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DOE OSTI2025

Empowering Lineworkers: The Case for Active Exoskeletons in Utility Work

Exoskeletons have evolved from early medical prototypes to advanced systems capable of addressing physical demands in various industries. This report explores the potential of active exoskeleton technology within the utility sector, focusing on its application for linemen who face significant risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). By analyzing existing literature on exoskeletons across industries such as construction, manufacturing, and military, the study identifies a gap in utility-specific applications. Task-specific design features like gravity compensation, limb support, and advanced safety measures, improve exoskeletons’ potential to alleviate physical strain, reduce workplace injuries, and enhance productivity. This review emphasizes the need for targeted research and development to optimize exoskeleton designs for the utility sector to provide benefits for workers, companies, and the broader community.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Ultra-compact Imaging Technology (CRADA Final Report)

As part of the Cyclotron Road program, Synopic (formerly FlatCam LLC) sought to investigate the benefits of its depth-sensitive imaging techniques. The basic principle involved using a thin mask specially designed to encode light reaching a sensor, in conjunction with optimized computational algorithms, in such a manner that allowed for both miniaturization of imaging systems and improved computation toward high resolution, three-dimensional imaging. By thoroughly exploring the resolution, mask/optical design, and algorithmic capabilities of our depth sensitive technology, we expand the potential applications for (but not limited to) medical, consumer and industrial purposes. The project aimed to develop new imaging systems by building on previous work and using 1) materials capable of modulating and 2) sensors capable of measuring visible and longer wavelengths. Preliminary research was conducted to design, fabricate and characterize imaging systems with the goal of improving resolution, enhancing single capture, three-dimensional imaging, and extending depth of field of captured images. The primary goal was to determine whether adapting the depth-sensitive imaging system is feasible, and early results are promising.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2022

Public Health Response and Medical Management of Internal Contamination in Past Radiological or Nuclear Incidents: A Review

Following a radiological or nuclear emergency, workers, responders and the public may be internally contaminated with radionuclides. Screening, monitoring and assessing any internal contamination and providing necessary medical treatment, especially when a large number of individuals are involved, is challenging. Experience gained and lessons learned from the management of previous incidents would help to identify gaps in knowledge and capabilities on preparedness for and response to radiation emergencies. In this paper, eight largescale and five workplace radiological and nuclear incidents are reviewed cross 14 technical areas, under the broader topics of emergency preparedness, emergency response and recovery processes. The review findings suggest that 1) new strategies, algorithms and technologies are explored for rapid screening of large populations; 2) exposure assessment and dose estimation in emergency response and dose reconstruction in recovery process are supported by complementary sources of information, including ‘citizen science’; 3) surge capacity for monitoring and dose assessment is coordinated through national and international laboratory networks; 4) evidence-based guidelines for medical management and follow-up of internal contamination are urgently needed; 5) mechanisms for international and regional access to medical countermeasures are investigated and implemented; 6) long-term health and medical follow up programs are designed and justified; and 7) capabilities and capacity developed for emergency response are sustained through adequate resource allocation, routine nonemergency use of technical skills in regular exercises, training, and continuous improvement.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

DOE OSTI2018

A computational fluid dynamics simulation framework for ventricular catheter design optimization

OBJECTIVE Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts are the primary treatment for patients suffering from hydrocephalus. While proven effective in symptom relief, these shunt systems are plagued by high failure rates and often require repeated revision surgeries to replace malfunctioning components. One of the leading causes of CSF shunt failure is obstruction of the ventricular catheter by aggregations of cells, proteins, blood clots, or fronds of choroid plexus that occlude the catheter’s small inlet holes or even the full internal catheter lumen. Such obstructions can disrupt CSF diversion out of the ventricular system or impede it entirely. Previous studies have suggested that altering the catheter’s fluid dynamics may help to reduce the likelihood of complete ventricular catheter failure caused by obstruction. However, systematic correlation between a ventricular catheter’s design parameters and its performance, specifically its likelihood to become occluded, still remains unknown. Therefore, an automated, open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation framework was developed for use in the medical community to determine optimized ventricular catheter designs and to rapidly explore parameter influence for a given flow objective. METHODS The computational framework was developed by coupling a 3D CFD solver and an iterative optimization algorithm and was implemented in a high-performance computing environment. The capabilities of the framework were demonstrated by computing an optimized ventricular catheter design that provides uniform flow rates through the catheter’s inlet holes, a common design objective in the literature. The baseline computational model was validated using 3D nuclear imaging to provide flow velocities at the inlet holes and through the catheter. RESULTS The optimized catheter design achieved through use of the automated simulation framework improved significantly on previous attempts to reach a uniform inlet flow rate distribution using the standard catheter hole configuration as a baseline. While the standard ventricular catheter design featuring uniform inlet hole diameters and hole spacing has a standard deviation of 14.27% for the inlet flow rates, the optimized design has a standard deviation of 0.30%. CONCLUSIONS This customizable framework, paired with high-performance computing, provides a rapid method of design testing to solve complex flow problems. While a relatively simplified ventricular catheter model was used to demonstrate the framework, the computational approach is applicable to any baseline catheter model, and it is easily adapted to optimize catheters for the unique needs of different patients as well as for other fluid-based medical devices.

Neurosciences & Neurology↗

DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-649: Dosimetric Evaluation of Non-Coplanar Arc Therapy Using a Novel Rotating Gamma Ray System

Purpose: Stereotactic intra and extra-cranial body radiation therapy has evolved with advances in treatment accuracy, effective radiation dose, and parameters necessary to maximize machine capabilities. Novel gamma systems with a ring type gantry were developed having the ability to perform oblique arcs. The aim of this study is to explore the dosimetric advantages of this new system. Methods: The rotating Gamma system is named CybeRay (Cyber Medical Corp., Xian, China). It has a treatment head of 16 cobalt-60 sources focused to the isocenter, which can rotate 360° on the ring gantry and swing 35° in the superior direction. Treatment plans were generated utilizing our in-house Monte Carlo treatment planning system. A cylindrical phantom was modeled with 2mm voxel size. Dose inside the cylindrical phantom was calculated for coplanar and non-coplanar arcs. Dosimetric differences between CybeRay cobalt beams and CyberKnife 6MV beams were compared in a lung phantom and for previously treated SBRT patients. Results: The full width at half maxima of cross profiles in the S-I direction for the coplanar setup matched the cone sizes, while for the non-coplanar setup, FWHM was larger by 2mm for a 10mm cone and about 5mm for larger cones. In the coronal and sagittal view, coplanar beams showed elliptical shaped isodose lines, while non-coplanar beams showed circular isodose lines. Thus proper selection of the oblique angle and cone size can aid optimal dose matching to the target volume. Comparing a single 5mm cone from CybeRay to that from CyberKnife showed similar penumbra in a lung phantom but CybeRay had significant lower doses beyond lung tissues. Comparable treatment plans were obtained with CybeRay as that from CyberKnife.ConclusionThe noncoplanar multiple source arrangement of CybeRay will be of great clinical benefits for stereotactic intra and extra-cranial radiation therapy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

Second Report of the Nuclear Data Subcommittee of the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee

The central importance of the nuclear data curated by the US Nuclear Data Program (USNDP) for clean energy generation, national security, nonproliferation, medical applications, and space exploration as well as basic science was described in a prior report issued by the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee subcommittee on Nuclear Data (NSAC-ND) in September 2022. In this report, we present a set of fourteen (14) recommendations that will enhance and advance DOE-NP's stewardship of nuclear data. The first three recommendations focus on the existing core USNDP capabilities, namely: 1) Support the nuclear structure evaluation workforce to improve the currency, consistency, and accessibility of the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF); 2) Enhance nuclear reaction evaluation within the USNDP in support of the Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF) through expansion of the workforce and integration of high-performance computing, automation, and machine learning and; 3) Continue atomic mass evaluation in support AME and NUBASE databases. This is followed by eight (8) recommendations representing new cross-cutting initiatives involving both measurement and evaluation to address outstanding nuclear data needs. These new initiatives require a highly trained, diverse workforce that includes personnel with expertise from both inside and outside the nuclear physics community from which evaluators have traditionally been recruited. As such, many of these initiatives are accomplished via a Topical Nuclear Data Collaborations (TNDC). A TNDC is made up of domestic and international stakeholders, subject matter and nuclear data experts, and nuclear data evaluators and features a workforce development plan to ensure that nuclear data evaluators maintain currency in the relevant applications and are seen as equity partners in the endeavor. These include: 1) Establish a coordinated effort to improve evaluation and modeling in nuclear astrophysics for stellar dynamics, multi-messenger astronomy and nucleosynthesis; 2) Initiate a TNDC to develop and maintain nuclear structure evaluation beyond discrete states, including nuclear level densities, photon strength functions and photonuclear data for improved reaction modeling, and exploring nuclear structure at finite temperature; 3) Create a TNDC to perform correlated fission data evaluation, including cross sections, fragment yields, v(A), v(E n ) for nuclear energy, national security, nonproliferation and basic science; 4) From a panel of subject matter experts to establish and annually update a roster of key decay data to nurture its accelerated dissemination including both measurement and evaluation for targeted high-value nuclides for national security, nonproliferation and medical applications; 5) Comprehensive, consistent neutron-induced structure and reaction data for nuclear energy, national security, nonproliferation and planetary nuclear spectroscopy; 6) Charged-particle stopping powers for detector design, space effects and ion beam therapy; 7) High-energy reactions for space exploration and medical nuclide production, and; 8) The creation of an infrastructure for open data and data preservation for use by the entire nuclear physics community. All told, these initiatives require approximately $6.5M increase in NP support of the USNDP in fiscal year 2023 dollars and would require at least 3-5 years to carry out due to the length of time needed to recruit and train new nuclear data researchers. This relatively modest investment would help ensure that the fruits of the nuclear data research carried out by DOE-NP and its collaborators would be brought to bear to address some of the most important needs of our nation and the world. To ensure effective execution of this plan, we present an overview of recruitment, training, and retention goals for the USNDP, the centerpiece of which is a mutually agreed upon code of conduct. Finally, we identify the facility and instrumentation needed to perform the recommended experimental activities. This includes a short review of target fabrication capabilities, reactors, neutron beam, light- and heavy-stable ion, gamma-ray, high-energy and radioactive ion beam facilities. Lastly, a more complete appendix of experimental facilities previously compiled is included with new input provided for 6 facilities.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

CRADA Number NFE-19-07859 with Purist, Inc. (CRADA Final Report)

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) NFE-19-07859 between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Purist Inc. (Purist) focused on developing a technology for production of high purity radioisotopes using small-scale underutilized research nuclear reactors. Purist is developing a novel production mechanism that will produce, and efficiently isolate radioisotopes with high specific activity at small-scale research reactors. The goal of this technology is to enable underutilized smaller scale reactors, typically not capable of producing medical grade radioisotopes, to be utilized as a production supply source. Such radioisotope production facilities will complement production efforts of the few larger production facilities to reduce and prevent risk in the medical isotope supply chain. The work done under this CRADA explored target development, to maximize isotope production and separation using Purist’s technology to ultimately obtain a radioisotope product with high specific activity for use in medical applications. Furthermore, under this CRADA post production, capture, concentration and encapsulation of the radioisotope product was studied by developing post irradiation midi to microscale processes to capture, store and release the separated radioisotopes from large volumes of the capture matrix after production, via automated High-Pressure Ion Chromatography (HPIC) and microfluidic purification/separation systems. This will enable concentration of the radioisotope product obtained into small volumes, which will aid in packaging and transporting the final radioisotope product to users.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

Deep learning applications in visual data for benign and malignant hematologic conditions: a systematic review and visual glossary

Deep learning (DL) is a subdomain of artificial intelligence algorithms capable of automatically evaluating subtle graphical features to make highly accurate predictions, which was recently popularized in multiple imaging-related tasks. Because of its capabilities to analyze medical imaging such as radiology scans and digitized pathology specimens, DL has significant clinical potential as a diagnostic or prognostic tool. Coupled with rapidly increasing quantities of digital medical data, numerous novel research questions and clinical applications of DL within medicine have already been explored. Similarly, DL research and applications within hematology are rapidly emerging, although these are still largely in their infancy. Given the exponential rise of DL research for hematologic conditions, it is essential for the practising hematologist to be familiar with the broad concepts and pitfalls related to these new computational techniques. This narrative review provides a visual glossary for key deep learning principles, as well as a systematic review of published investigations within malignant and non-malignant hematologic conditions, organized by the different phases of clinical care. In order to assist the unfamiliar reader, this review highlights key portions of current literature and summarizes important considerations for the critical understanding of deep learning development and implementations in clinical practice.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

An Evaluation and Qualification of U.S.-Based Research Reactors for Irradiation Capabilities Supporting Advanced Nuclear Systems

Irradiation experiments are a prerequisite for evaluating nuclear reactor system designs, analyzing the performance of these systems, and obtaining licenses. Likewise, irradiation facilities are necessary for producing the radioisotopes used in industrial and medical applications. Recent developments in modeling and simulation capabilities and advancements in computational resources have further enabled the design of irradiation experiments for evaluating radiation-induced phenomena and determining nuclear fuel, material, and system design and safety criteria pertaining to both normal and accident scenarios. These computational tools and models require comprehensive experimental datasets acquired under prototypic radiation conditions—for exploring material and system performance under the uniquely harsh environments found in nuclear reactors—to enable verification and validation for qualification and licensing purposes. However, qualification of irradiation experimental facilities, primarily research and test reactors (RTRs), necessitates that their performance be evaluated based on the irradiation environment (e.g. flux, power, testing capabilities) using an appropriate scoring matrix. Although many university campus RTRs are available for research and development (R&D) activities and initiatives, this study focuses on evaluating and qualifying the irradiation facilities (mostly RTRs) within the United States that are suitable for advanced nuclear fuel, material, and system irradiation experiments aimed at establishing operational-performance limits and informing component and fuel designs so as to improve operational efficiencies and mitigate proliferation vulnerabilities, as well as for radioisotope production aimed at multipurpose applications. As a result, the findings of the present study support the acceleration of nuclear fuel and material qualifications, thus hastening new and advanced nuclear energy system demonstrations and radioisotope production efforts by using extended R&D.

irradiation experiment↗

DOE OSTI2017

ISAVS: Interactive Scalable Analysis and Visualization System

Modern science is inundated with ever increasing data sizes as computational capabilities and image acquisition techniques continue to improve. For example, simulations are tackling ever larger domains with higher fidelity, and high-throughput microscopy techniques generate larger data that are fundamental to gather biologically and medically relevant insights. As the image sizes exceed memory, and even sometimes local disk space, each step in a scientific workflow is impacted. Current software solutions enable data exploration with limited interactivity for visualization and analytic tasks. Furthermore analysis on HPC systems often require complex hand-written parallel implementations of algorithms that suffer from poor portability and maintainability. We present a software infrastructure that simplifies end-to-end visualization and analysis of massive data. First, a hierarchical streaming data access layer enables interactive exploration of remote data, with fast data fetching to test analytics on subsets of the data. Second, a library simplifies the process of developing new analytics algorithms, allowing users to rapidly prototype new approaches and deploy them in an HPC setting. Third, a scalable runtime system automates mapping analysis algorithms to whatever computational hardware is available, reducing the complexity of developing scaling algorithms. Here, we demonstrate the usability and performance of our system using a use case from neuroscience: filtering, registration, and visualization of tera-scale microscopy data. We evaluate the performance of our system using a leadership-class supercomputer, Shaheen II.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2024

A Field-Deployable Magnetic Resonance Imaging Rhizotron for Modeling and Enhancing Root Growth and Biogeochemical Function

A collaborative team from Texas A&M AgriLife Research, ABQMR Inc., the Soil Health Institute, the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, and NIST developed low-field magnetic resonance imaging (LF-MRI) instrumentation capable of imaging intact soil-root systems. The system measured root biomass, architecture, 3D mass distribution, and growth rates, providing a non-destructive means to evaluate ideal plant characteristics based on root metrics. It also successfully generated three-dimensional images of soil water content, a key property influencing root growth and exploration. Operating much like an MRI used in a medical setting, the system functioned in field conditions without damaging plants, overcoming the limitations of traditional methods such as trenching, soil coring, and root excavation. Over the course of the project, the team designed and built three functional prototype systems. These prototypes provided new insights into root–water–soil interactions that drive processes such as nutrient uptake, water use, and carbon management. This information contributed to efforts to optimize plants for carbon sequestration without sacrificing economic yield. The project also supported the identification of desirable traits for energy sorghum, including high root growth rates, more vertical root angles, and enhanced drought resilience under water-limiting conditions.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Direct ink writing of aqueous-based Gadolinium (III) oxide slurries

Gadolinium (III) oxide (gadolinia, Gd 2 O 3 ) has recently been identified as an intriguing material for applications in the medical, solid oxide fuel cell, and nuclear industries. This interest drives the need for developing and understanding manufacturing techniques that can produce dense Gd 2 O 3 structures. Direct ink writing (DIW), an extrusion-based additive manufacturing method, has also garnered interest because of its capability to produce dense ceramic parts with increased complexity in an economical manner. In this study, DIW was explored as a manufacturing technique for Gd 2 O 3 . Experiments were performed to develop Gd 2 O 3 bearing inks capable of being processed via DIW. Ink solids loading and sintering temperatures were varied to assess their impact on the final density and microstructure. Optimum sintering conditions are proposed and were experimentally verified at a dwell temperature of 1500°C. Gd 2 O 3 samples were successfully manufactured using DIW, achieving densities greater than 96 % of the theoretical density.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Impurity-enhanced core valence luminescence via Zn-doping in cesium magnesium chlorides

Scintillators with faster timing capabilities are currently in high demand for use in radiation detection systems in the fields of nuclear and medical physics. The limited number of suitable materials that meet the performance criteria of next generation detection systems presents an opportunity for discovery of new fast scintillator materials. In this work, the effects of doping several ultrafast core-valence luminescent (CVL) scintillators with divalent Zn is explored. Three compounds are investigated – CsMgCl 3 , Cs 2 MgCl 4 , and Cs 3 MgCl 5 – and single crystals of each doped with 5 mol% Zn are grown via the Bridgman method. Additionally, mixing across the full range of concentrations (from 0 % to 100 % Zn) is explored in the Cs 2 Mg 1-x Zn x Cl 4 and Cs 3 Mg 1-x Zn x Cl 5 systems. For low concentrations of Zn, light yields of all three compounds are enhanced (by up to ~60 %) compared to the pure crystals, achieving what we believe to be the brightest known CVL, CsMgCl 3 :Zn 5 % (3400 ± 170 ph/MeV light yield). More importantly, Zn doping does not affect the ultrafast timing properties, with each composition maintaining a single-component decay time around 1–3 ns. A sub-100 ps coincidence time resolution (CTR) is also achieved with CsMgCl 3 :Zn 5 %. The results of this work reveal a new avenue towards obtaining brighter CVL materials, which could open up possibilities for more advanced ultrafast scintillators to be discovered moving forward.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Thirty Minutes Before the Dawn

The Trinity test of July 16, 1945, marked the scientific apex of the Manhattan Project. Often recognized as the symbolic birth of the nuclear age, Trinity’s multifaceted legacy remains just as captivating and complex today as it did 75 years ago. This paper examines why the test was necessary from a technical standpoint, shows how Los Alamos scientists planned the event, and explores the physical and emotional aftermaths of Trinity. The author also uses rarely accessed original records to reconstruct the story of Trinity’s health hazards, as seen through the eyes of radiation technicians and medical doctors as events unfolded. Trinity was conducted as the Potsdam Conference began, weeks after the collapse of Nazi Germany. It was considered necessary to let President Harry S. Truman know whether the United States possessed a nuclear capability ahead of his negotiations with Joseph Stalin, the Soviet premier. The author examines the competing priorities that drove the timetable for the test: international politics, security, and safety. Three weeks after Trinity, a gun-assembled enriched-uranium bomb called Little Boy was used against the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, Fat Man, a weaponized version of the imploding Trinity device, was dropped on Nagasaki. The author briefly examines these strikes and what impact they may have had on the Japanese surrender. The paper concludes by examining the legacy of the Trinity test 75 years into the age it helped usher in.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

DOE OSTI2025

Multiscale Characterization of Additive Manufacturing Components with Computed Tomography, 3D X-ray Microscopy, and Deep Learning

Additive manufacturing (AM) facilitates the creation of complex-geometry parts, driving advancements in lightweight aerospace components, high-efficiency engine cooling channels, and customized medical implants. However, ensuring the quality and reliability of AM parts remains challenging due to internal defects, surface irregularities, porosity, and residual trapped powder, which are often inaccessible to traditional inspection methods. Recent developments in X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and 3D X-ray microscopy (XRM), particularly systems equipped with resolution-at-a-distance (RaaD™) capabilities, enable high-resolution, non-destructive evaluation of AM components across multiple scales, from sub-micrometer to macroscopic levels. This paper explores modern XCT and XRM techniques for multiscale characterization of AM parts, focusing on their ability to detect and analyze defects such as porosity, cracks, inclusions, and surface roughness, while offering insights into defect formation mechanisms, material properties, and process-induced variations. The integration of deep learning (DL) frameworks, including Simurgh, DeepRecon, and DeepScout, enhances XCT/XRM workflows by reducing scan times, improving resolution recovery, and enabling accurate defect detection even with limited projection data. These DL-based methods overcome limitations of traditional reconstruction techniques, enabling faster, more reliable characterization of dense materials like Inconel 718 and novel alloys such as AlCe. Applications include process parameter optimization, high-throughput quality control, and multistage AM process evaluation, with DL-enhanced workflows accelerating analysis times from weeks to days. Correlative imaging approaches further validate XCT and XRM data against scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of physically sectioned samples, confirming the accuracy of DL-based reconstructions and enabling comprehensive defect analysis. While challenges remain in generalizing DL models to diverse materials and imaging conditions, improvements in resolution, noise reduction, and defect detection highlight the transformative potential of these methods. This multiscale and correlative approach enables precise identification and correlation of microstructural features with the overall performance of AM components. By integrating advanced XCT, XRM, and DL techniques, this paper demonstrates a significant leap forward in AM characterization, offering valuable insights into the relationships between processing parameters, microstructure, and part performance, and driving innovations that enhance the quality and reliability of AM products for demanding industrial applications.

Additive manufacturing↗

DOE OSTI2013

Genetic Algorithms and Classification Trees in Feature Discovery: Diabetes and the NHANES database

This paper presents a feature selection methodology that can be applied to datasets containing a mixture of continuous and categorical variables. Using a Genetic Algorithm (GA), this method explores a dataset and selects a small set of features relevant for the prediction of a binary (1/0) response. Binary classification trees and an objective function based on conditional probabilities are used to measure the fitness of a given subset of features. The method is applied to health data in order to find factors useful for the prediction of diabetes. Results show that our algorithm is capable of narrowing down the set of predictors to around 8 factors that can be validated using reputable medical and public health resources.

Heredia-Langner, Alejandro↗

DOE OSTI2019

On the Road to Regeneration: “Tools” and “Routes” Towards Efficient Cardiac Cell Therapy for Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Purpose of Review: Cardiac regenerative medicine is a field bridging together biotechnology and surgical science. In this review, we present the explored surgical roads to cell delivery and the known effects of each delivery method on cell therapy efficiency. We also list the more recent clinical trials, exploring the safety and efficacy of delivery routes used for cardiac cell therapy approaches. Recent Findings: There is no consensus in defining which way is the most suitable for the delivery of the different therapeutic cell types to the damaged heart tissue. In addition, it emerged that the “delivery issue” has not been systematically addressed in each clinical trial and for each and every cell type capable of cardiac repair. Summary: Cardiac damage occurring after an ischemic insult triggers a cascade of cellular events, eventually leading to heart failure through fibrosis and maladaptive remodelling. None of the pharmacological or medical interventions approved so far can rescue or reverse this phenomenon, and cardiovascular diseases are still the leading cause of death in the western world. Therefore, for nearly 20 years, regenerative medicine approaches have focused on cell therapy as a promising road to pursue, with numerous preclinical and clinical testing of cell-based therapies being studied and developed. Nonetheless, consistent clinical results are still missing to reach consensus on the most effective strategy for ischemic cardiomyopathy, based on patient selection, diagnosis and stage of the disease, therapeutic cell type, and delivery route.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

DOE OSTI2021

Neutron Radiography and Computed Tomography of Biological Systems at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor

Neutrons have historically been used for a broad range of biological applications employing techniques such as small-angle neutron scattering, neutron spin echo, diffraction, and inelastic scattering. Unlike neutron scattering techniques that obtain information in reciprocal space, attenuation-based neutron imaging measures a signal in real space that is resolved on the order of tens of micrometers. The principle of neutron imaging follows the Beer-Lambert law and is based on the measurement of the bulk neutron attenuation through a sample. Greater attenuation is exhibited by some light elements (most notably, hydrogen), which are major components of biological samples. Contrast agents such as deuterium, gadolinium, or lithium compounds can be used to enhance contrast in a similar fashion as it is done in medical imaging, including techniques such as optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray, and positron emission tomography. For biological systems, neutron radiography and computed tomography have increasingly been used to investigate the complexity of the underground plant root network, its interaction with soils, and the dynamics of water flux in situ. Moreover, efforts to understand contrast details in animal samples, such as soft tissues and bones, have been explored. This manuscript focuses on the advances in neutron bioimaging such as sample preparation, instrumentation, data acquisition strategy, and data analysis using the High Flux Isotope Reactor CG-1D neutron imaging beamline. The aforementioned capabilities will be illustrated using a selection of examples in plant physiology (herbaceous plant/root/soil system) and biomedical applications (rat femur and mouse lung).

Bilheux, Hassina↗