The general expressions of the average dissipative and dipole forces acting on a A-configuration three-level atom in an arbitrary light field are derived by means of the optical Bloch equations based on the atomic den...The general expressions of the average dissipative and dipole forces acting on a A-configuration three-level atom in an arbitrary light field are derived by means of the optical Bloch equations based on the atomic density matrix elements, and the general properties of the average dissipative and dipole forces on a three-level atom in the linearly-polarized high-order Bessel beams (HBBs) are analysed. We find a resonant property (with two resonant peaks) of the dissipative force and a non-resonant property (with two pairs of non-resonant peaks) of the dipole force on the three-level atom, which are completely different from those on the two-level atom. Meanwhile we find a saturation effect of the average dissipative force in the HBB, which comes from the saturation of the upper-level population. Our study shows that the general expressions of the average dissipative and dipole forces on the three-level atom will be simplified to those of the two-level atom under the approximation of large detuning. Finally, we study the axial and azimuthal Doppler cooling of atoms in ID optical molasses composed of two counter-propagating HBBs and discuss the azimuthal influence of the HBB on the Doppler cooling limit. We also find that the Doppler limit of atoms in the molasses HBB is slightly below the conventional Doppler limit of hГ/(2kB) due to the orbital angular momentum lh of the HBB.展开更多
Acoustic radiation force(ARF), as an important particle manipulation method, has been extensively studied in recent years. With the introduction of the concept of “acoustic tweezers”, negative acoustic radiation has...Acoustic radiation force(ARF), as an important particle manipulation method, has been extensively studied in recent years. With the introduction of the concept of “acoustic tweezers”, negative acoustic radiation has become a research hotspot. In this paper, a scheme of realizing negative ARF based on the multiple-layered spherical structure design is proposed. The specific structure and design idea are presented. Detailed theoretical calculation analysis is carried out.Numerical simulations have been performed to verify the correctness of this prediction. The conjecture that the suppression of backscattering can achieve negative ARF is verified concretely, which greatly expands the application prospect and design ideas of the ARF. This work has laid a theoretical foundation for realizing precise control of the structure.展开更多
This article presents illustrations of an extended model of the electron to visualize how it spins and radiates in the external magnetic field. A time-varying magnetic field B produces a rotational induced electric fi...This article presents illustrations of an extended model of the electron to visualize how it spins and radiates in the external magnetic field. A time-varying magnetic field B produces a rotational induced electric field E which rotates (spins) the electron about its axis. In time-constant magnetic field: the electron radiates the cyclotron radiation. In time-varying magnetic field: synchrotron radiation is generated. The couplings between spin, acceleration and radiation will be discussed.展开更多
BACKGROUND Acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI)is used to measure liver fibrosis and predict outcomes.The performance of elastography in assessment of fibrosis is poorer in hepatitis B virus(HBV)than in other etiolo...BACKGROUND Acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI)is used to measure liver fibrosis and predict outcomes.The performance of elastography in assessment of fibrosis is poorer in hepatitis B virus(HBV)than in other etiologies of chronic liver disease.AIM To evaluate the performance of ARFI in long-term outcome prediction among different etiologies of chronic liver disease.METHODS Consecutive patients who received an ARFI study between 2011 and 2018 were enrolled.After excluding dual infection,alcoholism,autoimmune hepatitis,and others with incomplete data,this retrospective cohort were divided into hepatitis B(HBV,n=1064),hepatitis C(HCV,n=507),and non-HBV,non-HCV(NBNC,n=391)groups.The indexed cases were linked to cancer registration(1987-2020)and national mortality databases.The differences in morbidity and mortality among the groups were analyzed.RESULTS At the enrollment,the HBV group showed more males(77.5%),a higher prevalence of prediagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and a lower prevalence of comorbidities than the other groups(P<0.001).The HCV group was older and had a lower platelet count and higher ARFI score than the other groups(P<0.001).The NBNC group showed a higher body mass index and platelet count,a higher prevalence of pre-diagnosed non-HCC cancers(P<0.001),especially breast cancer,and a lower prevalence of cirrhosis.Male gender,ARFI score,and HBV were independent predictors of HCC.The 5-year risk of HCC was 5.9%and 9.8%for those ARFI-graded with severe fibrosis and cirrhosis.ARFI alone had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUROC)of 0.742 for prediction of HCC in 5 years.AUROC increased to 0.828 after adding etiology,gender,age,and platelet score.No difference was found in mortality rate among the groups.CONCLUSION The HBV group showed a higher prevalence of HCC but lower comorbidity that made mortality similar among the groups.Those patients with ARFI-graded severe fibrosis or cirrhosis should receive regular surveillance.展开更多
Expressions are derived for calculating the three-dimensional acoustic radiation force(ARF)on a multilayer microsphere positioned arbitrarily in a Gaussian beam.A theoretical model of a three-layer microsphere with a ...Expressions are derived for calculating the three-dimensional acoustic radiation force(ARF)on a multilayer microsphere positioned arbitrarily in a Gaussian beam.A theoretical model of a three-layer microsphere with a cell membrane,cytoplasm,and nucleus is established to study how particle geometry and position affect the three-dimensional ARF,and its results agree well with finite-element numerical results.The microsphere can be moved relative to the beam axis by changing its structure and position in the beam,and the axial ARF increases with increasing outer-shell thickness and core size.This study offers a theoretical foundation for selecting suitable parameters for manipulating a three-layer microsphere in a Gaussian beam.展开更多
In this article the electron is conceived as an extended particle, consisting of a negatively charged core (-q<sub>0</sub>) which is surrounded by a cloud of electric dipoles (-q, +q). The article presents...In this article the electron is conceived as an extended particle, consisting of a negatively charged core (-q<sub>0</sub>) which is surrounded by a cloud of electric dipoles (-q, +q). The article presents the illustrations that show how and why the electron spins and radiates in an external electric field. In the appendices, Bremsstrahlung & Cerenkov radiations, and the processes of Emission & Absorption of photons will be discussed.展开更多
Background:Porto-sinusoidal vascular disease(PSVD)and portal vein thrombosis(PVT)are causes of portal hypertension characterized respectively by an intrahepatic and a pre-hepatic obstacle to the flow in the portal sys...Background:Porto-sinusoidal vascular disease(PSVD)and portal vein thrombosis(PVT)are causes of portal hypertension characterized respectively by an intrahepatic and a pre-hepatic obstacle to the flow in the portal system.As PVT may be a consequence of PSVD,in PVT patients at presentation,a pre-existing PSVD should be suspected.In these patients the identification of an underlying PSVD would have relevant implication regarding follow-up and therapeutic management,but it could be challenging.In this setting ultrasonography may be valuable in differential diagnosis.The aim of the study was to use ultrasonography to identify parameters to discriminate between PSVD and“pure”PVT and then to suspect PVT secondary to a pre-existing PSVD.Methods:Fifty-three patients with histologically proven PSVD and forty-eight patients affected by chronic PVT were enrolled and submitted to abdominal ultrasonography with elastography by acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI).Results:ARFI was higher and superior mesenteric vein(SMV)diameter was wider in PSVD patients than in PVT patients.Thus,a prognostic score was obtained as linear combinations of the two parameters with a good discrimination capacity between PSVD and PVT(the area under the curve=0.780;95%confidence interval:0.690-0.869).Conclusions:A score based on ARFI and SMV diameter may be useful to suspect an underlying PSVD in patients with PVT and to identify a subgroup of patients to be submitted to liver biopsy.展开更多
AIM: To evaluate cut-off values and performance of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) using transient elastography [FibroScan■ (FS)] as a reference. METHODS: Six hundred and six patients were enrolled in...AIM: To evaluate cut-off values and performance of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) using transient elastography [FibroScan■ (FS)] as a reference. METHODS: Six hundred and six patients were enrolled in this study.All patients underwent liver stiffness measurement with FS (FS-LS) and ARFI (with shear wave velocity quantification; ARFI-SWV) and the performance of ARFI in comparison to FS was determined. Sixtyeight patients underwent liver biopsy. RESULTS: Significantly higher success rates for the determination of liver stiffness were found using ARFI as compared to FS [604/606 (99.7%) vs 482/606 (79.5%); P < 0.001]. ARFI-SWV correlated significantly with FS-LS (r = 0.920, P < 0.001). ARFI-SWV increased significantly with the stage of fibrosis (1.09 ± 0.13 m/s for patients with no significant fibrosis (FS-LS < 7.6 kPa); 1.46 ± 0.27 m/s for patients with significant liver fibrosis (7.6 < FS-LS ≤ 13.0 kPa); and 2.55 ± 0.77 m/s for patients with liver cirrhosis (FS-LS > 13.0 kPa)). ARFI-SWV cut-off values were identified for no significant fibrosis (1.29 m/s; sensitivity 91.4% and specificity 92.6%) and for liver cirrhosis (1.60 m/s; sensitivity 92.3% and specificity 96.5%). The optimal cut-off value for predicting liver fibrosis (F ≥ 2) was 1.32 m/s (sensitivity 87.0% and specificity 80.0%) and for liver cirrhosis (F4) 1.62 m/s (sensitivity 100% and specificity 85.7%), for patients who underwent liver biopsy. An excellent inter-and intraobserver reproducibility was observed for ARFI-SWV determinations. CONCLUSION: An ARFI-SWV cut-off value of 1.29 m/s seems to be optimal for patients with no significant liver fibrosis and 1.60 m/s for patients with liver cirrhosis.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the combined diagnostic accuracy of acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index(APRI) and Forns index for a non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis ...AIM: To investigate the combined diagnostic accuracy of acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index(APRI) and Forns index for a non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB). METHODS: In this prospective study, 206 patients had CHB with liver fibrosis stages F0-F4 classified by METAVIR and 40 were healthy volunteers were measured by ARFI, APRI and Forns index separately or combined as indicated. RESULTS: ARFI, APRI or Forns index demonstrated a significant correlation with the histological stage(all P < 0.001). According to the AUROC of ARFI and APRI for evaluating fibrotic stages more than F2, ARFI showed an enhanced diagnostic accuracy than APRI(P < 0.05). The combined measurement of ARFI and APRI exhibited better accuracy than ARFI alone when evaluating ≥ F2 fibrotic stage(Z = 2.77, P = 0.006). Combination of ARFI, APRI and Forns index did not obviously improve the diagnostic accuracy compared to the combination of ARFI and APRI(Z = 0.958, P = 0.338). CONCLUSION: ARFI + APRI showed enhanced diagnostic accuracy than ARFI or APRI alone for significant liver fibrosis and ARFI + APRI + Forns index shows the same effect with ARFI + APRI.展开更多
AIM: To evaluate the assessment of primary biliary cirrhosis degree by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) and hepatic fibrosis indicators. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients who developed liver cirr...AIM: To evaluate the assessment of primary biliary cirrhosis degree by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) and hepatic fibrosis indicators. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients who developed liver cirrhosis secondary to primary biliary cirrhosis were selected as the observation group, with the degree of patient liver cirrhosis graded by Child-Pugh (CP) score. Sixty healthy individuals were selected as the control group. The four indicators of hepatic fibrosis were detected in all research objects, including hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), type III collagen (PC III), and type IV collagen (IV-C). The liver parenchyma hardness value (LS) was then measured by ARFI technique. LS and the four indicators of liver fibrosis (HA, LN, PC III, and IV-C) were observed in different grade CP scores. The diagnostic value of LS and the four indicators of liver fibrosis in determining liver cirrhosis degree with PBC, whether used alone or in combination, were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: LS and the four indicators of liver fibrosis within the three classes (A, B, and C) of CP scores in the observation group were higher than in the control group, with C class > B class > A class; the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Although AUC values of LS within the three classes of CP scores were higher than in the four indicators of liver fibrosis, sensitivity and specificity were unstable. The ROC curves of LS combined with the four indicators of liver fibrosis revealed that: AUC and sensitivity in all indicators combined in the A class of CP score were higher than in LS alone, albeit with slightly decreased specificity; AUC and specificity in all indicators combined in the B class of CP score were higher than in LS alone, with unchanged sensitivity; AUC values (0.967), sensitivity (97.4%), and specificity (90%) of all indicators combined in the C class of CP score were higher than in LS alone (0.936, 92.1%, 83.3%). CONCLUSION: The diagnostic value of PBC cirrhosis degree in liver cirrhosis degree assessment by ARFI combined with the four indicators of serum liver fibrosis is of satisfactory effectiveness and has important clinical application value.展开更多
BACKGROUND: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is a new elastography method for the evaluation of tissue stiffness. This study aims to evaluate the performance of ARFI in noninvasive assessment of the tis...BACKGROUND: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is a new elastography method for the evaluation of tissue stiffness. This study aims to evaluate the performance of ARFI in noninvasive assessment of the tissue stiffness of focal liver lesion (FLL) and to explore its potential value in the differential diagnosis of FLL. METHODS: ARFI was performed in 140 patients with 154 FLLs, which included 28 hemangiomas (ANGIs), 14 focal nodular hyperplasias (FNHs), 61 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), 39 metastases and 12 cholangiocellular carcinomas (CCCs). Virtual touch tissue quantification (VTTQ) values were obtained, analyzed and compared. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and optimal cut-off values were obtained using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to assess diagnostic performance. All cases were definitively diagnosed using histopathology, CT, MRI or contrast-enhanced ultrasound. RESULTS: The VTTQ median values of ANGI, FNH, HCC metastasis and CCC were 1.30, 1.80, 2.52, 3.08 and 3.89 m/s respectively. A significant increase in the VTTQ values of different lesions was observed: ANGI【FNH【HCC【metastasis 【CCC (P【0.001). The AUROC (95% CI) of VTTQ values was 0.94 (0.90-0.98) for ANGI, 0.91 (0.87-0.96) for malignant lesions and 0.87 (0.79-0.94) for CCC. The sensitivity and specificity for ANGI (86.5%, 89.3%, respectively), malignancy (81.3% 92.9%, respectively), and CCC (91.7%, 72.5%, respectively) were associated with VTTQ cut-off values of 1.76, 2.22 and 3.00 m/s respectively.CONCLUSIONS: ARFI can accurately and objectively assess the elasticity of lesions by obtaining the shear wave elastic value of FLL with VTTQ. Therefore, ARFI is a novel, simple, noninvasive and useful diagnostic method for the characterization of FLL.展开更多
A modified Monte Carlo model of speckle tracking of shear wave propagation in scattering media is proposed. The established Monte Carlo model mainly concerns the variations of optical electric field and speckle. The t...A modified Monte Carlo model of speckle tracking of shear wave propagation in scattering media is proposed. The established Monte Carlo model mainly concerns the variations of optical electric field and speckle. The two- dimensional intensity distribution and the time evolution of speckles in different probe locations are obtained. The fluctuation of speckle intensity tracks the acoustic-radiation-force shear wave propagation, and especially the reduction of speckle intensity implies attenuation of shear wave. Then, the shear wave velocity is estimated quantitatively on the basis of the time-to-peak algorithm and linear regression processing. The results reveal that a smaller sampling interval yields higher estimation precision and the shear wave velocity is estimated more efficiently by using speckle intensity difference than by using speckle contrast difference according to the estimation error. Hence, the shear wave velocity is estimated to be 2.25 m/s with relatively high accuracy for the estimation error reaches the minimum (0.071).展开更多
Shell structures have increasingly widespread applications in biomedical ultrasound fields such as contrast agents and drug delivery,which requires the precise prediction of the acoustic radiation force under various ...Shell structures have increasingly widespread applications in biomedical ultrasound fields such as contrast agents and drug delivery,which requires the precise prediction of the acoustic radiation force under various circumstances to improve the system efficiency.The acoustic radiation force exerted by a zero-order quasi-Bessel-Gauss beam on an elastic spherical shell near an impedance boundary is theoretically and numerically studied in this study.By means of the finite series method and the image theory,a zero-order quasi-Bessel-Gauss beam is expanded in terms of spherical harmonic functions,and the exact solution of the acoustic radiation force is derived based on the acoustic scattering theory.The acoustic radiation force function,which represents the radiation force per unit energy density and per unit cross-sectional surface,is especially investigated.Some simulated results for a polymethyl methacrylate shell and an aluminum shell are provided to illustrate the behavior of acoustic radiation force in this case.The simulated results show the oscillatory property and the negative radiation force caused by the impedance boundary.An appropriate relative thickness of the shell can generate sharp peaks for a polymethyl methacrylate shell.Strong radiation force can be obtained at small half-cone angles and the beam waist only affects the results at high frequencies.Considering that the quasi-Bessel-Gauss beam possesses both the energy focusing property and the non-diffracting advantage,this study is expected to be useful in the development of acoustic tweezers,contrast agent micro-shells,and drug delivery applications.展开更多
We develop a model for calculating the radiation force on spherically symmetric multilayered particles based on the acoustic scattering approach.An expression is derived for the radiation force on a multilayered spher...We develop a model for calculating the radiation force on spherically symmetric multilayered particles based on the acoustic scattering approach.An expression is derived for the radiation force on a multilayered sphere centered on the axis of a Gaussian standing wave propagating in an ideal fluid,The effects of the sound absorption of the materials and sound wave on acoustic radiation force of a multilayered sphere immersed in water are analyzed,with particular emphasis on the shell thickness of every layer,and the width of the Gaussian beam.The results reveal that the existence of particle trapping behavior depends on the choice of the non-dimensional frequency ka,as well as the shell thickness of each layer.This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of acoustical tweezers in a Gaussian standing wave,which may benefit the improvement and development of acoustic control technology,such as trapping,sorting,and assembling a cell,and drug delivery applications.展开更多
Secondary radiation force can be an attractive force causing aggregates of encapsulated microbubbles in ultrasonic molecular imaging. The influence of the secondary radiation force on aggregation between two coated bu...Secondary radiation force can be an attractive force causing aggregates of encapsulated microbubbles in ultrasonic molecular imaging. The influence of the secondary radiation force on aggregation between two coated bubbles is investigated in this study. Numerical calculations are performed based on four simultaneous differential equations of radial and translational motions. Results show that the secondary force can change from attraction to repulsion during approach, and stable microbubble pairs can be formed in the vicinity of resonant regions; the possibility of microbubble aggregations can be reduced by using low exciting amplitude, ultrasonic frequencies deviating from the resonant frequencies or microbubbles with small compressibility.展开更多
Acoustofluidic technology combines acoustic and microfluidic technologies to realize particle manipulation in microchannels driven by acoustic waves,and the acoustic radiation force(ARF)with boundaries is important fo...Acoustofluidic technology combines acoustic and microfluidic technologies to realize particle manipulation in microchannels driven by acoustic waves,and the acoustic radiation force(ARF)with boundaries is important for particle manipulation in an acoustofluidic device.In the work reported here,the ARF on a free cylinder immersed in a viscous fluid with an incident plane wave between two impedance boundaries is derived analytically and calculated numerically.The influence of multiple scattering between the particle and the impedance boundaries is described by means of image theory,the finite-series method,and the translational addition theorem,and multiple scattering is included partly in image theory.The ARF on a free rigid cylinder in a viscous fluid is analyzed by numerical calculation,with consideration given to the effects of the distances from cylinder edge to boundaries,fluid viscosity,cylinder size,and boundary reflectivity.The results show that the interaction between the two boundaries and the cylinder makes the ARF change more violently with different frequencies,while increasing the viscosity can reduce the amplitude of the ARF in boundary space.This study provides a theoretical basis for particle manipulation by the ARF in acoustofluidics.展开更多
We study the abruptly autofocusing and autodefocusing properties of the circular Airy Gaussian vortex(CAi GV)beams in strongly nonlocal nonlinear medium for the first time through numerical simulations.The magnitude o...We study the abruptly autofocusing and autodefocusing properties of the circular Airy Gaussian vortex(CAi GV)beams in strongly nonlocal nonlinear medium for the first time through numerical simulations.The magnitude of topological charges and the position of the vortex could change not only the light spot pattern but also the intensity contrast.Meanwhile,we can change the position of the autofocusing and autodefocusing planes by changing the parameter of the incident beam.Furthermore,we can control the peak intensity contrast through choosing properly the truncation factor.As for the radiation force,we study the gradient and the scattering forces of CAi GV beams on Rayleigh dielectric sphere.Our analyses demonstrate that the radiation force can be enhanced by choosing proper parameters of CAi GV beams.展开更多
Acoustic manipulation is one of the well-known technologies of particle control and a top research in acoustic field.Calculation of acoustic radiation force on a particle nearby boundaries is one of the critical tasks...Acoustic manipulation is one of the well-known technologies of particle control and a top research in acoustic field.Calculation of acoustic radiation force on a particle nearby boundaries is one of the critical tasks,as it approximates realistic applications.Nevertheless,it is quite difficult to solve the problem by theoretical method when the boundary conditions are intricate.In this study,we present a finite element method numerical model for the acoustic radiation force exerting on a rigid cylindrical particle immersed in fluid near a rigid corner.The effects of the boundaries on acoustic radiation force of a rigid cylinder are analyzed with particular emphasis on the non-dimensional frequency and the distance from the center of cylinder to each boundary.The results reveal that these parameters play important roles in acoustic manipulation for particle-nearby complicated rigid boundaries.This study verifies the feasibility of numerical analysis on the issue of acoustic radiation force calculation close to complex boundaries,which may provide a new idea on analyzing the acoustic particle manipulation in confined space.展开更多
Objective: The aim of our study was to make the qualitative and quantitative analysis to breast lesions using acoustic radiation force impulses (ARFI), and assess the diagnostic value of ARFI for differentiation be...Objective: The aim of our study was to make the qualitative and quantitative analysis to breast lesions using acoustic radiation force impulses (ARFI), and assess the diagnostic value of ARFI for differentiation between benign and malignant solid breast masses, meanwhile evaluate the influences of ARFI with breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) of suspicious masses. Methods: Seventy-five women with 86 breast lesions underwent conventional breast ultra- sound examination. Then B-mode BI-RADS features and assessments were recorded and standard breast US supplemented by ARFI elastographic examination were repeated. The data were recorded and analyzed as following: area ratio of breast lesion, the shear-wave velocity, the ratio of the shear-wave velocity between lesions and surrounding normal tissues, and according to the elastographic data reconsidered the BI-RADS category, all the results have been correlated with pathological results and make statistical evaluations of ARFI for differentiation between benign and malignant solid breast masses. Meantime our study has correlated the adjusted BI-RADS category of suspicious breast lesions with the pathological results and made assessment. Results: Thirty-eight patients were malignant breast carcinoma (31 invasive ductal carcinoma, 5 intraductal carcinoma in situ, 2 medullary carcinoma, 2 invasive Iobular carcinoma), 48 patients were benign breast lesions (23 fibroadenoma, 12 benign nodular hyperplasia, 5 phyllodes tumor, 6 adenosis, 2 intraductal papilloma). Underwent conventional breast ultrasound exam, 42 cases were BI-RADS category 3, 23 cases were BI-RADS category 4. When adding elastographic data, 46 cases were BI-RADS category 3 and 20 cases were BI-RADS category 4. Compared with pathological results showed for both the specificity of BIRADS features and the area under ROC curve has risen. Virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) data showed the area ratio (AR) between elastographic lesions area and B-mode lesions area, SWV (maximal shear-wave velocity of lesions), R-SWV (shear-wave velocity ratio between lesions and surrounding normal tissues) in benign breast lesions were lower than those in malignant lesions which has statistical significance and the cut-off point were 1.1,4.65 m/s, 5.18 respectively. Conclusion: The ARFI elastography can provide the reliable qualitative and quantitative analysis about hardness of breast lesions, supply the new BI-RADS category features to suspicious breast masses and serve as an effective diagnostic tool for differentiation between benign and malignant solid masses.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos 10434060 and 10674047)the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Institutions of China (Grant No 06KJB510020)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu University of China (Grant No 07JDG027)
文摘The general expressions of the average dissipative and dipole forces acting on a A-configuration three-level atom in an arbitrary light field are derived by means of the optical Bloch equations based on the atomic density matrix elements, and the general properties of the average dissipative and dipole forces on a three-level atom in the linearly-polarized high-order Bessel beams (HBBs) are analysed. We find a resonant property (with two resonant peaks) of the dissipative force and a non-resonant property (with two pairs of non-resonant peaks) of the dipole force on the three-level atom, which are completely different from those on the two-level atom. Meanwhile we find a saturation effect of the average dissipative force in the HBB, which comes from the saturation of the upper-level population. Our study shows that the general expressions of the average dissipative and dipole forces on the three-level atom will be simplified to those of the two-level atom under the approximation of large detuning. Finally, we study the axial and azimuthal Doppler cooling of atoms in ID optical molasses composed of two counter-propagating HBBs and discuss the azimuthal influence of the HBB on the Doppler cooling limit. We also find that the Doppler limit of atoms in the molasses HBB is slightly below the conventional Doppler limit of hГ/(2kB) due to the orbital angular momentum lh of the HBB.
基金Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No.2020YFA0211400)the State Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.11834008)+3 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.12174192 and 12204119)the Fund from the State Key Laboratory of Acoustics,Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.SKLA202210)the Fund from the Key Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Environment,Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.SSHJ-KFKT-1701)the Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province,China (Grant No.ZK[2023]249)。
文摘Acoustic radiation force(ARF), as an important particle manipulation method, has been extensively studied in recent years. With the introduction of the concept of “acoustic tweezers”, negative acoustic radiation has become a research hotspot. In this paper, a scheme of realizing negative ARF based on the multiple-layered spherical structure design is proposed. The specific structure and design idea are presented. Detailed theoretical calculation analysis is carried out.Numerical simulations have been performed to verify the correctness of this prediction. The conjecture that the suppression of backscattering can achieve negative ARF is verified concretely, which greatly expands the application prospect and design ideas of the ARF. This work has laid a theoretical foundation for realizing precise control of the structure.
文摘This article presents illustrations of an extended model of the electron to visualize how it spins and radiates in the external magnetic field. A time-varying magnetic field B produces a rotational induced electric field E which rotates (spins) the electron about its axis. In time-constant magnetic field: the electron radiates the cyclotron radiation. In time-varying magnetic field: synchrotron radiation is generated. The couplings between spin, acceleration and radiation will be discussed.
基金Supported by the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and PAII Inc.(a United States subsidiary company of Ping An Insurance Group),No.SMRPG3I0011.
文摘BACKGROUND Acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI)is used to measure liver fibrosis and predict outcomes.The performance of elastography in assessment of fibrosis is poorer in hepatitis B virus(HBV)than in other etiologies of chronic liver disease.AIM To evaluate the performance of ARFI in long-term outcome prediction among different etiologies of chronic liver disease.METHODS Consecutive patients who received an ARFI study between 2011 and 2018 were enrolled.After excluding dual infection,alcoholism,autoimmune hepatitis,and others with incomplete data,this retrospective cohort were divided into hepatitis B(HBV,n=1064),hepatitis C(HCV,n=507),and non-HBV,non-HCV(NBNC,n=391)groups.The indexed cases were linked to cancer registration(1987-2020)and national mortality databases.The differences in morbidity and mortality among the groups were analyzed.RESULTS At the enrollment,the HBV group showed more males(77.5%),a higher prevalence of prediagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and a lower prevalence of comorbidities than the other groups(P<0.001).The HCV group was older and had a lower platelet count and higher ARFI score than the other groups(P<0.001).The NBNC group showed a higher body mass index and platelet count,a higher prevalence of pre-diagnosed non-HCC cancers(P<0.001),especially breast cancer,and a lower prevalence of cirrhosis.Male gender,ARFI score,and HBV were independent predictors of HCC.The 5-year risk of HCC was 5.9%and 9.8%for those ARFI-graded with severe fibrosis and cirrhosis.ARFI alone had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUROC)of 0.742 for prediction of HCC in 5 years.AUROC increased to 0.828 after adding etiology,gender,age,and platelet score.No difference was found in mortality rate among the groups.CONCLUSION The HBV group showed a higher prevalence of HCC but lower comorbidity that made mortality similar among the groups.Those patients with ARFI-graded severe fibrosis or cirrhosis should receive regular surveillance.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.11874252)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No.2020TS029).
文摘Expressions are derived for calculating the three-dimensional acoustic radiation force(ARF)on a multilayer microsphere positioned arbitrarily in a Gaussian beam.A theoretical model of a three-layer microsphere with a cell membrane,cytoplasm,and nucleus is established to study how particle geometry and position affect the three-dimensional ARF,and its results agree well with finite-element numerical results.The microsphere can be moved relative to the beam axis by changing its structure and position in the beam,and the axial ARF increases with increasing outer-shell thickness and core size.This study offers a theoretical foundation for selecting suitable parameters for manipulating a three-layer microsphere in a Gaussian beam.
文摘In this article the electron is conceived as an extended particle, consisting of a negatively charged core (-q<sub>0</sub>) which is surrounded by a cloud of electric dipoles (-q, +q). The article presents the illustrations that show how and why the electron spins and radiates in an external electric field. In the appendices, Bremsstrahlung & Cerenkov radiations, and the processes of Emission & Absorption of photons will be discussed.
基金This study was approved by Ethical Committee of The Sapienza University of Rome(5068/2018).
文摘Background:Porto-sinusoidal vascular disease(PSVD)and portal vein thrombosis(PVT)are causes of portal hypertension characterized respectively by an intrahepatic and a pre-hepatic obstacle to the flow in the portal system.As PVT may be a consequence of PSVD,in PVT patients at presentation,a pre-existing PSVD should be suspected.In these patients the identification of an underlying PSVD would have relevant implication regarding follow-up and therapeutic management,but it could be challenging.In this setting ultrasonography may be valuable in differential diagnosis.The aim of the study was to use ultrasonography to identify parameters to discriminate between PSVD and“pure”PVT and then to suspect PVT secondary to a pre-existing PSVD.Methods:Fifty-three patients with histologically proven PSVD and forty-eight patients affected by chronic PVT were enrolled and submitted to abdominal ultrasonography with elastography by acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI).Results:ARFI was higher and superior mesenteric vein(SMV)diameter was wider in PSVD patients than in PVT patients.Thus,a prognostic score was obtained as linear combinations of the two parameters with a good discrimination capacity between PSVD and PVT(the area under the curve=0.780;95%confidence interval:0.690-0.869).Conclusions:A score based on ARFI and SMV diameter may be useful to suspect an underlying PSVD in patients with PVT and to identify a subgroup of patients to be submitted to liver biopsy.
文摘AIM: To evaluate cut-off values and performance of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) using transient elastography [FibroScan■ (FS)] as a reference. METHODS: Six hundred and six patients were enrolled in this study.All patients underwent liver stiffness measurement with FS (FS-LS) and ARFI (with shear wave velocity quantification; ARFI-SWV) and the performance of ARFI in comparison to FS was determined. Sixtyeight patients underwent liver biopsy. RESULTS: Significantly higher success rates for the determination of liver stiffness were found using ARFI as compared to FS [604/606 (99.7%) vs 482/606 (79.5%); P < 0.001]. ARFI-SWV correlated significantly with FS-LS (r = 0.920, P < 0.001). ARFI-SWV increased significantly with the stage of fibrosis (1.09 ± 0.13 m/s for patients with no significant fibrosis (FS-LS < 7.6 kPa); 1.46 ± 0.27 m/s for patients with significant liver fibrosis (7.6 < FS-LS ≤ 13.0 kPa); and 2.55 ± 0.77 m/s for patients with liver cirrhosis (FS-LS > 13.0 kPa)). ARFI-SWV cut-off values were identified for no significant fibrosis (1.29 m/s; sensitivity 91.4% and specificity 92.6%) and for liver cirrhosis (1.60 m/s; sensitivity 92.3% and specificity 96.5%). The optimal cut-off value for predicting liver fibrosis (F ≥ 2) was 1.32 m/s (sensitivity 87.0% and specificity 80.0%) and for liver cirrhosis (F4) 1.62 m/s (sensitivity 100% and specificity 85.7%), for patients who underwent liver biopsy. An excellent inter-and intraobserver reproducibility was observed for ARFI-SWV determinations. CONCLUSION: An ARFI-SWV cut-off value of 1.29 m/s seems to be optimal for patients with no significant liver fibrosis and 1.60 m/s for patients with liver cirrhosis.
基金Shenzhen Municipal Science and Technology Innovation Fund,Nos.CXZZ20130322170220544 and JCYJ20140411112047885
文摘AIM: To investigate the combined diagnostic accuracy of acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index(APRI) and Forns index for a non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB). METHODS: In this prospective study, 206 patients had CHB with liver fibrosis stages F0-F4 classified by METAVIR and 40 were healthy volunteers were measured by ARFI, APRI and Forns index separately or combined as indicated. RESULTS: ARFI, APRI or Forns index demonstrated a significant correlation with the histological stage(all P < 0.001). According to the AUROC of ARFI and APRI for evaluating fibrotic stages more than F2, ARFI showed an enhanced diagnostic accuracy than APRI(P < 0.05). The combined measurement of ARFI and APRI exhibited better accuracy than ARFI alone when evaluating ≥ F2 fibrotic stage(Z = 2.77, P = 0.006). Combination of ARFI, APRI and Forns index did not obviously improve the diagnostic accuracy compared to the combination of ARFI and APRI(Z = 0.958, P = 0.338). CONCLUSION: ARFI + APRI showed enhanced diagnostic accuracy than ARFI or APRI alone for significant liver fibrosis and ARFI + APRI + Forns index shows the same effect with ARFI + APRI.
基金Supported by MEXT-Supported Program for the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities of the Japanese Governmentthe Ministry of Health,Labor,and Welfare of the Japanese Government
文摘AIM: To investigate the factors other than fibrosis stage correlating with acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastograpy in chronic hepatitis C.
文摘AIM: To evaluate the assessment of primary biliary cirrhosis degree by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) and hepatic fibrosis indicators. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients who developed liver cirrhosis secondary to primary biliary cirrhosis were selected as the observation group, with the degree of patient liver cirrhosis graded by Child-Pugh (CP) score. Sixty healthy individuals were selected as the control group. The four indicators of hepatic fibrosis were detected in all research objects, including hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), type III collagen (PC III), and type IV collagen (IV-C). The liver parenchyma hardness value (LS) was then measured by ARFI technique. LS and the four indicators of liver fibrosis (HA, LN, PC III, and IV-C) were observed in different grade CP scores. The diagnostic value of LS and the four indicators of liver fibrosis in determining liver cirrhosis degree with PBC, whether used alone or in combination, were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: LS and the four indicators of liver fibrosis within the three classes (A, B, and C) of CP scores in the observation group were higher than in the control group, with C class > B class > A class; the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Although AUC values of LS within the three classes of CP scores were higher than in the four indicators of liver fibrosis, sensitivity and specificity were unstable. The ROC curves of LS combined with the four indicators of liver fibrosis revealed that: AUC and sensitivity in all indicators combined in the A class of CP score were higher than in LS alone, albeit with slightly decreased specificity; AUC and specificity in all indicators combined in the B class of CP score were higher than in LS alone, with unchanged sensitivity; AUC values (0.967), sensitivity (97.4%), and specificity (90%) of all indicators combined in the C class of CP score were higher than in LS alone (0.936, 92.1%, 83.3%). CONCLUSION: The diagnostic value of PBC cirrhosis degree in liver cirrhosis degree assessment by ARFI combined with the four indicators of serum liver fibrosis is of satisfactory effectiveness and has important clinical application value.
文摘BACKGROUND: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is a new elastography method for the evaluation of tissue stiffness. This study aims to evaluate the performance of ARFI in noninvasive assessment of the tissue stiffness of focal liver lesion (FLL) and to explore its potential value in the differential diagnosis of FLL. METHODS: ARFI was performed in 140 patients with 154 FLLs, which included 28 hemangiomas (ANGIs), 14 focal nodular hyperplasias (FNHs), 61 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), 39 metastases and 12 cholangiocellular carcinomas (CCCs). Virtual touch tissue quantification (VTTQ) values were obtained, analyzed and compared. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and optimal cut-off values were obtained using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to assess diagnostic performance. All cases were definitively diagnosed using histopathology, CT, MRI or contrast-enhanced ultrasound. RESULTS: The VTTQ median values of ANGI, FNH, HCC metastasis and CCC were 1.30, 1.80, 2.52, 3.08 and 3.89 m/s respectively. A significant increase in the VTTQ values of different lesions was observed: ANGI【FNH【HCC【metastasis 【CCC (P【0.001). The AUROC (95% CI) of VTTQ values was 0.94 (0.90-0.98) for ANGI, 0.91 (0.87-0.96) for malignant lesions and 0.87 (0.79-0.94) for CCC. The sensitivity and specificity for ANGI (86.5%, 89.3%, respectively), malignancy (81.3% 92.9%, respectively), and CCC (91.7%, 72.5%, respectively) were associated with VTTQ cut-off values of 1.76, 2.22 and 3.00 m/s respectively.CONCLUSIONS: ARFI can accurately and objectively assess the elasticity of lesions by obtaining the shear wave elastic value of FLL with VTTQ. Therefore, ARFI is a novel, simple, noninvasive and useful diagnostic method for the characterization of FLL.
基金Supported by the National Key Scientific Instrument and Equipment Development Projects of China under Grant No 81127901the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 61372017 and 30970828
文摘A modified Monte Carlo model of speckle tracking of shear wave propagation in scattering media is proposed. The established Monte Carlo model mainly concerns the variations of optical electric field and speckle. The two- dimensional intensity distribution and the time evolution of speckles in different probe locations are obtained. The fluctuation of speckle intensity tracks the acoustic-radiation-force shear wave propagation, and especially the reduction of speckle intensity implies attenuation of shear wave. Then, the shear wave velocity is estimated quantitatively on the basis of the time-to-peak algorithm and linear regression processing. The results reveal that a smaller sampling interval yields higher estimation precision and the shear wave velocity is estimated more efficiently by using speckle intensity difference than by using speckle contrast difference according to the estimation error. Hence, the shear wave velocity is estimated to be 2.25 m/s with relatively high accuracy for the estimation error reaches the minimum (0.071).
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.81527901,11604361,and 91630309)。
文摘Shell structures have increasingly widespread applications in biomedical ultrasound fields such as contrast agents and drug delivery,which requires the precise prediction of the acoustic radiation force under various circumstances to improve the system efficiency.The acoustic radiation force exerted by a zero-order quasi-Bessel-Gauss beam on an elastic spherical shell near an impedance boundary is theoretically and numerically studied in this study.By means of the finite series method and the image theory,a zero-order quasi-Bessel-Gauss beam is expanded in terms of spherical harmonic functions,and the exact solution of the acoustic radiation force is derived based on the acoustic scattering theory.The acoustic radiation force function,which represents the radiation force per unit energy density and per unit cross-sectional surface,is especially investigated.Some simulated results for a polymethyl methacrylate shell and an aluminum shell are provided to illustrate the behavior of acoustic radiation force in this case.The simulated results show the oscillatory property and the negative radiation force caused by the impedance boundary.An appropriate relative thickness of the shell can generate sharp peaks for a polymethyl methacrylate shell.Strong radiation force can be obtained at small half-cone angles and the beam waist only affects the results at high frequencies.Considering that the quasi-Bessel-Gauss beam possesses both the energy focusing property and the non-diffracting advantage,this study is expected to be useful in the development of acoustic tweezers,contrast agent micro-shells,and drug delivery applications.
基金Project supported by National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2016YFF0203000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11774167 and 61571222)+2 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(Grant No.020414380001)the Key Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Environment,Institute of Acoustics,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.SSHJ-KFKT-1701)the AQSIQ Technology R&D Program of China(Grant No.2017QK125)
文摘We develop a model for calculating the radiation force on spherically symmetric multilayered particles based on the acoustic scattering approach.An expression is derived for the radiation force on a multilayered sphere centered on the axis of a Gaussian standing wave propagating in an ideal fluid,The effects of the sound absorption of the materials and sound wave on acoustic radiation force of a multilayered sphere immersed in water are analyzed,with particular emphasis on the shell thickness of every layer,and the width of the Gaussian beam.The results reveal that the existence of particle trapping behavior depends on the choice of the non-dimensional frequency ka,as well as the shell thickness of each layer.This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of acoustical tweezers in a Gaussian standing wave,which may benefit the improvement and development of acoustic control technology,such as trapping,sorting,and assembling a cell,and drug delivery applications.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2011CB707900)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.10974093,11011130201,and 10904094)+2 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(Grant Nos.1103020402,1116020410,and 1112020401)the Prior Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions,Chinathe State key Laboratory of Acoustics of Ministry of Education,China
文摘Secondary radiation force can be an attractive force causing aggregates of encapsulated microbubbles in ultrasonic molecular imaging. The influence of the secondary radiation force on aggregation between two coated bubbles is investigated in this study. Numerical calculations are performed based on four simultaneous differential equations of radial and translational motions. Results show that the secondary force can change from attraction to repulsion during approach, and stable microbubble pairs can be formed in the vicinity of resonant regions; the possibility of microbubble aggregations can be reduced by using low exciting amplitude, ultrasonic frequencies deviating from the resonant frequencies or microbubbles with small compressibility.
基金This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2020YFA0211400)the State Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11834008)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12174192 and 11774167)the State Key Laboratory of Acoustics,Chinese Academy of Science(Grant No.SKLA202210)the Key Laboratory of Underwater Acoustic Environment,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.SSHJ-KFKT-1701).
文摘Acoustofluidic technology combines acoustic and microfluidic technologies to realize particle manipulation in microchannels driven by acoustic waves,and the acoustic radiation force(ARF)with boundaries is important for particle manipulation in an acoustofluidic device.In the work reported here,the ARF on a free cylinder immersed in a viscous fluid with an incident plane wave between two impedance boundaries is derived analytically and calculated numerically.The influence of multiple scattering between the particle and the impedance boundaries is described by means of image theory,the finite-series method,and the translational addition theorem,and multiple scattering is included partly in image theory.The ARF on a free rigid cylinder in a viscous fluid is analyzed by numerical calculation,with consideration given to the effects of the distances from cylinder edge to boundaries,fluid viscosity,cylinder size,and boundary reflectivity.The results show that the interaction between the two boundaries and the cylinder makes the ARF change more violently with different frequencies,while increasing the viscosity can reduce the amplitude of the ARF in boundary space.This study provides a theoretical basis for particle manipulation by the ARF in acoustofluidics.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11374108 and 11775083)。
文摘We study the abruptly autofocusing and autodefocusing properties of the circular Airy Gaussian vortex(CAi GV)beams in strongly nonlocal nonlinear medium for the first time through numerical simulations.The magnitude of topological charges and the position of the vortex could change not only the light spot pattern but also the intensity contrast.Meanwhile,we can change the position of the autofocusing and autodefocusing planes by changing the parameter of the incident beam.Furthermore,we can control the peak intensity contrast through choosing properly the truncation factor.As for the radiation force,we study the gradient and the scattering forces of CAi GV beams on Rayleigh dielectric sphere.Our analyses demonstrate that the radiation force can be enhanced by choosing proper parameters of CAi GV beams.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11604361 and 11904384)the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2018 YFC0114900)Youth Innovation Promotion Association,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.2019024)。
文摘Acoustic manipulation is one of the well-known technologies of particle control and a top research in acoustic field.Calculation of acoustic radiation force on a particle nearby boundaries is one of the critical tasks,as it approximates realistic applications.Nevertheless,it is quite difficult to solve the problem by theoretical method when the boundary conditions are intricate.In this study,we present a finite element method numerical model for the acoustic radiation force exerting on a rigid cylindrical particle immersed in fluid near a rigid corner.The effects of the boundaries on acoustic radiation force of a rigid cylinder are analyzed with particular emphasis on the non-dimensional frequency and the distance from the center of cylinder to each boundary.The results reveal that these parameters play important roles in acoustic manipulation for particle-nearby complicated rigid boundaries.This study verifies the feasibility of numerical analysis on the issue of acoustic radiation force calculation close to complex boundaries,which may provide a new idea on analyzing the acoustic particle manipulation in confined space.
文摘Objective: The aim of our study was to make the qualitative and quantitative analysis to breast lesions using acoustic radiation force impulses (ARFI), and assess the diagnostic value of ARFI for differentiation between benign and malignant solid breast masses, meanwhile evaluate the influences of ARFI with breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) of suspicious masses. Methods: Seventy-five women with 86 breast lesions underwent conventional breast ultra- sound examination. Then B-mode BI-RADS features and assessments were recorded and standard breast US supplemented by ARFI elastographic examination were repeated. The data were recorded and analyzed as following: area ratio of breast lesion, the shear-wave velocity, the ratio of the shear-wave velocity between lesions and surrounding normal tissues, and according to the elastographic data reconsidered the BI-RADS category, all the results have been correlated with pathological results and make statistical evaluations of ARFI for differentiation between benign and malignant solid breast masses. Meantime our study has correlated the adjusted BI-RADS category of suspicious breast lesions with the pathological results and made assessment. Results: Thirty-eight patients were malignant breast carcinoma (31 invasive ductal carcinoma, 5 intraductal carcinoma in situ, 2 medullary carcinoma, 2 invasive Iobular carcinoma), 48 patients were benign breast lesions (23 fibroadenoma, 12 benign nodular hyperplasia, 5 phyllodes tumor, 6 adenosis, 2 intraductal papilloma). Underwent conventional breast ultrasound exam, 42 cases were BI-RADS category 3, 23 cases were BI-RADS category 4. When adding elastographic data, 46 cases were BI-RADS category 3 and 20 cases were BI-RADS category 4. Compared with pathological results showed for both the specificity of BIRADS features and the area under ROC curve has risen. Virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) data showed the area ratio (AR) between elastographic lesions area and B-mode lesions area, SWV (maximal shear-wave velocity of lesions), R-SWV (shear-wave velocity ratio between lesions and surrounding normal tissues) in benign breast lesions were lower than those in malignant lesions which has statistical significance and the cut-off point were 1.1,4.65 m/s, 5.18 respectively. Conclusion: The ARFI elastography can provide the reliable qualitative and quantitative analysis about hardness of breast lesions, supply the new BI-RADS category features to suspicious breast masses and serve as an effective diagnostic tool for differentiation between benign and malignant solid masses.