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This pilot study explored the value of localized index node removal after neoadjuvant immunotherapy in patients with stage III melanoma, for use as a response indicator to guide the extent of completion lymph node dissection. Promising technology.

Objectives Accurate tumour localisation is essential for breast-conserving surgery of non-palpable tumours. Current localisation technologies are associated with disadvantages such as logistical challenges and migration issues (wire guided localisation) or legislative complexities and high administrative burden (radioactive localisation). We present MAgnetic MArker LOCalisation (MaMaLoc), a novel technology that aims to overcome these disadvantages using a magnetic marker and a magnetic detection probe. This feasibility study reports on the first experience with this new technology for breast cancer localisation. Materials and methods Fifteen patients with unifocal, non-palpable breast cancer were recruited. They received concurrent placement of the magnetic marker in addition to a radioactive iodine seed, which is standard of care in our clinic. In a subset of five patients, migration of the magnetic marker was studied. During surgery, a magnetic probe and gammaprobe were alternately used to localise the markers and guide surgery. The primary outcome parameter was successful transcutaneous identification of the magnetic marker. Additionally, data on radiologist and surgeon satisfaction were collected. Results Magnetic marker placement was successful in all cases. Radiologists could easily adapt to the technology in the clinical workflow. Migration of the magnetic marker was negligible. The primary endpoint of the study was met with an identification rate of 100%. Both radiologists and surgeons reflected that the technology was intuitive to use and that it was comparable to radioactive iodine seed localisation. Conclusion Magnetic marker localisation for non-palpable breast cancer is feasible and safe, and may be a viable non-radioactive alternative to current localisation technologies.

Aim: Nodal status is the most important prognostic factor in colorectal cancer (CRC). Small occult metastases may remain undetected on conventional histopathological examination, potentially resulting in undertreatment. Ex vivo sentinel lymph node mapping (SLNM) can be used to improve nodal staging accuracy, but currently used tracers suffer from drawbacks, which hampers implementation of the technique in routine clinical practice. Magnetic tracers have an optimal size for sentinel lymph node (SLN) retention and allow objective quantitative selection of SLNs and therefore have great potential for SLNM in CRC. The study evaluates the feasibility of ex vivo magnetic SLNM and compares the performance of this technique to blue dye SLNM. Method: Twenty-eight ex vivo SLNM procedures were performed in 27 histological node-negative patients with CRC using a magnetic tracer and blue dye. A magnetometer was used to select magnetic SLNs after formalin fixation of the CRC specimen. Both magnetic and blue SLNs were subjected to serial sectioning and immunohistochemical staining to reveal occult metastases. Results: At least one SLN was successfully identified in 27/28 (96%) and 25/28 (89%) of the cases with the magnetic technique and blue dye. Isolated tumour cells were detected in 10 patients. This was predicted with 100% sensitivity and accuracy using the magnetic technique, and with 91% sensitivity and 96% accuracy using the blue dye technique. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that ex vivo magnetic SLNM is a feasible technique for use in routine clinical practice, which improves nodal staging accuracy of CRC patients.

Background A systematic review was undertaken to assess the clinical efficacy of non-invasive high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation in the treatment of breast cancer. Methods MEDLINE/PubMed library databases were used to identify all studies published up to December 2013 that evaluated the role of HIFU ablation in the treatment of breast cancer. Studies were eligible if they were performed on patients with breast cancer and objectively recorded at least one clinical outcome measure of response (imaging, histopathological or cosmetic) to HIFU treatment. Results Nine studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The absence of tumour or residual tumour after treatment was reported for 95·8 per cent of patients (160 of 167). No residual tumour was found in 46·2 per cent (55 of 119; range 17–100 per cent), less than 10 per cent residual tumour in 29·4 per cent (35 of 119; range 0–53 per cent), and between 10 and 90 per cent residual tumour in 22·7 per cent (27 of 119; range 0–60 per cent). The most common complication associated with HIFU ablation was pain (40·1 per cent) and less frequently oedema (16·8 per cent), skin burn (4·2 per cent) and pectoralis major injury (3·6 per cent). MRI showed an absence of contrast enhancement after treatment in 82 per cent of patients (31 of 38; range 50–100 per cent), indicative of coagulative necrosis. Correlation of contrast enhancement on pretreatment and post-treatment MRI successfully predicted the presence of residual disease. Conclusion HIFU treatment can induce coagulative necrosis in breast cancers. Complete ablation has not been reported consistently on histopathology and no imaging modality has been able confidently to predict the percentage of complete ablation. Consistent tumour and margin necrosis with reliable follow-up imaging are required before HIFU ablation can be evaluated within large, prospective clinical trials.

International audience; A European consortium has progressed towards elementary and assembled conductors viable for AC applications in the project ACropolis. The main goal was to achieve low AC losses and high critical current densities in tapes developed for AC coils, transformers and cables. In order to verify the performance of tapes an extensive characterization programme was carried out. The dependence of critical current and AC losses on the parameters of the tape manufacturing process were scrutinized. Furthermore, SEM-EDX and DTA/TG analyses were performed to study the material microstructure, and the diffusion coefficient of oxygen through different matrix metals was measured. The homogeneity of the tapes was verified with magnetic knife and Hall sensor experiments. Transport current measurements were performed at different mechanical stress conditions and also the distribution of critical current along long tapes was determined with a quasi-continuous four-point measurement. The results confirmed that the low AC loss conductors can be produced on an industrial scale and they are competitive in power engineering applications.

We have developed an instrument to study the behavior of the critical current density (Jc) in superconducting wires and tapes as a function of field (μ0H), temperature (T), and axial applied strain (ea). The apparatus is an improvement of similar devices that have been successfully used in our institute for over a decade. It encompasses specific advantages such as a simple sample layout, a well defined and homogeneous strain application, the possibility of investigating large compressive strains and the option of simple temperature variation, while improving the main drawback in our previous systems by increasing the investigated sample length by approximately a factor of 10. The increase in length is achieved via a design change from a straight beam section to an initially curved beam, placed perpendicular to the applied field axis in the limited diameter of a high field magnet bore. This article describes in detail the mechanical design of the device and its calibrations. Additionally initial Jc(ea) dat...

The large currents in the cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC) destined for the high field magnets in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), cause huge transverse forces on the strands compressing the cable against one side of the conduit. This load causes transverse compressive strain in the strands at the crossovers contacts. Moreover, the strands are also subjected to bending and contact surfaces micro-sliding, which results into friction and anomalous contact resistance versus force behavior. Three Nb/sub 3/Sn central solenoid model coil (CSMC) conductors were tested previously in the Twente Cryogenic Cable Press up to 40 cycles with a transverse peak load of 650 kN/m. This press can transmit a variable (cyclic) transverse force directly to a cable section of 400 mm length at a temperature of 4.2 K (or higher). To explore life-time cycling, we tested a CSMC Nb/sub 3/Sn conductor up to 40,000 cycles. The coupling loss and the associated interstrand resistance between various strands and strand bundles are measured at various loads. The force on the cable and the displacement are monitored in order to determine the effective cable Young's modulus and the mechanical heat generation. Some aspects of strand deformation in CICC's are discussed. The test results are discussed in view of previous press results and data extracted from the ITER model coil tests.

Scaling of the pinning force (Fp ) with temperature, field and strain for Nb 3 Sn wires is widely discussed but important issues are still unresolved, for example whether empirical engineering-oriented scaling functions can be replaced by more microscopic, physics-based models, which take account of the fact that Fp becomes zero at an irreversibility field (H*) less than the upper critical field (Hc2). In the present work we compare earlier extensive measurements of the critical current density (Jc ) of an ITER-benchmark bronze wire to new measurements of H* and Hc2 . Our study was also made in different strain states. We observe that the Kramer extrapolations, which are based on transport data taken up to 13 T, significantly overestimate the low temperature, high field behaviour and also underestimate the critical temperature (Tc ) at zero field. An attempt is made to connect measured Hc2 (T, ε) data on this practical conductor to microscopic theory. We also discuss the inevitable differences that occur between fully penetrated Jc data which average over all the A15 layers and small current-density probes of the Hc2 transition which are characteristics of the best part of the layer. We connect in this way the large-scale 'average' characteristics Jc (H, T, ε) to small current 'best' characteristics of Hc2 (T, ε).

A method to calculate the AC loss of superconducting power devices from the measured AC loss of a short sample is developed. In coils and cables the magnetic field varies spatially. The position dependent field vector is calculated assuming a homogeneous current distribution. From this field profile and the transport current, the local AC loss is calculated. Integration over the conductor length yields the AC loss of the device. The total AC loss of the device is split up in different components. Magnetization loss, transport current loss and the loss due to the combined action of field and current all contribute to the AC loss of the device. Because ways to reduce the AC loss depend on the loss mechanism it is important to know the relative contribution of each component. The method is demonstrated on a prototype transformer coil wound from Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub x//Ag superconducting tape. Differences between the model assumptions and devices are pointed out. Nevertheless, within the uncertainty margins the calculated AC loss is in agreement with the measured loss of the coil.

Multi-core Bi-2223/Ag tapes with various number of filaments (21–162), different filament architecture and their changing orientation to the tape plane have been made by the tape-in-rectangular tube (TIRT) process. The transport current properties of TIRT tape samples with “parallel” and “perpendicular” filaments have been measured. The transversal Ic distribution obtained by spatially resolved transport measurements (“magnetic knife”) measurement illustrates that filament quality of TIRT tapes is better at the tape edges as in its centre. The Ic degradation due to bending shows a different behaviour for parallel and perpendicular filaments which is attributed to the difference in filament density and crack propagation.

For the optimisation of a magnet design with cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC) technology it is essential to comprehend the scaling of the critical current from the separate strand characteristics to the finally assembled cable performance in a coil. Several model coils have been tested in the framework of research for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). At present, the scaling of the critical current from the strand to the full cable performance and the apparent decrease of the n-index from strand to cable in the voltage–current curves is not understood. It is important to recognize the mechanisms behind this phenomenon in relation to the cost of the superconducting strand, which is significant in the manufacture of the magnets. Therefore, basic phenomena like the cable conductor self-field, the current unbalance introduced by the non-uniformity of the joints and a possible reversible or irreversible degradation of the voltage current characteristic of a strand during cable manufacture or electromagnetic loading of the magnet have to be considered. The voltage–current characteristic of the strand is extensively explored for the relevant range of magnetic field, temperature and axial strain space. Accordingly a numerical six-element network model is developed to simulate the conditions and behaviour of the last stage cable elements of a full-size ITER conductor. The experimental data, mainly in terms of voltage–current (VI) or -temperature (VT) characteristics, are obtained on the central solenoid insert coil (CSIC) experiment performed in Naka (Japan) in the framework of the research for ITER. The numerical model, which is briefly introduced, is used to study the cable performance by using experimentally obtained cable parameters like inter-strand (and bundle) contact resistance, strand critical current data as a function of magnetic field, temperature and applied axial strain, and external cable self-field measurements by Hall sensors for reconstruction of the current non-uniformity. The effect of a current redistribution due to the cable self-field on the voltage–temperature curve is calculated in correlation with the transverse resistance between the strands and last cabling stage bundles (petals). A realistic unbalanced current distribution is established by introducing non-uniform joints at the extremities of the CS-insert cable. It appears that the cable self-field effect hardly gives any change in the shape of the VT curve but merely a shift towards lower temperature giving a reduction of the current sharing temperature Tcs (10 μV/m) of

Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox/Ag tape superconductors are used in applications like power cables and transformers. In these applications the superconductor is exposed to an alternating magnetic field that has different orientations with respect to the tape surface. In this paper the angle dependency of the magnetisation loss is considered from two points of view. First the measurement technique with pickup coils is analysed theoretically. Measured magnetisation loss in uni-directional magnetic field with various orientations and rotating magnetic field are compared. When the orientation is changed from perpendicular (0°) to parallel (90°) applied magnetic fields, the contribution of the perpendicular field component to the magnetisation loss is dominant up to 60°. A new model to describe the angle dependency of the magnetisation loss, based on the measured loss in perpendicular and parallel magnetic field is developed. Deviations between models and the measured loss are explained with the help of the theoretical analysis of the measurement technique. The new model is not only applicable for the magnetisation loss but also for other AC loss components.

A high quality factor, superconducting resonator coil is developed in cooperation with the Dutch companies SMIT Transformers and SMIT DRAAD. The coil system is manufactured in industry, using industrial tooling. It has a design reactive power rating of 1 MVA at a frequency of 50 Hz and the operating temperature is 64 K. The system consists of four concentric but separate coils, made of 2 km of Bi-2223 conductors from two different manufacturers. The coils are optimized by shaping the magnetic field around the coil edges with ferro-magnetic C-cups to reach a design electrical quality factor of 1000. The system is operated in a glass-epoxy cryostat at 64 K and 77 K. The resonator coil design demonstrates all the superconducting elements that are essential for manufacturing superconducting transformers. A numerical model has been developed to predict the DC and AC behavior of the system based on measurements of short samples and test coils. A comparison is made between the experiment and model calculations.

The I-V curves of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductors were measured in DC magnetic fields, oriented both parallel and perpendicular to the tape surface, up to 33 T, 4.2 K, in resistive magnets at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. This paper presents the experimental set-up, results of critical current measurements, and an analysis of the obtained I/sub c/(B) curves in terms of strongly and weakly linked current paths. A distinct double-step behavior is observed for field perpendicular to the tape surface. The scaling behavior of the applied field with its component perpendicular to the ab-plane, and the implied average grain-misalignment angle, is investigated.

The quality of the magnetic field in superconducting accelerator magnets is associated with the properties of the superconducting cable. Current imbalances due to coupling currents /spl Delta/I, as large as 100 A, are induced by spatial variations of the field sweep rate and contact resistances. During injection at a constant field all magnetic field components show a decay behavior. The decay is caused by a diffusion of coupling currents into the whole magnet. This results in a redistribution of the transport current among the strands and causes a demagnetization of the superconducting cable. As soon as the field is ramped up again after the end of injection, the magnetization rapidly recovers from the decay and follows the course of the original hysteresis curve. In order to clarify the interactions between the changes in current and magnetization during injection the authors performed a number of experiments. A magnetic field with a spatially periodic pattern was applied to a superconducting wire in order to simulate the coupling behavior in a magnet. This model system was placed into a stand for magnetization measurements and the influence of different powering conditions was analyzed.

An engineering function to describe the AC loss of BSCCO/Ag tape conductors is developed. For a wide range of transport currents and magnetic fields (with different orientation) the loss is described with an uncertainty of 10%. The equation is based on the analytical expressions available, BSCCO/Ag tapes used in power applications at liquid nitrogen temperature are fed with an AC transport current and exposed to an AC magnetic field. The magnetic field in a device has different orientations with respect to the position of the conductor in the device. In this contribution, AC loss measurements for simultaneously applied magnetic field (with different orientation) and transport current are presented for a high quality tape conductor that is used in a transformer coil. The results are separated into a magnetic and a transport current loss component.

In AC power-engineering applications, the energy dissipation in the superconductor is dominated by the magnetization due to alternating fields. To reduce this type of loss, conductors are being developed with twisted filaments and an increased matrix resistivity. The magnetic AC loss has been well described for low-T/sub c/ (wire) conductors. In Bi-2223 tapes the picture is different due to strong anisotropy, granularity, flux creep and large aspect ratio of the tape. The magnetic AC loss is investigated at power frequencies in various Bi-2223 tapes (twisted and nontwisted) and with different materials for the matrix (Ag, Ag alloys and ceramic barriers). When the field is parallel to the tape plane, the filaments in twisted tapes can be decoupled and the AC loss is decreased even when the matrix is silver. In tapes with ceramic barriers between the filaments, first indications of filament decoupling are observed also in perpendicular field. Compared to a round wire, there are essential differences between the AC loss mechanisms occurring in a long twisted tape and those in a short piece of nontwisted tape.

The critical current reduction in silver-sheathed (Bi,Pb)/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 10/ superconducting tapes (Bi2223/Ag) is investigated when loaded with uni-axial strains in combination with a magnetic field perpendicular to the tape surface. The number and quality of the grain-to-grain connections and the alignment of the superconducting cores mainly determine the critical current in Bi2223/Ag tapes. It is assumed that the transport current flows simultaneously through two current carrying paths in the tape: one through the network of Josephson junctions and the other is through the well-connected grains. The model describes well the magnetic field dependence of the critical current at various strains. A detailed analysis has shown that strain deteriorates grain connectivity, induces cracking and hence changes the current carrying path. Furthermore, strain may introduce new defects inside the grains along the strong-link current path and increase intra-granular pinning strength.

With reference to the application of NbTi tape in a superconducting thermal switch, the critical current of a 20- mu m-thick NbTi tape was measured in several directions of the magnetic field. The critical current was found to behave strongly anisotropically, due to the deformation of the NbTi. The tape is extrasensitive to the component of the magnetic field perpendicular to the surface. Without an external field this component of the self-field reduces the critical current far below its intrinsic value. A one-dimensional model can describe the reduction of critical current due to the self-field in a thin tape. >

The AC loss measurement system in the Twente test facility is operational. Preliminary results of the first loss measurements on a vacuum-welded conductor are presented. The Twente test facility is a high-current system in which superconductors can be tested up to 7 T and 25 kA. The loss measurements were done on a monolith conductor designed for TORE SUPRA, manufactured by Vacuumschmelze. >

The electrical circuit of the HERA (Hadron Electron Ring Accelerator) proton ring (p-ring) is divided in octants so that in the case of a quench, the current has to be commutated to dumping resistors. The authors describe the application of superconducting switches which would enable the main circuit to remain at 4 K during a quench while the current is forced to flow through instantaneously loaded leads and dumping resistors. The main specifications of the required switches are: current of 6.5 kA, minimum off-resistance 12 Omega , energy absorbed 1 MJ, and self protecting. The various design and feasibility aspects of superconducting switches for this application are discussed. The requirement of being passively protected against a self-quench is considered the most critical design problem. It is still uncertain whether it remains necessary to apply an active protection scheme to enable safe operation of the switch. >

The design and construction of a superconducting magnet system for a high-resolution neutron spin echo spectrometer. The principal solution for the field shape of optimal precession magnets is B/sub 0/cos/sup 2/( pi z/L). In practical precession magnets, this field shape is approximated by 30 superimposed concentric solenoids with a bore of 80 mm. The required field integral of 1 Tm, providing 10/sup 4/ precession turns, is achieved in a magnet with a length of about 1.5 m. The field in the center is 1.5 T maximum. The relative line integral inhomogeneity of about 10/sup -3/ obtained with such a coil is improved to less than 10/sup -6/ by two in-beam correction coils. The advanced homogeneity level means that after 10000 precession turns the precession angle remains still well defined without using tedious correction procedures. >