Results for “Formal Methods” — Page 95

DOE OSTI2023

A minimum assumption approach to MEG sensor array design

Objective. Our objective is to formulate the problem of the magnetoencephalographic (MEG) sensor array design as a well-posed engineering problem of accurately measuring the neuronal magnetic fields. This is in contrast to the traditional approach that formulates the sensor array design problem in terms of neurobiological interpretability the sensor array measurements. Approach. We use the vector spherical harmonics (VSH) formalism to define a figure-of-merit for an MEG sensor array. We start with an observation that, under certain reasonable assumptions, any array of m perfectly noiseless sensors will attain exactly the same performance, regardless of the sensors' locations and orientations (with the exception of a negligible set of singularly bad sensor configurations). We proceed to the conclusion that under the aforementioned assumptions, the only difference between different array configurations is the effect of (sensor) noise on their performance. We then propose a figure-of-merit that quantifies, with a single number, how much the sensor array in question amplifies the sensor noise. Main results. We derive a formula for intuitively meaningful, yet mathematically rigorous figure-of-merit that summarizes how desirable a particular sensor array design is. We demonstrate that this figure-of-merit is well-behaved enough to be used as a cost function for a general-purpose nonlinear optimization methods such as simulated annealing. We also show that sensor array configurations obtained by such optimizations exhibit properties that are typically expected of 'high-quality' MEG sensor arrays, e.g. high channel information capacity. Significance. Our work paves the way toward designing better MEG sensor arrays by isolating the engineering problem of measuring the neuromagnetic fields out of the bigger problem of studying brain function through neuromagnetic measurements.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Effect of parallel flow on resonant layer responses in high beta plasmas

Abstract Resonant layers in a tokamak respond to non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations by amplifying the mode amplitude and balancing the plasma rotation through magnetic reconnection and force balance, respectively. This resonant response can be characterized by local layer parameters and especially by a single quantity in the linear regime, the so-called inner-layer Δ. The computation of Δ under two-fluid drift-MHD formalism has been progressed by reducing the order of the system in the phase space, where the shielding current is approximated as being only carried by electrons, a posteriori . In this study, we relax the approximation and compute Δ accounted for by the parallel flow associated with the ion shielding current. The posteriori is numerically verified in great agreement with the original SLAYER developed in a previous paper (J.-K. Park 2022 Phys. Plasmas 29 072506). Extending the resonant layer response theory to high β plasmas, our research findings answer two important questions: how the parallel flow influences the resonant layer response and why the parallel flow effect appears in high β plasmas. The complicated plasma compression in high β regime allows the parallel flow response to give rise to the ion shielding current, which not only shifts the zero-crossing condition of the ExB flow but also enhances the field penetration threshold. Technically, the Riccati matrix transformation method is adapted to handle the numerical stiffness due to the increased order of the system. The high fidelity of this numerical method makes use of further extension of the model to higher-order systems to take other physical phenomena into account. This work is envisaged to predict the resonant layer response under high β fusion reactor conditions.

Lee, Yeongsun (ORCID:000000034474416X)↗

DOE OSTI2020

Correlation Function Approach for Diffusion in Confined Geometries

This paper describes a formalism for extracting spatially varying transport coefficients from simulations of a molecular fluid in a nano channel. This approach is applied to self-diffusion of a Lennard-Jones fluid confined between two parallel surfaces. A numerical grid is laid over the domain confining the fluid, and fluid properties are projected onto the grid cells. The time correlation functions between properties in different grid cells are calculated and can be used as the basis for a fitting procedure for extracting spatially varying diffusion coefficients from the simulation. Results for the Lennard-Jones system show that transport behavior varies sharply near the liquid-solid boundary and that the changes depend on the details of the liquid-solid interaction. A quantitative difference between the reduced and detailed models is discussed. It is found that the difference could be associated with assumptions about the form of the transport equations at molecular scales in lieu of problems with the method itself. The study suggests that this approach to fitting molecular simulations to continuum equations may guide the development of appropriate coarse-grained equations to model transport phenomena at nanometer scales.

Nanoscale flow, Transport, molecular simulation↗

DOE OSTI2022

Hamiltonian Truncation Effective Theory

Hamiltonian truncation is a non-perturbative numerical method for calculating observables of a quantum field theory. The starting point for this method is to truncate the interacting Hamiltonian to a finite-dimensional space of states spanned by the eigenvectors of the free Hamiltonian H_0 H 0 with eigenvalues below some energy cutoff E_\text{max} E max . In this work, we show how to treat Hamiltonian truncation systematically using effective field theory methodology. We define the finite-dimensional effective Hamiltonian by integrating out the states above E_\text{max} E max . The effective Hamiltonian can be computed by matching a transition amplitude to the full theory, and gives corrections order by order as an expansion in powers of 1/E_\text{max} 1 / E max . The effective Hamiltonian is non-local, with the non-locality controlled in an expansion in powers of H_0/E_\text{max} H 0 / E max . The effective Hamiltonian is also non-Hermitian, and we discuss whether this is a necessary feature or an artifact of our definition. We apply our formalism to 2D \lambda\phi^4 λ ϕ 4 theory, and compute the the leading 1/E_\text{max}^2 1 / E max 2 corrections to the effective Hamiltonian. We show that these corrections nontrivially satisfy the crucial property of separation of scales. Numerical diagonalization of the effective Hamiltonian gives residual errors of order 1/E_\text{max}^3 1 / E max 3 , as expected by our power counting. We also present the power counting for 3D \lambda \phi^4 λ ϕ 4 theory and perform calculations that demonstrate the separation of scales in this theory.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2022

A study of electroactive polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel actuators through the use of the electric modulus formalism and cyclic linear voltage sweeps

The conductivity and dielectric properties are integral to the function of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel actuators. The frequency-dependent properties of PVC gel actuators are investigated here in terms of their impedance, permittivity, and for the first time, electric modulus. The data shows that PVC gels’ conductive properties are just as, if not more, important as their dielectric properties in electromechanical transduction applications. The electrode polarization (EP) and its impact on the impedance and dielectric spectra of PVC gels, as well as the developed asymmetric space charge at the anode, are discussed. The electric modulus and tan δ spectra are used for the fitting of Cole-Cole (CC) and Debye relaxation models for gels of varying plasticizer content. The electrostatic adhesive force for PVC gels of varying plasticizer is also measured, indicating large electrostatic adhesion (>2 N cm -2 ). A cyclic linear voltage sweep is used to clarify the dynamics of space charge within the gels. The peak current (associated with space charge development) is seen to be concurrent with the onset of mechanical deformation, showing the asymmetric charge as the origin of electromechanical transduction. Additionally, the maximum charge transferred (as measured by the integration of current over time) before space charge development is found to correlate with the electrostatic adhesive force measured for the gels, pointing to a new method of characterizing PVC gels for actuation.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗

DOE OSTI2021

ASMT-783246, Assessment Report for Department 635 Analysis of Fiscal Year 2021 ES&H Events

This assessment analyzes Environment, Safety, and Health (ES&H) occurrences and Non-Occurrence Trackable Events (NOTEs) from fiscal year (FY) 2021. For this report, assessors used three primary methods for categorizing occurrence and NOTE data: issue categorization, DOE reporting criteria groups, and DOE cause codes. The FY 2021 Q1 occurrence and NOTE total was the lowest since this type of analysis began in FY 2018 Q4, following a downward trend from the FY 2019 Q3 high point. The FY 2021 Q2 occurrence and NOTE total was nearly double the FY 2021 Q1 total; occurrence totals declined slightly in Q3 and Q4, while NOTE totals remained the same. NOTEs in each of the final three quarters were more than double the amount from Q1. This assessment resulted in one observation. As COVID-19 vaccination rates increase and COVID 19 impacts on operations decrease, the number of workers on-site and the amount of activity-level work will increase. With these changes, focused attention on the following areas related to work planning and controls may reduce the probability of future events, hazard identification and analysis, compliance with standards, formality of operations, and job scoping.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Lanczos algorithm for lattice QCD matrix elements

Recent work [M. L. Wagman, Lanczos, the transfer matrix, and the signal-to-noise problem, .] found that an analysis formalism based on the Lanczos algorithm allows energy levels to be extracted from Euclidean correlation functions with faster ground-state convergence than effective masses, convergent estimators for multiple states from a single correlator, and two-sided error bounds. After filtering out spurious eigenvalues and using outlier-robust estimators within a nested bootstrap framework, Lanczos estimators behave more like multistate fit results than effective masses—but without involving statistical fitting. We extend this formalism to the determination of matrix elements from three-point correlation functions and provide a physical picture of “spurious-state filtering” involving restriction to a Hermitian subspace. We demonstrate similar advantages for matrix elements as for spectroscopy through example applications to noiseless mock-data and (bare) forward matrix elements of the strange scalar current between both ground and excited states with the quantum numbers of the nucleon.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2013

Deformations of polyhedra and polygons by the unitary group

We introduce the set of framed (convex) polyhedra with N faces as the symplectic quotient C{sup 2N}//SU(2). A framed polyhedron is then parametrized by N spinors living in C{sup 2} satisfying suitable closure constraints and defines a usual convex polyhedron plus extra U(1) phases attached to each face. We show that there is a natural action of the unitary group U(N) on this phase space, which changes the shape of faces and allows to map any (framed) polyhedron onto any other with the same total (boundary) area. This identifies the space of framed polyhedra to the Grassmannian space U(N)/ (SU(2)×U(N−2)). We show how to write averages of geometrical observables (polynomials in the faces' area and the angles between them) over the ensemble of polyhedra (distributed uniformly with respect to the Haar measure on U(N)) as polynomial integrals over the unitary group and we provide a few methods to compute these integrals systematically. We also use the Itzykson-Zuber formula from matrix models as the generating function for these averages and correlations. In the quantum case, a canonical quantization of the framed polyhedron phase space leads to the Hilbert space of SU(2) intertwiners (or, in other words, SU(2)-invariant states in tensor products of irreducible representations). The total boundary area as well as the individual face areas are quantized as half-integers (spins), and the Hilbert spaces for fixed total area form irreducible representations of U(N). We define semi-classical coherent intertwiner states peaked on classical framed polyhedra and transforming consistently under U(N) transformations. And we show how the U(N) character formula for unitary transformations is to be considered as an extension of the Itzykson-Zuber to the quantum level and generates the traces of all polynomial observables over the Hilbert space of intertwiners. We finally apply the same formalism to two dimensions and show that classical (convex) polygons can be described in a similar fashion trading the unitary group for the orthogonal group. We conclude with a discussion of the possible (deformation) dynamics that one can define on the space of polygons or polyhedra. This work is a priori useful in the context of discrete geometry but it should hopefully also be relevant to (loop) quantum gravity in 2+1 and 3+1 dimensions when the quantum geometry is defined in terms of gluing of (quantized) polygons and polyhedra.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2015

ROVIBRATIONAL LINE LISTS FOR NINE ISOTOPOLOGUES OF THE CO MOLECULE IN THE X {sup 1}Σ{sup +} GROUND ELECTRONIC STATE

Extensive rovibrational line lists were computed for nine isotopologues of the CO molecule, namely, {sup 12}C{sup 16}O, {sup 12}C{sup 17}O, {sup 12}C{sup 18}O, {sup 13}C{sup 16}O, {sup 13}C{sup 17}O, {sup 13}C{sup 18}O, {sup 14}C{sup 16}O, {sup 14}C{sup 17}O, and {sup 14}C{sup 18}O in the ground electronic state with v ≤ 41, Δv ≤ 11, and J ≤ 150. The line intensity and position calculations were carried out using a newly determined piece-wise dipole moment function (DMF) in conjunction with the wavefunctions calculated from an experimentally determined potential energy function from Coxon and Hajigeorgiou. A direct-fit method that simultaneously fits all the reliable experimental rovibrational matrix elements has been used to construct the dipole moment function near equilibrium internuclear distance. In order to extend the amount and quality of input experimental parameters, new Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy experiments were carried out to enable measurements of the lines in the 4-0 band with low uncertainty as well as the first measurements of lines in the 6-0 band. A new high-level ab initio DMF, derived from a finite field approach has been calculated to cover internuclear distances far from equilibrium. Accurate partition sums have been derived for temperatures up to 9000 K. In addition to air- and self-induced broadening and shift parameters, those induced by CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2} are now provided for planetary applications. A complete set of broadening and shift parameters was calculated based on sophisticated extrapolation of high-quality measured data. The line lists, which follow HITRAN formalism, are provided as supplementary material.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Dimensionality reduction of the many-body problem using coupled-cluster subsystem flow equations: classical and quantum computing perspective

We discuss reduced-scaling strategies employing recently introduced sub-system embedding sub-algebras coupled-cluster formalism (SES-CC) to describe many-body systems. These strategies utilize properties of the SES-CC formulations where the equations describing certain classes of sub- systems can be integrated into a computational flows composed coupled eigenvalue problems of reduced dimensionality. Additionally, these flows can be defined at the level of the CC Ansatz defined by selected classes of cluster amplitudes, which define the wave function ”memory” of possible partitionings of the many-body system into constituent sub-systems. One of the possible ways of solving these coupled problems is through implementing procedures, where the information is passed between the sub-systems in a self-consistent manner. As a special case, we consider local flow formulations where the so-called local character of correlation effects can be closely related to properties of sub-system embedding sub-algebras employing localized molecular basis. We also generalize flow equations to the time domain and to downfolding methods utilizing double exponential unitary CC Ansatz (DUCC), where reduced dimensionality of constituent sub-problems offer a possibility of efficient utilization of limited quantum resources in modeling realistic systems.

Electron correlation, quantum chemistry, quantum c↗

DOE OSTI2021

Nanoporous weakly coordinating anionic frameworks (Final Technical Report)

Under this award, we synthesized and characterized new weakly coordinating, anionic covalent organic frameworks. The motivation was to expand the class of covalent organic frameworks though the introduction of the first weakly coordinating anionic ones. The significance of the weakly coordinating anionic character of these frameworks is associated with the character of the counter (metal) cations in their pores. Those counter-cations, due to the inability to effectively coordinate to the pore walls, have a “naked”, and thus highly electrophilic, Lewis acidic character. Such properties are expected to translate to a number of interesting physical properties that can be potentially used for a range of energy-relevant applications. One of these applications is gas adsorption, separation, and storage. The electrophilic, Lewis acidic character of the counter-cations are expected to strongly bind to gas molecules entering the pores leading to higher gas sorption capacities. Other applications include heterogeneous catalysis, ion exchange, and solid state ion conduction. Within the project we explored a range of chemical blocks, and tested synthesis conditions to polymerize these building blocks to form the target materials. In particular, we focused on materials with group 15 elements like phosphorus in the oxidation state +5 and the coordination number 6, that have a formal -1 charge. The synthesis of such materials is challenging because its success depends on the absence of residual monomeric and oligomeric side-products in the pores, and the absence of significant framework interpenetration. Crystalline forms of these materials require sufficient reversibility of the polymerization reaction (which is difficult to achieve because group 15 elements like P tend to make strong covalent bonds with neighbored elements), as well as suitable polymerization rates that prevent the formation of kinetically controlled products. We had success with the preparation of anionic porous organic frameworks with anionic building blocks containing P(V)O6 octahedra synthesized through Yamamoto coupling reactions. These materials are non-crystalline because of the irreversible nature of the Yamamoto coupling reaction, but show porosity. The porosity and surface area can be significantly increased by co-reaction with electrostatically neutral co-reactants. Very high porosity and surface areas can be achieved when the materials are washed with hydrochloric acid. This method is commonly used to free products from Yamamoto coupling reactions from by-products. Indeed, this method removed by products from the pores of our materials, however it also led to the hydrolysis of the PO6 octahedra to form pending phosphonic acid groups (-PO3H)-groups in the frameworks (PA-POFs) which was actually not desired. Nonetheless, these materials showed high CO2 sorption capacities. In addition, they show extremely high (actually record) sorption capacities for the removal of a range of common micropollutants such as bisphenol A (BPA) and 4-nitrophenol in water. BPA is a wide-spread organic pollutant and a known endocrine disruptor. The maximum adsorption capacity of BPA at equilibrium is found to be as high as 3,366 mg g-1 by Langmuir adsorption model, which is more than 10 times greater than peer materials. The polymer also rapidly removes various other organic micropollutants with more than 90% removal efficiencies. In addition, the PA-POF material can be regenerated at least five times by mild washing using methanol without significant loss in removal efficiency. This is significant advantage over commonly used activated carbon materials (that are in Brita water faucet filters, for example). Comparison studies showed that only materials with the phosphonate groups show extreme sorption although the number of PA group is actually small according to solid state NMR and EDX data. More research would be needed to investigate why this is (a possibility is that the phosphonate groups have a multiplying effect in which a PA-induced initial adsorption leads to the adsorption of much more adsorbate). The extreme sorption capabilities can also be visually seen when colored adsorbates such as 4-nitrophenol are used, as the adsorption of the nitrobenzene leads to the decoloration of the solution. We have produced three short videos that illustrate the sorption capabilities compared to two peer materials (activated carbon from dismantled Brita water filters, and a electrostatically neutral, chemically related, porous organic polymer, respectively).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2016

Combining the GW formalism with the polarizable continuum model: A state-specific non-equilibrium approach

We have implemented the polarizable continuum model within the framework of the many-body Green’s function GW formalism for the calculation of electron addition and removal energies in solution. The present formalism includes both ground-state and non-equilibrium polarization effects. In addition, the polarization energies are state-specific, allowing to obtain the bath-induced renormalisation energy of all occupied and virtual energy levels. Our implementation is validated by comparisons with ΔSCF calculations performed at both the density functional theory and coupled-cluster single and double levels for solvated nucleobases. The present study opens the way to GW and Bethe-Salpeter calculations in disordered condensed phases of interest in organic optoelectronics, wet chemistry, and biology.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2021

Variational quantum eigensolver for approximate diagonalization of downfolded Hamiltonians using generalized unitary coupled cluster ansatz

In this paper we discuss the utilization of Variational Quantum Solver (VQE) and recently introduced Generalized Unitary Coupled Cluster (GUCC) formalism for the diagonalization of downfolded/effective Hamiltonians in active spaces. In addition to effective Hamiltonians defined by the downfolding of a subset of virtual orbitals we also consider their form defined by freezing core orbitals, which enables us to deal with larger systems. Furthermore, we also consider various solvers to identify solutions of the GUCC equations. We use N 2 , H 2 O, and C 2 H 4 , and benchmark systems to illustrate the performance of the combined framework.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2014

The electronic properties and lattice dynamics of (Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5})TiO{sub 3}: From cubic to tetragonal and rhombohedral phases

The structural, electronic and dynamical properties of the cubic, tetragonal and rhombohedral phases of a lead-free ferroelectrics, (Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5})TiO{sub 3} (NBT), have been studied with a density functional formalism. The direct band gap is determined to be 2∼3 eV for three phases, suggesting them to be good optical material. The equilibrium structures were given, and the importance of Bi atom in the low-symmetry ferroelectric phases were investigated with the electron localization functions analysis. The vibration modes at the Γ point were calculated to provide a basis for analyzing the Raman and IR spectra. Soft modes were found in both the cubic and the tetragonal phases, providing a clue in understanding the ferroelectric phase transition in NBT.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2017

Donor-Recipient Identification in Para- and Poly-phyletic Trees Under Alternative HIV-1 Transmission Hypotheses Using Approximate Bayesian Computation

Diversity of the founding population of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) transmissions raises many important biological, clinical, and epidemiological issues. In up to 40% of sexual infections, there is clear evidence for multiple founding variants, which can influence the efficacy of putative prevention methods, and the reconstruction of epidemiologic histories. To infer who-infected-whom, and to compute the probability of alternative transmission scenarios while explicitly taking phylogenetic uncertainty into account, we created an approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) method based on a set of statistics measuring phylogenetic topology, branch lengths, and genetic diversity. We applied our method to a suspected heterosexual transmission case involving three individuals, showing a complex monophyletic-paraphyletic-polyphyletic phylogenetic topology. We detected that seven phylogenetic lineages had been transmitted between two of the individuals based on the available samples, implying that many more unsampled lineages had also been transmitted. Testing whether the lineages had been transmitted at one time or over some length of time suggested that an ongoing superinfection process over several years was most likely. While one individual was found unlinked to the other two, surprisingly, when evaluating two competing epidemiological priors, the donor of the two that did infect each other was not identified by the host root-label, and was also not the primary suspect in that transmission. This highlights that it is important to take epidemiological information into account when analyzing support for one transmission hypothesis over another, as results may be nonintuitive and sensitive to details about sampling dates relative to possible infection dates. Here, our study provides a formal inference framework to include information on infection and sampling times, and to investigate ancestral node-label states, transmission direction, transmitted genetic diversity, and frequency of transmission.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

WE-H-201-00: Opportunities for Physicists to Support Low and Mid-Income Countries

The desperate need for radiotherapy in low and mid-income countries (LMICs) has been well documented. Roughly 60 % of the worldwide incidence of cancer occurs in these resource-limited settings and the international community alongside governmental and non-profit agencies have begun publishing reports and seeking help from qualified volunteers. However, the focus of several reports has been on how dire the situation is and the magnitude of the problem, leaving most to feel overwhelmed and unsure as to how to help and why to get involved. This session will help to explain the specific ways that Medical Physicists can uniquely assist in this grand effort to help bring radiotherapy to grossly-underserved areas. Not only can these experts fulfill an important purpose, they also can benefit professionally, academically, emotionally and socially from the endeavor. By assisting others worldwide with their skillset, Medical Physicists can end up helping themselves. Learning Objectives: Understand the need for radiotherapy in LMICs. Understand which agencies are seeking Medical Physicists for help in LMICs. Understand the potential research funding mechanisms are available to establish academic collaborations with LMIC researchers/physicians. Understand the potential social and emotional benefits for both the physicist and the LMIC partners when collaborations are made. Understand the potential for collaboration with other high-income scientists that can develop as the physicist partners with other large institutions to assist LMICs. Wil Ngwa - A recent United Nations Study reports that in developing countries more people have access to cell phones than toilets. In Africa, only 63% of the population has access to piped water, yet, 93% of Africans have cell phone service. Today, these cell phones, Skype, WhatsApp and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) connect us in unprecedented ways and are increasingly recognized as powerful, indispensable to global health. Thanks to ICTs, there are growing opportunities for Medical Physicists to reach out beyond the bunker and impact the world far beyond, without even having to travel. These growing opportunities in global health for Medical Physicists, powered by ICTs, will be highlighted in this presentation, illustrated by high impact examples/models across the globe that are improving patient safety and healthcare outcomes, saving lives. Learning Objectives: Published definitions of global health and the emerging field of global radiation oncology Learn about the transformative potential of ICTs in global radiation oncology care, research and education with focus on Medical Physics Learn about high impact examples of ICT-powered global radiation oncology and the increasing opportunities for participation by Medical Physicists. Yakov Pipman - The number and scope of volunteer Medical Physics activities in support of low-to-middle income countries has been increasing gradually. This happens through a variety of formal channels and to some extent through less formal but personal initiatives. A good deal of effort is dedicated by many, but many more could be recruited through a structured framework to volunteer. We will look into typical volunteer activities and how they fit with organizations already involved in advancing Medical Physics in LMIC. We will identify the range of these organizational activities and their scope to reveal areas of further need. We will point to a few key features of MPWB ( http://www.mpwb.org ) as a volunteering and collaborating structure and how members can get involved and contribute to these efforts at the grass roots level. The goal is that scarce resources can thus be channeled to complement rather than compete with those already in place. Learning Objectives: Understand the strengths and limitations of various organizations that support Medical Physics efforts in LMIC. Learn about ways to volunteer and contribute to Global Health through a grass roots organization focused on Medical Physics in LMIC. Perry Sprawls - With the growing capability and complexity of medical imaging methods in all countries of the world, the expanding role of medical physicists includes optimizing imaging procedures with respect to image quality, radiation dose, and other conflicting factors. With access to appropriate educational resources local medical physicists in all countries can provide direct clinical support and educational for other medical professionals. This is being supported through the process of Collaborative Teaching that combines the capabilities and experience of medical physicists in countries spanning the spectrum of economic, technological, and clinical development. The supporting resources are on the web at: http://www.sprawls.org/resources . Learning Objectives: Identify the medical physics educational needs to support effective and optimized medical imaging procedures. Use collaborative teaching resources to enhance the role of medical physicists in all countries of the world.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

WE-H-201-01: The Opportunities and Benefits of Helping LMICs: How Helping Them Can Help You

The desperate need for radiotherapy in low and mid-income countries (LMICs) has been well documented. Roughly 60 % of the worldwide incidence of cancer occurs in these resource-limited settings and the international community alongside governmental and non-profit agencies have begun publishing reports and seeking help from qualified volunteers. However, the focus of several reports has been on how dire the situation is and the magnitude of the problem, leaving most to feel overwhelmed and unsure as to how to help and why to get involved. This session will help to explain the specific ways that Medical Physicists can uniquely assist in this grand effort to help bring radiotherapy to grossly-underserved areas. Not only can these experts fulfill an important purpose, they also can benefit professionally, academically, emotionally and socially from the endeavor. By assisting others worldwide with their skillset, Medical Physicists can end up helping themselves. Learning Objectives: Understand the need for radiotherapy in LMICs. Understand which agencies are seeking Medical Physicists for help in LMICs. Understand the potential research funding mechanisms are available to establish academic collaborations with LMIC researchers/physicians. Understand the potential social and emotional benefits for both the physicist and the LMIC partners when collaborations are made. Understand the potential for collaboration with other high-income scientists that can develop as the physicist partners with other large institutions to assist LMICs. Wil Ngwa - A recent United Nations Study reports that in developing countries more people have access to cell phones than toilets. In Africa, only 63% of the population has access to piped water, yet, 93% of Africans have cell phone service. Today, these cell phones, Skype, WhatsApp and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) connect us in unprecedented ways and are increasingly recognized as powerful, indispensable to global health. Thanks to ICTs, there are growing opportunities for Medical Physicists to reach out beyond the bunker and impact the world far beyond, without even having to travel. These growing opportunities in global health for Medical Physicists, powered by ICTs, will be highlighted in this presentation, illustrated by high impact examples/models across the globe that are improving patient safety and healthcare outcomes, saving lives. Learning Objectives: Published definitions of global health and the emerging field of global radiation oncology Learn about the transformative potential of ICTs in global radiation oncology care, research and education with focus on Medical Physics Learn about high impact examples of ICT-powered global radiation oncology and the increasing opportunities for participation by Medical Physicists. Yakov Pipman - The number and scope of volunteer Medical Physics activities in support of low-to-middle income countries has been increasing gradually. This happens through a variety of formal channels and to some extent through less formal but personal initiatives. A good deal of effort is dedicated by many, but many more could be recruited through a structured framework to volunteer. We will look into typical volunteer activities and how they fit with organizations already involved in advancing Medical Physics in LMIC. We will identify the range of these organizational activities and their scope to reveal areas of further need. We will point to a few key features of MPWB ( http://www.mpwb.org ) as a volunteering and collaborating structure and how members can get involved and contribute to these efforts at the grass roots level. The goal is that scarce resources can thus be channeled to complement rather than compete with those already in place. Learning Objectives: Understand the strengths and limitations of various organizations that support Medical Physics efforts in LMIC. Learn about ways to volunteer and contribute to Global Health through a grass roots organization focused on Medical Physics in LMIC. Perry Sprawls - With the growing capability and complexity of medical imaging methods in all countries of the world, the expanding role of medical physicists includes optimizing imaging procedures with respect to image quality, radiation dose, and other conflicting factors. With access to appropriate educational resources local medical physicists in all countries can provide direct clinical support and educational for other medical professionals. This is being supported through the process of Collaborative Teaching that combines the capabilities and experience of medical physicists in countries spanning the spectrum of economic, technological, and clinical development. The supporting resources are on the web at: http://www.sprawls.org/resources . Learning Objectives: Identify the medical physics educational needs to support effective and optimized medical imaging procedures. Use collaborative teaching resources to enhance the role of medical physicists in all countries of the world.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

WE-H-201-02: Emerging Models and Opportunities in Global Health for Medical Physicists Powered by Information and Communication Technologies

The desperate need for radiotherapy in low and mid-income countries (LMICs) has been well documented. Roughly 60 % of the worldwide incidence of cancer occurs in these resource-limited settings and the international community alongside governmental and non-profit agencies have begun publishing reports and seeking help from qualified volunteers. However, the focus of several reports has been on how dire the situation is and the magnitude of the problem, leaving most to feel overwhelmed and unsure as to how to help and why to get involved. This session will help to explain the specific ways that Medical Physicists can uniquely assist in this grand effort to help bring radiotherapy to grossly-underserved areas. Not only can these experts fulfill an important purpose, they also can benefit professionally, academically, emotionally and socially from the endeavor. By assisting others worldwide with their skillset, Medical Physicists can end up helping themselves. Learning Objectives: Understand the need for radiotherapy in LMICs. Understand which agencies are seeking Medical Physicists for help in LMICs. Understand the potential research funding mechanisms are available to establish academic collaborations with LMIC researchers/physicians. Understand the potential social and emotional benefits for both the physicist and the LMIC partners when collaborations are made. Understand the potential for collaboration with other high-income scientists that can develop as the physicist partners with other large institutions to assist LMICs. Wil Ngwa - A recent United Nations Study reports that in developing countries more people have access to cell phones than toilets. In Africa, only 63% of the population has access to piped water, yet, 93% of Africans have cell phone service. Today, these cell phones, Skype, WhatsApp and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) connect us in unprecedented ways and are increasingly recognized as powerful, indispensable to global health. Thanks to ICTs, there are growing opportunities for Medical Physicists to reach out beyond the bunker and impact the world far beyond, without even having to travel. These growing opportunities in global health for Medical Physicists, powered by ICTs, will be highlighted in this presentation, illustrated by high impact examples/models across the globe that are improving patient safety and healthcare outcomes, saving lives. Learning Objectives: Published definitions of global health and the emerging field of global radiation oncology Learn about the transformative potential of ICTs in global radiation oncology care, research and education with focus on Medical Physics Learn about high impact examples of ICT-powered global radiation oncology and the increasing opportunities for participation by Medical Physicists. Yakov Pipman - The number and scope of volunteer Medical Physics activities in support of low-to-middle income countries has been increasing gradually. This happens through a variety of formal channels and to some extent through less formal but personal initiatives. A good deal of effort is dedicated by many, but many more could be recruited through a structured framework to volunteer. We will look into typical volunteer activities and how they fit with organizations already involved in advancing Medical Physics in LMIC. We will identify the range of these organizational activities and their scope to reveal areas of further need. We will point to a few key features of MPWB ( http://www.mpwb.org ) as a volunteering and collaborating structure and how members can get involved and contribute to these efforts at the grass roots level. The goal is that scarce resources can thus be channeled to complement rather than compete with those already in place. Learning Objectives: Understand the strengths and limitations of various organizations that support Medical Physics efforts in LMIC. Learn about ways to volunteer and contribute to Global Health through a grass roots organization focused on Medical Physics in LMIC. Perry Sprawls - With the growing capability and complexity of medical imaging methods in all countries of the world, the expanding role of medical physicists includes optimizing imaging procedures with respect to image quality, radiation dose, and other conflicting factors. With access to appropriate educational resources local medical physicists in all countries can provide direct clinical support and educational for other medical professionals. This is being supported through the process of Collaborative Teaching that combines the capabilities and experience of medical physicists in countries spanning the spectrum of economic, technological, and clinical development. The supporting resources are on the web at: http://www.sprawls.org/resources . Learning Objectives: Identify the medical physics educational needs to support effective and optimized medical imaging procedures. Use collaborative teaching resources to enhance the role of medical physicists in all countries of the world.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗