantly improves one-shot $G_0W_0$ and for large systems is very accurate. $\overline{Δ}GW_0$ is similar in spirit to ev$GW_0$ where the self-consistency is only applied on the eigenvalues entering Green's function, while both W and the eigenvectors of Green's function are held fixed. $\overline{Δ}GW_0$ further assumes that the shift of the eigenvalues is rigid scissors-like so that all occupied states are shifted by the same amount and analogously for all the unoccupied states. We show that this results in a trivial modification of the time-dependent $G_0W_0$ self-energy, enabling an a posteriori self-consistency cycle. The method is applicable for our recent stochastic-$GW$ approach, thereby enabling self-consistent calculations for giant systems with thousands of electrons. The accuracy of $\overline{Δ}GW_0$ increases with the system size. For molecules, it is up to 0.4-0.5 eV away from coupled-cluster single double triple (CCSD(T)), but for tetracene and hexacene, it matches the ionization energies from both CCSD(T) and ev$GW_0$ to better than 0.05 eV. For solids, as exemplified here by periodic supercells of semiconductors and insulators with 6192 valence electrons, the method matches ev$GW_0$ quite well and both methods are in good agreement with the experiment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Self-consistent description of the halo nature of 31 Ne with continuum and pairing correlations

Here a relativistic structure model has previously been used to predict a halo structure for 31 Ne, consistent with halo signatures from measured reaction cross sections of Ne isotopes bombarding Carbon targets. However, previous attempts to calculate those cross sections with reaction models were missing contributions from resonances and pairing correlations in their structure input. Use a reaction model with our relativistic fully microscopic structure model input to predict these cross sections and momentum distributions and analyze for possible halo signatures. Structure input for exotic Ne isotopes were obtained via the analytical continuation of the coupling constant (ACCC) method based on the relativistic mean field (RMF) theory with Bardeen - Cooper - Schrieffer (BCS) pairing approximation, the RAB approach. Total reaction cross sections, one-neutron removal cross sections, and momentum distributions of breakup reaction products were calculated with a Glauber model using our relativistic structure input. Our predictions of total reaction and one-neutron removal cross sections of 31 Ne on a Carbon target were significantly enhanced compared with those of neighboring Neon isotopes, agreeing with measurements at 240 MeV/nucleon and consistent with a single neutron halo. Furthermore, our calculations of the inclusive longitudinal momentum distribution of the 30 Ne and valence neutron residues from the 31 Ne breakup reaction indicate a dilute density distribution in coordinate space, another halo signature. We give a full description of the halo nature of 31 Ne that includes a self-consistent use of pairing and continuum contributions that makes predictions consistent with reaction cross section measurements. This approach can be utilized to determine the halo structure of other exotic nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

On the initial state and consistency relations

We study the effect of the initial state on the consistency conditions for adiabatic perturbations. In order to be consistent with the constraints of General Relativity, the initial state must be diffeomorphism invariant. As a result, we show that initial wavefunctional/density matrix has to satisfy a Slavnov-Taylor identity similar to that of the action. We then investigate the precise ways in which modified initial states can lead to violations of the consistency relations. We find two independent sources of violations: i) the state can include initial non-Gaussianities; ii) even if the initial state is Gaussian, such as a Bogoliubov state, the modified 2-point function can modify the q-vector → 0 analyticity properties of the vertex functional and result in violations of the consistency relations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Consistency of the Planck CMB data and ΛCDM cosmology

We test the consistency between Planck temperature and polarization power spectra and the concordance model of Λ Cold Dark Matter cosmology (ΛCDM) within the framework of Crossing statistics. We find that Planck TT best fit ΛCDM power spectrum is completely consistent with EE power spectrum data while EE best fit ΛCDM power spectrum is not consistent with TT data. However, this does not point to any systematic or model-data discrepancy since in the Planck EE data, uncertainties are much larger compared to the TT data. We also investigate the possibility of any deviation from ΛCDM model analyzing the Planck 2015 data. Results from TT, TE and EE data analysis indicate that no deviation is required beyond the flexibility of the concordance ΛCDM model. Our analysis thus rules out any strong evidence for beyond the concordance model in the Planck spectra data. We also report a mild amplitude difference comparing temperature and polarization data, where temperature data seems to have slightly lower amplitude than expected (consistently at all multiples), as we assume both temperature and polarization data are realizations of the same underlying cosmology.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Synchronizing the consistency relation

We study the N-point function of the density contrast to quadratic order in the squeezed limit during the matter-dominated (MD) and radiation-dominated (RD) eras in synchronous gauge. Since synchronous gauge follows the free-fall frame of observers, the equivalence principle dictates that in the gradient approximation for the long-wavelength mode there is only a single, manifestly time-independent consistency relation for the N-point function. This simple form is dictated by the initial mapping between synchronous and local coordinates, unlike Newtonian gauge and its correspondingly separate dilation and Newtonian consistency relations. Dynamical effects only appear at quadratic order in the squeezed limit and are again characterized by a change in the local background, also known as the separate universe approach. We show that for the 3-point function the compatibility between these squeezed-limit relations and second-order perturbation theory requires both the initial and dynamical contributions to match, as they do in single-field inflation. This clarifies the role of evolution or late-time projection effects in establishing the consistency relation for observable bispectra, which is especially important for radiation acoustic oscillations and for establishing consistency below the matter-radiation equality scale in the MD era. Defining an appropriate angle and time average of these oscillations is also important for making separate universe predictions of spatially varying local observables during the RD era, which can be useful for a wider range of cosmological predictions beyond N-point functions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Quartet-based inference is statistically consistent under the unified duplication-loss-coalescence model

Abstract Motivation The classic multispecies coalescent (MSC) model provides the means for theoretical justification of incomplete lineage sorting-aware species tree inference methods. This has motivated an extensive body of work on phylogenetic methods that are statistically consistent under MSC. One such particularly popular method is ASTRAL, a quartet-based species tree inference method. Novel studies suggest that ASTRAL also performs well when given multi-locus gene trees in simulation studies. Further, Legried et al. recently demonstrated that ASTRAL is statistically consistent under the gene duplication and loss model (GDL). GDL is prevalent in evolutionary histories and is the first core process in the powerful duplication-loss-coalescence evolutionary model (DLCoal) by Rasmussen and Kellis. Results In this work, we prove that ASTRAL is statistically consistent under the general DLCoal model. Therefore, our result supports the empirical evidence from the simulation-based studies. More broadly, we prove that the quartet-based inference approach is statistically consistent under DLCoal. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

First test of the consistency relation for the large-scale structure using the anisotropic three-point correlation function of BOSS DR12 galaxies

ABSTRACT We present, for the first time, an observational test of the consistency relation for the large-scale structure (LSS) of the Universe through a joint analysis of the anisotropic two- and three-point correlation functions (2PCF and 3PCF) of galaxies. We parameterize the breakdown of the LSS consistency relation in the squeezed limit by Es, which represents the ratio of the coefficients of the shift terms in the second-order density and velocity fluctuations. Es ≠ 1 is a sufficient condition under which the LSS consistency relation is violated. A novel aspect of this work is that we constrain Es by obtaining information about the non-linear velocity field from the quadrupole component of the 3PCF without taking the squeezed limit. Using the galaxy catalogues in the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) Data Release 12, we obtain $E_{\rm s} = -0.92_{-3.26}^{+3.13}$, indicating that there is no violation of the LSS consistency relation in our analysis within the statistical errors. Our parameterization is general enough that our constraint can be applied to a wide range of theories, such as multicomponent fluids, modified gravity theories, and their associated galaxy bias effects. Our analysis opens a new observational window to test the fundamental physics using the anisotropic higher-order correlation functions of galaxy clustering.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Electronic structure of LaNiO 2 and CaCuO 2 from a self-consistent vertex-corrected GW approach

In this work, the electronic structure of one of the nickelates (LaNiO 2 ) and one of the cuprates (CaCuO 2 ) is studied with three self-consistent GW-based methods: scGW, sc(GW+vertex), and quasiparticle self-consistent GW. Low-energy features obtained in our study are in many respects similar to the features reported in previous density functional theory plus dynamical mean-field theory (DFT+DMFT) studies. Consistent with the DFT+DMFT conclusion, we find LaNiO 2 to be more correlated than CaCuO 2 . However, correlation effects included in our study change the DFT Fermi surface near the Γ point differently from that reported in DMFT studies. Features that are a few electronvolts away from the Fermi level are broader in our calculations than in the DFT+DMFT, which reflects the differences between the DFT and the GW methods. Our results are in qualitative agreement with previous G0W0 results, but the self-consistency results in quantitative differences. Generally, correlation effects are found to be sufficiently weak in both materials, which allows one to use totally ab initio diagrammatic approaches such as sc(GW+Vertex) and to avoid the methods with adjustable parameters (DFT+U or DFT+DMFT). However, the possibility of some strong correlations at low energy that cannot be captured by perturbative methods cannot be completely excluded. For instance, differences in the Fermi surface should be resolved, thus experimental studies are necessary.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Current data are consistent with flat spatial hypersurfaces in the Λ CDM cosmological model but favor more lensing than the model predicts

Here, we study the performance of three pairs of tilted, and a pair of untilited, ΛCDM cosmological models, with three of these four pairs allowing for non-flat spatial hypersurfaces, against cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization power spectrum data (P18), measurements of the Planck 2018 lensing potential power spectrum (lensing), and a large compilation of non-CMB data (non-CMB). For the eight models, we measure cosmological parameters and study whether or not pairs of the data sets (as well as subsets of them) are mutually consistent in these models. Half of these models allow the lensing consistency parameter A L , which re-scales the gravitational potential power spectrum, to be an additional free parameter to be determined from data, while the other three have A L = 1 which is the theoretically expected value. The pair of untilted non-flat ΛCDM models are incompatible with P18 data. The tilted spatially-flat models assume the usual primordial spatial inhomogeneity power spectrum that is a power law in wave number. The tilted non-flat models assume either the primordial power spectrum used in the Planck group anal yses [Planck P(q)], that has recently been numerically shown to be a good approximation to what is quantum-mechanically generated from a particular choice of closed inflation model initial conditions, or a recently computed power spectrum [new P(q)] that quantum-mechanically follows from a different set of non-flat inflation model initial conditions. In the tilted non-flat models with A L = 1 we find differences between P18 data and non-CMB data cosmological parameter constraints, which are large enough to rule out the Planck P(q) model at 3σ but not the new P(q) model. No significant differences are found when cosmological parameter constraints obtained with two different data sets are compared within the standard tilted flat ΛCDM model. While both P18 data and non-CMB data separately favor a closed geometry, with spatial curvature density parameter Ω k < 0, when P18+non-CMB data are jointly analyzed the evidence in favor of non-flat hypersurfaces subsides. Differences between P18 data and non-CMB data cosmological constraints subside when A L is allowed to vary. From the most restrictive P18+lensing+non-CMB data combination we get almost model-independent constraints on the cosmological parameters and find that the A L > 1 option is preferred over the Ω k < 0 one, with the A L parameter, for all models, being larger than unity by ~ 2.5σ. According to the deviance information criterion, in the P18+lensing+non-CMB analysis, the varying A L option is on the verge of being strongly favored over the A L = 1 one, which could indicate a problem for the standard tilted flat ΛCDM model. These data are consistent with flat spatial hypersurfaces but more and better data could improve the constraints on Ω k and might alter this conclusion. Error bars on some cosmological parameters are significantly reduced when non-CMB data are used jointly with P18+lensing data. For example, in the tilted flat ΛCDM model for P18+lensing+non-CMB data the Hubble constant H 0 = 68.09 ± 0.38 km s -1 Mpc -1 , which is consistent with that from a median statistics analysis of a large compilation of H 0 measurements as well as with a number of local measurements of the cosmological expansion rate. This H 0 error bar is 31% smaller than that from P18+lensing data alone.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

SU-E-J-227: Breathing Pattern Consistency and Reproducibility: Comparative Analysis for Supine and Prone Body Positioning

Purpose: Evaluate and compare the cycle-to-cycle consistency of breathing patterns and their reproducibility over the course of treatment, for supine and prone positioning. Methods: Respiratory traces from 25 patients were recorded for sequential supine/prone 4DCT scans acquired prior to treatment, and during the course of the treatment (weekly or bi-weekly). For each breathing cycle, the average(AVE), end-of-exhale(EoE) and end-of-inhale( EoI) locations were identified using in-house developed software. In addition, the mean values and variations for the above quantities were computed for each breathing trace. F-tests were used to compare the cycle-to-cycle consistency of all pairs of sequential supine and prone scans. Analysis of variances was also performed using population means for AVE, EoE and EoI to quantify differences between the reproducibility of prone and supine respiration traces over the treatment course. Results: Consistency: Cycle-to-cycle variations are less in prone than supine in the pre-treatment and during-treatment scans for AVE, EoE and EoI points, for the majority of patients (differences significant at p<0.05). The few cases where the respiratory pattern had more variability in prone appeared to be random events. Reproducibility: The reproducibility of breathing patterns (supine and prone) improved as treatment progressed, perhaps due to patients becoming more comfortable with the procedure. However, variability in supine position continued to remain significantly larger than in prone (p<0.05), as indicated by the variance analysis of population means for the pretreatment and subsequent during-treatment scans. Conclusions: Prone positioning stabilizes breathing patterns in most subjects investigated in this study. Importantly, a parallel analysis of the same group of patients revealed a tendency towards increasing motion amplitude of tumor targets in prone position regardless of their size or location; thus, the choice for body positioning during radiation therapy will have to consider the clinical relevance of the two opposing trends - breathing consistency and motion amplitude.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗