Measurement properties and usability of non-contact scanners for measuring transtibial residual limb volume.

Science.gov (United States)

Kofman, Rianne; Beekman, Anna M; Emmelot, Cornelis H; Geertzen, Jan H B; Dijkstra, Pieter U

2018-06-01

Non-contact scanners may have potential for measurement of residual limb volume. Different non-contact scanners have been introduced during the last decades. Reliability and usability (practicality and user friendliness) should be assessed before introducing these systems in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to analyze the measurement properties and usability of four non-contact scanners (TT Design, Omega Scanner, BioSculptor Bioscanner, and Rodin4D Scanner). Quasi experimental. Nine (geometric and residual limb) models were measured on two occasions, each consisting of two sessions, thus in total 4 sessions. In each session, four observers used the four systems for volume measurement. Mean for each model, repeatability coefficients for each system, variance components, and their two-way interactions of measurement conditions were calculated. User satisfaction was evaluated with the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire. Systematic differences between the systems were found in volume measurements. Most of the variances were explained by the model (97%), while error variance was 3%. Measurement system and the interaction between system and model explained 44% of the error variance. Repeatability coefficient of the systems ranged from 0.101 (Omega Scanner) to 0.131 L (Rodin4D). Differences in Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire scores between the systems were small and not significant. The systems were reliable in determining residual limb volume. Measurement systems and the interaction between system and residual limb model explained most of the error variances. The differences in repeatability coefficient and usability between the four CAD/CAM systems were small. Clinical relevance If accurate measurements of residual limb volume are required (in case of research), modern non-contact scanners should be taken in consideration nowadays.

Clinical Evaluation of PET Image Quality as a Function of Acquisition Time in a New TOF-PET/MRI Compared to TOF-PET/CT--Initial Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeimpekis, Konstantinos G; Barbosa, Felipe; Hüllner, Martin; ter Voert, Edwin; Davison, Helen; Veit-Haibach, Patrick; Delso, Gaspar

2015-10-01

The purpose of this study was to compare only the performance of the PET component between a TOF-PET/CT (henceforth noted as PET/CT) scanner and an integrated TOF-PET/MRI (henceforth noted as PET/MRI) scanner concerning image quality parameters and quantification in terms of standardized uptake value (SUV) as a function of acquisition time (a surrogate of dose). The CT and MR image quality were not assessed, and that is beyond the scope of this study. Five brain and five whole-body patients were included in the study. The PET/CT scan was used as a reference and the PET/MRI acquisition time was consecutively adjusted, taking into account the decay between the scans in order to expose both systems to the same amount of the emitted signal. The acquisition times were then retrospectively reduced to assess the performance of the PET/MRI for lower count rates. Image quality, image sharpness, artifacts, and noise were evaluated. SUV measurements were taken in the liver and in the white matter to compare quantification. Quantitative evaluation showed strong correlation between PET/CT and PET/MRI brain SUVs. Liver correlation was good, however, with lower uptake estimation in PET/MRI, partially justified by bio-redistribution. The clinical evaluation showed that PET/MRI offers higher image quality and sharpness with lower levels of noise and artifacts compared to PET/CT with reduced acquisition times for whole-body scans while for brain scans there is no significant difference. The TOF-PET/MRI showed higher image quality compared to TOF-PET/CT as tested with reduced imaging times. However, this result accounts mainly for body imaging, while no significant differences were found in brain imaging.

Differentiation of isomeric N-glycan structures by normal-phase liquid chromatography-MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Maslen, Sarah; Sadowski, Pawel; Adam, Alex; Lilley, Kathryn; Stephens, Elaine

2006-12-15

The detailed characterization of protein N-glycosylation is very demanding given the many different glycoforms and structural isomers that can exist on glycoproteins. Here we report a fast and sensitive method for the extensive structure elucidation of reducing-end labeled N-glycan mixtures using a combination of capillary normal-phase HPLC coupled off-line to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and TOF/TOF-MS/MS. Using this method, isobaric N-glycans released from honey bee phospholipase A2 and Arabidopsis thaliana glycoproteins were separated by normal-phase chromatography and subsequently identified by key fragment ions in the MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectra. In addition, linkage and branching information were provided by abundant cross-ring and "elimination" fragment ions in the MALDI-CID spectra that gave extensive structural information. Furthermore, the fragmentation characteristics of N-glycans reductively aminated with 2-aminobenzoic acid and 2-aminobenzamide were compared. The identification of N-glycans containing 3-linked core fucose was facilitated by distinctive ions present only in the MALDI-CID spectra of 2-aminobenzoic acid-labeled oligosaccharides. To our knowledge, this is the first MS/MS-based technique that allows confident identification of N-glycans containing 3-linked core fucose, which is a major allergenic determinant on insect and plant glycoproteins.

Non-Linear Dynamics of Saturn's Rings

Science.gov (United States)

Esposito, L. W.

2016-12-01

Non-linear processes can explain why Saturn's rings are so active and dynamic. Ring systems differ from simple linear systems in two significant ways: 1. They are systems of granular material: where particle-to-particle collisions dominate; thus a kinetic, not a fluid description needed. Stresses are strikingly inhomogeneous and fluctuations are large compared to equilibrium. 2. They are strongly forced by resonances: which drive a non-linear response, that push the system across thresholds that lead to persistent states. Some of this non-linearity is captured in a simple Predator-Prey Model: Periodic forcing from the moon causes streamline crowding; This damps the relative velocity. About a quarter phase later, the aggregates stir the system to higher relative velocity and the limit cycle repeats each orbit, with relative velocity ranging from nearly zero to a multiple of the orbit average. Summary of Halo Results: A predator-prey model for ring dynamics produces transient structures like `straw' that can explain the halo morphology and spectroscopy: Cyclic velocity changes cause perturbed regions to reach higher collision speeds at some orbital phases, which preferentially removes small regolith particles; surrounding particles diffuse back too slowly to erase the effect: this gives the halo morphology; this requires energetic collisions (v ≈ 10m/sec, with throw distances about 200km, implying objects of scale R ≈ 20km).Transform to Duffing Eqn : With the coordinate transformation, z = M2/3, the Predator-Prey equations can be combined to form a single second-order differential equation with harmonic resonance forcing.Ring dynamics and history implications: Moon-triggered clumping explains both small and large particles at resonances. We calculate the stationary size distribution using a cell-to-cell mapping procedure that converts the phase-plane trajectories to a Markov chain. Approximating it as an asymmetric random walk with reflecting boundaries

[Application of MALDI-TOF-MS in gene testing for non-syndromic hearing loss].

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Yun; Jiang, Dan; Feng, Da-fei; Jin, Dong-dong; Wu, Xiao-hui; Ding, Yan-li; Zou, Jing

2013-12-01

To investigate the feasibility of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) , according to the genetic test of non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL), and check using the direct sequencing. Peripheral blood was collected from 454 NSHL patients. DNA samples were extracted and 20 loci of the four common disease-causing genes were analysed by MALDI-TOF-MS, including GJB2 (35delG, 167delT, 176_191del16, 235delC, 299_300delAT ), GJB3 (538C→T, 547G→A), SLC26A4 (281C→T, 589G→A, IVS7-2A→G, 1174A→T, 1226G→A, 1229C→T, IVS15+5G→A, 1975G→C, 2027T→A, 2162C→T, 2168A→G), and mitochondrial 12S rRNA (1494C→T, 1555A→G). Direct sequencing was also used to analyse the aforementioned 20 loci in order to validate the accuracy of MALDI-TOF-MS. Among the 454 patients, 166 cases (36.56%) of disease-causing mutations were detected, which included 69 cases (21.15%) of GJB2 gene mutation, four cases (0.88%) of GJB3 gene mutation, 64 cases (14.10%) of SLC26A4 gene mutation, and three cases (0.66%) of mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene mutation. Moreover, the results obtained from direct sequencing and MALDI-TOF-MS were consistent, and the results showed that the two methods were consistent. The MALDI-TOF-MS detection method was designed based on the hearing loss-related mutation hotspots seen in the Chinese population, and it has a high detection rate for NSHL related mutations. In comparison to the conventional detection methods, MALDI-TOF-MS has the following advantages: more detection sites, greater coverage, accurate, high throughput and low cost. Therefore, this method is capable of satisfying the needs of clinical detection for hearing impairment and it is suitable for large-scale implementation.

Study on a high resolution positron emission tomography scanner for brain study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nohara, N.; Tomitani, T.; Yamamoto, M.; Murayama, H.; Tanaka, E.

1990-01-01

The spatial resolution of positron emission tomography (PET) scanners is usually limited by the finite size of crystals such as bismuth germanate (BGO). To attain high resolution as well as high sensitivity, it is essential to use a large number of small BGO crystals arranged in close-packing on circular rings. In developing high resolution PET scanners, however, there are two physical factors limiting the spatial resolution. One is the finite range of positrons before annihilation and the other the deviation from 180 degrees of annihilation photons. The effect of the factors on the spatial resolution has been evaluated for positron-emitting sources as a function of detector ring radius. A high resolution PET scanner has been developed for brain study, aiming to have spatial resolutions as high as less than 4-mm FWHM in tomographic plane and less than 6-mm FWHM in axial direction at the detector ring center. For the goal of the high resolutions a multi-segment type of photomultiplier tubes has been specially designed and developed, which allows one tube to be directly coupled by four BGO crystals. The scanner consists of five detector rings of 47-cm in diameter, using all 1200 BGO crystals each measuring 5 mm x 12 mm x 30 mm. The scanner provides simultaneous 9 images by combination of in-plane and cross-plane, offering a 24-cm dia. x7.4-cm field-of-view. Physical performance of the scanner was investigated. At the ring center, the spatial resolution in the tomographic plane was measured to be 3.5-mm FWHM. The axial resolution was measured to be 5.7-mm FWHM for in-plane and 5.3-mm FWHM for cross-plane. Sensitivity for a 20-cm dia. uniform source was measured to be 9.5 kcps/μCi/ml for in-plane and 15.3 kcps/μCi/ml for cross-plane. (J.P.N.)

A multi-center ring trial for the identification of anaerobic bacteria using MALDI-TOF MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Veloo, A C M; Jean-Pierre, H; Justesen, U S; Morris, T; Urban, E; Wybo, I; Shah, H N; Friedrich, A W; Morris, T; Shah, H N; Jean-Pierre, H; Justesen, U S; Nagy, E; Urban, E; Kostrzewa, M; Veloo, A; Friedrich, A W

2017-12-01

Inter-laboratory reproducibility of Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) of anaerobic bacteria has not been shown before. Therefore, ten anonymized anaerobic strains were sent to seven participating laboratories, an initiative of the European Network for the Rapid Identification of Anaerobes (ENRIA). On arrival the strains were cultured and identified using MALDI-TOF MS. The spectra derived were compared with two different Biotyper MALDI-TOF MS databases, the db5627 and the db6903. The results obtained using the db5627 shows a reasonable variation between the different laboratories. However, when a more optimized database is used, the variation is less pronounced. In this study we show that an optimized database not only results in a higher number of strains which can be identified using MALDI-TOF MS, but also corrects for differences in performance between laboratories. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-Linear Dynamics of Saturn’s Rings

Science.gov (United States)

Esposito, Larry W.

2015-11-01

Non-linear processes can explain why Saturn’s rings are so active and dynamic. Ring systems differ from simple linear systems in two significant ways: 1. They are systems of granular material: where particle-to-particle collisions dominate; thus a kinetic, not a fluid description needed. We find that stresses are strikingly inhomogeneous and fluctuations are large compared to equilibrium. 2. They are strongly forced by resonances: which drive a non-linear response, pushing the system across thresholds that lead to persistent states.Some of this non-linearity is captured in a simple Predator-Prey Model: Periodic forcing from the moon causes streamline crowding; This damps the relative velocity, and allows aggregates to grow. About a quarter phase later, the aggregates stir the system to higher relative velocity and the limit cycle repeats each orbit.Summary of Halo Results: A predator-prey model for ring dynamics produces transient structures like ‘straw’ that can explain the halo structure and spectroscopy: This requires energetic collisions (v ≈ 10m/sec, with throw distances about 200km, implying objects of scale R ≈ 20km).Transform to Duffing Eqn : With the coordinate transformation, z = M2/3, the Predator-Prey equations can be combined to form a single second-order differential equation with harmonic resonance forcing.Ring dynamics and history implications: Moon-triggered clumping at perturbed regions in Saturn’s rings creates both high velocity dispersion and large aggregates at these distances, explaining both small and large particles observed there. We calculate the stationary size distribution using a cell-to-cell mapping procedure that converts the phase-plane trajectories to a Markov chain. Approximating the Markov chain as an asymmetric random walk with reflecting boundaries allows us to determine the power law index from results of numerical simulations in the tidal environment surrounding Saturn. Aggregates can explain many dynamic aspects

Basic study of entire whole-body PET scanners based on the OpenPET geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshida, Eiji, E-mail: rush@nirs.go.j [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Yamaya, Taiga; Nishikido, Fumihiko; Inadama, Naoko; Murayama, Hideo [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan)

2010-09-21

A conventional PET scanner has a 15-25 cm axial field-of-view (FOV) and images a whole body using about six bed positions. An OpenPET geometry can extend the axial FOV with a limited number of detectors. The entire whole-body PET scanner must be able to process a large amount of data effectively. In this work, we study feasibility of the fully 3D entire whole-body PET scanner using the GATE simulation. The OpenPET has 12 block detector rings with the ring diameter of 840 mm and each block detector ring consists of 48 depth-of-interaction (DOI) detectors. The OpenPET has the axial length of 895.95 mm with five parts of 58.95 mm open gaps. The OpenPET has higher single data loss than a conventional PET scanner at grouping circuits. NECR of the OpenPET decreases by single data loss. But single data loss is mitigated by separating the axially arranged detector into two parts. Also, multiple coincidences are found to be important for the entire whole-body PET scanner. The entire whole-body PET scanner with the OpenPET geometry promises to provide a large axial FOV with the open space and to have sufficient performance values. But single data loss at the grouping circuits and multiple coincidences are limited to the peak noise equivalent count rate (NECR) for the entire whole-body PET scanner.

Looking forward to a PET scanner designed for non-human primates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Keiji

1992-01-01

The cerebral cortex of non-human primates has been divided, mainly by anatomical techniques, into an enormous number of areas. We are looking forward to a PET scanner designed for non-human primates, with a hope to determine active brain regions when the animal does various cognitive tasks. This measurement with PET can be combined with single cell recordings and anatomical tracer studies in non-human primates. Another big hope is to detect a change of active regions as the learning advances. (author)

Portable CT scanners for use on live trees and standing columns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onoe, M.; Tsao, J.W.; Yamada, H.; Nakamura, H.; Kogure, J.; Kawamura, H.; Isono, E.; Maeda, Y.; Matsumoto, S.

1985-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) is a technique to reconstruct a crosssection of a test object from multiple projections obtained using e.g. x-rays. A large number of medical CT scanners and a few industrial CT scanners have been used. Most of these scanners are fixed installations. In contrast, we developed portable CT scanners for nondestructive testing of live trees and standing building columns in field environment. The resolution of these scanners is high enough to reveal details of annual rings of trees and timbers. The scanners have been useful in a wide range of applications. This paper presents two types of scanners with small and large apertures, a system for quick look of reconstruction and a few examples of applications

Influence of detector pixel size, TOF resolution and DOI on image quality in MR-compatible whole-body PET.

Science.gov (United States)

Thoen, Hendrik; Keereman, Vincent; Mollet, Pieter; Van Holen, Roel; Vandenberghe, Stefaan

2013-09-21

The optimization of a whole-body PET system remains a challenging task, as the imaging performance is influenced by a complex interaction of different design parameters. However, it is not always clear which parameters have the largest impact on image quality and are most eligible for optimization. To determine this, we need to be able to assess their influence on image quality. We performed Monte-Carlo simulations of a whole-body PET scanner to predict the influence on image quality of three detector parameters: the TOF resolution, the transverse pixel size and depth-of-interaction (DOI)-correction. The inner diameter of the PET scanner was 65 cm, small enough to allow physical integration into a simultaneous PET-MR system. Point sources were used to evaluate the influence of transverse pixel size and DOI-correction on spatial resolution as function of radial distance. To evaluate the influence on contrast recovery and pixel noise a cylindrical phantom of 35 cm diameter was used, representing a large patient. The phantom contained multiple hot lesions with 5 mm diameter. These lesions were placed at radial distances of 50, 100 and 150 mm from the center of the field-of-view, to be able to study the effects at different radial positions. The non-prewhitening (NPW) observer was used for objective analysis of the detectability of the hot lesions in the cylindrical phantom. Based on this analysis the NPW-SNR was used to quantify the relative improvements in image quality due to changes of the variable detector parameters. The image quality of a whole-body PET scanner can be improved significantly by reducing the transverse pixel size from 4 to 2.6 mm and improving the TOF resolution from 600 to 400 ps and further from 400 to 200 ps. Compared to pixel size, the TOF resolution has the larger potential to increase image quality for the simulated phantom. The introduction of two layer DOI-correction only leads to a modest improvement for the spheres at radial

Influence of detector pixel size, TOF resolution and DOI on image quality in MR-compatible whole-body PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thoen, Hendrik; Keereman, Vincent; Mollet, Pieter; Van Holen, Roel; Vandenberghe, Stefaan

2013-01-01

The optimization of a whole-body PET system remains a challenging task, as the imaging performance is influenced by a complex interaction of different design parameters. However, it is not always clear which parameters have the largest impact on image quality and are most eligible for optimization. To determine this, we need to be able to assess their influence on image quality. We performed Monte-Carlo simulations of a whole-body PET scanner to predict the influence on image quality of three detector parameters: the TOF resolution, the transverse pixel size and depth-of-interaction (DOI)-correction. The inner diameter of the PET scanner was 65 cm, small enough to allow physical integration into a simultaneous PET-MR system. Point sources were used to evaluate the influence of transverse pixel size and DOI-correction on spatial resolution as function of radial distance. To evaluate the influence on contrast recovery and pixel noise a cylindrical phantom of 35 cm diameter was used, representing a large patient. The phantom contained multiple hot lesions with 5 mm diameter. These lesions were placed at radial distances of 50, 100 and 150 mm from the center of the field-of-view, to be able to study the effects at different radial positions. The non-prewhitening (NPW) observer was used for objective analysis of the detectability of the hot lesions in the cylindrical phantom. Based on this analysis the NPW-SNR was used to quantify the relative improvements in image quality due to changes of the variable detector parameters. The image quality of a whole-body PET scanner can be improved significantly by reducing the transverse pixel size from 4 to 2.6 mm and improving the TOF resolution from 600 to 400 ps and further from 400 to 200 ps. Compared to pixel size, the TOF resolution has the larger potential to increase image quality for the simulated phantom. The introduction of two layer DOI-correction only leads to a modest improvement for the spheres at radial distance of

Performance studies towards a TOF-PET sensor using Compton scattering at plastic scintillators

Science.gov (United States)

Kuramoto, M.; Nakamori, T.; Gunji, S.; Kamada, K.; Shoji, Y.; Yoshikawa, A.; Aoki, T.

2018-01-01

We have developed a sensor head for a time-of-flight (TOF) PET scanner using plastic scintillators that have a very fast timing property. Given the very small cross section of photoelectric absorption in plastic scintillators at 511 keV, we use Compton scattering in order to compensate for detection efficiency. The detector will consist of two layers of scatterers and absorbers which are made of plastic and inorganic scintillators such as GAGG:Ce, respectively. Signals are read by monolithic Multi Pixel Photon Counters, and with energy deposits and interaction time stamps are being acquired. The scintillators are built to be capable of resolving interaction position in three dimensions, so that our system has also a function of depth-of-interaction (DOI) PET scanners. TOF resolution of ~ 200 ps (FWHM) is achieved in both cases of using the leading-edge discriminator and time-walk correction and using a configuration sensitive to DOI. Both the position resolution and spectroscopy are demonstrated using the prototype data acquisition system, with Compton scattering events subsequently being obtained. We also demonstrated that the background rejection technique using the Compton cone constraint could be valid with our system.

Clinical evaluation of PET image quality as a function of acquisition time in a new TOF-PET/MR compared to TOF-PET/CT - initial results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeimpekis, Konstantinos; Huellner, Martin; De Galiza Barbosa, Felipe; Ter Voert, Edwin; Davison, Helen; Delso, Gaspar; Veit-Haibach, Patrick

2015-01-01

The recently available integrated PET/MR imaging can offer significant additional advances in clinical imaging. The purpose of this study was to compare the PET performance between a PET/CT scanner and an integrated TOF-PET/MR scanner concerning image quality parameters and quantification in terms of SUV as a function of acquisition time (a surrogate of dose). Five brain and five whole body patients were included in the study. The PET/CT scan was used as a reference and the PET/MR acquisition time was consecutively adjusted, taking into account the decay between the scans in order to expose both systems to the same amount of emitted signal. The acquisition times were then retrospectively reduced to assess the performance of the PET/MRI for lower count rates. Image quality, image sharpness, artifacts and noise were evaluated. SUV measurements were taken in the liver and in white matter to compare quantification. Quantitative evaluation showed good correlation between PET/CT and PET/MR brain SUVs. Liver correlation was lower, with uptake underestimation in PET/MR, partially justified by bio-redistribution. The clinical evaluation showed that PET/MR offers higher image quality and sharpness with lower levels of noise and artefacts compared to PET/CT with reduced acquisition times for whole body scans, while for brain scans there is no significant difference. The PET-component of the TOF-PET/MR showed higher image quality compared to PET/CT as tested with reduced imaging times. However, these results account mainly for body imaging, while no significant difference were found in brain imaging. This overall higher image quality suggests that the acquisition time or injected activity can be reduced by at least 37% on the PET/MR scanner.

Clinical evaluation of PET image quality as a function of acquisition time in a new TOF-PET/MR compared to TOF-PET/CT - initial results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeimpekis, Konstantinos; Huellner, Martin; De Galiza Barbosa, Felipe; Ter Voert, Edwin; Davison, Helen; Delso, Gaspar; Veit-Haibach, Patrick [Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich (Switzerland)

2015-05-18

The recently available integrated PET/MR imaging can offer significant additional advances in clinical imaging. The purpose of this study was to compare the PET performance between a PET/CT scanner and an integrated TOF-PET/MR scanner concerning image quality parameters and quantification in terms of SUV as a function of acquisition time (a surrogate of dose). Five brain and five whole body patients were included in the study. The PET/CT scan was used as a reference and the PET/MR acquisition time was consecutively adjusted, taking into account the decay between the scans in order to expose both systems to the same amount of emitted signal. The acquisition times were then retrospectively reduced to assess the performance of the PET/MRI for lower count rates. Image quality, image sharpness, artifacts and noise were evaluated. SUV measurements were taken in the liver and in white matter to compare quantification. Quantitative evaluation showed good correlation between PET/CT and PET/MR brain SUVs. Liver correlation was lower, with uptake underestimation in PET/MR, partially justified by bio-redistribution. The clinical evaluation showed that PET/MR offers higher image quality and sharpness with lower levels of noise and artefacts compared to PET/CT with reduced acquisition times for whole body scans, while for brain scans there is no significant difference. The PET-component of the TOF-PET/MR showed higher image quality compared to PET/CT as tested with reduced imaging times. However, these results account mainly for body imaging, while no significant difference were found in brain imaging. This overall higher image quality suggests that the acquisition time or injected activity can be reduced by at least 37% on the PET/MR scanner.

Non-linear Imaging using an Experimental Synthetic Aperture Real Time Ultrasound Scanner

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Joachim; Du, Yigang; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2011-01-01

This paper presents the first non-linear B-mode image of a wire phantom using pulse inversion attained via an experimental synthetic aperture real-time ultrasound scanner (SARUS). The purpose of this study is to implement and validate non-linear imaging on SARUS for the further development of new...... non-linear techniques. This study presents non-linear and linear B-mode images attained via SARUS and an existing ultrasound system as well as a Field II simulation. The non-linear image shows an improved spatial resolution and lower full width half max and -20 dB resolution values compared to linear...

Accelerated time-of-flight (TOF) PET image reconstruction using TOF bin subsetization and TOF weighting matrix pre-computation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehranian, Abolfazl; Kotasidis, Fotis; Zaidi, Habib

2016-01-01

Time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) technology has recently regained popularity in clinical PET studies for improving image quality and lesion detectability. Using TOF information, the spatial location of annihilation events is confined to a number of image voxels along each line of response, thereby the cross-dependencies of image voxels are reduced, which in turns results in improved signal-to-noise ratio and convergence rate. In this work, we propose a novel approach to further improve the convergence of the expectation maximization (EM)-based TOF PET image reconstruction algorithm through subsetization of emission data over TOF bins as well as azimuthal bins. Given the prevalence of TOF PET, we elaborated the practical and efficient implementation of TOF PET image reconstruction through the pre-computation of TOF weighting coefficients while exploiting the same in-plane and axial symmetries used in pre-computation of geometric system matrix. In the proposed subsetization approach, TOF PET data were partitioned into a number of interleaved TOF subsets, with the aim of reducing the spatial coupling of TOF bins and therefore to improve the convergence of the standard maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) and ordered subsets EM (OSEM) algorithms. The comparison of on-the-fly and pre-computed TOF projections showed that the pre-computation of the TOF weighting coefficients can considerably reduce the computation time of TOF PET image reconstruction. The convergence rate and bias-variance performance of the proposed TOF subsetization scheme were evaluated using simulated, experimental phantom and clinical studies. Simulations demonstrated that as the number of TOF subsets is increased, the convergence rate of MLEM and OSEM algorithms is improved. It was also found that for the same computation time, the proposed subsetization gives rise to further convergence. The bias-variance analysis of the experimental NEMA phantom and a clinical

Monte Carlo simulation of efficient data acquisition for an entire-body PET scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isnaini, Ismet; Obi, Takashi [Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Yoshida, Eiji, E-mail: rush@nirs.go.jp [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Yamaya, Taiga [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan)

2014-07-01

Conventional PET scanners can image the whole body using many bed positions. On the other hand, an entire-body PET scanner with an extended axial FOV, which can trace whole-body uptake images at the same time and improve sensitivity dynamically, has been desired. The entire-body PET scanner would have to process a large amount of data effectively. As a result, the entire-body PET scanner has high dead time at a multiplex detector grouping process. Also, the entire-body PET scanner has many oblique line-of-responses. In this work, we study an efficient data acquisition for the entire-body PET scanner using the Monte Carlo simulation. The simulated entire-body PET scanner based on depth-of-interaction detectors has a 2016-mm axial field-of-view (FOV) and an 80-cm ring diameter. Since the entire-body PET scanner has higher single data loss than a conventional PET scanner at grouping circuits, the NECR of the entire-body PET scanner decreases. But, single data loss is mitigated by separating the axially arranged detector into multiple parts. Our choice of 3 groups of axially-arranged detectors has shown to increase the peak NECR by 41%. An appropriate choice of maximum ring difference (MRD) will also maintain the same high performance of sensitivity and high peak NECR while at the same time reduces the data size. The extremely-oblique line of response for large axial FOV does not contribute much to the performance of the scanner. The total sensitivity with full MRD increased only 15% than that with about half MRD. The peak NECR was saturated at about half MRD. The entire-body PET scanner promises to provide a large axial FOV and to have sufficient performance values without using the full data.

The\tutility\tof\tneuroimaging\tin\tthe\tmanagement\tof\tdementia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uduak\tE\tWilliams

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Dementia is a syndrome of progressive dysfunction of two or more cognitive\tdomains\tassociated\twith\timpairment\tof\tactivities\tof\tdaily\tliving. An understanding of the pathophysiology of dementia and its early diagnosis\tis\timportant\tin\tthe\tpursuit\tof\tpossible\tdisease\tmodifying\ttherapy for\tdementia.\tNeuroimaging\thas\tgreatly\ttransformed\tthis\tfield\tof\tresearch as its function has changed from a mere tool for diagnosing treatable causes of dementia to an instrument for pre-symptomatic diagnosis of dementia. This\treview\tfocuses\ton\tthe\tdiagnostic\tutility\tof\tneuroimaging\tin the\tmanagement\tof\tprogressive\tdementias.\tStructural\timaging\ttechniques like computerized tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging highlights the anatomical, structural and volumetric details of the brain; while functional imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography, arterial spin labeling, single photon emission computerized tomography\tand\tblood\toxygen\tlevel-dependent\tfunctional\tmagnetic\tresonance\timaging\tfocuses\ton\tchemistry, circulatory\tstatus\tand\tphysiology\tof\tthe\tdifferent\tbrain\tstructures\tand\tregions.

MR-based attenuation correction for cardiac FDG PET on a hybrid PET/MRI scanner: comparison with standard CT attenuation correction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vontobel, Jan; Liga, Riccardo; Possner, Mathias; Clerc, Olivier F.; Mikulicic, Fran; Veit-Haibach, Patrick; Voert, Edwin E.G.W. ter; Fuchs, Tobias A.; Stehli, Julia; Pazhenkottil, Aju P.; Benz, Dominik C.; Graeni, Christoph; Gaemperli, Oliver; Herzog, Bernhard; Buechel, Ronny R.; Kaufmann, Philipp A. [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Zurich (Switzerland)

2015-09-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of attenuation correction (AC) for cardiac {sup 18}F-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) using MR-based attenuation maps. We included 23 patients with no known cardiac history undergoing whole-body FDG PET/CT imaging for oncological indications on a PET/CT scanner using time-of-flight (TOF) and subsequent whole-body PET/MR imaging on an investigational hybrid PET/MRI scanner. Data sets from PET/MRI (with and without TOF) were reconstructed using MR AC and semi-quantitative segmental (20-segment model) myocardial tracer uptake (per cent of maximum) and compared to PET/CT which was reconstructed using CT AC and served as standard of reference. Excellent correlations were found for regional uptake values between PET/CT and PET/MRI with TOF (n = 460 segments in 23 patients; r = 0.913; p < 0.0001) with narrow Bland-Altman limits of agreement (-8.5 to +12.6 %). Correlation coefficients were slightly lower between PET/CT and PET/MRI without TOF (n = 460 segments in 23 patients; r = 0.851; p < 0.0001) with broader Bland-Altman limits of agreement (-12.5 to +15.0 %). PET/MRI with and without TOF showed minimal underestimation of tracer uptake (-2.08 and -1.29 %, respectively), compared to PET/CT. Relative myocardial FDG uptake obtained from MR-based attenuation corrected FDG PET is highly comparable to standard CT-based attenuation corrected FDG PET, suggesting interchangeability of both AC techniques. (orig.)

A 3D airborne ultrasound scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Capineri, L.; Masotti, L.; Rocchi, S.

1998-06-01

This work investigates the feasibility of an ultrasound scanner designed to reconstruct three-dimensional profiles of objects in air. There are many industrial applications in which it is important to obtain quickly and accurately the digital reconstruction of solid objects with contactless methods. The final aim of this project was the profile reconstruction of shoe lasts in order to eliminate the mechanical tracers from the reproduction process of shoe prototypes. The feasibility of an ultrasonic scanner was investigated in laboratory conditions on wooden test objects with axial symmetry. A bistatic system based on five airborne polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF) transducers was mechanically moved to emulate a cylindrical array transducer that can host objects of maximum width and height 20 cm and 40 cm respectively. The object reconstruction was based on a simplified version of the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT): the time of flight (TOF) of the first in time echo for each receiving transducer was taken into account, a coarse spatial sampling of the ultrasonic field reflected on the array transducer was delivered and the reconstruction algorithm was based on the ellipsoidal backprojection. Measurements on a wooden cone section provided submillimetre accuracy in a controlled environment.

Developments for the TOF Straw Tracker

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ucar, A.

2006-07-01

COSY-TOF is a very large acceptance spectrometer for charged particles using precise information on track geometry and time of flight of reaction products. It is an external detector system at the Cooler Synchrotron and storage ring COSY in Juelich. In order to improve the performance of the COSY-TOF, a new tracking detector ''Straw Tracker'' is being constructed which combines very low mass, operation in vacuum, very good resolution, high sampling density and very high acceptance. A comparison of pp{yields}d{pi}{sup +} data and a simulation using the straw tracker with geometry alone indicates big improvements with the new tracker. In order to investigate the straw tracker properties a small tracking hodoscope ''cosmic ray test facility'' was constructed in advance. It is made of two crossed hodoscopes consisting of 128 straw tubes arranged in 4 double planes. For the first time Juelich straws have been used for 3 dimensional reconstruction of cosmic ray tracks. In this illuminating field the space dependent response of scintillators and a straw tube were studied. (orig.)

Developments for the TOF Straw Tracker

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ucar, A.

2006-01-01

COSY-TOF is a very large acceptance spectrometer for charged particles using precise information on track geometry and time of flight of reaction products. It is an external detector system at the Cooler Synchrotron and storage ring COSY in Juelich. In order to improve the performance of the COSY-TOF, a new tracking detector ''Straw Tracker'' is being constructed which combines very low mass, operation in vacuum, very good resolution, high sampling density and very high acceptance. A comparison of pp→dπ + data and a simulation using the straw tracker with geometry alone indicates big improvements with the new tracker. In order to investigate the straw tracker properties a small tracking hodoscope ''cosmic ray test facility'' was constructed in advance. It is made of two crossed hodoscopes consisting of 128 straw tubes arranged in 4 double planes. For the first time Juelich straws have been used for 3 dimensional reconstruction of cosmic ray tracks. In this illuminating field the space dependent response of scintillators and a straw tube were studied. (orig.)

Processing optimization with parallel computing for the J-PET scanner

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krzemień Wojciech

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The Jagiellonian Positron Emission Tomograph (J-PET collaboration is developing a prototype time of flight (TOF-positron emission tomograph (PET detector based on long polymer scintillators. This novel approach exploits the excellent time properties of the plastic scintillators, which permit very precise time measurements. The very fast field programmable gate array (FPGA-based front-end electronics and the data acquisition system, as well as low- and high-level reconstruction algorithms were specially developed to be used with the J-PET scanner. The TOF-PET data processing and reconstruction are time and resource demanding operations, especially in the case of a large acceptance detector that works in triggerless data acquisition mode. In this article, we discuss the parallel computing methods applied to optimize the data processing for the J-PET detector. We begin with general concepts of parallel computing and then we discuss several applications of those techniques in the J-PET data processing.

Joint estimation of activity and attenuation for PET using pragmatic MR-based prior: application to clinical TOF PET/MR whole-body data for FDG and non-FDG tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Sangtae; Cheng, Lishui; Shanbhag, Dattesh D.; Qian, Hua; Kaushik, Sandeep S.; Jansen, Floris P.; Wiesinger, Florian

2018-02-01

Accurate and robust attenuation correction remains challenging in hybrid PET/MR particularly for torsos because it is difficult to segment bones, lungs and internal air in MR images. Additionally, MR suffers from susceptibility artifacts when a metallic implant is present. Recently, joint estimation (JE) of activity and attenuation based on PET data, also known as maximum likelihood reconstruction of activity and attenuation, has gained considerable interest because of (1) its promise to address the challenges in MR-based attenuation correction (MRAC), and (2) recent advances in time-of-flight (TOF) technology, which is known to be the key to the success of JE. In this paper, we implement a JE algorithm using an MR-based prior and evaluate the algorithm using whole-body PET/MR patient data, for both FDG and non-FDG tracers, acquired from GE SIGNA PET/MR scanners with TOF capability. The weight of the MR-based prior is spatially modulated, based on MR signal strength, to control the balance between MRAC and JE. Large prior weights are used in strong MR signal regions such as soft tissue and fat (i.e. MR tissue classification with a high degree of certainty) and small weights are used in low MR signal regions (i.e. MR tissue classification with a low degree of certainty). The MR-based prior is pragmatic in the sense that it is convex and does not require training or population statistics while exploiting synergies between MRAC and JE. We demonstrate the JE algorithm has the potential to improve the robustness and accuracy of MRAC by recovering the attenuation of metallic implants, internal air and some bones and by better delineating lung boundaries, not only for FDG but also for more specific non-FDG tracers such as 68Ga-DOTATOC and 18F-Fluoride.

Neutron spectrum measurement by TOF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aizawa, Otohiko

1982-01-01

The TOF experiments by using various facilities are described. The steady neutron spectra in light water which contains non-1/V absorbing materials were measured by the TOF method at a LINAC facility. The results were compared with the calculations based on the Koppel-Haywood model and two others. The leakage neutron spectra from a heavy-water assembly were measured and compared with model calculations. The time-dependent energy spectra in a small graphite assembly were measured. For this measurement, a chopper system was also used. The two-region calculation explains the spectrum just after the neutron burst. The time-dependent spectra in a small Be assembly and in an assembly of coolant-moderator containing hydrogen were also measured. The calculations based on various models are in progress. The TOF experiments at the reactor-chopper facility were carried out for measuring the total cross sections of crystalline moderators, the thermal neutron total cross section of high temperature beryllium, the thermal neutron total cross sections of granular lead and high temperature liquid lead, and the angle-dependent scattering spectra. A pseudo-chopper was designed and constructed. The spectra of the neutron field for medical use were measured by the chopper-TOF system. The thermal neutron total cross sections of Fe, Zr, Nb and Mg were measured, and the results were compared with the calculations by THRUSH and UNCLE-TOM codes. The random-trigger TOF experiments were made by using Cf-252. (Kato, T.)

Manually operated small envelope scanner system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sword, Charles Keith

2017-04-18

A scanner system and method for acquisition of position-based ultrasonic inspection data are described. The scanner system includes an inspection probe and a first non-contact linear encoder having a first sensor and a first scale to track inspection probe position. The first sensor is positioned to maintain a continuous non-contact interface between the first sensor and the first scale and to maintain a continuous alignment of the first sensor with the inspection probe. The scanner system may be used to acquire two-dimensional inspection probe position data by including a second non-contact linear encoder having a second sensor and a second scale, the second sensor positioned to maintain a continuous non-contact interface between the second sensor and the second scale and to maintain a continuous alignment of the second sensor with the first sensor.

Eddy current inspection of stationary blade rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krzywosz, K.J.; Hastings, S.N.

1994-01-01

Stationary turbine blade rings in a US power plant have experienced chloride-induced cracking. Failure analysis determined two types of cracking mechanisms: corrosion fatigue cracking confined to the leading edge of the outer shroud; and stress corrosion cracking present all over the blade surface. Fluorescent dye penetrant is typically used to detect and size cracks. However, it requires cleaning the blade rings by sandblasting to obtain reliable inspection results. Sand blasting in turn requires sealing the lower half of the turbine housing to prevent sand from contaminating the rest of the power plant components. Furthermore, both the penetrant examination and the removal of the sand are time consuming and costly. An alternative NDE technique is desirable which requires no pre-cleaning of the blade and a quick go/no-go inspection with the capability of estimating the crack length. This paper presents an innovative eddy current technique which meets the desired objectives by incorporating the use of specially designed contoured scanners equipped with an array of pancake coils. A set of eddy current pancake coils housed in three different scanners is used to manually scan and inspect the convex side of the stationary blade rings. The pancake coils are operated in a transmit/receive mode using two separate eddy current instruments. This paper presents the inspection concept, including scanner and probe designs, and test results from the various stages of multiple blade rings

Quadratic Regression-based Non-uniform Response Correction for Radiochromic Film Scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hae Sun; Kim, Chan Hyeong; Han, Young Yih; Kum, O Yeon

2009-01-01

In recent years, several types of radiochromic films have been extensively used for two-dimensional dose measurements such as dosimetry in radiotherapy as well as imaging and radiation protection applications. One of the critical aspects in radiochromic film dosimetry is the accurate readout of the scanner without dose distortion. However, most of charge-coupled device (CCD) scanners used for the optical density readout of the film employ a fluorescent lamp or a coldcathode lamp as a light source, which leads to a significant amount of light scattering on the active layer of the film. Due to the effect of the light scattering, dose distortions are produced with non-uniform responses, although the dose is uniformly irradiated to the film. In order to correct the distorted doses, a method based on correction factors (CF) has been reported and used. However, the prediction of the real incident doses is difficult when the indiscreet doses are delivered to the film, since the dose correction with the CF-based method is restrictively used in case that the incident doses are already known. In a previous study, therefore, a pixel-based algorithm with linear regression was developed to correct the dose distortion of a flatbed scanner, and to estimate the initial doses. The result, however, was not very good for some cases especially when the incident dose is under approximately 100 cGy. In the present study, the problem was addressed by replacing the linear regression with the quadratic regression. The corrected doses using this method were also compared with the results of other conventional methods

Electro-optical hybrid slip ring

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, En

2005-11-01

The slip ring is a rotary electrical interface, collector, swivel or rotary joint. It is a physical system that can perform continuous data transfer and data exchange between a stationary and a rotating structure. A slip ring is generally used to transfer data or power from an unrestrained, continuously rotating electro-mechanical system in real-time, thereby simplifying operations and eliminating damage-prone wires dangling from moving joints. Slip rings are widely used for testing, evaluating, developing and improving various technical equipment and facilities with rotating parts. They are widely used in industry, especially in manufacturing industries employing turbo machinery, as in aviation, shipbuilding, aerospace, defense, and in precise facilities having rotating parts such as medical Computerized Tomography (CT) and MRI scanners and so forth. Therefore, any improvement in slip ring technology can impact large markets. Research and development in this field will have broad prospects long into the future. The goal in developing the current slip ring technology is to improve and increase the reliability, stability, anti-interference, and high data fidelity between rotating and stationary structures. Up to now, there have been numerous approaches used for signal and data transfer utilizing a slip ring such as metal contacts, wires, radio transmission, and even liquid media. However, all suffer from drawbacks such as data transfer speed limitations, reliability, stability, electro-magnetic interference and durability. The purpose of the current research is to break through these basic limitations using an optical solution, thereby improving performance in current slip ring applications. This dissertation introduces a novel Electro-Optical Hybrid Slip Ring technology, which makes "through the air" digital-optical communication between stationary and rotating systems a reality with high data transfer speed, better reliability and low interference susceptibility

A flexible and wearable terahertz scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, D.; Oda, S.; Kawano, Y.

2016-12-01

Imaging technologies based on terahertz (THz) waves have great potential for use in powerful non-invasive inspection methods. However, most real objects have various three-dimensional curvatures and existing THz technologies often encounter difficulties in imaging such configurations, which limits the useful range of THz imaging applications. Here, we report the development of a flexible and wearable THz scanner based on carbon nanotubes. We achieved room-temperature THz detection over a broad frequency band ranging from 0.14 to 39 THz and developed a portable THz scanner. Using this scanner, we performed THz imaging of samples concealed behind opaque objects, breakages and metal impurities of a bent film and multi-view scans of a syringe. We demonstrated a passive biometric THz scan of a human hand. Our results are expected to have considerable implications for non-destructive and non-contact inspections, such as medical examinations for the continuous monitoring of health conditions.

A multi-center ring trial for the identification of anaerobic bacteria using MALDI-TOF MS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Veloo, A; Jean-Pierre, H; Justesen, U S

2017-01-01

Inter-laboratory reproducibility of Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) of anaerobic bacteria has not been shown before. Therefore, ten anonymized anaerobic strains were sent to seven participating laboratories, an initiative of the European Network...

TOF-PET/MR和TOF-PET/CT在体部恶性肿瘤SUVmax值的比较%Comparision of SUVmax of TOF-PET/MR and TOF-PET/CT in body malignant tumor

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

宋天彬; 卢洁; 崔碧霄; 马杰; 杨宏伟; 马蕾; 梁志刚

2017-01-01

目的 探讨时间飞行(TOF)技术PET/CT和PET/MR检查体部恶性病变SUVmax值的一致性.方法 回顾性分析接受TOF-PET/CT和TOF-PET/MR检查的体部恶性肿瘤患者20例,分为先PET/CT后PET/MR组和先PET/MR后PET/CT组,每组10例.采用Bland-Altma图评价两次检查病灶SUVmax值的一致性,采用多因素方差分析评价扫描顺序和机器类型对病灶的SUVmax测量值的影响.结果 TOF-PET/CT与TOF-PET/MR检查病灶的SUVmax值有较好的一致性[先PET/CT后PET/MR组:均值差为3.06,95％CI(-7.5,13.6),先PET/MR后PET/CT组:均值差3.0,95％CI(-2.4,8.3)].扫描顺序对于恶性病灶的SUVmax有影响(F=46.00,P＜0.001),而机器类型对恶性病灶的SUVmax值无影响(F=0.005,P=0.95).结论 TOF-PET/MR和TOF-PET/CT在体部恶性病变SUVmax值测量方面具有相当的诊断价值,且延迟显像SUVmax的增加与采集时间有关,而与检查机器类型无关.%Objective To explore the consistency of time-of-flight (TOF) technology of PET/MRI and PET/CT for max standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of body malignant tumors.Methods A retrospective analysis of TOF-PET/CT and TOF-PET/MR imaging data about twenty patients with body malignant tumors was performed.Patients were divided into two groups (each n=10),including PET/CT first and sequentially PET/MR group and PET/MR first and sequentially PET/CT group.Bland-Altman figure was used to evaluate consistency of SUVmax of malignant lesions between TOF-PET/CT and TOF-PET/MR.Multi-way ANOVA was used to analysis effect of machine type and exam order on SUVmaxof malignant lesions in TOF-PET/CT and TOF-PET/MR.Results SUVmax of malignant lesions in TOF-PET/CT and TOF-PET/MR had good consistency in two groups (PET/CT first and sequentially PET/MR group:Mean difference was 3.06,95％CI was [-7.5,13.6];PET/MR first and sequentially PET/CT group:Mean difference was 3.0,95％CI was [-2.4,8.3]).SUVmax was not influenced by machine type (F=0.005,P=0.95),but exam order (F=46.00,P＜0

Application of the compress sensing theory for improvement of the TOF resolution in a novel J-PET instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raczyński Lech

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, in positron emission tomography (PET systems, a time of flight (TOF information is used to improve the image reconstruction process. In TOF-PET, fast detectors are able to measure the difference in the arrival time of the two gamma rays, with the precision enabling to shorten significantly a range along the line-of-response (LOR where the annihilation occurred. In the new concept, called J-PET scanner, gamma rays are detected in plastic scintillators. In a single strip of J-PET system, time values are obtained by probing signals in the amplitude domain. Owing to compressive sensing (CS theory, information about the shape and amplitude of the signals is recovered. In this paper, we demonstrate that based on the acquired signals parameters, a better signal normalization may be provided in order to improve the TOF resolution. The procedure was tested using large sample of data registered by a dedicated detection setup enabling sampling of signals with 50-ps intervals. Experimental setup provided irradiation of a chosen position in the plastic scintillator strip with annihilation gamma quanta.

Fourier rebinning and consistency equations for time-of-flight PET planograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yusheng; Matej, Samuel; Metzler, Scott D; Defrise, Michel

2016-01-01

Due to the unique geometry, dual-panel PET scanners have many advantages in dedicated breast imaging and on-board imaging applications since the compact scanners can be combined with other imaging and treatment modalities. The major challenges of dual-panel PET imaging are the limited-angle problem and data truncation, which can cause artifacts due to incomplete data sampling. The time-of-flight (TOF) information can be a promising solution to reduce these artifacts. The TOF planogram is the native data format for dual-panel TOF PET scanners, and the non-TOF planogram is the 3D extension of linogram. The TOF planograms is five-dimensional while the objects are three-dimensional, and there are two degrees of redundancy. In this paper, we derive consistency equations and Fourier-based rebinning algorithms to provide a complete understanding of the rich structure of the fully 3D TOF planograms. We first derive two consistency equations and John’s equation for 3D TOF planograms. By taking the Fourier transforms, we obtain two Fourier consistency equations (FCEs) and the Fourier–John equation (FJE), which are the duals of the consistency equations and John’s equation, respectively. We then solve the FCEs and FJE using the method of characteristics. The two degrees of entangled redundancy of the 3D TOF data can be explicitly elicited and exploited by the solutions along the characteristic curves. As the special cases of the general solutions, we obtain Fourier rebinning and consistency equations (FORCEs), and thus we obtain a complete scheme to convert among different types of PET planograms: 3D TOF, 3D non-TOF, 2D TOF and 2D non-TOF planograms. The FORCEs can be used as Fourier-based rebinning algorithms for TOF-PET data reduction, inverse rebinnings for designing fast projectors, or consistency conditions for estimating missing data. As a byproduct, we show the two consistency equations are necessary and sufficient for 3D TOF planograms. Finally, we give

Fourier rebinning and consistency equations for time-of-flight PET planograms.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yusheng; Defrise, Michel; Matej, Samuel; Metzler, Scott D

2016-01-01

Due to the unique geometry, dual-panel PET scanners have many advantages in dedicated breast imaging and on-board imaging applications since the compact scanners can be combined with other imaging and treatment modalities. The major challenges of dual-panel PET imaging are the limited-angle problem and data truncation, which can cause artifacts due to incomplete data sampling. The time-of-flight (TOF) information can be a promising solution to reduce these artifacts. The TOF planogram is the native data format for dual-panel TOF PET scanners, and the non-TOF planogram is the 3D extension of linogram. The TOF planograms is five-dimensional while the objects are three-dimensional, and there are two degrees of redundancy. In this paper, we derive consistency equations and Fourier-based rebinning algorithms to provide a complete understanding of the rich structure of the fully 3D TOF planograms. We first derive two consistency equations and John's equation for 3D TOF planograms. By taking the Fourier transforms, we obtain two Fourier consistency equations and the Fourier-John equation, which are the duals of the consistency equations and John's equation, respectively. We then solve the Fourier consistency equations and Fourier-John equation using the method of characteristics. The two degrees of entangled redundancy of the 3D TOF data can be explicitly elicited and exploited by the solutions along the characteristic curves. As the special cases of the general solutions, we obtain Fourier rebinning and consistency equations (FORCEs), and thus we obtain a complete scheme to convert among different types of PET planograms: 3D TOF, 3D non-TOF, 2D TOF and 2D non-TOF planograms. The FORCEs can be used as Fourier-based rebinning algorithms for TOF-PET data reduction, inverse rebinnings for designing fast projectors, or consistency conditions for estimating missing data. As a byproduct, we show the two consistency equations are necessary and sufficient for 3D TOF planograms

Optimized MLAA for quantitative non-TOF PET/MR of the brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Benoit, Didier; Ladefoged, Claes N.; Rezaei, Ahmadreza

2016-01-01

For quantitative tracer distribution in positron emission tomography, attenuation correction is essential. In a hybrid PET/CT system the CT images serve as a basis for generation of the attenuation map, but in PET/MR, the MR images do not have a similarly simple relationship with the attenuation...... map. Hence attenuation correction in PET/MR systems is more challenging. Typically either of two MR sequences are used: the Dixon or the ultra-short time echo (UTE) techniques. However these sequences have some well-known limitations. In this study, a reconstruction technique based on a modified...... and optimized non-TOF MLAA is proposed for PET/MR brain imaging. The idea is to tune the parameters of the MLTR applying some information from an attenuation image computed from the UTE sequences and a T1w MR image. In this MLTR algorithm, an [Formula: see text] parameter is introduced and optimized in order...

The Effect of Susceptibility Artifacts Related to Metallic Implants on Adjacent-Lesion Assessment in Simultaneous TOF PET/MR.

Science.gov (United States)

Svirydenka, Hanna; Delso, Gaspar; De Galiza Barbosa, Felipe; Huellner, Martin; Davison, Helen; Fanti, Stefano; Veit-Haibach, Patrick; Ter Voert, Edwin E G W

2017-07-01

Metalic implants may affect attenuation correction (AC) in PET/MR imaging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of susceptibility artifacts related to metallic implants on adjacent metabolically active lesions in clinical simultaneous PET/MR scanning for both time-of-flight (TOF) and non-TOF reconstructed PET images. Methods: We included 27 patients without implants but with confirmed 18 F-FDG-avid lesions adjacent to common implant locations. In all patients, a clinically indicated whole-body 18 F-FDG PET/MR scan was acquired. Baseline non-TOF and TOF PET images were reconstructed. Reconstruction was repeated after the introduction of artificial signal voids in the AC map to simulate metallic implants in standard anatomic areas. All reconstructed images were qualitatively and quantitatively assessed and compared with the baseline images. Results: In total, 51 lesions were assessed. In 40 and 50 of these cases (non-TOF and TOF, respectively), the detectability of the lesions did not change; in 9 and 1 cases, the detectability changed; and in 2 non-TOF cases, the lesions were no longer visible after the introduction of metallic artifacts. The inclusion of TOF information significantly reduced artifacts due to simulated implants in the femoral head, sternum, and spine ( P = 0.01, 0.01, and 0.03, respectively). It also improved image quality in these locations ( P = 0.02, 0.01, and 0.01, respectively). The mean percentage error was -3.5% for TOF and -4.8% for non-TOF reconstructions, meaning that the inclusion of TOF information reduced the percentage error in SUV max by 28.5% ( P metallic implants have a significant effect on small, moderately 18 F-FDG-avid lesions near the implant site that possibly may go unnoticed without TOF information. On larger, highly 18 F-FDG-avid lesions, the metallic implants had only a limited effect. The largest significant quantitative difference was found in artifacts of the sternum. There was only a weak inverse

A megavoltage CT scanner for radiotherapy verification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, D.G.; Swindell, W.; Morton, E.J.; Evans, P.M.; Xiao, Z.R.

1992-01-01

The authors have developed a system for generating megavoltage CT images immediately prior to the administration of external beam radiotherapy. The detector is based on the scanner of Simpson (Simpson et al 1982) - the major differences being a significant reduction in dose required for image formation, faster image formation and greater convenience of use in the clinical setting. Attention has been paid to the problem of ring artefacts in the images. Specifically, a Fourier-space filter has been applied to the sinogram data. After suitable detector calibration, it has been shown that the device operates close to its theoretical specification of 3 mm spatial resolution and a few percent contrast resolution. Ring artefacts continue to be a major source of image degradation. A number of clinical images are presented. (author)

Identification of proteins of human colorectal carcinoma cell line SW480 by two-dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ying-Tao Zhang; Yi-Ping Geng; Le Zhou; Bao-Chang Lai; Lv-Sheng Si; Yi-Li Wang

2005-01-01

AIM: To conduct the proteomic analysis of human colorectal carcinoma cell line, SW480 by using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption /ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDITOFMS).METHODS: The total proteins of human colorectal carcinoma cell line, SW480 were separated with 2-DE by using immobilized pH gradient strips and visualized by staining with silver nitrate. The gel images were acquired by scanner and 2-DE analysis software, Image Master 2D Elite. Nineteen distinct protein spots were excised from gel randomly and digested in gel by TPCK-trypsin. Mass analysis ofthe tryptic digest peptides mixture was performed by using MALDI-TOF MS. Peptide mass fingerprints (PMFs) obtained by the MALDI-TOF analysis were used to search NCBI,SWISS-PROT and MSDB databases by using Mascot software.RESULTS: PMF maps of all spots were obtained by MALDI-TOF MS and thirteen proteins were preliminarily identified.CONCLUSION: The methods of analysis and identification of protein spots of tumor cells in 2-DE gel with silver staining by MALDI-TOF MS derived PMF have been established.Protein expression profile of SW480 has been obtained.It is demonstrated that a combination of proteomics and cell culture is a useful approach to comprehend the process of colon carcinogenesis.

Happy birthday n_TOF!

CERN Multimedia

Francesco Poppi

2010-01-01

The “Neutron Time Of Flight” facility (n_TOF) has recently turned ten. A simple ceremony marked the date of the anniversary and provides a nice opportunity to retrace the successful history of this unique facility, whose scientific activity spans a range from astrophysics to the study of nuclear-waste transmutation processes.   From left to right: Enrique Gonzalez-Romero, Chairman of Collaboration Board, Enrico Chiaveri, Spokesperson of n_TOF Experiment, and Carlo Rubbia, the creator of the n_TOF experiment. Ten years after its first beam, n_TOF is just approaching maturity. Revitalized by the recent renovation of its infrastructures that allowed it to gain the unique label of “Class A” in radio-protection standards, n_TOF has a rich and challenging scientific programme. “One year ago, the beam line and the experimental area were completely rebuilt to comply with the Class A radio protection requirements in order to safely use almost all radionucl...

Calibration of EBT2 film by the PDD method with scanner non-uniformity correction.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Liyun; Chui, Chen-Shou; Ding, Hueisch-Jy; Hwang, Ing-Ming; Ho, Sheng-Yow

2012-09-21

The EBT2 film together with a flatbed scanner is a convenient dosimetry QA tool for verification of clinical radiotherapy treatments. However, it suffers from a relatively high degree of uncertainty and a tedious film calibration process for every new lot of films, including cutting the films into several small pieces, exposing with different doses, restoring them back and selecting the proper region of interest (ROI) for each piece for curve fitting. In this work, we present a percentage depth dose (PDD) method that can accurately calibrate the EBT2 film together with the scanner non-uniformity correction and provide an easy way to perform film dosimetry. All films were scanned before and after the irradiation in one of the two homemade 2 mm thick acrylic frames (one portrait and the other landscape), which was located at a fixed position on the scan bed of an Epson 10 000XL scanner. After the pre-irradiated scan, the film was placed parallel to the beam central axis and sandwiched between six polystyrene plates (5 cm thick each), followed by irradiation of a 20 × 20 cm² 6 MV photon beam. Two different beams on times were used on two different films to deliver a dose to the film ranging from 32 to 320 cGy. After the post-irradiated scan, the net optical densities for a total of 235 points on the beam central axis on the films were auto-extracted and compared with the corresponding depth doses that were calculated through the measurement of a 0.6 cc farmer chamber and the related PDD table to perform the curve fitting. The portrait film location was selected for routine calibration, since the central beam axis on the film is parallel to the scanning direction, where non-uniformity correction is not needed (Ferreira et al 2009 Phys. Med. Biol. 54 1073-85). To perform the scanner non-uniformity calibration, the cross-beam profiles of the film were analysed by referencing the measured profiles from a Profiler™. Finally, to verify our method, the films were

Calibration of EBT2 film by the PDD method with scanner non-uniformity correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang Liyun; Ding, Hueisch-Jy; Chui, Chen-Shou; Hwang, Ing-Ming; Ho, Sheng-Yow

2012-01-01

The EBT2 film together with a flatbed scanner is a convenient dosimetry QA tool for verification of clinical radiotherapy treatments. However, it suffers from a relatively high degree of uncertainty and a tedious film calibration process for every new lot of films, including cutting the films into several small pieces, exposing with different doses, restoring them back and selecting the proper region of interest (ROI) for each piece for curve fitting. In this work, we present a percentage depth dose (PDD) method that can accurately calibrate the EBT2 film together with the scanner non-uniformity correction and provide an easy way to perform film dosimetry. All films were scanned before and after the irradiation in one of the two homemade 2 mm thick acrylic frames (one portrait and the other landscape), which was located at a fixed position on the scan bed of an Epson 10 000XL scanner. After the pre-irradiated scan, the film was placed parallel to the beam central axis and sandwiched between six polystyrene plates (5 cm thick each), followed by irradiation of a 20 × 20 cm 2 6 MV photon beam. Two different beams on times were used on two different films to deliver a dose to the film ranging from 32 to 320 cGy. After the post-irradiated scan, the net optical densities for a total of 235 points on the beam central axis on the films were auto-extracted and compared with the corresponding depth doses that were calculated through the measurement of a 0.6 cc farmer chamber and the related PDD table to perform the curve fitting. The portrait film location was selected for routine calibration, since the central beam axis on the film is parallel to the scanning direction, where non-uniformity correction is not needed (Ferreira et al 2009 Phys. Med. Biol. 54 1073–85). To perform the scanner non-uniformity calibration, the cross-beam profiles of the film were analysed by referencing the measured profiles from a Profiler™. Finally, to verify our method, the films were

Cyclic and constacyclic codes over a non-chain ring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayşegül Bayram

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In this study, we consider linear and especially cyclic codes over the non-chain ring $Z_{p}[v]/\\langle v^{p}-v\\rangle$ where $p$ is a prime. This is a generalization of the case $p=3.$ Further, in this work the structure of constacyclic codes are studied as well. This study takes advantage mainly from a Gray map which preserves the distance between codes over this ring and $p$-ary codes and moreover this map enlightens the structure of these codes. Furthermore, a MacWilliams type identity is presented together with some illustrative examples.

Comprehensive MALDI-TOF biotyping of the non-redundant Harvard Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 transposon insertion mutant library.

Science.gov (United States)

Oumeraci, Tonio; Jensen, Vanessa; Talbot, Steven R; Hofmann, Winfried; Kostrzewa, Markus; Schlegelberger, Brigitte; von Neuhoff, Nils; Häussler, Susanne

2015-01-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacterium that is ubiquitously present in the aerobic biosphere. As an antibiotic-resistant facultative pathogen, it is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections. Its rapid and accurate identification is crucial in clinical and therapeutic environments. In a large-scale MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry-based screen of the Harvard transposon insertion mutant library of P. aeruginosa strain PA14, intact-cell proteome profile spectra of 5547 PA14 transposon mutants exhibiting a plethora of different phenotypes were acquired and analyzed. Of all P. aeruginosa PA14 mutant profiles 99.7% were correctly identified as P. aeruginosa with the Biotyper software on the species level. On the strain level, 99.99% of the profiles were mapped to five different individual P. aeruginosa Biotyper database entries. A principal component analysis-based approach was used to determine the most important discriminatory mass features between these Biotyper groups. Although technical replicas were consistently categorized to specific Biotyper groups in 94.2% of the mutant profiles, biological replicas were not, indicating that the distinct proteotypes are affected by growth conditions. The PA14 mutant profile collection presented here constitutes the largest coherent P. aeruginosa MALDI-TOF spectral dataset publicly available today. Transposon insertions in thousands of different P. aeruginosa genes did not affect species identification from MALDI-TOF mass spectra, clearly demonstrating the robustness of the approach. However, the assignment of the individual spectra to sub-groups proved to be non-consistent in biological replicas, indicating that the differentiation between biotyper groups in this nosocomial pathogen is unassured.

Happy birthday n_TOF!

CERN Multimedia

2010-01-01

Picture CERN-GE-1011313_58 : From left to right: Enrique Gonzalez-Romero, Chairman of Collaboration Board, Enrico Chiaveri, Spokesperson of n_TOF Experiment, and Carlo Rubbia, the creator of the n_TOF experiment.

Performance of a high sensitivity time-of-flight PET ring operating simultaneously within a 3T MR system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, Craig S; Jansen, Floris; Deller, Tim; Maramraju, Sri Harsha; Grant, Alex; Iagaru, Andrei

2014-01-01

A time-of-flight (TOF)-PET/MR research system installed at Stanford will be used to test the hypotheses that (a) it is possible to acquire simultaneous TOF-PET and 3T MR data while achieving uncompromised performance in both modalities and (b) simultaneous TOF-PET/MR is a tool for multi-parameter characterization of disease. In this paper we will describe the design as well as performance measurements both for the standalone PET ring, and with the two systems integrated. We will also show a selection of clinical images to compare the performance of the integrated TOF-PET/MR system with that of a state-of-the-art PET/CT system.

Out of lab calibration of a rotating 2D scanner for 3D mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, Rainer; Böttcher, Lena; Jahrsdörfer, Maximilian; Maier, Johannes; Trommer, Malte; May, Stefan; Nüchter, Andreas

2017-06-01

Mapping is an essential task in mobile robotics. To fulfil advanced navigation and manipulation tasks a 3D representation of the environment is required. Applying stereo cameras or Time-of-flight cameras (TOF cameras) are one way to archive this requirement. Unfortunately, they suffer from drawbacks which makes it difficult to map properly. Therefore, costly 3D laser scanners are applied. An inexpensive way to build a 3D representation is to use a 2D laser scanner and rotate the scan plane around an additional axis. A 3D point cloud acquired with such a custom device consists of multiple 2D line scans. Therefore the scanner pose of each line scan need to be determined as well as parameters resulting from a calibration to generate a 3D point cloud. Using external sensor systems are a common method to determine these calibration parameters. This is costly and difficult when the robot needs to be calibrated outside the lab. Thus, this work presents a calibration method applied on a rotating 2D laser scanner. It uses a hardware setup to identify the required parameters for calibration. This hardware setup is light, small, and easy to transport. Hence, an out of lab calibration is possible. Additional a theoretical model was created to test the algorithm and analyse impact of the scanner accuracy. The hardware components of the 3D scanner system are an HOKUYO UTM-30LX-EW 2D laser scanner, a Dynamixel servo-motor, and a control unit. The calibration system consists of an hemisphere. In the inner of the hemisphere a circular plate is mounted. The algorithm needs to be provided with a dataset of a single rotation from the laser scanner. To achieve a proper calibration result the scanner needs to be located in the middle of the hemisphere. By means of geometric formulas the algorithms determine the individual deviations of the placed laser scanner. In order to minimize errors, the algorithm solves the formulas in an iterative process. First, the calibration algorithm was

Rapid and reliable MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identification of Candida non-albicans isolates from bloodstream infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Pulcrano, Giovanna; Iula, Dora Vita; Vollaro, Antonio; Tucci, Alessandra; Cerullo, Monica; Esposito, Matilde; Rossano, Fabio; Catania, Maria Rosaria

2013-09-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) fingerprinting has recently become an effective instrument for rapid microbiological diagnostics and in particular for identification of micro-organisms directly in a positive blood culture. The aim of the study was to evaluate a collection of 82 stored yeast isolates from bloodstream infection, by MALDI-TOF MS; 21 isolates were identified also directly from positive blood cultures and in the presence of other co-infecting micro-organisms. Of the 82 isolates grown on plates, 64 (76%) were correctly identified by the Vitek II system and 82 (100%) by MALDI-TOF MS; when the two methods gave different results, the isolate was identified by PCR. MALDI-TOF MS was unreliable in identifying two isolates (Candida glabrata and Candida parapsilosis) directly from blood culture; however, direct analysis from positive blood culture samples was fast and effective for the identification of yeast, which is of great importance for early and adequate treatment. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Limitations in SELDI-TOF MS whole serum proteomic profiling with IMAC surface to specifically detect colorectal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qi; Gu, Jin; Shen, Jing; Li, Zhen-fu; Jie, Jian-zheng; Wang, Wen-yue; Wang, Jin; Zhang, Zhong-tao; Li, Zhi-xia; Yan, Li

2009-01-01

Surface enhanced laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) analysis on serum samples was reported to be able to detect colorectal cancer (CRC) from normal or control patients. We carried out a validation study of a SELDI-TOF MS approach with IMAC surface sample processing to identify CRC. A retrospective cohort of 338 serum samples including 154 CRCs, 67 control cancers and 117 non-cancerous conditions was profiled using SELDI-TOF-MS. No CRC 'specific' classifier was found. However, a classifier consisting of two protein peaks separates cancer from non-cancerous conditions with high accuracy. In this study, the SELDI-TOF-MS-based protein expression profiling approach did not perform to identify CRC. However, this technique is promising in distinguishing patients with cancer from a non-cancerous population; it may be useful for monitoring recurrence of CRC after treatment

A high resolution animal PET scanner using compact PS-PMT detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, M.; Okada, H.; Shimizu, K.; Omura, T.

1996-01-01

A new high resolution PET scanner dedicated to animal studies has been designed, built and tested. The system utilizes 240 block detectors, each of which consists of a new compact position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PS-PMT) and an 8 x 4 BGO array. A total number of 7,680 crystals (480 per ring) are positioned to form a 508 mm diameter of 16 detector rings with 7.2 mm pitch and 114 mm axial field of view (FOV). The system is designed to perform activation studies using a monkey in a sitting position. The data can be acquired in either 2D or 3D mode, where the slice collimators are retracted in 3D mode. The transaxial resolution is 2.6 mm FWHM at the center of the FOV, and the average axial resolution on the axis of the ring is 3.3 mm FWHM in the direct slice and 3.2 mm FWHM in the cross slice. The scatter fraction, sensitivity and count rate performance were evaluated for a 10 cm diameter cylindrical phantom. The total system sensitivity is 2.3 kcps/kBq/ml in 2D mode and 22.8 kcps/kBq/ml in 3D mode. The noise equivalent count rate with 3D mode is equivalent to that with 2D mode at five times higher radioactivity level. The applicable imaging capabilities of the scanner was demonstrated by animal studies with a monkey

An Approach for Automatic Orientation of Big Point Clouds from the Stationary Scanners Based on the Spherical Targets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YAO Jili

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS technology has high speed of data acquisition, large amount of point cloud, long distance of measuring. However, there are some disadvantages such as distance limitation in target detecting, hysteresis in point clouds processing, low automation and weaknesses of adapting long-distance topographic survey. In this case, we put forward a method on long-range targets detecting in big point clouds orientation. The method firstly searches point cloud rings that contain targets according to their engineering coordinate system. Then the detected rings are divided into sectors to detect targets in a very short time so as to obtain central coordinates of these targets. Finally, the position and orientation parameters of scanner are calculated and point clouds in scanner's own coordinate system(SOCS are converted into engineering coordinate system. The method is able to be applied in ordinary computers for long distance topographic(the distance between scanner and targets ranges from 180 to 700 m survey in mountainous areas with targets radius of 0.162m.

MALDI-TOF MS/MS measurements of PMMA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Becer, C.R.; Baumgaertel, A.; Gottschaldt, M.; Schubert, U.S.

2008-01-01

The polymer poly(Me methacrylate) (PMMA) was analyzed using the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technique. The MALDI-TOF MS app. was coupled with a collision-induced dissocn. (CID) unit. The performance of the MALDI-TOF/TOF MS method in

Multiplication modules over non-commutative rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuganbaev, A A

2003-01-01

It is proved that each submodule of a multiplication module over a regular ring is a multiplicative module. If A is a ring with commutative multiplication of right ideals, then each projective right ideal is a multiplicative module, and a finitely generated A-module M is a multiplicative module if and only if all its localizations with respect to maximal right ideals of A are cyclic modules over the corresponding localizations of A. In addition, several known results on multiplication modules over commutative rings are extended to modules over not necessarily commutative rings

NOAA-9 Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) scanner offsets determination

Science.gov (United States)

Avis, Lee M.; Paden, Jack; Lee, Robert B., III; Pandey, Dhirendra K.; Stassi, Joseph C.; Wilson, Robert S.; Tolson, Carol J.; Bolden, William C.

1994-01-01

The Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) instruments are designed to measure the components of the radiative exchange between the Sun, Earth and space. ERBE is comprised of three spacecraft, each carrying a nearly identical set of radiometers: a three-channel narrow-field-of-view scanner, a two-channel wide-field-of-view (limb-to-limb) non-scanning radiometer, a two-channel medium field-of view (1000 km) non-scanning radiometer, and a solar monitor. Ground testing showed the scanners to be susceptible to self-generated and externally generated electromagnetic noise. This paper describes the pre-launch corrective measures taken and the post-launch corrections to the NOAA-9 scanner data. The NOAA-9 scanner has met the mission objectives in accuracy and precision, in part because of the pre-launch reductions of and post-launch data corrections for the electromagnetic noise.

Determination of the glycation sites of Bacillus anthracis neoglycoconjugate vaccine by MALDI-TOF/TOF-CID-MS/MS and LC-ESI-QqTOF-tandem mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Jahouh, Farid; Hou, Shu-jie; Kováč, Pavol; Banoub, Joseph H.

2012-01-01

We present herein an efficient mass spectrometric method for the localization of the glycation sites of a model neoglycoconjugate vaccine formed by a construct of the tetrasaccharide side chain of the Bacillus anthracis exosporium and the protein carrier bovine serum albumin. The glycoconjugate was digested with both trypsin and GluC V8 endoproteinases, and the digests were then analyzed by MALDI-TOF/TOF-CID-MS/MS and nano-LC-ESI-QqTOF-CID-MS/MS. The sequences of the unknown peptides analyzed by MALDI-TOF/TOF-CID-MS/MS, following digestion with the GluC V8 endoproteinase, allowed us to recognize three glycopeptides whose glycation occupancies were, respectively, on Lys 235, Lys 420, and Lys 498. Similarly, the same analysis was performed on the tryptic digests, which permitted us to recognize two glycation sites on Lys 100 and Lys 374. In addition, we have also used LC-ESI-QqTOF-CID-MS/MS analysis for the identification of the tryptic digests. However, this analysis identified a higher number of glycopeptides than would be expected from a glycoconjugate composed of a carbohydrate–protein ratio of 5.4:1, which would have resulted in glycation occupancies of 18 specific sites. This discrepancy was due to the large number of glycoforms formed during the synthetic carbohydrate–spacer–carrier protein conjugation. Likewise, the LC-ESI-QqTOF-MS/MS analysis of the GluC V8 digest also identified 17 different glycation sites on the synthetic glycoconjugate. PMID:22012665

Assessment\tof\tnutritional\tstatus\tof\tchildren\tattending\tpaediatric\toutpatient department\tat\ta\ttertiary\tcare\thospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shreyash\tJ\tGandhi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background The nutrition status is always neglected issue of public health. The high prevalence of\tmalnutrition\tin\tNFHS data gives alarm to\twork for the children who\tare\tassets\tof\tour\tcountry\tin\tfuture. Objectives To study the nutritional status of children attending pediatric OPD by anthropometric\tmeasurements\tand\tto\tknow\tthe\thealth\tstatus\tof\tthese\tchildren and\ttheir\trelation\twith\tnutritional\tstatus. Methods The\tnutritional\tprofile\tof\tchildren\tof age\tgroup 0-5 years attending\tPaediatric OPD\tat\tNew\tCivil\tHospital\t(NCH,\tSurat\twas\tstudied.\tStratification\tto\tget\tequal representation of both gender by enrolling 50 boys and 50 girls of each age group 0-6\tmonths, 6-12\tmonths,\t1-2 years,\t2-3 years,\t3-4 years and 4-5 years was\tdone.\tTotal\t600\tchildren\tof\tage\tgroup\tof 0-5\tyears\twere\tenrolled. Results As per WHO growth standards, 17.5%, 46% and 39.33% children had wasting, stunting and underweight respectively. Total\tmalnutrition cases were 386 with a prevalence of 64.3\t%. Age group wise prevalence of under\tnutrition\twas\thighest\tin\t37-48\tmonths age group (69.2\t%.\tAs per assessment of nutritional status of children\taged\t6-60\tmonths\tusing MUAC,\t45.8\t%\tchildren\thave\tmild\tto\tmoderate\tmalnutrition\twhereas\t1.8\t% has\tsevere\tmalnutrition. Conclusion Malnutrition\tis\tmore\tin\tboys\tcompared\tto\tgirls.\tMalnutrition\twas\tmore\tprevalent\tin\t12-60\tmonths\tage\tgroup children\tand\twas\tfound\tstatistically\tsignificant. Reduction\tof\tmalnutrition\tin\t0-5\tage\tgroup\tcan\tbe\tensured\tby availability\tof\tsupplementary\tfeed.

Myocardium scintigraphy and coronaries scanner: results and respective contribution of these two examinations; Scintigraphie myocardique et scanner coronaire: resultats et apport respectif des deux examens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Songy, B.; Balestrini, V.; Sablayrolles, J.L.; Vigoni, F.; Lussato, D. [Centre cardiologique du Nord (CCN), Saint-Denis, (France); Faccio, F. [fondation San Geronimo, Santa Fe, (Argentina)

2009-05-15

The objective were to evaluate the results and the respective contribution of the myocardium scintigraphy and the coro-scanner. It exists an excellent correlation between a normal scanner and a normal scintigraphy (97%). 30% of patients having non tight stenosis at scanner and 60% of these ones having tight stenosis have a scintigraphy ischemia; An abnormal scanner, whatever be the the degree of stenosis must be completed by a test of myocardium ischemia. The actual limitations of the coro-scanner (64 gills) are in relation with its spatial resolution (quantification) and temporal resolution (right coronary). The choice of the diagnosis examination to realize in first intention must depend on the age and prevalence of the coronary disease. (N.C.)

Recent developments with a prototype fan-beam optical CT scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, W. G.; Jirasek, A.; Wells, D.

2013-06-01

The latest design of a prototype fan-beam optical computed tomography scanner is presented. A new beam creation system consists of a 635 nm laser diode module with variable, DC voltage-controlled beam intensity. A change in scanner alignment allows for the elimination of ring artefacts caused by data corruption that is spaced symmetrically across the detector array. These artefacts, as well as a pair of streaking artefacts caused by flask seams, are removed in sinogram space. A flask registration technique has been developed that allows for accurate, reproducible dosimeter placement. Protocol investigations with gel dosimeters have indicated the importance of: i) proper cooling techniques during gel manufacture, and ii) scanning the dosimeter while it is at room temperature. Latest reconstructions of a normoxic polymer gel dosimeter are presented as an indicator of current system performance.

Recent developments with a prototype fan-beam optical CT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, W G; Jirasek, A; Wells, D

2013-01-01

The latest design of a prototype fan-beam optical computed tomography scanner is presented. A new beam creation system consists of a 635 nm laser diode module with variable, DC voltage-controlled beam intensity. A change in scanner alignment allows for the elimination of ring artefacts caused by data corruption that is spaced symmetrically across the detector array. These artefacts, as well as a pair of streaking artefacts caused by flask seams, are removed in sinogram space. A flask registration technique has been developed that allows for accurate, reproducible dosimeter placement. Protocol investigations with gel dosimeters have indicated the importance of: i) proper cooling techniques during gel manufacture, and ii) scanning the dosimeter while it is at room temperature. Latest reconstructions of a normoxic polymer gel dosimeter are presented as an indicator of current system performance.

Schur rings and non-symmetric association schemes on 64 vertices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Leif Kjær

2010-01-01

In this paper we enumerate essentially all non-symmetric association schemes with three classes, less than 96 vertices and with a regular group of automorphisms. The enumeration is based on a computer search in Schur rings. The most interesting cases have 64 vertices. In one primitive case and in...

Side scanner for supermarkets: a new scanner design standard

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Charles K.; Cheng, J. K.

1996-09-01

High speed UPC bar code has become a standard mode of data capture for supermarkets in the US, Europe, and Japan. The influence of the ergonomics community on the design of the scanner is evident. During the past decade the ergonomic issues of cashier in check-outs has led to occupational hand-wrist cumulative trauma disorders, in most cases causing carpal tunnel syndrome, a permanent hand injury. In this paper, the design of a side scanner to resolve the issues is discussed. The complex optical module and the sensor for aforesaid side scanner is described. The ergonomic advantages offer the old counter mounted vertical scanner has been experimentally proved by the industrial funded study at an independent university.

Non-Markovian response of ultrafast coherent electronic ring currents in chiral aromatic molecules in a condensed phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mineo, H.; Lin, S. H.; Fujimura, Y.; Xu, J.; Xu, R. X.; Yan, Y. J.

2013-01-01

Results of a theoretical study on non-Markov response for femtosecond laser-driven coherent ring currents in chiral aromatic molecules embedded in a condensed phase are presented. Coherent ring currents are generated by coherent excitation of a pair of quasi-degenerated π-electronic excited states. The coherent electronic dynamical behaviors are strongly influenced by interactions between the electronic system and phonon bath in a condensed phase. Here, the bath correlation time is not instantaneous but should be taken to be a finite time in ultrashort time-resolved experiments. In such a case, Markov approximation breaks down. A hierarchical master equation approach for an improved semiclassical Drude dissipation model was adopted to examine the non-Markov effects on ultrafast coherent electronic ring currents of (P)-2,2 ′ -biphenol in a condensed phase. Time evolution of the coherent ring current derived in the hierarchical master equation approach was calculated and compared with those in the Drude model in the Markov approximation and in the static limit. The results show how non-Markovian behaviors in quantum beat signals of ring currents depend on the Drude bath damping constant. Effects of temperatures on ultrafast coherent electronic ring currents are also clarified

A unified Fourier theory for time-of-flight PET data.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yusheng; Matej, Samuel; Metzler, Scott D

2016-01-21

Fully 3D time-of-flight (TOF) PET scanners offer the potential of previously unachievable image quality in clinical PET imaging. TOF measurements add another degree of redundancy for cylindrical PET scanners and make photon-limited TOF-PET imaging more robust than non-TOF PET imaging. The data space for 3D TOF-PET data is five-dimensional with two degrees of redundancy. Previously, consistency equations were used to characterize the redundancy of TOF-PET data. In this paper, we first derive two Fourier consistency equations and Fourier-John equation for 3D TOF PET based on the generalized projection-slice theorem; the three partial differential equations (PDEs) are the dual of the sinogram consistency equations and John's equation. We then solve the three PDEs using the method of characteristics. The two degrees of entangled redundancy of the TOF-PET data can be explicitly elicited and exploited by the solutions of the PDEs along the characteristic curves, which gives a complete understanding of the rich structure of the 3D x-ray transform with TOF measurement. Fourier rebinning equations and other mapping equations among different types of PET data are special cases of the general solutions. We also obtain new Fourier rebinning and consistency equations (FORCEs) from other special cases of the general solutions, and thus we obtain a complete scheme to convert among different types of PET data: 3D TOF, 3D non-TOF, 2D TOF and 2D non-TOF data. The new FORCEs can be used as new Fourier-based rebinning algorithms for TOF-PET data reduction, inverse rebinnings for designing fast projectors, or consistency conditions for estimating missing data. Further, we give a geometric interpretation of the general solutions--the two families of characteristic curves can be obtained by respectively changing the azimuthal and co-polar angles of the biorthogonal coordinates in Fourier space. We conclude the unified Fourier theory by showing that the Fourier consistency equations are

A unified Fourier theory for time-of-flight PET data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yusheng; Matej, Samuel; Metzler, Scott D

2016-01-01

Fully 3D time-of-flight (TOF) PET scanners offer the potential of previously unachievable image quality in clinical PET imaging. TOF measurements add another degree of redundancy for cylindrical PET scanners and make photon-limited TOF-PET imaging more robust than non-TOF PET imaging. The data space for 3D TOF-PET data is five-dimensional with two degrees of redundancy. Previously, consistency equations were used to characterize the redundancy of TOF-PET data. In this paper, we first derive two Fourier consistency equations and Fourier–John equation for 3D TOF PET based on the generalized projection-slice theorem; the three partial differential equations (PDEs) are the dual of the sinogram consistency equations and John’s equation. We then solve the three PDEs using the method of characteristics. The two degrees of entangled redundancy of the TOF-PET data can be explicitly elicited and exploited by the solutions of the PDEs along the characteristic curves, which gives a complete understanding of the rich structure of the 3D x-ray transform with TOF measurement. Fourier rebinning equations and other mapping equations among different types of PET data are special cases of the general solutions. We also obtain new Fourier rebinning and consistency equations (FORCEs) from other special cases of the general solutions, and thus we obtain a complete scheme to convert among different types of PET data: 3D TOF, 3D non-TOF, 2D TOF and 2D non-TOF data. The new FORCEs can be used as new Fourier-based rebinning algorithms for TOF-PET data reduction, inverse rebinnings for designing fast projectors, or consistency conditions for estimating missing data. Further, we give a geometric interpretation of the general solutions—the two families of characteristic curves can be obtained by respectively changing the azimuthal and co-polar angles of the biorthogonal coordinates in Fourier space. We conclude the unified Fourier theory by showing that the Fourier consistency equations

A non-invasive analysis of 'proto-majolica' pottery from southern Italy by TOF neutron diffraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barilaro, D; Crupi, V; Majolino, D; Venuti, V [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Messina, Contrada da Papardo, Salita Sperone 31, PO Box 55, 98166, Sant Agata, Messina (Italy); Barone, G [Dipartmento di Scienze Geologiche, Universita di Catania, Corso Italia 55, 95129 Catania (Italy); Tigano, G [Soprintendenza Beni Culturali ed Ambientali di Messina, Sezione Archeologica, Viale Boccetta 38, 98100 Messina (Italy); Imberti, S [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Sistemi Complessi: Sezione di Firenze, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Kockelmann, W [ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)], E-mail: vvenuti@unime.it

2008-03-12

The employment of time-of-flight (TOF) neutron diffraction allowed for the quantitative determination of mineral phase contents of the ceramic bulk of several pottery fragments coming from Milazzo and Messina (Sicily, southern Italy). From an historical-artistic point of view, all the samples were dated back to the 12th to 13th centuries AD and classified as belonging to the 'proto-majolica' ceramic class. The adopted procedure is absolutely non-destructive, so that measurements were performed on the entire fragments without any sampling. The information derived, by applying the Rietveld analysis method, allowed us to formulate hypotheses concerning the fabrication processes of the artefacts.

2D-HPLC and MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis of barley proteins glycated during brewing

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Petry-Podgorska, Inga; Žídková, Jitka; Flodrová, Dana; Bobálová, Janette

2010-01-01

Roč. 878, č. 30 (2010), s. 3143-3148 ISSN 1570-0232 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0570 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40310501 Keywords : 2D-HPLC * MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry * barley Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 2.971, year: 2010

Dimensional changes of alginate impression by using perforated and non-perforated ring trays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumadhi Sastrodihardjo

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Dimensional changes are a common occurrence in impressions, either during or after impression taking. It produces a difference in the dimensions of the object and the model, which leads to the restoration being ill-fitted. Several causal factors have been proposed such as friction between the impression material and the teeth, the bulk of the impression material, the type of impression materials used, the impression technique, the pouring time and many others. The exact causal factor is still unknown and the dimensional change mechanism is still poorly understood. The objective of this research was to investigate the role of the perforation on the ring trays in producing dimensional changes in the impression by using perforated and non-perforated ring trays. Alginate impressions were made on the frustum of cone metal master die with a 7.08 mm base diameter, 7.03 mm top diameter and 9.23 mm height using perforated and non-perforated ring trays with 9.40 mm in diameter and 14.17 mm in height. The dimensional change was determined by comparing the dimension of the dental stone die and its metal master die. The results showed that the percentage of dimensional changes that occurred by using perforated ring tray were (+ 0.56±0.40 on the top area, (- 3.54±2.92 on base area and (+ 1.54±0.83 in height, respectively. As compared to using non-perforated ring trays, the percentage of dimensional changes that occurred were (- 0.49±0.49 on top area, (- 8.76±3.95 on base area and (+ 1.19±0.71 in height, respectively. There was a significant difference in the direction of the dimensional changes on both the top areas, but not in the base areas and height.

Effect of mixing scanner types and reconstruction kernels on the characterization of lung parenchymal pathologies: emphysema, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and normal non-smokers

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ye; van Beek, Edwin J.; McLennan, Geoffrey; Guo, Junfeng; Sonka, Milan; Hoffman, Eric

2006-03-01

In this study we utilize our texture characterization software (3-D AMFM) to characterize interstitial lung diseases (including emphysema) based on MDCT generated volumetric data using 3-dimensional texture features. We have sought to test whether the scanner and reconstruction filter (kernel) type affect the classification of lung diseases using the 3-D AMFM. We collected MDCT images in three subject groups: emphysema (n=9), interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) (n=10), and normal non-smokers (n=9). In each group, images were scanned either on a Siemens Sensation 16 or 64-slice scanner, (B50f or B30 recon. kernel) or a Philips 4-slice scanner (B recon. kernel). A total of 1516 volumes of interest (VOIs; 21x21 pixels in plane) were marked by two chest imaging experts using the Iowa Pulmonary Analysis Software Suite (PASS). We calculated 24 volumetric features. Bayesian methods were used for classification. Images from different scanners/kernels were combined in all possible combinations to test how robust the tissue classification was relative to the differences in image characteristics. We used 10-fold cross validation for testing the result. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated. One-way Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) was used to compare the classification result between the various combinations of scanner and reconstruction kernel types. This study yielded a sensitivity of 94%, 91%, 97%, and 93% for emphysema, ground-glass, honeycombing, and normal non-smoker patterns respectively using a mixture of all three subject groups. The specificity for these characterizations was 97%, 99%, 99%, and 98%, respectively. The F test result of ANOVA shows there is no significant difference (p <0.05) between different combinations of data with respect to scanner and convolution kernel type. Since different MDCT and reconstruction kernel types did not show significant differences in regards to the classification result, this study suggests that the 3-D AMFM can

Development of a single-ring OpenPET prototype

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshida, Eiji, E-mail: rush@nirs.go.jp; Tashima, Hideaki; Wakizaka, Hidekatsu; Nishikido, Fumihiko; Hirano, Yoshiyuki; Inadama, Naoko; Murayama, Hideo; Ito, Hiroshi; Yamaya, Taiga

2013-11-21

One of the challenging applications of PET is implementing it for in-beam PET, which is an in situ monitoring method for charged particle therapy. For this purpose, we have previously proposed an open-type PET scanner, OpenPET. The original OpenPET had a physically opened field-of-view (FOV) between two detector rings through which irradiation beams pass. This dual-ring OpenPET (DROP) had a wide axial FOV including the gap. This geometry was not necessarily the most efficient for application to in-beam PET in which only a limited FOV around the irradiation field is required. Therefore, we have proposed a new single-ring OpenPET (SROP) geometry which can provide an accessible and observable open space with higher sensitivity and a reduced number of detectors than the DROP. The proposed geometry was a cylinder shape with its ends cut at a slant, in which the shape of each cut end became an ellipse. In this work, we developed and evaluated a small prototype of the SROP geometry for proof-of-concept. The SROP prototype was designed with 2 ellipse-shaped detector rings of 16 depth-of-interaction (DOI) detectors each. The DOI detectors consisted of 1024 GSOZ scintillator crystals which were arranged in 4 layers of 16×16 arrays, coupled to a 64-channel FP-PMT. Each ellipse-shaped detector ring had a major axis of 281.6 mm and a minor axis of 207.5 mm. For the slant mode, the rings were placed at a 45-deg slant from the axial direction and for the non-slant mode (used as a reference) they were at 90 deg from the axial direction with no gap. The system sensitivity measured from a {sup 22}Na point source was 5.0% for the slant mode. The average spatial resolutions of major and minor axis directions were calculated as 3.8 mm FWHM and 4.9 mm FWHM, respectively for the slant mode. This difference resulted from the ellipsoidal ring geometry and the spatial resolution of the minor axis direction degraded by the parallax error. Comparison between the slant mode and the non

Developments in holographic-based scanner designs

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, David M.

1997-07-01

Holographic-based scanning systems have been used for years in the high resolution prepress markets where monochromatic lasers are generally utilized. However, until recently, due to the dispersive properties of holographic optical elements (HOEs), along with the high cost associated with recording 'master' HOEs, holographic scanners have not been able to penetrate major scanning markets such as the laser printer and digital copier markets, low to mid-range imagesetter markets, and the non-contact inspection scanner market. Each of these markets has developed cost effective laser diode based solutions using conventional scanning approaches such as polygon/f-theta lens combinations. In order to penetrate these markets, holographic-based systems must exhibit low cost and immunity to wavelength shifts associated with laser diodes. This paper describes recent developments in the design of holographic scanners in which multiple HOEs, each possessing optical power, are used in conjunction with one curved mirror to passively correct focal plane position errors and spot size changes caused by the wavelength instability of laser diodes. This paper also describes recent advancements in low cost production of high quality HOEs and curved mirrors. Together these developments allow holographic scanners to be economically competitive alternatives to conventional devices in every segment of the laser scanning industry.

Applications of TOF neutron diffraction in archaeometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kockelmann, W. [Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, ISIS Facility, Chilton (United Kingdom); Siano, S.; Bartoli, L. [Istituto di Fisica Applicata - CNR, Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Visser, D. [Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, ISIS Facility, Chilton (United Kingdom); Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), Den Haag (Netherlands); Hallebeek, P. [Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage (ICN), Amsterdam (Netherlands); Traum, R. [Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Muenzkabinett, Vienna (Austria); Linke, R.; Schreiner, M. [Akademie der Bildenden Kuenste, Institut fuer Wissenschaften und Technologien in der Kunst, Vienna (Austria); Kirfel, A. [Universitaet Bonn, Mineralogisch-Petrologisches Institut, Bonn (Germany)

2006-05-15

Neutron radiation meets the demand for a versatile diagnostic probe for collecting information from the interior of large, undisturbed museum objects or archaeological findings. Neutrons penetrate through coatings and corrosion layers deep into centimetre-thick materials, a property that makes them ideal for non-destructive examination of objects for which sampling is impractical or unacceptable. A particular attraction of neutron techniques for archaeologists and conservation scientists is the prospect of locating hidden materials and structures inside objects. Time-of-flight (TOF) neutron diffraction allows for the examination of mineral and metal phase contents, crystal structures, grain orientations, and microstructures as well as micro- and macro strains. A promising application is texture analysis which may provide clues to the deformation history of the material, and hence to specific working processes. Here we report on instructive examples of TOF neutron diffraction, including phase analyses of medieval Dutch tin-lead spoons, texture analyses of bronze specimens as well as of 16th-century silver coins. (orig.)

Compton scatter tomography in TOF-PET

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmati, Hamidreza; Kamali-Asl, Alireza; Ay, Mohammadreza; Ghafarian, Pardis

2017-10-01

Scatter coincidences contain hidden information about the activity distribution on the positron emission tomography (PET) imaging system. However, in conventional reconstruction, the scattered data cause the blurring of images and thus are estimated and subtracted from detected coincidences. List mode format provides a new aspect to use time of flight (TOF) and energy information of each coincidence in the reconstruction process. In this study, a novel approach is proposed to reconstruct activity distribution using the scattered data in the PET system. For each single scattering coincidence, a scattering angle can be determined by the recorded energy of the detected photons, and then possible locations of scattering can be calculated based on the scattering angle. Geometry equations show that these sites lie on two arcs in 2D mode or the surface of a prolate spheroid in 3D mode, passing through the pair of detector elements. The proposed method uses a novel and flexible technique to estimate source origin locations from the possible scattering locations, using the TOF information. Evaluations were based on a Monte-Carlo simulation of uniform and non-uniform phantoms at different resolutions of time and detector energy. The results show that although the energy uncertainties deteriorate the image spatial resolution in the proposed method, the time resolution has more impact on image quality than the energy resolution. With progress of the TOF system, the reconstruction using the scattered data can be used in a complementary manner, or to improve image quality in the next generation of PET systems.

Utilization pattern of whole body computed tomography scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youn, Chul Ho; Lee, Sang Suk

1986-01-01

Computed tomography scanner (CT scanner) is one of the most expensive and sophisticated diagnostic tool and has already been utilized in many hospitals in Korea. The price as well as operating costs of CT scanner is so expensive as to regulate its installment by government even in the United States. In order to identify the efficient utilization of the CT scanner, the utilization pattern for CT scanning was analyzed at three general hospital in seoul. The results are as follows: 1. Five out of one thousand outpatients and five out of one hundred inpatients were CT scanned. 2. Eighty percent of patients who were scanned were those of inpatients of the hospitals where the scanned are installed. 3. Head standings constitute 45.6 percent of examinations, internal medicine 63.8 percent, and 38.5 percent neurosurgery respectively. 4. The rate of indication for CT scanning showed no statistically significant difference between insured and non-insured groups. 5. Computed tomography scanner units were operated 5.5 days a week in average and full operation rate was 79.5% in average. 6. The major diagnoses mode by head scanning were: hematoma (56.7%), infarction (12.6%), tumor (8.2%), and hydrocephalus (4.4%). 7. Number of patients taken CT Scanning was 43 persons a week in average for each whole body scanner unit

Comparative timing measurements of LYSO and LFS-3 to achieve the best time resolution for TOF-PET

CERN Document Server

Doroud, K; Zichichi, A; Zuyeuski, R

2015-01-01

The best Coincidence Time Resolution (CTR) obtained so far – with very short crystals of 3–5 mm in length – reach values between 100 and 150 ps. Such crystals are not really practical for a TOF PET imaging device, since the sensitivity is quite small for the detection of the 511 keV gammas resulting from a positron annihilation. We present our setup and measurements using 15 mm length crystals; a length we regard as reasonable for a TOF-PET scanner. We have used a new series of Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPM) manufactured by Hamamatsu. These are the High Fill Factor (HFF) and Low Cross-Talk (LCT) Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPC). We have compared three different crystals, LFS-3 (supplied by Zecotek) and two samples of LYSO (manufactured by Saint Gobain and CPI). We have obtained an excellent value of 148 ps for the Coincidence Time Resolution (CTR) with two LFS-3 crystals (15 mm long) mounted on each side of a 22Na radioactive source with the HFF-MPPCs at 3.3 V over-voltage. Our results are148 ps obt...

A combined positron emission tomography (PET)- electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) system: initial evaluation of a prototype scanner.

Science.gov (United States)

Tseytlin, Mark; Stolin, Alexander V; Guggilapu, Priyaankadevi; Bobko, Andrey A; Khramtsov, Valery V; Tseytlin, Oxana; Raylman, Raymond R

2018-04-20

The advent of hybrid scanners, combining complementary modalities, has revolutionized imaging; enhancing clinical practice and biomedical research. In this project, we investigated the melding of two complementary, functional imaging methods: positron emission tomography (PET) and electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI). The PET radiotracers can provide important information about cellular parameters, such as glucose metabolism. While EPR probes can provide assessment of tissue microenvironment, measuring parameters such as oxygenation and pH, for example. A combined PET/EPRI scanner has the promise to provide new insights not attainable with current imagers by simultaneous acquisition of multiple components of tissue microenvironments. In this investigation, a prototype system was created by combing two existing scanners, modified for simultaneous imaging. Specifically, a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) based PET scanner ring designed as a portable scanner was combined with an EPRI scanner designed for the imaging of small animals. The ability of the system to obtain simultaneous images was assessed with a small phantom consisting of four cylinders containing both PET and EPR tracers. The resulting images demonstrated the ability to obtain contemporaneous PET and ERP images without cross-modality interference. The next step in this project is the construction of pre-clinical PET/EPRI scanner for multi-parametric assessment of physiologically important parameters of tissue microenvironments. . © 2018 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

A combined positron emission tomography (PET)-electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) system: initial evaluation of a prototype scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Tseytlin, Mark; Stolin, Alexander V.; Guggilapu, Priyaankadevi; Bobko, Andrey A.; Khramtsov, Valery V.; Tseytlin, Oxana; Raylman, Raymond R.

2018-05-01

The advent of hybrid scanners, combining complementary modalities, has revolutionized the application of advanced imaging technology to clinical practice and biomedical research. In this project, we investigated the melding of two complementary, functional imaging methods: positron emission tomography (PET) and electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI). PET radiotracers can provide important information about cellular parameters, such as glucose metabolism. While EPR probes can provide assessment of tissue microenvironment, measuring oxygenation and pH, for example. Therefore, a combined PET/EPRI scanner promises to provide new insights not attainable with current imagers by simultaneous acquisition of multiple components of tissue microenvironments. To explore the simultaneous acquisition of PET and EPR images, a prototype system was created by combining two existing scanners. Specifically, a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based PET scanner ring designed as a portable scanner was combined with an EPRI scanner designed for the imaging of small animals. The ability of the system to obtain simultaneous images was assessed with a small phantom consisting of four cylinders containing both a PET tracer and EPR spin probe. The resulting images demonstrated the ability to obtain contemporaneous PET and EPR images without cross-modality interference. Given the promising results from this initial investigation, the next step in this project is the construction of the next generation pre-clinical PET/EPRI scanner for multi-parametric assessment of physiologically-important parameters of tissue microenvironments.

A Special kind of Non Associative Seminear-‎Ring With BCK Algebra

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sajda Kadhum Mohammed

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we discuss an algebraic system introduced in 2015 by Mohammed and Abdul Wahab called it a Special kind of  non associative seminear-ring with    BCK Algebra   (SNAK-seminear ring where we prove some properties and give some examples  . We define three types of  it we, call   the first is an ideal of type one, the second is an ideal of type two and the third is an ideal of type three.  We prove some of properties and give some example

Non-Halal biomarkers identification based on Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography-Time of Flight Mass Spectroscopy (GC-TOF MS) techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Witjaksono, Gunawan; Saputra, Irwan; Latief, Marsad; Jaswir, Irwandi; Akmeliawati, Rini; Abdelkreem Saeed Rabih, Almur

2017-11-01

Consumption of meat from halal (lawful) sources is essential for Muslims. The identification of non-halal meat is one of the main issues that face consumers in meat markets, especially in non-Islamic countries. Pig is one of the non-halal sources of meat, and hence pig meat and its derivatives are forbidden for Muslims to consume. Although several studies have been conducted to identify the biomarkers for nonhalal meats like pig meat, these studies are still in their infancy stages, and as a result there is no universal biomarker which could be used for clear cut identification. The purpose of this paper is to use Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography-Time of Flight Mass Spectroscopy (GC-TOF MS) techniques to study fat of pig, cow, lamb and chicken to find possible biomarkers for pig fat (lard) identification. FTIR results showed that lard and chicken fat have unique peaks at wavenumbers 1159.6 cm-1, 1743.4 cm-1, 2853.1 cm-1 and 2922.5 cm-1 compared to lamb and beef fats which did not show peaks at these wavenumbers. On the other hand, GC/MS-TOF results showed that the concentration of 1,2,3-trimethyl-Benzene, Indane, and Undecane in lard are 250, 14.5 and 1.28 times higher than their concentrations in chicken fat, respectively, and 91.4, 2.3 and 1.24 times higher than their concentrations in cow fat, respectively. These initial results clearly indicate that there is a possibility to find biomarkers for non-halal identification.

Scanner Uniformity improvements for radiochromic film analysis with matt reflectance backing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butson, M.; Yu, P.K.N.

2011-01-01

Full text: A simple and reproducible method for increasing desktop scanner uniformity for the analysis of radiochromic films is presented. Scanner uniformity, especially in the non-scan direction, for transmission scanning is well known to be problematic for radiochromic film analysis and normally corrections need to be applied. These corrections are dependant on scanner coordinates and dose level applied which complicates dosimetry procedures. This study has highlighted that using reflectance scanning in combination with a matt, white backing material instead of the conventional gloss scanner finish, substantial increases in the scanner uniformity can be achieved within 90% of the scanning area. Uniformity within ±I% over the scanning area for our epsonV700 scanner tested was found. This is compared to within ±3% for reflection scanning with the gloss backing material and within ±4% for transmission scanning. The matt backing material used was simply 5 layers of standard quality white printing paper (80 g/m It was found that 5 layers was the optimal result for backing material however most of the improvements were seen with a minimum of 3 layers. Above 5 layers, no extra benefit was seen. This may eliminate the need to perform scanner corrections for position on the desktop scanners for radiochromic film dosimetry. (author)

SU-E-I-21: Dosimetric Characterization and Image Quality Evaluation of the AIRO Mobile CT Scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weir, V; Zhang, J; Bruner, A [University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: The AIRO Mobile CT system was recently introduced which overcomes the limitations from existing CT, CT fluoroscopy, and intraoperative O-arm. With an integrated table and a large diameter bore, the system is suitable for cranial, spine and trauma procedures, making it a highly versatile intraoperative imaging system. This study is to investigate radiation dose and image quality of the AIRO and compared with those from a routine CT scanner. Methods: Radiation dose was measured using a conventional 100mm pencil ionization chamber and CT polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) body and head phantoms. Image quality was evaluated with a CATPHAN 500 phantom. Spatial resolution, low contrast resolution (CNR), Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), and Normalized Noise Power Spectrum (NNPS) were analyzed. Results: Under identical technique conditions, radiation dose (mGy/mAs) from the AIRO mobile CT system (AIRO) is higher than that from a 64 slice CT scanner. MTFs show that both Soft and Standard filters of the AIRO system lost resolution quickly compared to the Sensation 64 slice CT. With the Standard kernel, the spatial resolutions of the AIRO system are 3lp/cm and 4lp/cm for the body and head FOVs, respectively. NNPSs show low frequency noise due to ring-like artifacts. Due to a higher dose in terms of mGy/mAs at both head and body FOV, CNR of the AIRO system is higher than that of the Siemens scanner. However detectability of the low contrast objects is poorer in the AIRO due to the presence of ring artifacts in the location of the targets. Conclusion: For image guided surgery applications, the AIRO has some advantages over a routine CT scanner due to its versatility, large bore size, and acceptable image quality. Our evaluation of the physical performance helps its future improvements.

Investigating the microstructure of keratin extracted from wool: peptide sequence (MALDI-TOF/TOF) and protein conformation (FTIR)

Science.gov (United States)

Keratin was extracted from wool by reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol. It was isolated as intact keratin and characterized by its similar molecular weight, protein composition, and secondary structure to native keratin. Gel electrophoresis patterns and MALDI-TOF/TOF peptide sequences provided the ide...

Topochemical Analysis of Cell Wall Components by TOF-SIMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, Dan; Fukushima, Kazuhiko

2017-01-01

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is a recently developing analytical tool and a type of imaging mass spectrometry. TOF-SIMS provides mass spectral information with a lateral resolution on the order of submicrons, with widespread applicability. Sometimes, it is described as a surface analysis method without the requirement for sample pretreatment; however, several points need to be taken into account for the complete utilization of the capabilities of TOF-SIMS. In this chapter, we introduce methods for TOF-SIMS sample treatments, as well as basic knowledge of wood samples TOF-SIMS spectral and image data analysis.

MALDI-TOF and SELDI-TOF analysis: “tandem” techniques to identify potential biomarker in fibromyalgia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Lucacchini

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Fibromyalgia (FM is characterized by the presence of chronic widespread pain throughout the musculoskeletal system and diffuse tenderness. Unfortunately, no laboratory tests have been appropriately validated for FM and correlated with the subsets and activity. The aim of this study was to apply a proteomic technique in saliva of FM patients: the Surface Enhance Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (SELDI-TOF. For this study, 57 FM patients and 35 HC patients were enrolled. The proteomic analysis of saliva was carried out using SELDI-TOF. The analysis was performed using different chip arrays with different characteristics of binding. The statistical analysis was performed using cluster analysis and the difference between two groups was underlined using Student’s t-test. Spectra analysis highlighted the presence of several peaks differently expressed in FM patients compared with controls. The preliminary results obtained by SELDI-TOF analysis were compared with those obtained in our previous study performed on whole saliva of FM patients by using electrophoresis. The m/z of two peaks, increased in FM patients, seem to overlap well with the molecular weight of calgranulin A and C and Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor 2, which we had found up-regulated in our previous study. These preliminary results showed the possibility of identifying potential salivary biomarker through salivary proteomic analysis with MALDI-TOF and SELDI-TOF in FM patients. The peaks observed allow us to focus on some of the particular pathogenic aspects of FM, the oxidative stress which contradistinguishes this condition, the involvement of proteins related to the cytoskeletal arrangements, and central sensibilization.

Rapid identification of acetic acid bacteria using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry fingerprinting.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrés-Barrao, Cristina; Benagli, Cinzia; Chappuis, Malou; Ortega Pérez, Ruben; Tonolla, Mauro; Barja, François

2013-03-01

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are widespread microorganisms characterized by their ability to transform alcohols and sugar-alcohols into their corresponding organic acids. The suitability of matrix-assisted laser desorption-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of cultured AAB involved in the industrial production of vinegar was evaluated on 64 reference strains from the genera Acetobacter, Gluconacetobacter and Gluconobacter. Analysis of MS spectra obtained from single colonies of these strains confirmed their basic classification based on comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. MALDI-TOF analyses of isolates from vinegar cross-checked by comparative sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragments allowed AAB to be identified, and it was possible to differentiate them from mixed cultures and non-AAB. The results showed that MALDI-TOF MS analysis was a rapid and reliable method for the clustering and identification of AAB species. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Above-ground tree outside forest (TOF) phytomass and carbon ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

to classify TOF, to estimate above-ground TOF phytomass and the carbon content ... eral, trees outside forests (TOF) mean the trees ..... have been used to stratify the area, based on the ... The optimum plot size and num- .... population centres.

Crystal timing offset calibration method for time of flight PET scanners

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Jinghan; Song, Xiyun

2016-03-01

In time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET), precise calibration of the timing offset of each crystal of a PET scanner is essential. Conventionally this calibration requires a specially designed tool just for this purpose. In this study a method that uses a planar source to measure the crystal timing offsets (CTO) is developed. The method uses list mode acquisitions of a planar source placed at multiple orientations inside the PET scanner field-of-view (FOV). The placement of the planar source in each acquisition is automatically figured out from the measured data, so that a fixture for exactly placing the source is not required. The expected coincidence time difference for each detected list mode event can be found from the planar source placement and the detector geometry. A deviation of the measured time difference from the expected one is due to CTO of the two crystals. The least squared solution of the CTO is found iteratively using the list mode events. The effectiveness of the crystal timing calibration method is evidenced using phantom images generated by placing back each list mode event into the image space with the timing offset applied to each event. The zigzagged outlines of the phantoms in the images become smooth after the crystal timing calibration is applied. In conclusion, a crystal timing calibration method is developed. The method uses multiple list mode acquisitions of a planar source to find the least squared solution of crystal timing offsets.

Quantitative image reconstruction for total-body PET imaging using the 2-meter long EXPLORER scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuezhu; Zhou, Jian; Cherry, Simon R.; Badawi, Ramsey D.; Qi, Jinyi

2017-03-01

The EXPLORER project aims to build a 2 meter long total-body PET scanner, which will provide extremely high sensitivity for imaging the entire human body. It will possess a range of capabilities currently unavailable to state-of-the-art clinical PET scanners with a limited axial field-of-view. The huge number of lines-of-response (LORs) of the EXPLORER poses a challenge to the data handling and image reconstruction. The objective of this study is to develop a quantitative image reconstruction method for the EXPLORER and compare its performance with current whole-body scanners. Fully 3D image reconstruction was performed using time-of-flight list-mode data with parallel computation. To recover the resolution loss caused by the parallax error between crystal pairs at a large axial ring difference or transaxial radial offset, we applied an image domain resolution model estimated from point source data. To evaluate the image quality, we conducted computer simulations using the SimSET Monte-Carlo toolkit and XCAT 2.0 anthropomorphic phantom to mimic a 20 min whole-body PET scan with an injection of 25 MBq 18F-FDG. We compare the performance of the EXPLORER with a current clinical scanner that has an axial FOV of 22 cm. The comparison results demonstrated superior image quality from the EXPLORER with a 6.9-fold reduction in noise standard deviation comparing with multi-bed imaging using the clinical scanner.

A TOF-PET system for educational purposes

CERN Document Server

Baeck, T; Cederwall, Bo; Johnson, A; Kérek, A; Klamra, W; Marel, J V D; Molnár, J; Novák, D; Sohler, D; Steen, M; Uhlen, P

2002-01-01

A TOF-PET system has been designed and constructed for educational purposes. The aim of this system is to demonstrate the possibilities of positron emission tomography in general and the time-of-flight method in particular to the students of various courses at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. The set-up consists of 48 small BaF sub 2 crystals coupled to fast photomultipliers placed in a ring geometry. The signals of the photomultipliers are fed into fast constant fraction discriminators (CFD). The outputs of these are directed to a specially designed logic VME unit, which combines the CFD signals of 6 neighbouring channels to one signal by adding a different delay to each channel. The logic circuitry produces a prompt pulse for each event that serves as the start pulse for the 8-channel fast TDC. The delayed pulses act as the stop pulses for the TDC. In a computer, the measured times are converted into information about which the photomultipliers fired with the difference in the time of f...

Detailed analysis of the KAERI nTOF facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jong Woon; Lee, Young Ouk [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

A project for building a neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) facility is progressing. We expect that the construction will start in early 2016. Before that, a detailed simulation based on the current architectural drawings was performed to optimize the performance of our facility. Currently, several parts had been modified or changed from the original design to reflect requirements such as the layout of the electron beam line, shape of the vacuum chamber producing a neutron beam, and the underground layout of the nTOF facility. Detailed analysis for these modifications has been done with MCNP simulation. An overview of our photo-neutron source and KAERI nTOF facility were introduced. The numerical simulations for heat deposition, source term, and radiation shielding of KAERI nTOF facility were performed and the results are discussed. We are expecting that the construction of the KAERI nTOF facility will start in early 2016, and these results will be used as basic data.

Initial results of the quality control in 11 computed tomography scanners at Curitiba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kodlulovich, S; Oliveira, L.; Jakubiak, R.R.; Miquelin, C.A.

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the image quality of 11 scanners installed in public and private centers of Curitiba, Brazil. This sample represents 30% of the CT scanners in the city so far. The ACR CT accreditation phantom was used to verify the accomplishment of the scanners performance to the international quality requirements. The results indicate that efforts should be concentrated in the maintenance of the equipments and specific training of the technicians. Most of the scanners have showed some non-conformity. In 27,5% of the sample the positioning requirement wasn't accomplished. The CT number accuracy evaluation showed that in 72,3 % of the scanners the CT numbers were out of the tolerance range, reaching values 35% greater than the limit. The low contrast resolution criteria weren't accomplished in 9% of the scanners. The main concern is that there isn't a specific program to evaluate the image quality of the CT scanners neither to estimate the CT doses in the procedures. (author)

Scanner qualification with IntenCD based reticle error correction

Science.gov (United States)

Elblinger, Yair; Finders, Jo; Demarteau, Marcel; Wismans, Onno; Minnaert Janssen, Ingrid; Duray, Frank; Ben Yishai, Michael; Mangan, Shmoolik; Cohen, Yaron; Parizat, Ziv; Attal, Shay; Polonsky, Netanel; Englard, Ilan

2010-03-01

Scanner introduction into the fab production environment is a challenging task. An efficient evaluation of scanner performance matrices during factory acceptance test (FAT) and later on during site acceptance test (SAT) is crucial for minimizing the cycle time for pre and post production-start activities. If done effectively, the matrices of base line performance established during the SAT are used as a reference for scanner performance and fleet matching monitoring and maintenance in the fab environment. Key elements which can influence the cycle time of the SAT, FAT and maintenance cycles are the imaging, process and mask characterizations involved with those cycles. Discrete mask measurement techniques are currently in use to create across-mask CDU maps. By subtracting these maps from their final wafer measurement CDU map counterparts, it is possible to assess the real scanner induced printed errors within certain limitations. The current discrete measurement methods are time consuming and some techniques also overlook mask based effects other than line width variations, such as transmission and phase variations, all of which influence the final printed CD variability. Applied Materials Aera2TM mask inspection tool with IntenCDTM technology can scan the mask at high speed, offer full mask coverage and accurate assessment of all masks induced source of errors simultaneously, making it beneficial for scanner qualifications and performance monitoring. In this paper we report on a study that was done to improve a scanner introduction and qualification process using the IntenCD application to map the mask induced CD non uniformity. We will present the results of six scanners in production and discuss the benefits of the new method.

A passive gamma scanner for estimation of plutonium in fabrication waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkatesan, P.P.; Burte, P.P.; Manohar, S.B.; Satya Prakash; Ramaniah, M.V.

1978-01-01

The solid plutonium wastes arising from plutonium handling laboratories and fuel fabrication facilities by their very nature (heterogeneous) are not amenable to proper sampling and hence to the standard techniques of estimation. For the proper accounting of nuclear materials a non-destructive method of waste assay is essential. A passive gamma-ray scanner developed in the Radiochemistry Division is described in the present report. The scanner detects the 384 KeV gamma complex of plutonium in a (3'' x 3'') NaI(Tl) detector. The rotation-collimation technique is used to achieve the flat response with respect to the plutonium distribution inside the waste can. The sensitivity of the scanner is 200 mg of Pu per can at 2 sigma level and 20% accuracy for a total scan time of 2000 sec. The assay results of typical waste cans and comparison of a few of these with chemical assay results are presented. This non-destructive method is fast, simple and has satisfactory accuracy. (author)

MALDI-TOF and cluster-TOF-SIMS imaging of Fabry disease biomarkers

Science.gov (United States)

Touboul, David; Roy, Sandrine; Germain, Dominique P.; Chaminade, Pierre; Brunelle, Alain; Laprevote, Olivier

2007-02-01

Fabry disease is an X-linked disorder of glycosphingolipid metabolism, in which a partial or total deficiency of [alpha]-galactosidase A, a lysosomal enzyme, results in the progressive accumulation of neutral glycosphingolipids (globotriaosylceramide and digalactosylceramide) in most fluids and tissues of the body. Few information is available about the composition and distribution in tissues of the accumulated glycosphingolipids species. Mass spectrometry imaging is an innovative technique, which can provide pieces of information about the distribution of numerous biological compounds, such as lipids, directly on the tissue sections. MALDI-TOF and cluster-TOF-SIMS imaging approaches were used to study the localization of lipids (cholesterol, cholesterol sulfate, vitamin E, glycosphingolipids ...) on skin and kidney sections of patients affected by the Fabry disease. Numerous information on pathophysiology were enlightened by both techniques.

The group study of diagnostic efficacy of cerebro-vascular disease by I-123 IMP SPECT images obtained with ring type SPECT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machida, Kikuo; Honda, Norinari; Matsumoto, Toru

1991-01-01

We performed two image reading experiments in order to investigate the diagnostic capability of I-123 IMP SPECT obtained by the ring type SPECT scanner in cerebro-vascular disease. Fourteen physicians diagnosed SPECT images of 55 cases with reference to clinical neurological information, first without brain XCT images and second with XCT images. Each physician detected perfusion defects and redistributions of I-123 IMP and assigned a confidence level of abnormality for these SPECT findings by means of five rating method. From results obtained by ROC analysis, we concluded as follows. (1) Generally, I-123 IMP SPECT is a stable diagnostic modality in the diagnosis of cerebro-vascular disease and the image reading of XCT had no effects on the diagnosis of SPECT on the whole of physician. (2) However, there were unnegligible differences among individuals in the detectability of findings and the effect of XCT image reading. (3) Detectability of redistribution of I-123 IMP was lower than that of perfusion defect and inter-observer variation in the diagnostic performance for redistribution was larger than that of perfusion defect. The results suggest that it is necessary to standardize diagnostic criteria among physicians for redistribution of I-123 IMP. (author)

Evaluation of penalized likelihood estimation reconstruction on a digital time-of-flight PET/CT scanner for 18F-FDG whole-body examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindström, Elin; Sundin, Anders; Trampal, Carlos; Lindsjö, Lars; Ilan, Ezgi; Danfors, Torsten; Antoni, Gunnar; Sörensen, Jens; Lubberink, Mark

2018-02-15

Resolution and quantitative accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET) are highly influenced by the reconstruction method. Penalized likelihood estimation algorithms allow for fully convergent iterative reconstruction, generating a higher image contrast while limiting noise compared to ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM). In this study, block-sequential regularized expectation maximization (BSREM) was compared to time-of-flight OSEM (TOF-OSEM). Various strengths of noise penalization factor β were tested along with scan durations and transaxial field of views (FOVs) with the aim to evaluate the performance and clinical use of BSREM for 18 F-FDG-PET-computed tomography (CT), both in quantitative terms and in a qualitative visual evaluation. Methods: Eleven clinical whole-body 18 F-FDG-PET/CT examinations acquired on a digital TOF PET/CT scanner were included. The data were reconstructed using BSREM with point spread function (PSF) recovery and β 133, 267, 400 and 533, and TOF-OSEM with PSF, for various acquisition times/bed position (bp) and FOVs. Noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-background ratio (SBR), and standardized uptake values (SUVs) were analysed. A blinded visual image quality evaluation, rating several aspects, performed by two nuclear medicine physicians complemented the analysis. Results: The lowest levels of noise were reached with the highest β resulting in the highest SNR, which in turn resulted in the lowest SBR. Noise equivalence to TOF-OSEM was found with β 400 but produced a significant increase of SUV max (11%), SNR (22%) and SBR (12%) compared to TOF-OSEM. BSREM with β 533 at decreased acquisition (2 min/bp) was comparable to TOF-OSEM at full acquisition duration (3 min/bp). Reconstructed FOV had an impact on BSREM outcome measures, SNR increased while SBR decreased when shifting FOV from 70 to 50 cm. The visual image quality evaluation resulted in similar scores for reconstructions although β 400 obtained the

TOF neutron diffraction study of archaeological ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kockelmann, W.; Kirfel, A.

1999-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The time-of flight (TOF) neutron diffractometer ROTAX [1] at ISIS has been used for identification and quantitative phase analysis of archaeological pottery. Neutron diffraction yields mineral phase fractions which, in parallel with information obtained from other archaeometric examination techniques, can provide a fingerprint that can be used to identify provenance and reconstruct methods of manufacturing of an archaeological ceramic product. Phase fractions obtained from a 13th century Rhenish stoneware jar compare well with those obtained from a powder sample prepared from the same fragment. This indicates that reliable results can be obtained by illuminating a large piece or even an intact ceramic object making TOF neutron diffraction a truly non-destructive examination technique. In comparison to X-ray diffraction, information from the bulk sample rather than from surface regions is obtained. ROTAX allows for a simple experimental set-up, free of sample movements. Programmes of archaeological study on ROTAX involve Russian samples (Upper-Volga culture, 5000-2000 BC), Greek pottery, (Agora/Athens, 500-300 BC), and medieval German earthenware and stoneware ceramics (Siegburg waster heap, 13-15th century). (author)

Synthesis and non-covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes rings: new nanomaterials with lectin affinity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assali, Mohyeddin; Leal, Manuel Pernía; Khiar, Noureddine; Fernández, Inmaculada

2013-01-01

We present a mild and practical carbon nanotubes rings (CNRs) synthesis from non-covalent functionalized and water-soluble linear single-wall carbon nanotubes. The hemi-micellar–supramolecular self-organization of lactose-based glycolipid 1 on the ring surface, followed by photo-polymerization of the diacetylenic function triggered by UV light afforded the first water-soluble and biocompatible CNRs. The obtained donut-like nanoconstructs expose a high density of lactose moieties on their surface, and are able to engage specific interactions with Arachis hypogea lectin similar to glycoconjugates on the cell membrane. (paper)

Timing Calibration for Time-of-Flight PET Using Positron-Emitting Isotopes and Annihilation Targets

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaoli; Burr, Kent C.; Wang, Gin-Chung; Du, Huini; Gagnon, Daniel

2016-06-01

Adding time-of-flight (TOF) technology has been proven to improve image quality in positron emission tomography (PET). In order for TOF information to significantly reduce the statistical noise in reconstructed PET images, good timing resolution is needed across the scanner field of view (FOV). This work proposes an accurate, robust, and practical crystal-based timing calibration method using 18F - FDG positron-emitting sources together with a spatially separated annihilation target. We calibrated a prototype Toshiba TOF PET scanner using this method and then assessed its timing resolution at different locations in the scanner FOV.

Complete-arch accuracy of intraoral scanners.

Science.gov (United States)

Treesh, Joshua C; Liacouras, Peter C; Taft, Robert M; Brooks, Daniel I; Raiciulescu, Sorana; Ellert, Daniel O; Grant, Gerald T; Ye, Ling

2018-04-30

Intraoral scanners have shown varied results in complete-arch applications. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the complete-arch accuracy of 4 intraoral scanners based on trueness and precision measurements compared with a known reference (trueness) and with each other (precision). Four intraoral scanners were evaluated: CEREC Bluecam, CEREC Omnicam, TRIOS Color, and Carestream CS 3500. A complete-arch reference cast was created and printed using a 3-dimensional dental cast printer with photopolymer resin. The reference cast was digitized using a laboratory-based white light 3-dimensional scanner. The printed reference cast was scanned 10 times with each intraoral scanner. The digital standard tessellation language (STL) files from each scanner were then registered to the reference file and compared with differences in trueness and precision using a 3-dimensional modeling software. Additionally, scanning time was recorded for each scan performed. The Wilcoxon signed rank, Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunn tests were used to detect differences for trueness, precision, and scanning time (α=.05). Carestream CS 3500 had the lowest overall trueness and precision compared with Bluecam and TRIOS Color. The fourth scanner, Omnicam, had intermediate trueness and precision. All of the scanners tended to underestimate the size of the reference file, with exception of the Carestream CS 3500, which was more variable. Based on visual inspection of the color rendering of signed differences, the greatest amount of error tended to be in the posterior aspects of the arch, with local errors exceeding 100 μm for all scans. The single capture scanner Carestream CS 3500 had the overall longest scan times and was significantly slower than the continuous capture scanners TRIOS Color and Omnicam. Significant differences in both trueness and precision were found among the scanners. Scan times of the continuous capture scanners were faster than the single capture scanners

Real-time image processing of TOF range images using a reconfigurable processor system

Science.gov (United States)

Hussmann, S.; Knoll, F.; Edeler, T.

2011-07-01

During the last years, Time-of-Flight sensors achieved a significant impact onto research fields in machine vision. In comparison to stereo vision system and laser range scanners they combine the advantages of active sensors providing accurate distance measurements and camera-based systems recording a 2D matrix at a high frame rate. Moreover low cost 3D imaging has the potential to open a wide field of additional applications and solutions in markets like consumer electronics, multimedia, digital photography, robotics and medical technologies. This paper focuses on the currently implemented 4-phase-shift algorithm in this type of sensors. The most time critical operation of the phase-shift algorithm is the arctangent function. In this paper a novel hardware implementation of the arctangent function using a reconfigurable processor system is presented and benchmarked against the state-of-the-art CORDIC arctangent algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is well suited for real-time processing of the range images of TOF cameras.

Reasons for non-adherence to the dapivirine vaginal ring: results of the MTN-032/ AHA study.

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery, Elizabeth T; Stadler, Jonathan; Naidoo, Sarita; Katz, Ariana; Laborde, Nicole; Garcia, Morgan; Reddy, Krishnaveni; Mansoor, Leila; Etima, Juliane; Zimba, Chifundo; Chitukuta, Miria; Soto-Torres, Lydia

2018-05-11

METHODS:: Former ASPIRE participants were stratified by age group (18-21; 22-45) and randomly selected at seven sites in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, 12-17 months after trial exit. Using in-depth interviews or focus group discussions, ring use barriers were explored using structured guides and visual tools including individual-level depictions of dapivirine levels detected in plasma and returned rings. 187 were enrolled; 37% were 18-21 when they began ASPIRE. Most (75%) had drug-level results suggesting inconsistent ring use throughout ASPIRE. Participants viewed themselves as adherent, while simultaneously describing regular instances and reasons for ring removal (e.g. for sex or menses). Less adherent women reported fears that partners would oppose the ring or feel it during sex. High adherers expressed altruistic motivations for ring use. Women of all ages attributed young women's non-adherence to their tendency to be less "serious" about the future, HIV prevention and the study; motivated predominantly by benefits; more fearful of fertility-related consequences; and to having less relationship control. When presented with objective adherence data, participants provided reasons for intermittent ring use, while simultaneously portraying themselves as consistent ring users. Further research is needed to understand how women could use the ring in a way that fits into the context of their relationships and their lives while still conferring adequate HIV prophylaxis.

Contaminant screening of wastewater with HPLC-IM-qTOF-MS and LC+LC-IM-qTOF-MS using a CCS database.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Susanne; Hippler, Joerg; Köhler, Timo; Deeb, Ahmad A; Schmidt, Torsten C; Schmitz, Oliver J

2016-09-01

Non-target analysis has become an important tool in the field of water analysis since a broad variety of pollutants from different sources are released to the water cycle. For identification of compounds in such complex samples, liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry are often used. The introduction of ion mobility spectrometry provides an additional separation dimension and allows determining collision cross sections (CCS) of the analytes as a further physicochemical constant supporting the identification. A CCS database with more than 500 standard substances including drug-like compounds and pesticides was used for CCS data base search in this work. A non-target analysis of a wastewater sample was initially performed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to an ion mobility-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometer (IM-qTOF-MS). A database search including exact mass (±5 ppm) and CCS (±1 %) delivered 22 different compounds. Furthermore, the same sample was analyzed with a two-dimensional LC method, called LC+LC, developed in our group for the coupling to IM-qTOF-MS. This four dimensional separation platform revealed 53 different compounds, identified over exact mass and CCS, in the examined wastewater sample. It is demonstrated that the CCS database can also help to distinguish between isobaric structures exemplified for cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. Graphical Abstract Scheme of sample analysis and database screening.

Non-Linear Rheological Properties and Neutron Scattering Investigation on Dilute Ring-Linear Blends

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pyckhout-Hintzen, W.; Bras, A.R.; Wischnewski, A.

in a filament stretching rheometer, followed by quenching, strong anisotropic scattering patterns were obtained which were described by affinely deformed rings which function as giant, polymeric chemical crosslinks or sliplinks and more or less isotropic topological contributions from the entangling...... with interpenetrating linear chains. At the same time the non-linear rheological and mechanical data fit to a non-affine slip-tube model as for moderately crosslinked networks and to interchain pressure models or a modified non-linear Doi-Edwards description for the observed strain hardening during the extensional...

MALDI-TOF MS is more accurate than VITEK II ANC card and API Rapid ID 32 A system for the identification of Clostridium species.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young Jin; Kim, Si Hyun; Park, Hyun-Jung; Park, Hae-Geun; Park, Dongchul; Song, Sae Am; Lee, Hee Joo; Yong, Dongeun; Choi, Jun Yong; Kook, Joong-Ki; Kim, Hye Ran; Shin, Jeong Hwan

2016-08-01

All 50 Clostridium difficile strains were definitely identified by Vitek2 system, Rapid ID 32A system, and MALDI-TOF. For 18 non-difficile Clostridium strains, the identification results were correct in 0, 2, and 17 strains by Vitek2, Rapid ID 32A, and MALDI-TOF, respectively. MALDI-TOF could be used as the primary tool for identification of Clostridium species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current generation time-of-flight 18F-FDG PET/CT provides higher SUVs for normal adrenal glands, while maintaining an accurate characterization of benign and malignant glands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopman, Daniëlle; Koopman, Daniëlle; van Dalen, Jorn A.; Stigt, Jos A.; Slump, Cornelis H.; Knollema, Siert; Jager, Pieter L.

ObjectiveModern PET/CT scanners have significantly improved detectors and fast time-of-flight (TOF) performance and this may improve clinical performance. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of a current generation TOF PET/CT scanner on standardized uptake values (SUV), lesion-background

Basic performance of Mg co-doped new scintillator used for TOF-DOI-PET systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Takahiro; Yamamoto, Seiichi; Okumura, Satoshi; Yeom, Jung Yeol; Kamada, Kei; Yoshikawa, Akira

2017-01-01

Phoswich depth-of-interaction (DOI) detectors utilizing multiple scintillators with different decay time are a useful device for developing a high spatial resolution, high sensitivity PET scanner. However, in order to apply pulse shape discrimination (PSD), there are not many combinations of scintillators for which phoswich technique can be implemented. Ce doped Gd_3Ga_3Al_2O_1_2 (GFAG) is a recently developed scintillator with a fast decay time. This scintillator is similar to Ce doped Gd_3Al_2Ga_3O_1_2 (GAGG), which is a promising scintillator for PET detector with high light yield. By stacking these scintillators, it may be possible to realize a high spatial resolution and high timing resolution phoswich DOI detector. Such phoswich DOI detector may be applied to time-of-flight (TOF) systems with high timing performance. Therefore, in this study, we tested the basic performance of the new scintillator –GFAG for use in a TOF phoswich detector. The measured decay time of a GFAG element of 2.9 mmx2.9 mmx10 mm in dimension, which was optically coupled to a photomultiplier tube (PMT), was faster (66 ns) than that of same sized GAGG (103 ns). The energy resolution of the GFAG element was 5.7% FWHM which was slightly worse than that of GAGG with 4.9% FWHM for 662 keV gamma photons without saturation correction. Then we assembled the GFAG and the GAGG crystals in the depth direction to form a 20 mm long phoswich element (GFAG/GAGG). By pulse shape analysis, the two types of scintillators were clearly resolved. Measured timing resolution of a pair of opposing GFAG/GAGG phoswich scintillator coupled to Silicon Photomultipliers (Si-PM) was good with coincidence resolving time of 466 ps FWHM. These results indicate that the GFAG combined with GAGG can be a candidate for TOF-DOI-PET systems.

A near-infrared confocal scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seungwoo; Yoo, Hongki

2014-01-01

In the semiconductor industry, manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) packages or 3D integrated circuits is a high-performance technique that requires combining several functions in a small volume. Through-silicon vias, which are vertical electrical connections extending through a wafer, can be used to direct signals between stacked chips, thus increasing areal density by stacking and connecting multiple patterned chips. While defect detection is essential in the semiconductor manufacturing process, it is difficult to identify defects within a wafer or to monitor the bonding results between bonded surfaces because silicon and many other semiconductor materials are opaque to visible wavelengths. In this context, near-infrared (NIR) imaging is a promising non-destructive method to detect defects within silicon chips, to inspect bonding between chips and to monitor the chip alignment since NIR transmits through silicon. In addition, a confocal scanner provides high-contrast, optically-sectioned images of the specimen due to its ability to reject out-of-focus noise. In this study, we report an NIR confocal scanner that rapidly acquires high-resolution images with a large field of view through silicon. Two orthogonal line-scanning images can be acquired without rotating the system or the specimen by utilizing two orthogonally configured resonant scanning mirrors. This NIR confocal scanner can be efficiently used as an in-line inspection system when manufacturing semiconductor devices by rapidly detecting defects on and beneath the surface. (paper)

Basic Design Report of DC-TOF Inelastic Neutron Spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

So, Ji Yong; Park, Je Geun; Moon, Myung Kook; Cho, Sang Jin; Choi, Yung Hyun; Lee, Chang Hee

2006-04-15

We made Basic designs of neutron guide, choppers, and detectors in order to optimize the design parameters of DC-TOF to be built in the HANARO Cold Neutron Guide Hall. In addition, we calculated the expected performance of DC-TOF using Monte Carlo simulations and evaluated the properties of neutron beam. Based on the results we obtained, we have compared the expected performance of the DC-TOF with those of existing instruments overseas. In conclusion, we believe that we will be able to construct the DC-TOF at HANARO as one of the best instruments of its kinds and it will become an invaluable instrument to researchers in the related field.

Highly accurate adaptive TOF determination method for ultrasonic thickness measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Lianjie; Liu, Haibo; Lian, Meng; Ying, Yangwei; Li, Te; Wang, Yongqing

2018-04-01

Determining the time of flight (TOF) is very critical for precise ultrasonic thickness measurement. However, the relatively low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received signals would induce significant TOF determination errors. In this paper, an adaptive time delay estimation method has been developed to improve the TOF determination’s accuracy. An improved variable step size adaptive algorithm with comprehensive step size control function is proposed. Meanwhile, a cubic spline fitting approach is also employed to alleviate the restriction of finite sampling interval. Simulation experiments under different SNR conditions were conducted for performance analysis. Simulation results manifested the performance advantage of proposed TOF determination method over existing TOF determination methods. When comparing with the conventional fixed step size, and Kwong and Aboulnasr algorithms, the steady state mean square deviation of the proposed algorithm was generally lower, which makes the proposed algorithm more suitable for TOF determination. Further, ultrasonic thickness measurement experiments were performed on aluminum alloy plates with various thicknesses. They indicated that the proposed TOF determination method was more robust even under low SNR conditions, and the ultrasonic thickness measurement accuracy could be significantly improved.

The non-planar single-frequency ring laser with variable output coupling

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ke-ying; Yang, Su-hui; Wei, Guang-hui

2002-03-01

We put forward a novel non-planar single-frequency ring laser, which consists of a corner cube prism and a specially cut Porro prism made by Nd:YAG crystal. The relative angle between the corner cube and the Porro prism could be adjusted to control the output coupling of the laser resonator and the polarization-state of the output laser. A 1.06 μm single-frequency laser with 1 W output has been obtained.

Some Aspects of Ring Theory

CERN Document Server

Herstein, IN

2011-01-01

S. Amitsur: Associative rings with identities.- I.N. Herstein: Topics in ring theory.- N. Jacobson: Representation theory of Jordan algebras.- I. Kaplansky: The theory of homological dimension.- D. Buchsbaum: Complexes in local ring theory.- P.H. Cohn: Two topics in ring theory.- A.W. Goldie: Non-commutative localisation.

Neurosurgical operating computerized tomographic scanner system. The CT scanner in the operating theater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okudera, Hiroshi; Sugita, Kenichiro; Kobayashi, Shigeaki; Kimishima, Sakae; Yoshida, Hisashi

1988-12-01

A neurosurgical operating computerized tomography scanner system is presented. This system has been developed for obtaining intra- and postoperative CT images in the operating room. A TCT-300 scanner (manufactured by the Toshiba Co., Tokyo) is placed in the operating room. The realization of a true intraoperative CT image requires certain improvements in the CT scanner and operating table. To adjust the axis of the co-ordinates of the motor system of the MST-7000 microsurgical operating table (manufactured by the Mizuho Ika Co., Tokyo) to the CT scanner, we have designed an interface and a precise motor system so that the computer of the CT scanner can directly control the movement of the operating table. Furthermore, a new head-fixation system has been designed for producing artifact-free intraoperative CT images. The head-pins of the head-fixation system are made of carbon-fiber bars and titanium tips. A simulation study of the total system in the operating room with the CT scanner, operating table, and head holder using a skull model yielded a degree of error similar to that in the phantom testing of the original scanner. Three patients underwent resection of a glial tumor using this system. Intraoperative CT scans taken after dural opening showed a bulging of the cortex, a shift in the central structure, and a displacement of the cortical subarachnoid spaces under the influence of gravity. With a contrast medium the edge of the surrounding brain after resection was enhanced and the residual tumor mass was demonstrated clearly. This system makes it possible to obtain a noninvasive intraoperative image in a situation where structural shifts are taking place.

Long-Range WindScanner System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vasiljevic, Nikola; Lea, Guillaume; Courtney, Michael

2016-01-01

The technical aspects of a multi-Doppler LiDAR instrument, the long-range WindScanner system, are presented accompanied by an overview of the results from several field campaigns. The long-range WindScanner system consists of three spatially-separated, scanning coherent Doppler LiDARs and a remote......-rangeWindScanner system measures the wind field by emitting and directing three laser beams to intersect, and then scanning the beam intersection over a region of interest. The long-range WindScanner system was developed to tackle the need for high-quality observations of wind fields on scales of modern wind turbine...

Design and performance evaluation of a coplanar multimodality scanner for rodent imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lage, E; Vaquero, J J; Sisniega, A; Tapias, G; Abella, M; Rodriguez-Ruano, A; Desco, M [Unidad de Medicina y Cirugia Experimental, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon, Madrid (Spain); Espana, S [Departamento de Fisica Atomica, Molecular y Nuclear, Facultad de Ciencias Fisicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid (Spain); Ortuno, J E [Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Zaragoza (Spain); Udias, A [Departamento de Estadistica e Investigacion Operativa, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Fuenlabrada (Spain)], E-mail: elage@mce.hggm.es

2009-09-21

This work reports on the development and performance evaluation of the VrPET/CT, a new multimodality scanner with coplanar geometry for in vivo rodent imaging. The scanner design is based on a partial-ring PET system and a small-animal CT assembled on a rotatory gantry without axial displacement between the geometric centers of both fields of view (FOV). We report on the PET system performance based on the NEMA NU-4 protocol; the performance characteristics of the CT component are not included herein. The accuracy of inter-modality alignment and the imaging capability of the whole system are also evaluated on phantom and animal studies. Tangential spatial resolution of PET images ranged between 1.56 mm at the center of the FOV and 2.46 at a radial offset of 3.5 cm. The radial resolution varies from 1.48 mm to 1.88 mm, and the axial resolution from 2.34 mm to 3.38 mm for the same positions. The energy resolution was 16.5% on average for the entire system. The absolute coincidence sensitivity is 2.2% for a 100-700 keV energy window with a 3.8 ns coincident window. The scatter fraction values for the same settings were 11.45% for a mouse-sized phantom and 23.26% for a rat-sized phantom. The peak noise equivalent count rates were also evaluated for those phantoms obtaining 70.8 kcps at 0.66 MBq/cc and 31.5 kcps at 0.11 MBq/cc, respectively. The accuracy of inter-modality alignment is below half the PET resolution, and the image quality of biological specimens agrees with measured performance parameters. The assessment presented in this study shows that the VrPET/CT system is a good performance small-animal imager, while the cost derived from a partial ring detection system is substantially reduced as compared with a full-ring PET tomograph.

APD Response Time Measurements for Future TOF-E Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Starkey, M. J.; Ogasawara, K.; Dayeh, M. A.; Desai, M. I.

2017-12-01

In space physics, the ability to detect ions is crucial to understanding plasma distributions in the solar wind. This usually typically requires the determination of the particle's mass, charge, and total energy. Current ion detection schemes are implemented in three sequential parts; an electrostatic analyzer for energy per charge (E/Q) measurements, a time-of-flight (TOF) for mass per charge (M/Q) measurements, and a solid-state detector (SSD) for total energy (E) measurements. Recent work has suggested the use of avalanche photodiode detectors (APD) for a simultaneous TOF and total energy (TOF-E) measurement system, which would replace traditional SSDs, simplify design, and reduce costs. Although TOF based ion spectrometry typically requires timing resolution of systems.

The cobalt-60 container scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jigang, A.; Liye, Z.; Yisi, L.; Haifeng, W.; Zhifang, W.; Liqiang, W.; Yuanshi, Z.; Xincheng, X.; Furong, L.; Baozeng, G.; Chunfa, S.

1997-01-01

The Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology (INET) has successfully designed and constructed a container (cargo) scanner, which uses cobalt-60 of 100-300 Ci as radiation source. The following performances of the Cobalt-60 container scanner have been achieved at INET: a) IQI (Image Quality Indicator) - 2.5% behind 100 mm of steel; b) CI (Contrast Indicator) - 0.7% behind 100 mm of steel; c) SP (Steel Penetration) - 240 mm of steel; d) Maximum Dose per Scanning - 0.02mGy; e) Throughput - twenty 40-foot containers per hour. These performances are equal or similar to those of the accelerator scanners. Besides these nice enough inspection properties, the Cobalt-60 scanner possesses many other special features which are better than accelerator scanners: a) cheap price - it will be only or two tenths of the accelerator scanner's; b) low radiation intensity - the radiation protection problem is much easier to solve and a lot of money can be saved on the radiation shielding building; c) much smaller area for installation and operation; d) simple operation and convenient maintenance; e) high reliability and stability. The Cobalt-60 container (or cargo) scanner is satisfied for boundary customs, seaports, airports and railway stations etc. Because of the nice special features said above, it is more suitable to be applied widely. Its high properties and low price will make it have much better application prospects

Solid-supported enzymatic synthesis of pectic oligogalacturonides and their analysis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guillaumie, Fanny; Sterling, J.D.; Jensen, K.J.

2003-01-01

Solid-phase biosynthetic reactions, followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis (MALDI-TOF), was used to gain insight into the biosynthesis of pectin oligomers. Sepharose supports bearing long pectic oligogalacturonides (OGAs) anchored through...... into the liquid phases by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. In time course studies conducted with an immobilized (alpha-D-GalA)(14) and limiting amounts of the glycosyl donor, the predominant product was an OGA extended by one GalA residue at the non-reducing end (i.e., (GalA)(15)). When UDP-GalA was added...

A high resolution TOF-PET concept with axial geometry and digital SiPM readout

CERN Document Server

Casella, C; Joram, C; Schneider, T

2014-01-01

The axial arrangement of long scintillation crystals is a promising concept in PET instrumentation to address the need for optimized resolution and sensitivity. Individual crystal readout and arrays of wavelength shifter strips placed orthogonally to the crystals lead to a 3D-detection of the annihilations photons. A fully operational demonstrator scanner, developed by the AX-PET collaboration, proved the potential of this concept in terms of energy and spatial resolution as well as sensitivity. This paper describes a feasibility study, performed on axial prototype detector modules with 100 mm long LYSO crystals, read out by the novel digital Silicon Photomultipliers (dSiPM) from Philips. With their highly integrated readout electronics and excellent intrinsic time resolution, dSiPMs allow for compact, axial detector modules which may extend the potential of the axial PET concept by time of fl ight capabilities (TOF-PET). A coincidence time resolution of 211 ps (FWHM) was achieved in the coincidence of two ax...

Scanner calibration revisited

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pozhitkov Alexander E

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Calibration of a microarray scanner is critical for accurate interpretation of microarray results. Shi et al. (BMC Bioinformatics, 2005, 6, Art. No. S11 Suppl. 2. reported usage of a Full Moon BioSystems slide for calibration. Inspired by the Shi et al. work, we have calibrated microarray scanners in our previous research. We were puzzled however, that most of the signal intensities from a biological sample fell below the sensitivity threshold level determined by the calibration slide. This conundrum led us to re-investigate the quality of calibration provided by the Full Moon BioSystems slide as well as the accuracy of the analysis performed by Shi et al. Methods Signal intensities were recorded on three different microarray scanners at various photomultiplier gain levels using the same calibration slide from Full Moon BioSystems. Data analysis was conducted on raw signal intensities without normalization or transformation of any kind. Weighted least-squares method was used to fit the data. Results We found that initial analysis performed by Shi et al. did not take into account autofluorescence of the Full Moon BioSystems slide, which led to a grossly distorted microarray scanner response. Our analysis revealed that a power-law function, which is explicitly accounting for the slide autofluorescence, perfectly described a relationship between signal intensities and fluorophore quantities. Conclusions Microarray scanners respond in a much less distorted fashion than was reported by Shi et al. Full Moon BioSystems calibration slides are inadequate for performing calibration. We recommend against using these slides.

Noninvasive glucose sensing in scattering media using OCT, PAS, and TOF techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Alarousu, Erkki; Hast, Jukka T.; Kinnunen, Matti T.; Kirillin, Mikhail Y.; Myllyla, Risto A.; Plucinski, Jerzy; Popov, Alexey P.; Priezzhev, Alexander V.; Prykari, Tuukka; Saarela, Juha; Zhao, Zuomin

2004-08-01

In this paper, optical measurement techniques, which enable non-invasive measurement, are superimposed to glucose sensing in scattering media. Used measurement techniques are Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) and laser pulse Time-of-Flight (TOF) measurement using a streak camera. In parallel with measurements, a Monte-Carlo (MC) simulation models have been developed. Experimental in vitro measurements were performed using Intralipid fat emulsion as a tissue simulating phantom for OCT and TOF measurements. In PAS measurements, a pork meat was used as a subject but also preliminary in vivo measurements were done. OCT measurement results show that the slope of the OCT signal's envelope changes as a function of glucose content in the scattering media. TOF measurements show that the laser pulse full width of half maximum (FWHM) changes a little as function of glucose content. An agreement with MC-simulations and measurements with Intralipid was also found. Measurement results of PAS technique show that changes in glucose content in the pork meat tissue can be measured. In vivo measurements with a human volunteer show that other factors such as physiological change, blood circulation and body temperature drift may interfere the PA response of glucose.

A new strategy for faster urinary biomarkers identification by Nano-LC-MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Le Meur Y

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background LC-MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis is a potent tool in biomarkers discovery characterized by its high sensitivity and high throughput capacity. However, methods based on MALDI-TOF/TOF for biomarkers discovery still need optimization, in particular to reduce analysis time and to evaluate their reproducibility for peak intensities measurement. The aims of this methodological study were: (i to optimize and critically evaluate each step of urine biomarker discovery method based on Nano-LC coupled off-line to MALDI-TOF/TOF, taking full advantage of the dual decoupling between Nano-LC, MS and MS/MS to reduce the overall analysis time; (ii to evaluate the quantitative performance and reproducibility of nano-LC-MALDI analysis in biomarker discovery; and (iii to evaluate the robustness of biomarkers selection. Results A pool of urine sample spiked at increasing concentrations with a mixture of standard peptides was used as a specimen for biological samples with or without biomarkers. Extraction and nano-LC-MS variabilities were estimated by analyzing in triplicates and hexaplicates, respectively. The stability of chromatographic fractions immobilised with MALDI matrix on MALDI plates was evaluated by successive MS acquisitions after different storage times at different temperatures. Low coefficient of variation (CV%: 10–22% and high correlation (R2 > 0.96 values were obtained for the quantification of the spiked peptides, allowing quantification of these peptides in the low fentomole range, correct group discrimination and selection of "specific" markers using principal component analysis. Excellent peptide integrity and stable signal intensity were found when MALDI plates were stored for periods of up to 2 months at +4°C. This allowed storage of MALDI plates between LC separation and MS acquisition (first decoupling, and between MS and MSMS acquisitions while the selection of inter-group discriminative ions is done (second decoupling

A new strategy for faster urinary biomarkers identification by Nano-LC-MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Benkali, K; Marquet, P; Rérolle, JP; Le Meur, Y; Gastinel, LN

2008-01-01

Background LC-MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis is a potent tool in biomarkers discovery characterized by its high sensitivity and high throughput capacity. However, methods based on MALDI-TOF/TOF for biomarkers discovery still need optimization, in particular to reduce analysis time and to evaluate their reproducibility for peak intensities measurement. The aims of this methodological study were: (i) to optimize and critically evaluate each step of urine biomarker discovery method based on Nano-LC coupled off-line to MALDI-TOF/TOF, taking full advantage of the dual decoupling between Nano-LC, MS and MS/MS to reduce the overall analysis time; (ii) to evaluate the quantitative performance and reproducibility of nano-LC-MALDI analysis in biomarker discovery; and (iii) to evaluate the robustness of biomarkers selection. Results A pool of urine sample spiked at increasing concentrations with a mixture of standard peptides was used as a specimen for biological samples with or without biomarkers. Extraction and nano-LC-MS variabilities were estimated by analyzing in triplicates and hexaplicates, respectively. The stability of chromatographic fractions immobilised with MALDI matrix on MALDI plates was evaluated by successive MS acquisitions after different storage times at different temperatures. Low coefficient of variation (CV%: 10–22%) and high correlation (R2 > 0.96) values were obtained for the quantification of the spiked peptides, allowing quantification of these peptides in the low fentomole range, correct group discrimination and selection of "specific" markers using principal component analysis. Excellent peptide integrity and stable signal intensity were found when MALDI plates were stored for periods of up to 2 months at +4°C. This allowed storage of MALDI plates between LC separation and MS acquisition (first decoupling), and between MS and MSMS acquisitions while the selection of inter-group discriminative ions is done (second decoupling). Finally the recording of

Rapid identification and source-tracking of Listeria monocytogenes using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Jadhav, Snehal; Gulati, Vandana; Fox, Edward M; Karpe, Avinash; Beale, David J; Sevior, Danielle; Bhave, Mrinal; Palombo, Enzo A

2015-06-02

Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen responsible for the sometimes fatal disease listeriosis. Public health concerns and stringent regulations associated with the presence of this pathogen in food and food processing environments underline the need for rapid and reliable detection and subtyping techniques. In the current study, the application of matrix assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) as a single identification and source-tracking tool for a collection of L. monocytogenes isolates, obtained predominantly from dairy sources within Australia, was explored. The isolates were cultured on different growth media and analysed using MALDI-TOF MS at two incubation times (24 and 48 h). Whilst reliable genus-level identification was achieved from most media, identification at the species level was found to be dependent on culture conditions. Successful speciation was highest for isolates cultured on the chromogenic Agar Listeria Ottaviani Agosti agar (ALOA, 91% of isolates) and non-selective horse blood agar (HBA, 89%) for 24h. Chemometric statistical analysis of the MALDI-TOF MS data enabled source-tracking of L. monocytogenes isolates obtained from four different dairy sources. Strain-level discrimination was also observed to be influenced by culture conditions. In addition, t-test/analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to identify potential biomarker peaks that differentiated the isolates according to their source of isolation. Source-tracking using MALDI-TOF MS was compared and correlated with the gold standard pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) technique. The discriminatory index and the congruence between both techniques were compared using the Simpsons Diversity Index and adjusted Rand and Wallace coefficients. Overall, MALDI-TOF MS based source-tracking (using data obtained by culturing the isolates on HBA) and PFGE demonstrated good congruence with a Wallace coefficient of 0.71 and

Dissemination of data measured at the CERN n_TOF facility

Science.gov (United States)

Dupont, E.; Otuka, N.; Cabellos, O.; Aberle, O.; Aerts, G.; Altstadt, S.; Alvarez, H.; Alvarez-Velarde, F.; Andriamonje, S.; Andrzejewski, J.; Audouin, L.; Bacak, M.; Badurek, G.; Balibrea, J.; Barbagallo, M.; Barros, S.; Baumann, P.; Bécares, V.; Bečvář, F.; Beinrucker, C.; Belloni, F.; Berthier, B.; Berthoumieux, E.; Billowes, J.; Boccone, V.; Bosnar, D.; Brown, A.; Brugger, M.; Caamaño, M.; Calviani, M.; Calviño, F.; Cano-Ott, D.; Capote, R.; Cardella, R.; Carrapiço, C.; Casanovas, A.; Castelluccio, D. M.; Cennini, P.; Cerutti, F.; Chen, Y. H.; Chiaveri, E.; Chin, M.; Colonna, N.; Cortés, G.; Cortés-Giraldo, M. A.; Cosentino, L.; Couture, A.; Cox, J.; Damone, L. A.; David, S.; Deo, K.; Diakaki, M.; Dillmann, I.; Domingo-Pardo, C.; Dressler, R.; Dridi, W.; Duran, I.; Eleftheriadis, C.; Embid-Segura, M.; Fernández-Domínguez, B.; Ferrant, L.; Ferrari, A.; Ferreira, P.; Finocchiaro, P.; Fraval, K.; Frost, R. J. W.; Fujii, K.; Furman, W.; Ganesan, S.; Garcia, A. R.; Gawlik, A.; Gheorghe, I.; Gilardoni, S.; Giubrone, G.; Glodariu, T.; Göbel, K.; Gomez-Hornillos, M. B.; Goncalves, I. F.; Gonzalez-Romero, E.; Goverdovski, A.; Gramegna, F.; Griesmayer, E.; Guerrero, C.; Gunsing, F.; Gurusamy, P.; Haight, R.; Harada, H.; Heftrich, T.; Heil, M.; Heinitz, S.; Hernández-Prieto, A.; Heyse, J.; Igashira, M.; Isaev, S.; Jenkins, D. G.; Jericha, E.; Kadi, Y.; Kaeppeler, F.; Kalamara, A.; Karadimos, D.; Karamanis, D.; Katabuchi, T.; Kavrigin, P.; Kerveno, M.; Ketlerov, V.; Khryachkov, V.; Kimura, A.; Kivel, N.; Kokkoris, M.; Konovalov, V.; Krtička, M.; Kroll, J.; Kurtulgil, D.; Lampoudis, C.; Langer, C.; Leal-Cidoncha, E.; Lederer, C.; Leeb, H.; Naour, C. Le; Lerendegui-Marco, J.; Leong, L. S.; Licata, M.; Meo, S. Lo; Lonsdale, S. J.; Losito, R.; Lozano, M.; Macina, D.; Manousos, A.; Marganiec, J.; Martinez, T.; Marrone, S.; Masi, A.; Massimi, C.; Mastinu, P.; Mastromarco, M.; Matteucci, F.; Maugeri, E. A.; Mazzone, A.; Mendoza, E.; Mengoni, A.; Milazzo, P. M.; Mingrone, F.; Mirea, M.; Mondelaers, W.; Montesano, S.; Moreau, C.; Mosconi, M.; Musumarra, A.; Negret, A.; Nolte, R.; O'Brien, S.; Oprea, A.; Palomo-Pinto, F. R.; Pancin, J.; Paradela, C.; Patronis, N.; Pavlik, A.; Pavlopoulos, P.; Perkowski, J.; Perrot, L.; Pigni, M. T.; Plag, R.; Plompen, A.; Plukis, L.; Poch, A.; Porras, I.; Praena, J.; Pretel, C.; Quesada, J. M.; Radeck, D.; Rajeev, K.; Rauscher, T.; Reifarth, R.; Riego, A.; Robles, M.; Roman, F.; Rout, P. C.; Rudolf, G.; Rubbia, C.; Rullhusen, P.; Ryan, J. A.; Sabaté-Gilarte, M.; Salgado, J.; Santos, C.; Sarchiapone, L.; Sarmento, R.; Saxena, A.; Schillebeeckx, P.; Schmidt, S.; Schumann, D.; Sedyshev, P.; Smith, A. G.; Sosnin, N. V.; Stamatopoulos, A.; Stephan, C.; Suryanarayana, S. V.; Tagliente, G.; Tain, J. L.; Tarifeño-Saldivia, A.; Tarrío, D.; Tassan-Got, L.; Tavora, L.; Terlizzi, R.; Tsinganis, A.; Valenta, S.; Vannini, G.; Variale, V.; Vaz, P.; Ventura, A.; Versaci, R.; Vermeulen, M. J.; Villamarin, D.; Vicente, M. C.; Vlachoudis, V.; Vlastou, R.; Voss, F.; Wallner, A.; Walter, S.; Ware, T.; Warren, S.; Weigand, M.; Weiß, C.; Wolf, C.; Wiesher, M.; Wisshak, K.; Woods, P. J.; Wright, T.; Žugec, P.

2017-09-01

The n_TOF neutron time-of-flight facility at CERN is used for high quality nuclear data measurements from thermal energy up to hundreds of MeV. In line with the CERN open data policy, the n_TOF Collaboration takes actions to preserve its unique data, facilitate access to them in standardised format, and allow their re-use by a wide community in the fields of nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics and various nuclear technologies. The present contribution briefly describes the n_TOF outcomes, as well as the status of dissemination and preservation of n_TOF final data in the international EXFOR library.

Online control package for COSY-TOF experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borodina, Ekaterina [Institute fuer Kernphysik I, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, 52325, Juelich (Germany); Moscow State Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (Russian Federation); Roderburg, Eduard; Ritman, James [Institute fuer Kernphysik I, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, 52325, Juelich (Germany)

2009-07-01

The new Straw Tube Tracker and Quirl Microstrip detectors have been installed at the TOF (Time Of Flight) experiment at the COSY accelerator in IKP FZ-Juelich. These new detectors increase the number of channels of the COSY-TOF detector by about a factor of 3. Therefore, a new control package to adjust electronic parameters and for control the proper functionality of all channels is being developed. The online controlling based on visualization of key parameters of detectors plays an important role. The concept and the techniques of the online software package are developed for the COSY-TOF experiment. It consists of conversion software, which transforms a binary data stream from the DAQ to detector oriented event format, methods of IPC (Inter-Process Communications), and GUI (graphical user interface). To achieve data transfer through the network and real time data performance the IPC tools - sockets and shared memory are used. A special GUI, TOF-ONLINE has been developed, based on ROOT. The GUI allows the detectors, plotting spectra, resetting data, etc., to be selected in an intuitive way. Examples of the visualization and the results of the first beam time will be introduced.

TOF-SIMS imaging technique with information entropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoyagi, Satoka; Kawashima, Y.; Kudo, Masahiro

2005-01-01

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is capable of chemical imaging of proteins on insulated samples in principal. However, selection of specific peaks related to a particular protein, which are necessary for chemical imaging, out of numerous candidates had been difficult without an appropriate spectrum analysis technique. Therefore multivariate analysis techniques, such as principal component analysis (PCA), and analysis with mutual information defined by information theory, have been applied to interpret SIMS spectra of protein samples. In this study mutual information was applied to select specific peaks related to proteins in order to obtain chemical images. Proteins on insulated materials were measured with TOF-SIMS and then SIMS spectra were analyzed by means of the analysis method based on the comparison using mutual information. Chemical mapping of each protein was obtained using specific peaks related to each protein selected based on values of mutual information. The results of TOF-SIMS images of proteins on the materials provide some useful information on properties of protein adsorption, optimality of immobilization processes and reaction between proteins. Thus chemical images of proteins by TOF-SIMS contribute to understand interactions between material surfaces and proteins and to develop sophisticated biomaterials

A new BPM-TOF system for CologneAMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pascovici, Gheorghe; Dewald, Alfred; Heinze, Stefan; Schiffer, Markus; Feuerstein, Mark [CologneAMS, Universitaet Koeln (Germany); Pfeiffer, Michael; Jolie, Jan; Zell, Karl Oskar [IKP, Universitaet Koeln (Germany); Blanckenburg, Friedhelm von [GFZ, Potsdam (Germany)

2011-07-01

At the center for accelerator mass spectrometry (CologneAMS) a complex beam detector consisting of a high resolution Beam Profile Monitor (BPM) and a Time of Flight (TOF) spectrometer with tracking capabilities was designed especially for the needs of the Cologne AMS facility. The complex beam detector assembly is designed to match the beam specifications of the 6MV Tandetron AMS setup and its DAQ system, which is presently in the commissioning phase at the IKP of the University of Cologne. The BPM-TOF system will have a reconfigurable structure, namely: either a very fast TOF subsystem with a small active area or a more complex BPM -TOF detector with beam tracking capabilities and with a large active area. The systems aims for background suppression in case of the spectrometry of heavy ions, e.g. U, Cm, Pu, Am etc. and could also be used as an additional filter e.g., for the isobar {sup 36}S in case of the spectrometry of {sup 36}Cl.

Evaluation of a LED-based flatbed document scanner for radiochromic film dosimetry in transmission mode.

Science.gov (United States)

Lárraga-Gutiérrez, José Manuel; García-Garduño, Olivia Amanda; Treviño-Palacios, Carlos; Herrera-González, José Alfredo

2018-03-01

Flatbed scanners are the most frequently used reading instrument for radiochromic film dosimetry because its low cost, high spatial resolution, among other advantages. These scanners use a fluorescent lamp and a CCD array as light source and detector, respectively. Recently, manufacturers of flatbed scanners replaced the fluorescent lamp by light emission diodes (LED) as a light source. The goal of this work is to evaluate the performance of a commercial flatbed scanner with LED based source light for radiochromic film dosimetry. Film read out consistency, response uniformity, film-scanner sensitivity, long term stability and total dose uncertainty was evaluated. In overall, the performance of the LED flatbed scanner is comparable to that of a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL). There are important spectral differences between LED and CCFL lamps that results in a higher sensitivity of the LED scanner in the green channel. Total dose uncertainty, film response reproducibility and long-term stability of LED scanner are slightly better than those of the CCFL. However, the LED based scanner has a strong non-uniform response, up to 9%, that must be adequately corrected for radiotherapy dosimetry QA. The differences in light emission spectra between LED and CCFL lamps and its potential impact on film-scanner sensitivity suggest that the design of a dedicated flat-bed scanner with LEDs may improve sensitivity and dose uncertainty in radiochromic film dosimetry. Copyright © 2018 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards Spectral Library-free MALDI-TOF MS Bacterial Identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Ding; Qiao, Liang; Horvatovich, Péter

2018-05-11

Bacterial identification is of great importance in clinical diagnosis, environmental monitoring and food safety control. Among various strategies, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has drawn significant interests, and has been clinically used. Nevertheless, current bioinformatics solutions use spectral libraries for the identification of bacterial strains. Spectral library generation requires acquisition of MALDI-TOF spectra from monoculture bacterial colonies, which is time-consuming and not possible for many species and strains. We propose a strategy for bacterial typing by MALDI-TOF using protein sequences from public database, i.e. UniProt. Ten genes were identified to encode proteins most often observed by MALD-TOF from bacteria through 500 times repeated a 10-fold double cross-validation procedure, using 403 MALDI-TOF spectra corresponding to 14 genera, 81 species and 403 strains, and the protein sequences of 1276 species in UniProt. The 10 genes were then used to annotate peaks on MALDI-TOF spectra of bacteria for bacterial identification. With the approach, bacteria can be identified at the genus level by searching against a database containing the protein sequences of 42 genera of bacteria from UniProt. Our approach identified 84.1% of the 403 spectra correctly at the genus level. Source code of the algorithm is available at https://github.com/dipcarbon/BacteriaMSLF.

Rotating circular strings, and infinite non-uniqueness of black rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emparan, Roberto

2004-01-01

We present new self-gravitating solutions in five dimensions that describe circular strings, i.e., rings, electrically coupled to a two-form potential (as e.g., fundamental strings do), or to a dual magnetic one-form. The rings are prevented from collapsing by rotation, and they create a field analogous to a dipole, with no net charge measured at infinity. They can have a regular horizon, and we show that this implies the existence of an infinite number of black rings, labeled by a continuous parameter, with the same mass and angular momentum as neutral black rings and black holes. We also discuss the solution for a rotating loop of fundamental string. We show how more general rings arise from intersections of branes with a regular horizon (even at extremality), closely related to the configurations that yield the four-dimensional black hole with four charges. We reproduce the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of a large extremal ring through a microscopic calculation. Finally, we discuss some qualitative ideas for a microscopic understanding of neutral and dipole black rings. (author)

Twisting wire scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gharibyan, V.; Delfs, A.; Koruptchenkov, I.; Noelle, D.; Tiessen, H.; Werner, M.; Wittenburg, K.

2012-11-01

A new type of 'two-in-one' wire scanner is proposed. Recent advances in linear motors' technology make it possible to combine translational and rotational movements. This will allow to scan the beam in two perpendicular directions using a single driving motor and a special fork attached to it. Vertical or horizontal mounting will help to escape problems associated with the 45 deg scanners. Test results of the translational part with linear motors is presented.

Remote sensing observations of the coherent and non-coherent ring structures in the vicinity of Lesser Antilles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. C. Cruz Gómez

2007-03-01

Full Text Available The North Brazil Current Rings (NBCR penetration into the Caribbean Sea is being investigated by employing a merged altimeter-derived sea height anomaly (TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1 and ERS-1, 2, the ocean surface color data (SeaWiFS and Global Drifter Program information. Four strategies are being applied to process the data: (1 calculations of the Okubo-Weiss parameter for NBCR identification, (2 longitude-time plots (also known as Hovmöller diagrams, (3 two-dimensional Radon transforms and (4 two-dimensional Fourier transforms.

A twofold NBCR structure has been detected in the region under investigation. The results have shown that NBC rings mainly propagate into the Caribbean Sea along two principal pathways (near 12° N and 17° N in the ring translation corridor. Thus, rings following the southern pathway in the fall-winter period can enter through very shallow southern straits as non-coherent structures. A different behavior is observed near the northern pathway (~17° N, where NBC rings are thought to have a coherent structure during their squeezing into the eastern Caribbean, i.e. conserving the principal characteristics of the incident rings. We attribute this difference in the rings' behavior to the vertical scales of the rings and to the bottom topography features in the vicinity of the Lesser Antilles.

Dissemination of data measured at the CERN n_TOF facility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dupont E.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The n_TOF neutron time-of-flight facility at CERN is used for high quality nuclear data measurements from thermal energy up to hundreds of MeV. In line with the CERN open data policy, the n_TOF Collaboration takes actions to preserve its unique data, facilitate access to them in standardised format, and allow their re-use by a wide community in the fields of nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics and various nuclear technologies. The present contribution briefly describes the n_TOF outcomes, as well as the status of dissemination and preservation of n_TOF final data in the international EXFOR library.

Recent micro-CT scanner developments at UGCT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dierick, Manuel, E-mail: Manuel.Dierick@UGent.be [UGCT-Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); XRE, X-Ray Engineering bvba, De Pintelaan 111, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Van Loo, Denis, E-mail: info@XRE.be [XRE, X-Ray Engineering bvba, De Pintelaan 111, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Masschaele, Bert [UGCT-Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); XRE, X-Ray Engineering bvba, De Pintelaan 111, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Van den Bulcke, Jan [UGCT-Woodlab-UGent, Department of Forest and Water Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Van Acker, Joris, E-mail: Joris.VanAcker@UGent.be [UGCT-Woodlab-UGent, Department of Forest and Water Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Cnudde, Veerle, E-mail: Veerle.Cnudde@UGent.be [UGCT-SGIG, Department of Geology and Soil Science, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S8, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Van Hoorebeke, Luc, E-mail: Luc.VanHoorebeke@UGent.be [UGCT-Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Ghent (Belgium)

2014-04-01

This paper describes two X-ray micro-CT scanners which were recently developed to extend the experimental possibilities of microtomography research at the Centre for X-ray Tomography ( (www.ugct.ugent.be)) of the Ghent University (Belgium). The first scanner, called Nanowood, is a wide-range CT scanner with two X-ray sources (160 kV{sub max}) and two detectors, resolving features down to 0.4 μm in small samples, but allowing samples up to 35 cm to be scanned. This is a sample size range of 3 orders of magnitude, making this scanner well suited for imaging multi-scale materials such as wood, stone, etc. Besides the traditional cone-beam acquisition, Nanowood supports helical acquisition, and it can generate images with significant phase-contrast contributions. The second scanner, known as the Environmental micro-CT scanner (EMCT), is a gantry based micro-CT scanner with variable magnification for scanning objects which are not easy to rotate in a standard micro-CT scanner, for example because they are physically connected to external experimental hardware such as sensor wiring, tubing or others. This scanner resolves 5 μm features, covers a field-of-view of about 12 cm wide with an 80 cm vertical travel range. Both scanners will be extensively described and characterized, and their potential will be demonstrated with some key application results.

Recent micro-CT scanner developments at UGCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dierick, Manuel; Van Loo, Denis; Masschaele, Bert; Van den Bulcke, Jan; Van Acker, Joris; Cnudde, Veerle; Van Hoorebeke, Luc

2014-01-01

This paper describes two X-ray micro-CT scanners which were recently developed to extend the experimental possibilities of microtomography research at the Centre for X-ray Tomography ( (www.ugct.ugent.be)) of the Ghent University (Belgium). The first scanner, called Nanowood, is a wide-range CT scanner with two X-ray sources (160 kV max ) and two detectors, resolving features down to 0.4 μm in small samples, but allowing samples up to 35 cm to be scanned. This is a sample size range of 3 orders of magnitude, making this scanner well suited for imaging multi-scale materials such as wood, stone, etc. Besides the traditional cone-beam acquisition, Nanowood supports helical acquisition, and it can generate images with significant phase-contrast contributions. The second scanner, known as the Environmental micro-CT scanner (EMCT), is a gantry based micro-CT scanner with variable magnification for scanning objects which are not easy to rotate in a standard micro-CT scanner, for example because they are physically connected to external experimental hardware such as sensor wiring, tubing or others. This scanner resolves 5 μm features, covers a field-of-view of about 12 cm wide with an 80 cm vertical travel range. Both scanners will be extensively described and characterized, and their potential will be demonstrated with some key application results

Applied physics measurements at the CERN n-TOF facility

CERN Document Server

González, E

2002-01-01

The present experimental program of the recently constructed neutron time-of-flight installation at CERN, n_TOF, is dominated by the objectives of a shared cost action project of the EU for the measurement of neutron cross section needed for ADS development and nuclear waste transmutation, nTOF-ADS. This paper presents the motivations and the list of reactions and isotopes considered in this part of the n_TOF program. The experimental methods and the present measurement schedule are also briefly discussed. (7 refs).

Twisting wire scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gharibyan, V.; Delfs, A.; Koruptchenkov, I.; Noelle, D.; Tiessen, H.; Werner, M.; Wittenburg, K.

2012-11-15

A new type of 'two-in-one' wire scanner is proposed. Recent advances in linear motors' technology make it possible to combine translational and rotational movements. This will allow to scan the beam in two perpendicular directions using a single driving motor and a special fork attached to it. Vertical or horizontal mounting will help to escape problems associated with the 45 deg scanners. Test results of the translational part with linear motors is presented.

Evaluation of three sample preparation methods for the direct identification of bacteria in positive blood cultures by MALDI-TOF.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner, Hannah; Evans, Jason T; Gossain, Savita; Hussain, Abid

2017-01-18

Patient mortality is significantly reduced by rapid identification of bacteria from sterile sites. MALDI-TOF can identify bacteria directly from positive blood cultures and multiple sample preparation methods are available. We evaluated three sample preparation methods and two MALDI-TOF score cut-off values. Positive blood culture bottles with organisms present in Gram stains were prospectively analysed by MALDI-TOF. Three lysis reagents (Saponin, SDS, and SepsiTyper lysis bufer) were applied to each positive culture followed by centrifugation, washing and protein extraction steps. Methods were compared using the McNemar test and 16S rDNA sequencing was used to assess discordant results. In 144 monomicrobial cultures, using ≥2.000 as the cut-off value, species level identifications were obtained from 69/144 (48%) samples using Saponin, 86/144 (60%) using SDS, and 91/144 (63%) using SepsiTyper. The difference between SDS and SepsiTyper was not statistically significant (P = 0.228). Differences between Saponin and the other two reagents were significant (P direct MALDI-TOF identification were observed in monomicrobial cultures. In 32 polymicrobial cultures, MALDI-TOF identified one organism in 34-75% of samples depending on the method. This study demonstrates two inexpensive in-house detergent lysis methods are non-inferior to a commercial kit for analysis of positive blood cultures by direct MALDI-TOF in a clinical diagnostic microbiology laboratory.

A novel TOF-PET MRI detector for diagnosis and follow up of the prostate cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Garibaldi, F.; Beging, S.; Canese, R.; Carpinelli, G.; Clinthorne, N.; Colilli, S.; Cosentino, L.; Finocchiaro, P.; Giuliani, F.; Gricia, M.; Lucentini, M.; Majewski, S.; Monno, E.; Musico, P.; Santavenere, F.; Tödter, J.; Wegener, H.; Ziemons, K.

2017-09-01

Prostate cancer is the most common disease in men and the second leading cause of death from cancer. Generic large imaging instruments used in cancer diagnosis have sensitivity, spatial resolution, and contrast which are inadequate for the task of imaging details of a small organ such as the prostate. In addition, multimodality imaging can play a significant role in merging anatomical and functional details coming from simultaneous PET and MRI. Indeed, multiparametric PET/MRI was demonstrated to improve diagnosis, but it suffers from too many false positives. In order to address the above limits of the current techniques, we have proposed, built and tested, thanks to the TOPEM project funded by Italian National Institute of Nuclear Phisics, a prototype of an endorectal PET-TOF/MRI probe. In the applied magnification PET geometry, performance is dominated by a high-resolution detector placed closer to the source. The expected spatial resolution in the selected geometry is about 1.5mm FWHM and efficiency of a factor 2 with respect to what was obtained with the conventional PET scanner. In our experimental studies, we have obtained a timing resolution of ˜ 320 ps FWHM and at the same time a Depth of Interaction (DOI) resolution of under 1mm. Tests also showed that mutual adverse PET-MR effects are minimal. In addition, the matching endorectal RF coil was designed, built and tested. In the next planned studies, we expect that benefiting from the further progress in scintillator crystal surface treatment, in SiPM technology and associated electronics would allow us to significantly improve TOF resolution.

Monte Carlo dose calibration in CT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Poonam; Ramasubramanian, V.; Subbaiah, K.V.; Thayalan, K.

2008-01-01

Computed Tomography (CT) scanner is a high radiation imaging modality compared to radiography. The dose from a CT examination can vary greatly depending on the particular CT scanner used, the area of the body examined, and the operating parameters of the scan. CT is a major contributor to collective effective dose in diagnostic radiology. Apart from the clinical benefits, the widespread use of multislice scanner is increasing radiation level to patient in comparison with conventional CT scanner. So, it becomes necessary to increase awareness about the CT scanner. (author)

Split-Ring Springback Simulations with the Non-associated Flow Rule and Evolutionary Elastic-Plasticity Models

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, K. J.; Choi, Y.; Choi, H. J.; Lee, J. Y.; Lee, M. G.

2018-06-01

Finite element simulations and experiments for the split-ring test were conducted to investigate the effect of anisotropic constitutive models on the predictive capability of sheet springback. As an alternative to the commonly employed associated flow rule, a non-associated flow rule for Hill1948 yield function was implemented in the simulations. Moreover, the evolution of anisotropy with plastic deformation was efficiently modeled by identifying equivalent plastic strain-dependent anisotropic coefficients. Comparative study with different yield surfaces and elasticity models showed that the split-ring springback could be best predicted when the anisotropy in both the R value and yield stress, their evolution and variable apparent elastic modulus were taken into account in the simulations. Detailed analyses based on deformation paths superimposed on the anisotropic yield functions predicted by different constitutive models were provided to understand the complex springback response in the split-ring test.

Identification of a unique cause of ring artifact seen in computed tomography trans-axial images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jha, Ashish Kumar; Purandare, Nilendu C; Shah, Sneha; Agrawal, Archi; Puranik, Ameya D; Rangarajan, Venkatesh

2013-01-01

Artifacts present in computed tomography (CT) image often degrade the image quality and ultimately, the diagnostic outcome. Ring artifact in trans-axial image is caused by either miscalibrated or defective detector element of detector row, which is often categorized as scanner based artifact. A ring artifact detected on trans-axial CT image of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), was caused by contamination of CT tube aperture by droplet of injectable contrast medium. This artifact was corrected by removal of contrast droplet from CT tube aperture. The ring artifact is a very common artifact, commonly cited in the literature. Our case puts forward an uncommon cause of this artifact and its method of correction, which also, has no mention in the existing literature

Redox shuttles having an aromatic ring fused to a 1,1,4,4-tetrasubstituted cyclohexane ring

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Wei; Zhang, Zhengcheng; Amine, Khalil

2015-12-01

An electrolyte includes an alkali metal salt; an aprotic solvent; and a redox shuttle additive including an aromatic compound having at least one aromatic ring fused with at least one non-aromatic ring, the aromatic ring having two or more oxygen or phosphorus-containing substituents.

NMR-CT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kose, Katsumi; Sato, Kozo; Sugimoto, Hiroshi; Sato, Masataka.

1983-01-01

A brief explanation is made on the imaging methods for a practical diagnostic NMR-CT scanner : A whole-body NMR-CT scanner utilizing a resistive magnet has been developed by Toshiba in cooperation with the Institute for Solid State Physics, the University of Tokyo. Typical NMR-CT images of volunteers and patients obtained in the clinical experiments using this device are presented. Detailed specifications are also shown about the practical NMR-CTs which are to be put on the market after obtaining the government approval. (author)

submitter Dissemination of data measured at the CERN n_TOF facility

CERN Document Server

Dupont, E; Cabellos, O; Aberle, O; Aerts, G; Altstadt, S; Alvarez, H; Alvarez-Velarde, F; Andriamonje, S; Andrzejewski, J; Audouin, L; Bacak, M; Badurek, G; Balibrea, J; Barbagallo, M; Barros, S; Baumann, P; Bécares, V; Bečvář, F; Beinrucker, C; Belloni, F; Berthier, B; Berthoumieux, E; Billowes, J; Boccone, V; Bosnar, D; Brown, A; Brugger, M; Caamaño, M; Calviani, M; Calviño, F; Cano-Ott, D; Capote, R; Cardella, R; Carrapiço, C; Casanovas, A; Castelluccio, D M; Cennini, P; Cerutti, F; Chen, Y H; Chiaveri, E; Chin, M; Colonna, N; Cortés, G; Cortés-Giraldo, M A; Cosentino, L; Couture, A; Cox, J; Damone, L A; David, S; Deo, K; Diakaki, M; Dillmann, I; Domingo-Pardo, C; Dressler, R; Dridi, W; Duran, I; Eleftheriadis, C; Embid-Segura, M; Fernández-Domínguez, B; Ferrant, L; Ferrari, A; Ferreira, P; Finocchiaro, P; Fraval, K; Frost, R J W; Fujii, K; Furman, W; Ganesan, S; Garcia, A R; Gawlik, A; Gheorghe, I; Gilardoni, S; Giubrone, G; Glodariu, T; Göbel, K; Gomez-Hornillos, M B; Goncalves, I F; Gonzalez-Romero, E; Goverdovski, A; Gramegna, F; Griesmayer, E; Guerrero, C; Gunsing, F; Gurusamy, P; Haight, R; Harada, H; Heftrich, T; Heil, M; Heinitz, S; Hernández-Prieto, A; Heyse, J; Igashira, M; Isaev, S; Jenkins, D G; Jericha, E; Kadi, Y; Kaeppeler, F; Kalamara, A; Karadimos, D; Karamanis, D; Katabuchi, T; Kavrigin, P; Kerveno, M; Ketlerov, V; Khryachkov, V; Kimura, A; Kivel, N; Kokkoris, M; Konovalov, V; Krtička, M; Kroll, J; Kurtulgil, D; Lampoudis, C; Langer, C; Leal-Cidoncha, E; Lederer, C; Leeb, H; Le Naour, C; Lerendegui-Marco, J; Leong, L S; Licata, M; Lo Meo, S; Lonsdale, S J; Losito, R; Lozano, M; Macina, D; Manousos, A; Marganiec, J; Martinez, T; Marrone, S; Masi, A; Massimi, C; Mastinu, P; Mastromarco, M; Matteucci, F; Maugeri, E A; Mazzone, A; Mendoza, E; Mengoni, A; Milazzo, P M; Mingrone, F; Mirea, M; Mondelaers, W; Montesano, S; Moreau, C; Mosconi, M; Musumarra, A; Negret, A; Nolte, R; O'Brien, S; Oprea, A; Palomo-Pinto, F R; Pancin, J; Paradela, C; Patronis, N; Pavlik, A; Pavlopoulos, P; Perkowski, J; Perrot, L; Pigni, M T; Plag, R; Plompen, A; Plukis, L; Poch, A; Porras, I; Praena, J; Pretel, C; Quesada, J M; Radeck, D; Rajeev, K; Rauscher, T; Reifarth, R; Riego, A; Robles, M; Roman, F; Rout, P C; Rudolf, G; Rubbia, C; Rullhusen, P; Ryan, J A; Sabaté-Gilarte, M; Salgado, J; Santos, C; Sarchiapone, L; Sarmento, R; Saxena, A; Schillebeeckx, P; Schmidt, S; Schumann, D; Sedyshev, P; Smith, A G; Sosnin, N V; Stamatopoulos, A; Stephan, C; Suryanarayana, S V; Tagliente, G; Tain, J L; Tarifeño-Saldivia, A; Tarrío, D; Tassan-Got, L; Tavora, L; Terlizzi, R; Tsinganis, A; Valenta, S; Vannini, G; Variale, V; Vaz, P; Ventura, A; Versaci, R; Vermeulen, M J; Villamarin, D; Vicente, M C; Vlachoudis, V; Vlastou, R; Voss, F; Wallner, A; Walter, S; Ware, T; Warren, S; Weigand, M; Weiß, C; Wolf, C; Wiesher, M; Wisshak, K; Woods, P J; Wright, T; Žugec, P

2017-01-01

The n_TOF neutron time-of-flight facility at CERN is used for high quality nuclear data measurements from thermal energy up to hundreds of MeV. In line with the CERN open data policy, the n_TOF Collaboration takes actions to preserve its unique data, facilitate access to them in standardised format, and allow their re-use by a wide community in the fields of nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics and various nuclear technologies. The present contribution briefly describes the n_TOF outcomes, as well as the status of dissemination and preservation of n_TOF final data in the international EXFOR library.

The identification of anaerobic bacteria using MALDI-TOF MS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veloo, A. C. M.; Welling, G. W.; Degener, J. E.

Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption and Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has gained more and more popularity for the identification of bacteria. Several studies show that bacterial diagnosticis is being revolutionized by the application of MALDI-TOF MS. For anaerobic bacteria,

Development of inelastic neutron spectrometer (DC-TOF) and utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Je Geun; So, J. Y.; Moon, M. K.; Choi, Y. H.; Cho, S. J.; Lee, C. H.; Nam, U. W.; Kim, H. Y.; Kim, H. J.

2010-08-01

DC-TOF is an inelastic neutron spectrometer with potentially very wide applications to areas such as physics, chemistry, biology, and material engineering. And it is the most technically challenging and advanced instrument by using high speed choppers rotating up to 20,000 RPM and wide detector of steradian producing data in the order of a few hundred Mbyte. Through this project, we have successfully developed DC-TOF at KAERI with the development of the following key technologies : - Detector Electronics - Data acquisition software - Data reduction software. We believe that DC-TOF will become a workhorse instrument for the wide community of sciences in Korea

MALDI-TOF-mass spectrometry applications in clinical microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Seng, Piseth; Rolain, Jean-Marc; Fournier, Pierre Edouard; La Scola, Bernard; Drancourt, Michel; Raoult, Didier

2010-11-01

MALDI-TOF-mass spectrometry (MS) has been successfully adapted for the routine identification of microorganisms in clinical microbiology laboratories in the past 10 years. This revolutionary technique allows for easier and faster diagnosis of human pathogens than conventional phenotypic and molecular identification methods, with unquestionable reliability and cost-effectiveness. This article will review the application of MALDI-TOF-MS tools in routine clinical diagnosis, including the identification of bacteria at the species, subspecies, strain and lineage levels, and the identification of bacterial toxins and antibiotic-resistance type. We will also discuss the application of MALDI-TOF-MS tools in the identification of Archaea, eukaryotes and viruses. Pathogenic identification from colony-cultured, blood-cultured, urine and environmental samples is also reviewed.

Fusion Rings for Quantum Groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Henning Haahr; Stroppel, Catharina

2014-01-01

We study the fusion rings of tilting modules for a quantum group at a root of unity modulo the tensor ideal of negligible tilting modules. We identify them in type A with the combinatorial rings from Korff, C., Stroppel, C.: The sl(ˆn)k-WZNW fusion ring: a combinato-rial construction...... and a realisation as quotient of quantum cohomology. Adv. Math. 225(1), 200–268, (2010) and give a similar description of the sp2n-fusion ring in terms of non-commutative symmetric functions. Moreover we give a presentation of all fusion rings in classical types as quotients of polynomial rings. Finally we also...... compute the fusion rings for type G2....

Rapid Classification and Identification of Microcystis aeruginosa Strains Using MALDI-TOF MS and Polygenetic Analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Wei Sun

Full Text Available Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS was used to establish a rapid, simple, and accurate method to differentiate among strains of Microcystis aeruginosa, one of the most prevalent types of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. M. aeruginosa NIES-843, for which a complete genome has been sequenced, was used to characterize ribosomal proteins as biomarkers and to optimize conditions for observing ribosomal proteins as major peaks in a given mass spectrum. Thirty-one of 52 ribosomal subunit proteins were detected and identified along the mass spectrum. Fifty-five strains of M. aeruginosa from different habitats were analyzed using MALDI-TOF MS; among these samples, different ribosomal protein types were observed. A polygenetic analysis was performed using an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means and different ribosomal protein types to classify the strains into five major clades. Two clades primarily contained toxic strains, and the other three clades contained exclusively non-toxic strains. This is the first study to differentiate cyanobacterial strains using MALDI-TOF MS.

Rapid Classification and Identification of Microcystis aeruginosa Strains Using MALDI-TOF MS and Polygenetic Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Li-Wei; Jiang, Wen-Jing; Sato, Hiroaki; Kawachi, Masanobu; Lu, Xi-Wu

2016-01-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was used to establish a rapid, simple, and accurate method to differentiate among strains of Microcystis aeruginosa, one of the most prevalent types of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. M. aeruginosa NIES-843, for which a complete genome has been sequenced, was used to characterize ribosomal proteins as biomarkers and to optimize conditions for observing ribosomal proteins as major peaks in a given mass spectrum. Thirty-one of 52 ribosomal subunit proteins were detected and identified along the mass spectrum. Fifty-five strains of M. aeruginosa from different habitats were analyzed using MALDI-TOF MS; among these samples, different ribosomal protein types were observed. A polygenetic analysis was performed using an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means and different ribosomal protein types to classify the strains into five major clades. Two clades primarily contained toxic strains, and the other three clades contained exclusively non-toxic strains. This is the first study to differentiate cyanobacterial strains using MALDI-TOF MS.

Neutron diffraction utilizing the T-O-F method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niimura, N [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Lab. of Nuclear Science

1974-12-01

Characteristic features of the TOF (time of flight) neutron diffraction are summarized. In this method, i) all the reciprocal points on the rod passing through the origin in the reciprocal space can be scanned by each burst of white neutrons, ii) it is easy to measure high index reflections at the large scattering angle, iii) each reflection is not affected by the higher-order harmonics, and iv) it is easy to measure the physical properties depending on the neutron wavelength. The pulse neutron generator as well as the data acquisition system in the Laboratory of Nuclear Science of Tohoku University is described. The TOF method seems to be very powerful if it is applied to accurate structure analysis. The data correction methods are discussed. The TOF method is prospective to the study of transient phenomena. In this method one can apply to the crystalline sample an external field pulsed with the same frequency as the neutrons. By using this method, the transient state of the polarization reversal of the ferroelectric NaNO/sub 2/ has been observed. The magnetically pulsed neutron TOF spectrometer is briefly introduced after a review of the chopper history.

PHENIX Fast TOF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soha, Aria [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Chiu, Mickey [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Mannel, Eric [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Stoll, Sean [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Lynch, Don [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Boose, Steve [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Northacker, Dave [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Alfred, Marcus [Howard Univ., Washington, DC (United States); Lindesay, James [Howard Univ., Washington, DC (United States); Chujo, Tatsuya [Univ. of Tsukuba (Japan); Inaba, Motoi [Univ. of Tsukuba (Japan); Nonaka, Toshihiro [Univ. of Tsukuba (Japan); Sato, Wataru [Univ. of Tsukuba (Japan); Sakatani, Ikumi [Univ. of Tsukuba (Japan); Hirano, Masahiro [Univ. of Tsukuba (Japan); Choi, Ihnjea [Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)

2014-01-15

This is a technical scope of work (TSW) between the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) and the experimenters of PHENIX Fast TOF group who have committed to participate in beam tests to be carried out during the FY2014 Fermilab Test Beam Facility program. The goals for this test beam experiment are to verify the timing performance of the two types of time-of-flight detector prototypes.

On zero divisor graph of unique product monoid rings over Noetherian reversible ring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ebrahim Hashemi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Let $R$ be an associative ring with identity and $Z^*(R$ be its set of non-zero zero divisors.  The zero-divisor graph of $R$, denoted by $Gamma(R$, is the graph whose vertices are the non-zero  zero-divisors of  $R$, and two distinct vertices $r$ and $s$ are adjacent if and only if $rs=0$ or $sr=0$.  In this paper, we bring some results about undirected zero-divisor graph of a monoid ring over reversible right (or left Noetherian ring $R$. We essentially classify the diameter-structure of this graph and show that $0leq mbox{diam}(Gamma(Rleq mbox{diam}(Gamma(R[M]leq 3$. Moreover, we give a characterization for the possible diam$(Gamma(R$ and diam$(Gamma(R[M]$, when $R$ is a reversible Noetherian ring and $M$ is a u.p.-monoid. Also, we study relations between the girth of $Gamma(R$ and that of $Gamma(R[M]$.

Complementary b/y fragment ion pairs from post-source decay of metastable YahO for calibration of MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS/MS

Science.gov (United States)

Complementary b/y fragment ion pairs from post-source decay (PSD) of metastable YahO protein ion were evaluated for use in the calibration of MALDI-TOF-TOF for tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The yahO gene from pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain EDL933 was cloned into a pBAD18 plasmid vect...

On the Maximal Ideals of Non-Zero-Symmetric Near-Rings and of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Keywords: ideals, near-rings, algebra, composition algebras, polynomial functions, Ω-groups, maximal ideals, Brown-McCoy radical, operations, polynomials, primal algebras, ordinary polynomial rings, skew polynomial rings, semigroup rings, Banach, banach space, Pettis, Pettis integrable, complete, congruences, ...

Quantified, Interactive Simulation of AMCW ToF Camera Including Multipath Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulczak, David; Lambers, Martin; Kolb, Andreas

2017-12-22

In the last decade, Time-of-Flight (ToF) range cameras have gained increasing popularity in robotics, automotive industry, and home entertainment. Despite technological developments, ToF cameras still suffer from error sources such as multipath interference or motion artifacts. Thus, simulation of ToF cameras, including these artifacts, is important to improve camera and algorithm development. This paper presents a physically-based, interactive simulation technique for amplitude modulated continuous wave (AMCW) ToF cameras, which, among other error sources, includes single bounce indirect multipath interference based on an enhanced image-space approach. The simulation accounts for physical units down to the charge level accumulated in sensor pixels. Furthermore, we present the first quantified comparison for ToF camera simulators. We present bidirectional reference distribution function (BRDF) measurements for selected, purchasable materials in the near-infrared (NIR) range, craft real and synthetic scenes out of these materials and quantitatively compare the range sensor data.

Quantified, Interactive Simulation of AMCW ToF Camera Including Multipath Effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Bulczak

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In the last decade, Time-of-Flight (ToF range cameras have gained increasing popularity in robotics, automotive industry, and home entertainment. Despite technological developments, ToF cameras still suffer from error sources such as multipath interference or motion artifacts. Thus, simulation of ToF cameras, including these artifacts, is important to improve camera and algorithm development. This paper presents a physically-based, interactive simulation technique for amplitude modulated continuous wave (AMCW ToF cameras, which, among other error sources, includes single bounce indirect multipath interference based on an enhanced image-space approach. The simulation accounts for physical units down to the charge level accumulated in sensor pixels. Furthermore, we present the first quantified comparison for ToF camera simulators. We present bidirectional reference distribution function (BRDF measurements for selected, purchasable materials in the near-infrared (NIR range, craft real and synthetic scenes out of these materials and quantitatively compare the range sensor data.

The feasibility of a scanner-independent technique to estimate organ dose from MDCT scans: Using CTDIvol to account for differences between scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, Adam C.; Zankl, Maria; DeMarco, John J.; Cagnon, Chris H.; Zhang Di; Angel, Erin; Cody, Dianna D.; Stevens, Donna M.; McCollough, Cynthia H.; McNitt-Gray, Michael F.

2010-01-01

Purpose: Monte Carlo radiation transport techniques have made it possible to accurately estimate the radiation dose to radiosensitive organs in patient models from scans performed with modern multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) scanners. However, there is considerable variation in organ doses across scanners, even when similar acquisition conditions are used. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a technique to estimate organ doses that would be scanner independent. This was accomplished by assessing the ability of CTDI vol measurements to account for differences in MDCT scanners that lead to organ dose differences. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations of 64-slice MDCT scanners from each of the four major manufacturers were performed. An adult female patient model from the GSF family of voxelized phantoms was used in which all ICRP Publication 103 radiosensitive organs were identified. A 120 kVp, full-body helical scan with a pitch of 1 was simulated for each scanner using similar scan protocols across scanners. From each simulated scan, the radiation dose to each organ was obtained on a per mA s basis (mGy/mA s). In addition, CTDI vol values were obtained from each scanner for the selected scan parameters. Then, to demonstrate the feasibility of generating organ dose estimates from scanner-independent coefficients, the simulated organ dose values resulting from each scanner were normalized by the CTDI vol value for those acquisition conditions. Results: CTDI vol values across scanners showed considerable variation as the coefficient of variation (CoV) across scanners was 34.1%. The simulated patient scans also demonstrated considerable differences in organ dose values, which varied by up to a factor of approximately 2 between some of the scanners. The CoV across scanners for the simulated organ doses ranged from 26.7% (for the adrenals) to 37.7% (for the thyroid), with a mean CoV of 31.5% across all organs. However, when organ doses

Occurrence and characteristics of mutual interference between LIDAR scanners

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Gunzung; Eom, Jeongsook; Park, Seonghyeon; Park, Yongwan

2015-05-01

The LIDAR scanner is at the heart of object detection of the self-driving car. Mutual interference between LIDAR scanners has not been regarded as a problem because the percentage of vehicles equipped with LIDAR scanners was very rare. With the growing number of autonomous vehicle equipped with LIDAR scanner operated close to each other at the same time, the LIDAR scanner may receive laser pulses from other LIDAR scanners. In this paper, three types of experiments and their results are shown, according to the arrangement of two LIDAR scanners. We will show the probability that any LIDAR scanner will interfere mutually by considering spatial and temporal overlaps. It will present some typical mutual interference scenario and report an analysis of the interference mechanism.

TomoMINT - the current status and future plan of MINT's computed tomography scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanesan Sinnakaruppan; Jaafar Abdullah

2000-01-01

TomoMINT, a second generation computed tomography scanner developed by MINT, is a powerful non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique for producing two-dimensional cross-sectional images of an object without physically sectioning it. Characteristics of the internal structure of an object such as dimensions, shape, internal defects, density and component distribution are readily available from the scan. Tomographs of wood, metal components and concrete slabs have been successfully obtained from TomoMINT. This paper deals with the current status and future development of this scanner. (author)

Development of DC-TOF control software framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hong Joo; Kim, Hyun Ok

2010-06-01

Disk-Chopper Time-of-Flight spectrometer (DC-TOF) is a new cold neutron instrument under construction at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). It will be equipped with a total of 352 2m PSDs(Position Sensitive Detectors), which are grouped into 11 panels. We developed the main DAQ/Control software works well between multi-DSPs of electronics and user. It is convenient to operate DC-TOF system and monitor it's data quality using GUI(Graphical User Interface). Also it satisfies design throughout with test result of 100K events/s

Optimization and performance evaluation of the microPET II scanner for in vivo small-animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yongfeng; Tai Yuanchuan; Siegel, Stefan; Newport, Danny F; Bai, Bing; Li, Quanzheng; Leahy, Richard M; Cherry, Simon R

2004-01-01

MicroPET II is a newly developed PET (positron emission tomography) scanner designed for high-resolution imaging of small animals. It consists of 17 640 LSO crystals each measuring 0.975 x 0.975 x 12.5 mm 3 , which are arranged in 42 contiguous rings, with 420 crystals per ring. The scanner has an axial field of view (FOV) of 4.9 cm and a transaxial FOV of 8.5 cm. The purpose of this study was to carefully evaluate the performance of the system and to optimize settings for in vivo mouse and rat imaging studies. The volumetric image resolution was found to depend strongly on the reconstruction algorithm employed and averaged 1.1 mm (1.4 μl) across the central 3 cm of the transaxial FOV when using a statistical reconstruction algorithm with accurate system modelling. The sensitivity, scatter fraction and noise-equivalent count (NEC) rate for mouse- and rat-sized phantoms were measured for different energy and timing windows. Mouse imaging was optimized with a wide open energy window (150-750 keV) and a 10 ns timing window, leading to a sensitivity of 3.3% at the centre of the FOV and a peak NEC rate of 235 000 cps for a total activity of 80 MBq (2.2 mCi) in the phantom. Rat imaging, due to the higher scatter fraction, and the activity that lies outside of the field of view, achieved a maximum NEC rate of 24 600 cps for a total activity of 80 MBq (2.2 mCi) in the phantom, with an energy window of 250-750 keV and a 6 ns timing window. The sensitivity at the centre of the FOV for these settings is 2.1%. This work demonstrates that different scanner settings are necessary to optimize the NEC count rate for different-sized animals and different injected doses. Finally, phantom and in vivo animal studies are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of microPET II for small-animal imaging studies

Rank 2 fusion rings are complete intersections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Troels Bak

We give a non-constructive proof that fusion rings attached to a simple complex Lie algebra of rank 2 are complete intersections.......We give a non-constructive proof that fusion rings attached to a simple complex Lie algebra of rank 2 are complete intersections....

Performance evaluation and calibration of the neuro-pet scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sank, V.J.; Brooks, R.A.; Cascio, H.E.; Di Chiro, G.; Friauf, W.S.; Leighton, S.B.

1983-01-01

The Neuro-PET is a circular ring seven-slice positron emission tomograph designed for imaging human heads and small animals. The scanner uses 512 bismuth germanate detectors 8.25 mm wide packed tightly together in four layers to achieve high spatial resolution (6-7 mm FWHM) without the use of beam blockers. Because of the small 38 cm ring diameter, the sensitivity is also very high: 70,000 c/s per true slice with medium energy threshold (375 keV) for a 20 cm diameter phantom containing 1 μCi/cc of positron-emitting activity, according to a preliminary measurement. There are three switch-selectable thresholds, and the sensitivity will be higher in the low threshold setting. The Neuro-PET is calibrated with a round or elliptical phantom that approximates a patient's head; this method eliminates the effects of scatter and self-attenuation to first order. Further software corrections for these artifacts are made in the reconstruction program, which reduce the measured scatter to zero, as determined with a 5 cm cold spot. With a 1 cm cold spot, the apparent activity at the center of the cold spot is 18% of the surrounding activity, which is clearly a consequence of the limits of spatial resolution, rather than scatter. The Neuro-PET has been in clinical operation since June 1982, and approximately 30 patients have been scanned to date

[EXPRESS IDENTIFICATION OF POSITIVE BLOOD CULTURES USING DIRECT MALDI-TOF MASS SPECTROMETRY].

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, D A; Ovseenko, S T; Vostrikova, T Yu

2015-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of direct identification of pathogens of bacteremia by direct matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-flight mass spectrometry (mALDI-TOF) compared to routine method. A prospective study included 211 positive blood cultures obtained from 116 patients (106 adults and 10 children, aged from 2 weeks to 77 years old in the ICU after open heart surgery. Incubation was carried out under aerobic vials with a sorbent for antibiotics Analyzer BacT/ALERT 3D 120 (bioMerieux, France) in parallel with the primary sieving blood cultures on solid nutrient media with subsequent identification of pure cultures using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analyzer Vitek MS, bioMerieux, France routine method), after appropriate sample preparation we carried out a direct (without screening) MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric study of monocomponental blood cultures (n = 201). using a routine method in 211 positive blood cultures we identified 23 types of microorganisms (Staphylococcus (n = 87), Enterobacteria- ceae (n = 71), Enterococci (n = 20), non-fermentative Gram-negative bacteria (n = 18), others (n = 5). The average time of incubation of samples to obtain a signal of a blood culture growth was 16.2 ± 7.4 h (from 3.75 to 51 hours.) During the first 12 hours of incubation, growth was obtained in 32.4% of the samples, and on the first day in 92.2%. In the direct mass spectrometric analysis mnonocomponental blood cultures (n = 201) is well defined up to 153 species of the sample (76.1%), while the share of successful identification of Gram-negative bacteria was higher than that of Gram-positive (85.4 and 69, 1%, respectively p = 0.01). The high degree of consistency in the results of standard and direct method of identifying blood cultures using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (κ = 0.96, p direct mass spectrometric analysis, including sample preparation, was no longer than 1 hour: The method of direct MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry allows to significantly speed up

CE-TOF/MS: fundamental concepts, instrumental considerations and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Staub, Aline; Schappler, Julie; Rudaz, Serge; Veuthey, Jean-Luc

2009-05-01

This review discusses the fundamental principles of TOF analyzers and covers the great progress that has been made in this area in recent years (i.e. orthogonal acceleration, reflectron). This paper also gives an overview of applications performed by CE coupled to TOF/MS detection. The main domains of interest include the analysis of biomolecules and natural compounds.

Radiation exposure and privacy concerns surrounding full-body scanners in airports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie Accardo

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Millions of people filter through airport security check points in the United States every year. These security checks, in response to the post 9/11 and 2009 “Underwear Bomber” terrorist threats, have become increasingly burdensome to the general public due to the wide spread deployment of “enhanced screening systems.” The enhanced screening systems that have generated the most controversy are the passenger “full-body scanners.” These systems enable airport security personnel to effectively detect contraband (often concealed under clothing without the physical contact necessitated by a strip search. The two types of full-body scanners (also known as Advanced Imaging Technology systems, used in airports in the United States and around the world are referred to as backscatter technology units and millimeter-wave technology units. Although their respective radiation emissions vary, both scanners serve the same purpose; that is, the detection of concealed metallic and non-metallic threats in the form of liquids, gels, plastics, etc. Although enhanced screening systems were deployed to further public safety efforts, they have also generated wide spread public concern. Specifically, these concerns address the potential of adverse health and privacy issues that may result from continued public exposure to full-body scanner systems.

Computer Tomography Scanners in Portugal (1990-2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Crispim

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The use of Computed Tomography (CT has increased every year since its introduction into medicine in 1972. Technological developments have made CT one of the most important imaging modalities in modern medicine. This importance is evidenced in the increasing demand and number of CT scanners installed in Portugal and worldwide. This review compiles the most recent national statistics from official publications on the number of CT scanners installed in Portugal and compares them with data available in international publications. We conclude that the number of CT scanners installed in Portugal exceeded the EU27 average by 61.5 % and the OECD average by 78.2 %, and that in 2011 there were 203 CT scanners installed in hospitals in Portugal, which equated to 19.23 CT scanners per million inhabitants.

Neurosurgical operating computerized tomographic scanner system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okudera, Hiroshi; Sugita, Kenichiro; Kobayashi, Shigeaki; Kimishima, Sakae; Yoshida, Hisashi.

1988-01-01

A neurosurgical operating computerized tomography scanner system is presented. This system has been developed for obtaining intra- and postoperative CT images in the operating room. A TCT-300 scanner (manufactured by the Toshiba Co., Tokyo) is placed in the operating room. The realization of a true intraoperative CT image requires certain improvements in the CT scanner and operating table. To adjust the axis of the co-ordinates of the motor system of the MST-7000 microsurgical operating table (manufactured by the Mizuho Ika Co., Tokyo) to the CT scanner, we have designed an interface and a precise motor system so that the computer of the CT scanner can directly control the movement of the operating table. Furthermore, a new head-fixation system has been designed for producing artifact-free intraoperative CT images. The head-pins of the head-fixation system are made of carbon-fiber bars and titanium tips. A simulation study of the total system in the operating room with the CT scanner, operating table, and head holder using a skull model yielded a degree of error similar to that in the phantom testing of the original scanner. Three patients underwent resection of a glial tumor using this system. Intraoperative CT scans taken after dural opening showed a bulging of the cortex, a shift in the central structure, and a displacement of the cortical subarachnoid spaces under the influence of gravity. With a contrast medium the edge of the surrounding brain after resection was enhanced and the residual tumor mass was demonstrated clearly. This system makes it possible to obtain a noninvasive intraoperative image in a situation where structural shifts are taking place. (author)

Product development of Indian cargo scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

A cargo scanner is required for nonintrusive screening of suspected cargo containers in trade, using high energy X-ray, to detect any mis-declarations, contraband goods concealment or hidden ammunition or explosives. The cargo scanners help authorities to process large number of suspected cargo with a high level of confidence with other additional benefit of faster clearance, minimised intrusive inspection and generating secured digital record of the process. BARC is in process of developing Indian Cargo Scanner with indigenous X-ray source. Proof of concept and conformance of the results to the international standards has been demonstrated in laboratory. Full scale equipment named as Portal scanner shall be demonstrated at Gamma field Trombay in year 2017. Subsequently the technology transfer may be done to a suitable Indian vendor

TOF spectrometer with improved sensitivity for ERDA of light isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siketic, Z.; Bogdanovic Radovic, I.; Jaksic, M.

2009-01-01

Time-of-Flight Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (TOF ERDA) is a well established and powerful ion beam analytical technique. It is used for simultaneous and quantitative analysis of elemental depth distributions of light and medium mass elements in both light and heavy matrices. Contrary to silicon particle detectors, the efficiency of the carbon-foil MCP time detectors in TOF system depends on energy and electronic stopping power of analyzing recoil atoms in the C foil and it is often less than 100% for light elements (H, He, Li). This is particularly critical for hydrogen isotopes where detection efficiency can be drastically reduced (∼ 10%). Therefore, TOF ERDA spectrometers were so far not the best choice for depth profiling and quantification of light elements. To improve the detection efficiency of TOF ERDA, the electron emission of C foils (∼ 0.3 μg/cm 2 ) has been enhanced by evaporating a thin LiF layer on the foil. That procedure improved significantly detection efficiency of hydrogen and other light elements, making TOF ERDA spectrometer more suitable for multielemental analysis applications. The capabilities of upgraded spectrometer were demonstrated on samples with well known as well as unknown concentration and depth distribution of H and D.(author)

A dedicated tool for PET scanner simulations using FLUKA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortega, P.G.; Boehlen, T.T.; Cerutti, F.; Chin, M.P.W.; Ferrari, A.; Mancini, C.; Vlachoudis, V.; Mairani, A.; Sala, Paola R.

2013-06-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a well-established medical imaging technique. It is based on the detection of pairs of annihilation gamma rays from a beta+-emitting radionuclide, usually inoculated in the body via a biologically active molecule. Apart from its wide-spread use for clinical diagnosis, new applications are proposed. This includes notably the usage of PET for treatment monitoring of radiation therapy with protons and ions. PET is currently the only available technique for non-invasive monitoring of ion beam dose delivery, which was tested in several clinical pilot studies. For hadrontherapy, the distribution of positron emitters, produced by the ion beam, can be analyzed to verify the correct treatment delivery. The adaptation of previous PET scanners to new environments and the necessity of more precise diagnostics by better image quality triggered the development of new PET scanner designs. The use of Monte Carlo (MC) codes is essential in the early stages of the scanner design to simulate the transport of particles and nuclear interactions from therapeutic ion beams or radioisotopes and to predict radiation fields in tissues and radiation emerging from the patient. In particular, range verification using PET is based on the comparison of detected and simulated activity distributions. The accuracy of the MC code for the relevant physics processes is obviously essential for such applications. In this work we present new developments of the physics models with importance for PET monitoring and integrated tools for PET scanner simulations for FLUKA, a fully-integrated MC particle-transport code, which is widely used for an extended range of applications (accelerator shielding, detector and target design, calorimetry, activation, dosimetry, medical physics, radiobiology, ...). The developed tools include a PET scanner geometry builder and a dedicated scoring routine for coincident event determination. The geometry builder allows the efficient

Advanced optical 3D scanners using DMD technology

Science.gov (United States)

Muenstermann, P.; Godding, R.; Hermstein, M.

2017-02-01

Optical 3D measurement techniques are state-of-the-art for highly precise, non-contact surface scanners - not only in industrial development, but also in near-production and even in-line configurations. The need for automated systems with very high accuracy and clear implementation of national precision standards is growing extremely due to expanding international quality guidelines, increasing production transparency and new concepts related to the demands of the fourth industrial revolution. The presentation gives an overview about the present technical concepts for optical 3D scanners and their benefit for customers and various different applications - not only in quality control, but also in design centers or in medical applications. The advantages of DMD-based systems will be discussed and compared to other approaches. Looking at today's 3D scanner market, there is a confusing amount of solutions varying from lowprice solutions to high end systems. Many of them are linked to a very special target group or to special applications. The article will clarify the differences of the approaches and will discuss some key features which are necessary to render optical measurement systems suitable for industrial environments. The paper will be completed by examples for DMDbased systems, e. g. RGB true-color systems with very high accuracy like the StereoScan neo of AICON 3D Systems. Typical applications and the benefits for customers using such systems are described.

[Applications of MALDI-TOF technology in clinical microbiology].

Science.gov (United States)

Suarez, S; Nassif, X; Ferroni, A

2015-02-01

Until now, the identification of micro-organisms has been based on the cultural and biochemical characteristics of bacterial and fungal species. Recently, Mass Spectrometry type Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF MS) was developed in clinical microbiology laboratories. This new technology allows identification of micro-organisms directly from colonies of bacteria and fungi within few minutes. In addition, it can be used to identify germs directly from positive blood culture bottles or directly from urine samples. Other ways are being explored to expand the use of MALDI-TOF in clinical microbiology laboratories. Indeed, some studies propose to detect bacterial antibiotic resistance while others compare strains within species for faster strain typing. The main objective of this review is to update data from the recent literature for different applications of MALDI-TOF technique in microbiological diagnostic routine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Body scanners: are they dangerous for health?; Scanners corporels: dangereux pour la sante?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2010-07-01

As there is a debate about the risk of cancer and of congenital malformation associated with the use of body scanners, notably in airports, this document recalls and comments the IAEA statement on this issue. According to a study performed by this international agency, the irradiation dose is very low. But the French IRSN is more prudent and recommends not to use X ray scanner, but to look for technologies which do not use ionizing radiation

False positives in MALDI-TOF detection of ERβ in mitochondria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwend, Thomas; Gustafsson, Jan-Ake

2006-01-01

Recently, Yang et al. reported that estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) is a mitochondrial protein rather than a nuclear receptor. Because this claim would lead to a significant change in our understanding of estrogen signaling, we have attempted to reproduce the MALDI-TOF data of Yang et al. We separated proteins extracted from mouse liver mitochondria by SDS-PAGE and analysed a gel band covering the molecular weight range of 50-65 kDa by MALDI-TOF/TOF. Analysis of the data with the MASCOT database algorithm provided no evidence for the presence of ERβ in the mitochondria. If we search (as the authors did) with only the peptide masses which match to tryptic fragments of ERβ, ERβ is identified with a significant score of 69. However, fragmentation of these peptides shows that they are not from ERβ. Our conclusion is that ERβ cannot be identified by MALDI-TOF from a mixture of mitochondrial proteins resolved on SDS-PAGE

Note: Reliable and non-contact 6D motion tracking system based on 2D laser scanners for cargo transportation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young-Keun, E-mail: ykkim@handong.edu [Department of Mechanical and Control Engineering, Handong Global University, Pohang (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyung-Soo [Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

Maritime transportation demands an accurate measurement system to track the motion of oscillating container boxes in real time. However, it is a challenge to design a sensor system that can provide both reliable and non-contact methods of 6-DOF motion measurements of a remote object for outdoor applications. In the paper, a sensor system based on two 2D laser scanners is proposed for detecting the relative 6-DOF motion of a crane load in real time. Even without implementing a camera, the proposed system can detect the motion of a remote object using four laser beam points. Because it is a laser-based sensor, the system is expected to be highly robust to sea weather conditions.

Space Versus Time: Unimodular Versus Non-Unimodular Projective Ring Geometries?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Saniga, M.; Pracna, Petr

2010-01-01

Roč. 4, - (2010), s. 719-735 ISSN 2159-063X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : projective ring lines * smallest ring of ternions * Germas: of space-time Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry http://journalofcosmology.com/Multiverse4.html

X-ray backscatter imaging with a spiral scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bossi, R.H.; Cline, J.L.; Friddell, K.D.

1989-01-01

X-ray backscatter imaging allows radiographic inspections to be performed with access to only one side of the object. A collimated beam of radiation striking an object will scatter x-rays by Compton scatter and x-ray fluorescence. A detector located on the source side of the part will measure the backscatter signal. By plotting signal strength as gray scale intensity vs. beam position on the object, an image of the object can be constructed. A novel approach to the motion of the collimated incident beam is a spiral scanner. The spiral scanner approach, described in this paper, can image an area of an object without the synchronized motion of the object or detector, required by other backscatter imaging techniques. X-ray backscatter is particularly useful for flaw detection in light element materials such as composites. The ease of operation and the ability to operate non-contact from one side of an object make x-ray backscatter imaging of increasing interest to industrial inspection problems

Magnetic Resonance Angiography of the pulmonary veins: TOF 3D versus 2D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carriero, Alessandro; Magarelli, Nicola; Gatta, Stefania; Pinto, Dario; Bonomo, Lorenzo; Baratto, Michele; Scapati, Carmelo

1997-01-01

The aim of this work was to optimize the magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) technique for the selective study of the pulmonary veins. Twenty patients (13 men and 7 women; mean age: 30.5 years) were examined. MRA was performed with a 1 T superconductive magnet and the 3D time of flight (TOF) technique. Fast sequences (3D FISP : TR 58 ms, TE 6 ms, FA 20 deg, matrix 192 x 256; and 2D FLASH: TR 44 ms, TE 10 ms, FA 30 deg, matrix 192 x 256) were used. Coronal and sagittal images were submitted to MIP processing; presaturation pulses for the pulmonary arteries were located in the mediastinal region. In the right lung 3D TOF on the coronal plane well showed 124 veins, while sagittal images showed 106 veins. In the left lung, 3D TOF on the coronal plane well showed 96 vessels, while sagittal images showed 44 vessels. In the right lung, 2D TOF on the coronal plane well showed 54 veins, while sagittal images showed 36 vessels. In the left lung, 2D TOF on the coronal plane well showed 22 vessels, while sagittal images showed 21 vessels. Therefore 3D TOF yielded better than 2D TOF (p<0.05). To conclude, 3D TOF with contrast agent administration is a useful tool to study the pulmonary veins; those with a larger caliber are better depicted and the integration of coronal and sagittal images depicts more veins

Physics of quantum rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fomin, Vladimir M.

2014-01-01

Presents the new class of materials of quantum rings. Provides an elemental basis for low-cost high-performance devices promising for electronics, optoelectronics, spintronics and quantum information processing. Explains the physical properties of quantum rings to cover a gap in scientific literature. Presents the application of most advanced nanoengineering and nanocharacterization techniques. This book deals with a new class of materials, quantum rings. Innovative recent advances in experimental and theoretical physics of quantum rings are based on the most advanced state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization techniques as well as theoretical methods. The experimental efforts allow to obtain a new class of semiconductor quantum rings formed by capping self-organized quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Novel optical and magnetic properties of quantum rings are associated with non-trivial topologies at the nanoscale. An adequate characterization of quantum rings is possible on the basis of modern characterization methods of nanostructures, such as Scanning Tunneling Microscopy. A high level of complexity is demonstrated to be needed for a dedicated theoretical model to adequately represent the specific features of quantum rings. The findings presented in this book contribute to develop low-cost high-performance electronic, spintronic, optoelectronic and information processing devices based on quantum rings.

n_TOF: a new experimental area under way

CERN Multimedia

Anaïs Schaeffer

2013-01-01

On Thursday 23 May, CERN celebrated the laying of the foundation stone of the new experimental area (EAR-2) of n_TOF – CERN’s neutron source facility*. Under a mild sun, Rolf Heuer, CERN Director-General, Enrico Chiaveri, spokesperson for the n_TOF collaboration, Frédérick Bordry, head of CERN’s Technology Department, and other important figures at CERN raised their glasses to the launch of this new scientific adventure.   Rolf Heuer, CERN Director-General, driving a backhoe at the EAR-2 foundation stone laying ceremony. “This new experimental area is very important as it shows the diversity of the science we are doing at CERN,” says Rolf Heuer. “One of the Laboratory’s goals is to build infrastructures and to do science that is unique, or at least world leading. And that is exactly what we are doing here.” The n_TOF collaboration is taking advantage of the long shutdown (LS1) for the const...

MALDI-TOF MS in the Microbiology Laboratory: Current Trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Schubert, Sören; Kostrzewa, Markus

2017-01-01

Within less than a decade matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has become a gold standard for microbial identification in clinical microbiology laboratories. Besides identification of microorganisms the typing of single strains as well as the antibiotic and antimycotic resistance testing has come into focus in order to speed up the microbiological diagnostic. However, the full potential of MALDI-TOF MS has not been tapped yet and future technological advancements will certainly expedite this method towards novel applications and enhancement of current practice. So, the following chapter shall be rather a brainstorming and forecast of how MALDI-TOF MS will develop to influence clinical diagnostics and microbial research in the future. It shall open up the stage for further discussions and does not claim for overall validity.

Mechanical valve at pulmonary site in adult TOF & absent pulmonary valve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aayush Goyal

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Absent pulmonary valve syndrome (APVS is a rare congenital heart disease. Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF with APVS is a rare variation of TOF. These patients are commonly cyanotic at birth. Respiratory complaints predominate due to airway compression by dilated pulmonary arteries. Commonest age of presentation is infancy with anecdotal adult case-reports. Surgical treatment requires establishing unobstructed competent right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT often with monocusp or conduits. We present a novel technique of rendering RVOT competent by implanting a tilting disc mechanical prosthesis in a rare adult TOF with APVS.

Compensation strategies for PET scanners with unconventional scanner geometry

CERN Document Server

Gundlich, B; Oehler, M

2006-01-01

The small animal PET scanner ClearPET®Neuro, developed at the Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH in cooperation with the Crystal Clear Collaboration (CERN), represents scanners with an unconventional geometry: due to axial and transaxial detector gaps ClearPet®Neuro delivers inhomogeneous sinograms with missing data. When filtered backprojection (FBP) or Fourier rebinning (FORE) are applied, strong geometrical artifacts appear in the images. In this contribution we present a method that takes the geometrical sensitivity into account and converts the measured sinograms into homogeneous and complete data. By this means artifactfree images are achieved using FBP or FORE. Besides an advantageous measurement setup that reduces inhomogeneities and data gaps in the sinograms, a modification of the measured sinograms is necessary. This modification includes two steps: a geometrical normalization and corrections for missing data. To normalize the measured sinograms, computed sinograms are used that describe the geometric...

Subcellular imaging of freeze-fractured cell cultures by TOF-SIMS and Laser-SNMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fartmann, M.; Dambach, S.; Kriegeskotte, C.; Lipinsky, D.; Wiesmann, H.P.; Wittig, A.; Sauerwein, W.; Arlinghaus, H.F.

2003-01-01

We have examined atomic and molecular distributions in freeze-fractured freeze-dried primary osteoblasts and cancer cells using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and non-resonant laser secondary neutral mass spectrometry (NR-Laser-SNMS). A pulsed Ga primary ion beam with a diameter of approximately 200 nm was employed to bombard the sample. Ion-induced electron-images were used to identify individual cells. High resolution elemental and molecular images were obtained from cell cultures. From these data the K/Na ratio was determined. It shows a higher K-concentration inside individual cells demonstrating that the chemical and structural integrity of living cells were preserved by the applied preparation technique. Consecutive presputtering of the sample with different primary ion dose densities was used to move the analysis plane toward the inside of the cell. It can be concluded that TOF-SIMS and Laser-SNMS are well suited for imaging trace element and molecule concentrations in biological samples

Experience with a fuel rod enrichment scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubik, R.N.; Pettus, W.G.

1975-01-01

This enrichment scanner views all fuel rods produced at B and W's Commercial Nuclear Fuel Plant. The scanner design is derived from the PAPAS System reported by R. A. Forster, H. D. Menlove, and their associates at Los Alamos. The spatial resolution of the system and smoothing of the data are discussed in detail. The cost-effectiveness of multi-detector versus single detector scanners of this general design is also discussed

Structure and dynamics of ringed galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buta, R.J.

1984-01-01

In many spiral and SO galaxies, single or multiple ring structures are visible in the disk. These inner rings (r), outer rings (R), and nuclear rings (nr) were investigated by means of morphology, photometry, and spectroscopy in order to provide basic data on a long neglected phenomenon. The metric properties of each ring are investigated and found to correlate with the structure of the parent galaxy. When properly calibrated, inner rings in barred (SB) systems can be used as geometric extragalactic distance indicators to distances in excess of 100 Mpc. Other statistics are presented that confirm previous indications that the rings have preferred shapes, relative sizes, and orientations with respect to bars. A survey is made of the less homogeneous non-barred (SA) ringed systems, and the causes of the inhomogeneity are isolated. It is shown that rings can be identified in multiple-ring SA systems that are exactly analogous to those in barred spirals

TOF powder diffractometer on a reactor source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bleif, H.J.; Wechsler, D.; Mezei, F.

1999-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The performance of time-of-flight (TOF) methods on Long Pulse Spallation Sources can be studied at a reactor source. For this purpose a prototype TOF monochromator instrument will be installed at the KFKI reactor in Budapest. The initial setup will be a powder diffractometer with a resolution of δd/d down to 2 x 10 -3 at a wavelength of 1 A. The instrument uses choppers to produce neutron pulses of down to 10 μs FWHM. The optimal neutron source for a chopper instrument is a Long Pulse Spallation Source, but even on a continuous source simulations have shown that this instrument outperforms a conventional crystal monochromator powder diffractometer at high resolution. The main components of the TOF instrument are one double chopper defining the time resolution and two single choppers to select the wavelength range and to prevent frame overlap. For inelastic experiments a further chopper can be added in front of the sample. The neutron guide has a super-mirror coating and a curvature of 3500m. The total flight path is 20m and there are 24 single detectors in backscattering geometry. (author)

Spatial resolution evaluation with a pair of two four-layer DOI detectors for small animal PET scanner: jPET-RD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishikido, Fumihiko [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1 Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan)], E-mail: funis@nirs.go.jp; Tsuda, Tomoaki [Shimadzu Corporation, Nishinokyo Kuwabaracho 1 Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-8511 (Japan); Yoshida, Eiji; Inadama, Naoko; Shibuya, Kengo; Yamaya, Taiga [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1 Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Kitamura, Keishi [Shimadzu Corporation, Nishinokyo Kuwabaracho 1 Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-8511 (Japan); Takahashi, Kei [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1 Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Graduate School of Science and Technology, Chiba University, Yayoi-cho 1-33, Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 263-8522 (Japan); Ohmura, Atsushi [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1 Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan); Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Okubo 3-4-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); Murayama, Hideo [National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1 Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan)

2008-01-01

We are developing a small animal PET scanner, 'jPET-RD' to achieve high sensitivity as well as high spatial resolution by using four-layer depth-of-interaction (DOI) detectors. The jPET-RD is designed with two detector rings. Each detector ring is composed of six DOI detectors arranged hexagonally. The diameter of the field-of-view (FOV) is 8.8 cm, which is smaller than typical small animal PET scanners on the market now. Each detector module consists of a crystal block and a 256-channel flat panel position-sensitive photomultiplier tube. The crystal block, consisting of 32x32x4 crystal (4096 crystals, each 1.46 mmx1.46 mmx4.5 mm) and a reflector, is mounted on the 256ch FP-PMT. In this study, we evaluated the spatial resolution of reconstructed images with the evaluation system of two four-layer DOI detectors which consist of 32x32x4 LYSO (Lu: 98%, Y: 2%) crystals coupled on the 256ch FP-PMT by using RTV rubber. The spatial resolution of 1.5 mm was obtained at the center of the FOV by the filtered back projection. The spatial resolution, better than 2 mm in the whole FOV, was also achieved with DOI while the spatial resolution without DOI was degraded to 3.3 mm.

Spatial resolution evaluation with a pair of two four-layer DOI detectors for small animal PET scanner: jPET-RD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishikido, Fumihiko; Tsuda, Tomoaki; Yoshida, Eiji; Inadama, Naoko; Shibuya, Kengo; Yamaya, Taiga; Kitamura, Keishi; Takahashi, Kei; Ohmura, Atsushi; Murayama, Hideo

2008-01-01

We are developing a small animal PET scanner, 'jPET-RD' to achieve high sensitivity as well as high spatial resolution by using four-layer depth-of-interaction (DOI) detectors. The jPET-RD is designed with two detector rings. Each detector ring is composed of six DOI detectors arranged hexagonally. The diameter of the field-of-view (FOV) is 8.8 cm, which is smaller than typical small animal PET scanners on the market now. Each detector module consists of a crystal block and a 256-channel flat panel position-sensitive photomultiplier tube. The crystal block, consisting of 32x32x4 crystal (4096 crystals, each 1.46 mmx1.46 mmx4.5 mm) and a reflector, is mounted on the 256ch FP-PMT. In this study, we evaluated the spatial resolution of reconstructed images with the evaluation system of two four-layer DOI detectors which consist of 32x32x4 LYSO (Lu: 98%, Y: 2%) crystals coupled on the 256ch FP-PMT by using RTV rubber. The spatial resolution of 1.5 mm was obtained at the center of the FOV by the filtered back projection. The spatial resolution, better than 2 mm in the whole FOV, was also achieved with DOI while the spatial resolution without DOI was degraded to 3.3 mm

Design tool for TOF and SL based 3D cameras.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouquet, Gregory; Thorstensen, Jostein; Bakke, Kari Anne Hestnes; Risholm, Petter

2017-10-30

Active illumination 3D imaging systems based on Time-of-flight (TOF) and Structured Light (SL) projection are in rapid development, and are constantly finding new areas of application. In this paper, we present a theoretical design tool that allows prediction of 3D imaging precision. Theoretical expressions are developed for both TOF and SL imaging systems. The expressions contain only physically measurable parameters and no fitting parameters. We perform 3D measurements with both TOF and SL imaging systems, showing excellent agreement between theoretical and measured distance precision. The theoretical framework can be a powerful 3D imaging design tool, as it allows for prediction of 3D measurement precision already in the design phase.

Secondary metabolite profiling of Curcuma species grown at different locations using GC/TOF and UPLC/Q-TOF MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jueun; Jung, Youngae; Shin, Jeoung-Hwa; Kim, Ho Kyoung; Moon, Byeong Cheol; Ryu, Do Hyun; Hwang, Geum-Sook

2014-07-04

Curcuma, a genus of rhizomatous herbaceous species, has been used as a spice, traditional medicine, and natural dye. In this study, the metabolite profile of Curcuma extracts was determined using gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOF MS) and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS) to characterize differences between Curcuma aromatica and Curcuma longa grown on the Jeju-do or Jin-do islands, South Korea. Previous studies have performed primary metabolite profiling of Curcuma species grown in different regions using NMR-based metabolomics. This study focused on profiling of secondary metabolites from the hexane extract of Curcuma species. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) plots showed significant differences between the C. aromatica and C. longa metabolite profiles, whereas geographical location had little effect. A t-test was performed to identify statistically significant metabolites, such as terpenoids. Additionally, targeted profiling using UPLC/Q-TOF MS showed that the concentration of curcuminoids differed depending on the plant origin. Based on these results, a combination of GC- and LC-MS allowed us to analyze curcuminoids and terpenoids, the typical bioactive compounds of Curcuma, which can be used to discriminate Curcuma samples according to species or geographical origin.

Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Curcuma Species Grown at Different Locations Using GC/TOF and UPLC/Q-TOF MS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jueun Lee

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Curcuma, a genus of rhizomatous herbaceous species, has been used as a spice, traditional medicine, and natural dye. In this study, the metabolite profile of Curcuma extracts was determined using gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOF MS and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS to characterize differences between Curcuma aromatica and Curcuma longa grown on the Jeju-do or Jin-do islands, South Korea. Previous studies have performed primary metabolite profiling of Curcuma species grown in different regions using NMR-based metabolomics. This study focused on profiling of secondary metabolites from the hexane extract of Curcuma species. Principal component analysis (PCA and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA plots showed significant differences between the C. aromatica and C. longa metabolite profiles, whereas geographical location had little effect. A t-test was performed to identify statistically significant metabolites, such as terpenoids. Additionally, targeted profiling using UPLC/Q-TOF MS showed that the concentration of curcuminoids differed depending on the plant origin. Based on these results, a combination of GC- and LC-MS allowed us to analyze curcuminoids and terpenoids, the typical bioactive compounds of Curcuma, which can be used to discriminate Curcuma samples according to species or geographical origin.

Multi-parameter CAMAC compatible ADC scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Midttun, G J; Ingebretsen, F [Oslo Univ. (Norway). Fysisk Inst.; Johnsen, P J [Norsk Data A.S., Box 163, Oekern, Oslo 5, Norway

1979-02-15

A fast ADC scanner for multi-parameter nuclear physics experiments is described. The scanner is based on a standard CAMAC crate, and data from several different experiments can be handled simultaneously through a direct memory access (DMA) channel. The implementation on a PDP-7 computer is outlined.

Rocuronium: automatic infusion versus manual administration with TOF monitorisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozturk Arikan, Fatma Gulcin; Turan, Guldem; Ozgultekin, Asu; Sivrikaya, Zubeyir; Cosar, Bekir Cem; Onder, Dondu Nisa

2016-10-01

TOF (train-of-four) monitoring provides objective data in application of neuromuscular blocking agent. Thus, applicator-based differences are eliminated and optimum muscle relaxation is maintained during operation. In the present study, we aimed to compare the effects of target-controlled infusion system and standard TOF monitoring, on use of rocuronium. ASA I-II patients, who were aged between 18 and 75 years and scheduled for elective abdominal surgery at Haydarpaşa Numune Training and Research Hospital, were enrolled in the study. In order to evaluate neuromuscular blockade, the patients in Group 1 were connected to the acceleromyography device of the target-controlled infusion pump (Veryark-CLMRIS-I-China) while the ones in Group 2 were connected to the routinely used acceleromyography device (TOF Watch SX). There was no significant difference between groups regarding patient characteristics, the durations of anaesthesia and surgery, quality of intubation, time to extubation and time to recovery (TOF ratio of 0.9). Intubation time was significantly longer in Group 1 (Automated group) as compared to Group 2 (Control group) (p rocuronium amount used in Group 1 was found to be significantly higher than the amount used in Group 2 (p rocuronium was administered via automatical infusion pump during anaesthesia.

Scintillation scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehrbrodt, A.W.; Mog, W.F.; Brunnett, C.J.

1977-01-01

A scintillation scanner having a visual image producing means coupled through a lost motion connection to the boom which supports the scintillation detector is described. The lost motion connection is adjustable to compensate for such delays as may occur between sensing and recording scintillations. 13 claims, 5 figures

Radiographic scanners and shutter mechanisms in CT scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braden, A.B.; Kuwik, J.J.; Taylor, S.K.; Covic, J.

1981-01-01

This patent claim relates especially to the design of a shutter mechanism in a CT scanner having a rotatable source of radiation and a series of stationary radiation detectors coplanar with the path of the source and spaced about the axis of rotation of the source, and only partially encircling the path of the source. (U.K.)

Graphene Oxide as a Novel Evenly Continuous Phase Matrix for TOF-SIMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Lesi; Sheng, Linfeng; Xia, Mengchan; Li, Zhanping; Zhang, Sichun; Zhang, Xinrong; Chen, Hongyuan

2017-03-01

Using matrix to enhance the molecular ion signals for biomolecule identification without loss of spatial resolution caused by matrix crystallization is a great challenge for the application of TOF-SIMS in real-world biological research. In this report, graphene oxide (GO) was used as a matrix for TOF-SIMS to improve the secondary ion yields of intact molecular ions ([M + H] + ). Identifying and distinguishing the molecular ions of lipids (m/z >700) therefore became straightforward. The spatial resolution of TOF-SIMS imaging could also be improved as GO can form a homogeneous layer of matrix instead of crystalline domain, which prevents high spatial resolution in TOF-SIMS imaging. Lipid mapping in presence of GO revealed the delicate morphology and distribution of single vesicles with a diameter of 800 nm. On GO matrix, the vesicles with similar shape but different chemical composition could be distinguished using molecular ions. This novel matrix holds potentials in such applications as the analysis and imaging of complex biological samples by TOF-SIMS. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

A Cost Effective Multi-Spectral Scanner for Natural Gas Detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yudaya Sivathanu; Jongmook Lim; Vinoo Narayanan; Seonghyeon Park

2005-12-07

The objective of this project is to design, fabricate and demonstrate a cost effective, multi-spectral scanner for natural gas leak detection in transmission and distribution pipelines. During the first year of the project, a laboratory version of the multi-spectral scanner was designed, fabricated, and tested at EnUrga Inc. The multi-spectral scanner was also evaluated using a blind Department of Energy study at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center. The performance of the scanner was inconsistent during the blind study. However, most of the leaks were outside the view of the multi-spectral scanner that was developed during the first year of the project. Therefore, a definite evaluation of the capability of the scanner was not obtained. Despite the results, sufficient number of plumes was detected fully confirming the feasibility of the multi-spectral scanner. During the second year, the optical design of the scanner was changed to improve the sensitivity of the system. Laboratory tests show that the system can reliably detect small leaks (20 SCFH) at 30 to 50 feet. A prototype scanner was built and evaluated during the second year of the project. Only laboratory evaluations were completed during the second year. The laboratory evaluations show the feasibility of using the scanner to determine natural gas pipeline leaks. Further field evaluations and optimization of the scanner are required before commercialization of the scanner can be initiated.

New Sensors for Cultural Heritage Metric Survey: The ToF Cameras

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filiberto Chiabrando

2011-12-01

Full Text Available ToF cameras are new instruments based on CCD/CMOS sensors which measure distances instead of radiometry. The resulting point clouds show the same properties (both in terms of accuracy and resolution of the point clouds acquired by means of traditional LiDAR devices. ToF cameras are cheap instruments (less than 10.000 € based on video real time distance measurements and can represent an interesting alternative to the more expensive LiDAR instruments. In addition, the limited weight and dimensions of ToF cameras allow a reduction of some practical problems such as transportation and on-site management. Most of the commercial ToF cameras use the phase-shift method to measure distances. Due to the use of only one wavelength, most of them have limited range of application (usually about 5 or 10 m. After a brief description of the main characteristics of these instruments, this paper explains and comments the results of the first experimental applications of ToF cameras in Cultural Heritage 3D metric survey.  The possibility to acquire more than 30 frames/s and future developments of these devices in terms of use of more than one wavelength to overcome the ambiguity problem allow to foresee new interesting applications.

[Utility of MALDI-TOF MS for the identification of anaerobic bacteria].

Science.gov (United States)

Zárate, Mariela S; Romano, Vanesa; Nievas, Jimena; Smayevsky, Jorgelina

2014-01-01

The analysis by MALDI-TOF MS (Matrix-assited laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry) has become a reference method for the identification of microorganisms in Clinical Microbiology. However, data on some groups of microorganisms are still controversial. The aim of this study is to determine the utility of MALDI-TOF MS for the identification of clinical isolates of anaerobic bacteria. One-hundred and six anaerobic bacteria isolates were analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS and by conventional biochemical tests. In those cases where identification by conventional methodology was not applicable or in the face of discordance between sequencing methodologies, 16 S rRNA gene sequence analysis was performed. The conventional method and MALDI-TOF MS agreed at genus and species level by 95.3 %. Concordance in gram-negative bacilli was 91.4% and 100% among gram-positive bacilli; there was also concordance both in the 8 isolates studied in gram-positive cocci and in the single gram-negative cocci included. The data obtained in this study demonstrate that MALDI-TOF MS offers the possibility of adequate identification of anaerobic bacteria. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Scanner OPC signatures: automatic vendor-to-vendor OPE matching

Science.gov (United States)

Renwick, Stephen P.

2009-03-01

As 193nm lithography continues to be stretched and the k1 factor decreases, optical proximity correction (OPC) has become a vital part of the lithographer's tool kit. Unfortunately, as is now well known, the design variations of lithographic scanners from different vendors cause them to have slightly different optical-proximity effect (OPE) behavior, meaning that they print features through pitch in distinct ways. This in turn means that their response to OPC is not the same, and that an OPC solution designed for a scanner from Company 1 may or may not work properly on a scanner from Company 2. Since OPC is not inexpensive, that causes trouble for chipmakers using more than one brand of scanner. Clearly a scanner-matching procedure is needed to meet this challenge. Previously, automatic matching has only been reported for scanners of different tool generations from the same manufacturer. In contrast, scanners from different companies have been matched using expert tuning and adjustment techniques, frequently requiring laborious test exposures. Automatic matching between scanners from Company 1 and Company 2 has remained an unsettled problem. We have recently solved this problem and introduce a novel method to perform the automatic matching. The success in meeting this challenge required three enabling factors. First, we recognized the strongest drivers of OPE mismatch and are thereby able to reduce the information needed about a tool from another supplier to that information readily available from all modern scanners. Second, we developed a means of reliably identifying the scanners' optical signatures, minimizing dependence on process parameters that can cloud the issue. Third, we carefully employed standard statistical techniques, checking for robustness of the algorithms used and maximizing efficiency. The result is an automatic software system that can predict an OPC matching solution for scanners from different suppliers without requiring expert intervention.

High-energy terahertz wave parametric oscillator with a surface-emitted ring-cavity configuration.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhen; Wang, Yuye; Xu, Degang; Xu, Wentao; Duan, Pan; Yan, Chao; Tang, Longhuang; Yao, Jianquan

2016-05-15

A surface-emitted ring-cavity terahertz (THz) wave parametric oscillator has been demonstrated for high-energy THz output and fast frequency tuning in a wide frequency range. Through the special optical design with a galvano-optical scanner and four-mirror ring-cavity structure, the maximum THz wave output energy of 12.9 μJ/pulse is achieved at 1.359 THz under the pump energy of 172.8 mJ. The fast THz frequency tuning in the range of 0.7-2.8 THz can be accessed with the step response of 600 μs. Moreover, the maximum THz wave output energy from this configuration is 3.29 times as large as that obtained from the conventional surface-emitted THz wave parametric oscillator with the same experimental conditions.

UPLC/Q-TOF-MS profiling of phenolics from Canarium pimela leaves and its vasorelaxant and antioxidant activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Wu

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Canarium pimela K.D. Koenig, Burseraceae, have a long history of use in the Chinese traditional medicine treatment of various ailments including hypertension, and our research team has reported the anti-hypertensive activity and delineated the mechanism involved in the action. The following research aims to evaluate the vasorelaxant and antioxidant activities of ethanol extract from C. pimela leaves and to analyze its chemical composition by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS that may correlate with their pharmacological activities. The results showed that pre-incubation of aortic rings with the extract (0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30 and 100 mg/l significantly inhibited the contractile response of the rings to norepinephrine-induced contraction (p < 0.01or p < 0.05. Crude ethanol extract and refined ethanol extract showed a highest inhibitory effect against 2,2dipheyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate scavenging activity (IC50 of crude ethanol extract = 15.42 ± 0.14 µg/ml and IC50 of refined ethanol extract = 5.72 ± 0.31 µg/ml and 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid ammonium salt (ABTS (IC50 of crude ethanol extract = 3.24 ± 0.18 µg/ml and IC50 of refined ethanol extract = 1.88 ± 0.07 µg/ml scavenging activity, which was considerably higher than that reported for butylated hydroxytoluene and lower of that measured for ascorbic acid. Moreover, its chemical composition was analyzed by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS. Sixteen compounds including nine flavonoids, four tannins, two phenolic acids and one dianthrone were identified for the first time as constituents of this species. And of this, six major phenolic components were simultaneous quantitative analysis by HPLC-UV, chlorogenic acid is the major compounds in C. pimela leaves. These results indicate that the phenolic-rich extract of C. pimela leaves is a promising natural pharmaceutical for combating hypertension and oxidative

The resolution of TOF low-Q diffractometers: Instrumental, data acquisition and reduction factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hjelm, R.P. Jr.

1988-01-01

The resolution of scattering vector, Q, in small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements derives from uncertainties in scattered neutron wavelength and direction. The manner in which these are manifest on brod-band time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometers at pulsed sources is different from that for instruments using monochromated sources. In TOF instruments the uncertainties arise from the TOF measurement as well as the directional uncertainties due to collimation, finite sample and detector-element size that are present in any small-angle scattering instrument. Further, data from a TOF instrument must be mapped into Q space, and the strategy used to accomplish this affects the final resolution of the measurement. Thus for TOF-SANS instruments the question of resolution is more complicated than for instruments on monochromated sources. There is considerable flexibility in TOF data acquisition and Q mapping that can be utilized to optimize for intensity and Q resolution requirements of a particular measurement. In this work, present understanding of the effects of instrument geometry, TOF data acquisition and Q mapping strategies on the precision of the measurement is outlined. The goal is to establish guidelines on the best manner in which a particular measurement can be set up. Toward this end some new aspects are presented of optimal Q-mapping procedures, the effect of inelastic scattering on the measurement, and the calculation of instrument resolution functions. Some of these ideas are tested by comparison of simulations with measurement. (orig.)

MEMS temperature scanner: principles, advances, and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Otto, Thomas; Saupe, Ray; Stock, Volker; Gessner, Thomas

2010-02-01

Contactless measurement of temperatures has gained enormous significance in many application fields, ranging from climate protection over quality control to object recognition in public places or military objects. Thereby measurement of linear or spatially temperature distribution is often necessary. For this purposes mostly thermographic cameras or motor driven temperature scanners are used today. Both are relatively expensive and the motor drive devices are limited regarding to the scanning rate additionally. An economic alternative are temperature scanner devices based on micro mirrors. The micro mirror, attached in a simple optical setup, reflects the emitted radiation from the observed heat onto an adapted detector. A line scan of the target object is obtained by periodic deflection of the micro scanner. Planar temperature distribution will be achieved by perpendicularly moving the target object or the scanner device. Using Planck radiation law the temperature of the object is calculated. The device can be adapted to different temperature ranges and resolution by using different detectors - cooled or uncooled - and parameterized scanner parameters. With the basic configuration 40 spatially distributed measuring points can be determined with temperatures in a range from 350°C - 1000°C. The achieved miniaturization of such scanners permits the employment in complex plants with high building density or in direct proximity to the measuring point. The price advantage enables a lot of applications, especially new application in the low-price market segment This paper shows principle, setup and application of a temperature measurement system based on micro scanners working in the near infrared range. Packaging issues and measurement results will be discussed as well.

Nogle muligheder i scanner data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juhl, Hans Jørn

2000-01-01

I artiklen gives en diskussion af en række af de muligheder for effektivisering af marketingaktiviteter, der er til stede for såvel mærkevareudbyder som detaillist, ved udnyttelse af information fra scanner data......I artiklen gives en diskussion af en række af de muligheder for effektivisering af marketingaktiviteter, der er til stede for såvel mærkevareudbyder som detaillist, ved udnyttelse af information fra scanner data...

Initial experience with 3T 3D-TOF MRA in the diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senba, Yoshiki; Takahashi, Shizue; Matsubara, Ichiro; Sadamoto, Kazuhiko; Miki, Hitoshi; Mochizuki, Teruhito

2006-01-01

We assessed the value of 3T 3D-time of flight (TOF) MR angiography (MRA) in the diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms compared with 1.5T 3D-TOF MRA. Twenty-one patients with 22 aneurysms underwent MRA at 1.5T and 3T. Images were interpreted by two radiologists. Each of nine aneurysms that had been considered ''definite'' at 1.5T 3D-TOF MRA were considered ''definite'' at 3T 3D-TOF MRA. Seven aneurysms that had been considered ''suspicious'' at 1.5T MRA were considered ''definite'' at 3T. And four aneurysms that had been considered ''suspicious'' at 1.5T were considered ''negative'' at 3T. We concluded that 3T 3D-TOF MRA is superior to 1.5T 3D-TOF MRA in the diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms. (author)

The number and distribution of computerised tomography scanners in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semin, S.; Amato, Z.

1999-01-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the number and distribution of CT scanners in Turkey. Our results show 173 CT scanners in Turkey in 1994, which equals 2.9 scanners per million people. All of the scanners are located in 45 cities, where 81 % of the population resides. The other 31 cities in Turkey have no scanners. Of the 173 scanners, 103 (59.6 %) are owned by the private sector and the other 70 are owned by the public sector. Of Turkey's CT scanners, 49.2 % are located in private health centres, 21.9 % in university hospitals, 16.7 % in Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals, 10.4 % in private hospitals and 1.8 % in social security hospitals. (orig.)

Mitral stenosis due to pannus overgrowth after rigid ring annuloplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Oda, Takeshi; Kato, Seiya; Tayama, Eiki; Fukunaga, Shuji; Akashi, Hidetoshi; Aoyagi, Shigeaki

2010-03-01

Although mitral stenosis (MS) due to pannus overgrowth after mitral valve repair for rheumatic mitral regurgitation (MR) is not uncommon, it is extremely rare in relation to non-rheumatic mitral regurgitation. Whilst it has been suggested that the rigid annuloplasty ring induces pannus overgrowth in the same manner as the flexible ring, to date only in cases using the flexible ring has pannus formation been confirmed by a pathological examination after redo surgery. The case is described of a woman who had undergone mitral valve repair using a 28 mm rigid ring three years previously because of non-rheumatic MR, and subsequently suffered from MS due to pannus formation over the annuloplasty ring. To the present authors' knowledge, this is the first report of MS due to pannus formation after mitral valve repair using a rigid annuloplasty ring to treat non-rheumatic MR documented at reoperation.

Non-exponential decoherence of radio-frequency resonance rotation of spin in storage rings

Science.gov (United States)

Saleev, A.; Nikolaev, N. N.; Rathmann, F.; Hinder, F.; Pretz, J.; Rosenthal, M.

2017-08-01

Precision experiments, such as the search for electric dipole moments of charged particles using radio-frequency spin rotators in storage rings, demand for maintaining the exact spin resonance condition for several thousand seconds. Synchrotron oscillations in the stored beam modulate the spin tune of off-central particles, moving it off the perfect resonance condition set for central particles on the reference orbit. Here, we report an analytic description of how synchrotron oscillations lead to non-exponential decoherence of the radio-frequency resonance driven up-down spin rotations. This non-exponential decoherence is shown to be accompanied by a nontrivial walk of the spin phase. We also comment on sensitivity of the decoherence rate to the harmonics of the radio-frequency spin rotator and a possibility to check predictions of decoherence-free magic energies.

3D whole body scanners revisited

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daanen, H.A.M.; Haar, F.B. ter

2013-01-01

An overview of whole body scanners in 1998 (H.A.M. Daanen, G.J. Van De Water. Whole body scanners, Displays 19 (1998) 111-120) shortly after they emerged to the market revealed that the systems were bulky, slow, expensive and low in resolution. This update shows that new developments in sensing and

Ring-opening polymerization of ω-pentadecalactone catalyzed by phosphazene superbases

KAUST Repository

Ladelta, Viko

2016-12-12

A fast and living ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ω-pentadecalactone (PDL), a representative monomer of macrolactones, was achieved using a primary alcohol as the initiator and t-BuP or t-octP as the catalyst. The use of t-BuP instead of the t-BuP superbase slows down the polymerization rate. The ROP of PDL proceeds to high conversion not only at 80 °C in bulk but also at room temperature and in dilute solution. The synthesized PDL homopolymers and block copolymers with poly(ethylene glycol) were characterized by high-temperature GPC (HT-GPC), H NMR and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Melting temperatures, determined by differential scanning calorimetry, are also reported.

Ring-opening polymerization of ω-pentadecalactone catalyzed by phosphazene superbases

KAUST Repository

Ladelta, Viko; Bilalis, Panayiotis; Gnanou, Yves; Hadjichristidis, Nikolaos

2016-01-01

A fast and living ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ω-pentadecalactone (PDL), a representative monomer of macrolactones, was achieved using a primary alcohol as the initiator and t-BuP or t-octP as the catalyst. The use of t-BuP instead of the t-BuP superbase slows down the polymerization rate. The ROP of PDL proceeds to high conversion not only at 80 °C in bulk but also at room temperature and in dilute solution. The synthesized PDL homopolymers and block copolymers with poly(ethylene glycol) were characterized by high-temperature GPC (HT-GPC), H NMR and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Melting temperatures, determined by differential scanning calorimetry, are also reported.

Flavonoids as matrices for MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis of transition metal complexes

Science.gov (United States)

Petkovic, Marijana; Petrovic, Biljana; Savic, Jasmina; Bugarcic, Zivadin D.; Dimitric-Markovic, Jasmina; Momic, Tatjana; Vasic, Vesna

2010-02-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a suitable method for the analysis of inorganic and organic compounds and biomolecules. This makes MALDI-TOF MS convenient for monitoring the interaction of metallo-drugs with biomolecules. Results presented in this manuscript demonstrate that flavonoids such as apigenin, kaempferol and luteolin are suitable for MALDI-TOF MS analysis of Pt(II), Pd(II), Pt(IV) and Ru(III) complexes, giving different signal-to-noise ratios of the analyte peak. The MALDI-TOF mass spectra of inorganic complexes acquired with these flavonoid matrices are easy to interpret and have some advantages over the application of other commonly used matrices: a low number of matrix peaks are detectable and the coordinative metal-ligand bond is, in most cases, preserved. On the other hand, flavonoids do not act as typical matrices, as their excess is not required for the acquisition of MALDI-TOF mass spectra of inorganic complexes.

The CERN n_TOF Facility: Neutron Beams Performances for Cross Section Measurements

CERN Document Server

Chiaveri, E; Andrzejewski, J; Audouin, L; Barbagallo, M; Bécares, V; Bečvář, F; Belloni, F; Berthoumieux, E; Billowes, J; Boccone, V; Bosnar, D; Brugger, M; Calviani, M; Calviño, F; Cano-Ott, D; Carrapiço, C; Cerutti, F; Chin, M; Colonna, N; Cortés, G; Cortés-Giraldo, M A; Diakaki, M; Domingo-Pardo, C; Duran, I; Dressler, R; Dzysiuk, N; Eleftheriadis, C; Ferrari, A; Fraval, K; Ganesan, S; García, A R; Giubrone, G; Gómez-Hornillos, M B; Gonçalves, I F; González-Romero, E; Griesmayer, E; Guerrero, C; Gunsing, F; Gurusamy, P; Hernández-Prieto, A; Jenkins, D G; Jericha, E; Kadi, Y; Käppeler, F; Karadimos, D; Kivel, N; Koehler, P; Kokkoris, M; Krtička, M; Kroll, J; Lampoudis, C; Langer, C; Leal-Cidoncha, E; Lederer, C; Leeb, H; Leong, L S; Losito, R; Mallick, A; Manousos, A; Marganiec, J; Martínez, T; Massimi, C; Mastinu, P F; Mastromarco, M; Meaze, M; Mendoza, E; Mengoni, A; Milazzo, P M; Mingrone, F; Mirea, M; Mondalaers, W; Paradela, C; Pavlik, A; Perkowski, J; Plompen, A; Praena, J; Quesada, J M; Rauscher, T; Reifarth, R; Riego, A; Robles, M S; Roman, F; Rubbia, C; Sabaté-Gilarte, M; Sarmento, R; Saxena, A; Schillebeeckx, P; Schmidt, S; Schumann, D; Tagliente, G; Tain, J L; Tarrío, D; Tassan-Got, L; Tsinganis, A; Valenta, S; Vannini, G; Variale, V; Vaz, P; Ventura, A; Versaci, R; Vermeulen, M J; Vlachoudis, V; Vlastou, R; Wallner, A; Ware, T; Weigand, M; Weiss, C; Wright, T; Žugec, P

2014-01-01

This paper presents the characteristics of the existing CERN n\\_TOF neutron beam facility (n\\_TOF-EAR1 with a flight path of 185 meters) and the future one (n\\_TOF EAR-2 with a flight path of 19 meters), which will operate in parallel from Summer 2014. The new neutron beam will provide a 25 times higher neutron flux delivered in 10 times shorter neutron pulses, thus offering more powerful capabilities for measuring small mass, low cross section and/or high activity samples.

Rapid analysis of fungal cultures and dried figs for secondary metabolites by LC/TOF-MS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Senyuva, Hamide Z. [Ankara Test and Analysis Laboratory, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Ankara 06330 (Turkey)], E-mail: hamide.senyuva@tubitak.gov.tr; Gilbert, John [Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ (United Kingdom); Oztuerkoglu, Sebnem [Ankara Test and Analysis Laboratory, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Ankara 06330 (Turkey)

2008-06-09

A liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS) method has been developed for profiling fungal metabolites. The performance of the procedure in terms of mass accuracy, selectivity (specificity) and repeatability was established by spiking aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes and other metabolites into blank growth media. After extracting, and carrying out LC/TOF-MS analysis, the standards were correctly identified by searching a specially constructed database of 465 secondary metabolites. To demonstrate the viability of this approach 11 toxigenic and four non-toxigenic fungi from reference collections were grown on various media, for 7-14 days. The method was also applied to two toxigenic fungi, A. flavus (200-138) and A. parasiticus (2999-465) grown on gamma radiation sterilised dried figs, for 7-14 days. The fungal hyphae plus a portion of growth media or portions of dried figs were solvent extracted and analysed by LC/TOF-MS using a rapid resolution microbore LC column. Data processing based on cluster analysis, showed that electrospray ionization (ESI)-TOF-MS could be used to unequivocally identify metabolites in crude extracts. Using the elemental metabolite database, it was demonstrated that from culture collection isolates, anticipated metabolites. The speed and simplicity of the method has meant that levels of these metabolites could be monitored daily in sterilised figs. Over a 14-day period, levels of aflatoxins and kojic acid maximised at 5-6 days, whilst levels of 5-methoxysterigmatocystin remained relatively constant. In addition to the known metabolites expected to be produced by these fungi, roquefortine A, fumagillin, fumigaclavine B, malformins (peptides), aspergillic acid, nigragillin, terrein, terrestric acid and penicillic acid were also identified.

Methods for CT automatic exposure control protocol translation between scanner platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenney, Sarah E; Seibert, J Anthony; Lamba, Ramit; Boone, John M

2014-03-01

An imaging facility with a diverse fleet of CT scanners faces considerable challenges when propagating CT protocols with consistent image quality and patient dose across scanner makes and models. Although some protocol parameters can comfortably remain constant among scanners (eg, tube voltage, gantry rotation time), the automatic exposure control (AEC) parameter, which selects the overall mA level during tube current modulation, is difficult to match among scanners, especially from different CT manufacturers. Objective methods for converting tube current modulation protocols among CT scanners were developed. Three CT scanners were investigated, a GE LightSpeed 16 scanner, a GE VCT scanner, and a Siemens Definition AS+ scanner. Translation of the AEC parameters such as noise index and quality reference mAs across CT scanners was specifically investigated. A variable-diameter poly(methyl methacrylate) phantom was imaged on the 3 scanners using a range of AEC parameters for each scanner. The phantom consisted of 5 cylindrical sections with diameters of 13, 16, 20, 25, and 32 cm. The protocol translation scheme was based on matching either the volumetric CT dose index or image noise (in Hounsfield units) between two different CT scanners. A series of analytic fit functions, corresponding to different patient sizes (phantom diameters), were developed from the measured CT data. These functions relate the AEC metric of the reference scanner, the GE LightSpeed 16 in this case, to the AEC metric of a secondary scanner. When translating protocols between different models of CT scanners (from the GE LightSpeed 16 reference scanner to the GE VCT system), the translation functions were linear. However, a power-law function was necessary to convert the AEC functions of the GE LightSpeed 16 reference scanner to the Siemens Definition AS+ secondary scanner, because of differences in the AEC functionality designed by these two companies. Protocol translation on the basis of

Wire scanner software and firmware issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilpatrick, John Doug

2008-01-01

The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center facility presently has 110 slow wire scanning profile measurement instruments located along its various beam lines. These wire scanners were developed and have been operating for at least 30 years. While the wire scanners solved many problems to operate and have served the facility well they have increasingly suffered from several problems or limitations, such as maintenance and reliability problems, antiquated components, slow data acquisition, and etc. In order to refurbish these devices, these wire scanners will be replaced with newer versions. The replacement will consist of a completely new beam line actuator, new cables, new electronics and brand new software and firmware. This note describes the functions and modes of operation that LabVIEW VI software on the real time controller and FPGA LabVIEW firmware will be required. It will be especially interesting to understand the overall architecture of these LabVIEW VIs. While this note will endeavor to describe all of the requirements and issues for the wire scanners, undoubtedly, there will be missing details that will be added as time progresses.

Comparison of Epson scanner quality for radiochromic film evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Alnawaf, Hani; Yu, Peter K N; Butson, Martin

2012-09-06

Epson Desktop scanners have been quoted as devices which match the characteristics required for the evaluation of radiation dose exposure by radiochromic films. Specifically, models such as the 10000XL have been used successfully for image analysis and are recommended by ISP for dosimetry purposes. This note investigates and compares the scanner characteristics of three Epson desktop scanner models including the Epson 10000XL, V700, and V330. Both of the latter are substantially cheaper models capable of A4 scanning. As the price variation between the V330 and the 10000XL is 20-fold (based on Australian recommended retail price), cost savings by using the cheaper scanners may be warranted based on results. By a direct comparison of scanner uniformity and reproducibility we can evaluate the accuracy of these scanners for radiochromic film dosimetry. Results have shown that all three scanners can produce adequate scanner uniformity and reproducibility, with the inexpensive V330 producing a standard deviation variation across its landscape direction of 0.7% and 1.2% in the portrait direction (reflection mode). This is compared to the V700 in reflection mode of 0.25% and 0.5% for landscape and portrait directions, respectively, and 0.5% and 0.8% for the 10000XL. In transmission mode, the V700 is comparable in reproducibility to the 10000XL for portrait and landscape mode, whilst the V330 is only capable of scanning in the landscape direction and produces a standard deviation in this direction of 1.0% compared to 0.6% (V700) and 0.25% (10000XL). Results have shown that the V700 and 10000XL are comparable scanners in quality and accuracy with the 10000XL obviously capable of imaging over an A3 area as opposed to an A4 area for the V700. The V330 scanner produced slightly lower accuracy and quality with uncertainties approximately twice as much as the other scanners. However, the results show that the V330 is still an adequate scanner and could be used for radiation

Genetics Home Reference: ring chromosome 20 syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

... drugs. Prolonged seizure episodes known as non-convulsive status epilepticus also appear to be characteristic of ring chromosome ... K, Takahashi Y. Ring chromosome 20 and nonconvulsive status epilepticus. A new epileptic syndrome. Brain. 1997 Jun;120 ( ...

Technical Report on the Modification of 3-Dimensional Non-contact Human Body Laser Scanner for the Measurement of Anthropometric Dimensions: Verification of its Accuracy and Precision.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari Roodbandi, Akram Sadat; Naderi, Hamid; Hashenmi-Nejad, Naser; Choobineh, Alireza; Baneshi, Mohammad Reza; Feyzi, Vafa

2017-01-01

Introduction: Three-dimensional (3D) scanners are widely used in medicine. One of the applications of 3D scanners is the acquisition of anthropometric dimensions for ergonomics and the creation of an anthropometry data bank. The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision and accuracy of a modified 3D scanner fabricated in this study. Methods: In this work, a 3D scan of the human body was obtained using DAVID Laser Scanner software and its calibration background, a linear low-power laser, and one advanced webcam. After the 3D scans were imported to the Geomagic software, 10 anthropometric dimensions of 10 subjects were obtained. The measurements of the 3D scanner were compared to the measurements of the same dimensions by a direct anthropometric method. The precision and accuracy of the measurements of the 3D scanner were then evaluated. The obtained data were analyzed using an independent sample t test with the SPSS software. Results: The minimum and maximum measurement differences from three consecutive scans by the 3D scanner were 0.03 mm and 18 mm, respectively. The differences between the measurements by the direct anthropometry method and the 3D scanner were not statistically significant. Therefore, the accuracy of the 3D scanner is acceptable. Conclusion: Future studies will need to focus on the improvement of the scanning speed and the quality of the scanned image.

Potential of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a rapid detection technique in plant pathology: identification of plant-associated microorganisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Faheem; Babalola, Olubukola O; Tak, Hamid I

2012-09-01

Plant diseases caused by plant pathogens substantially reduce crop production every year, resulting in massive economic losses throughout the world. Accurate detection and identification of plant pathogens is fundamental to plant pathogen diagnostics and, thus, plant disease management. Diagnostics and disease-management strategies require techniques to enable simultaneous detection and quantification of a wide range of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. Over the past decade, rapid development of matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) techniques for characterization of microorganisms has enabled substantially improved detection and identification of microorganisms. In the biological sciences, MALDI-TOF MS is used to analyze specific peptides or proteins directly desorbed from intact bacteria, fungal spores, nematodes, and other microorganisms. The ability to record biomarker ions, in a broad m/z range, which are unique to and representative of individual microorganisms, forms the basis of taxonomic identification of microorganisms by MALDI-TOF MS. Recent advances in mass spectrometry have initiated new research, i.e. analysis of more complex microbial communities. Such studies are just beginning but have great potential for elucidation not only of the interactions between microorganisms and their host plants but also those among different microbial taxa living in association with plants. There has been a recent effort by the mass spectrometry community to make data from large scale mass spectrometry experiments publicly available in the form of a centralized repository. Such a resource could enable the use of MALDI-TOF MS as a universal technique for detection of plant pathogens and non-pathogens. The effects of experimental conditions are sufficiently understood, reproducible spectra can be obtained from computational database search, and microorganisms can be rapidly characterized by genus, species

Restoration of Hyperspectral Push-Broom Scanner Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Rasmus; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Conradsen, Knut

1997-01-01

Several effects combine to distort the multispectral data that are obtained from push-broom scanners. We develop an algorithm for restoration of such data, illustrated on images from the ROSIS scanner. In push-broom scanners variation between elements in the detector array results in a strong...... back into the original spectral space results in noise corrected variables. The noise components will now have been removed from the entire original data set by working on a smaller set of noise contaminated transformed variables only. The application of the above techniques results in a dramatic...

Rapid evaluation of FDG imaging alternatives using head-to-head comparisons of full ring and gamma camera based PET scanners- a systematic review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haslinghuis-Bajan, L.M.; Lingen, A. van; Mijnhout, G.S.; Teule, G.J.J. [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Vrije Univ. Medical Centre, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Hooft, L. [Dept. of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Vrije Univ. Medical Centre, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Tulder, M. van [Dept. of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Vrije Univ. Medical Centre, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Inst. for Research in Extramural Medicine, Vrije Univ., Medical Centre, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Deville, W. [Inst. for Research in Extramural Medicine, Vrije Univ., Medical Centre, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Hoekstra, O.S. [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Vrije Univ. Medical Centre, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Dept. of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Vrije Univ. Medical Centre, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2002-10-01

Aim: While FDG full ring PET (FRPET) has been gradually accepted in oncology, the role of the cheaper gamma camera based alternatives (GCPET) is less clear. Since technology is evolving rapidly, ''tracker trials'' would be most helpful to provide a first approximation of the relative merits of these alternatives. As difference in scanner sensitivity is the key variable, head-to-head comparison with FRPET is an attractive study design. This systematic review summarises such studies. Methods: Nine studies were identified until July 1, 2000. Two observers assessed the methodological quality (Cochrane criteria), and extracted data. Results: The studies comprised a variety of tumours and indications. The reported GC- and FRPET agreement for detection of malignant lesions ranged from 55 to 100%, but with methodological limitations (blinding, standardisation, limited patient spectrum). Mean lesion diameter was 2.9 cm (SD 1.8), with only about 20% <1.5 cm. The 3 studies with the highest quality reported concordances of 74-79%, for the studied lesion spectrum. Contrast at GCPET was lower than that of FRPET, contrast and detection agreement were positively related. Logistic regression analysis suggested that pre-test indicators might be used to predict FRPET-GCPET concordance. Conclusion: In spite of methodological limitations, ''first generation'' GCPET devices detected sufficient FRPET positive lesions to allow prospective evaluation in clinical situations where the impact of FRPET is not confined to detection of small lesions (<1.5 cm). The efficiency of head-to-head comparative studies would benefit from application in a clinically relevant patient spectrum, with proper blinding and standardisation of acquisition procedures. (orig.)

NMR of geophysical drill cores with a mobile Halbach scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talnishnikh, E.

2007-01-01

This thesis is devoted to a mobile NMR with an improved Halbach scanner. This is a lightweight tube-shaped magnet with sensitive volume larger and a homogeneity of the magnetic field higher than the previous prototype version. The improved Halbach scanner is used for analysis of water-saturated drill cores and plugs with diameters up to 60 mm. To provide the analysis, the standard 1D technique with the CPMG sequence as well as 2D correlation experiments were successfully applied and adapted to study properties of fluid-saturated sediments. Afterwards the Halbach scanner was calibrated to fast non-destructive measurements of porosity, relaxation time distributions, and estimation of permeability. These properties can be calculated directly from the NMR data using the developed methodology. Any independent measurements of these properties with other methods are not needed. One of the main results of this work is the development of a new NMR on-line core scanner for measurements of porosity in long cylindrical and semi cylindrical drill cores. Also dedicated software was written to operate the NMR on-line core scanner. The physical background of this work is the study of the diffusion influence on transverse relaxation. The diffusion effect in the presence of internal gradients in porous media was probed by 1D and 2D experiments. The transverse relaxation time distributions obtained from 1D and from 2D experiments are comparable but different in fine details. Two new methodologies were developed based on the results of this study. First is the methodology quantifying the influence of diffusion in the internal gradients of water-saturated sediments on transverse relaxation from 2D correlation experiments. The second one is the correction of the permeability estimation from the NMR data taking in account the influence of the diffusion. Furthermore, PFG NMR technique was used to study restricted diffusion in the same kind of samples. Preliminary results are reported

NMR of geophysical drill cores with a mobile Halbach scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Talnishnikh, E.

2007-08-21

This thesis is devoted to a mobile NMR with an improved Halbach scanner. This is a lightweight tube-shaped magnet with sensitive volume larger and a homogeneity of the magnetic field higher than the previous prototype version. The improved Halbach scanner is used for analysis of water-saturated drill cores and plugs with diameters up to 60 mm. To provide the analysis, the standard 1D technique with the CPMG sequence as well as 2D correlation experiments were successfully applied and adapted to study properties of fluid-saturated sediments. Afterwards the Halbach scanner was calibrated to fast non-destructive measurements of porosity, relaxation time distributions, and estimation of permeability. These properties can be calculated directly from the NMR data using the developed methodology. Any independent measurements of these properties with other methods are not needed. One of the main results of this work is the development of a new NMR on-line core scanner for measurements of porosity in long cylindrical and semi cylindrical drill cores. Also dedicated software was written to operate the NMR on-line core scanner. The physical background of this work is the study of the diffusion influence on transverse relaxation. The diffusion effect in the presence of internal gradients in porous media was probed by 1D and 2D experiments. The transverse relaxation time distributions obtained from 1D and from 2D experiments are comparable but different in fine details. Two new methodologies were developed based on the results of this study. First is the methodology quantifying the influence of diffusion in the internal gradients of water-saturated sediments on transverse relaxation from 2D correlation experiments. The second one is the correction of the permeability estimation from the NMR data taking in account the influence of the diffusion. Furthermore, PFG NMR technique was used to study restricted diffusion in the same kind of samples. Preliminary results are reported

MALDI-TOF Baseline Drift Removal Using Stochastic Bernstein Approximation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Howard Daniel

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Stochastic Bernstein (SB approximation can tackle the problem of baseline drift correction of instrumentation data. This is demonstrated for spectral data: matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF data. Two SB schemes for removing the baseline drift are presented: iterative and direct. Following an explanation of the origin of the MALDI-TOF baseline drift that sheds light on the inherent difficulty of its removal by chemical means, SB baseline drift removal is illustrated for both proteomics and genomics MALDI-TOF data sets. SB is an elegant signal processing method to obtain a numerically straightforward baseline shift removal method as it includes a free parameter that can be optimized for different baseline drift removal applications. Therefore, research that determines putative biomarkers from the spectral data might benefit from a sensitivity analysis to the underlying spectral measurement that is made possible by varying the SB free parameter. This can be manually tuned (for constant or tuned with evolutionary computation (for .

Rapid species specific identification and subtyping of Yersinia enterocolitica by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Roger; Cernela, Nicole; Ziegler, Dominik; Pflüger, Valentin; Tonolla, Mauro; Ravasi, Damiana; Fredriksson-Ahomaa, Maria; Hächler, Herbert

2011-11-01

Yersinia enterocolitica are Gram-negative pathogens and known as important causes of foodborne infections. Rapid and reliable identification of strains of the species Y. enterocolitica within the genus Yersinia and the differentiation of the pathogenic from the non-pathogenic biotypes has become increasingly important. We evaluated here the application of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for rapid species identification and subtyping of Y. enterocolitica. To this end, we developed a reference MS database library including 19 Y. enterocolitica (non-pathogenic biotype 1A and pathogenic biotypes 2 and 4) as well as 24 non-Y. enterocolitica strains, belonging to eleven different other Yersinia spp. The strains provided reproducible and unique mass spectra profiles covering a wide molecular mass range (2000 to 30,000 Da). Species-specific and biotype-specific biomarker protein mass patterns were determined for Y. enterocolitica. The defined biomarker mass patterns (SARAMIS SuperSpectrum™) were validated using 117 strains from various Y. enterocolitica bioserotypes in a blind-test. All strains were correctly identified and for all strains the mass spectrometry-based identification scheme yielded identical results compared to a characterization by a combination of biotyping and serotyping. Our study demonstrates that MALDI-TOF-MS is a reliable and powerful tool for the rapid identification of Y. enterocolitica strains to the species level and allows subtyping of strains to the biotype level. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pragmatic fully 3D image reconstruction for the MiCES mouse imaging PET scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kisung; Kinahan, Paul E; Fessler, Jeffrey A; Miyaoka, Robert S; Janes, Marie; Lewellen, Tom K

2004-01-01

We present a pragmatic approach to image reconstruction for data from the micro crystal elements system (MiCES) fully 3D mouse imaging positron emission tomography (PET) scanner under construction at the University of Washington. Our approach is modelled on fully 3D image reconstruction used in clinical PET scanners, which is based on Fourier rebinning (FORE) followed by 2D iterative image reconstruction using ordered-subsets expectation-maximization (OSEM). The use of iterative methods allows modelling of physical effects (e.g., statistical noise, detector blurring, attenuation, etc), while FORE accelerates the reconstruction process by reducing the fully 3D data to a stacked set of independent 2D sinograms. Previous investigations have indicated that non-stationary detector point-spread response effects, which are typically ignored for clinical imaging, significantly impact image quality for the MiCES scanner geometry. To model the effect of non-stationary detector blurring (DB) in the FORE+OSEM(DB) algorithm, we have added a factorized system matrix to the ASPIRE reconstruction library. Initial results indicate that the proposed approach produces an improvement in resolution without an undue increase in noise and without a significant increase in the computational burden. The impact on task performance, however, remains to be evaluated

Cherenkov TOF PET with silicon photomultipliers

Science.gov (United States)

Dolenec, R.; Korpar, S.; Križan, P.; Pestotnik, R.

2015-12-01

As previously demonstrated, an excellent timing resolution below 100 ps FWHM is possible in time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF PET) if the detection method is based on the principle of detecting photons of Cherenkov light, produced in a suitable material and detected by microchannel plate photomultipliers (MCP PMTs). In this work, the silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) were tested for the first time as the photodetectors in Cherenkov TOF PET. The high photon detection efficiency (PDE) of SiPMs led to a large improvement in detection efficiency. On the other hand, the time response of currently available SiPMs is not as good as that of MCP PMTs. The SiPM dark counts introduce a new source of random coincidences in Cherenkov method, which would be overwhelming with present SiPM technology at room temperature. When the apparatus was cooled, its performance significantly improved.

TOF-SIMS characterization of planktonic foraminifera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vering, G.; Crone, C.; Bijma, J.; Arlinghaus, H.F.

2003-01-01

Oceanic sediment properties that are closely related to former environmental (e.g. climatic) parameters are called 'proxies'. Planktonic foraminifera are small protists which make up part of the plankton. Certain element concentrations, element ratios and isotopic ratios of their calcite shell found in the sediment can be used as proxies reflecting the state of the ocean during the life of the animal; they supply useful information for the reconstruction of environmental parameters. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) was used to examine the inner and outer part of foraminiferal shells, as well as foraminiferal shells dissolved in HCl. High resolution elemental images and mass spectra were obtained from the foraminifera. The data show that TOF-SIMS is a useful technique for determining the elemental distribution and for measuring isotope ratios such as δ 11 B with high precision in a single foraminiferal shell

TOF-SIMS characterization of planktonic foraminifera

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vering, G.; Crone, C.; Bijma, J.; Arlinghaus, H.F

2003-01-15

Oceanic sediment properties that are closely related to former environmental (e.g. climatic) parameters are called 'proxies'. Planktonic foraminifera are small protists which make up part of the plankton. Certain element concentrations, element ratios and isotopic ratios of their calcite shell found in the sediment can be used as proxies reflecting the state of the ocean during the life of the animal; they supply useful information for the reconstruction of environmental parameters. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) was used to examine the inner and outer part of foraminiferal shells, as well as foraminiferal shells dissolved in HCl. High resolution elemental images and mass spectra were obtained from the foraminifera. The data show that TOF-SIMS is a useful technique for determining the elemental distribution and for measuring isotope ratios such as {delta}{sup 11}B with high precision in a single foraminiferal shell.

Enhanced methodology of focus control and monitoring on scanner tool

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yen-Jen; Kim, Young Ki; Hao, Xueli; Gomez, Juan-Manuel; Tian, Ye; Kamalizadeh, Ferhad; Hanson, Justin K.

2017-03-01

As the demand of the technology node shrinks from 14nm to 7nm, the reliability of tool monitoring techniques in advanced semiconductor fabs to achieve high yield and quality becomes more critical. Tool health monitoring methods involve periodic sampling of moderately processed test wafers to detect for particles, defects, and tool stability in order to ensure proper tool health. For lithography TWINSCAN scanner tools, the requirements for overlay stability and focus control are very strict. Current scanner tool health monitoring methods include running BaseLiner to ensure proper tool stability on a periodic basis. The focus measurement on YIELDSTAR by real-time or library-based reconstruction of critical dimensions (CD) and side wall angle (SWA) has been demonstrated as an accurate metrology input to the control loop. The high accuracy and repeatability of the YIELDSTAR focus measurement provides a common reference of scanner setup and user process. In order to further improve the metrology and matching performance, Diffraction Based Focus (DBF) metrology enabling accurate, fast, and non-destructive focus acquisition, has been successfully utilized for focus monitoring/control of TWINSCAN NXT immersion scanners. The optimal DBF target was determined to have minimized dose crosstalk, dynamic precision, set-get residual, and lens aberration sensitivity. By exploiting this new measurement target design, 80% improvement in tool-to-tool matching, >16% improvement in run-to-run mean focus stability, and >32% improvement in focus uniformity have been demonstrated compared to the previous BaseLiner methodology. Matching control and monitoring on multiple illumination conditions, opens an avenue to significantly reduce Focus-Exposure Matrix (FEM) wafer exposure for new product/layer best focus (BF) setup.

Record of the Solar Activity and of Other Geophysical Phenomenons in Tree Ring

Science.gov (United States)

Rigozo, Nivaor Rodolfo

1999-01-01

Tree ring studies are usually used to determine or verify climatic factors which prevail in a given place or region and may cause tree ring width variations. Few studies are dedicated to the geophysical phenomena which may underlie these tree ring width variations. In order to look for periodicities which may be associated to the solar activity and/or to other geophysical phenomena which may influence tree ring growth, a new interactive image analysis method to measure tree ring width was developed and is presented here. This method makes use of a computer and a high resolution flatbed scanner; a program was also developed in Interactive Data Language (IDL 5.0) to study ring digitized images and transform them into time series. The main advantage of this method is the tree ring image interactive analysis without needing complex and high cost instrumentation. Thirty-nine samples were collected: 12 from Concordia - S. C., 9 from Canela - R. S., 14 from Sao Francisco de Paula - R. S., one from Nova Petropolis - R. S., 2 from Sao Martinho da Serra - R. S. e one from Chile. Fit functions are applied to ring width time series to obtain the best long time range trend (growth rate of every tree) curves and are eliminated through a standardization process that gives the tree ring index time series from which is performed spectral analysis by maximum entropy method and iterative regression. The results obtained show periodicities close to 11 yr, 22 yr Hale solar cycles and 5.5 yr for all sampling locations 52 yr and Gleissberg cycles for Concordia - S. C. and Chile samples. El Nino events were also observed with periods around 4 e 7 yr.

21 CFR 882.1925 - Ultrasonic scanner calibration test block.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ultrasonic scanner calibration test block. 882... Ultrasonic scanner calibration test block. (a) Identification. An ultrasonic scanner calibration test block is a block of material with known properties used to calibrate ultrasonic scanning devices (e.g., the...

TOF-SIMS Analysis of Red Color Inks of Writing and Printing Tools on Questioned Documents.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jihye; Nam, Yun Sik; Min, Jisook; Lee, Kang-Bong; Lee, Yeonhee

2016-05-01

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is a well-established surface technique that provides both elemental and molecular information from several monolayers of a sample surface while also allowing depth profiling or image mapping to be performed. Static TOF-SIMS with improved performances has expanded the application of TOF-SIMS to the study of a variety of organic, polymeric, biological, archaeological, and forensic materials. In forensic investigation, the use of a minimal sample for the analysis is preferable. Although the TOF-SIMS technique is destructive, the probing beams have microsized diameters so that only small portion of the questioned sample is necessary for the analysis, leaving the rest available for other analyses. In this study, TOF-SIMS and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) were applied to the analysis of several different pen inks, red sealing inks, and printed patterns on paper. The overlapping areas of ballpoint pen writing, red seal stamping, and laser printing in a document were investigated to identify the sequence of recording. The sequence relations for various cases were determined from the TOF-SIMS mapping image and the depth profile. TOF-SIMS images were also used to investigate numbers or characters altered with two different red pens. TOF-SIMS was successfully used to determine the sequence of intersecting lines and the forged numbers on the paper. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Overview of the use and radiological protection of body scanner equipment in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, D.A.P.; Nascimento, C.S.; Silva, F.C.A. da

2017-01-01

After security incidents in recent years, there is a growing need for security at airports, ports and prisons. In the fight against terrorism, smuggling and illegal entry of material, X-rays are used for non-invasive inspection of people. Traditionally, surveillance has been done exclusively on people by metal detection techniques or by intimate search. But in today's globalized world, and given concern for international security, governments are considering introducing a new series of technologies at airports and prisons, which reveal what an individual can carry under their clothes when traveling or entering visitation in prisons. Body inspection equipment, also called body scanners or 'body scanner', which can detect metallic and non-metallic objects hidden in a person's body, such as weapons, drugs, precious stones, cell phones, etc. This work shows the types of body inspection equipment, the radiation doses involved, and the radiation protection aspects that are critical to maintaining the safety of all users

Compressible Vortex Ring

Science.gov (United States)

Elavarasan, Ramasamy; Arakeri, Jayawant; Krothapalli, Anjaneyulu

1999-11-01

The interaction of a high-speed vortex ring with a shock wave is one of the fundamental issues as it is a source of sound in supersonic jets. The complex flow field induced by the vortex alters the propagation of the shock wave greatly. In order to understand the process, a compressible vortex ring is studied in detail using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and shadowgraphic techniques. The high-speed vortex ring is generated from a shock tube and the shock wave, which precedes the vortex, is reflected back by a plate and made to interact with the vortex. The shadowgraph images indicate that the reflected shock front is influenced by the non-uniform flow induced by the vortex and is decelerated while passing through the vortex. It appears that after the interaction the shock is "split" into two. The PIV measurements provided clear picture about the evolution of the vortex at different time interval. The centerline velocity traces show the maximum velocity to be around 350 m/s. The velocity field, unlike in incompressible rings, contains contributions from both the shock and the vortex ring. The velocity distribution across the vortex core, core diameter and circulation are also calculated from the PIV data.

The Nuclear Astrophysics program at n_TOF (CERN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colonna N.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available An important experimental program on Nuclear Astrophysics is being carried out at the n_TOF since several years, in order to address the still open issues in stellar and primordial nucleosynthesis. Several neutron capture reactions relevant to s-process nucleosynthesis have been measured so far, some of which on important branching point radioisotopes. Furthermore, the construction of a second experimental area has recently opened the way to challenging measurements of (n, charged particle reactions on isotopes of short half-life. The Nuclear Astrophysics program of the n_TOF Collaboration is here described, with emphasis on recent results relevant for stellar nucleosynthesis, stellar neutron sources and primordial nucleosynthesis.

Conference on Recent Advances in Commutative Ring and Module Theory & Conference on Rings and Polynomials

CERN Document Server

Frisch, Sophie; Glaz, Sarah; Tartarone, Francesca; Zanardo, Paolo

2017-01-01

This volume presents a collection of articles highlighting recent developments in commutative algebra and related non-commutative generalizations. It also includes an extensive bibliography and lists a substantial number of open problems that point to future directions of research in the represented subfields. The contributions cover areas in commutative algebra that have flourished in the last few decades and are not yet well represented in book form. Highlighted topics and research methods include Noetherian and non-Noetherian ring theory, module theory and integer-valued polynomials along with connections to algebraic number theory, algebraic geometry, topology and homological algebra. Most of the eighteen contributions are authored by attendees of the two conferences in commutative algebra that were held in the summer of 2016: “Recent Advances in Commutative Ring and Module Theory,” Bressanone, Italy; “Conference on Rings and Polynomials”  Graz, Austria. There is also a small collection of invite...

New developments in molecular imaging: positron emission tomography time-of-flight (TOF-PET); Nuevos desarrollos en imagen molecular: Tomografia por Emision de Positrones con Teimpo de Vuelo (TOF-PET)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguilar, P.; Couce, B.; Iglesias, A.; Lois, C.

2011-07-01

Positron Emission tomography (PET) in increasingly being used in oncology for the diagnosis and staging of disease, as well as in monitoring response to therapy. One of the last advances in PET is the incorporation of Time-of-Flight (TOF) information, which improves the tomographic reconstruction process and subsequently the quality of the final image. In this work, we explain the principles of PET and the fundamentals of TOF-PET. Clinical images are shown in order to illustrate how TOF-PET improves the detectability of small lesions, particularly in patients with high body mass index. (Author) 20 refs.

Resonant pickups for non-destructive single-particle detection in heavy-ion storage rings and first experimental results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanjari, Mohammad Shahab

2013-04-26

Nuclear astrophysics studies on highly charged radionuclides benefit from accelerator facilities with storage rings, where exotic nuclides produced with small yields can be efficiently investigated. Currently there are two accelerator facilities capable of storing highly charged heavy ions, GSI in Darmstadt and IMP in Lanzhou. Non-destructive detection methods are often used for in-flight measurements based on frequency analysis. The sensitivity of such detection systems are of primary importance specially when number of stored ions is small. Furthermore, since the exotic nuclides of interest are as a rule short-lived, the detectors must be fast. One common form of such detectors are parallel plate SCHOTTKY monitors, on which particles induce a mirror charge at each passage. This method has been successfully used at ESR experimental storage ring of GSI since 1991. In this work we describe a new resonant SCHOTTKY pickup operating as a high sensitive cavity current monitor which was mounted and commissioned in the ESR early 2010. It was successfully used in several storage ring experiments. A very similar pickup was mounted in CSRe at IMP Lanzhou in 2011. First in-ring tests have been performed and new experimental results are pending. The spectral analysis of acquired signals by the new detector has enabled a broad range of new physics experiments. The theory of operation and first experimental results and future perspectives are presented in this thesis.

Resonant pickups for non-destructive single-particle detection in heavy-ion storage rings and first experimental results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanjari, Mohammad Shahab

2013-01-01

Nuclear astrophysics studies on highly charged radionuclides benefit from accelerator facilities with storage rings, where exotic nuclides produced with small yields can be efficiently investigated. Currently there are two accelerator facilities capable of storing highly charged heavy ions, GSI in Darmstadt and IMP in Lanzhou. Non-destructive detection methods are often used for in-flight measurements based on frequency analysis. The sensitivity of such detection systems are of primary importance specially when number of stored ions is small. Furthermore, since the exotic nuclides of interest are as a rule short-lived, the detectors must be fast. One common form of such detectors are parallel plate SCHOTTKY monitors, on which particles induce a mirror charge at each passage. This method has been successfully used at ESR experimental storage ring of GSI since 1991. In this work we describe a new resonant SCHOTTKY pickup operating as a high sensitive cavity current monitor which was mounted and commissioned in the ESR early 2010. It was successfully used in several storage ring experiments. A very similar pickup was mounted in CSRe at IMP Lanzhou in 2011. First in-ring tests have been performed and new experimental results are pending. The spectral analysis of acquired signals by the new detector has enabled a broad range of new physics experiments. The theory of operation and first experimental results and future perspectives are presented in this thesis.

Benefits and Impact of Joint Metric of AOA/RSS/TOF on Indoor Localization Error

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qing Jiang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The emerging techniques in the Fifth Generation (5G communication system, like the millimeter-Wave (mmWave and massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO, make it possible to measure the Angle-Of-arrival (AOA, Receive Signal Strength (RSS and Time-Of-flight (TOF by using various types of mobile devices. At the same time, there is always significant interest in the high-precision localization techniques based on the joint metric of AOA/RSS/TOF, which enable one to overcome the drawback of the single metric-based localization. Motivated by this concern, we rely on the Cramer–Rao Lower Bound (CRLB to analyze the localization errors of RSS/AOA, RSS/TOF, AOA/TOF and the Joint Metric of AOA/RSS/TOF (JMART-based localization. The error bounds derived in this paper can be selected as the benchmarking results to evaluate the indoor localization performance. Finally, extensive simulations are conducted to support our claim.

Occupational exposure measurements of static and pulsed gradient magnetic fields in the vicinity of MRI scanners

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaennaelae, Sami; Toivo, Tim; Jokela, Kari [STUK-Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, PO Box 14, 00881 Helsinki (Finland); Alanko, Tommi [Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, New Technologies and Risks, Topeliuksenkatu 41a A, 00250 Helsinki (Finland)], E-mail: sami.kannala@stuk.fi

2009-04-07

Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have increased occupational exposure to magnetic fields. In this study, we examined the assessment of occupational exposure to gradient magnetic fields and time-varying magnetic fields generated by motion in non-homogeneous static magnetic fields of MRI scanners. These magnetic field components can be measured simultaneously with an induction coil setup that detects the time rate of change of magnetic flux density (dB/dt). The setup developed was used to measure the field components around two MRI units (1 T open and 3 T conventional). The measured values can be compared with dB/dt reference levels derived from magnetic flux density reference levels given by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The measured motion-induced dB/dt values were above the dB/dt reference levels for both MRI units. The measured values for the gradient fields (echo planar imaging (EPI) and fast field echo (FFE) sequences) also exceeded the dB/dt reference levels in positions where the medical staff may have access during interventional procedures. The highest motion-induced dB/dt values were 0.7 T s{sup -1} for the 1 T scanner and 3 T s{sup -1} for the 3 T scanner when only the static field was present. Even higher values (6.5 T s{sup -1}) were measured for simultaneous exposure to motion-induced and gradient fields in the vicinity of the 3 T scanner.

Scanners for analytic print measurement: the devil in the details

Science.gov (United States)

Zeise, Eric K.; Williams, Don; Burns, Peter D.; Kress, William C.

2007-01-01

Inexpensive and easy-to-use linear and area-array scanners have frequently substituted as colorimeters and densitometers for low-frequency (i.e., large area) hard copy image measurement. Increasingly, scanners are also being used for high spatial frequency, image microstructure measurements, which were previously reserved for high performance microdensitometers. In this paper we address characteristics of flatbed reflection scanners in the evaluation of print uniformity, geometric distortion, geometric repeatability and the influence of scanner MTF and noise on analytic measurements. Suggestions are made for the specification and evaluation of scanners to be used in print image quality standards that are being developed.

Free-space wavelength-multiplexed optical scanner demonstration.

Science.gov (United States)

Yaqoob, Zahid; Riza, Nabeel A

2002-09-10

Experimental demonstration of a no-moving-parts free-space wavelength-multiplexed optical scanner (W-MOS) is presented. With fast tunable lasers or optical filters and planar wavelength dispersive elements such as diffraction gratings, this microsecond-speed scanner enables large several-centimeter apertures for subdegree angular scans. The proposed W-MOS design incorporates a unique optical amplifier and variable optical attenuator combination that enables the calibration and modulation of the scanner response, leading to any desired scanned laser beam power shaping. The experimental setup uses a tunable laser centered at 1560 nm and a 600-grooves/mm blazed reflection grating to accomplish an angular scan of 12.92 degrees as the source is tuned over an 80-nm bandwidth. The values for calculated maximum optical beam divergance, required wavelength resolution, beam-pointing accuracy, and measured scanner insertion loss are 1.076 mrad, 0.172 nm, 0.06 mrad, and 4.88 dB, respectively.

Serum amyloid beta peptides in patients with dementia and age-matched non-demented controls as detected by surface-enhanced laser desorption ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS).

Science.gov (United States)

Frankfort, Suzanne V; van Campen, Jos P C M; Tulner, Linda R; Beijnen, Jos H

2008-09-01

By using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionisation- time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) an amyloid beta (Abeta) profile was shown in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with dementia. To investigate the Abeta-profile in serum with SELDI-TOF MS, to evaluate if this profile resembles CSF profiles and to investigate the correlation between intensity of Abeta-peptide-peaks in serum and clinical, demographical and genetic variables. Duplicate profiling of Abeta by an SELDI-TOF MS immunocapture assay was performed in 106 patients, suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or Vascular Dementia and age-matched non-demented control patients. Linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the intensities of four selected Abeta peaks as dependent variables in relation to the independent clinical, demographic or genetic variables. Abeta37, Abeta38 and Abeta40 were found among additional unidentified Abeta peptides, with the most pronounced Abeta peak at a molecular mass of 7752. This profile partly resembled the CSF profile. The clinical diagnosis was not a predictive independent variable, however ABCB1 genotypes C1236T, G2677T/A, age and creatinine level showed to be related to Abeta peak intensities in multivariate analyses. We found an Abeta profile in serum that partly resembled the CSF profile in demented patients. Age, creatinine levels, presence of the APOE epsilon4 allele and ABCB1 genotypes (C1236T and G2677T/A) were correlated with the Abeta serum profile. The role of P-gp as an Abeta transporter and the role of ABCB1 genotypes deserves further research. The investigated serum Abeta profile is probably not useful in the diagnosis of dementia.

Neutron cross-section measurements at the nTOF facility at CERN

CERN Document Server

Colonna, N

2004-01-01

A neutron Time-of-Flight facility (n_TOF) has recently become operative at CERN. The innovative features of the neutron beam, in particular the high instantaneous flux, the wide energy range, the high resolution and the low background, make this facility unique for measurements of neutron-induced reactions relevant to the field of emerging nuclear technologies, as well as to Nuclear Astrophysics and fundamental Nuclear Physics. The n_TOF facility is here described, together with the main features of the experimental apparata used for cross-section measurements. The results of the first measurement campaign, which have confirmed the innovative aspects of the facility, are presented. The measurement plan of the n_TOF collaboration, in particular with regard to implications to ADS, is briefly discussed.

Identification and susceptibility testing of microorganism by direct inoculation from positive blood culture bottles by combining MALDI-TOF and Vitek-2 Compact is rapid and effective.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero-Gómez, María-Pilar; Gómez-Gil, Rosa; Paño-Pardo, Jose Ramón; Mingorance, Jesús

2012-12-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the combined use of MALDI-TOF MS bacterial identification and the Vitek-2 Compact antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) directly from positive blood cultures. Direct identification by MALDI-TOF MS and AST were performed in parallel to the standard methods in all positively flagged blood cultures bottles during the study period. Three hundred and twenty four monomicrobial positive blood cultures were included in the present study, with 257 Gram-negative and 67 Gram-positive isolates. MALDI-TOF MS identification directly from blood bottles reported the correct identification for Enterobacteriaceae in 97.7%, non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli 75.0%, Staphylococcus aureus 75.8%, coagulase negative staphylococci 63.3% and enterococci 63.3%. A total 6156 isolate/antimicrobial agent combinations were tested. Enterobacteriaceae group and non-fermentative Gram-negative Bacilli showed an agreement of 96.67% and 92.30%, respectively, for the Gram-positive cocci the overall agreement found was 97.84%. We conclude that direct identification by MALDI-TOF and inoculation of Vitek-2 Compact AST with positive blood culture bottles yielded very good results and decreased time between initial inoculation of blood culture media and determination of the antibiotic susceptibility for Gram-negative rods and Gram-positive cocci causing bacteremia. Copyright © 2012 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Ku70/80 ring in Non-Homologous End-Joining

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kragelund, Birthe Brandt; Weterings, Eric; Hartmann-Petersen, Rasmus

2016-01-01

/80 heterodimer is a key-player in the NHEJ pathway and binds to DNA termini with high affinity, where it helps to protect DNA ends from degradation and to recruit other NHEJ factors required for repair. The mechanism of Ku70/80 detachment from the DNA helix after completion of DNA repair is incompletely......Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is an essential DNA double strand break repair pathway during all cell cycle stages. Deficiency in NHEJ factors can lead to accumulation of unrepaired DNA breaks or faulty DNA repair, which may ultimately result in cell death, senescence or carcinogenesis. The Ku70...... understood. Some data suggest that certain DNA repair factors are ubiquitylated and targeted for proteasomal degradation after repair. Recent studies suggest that Ku80 is conjugated to lysine48-linked ubiquitin chains by the Skp1-Cullin-F-box (SCF) complex and/or the RING finger protein 8 (RNF8) ubiquitin-protein...

Direct molecular mass determination of trehalose monomycolate from 11 species of mycobacteria by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, Yukiko; Naka, Takashi; Doi, Takeshi; Yano, Ikuya

2005-05-01

Direct estimation of the molecular mass of single molecular species of trehalose 6-monomycolate (TMM), a ubiquitous cell-wall component of mycobacteria, was performed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. When less than 1 microg TMM was analysed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, quasimolecular ions [M+Na]+ of each molecular species were demonstrated and the numbers of carbons and double bonds (or cyclopropane rings) were determined. Since the introduction of oxygen atoms such as carbonyl, methoxy and ester groups yielded the appropriate shift of mass ions, the major subclasses of mycolic acid (alpha, methoxy, keto and wax ester) were identified without resorting to hydrolytic procedures. The results showed a marked difference in the molecular species composition of TMM among mycobacterial species. Unexpectedly, differing from other mycoloyl glycolipids, TMM from Mycobacterium tuberculosis showed a distinctive mass pattern, with abundant odd-carbon-numbered monocyclopropanoic (or monoenoic) alpha-mycolates besides dicyclopropanoic mycolate, ranging from C75 to C85, odd- and even-carbon-numbered methoxymycolates ranging from C83 to C94 and even- and odd-carbon-numbered ketomycolates ranging from C83 to C90. In contrast, TMM from Mycobacterium bovis (wild strain and BCG substrains) possessed even-carbon-numbered dicyclopropanoic alpha-mycolates. BCG Connaught strain lacked methoxymycolates almost completely. These results were confirmed by MALDI-TOF mass analysis of mycolic acid methyl esters liberated by alkaline hydrolysis and methylation of the original TMM. Wax ester-mycoloyl TMM molecular species were demonstrated for the first time as an intact form in the Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare group, M. phlei and M. flavescens. The M. avium-intracellulare group possessed predominantly C85 and C87 wax ester-mycoloyl TMM, while M. phlei and the rapid growers tested contained C80, C81, C82 and C83 wax ester

Rapid detection of AAC(6')-Ib-cr production using a MALDI-TOF MS strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pardo, C-A; Tan, R N; Hennequin, C; Beyrouthy, R; Bonnet, R; Robin, F

2016-12-01

Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance mechanisms have become increasingly prevalent among Enterobacteriaceae strains since the 1990s. Among these mechanisms, AAC(6')-Ib-cr is the most difficult to detect. Different detection methods have been developed, but they require expensive procedures such as Sanger sequencing, pyrosequencing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction, or the time-consuming phenotypic method of Wachino. In this study, we describe a simple matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) method which can be easily implemented in clinical laboratories that use the MALDI-TOF technique for bacterial identification. We tested 113 strains of Enterobacteriaceae, of which 64 harbored the aac(6')-Ib-cr gene. We compared two MALDI-TOF strategies, which differed by their norfloxacin concentration (0.03 vs. 0.5 g/L), and the method of Wachino with the PCR and sequencing strategy used as the reference. The MALDI-TOF strategy, performed with 0.03 g/L norfloxacin, and the method of Wachino yielded the same high performances (Se = 98 %, Sp = 100 %), but the turnaround time of the MALDI-TOF strategy was faster (<5 h), simpler, and inexpensive (<1 Euro). Our study shows that the MALDI-TOF strategy has the potential to become a major method for the detection of many different enzymatic resistance mechanisms.

Multimodality Registration without a Dedicated Multimodality Scanner

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bradley J. Beattie

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Multimodality scanners that allow the acquisition of both functional and structural image sets on a single system have recently become available for animal research use. Although the resultant registered functional/structural image sets can greatly enhance the interpretability of the functional data, the cost of multimodality systems can be prohibitive, and they are often limited to two modalities, which generally do not include magnetic resonance imaging. Using a thin plastic wrap to immobilize and fix a mouse or other small animal atop a removable bed, we are able to calculate registrations between all combinations of four different small animal imaging scanners (positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and computed tomography [CT] at our disposal, effectively equivalent to a quadruple-modality scanner. A comparison of serially acquired CT images, with intervening acquisitions on other scanners, demonstrates the ability of the proposed procedures to maintain the rigidity of an anesthetized mouse during transport between scanners. Movement of the bony structures of the mouse was estimated to be 0.62 mm. Soft tissue movement was predominantly the result of the filling (or emptying of the urinary bladder and thus largely constrained to this region. Phantom studies estimate the registration errors for all registration types to be less than 0.5 mm. Functional images using tracers targeted to known structures verify the accuracy of the functional to structural registrations. The procedures are easy to perform and produce robust and accurate results that rival those of dedicated multimodality scanners, but with more flexible registration combinations and while avoiding the expense and redundancy of multimodality systems.

Analysis of cryopreparated non-dehydrated sample systems by means of a newly developed Tof-SIMS instrument with integrated high-vacuum cutting apparature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeller, Joerg

2008-01-01

Aim of the present thesis was to construct an analysis apparatus, which allows to perform on cryofixed samples a cryocutting respectively cryocracking preparation under vacuum conditions and in the following perform a Tof-SIMS analysis

Input Scanners: A Growing Impact In A Diverse Marketplace

Science.gov (United States)

Marks, Kevin E.

1989-08-01

Just as newly invented photographic processes revolutionized the printing industry at the turn of the century, electronic imaging has affected almost every computer application today. To completely emulate traditionally mechanical means of information handling, computer based systems must be able to capture graphic images. Thus, there is a widespread need for the electronic camera, the digitizer, the input scanner. This paper will review how various types of input scanners are being used in many diverse applications. The following topics will be covered: - Historical overview of input scanners - New applications for scanners - Impact of scanning technology on select markets - Scanning systems issues

SCT-4800T whole body X-ray CT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okumura, Yoshitaka; Sato, Yukio; Kuwahara, Hiroshi

1994-01-01

A whole body X-ray CT scanner, the SCT-4800T (trade name: INTELLECT series), has been developed. This system is the first CT scanner that is combined with general radiographic functions. The general radiographic functions include a patient couch with film casette and several tube support systems along with the CT scanner. This newly designed CT scanner also features a compact and light-weight gantry with a 700 mm diameter apperture and user-friendly operater's console. The SCT-4800T brings a new level of patient and operator comfort to the emergency radiology examination site. (author)

Towards Discovery and Targeted Peptide Biomarker Detection Using nanoESI-TIMS-TOF MS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garabedian, Alyssa; Benigni, Paolo; Ramirez, Cesar; Baker, Erin M.; Liu, Tao; Smith, Richard D.; Fernandez-Lima, Francisco

2018-05-01

Abstract. In the present work, the potential of trapped ion mobility spectrometry coupled to TOF mass spectrometry (TIMS-TOF MS) for discovery and targeted monitoring of peptide biomarkers from human-in-mouse xenograft tumor tissue was evaluated. In particular, a TIMS-MS workflow was developed for the detection and quantification of peptide biomarkers using internal heavy analogs, taking advantage of the high mobility resolution (R = 150–250) prior to mass analysis. Five peptide biomarkers were separated, identified, and quantified using offline nanoESI-TIMSCID- TOF MS; the results were in good agreement with measurements using a traditional LC-ESI-MS/MS proteomics workflow. The TIMS-TOF MS analysis permitted peptide biomarker detection based on accurate mobility, mass measurements, and high sequence coverage for concentrations in the 10–200 nM range, while simultaneously achieving discovery measurements

Determination of hoop direction effective elastic moduli of non-circular profile, fiber reinforced polymer composite sewer liner pipes from lateral ring compression tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czél, Gergely; Takács, Dénes

2015-01-01

A new material property determination method is presented for the calculation of effective elastic moduli of non-circular ring specimens cut from filament wound oval profile polymer composite sewer liner pipes. The hoop direction elastic moduli was determined using the test results obtained from ring compression tests, which is a very basic setup, and requires no special equipment. Calculations were executed for many different oval profiles, and diagrams were constructed, from which the cross section dependent C_e_f_f constants can be taken. The new method was validated by the comparison of tests and finite element analysis results. The calculation method and the diagrams are essential design tools for engineers, and a big step forward in sizing non-circular profile liner pipes. - Highlights: • A simple modulus measurement method is presented for non-circular ring specimens. • The evaluation method is validated against a finite element model. • Profile shape dependent constants are presented for a wide range of cross-sections. • A set of charts with the constants are provided to aid design engineers.

Initiation of a ring approach to infection prevention and control at non-Ebola health care facilities - Liberia, January-February 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyenswah, Tolbert; Massaquoi, Moses; Gbanya, Miatta Zenabu; Fallah, Mosoka; Amegashie, Fred; Kenta, Adolphus; Johnson, Kumblytee L; Yahya, Disu; Badini, Mehboob; Soro, Lacina; Pessoa-Silva, Carmem L; Roger, Isabelle; Selvey, Linda; VanderEnde, Kristin; Murphy, Matthew; Cooley, Laura A; Olsen, Sonja J; Christie, Athalia; Vertefeuille, John; Navin, Thomas; McElroy, Peter; Park, Benjamin J; Esswein, Eric; Fagan, Ryan; Mahoney, Frank

2015-05-15

From mid-January to mid-February 2015, all confirmed Ebola virus disease (Ebola) cases that occurred in Liberia were epidemiologically linked to a single index patient from the St. Paul Bridge area of Montserrado County. Of the 22 confirmed patients in this cluster, eight (36%) sought and received care from at least one of 10 non-Ebola health care facilities (HCFs), including clinics and hospitals in Montserrado and Margibi counties, before admission to an Ebola treatment unit. After recognition that three patients in this emerging cluster had received care from a non-Ebola treatment unit, and in response to the risk for Ebola transmission in non-Ebola treatment unit health care settings, a focused infection prevention and control (IPC) rapid response effort for the immediate area was developed to target facilities at increased risk for exposure to a person with Ebola (Ring IPC). The Ring IPC approach, which provided rapid, intensive, and short-term IPC support to HCFs in areas of active Ebola transmission, was an addition to Liberia's proposed longer term national IPC strategy, which focused on providing a comprehensive package of IPC training and support to all HCFs in the country. This report describes possible health care worker exposures to the cluster's eight patients who sought care from an HCF and implementation of the Ring IPC approach. On May 9, 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia.

MR angiography in the diagnosis of cerebral venous angiomas: 3D TOF versus phase contrast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Hye Young; Kim, Myung Hyen; Park, Hyung Chun; Lee, Min Hee; Kim, Yoo Kyung; Lee, Sun Wha

1995-01-01

To seek adequate sequence of MR angiography (MRA) on developmental venous anomaly in the brain. We collected ten cases who demonstrated developmental venous anomaly on MR image. Eight patients among them, both 3D time-of-fight (TOF) with or without Gadolinium-DTPA enhancement and phase contrast(PC) were performed: TOF without enhancement in five. TOF with enhancement in six, and PC with 10 cm/sec in five, PC with 30 cm/sec in three, and PC with 5 cm/sec velocity encoding (VNEC) in two cases. On enhanced 3D TOF, both dilated collecting veins and medullary veins were well depicted in five of six cases, however, the signal intensity of the collecting and medullary veins are less than arteries. Dilated hyperintense collecting veins were well demonstrated on 3D PC with below the 10 cm/sec VNEC in all seven cases, but the medullary veins were poorly defined. Unenhanced 3D TOF MRA could not reveal any dilated collecting and medullary veins in all five cases. Enhanced 3D TOF could demonstrate the collecting and medullary veins of developmental venous anomaly, however, 3D PC with below the 10 cm/sec VNEC could show the dilated collecting and larger draining veins. We considered that combined enhanced 3D TOF MRA and PC with VENC 10 cm/sec can substitute for conventional angiogram in the diagnosis of developmental venous anomaly

History and current status of PET development based on time of flight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun Mingkai; Li Ting; Zhang Zhiming; Zhang Yubao; Shan Baoci; Wei Long

2012-01-01

The principle of time of flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) and a brief review of the history of TOF-PET are introduced. The factors influencing the time resolution of a TOF-PET scanner are presented, especially focus on the intrinsic properties of scintillators and front-end electronics. Challenges and achievements of the structure of data organization and image reconstruction are reviewed. Finally, the benefits of TOF-PET on image quality improvement and tumor detection are emphasized. (authors)

Performance evaluation of the whole-body PET scanner ECAT EXACT HR+

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adam, L.E.; Zaers, J.; Ostertag, H.; Trojan, H.

1996-01-01

The performance parameters of the whole-body PET scanner ECAT EXACT HR + were determined following the standard proposed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The tests were expanded by some measurements concerning the accuracy of the correction algorithms and the geometric fidelity of the reconstructed images. The scanner consists of 32 rings, each with 576 BGO detectors (4.05 x 4.39 x 30 mm 3 ) covering an axial field-of-view of 15.5 cm and a patient port of 56.2 cm. The transaxial resolution in the 2D (3D) mode is 4.5 (4.3) mm at the center. It increases to 8.9 (8.3) mm radially and to 5.8 (5.2) mm tangentially at a radial distance of r = 20 cm. The average axial resolution varies between 4.9 (4.1) mm FWHM at the center and 8.8 (8.1) mm at r = 20 cm. The system sensitivity for true events is 5.85 (26.4) cps/Bq/ml (measured with a 20 cm cylinder phantom). The 50% dead-time losses where reached for a true event count rate of 286 (500) kcps at an activity concentration of 74 (25) kBq/ml. The system scatter fraction is 0.24 (0.35). The correction algorithms work reliable, except for the 3D attenuation correction. The ECAT EXACT HR + has a good and nearly isotropic spatial resolution. Due to the small detector elements, however, it has a low slice sensitivity which is a limiting factor for image quality

Circumference estimation using 3D-whole body scanners and shadow scanner

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daanen, H.A.M.

1998-01-01

Clothing designers and manufacturers use traditional body dimensions as their basis. When 3D-whole body scanners are introduced to determine the body dimensions, a conversion has to be made, since scan determined circumference measures are slightly larger than the traditional values. This pilot

Evaluation of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for differentiation of Pichia kluyveri strains isolated from traditional fermentation processes.

Science.gov (United States)

De la Torre González, Francisco Javier; Gutiérrez Avendaño, Daniel Oswaldo; Gschaedler Mathis, Anne Christine; Kirchmayr, Manuel Reinhart

2018-06-06

Non- Saccharomyces yeasts are widespread microorganisms and some time ago were considered contaminants in the beverage industry. However, nowadays they have gained importance for their ability to produce aromatic compounds, which in alcoholic beverages improves aromatic complexity and therefore the overall quality. Thus, identification and differentiation of the species involved in fermentation processes is vital and can be classified in traditional methods and techniques based on molecular biology. Traditional methods, however, can be expensive, laborious and/or unable to accurately discriminate on strain level. In the present study, a total of 19 strains of Pichia kluyveri isolated from mezcal, tejuino and cacao fermentations were analyzed with rep-PCR fingerprinting and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The comparative analysis between MS spectra and rep-PCR patterns obtained from these strains showed a high similarity between both methods. However, minimal differences between the obtained rep-PCR and MALDI-TOF MS clusters could be observed. The data shown suggests that MALDI-TOF MS is a promising alternative technique for rapid, reliable and cost-effective differentiation of natives yeast strains isolated from different traditional fermented foods and beverages. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis of myocardial viability by dual-head coincidence gamma camera fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with and without non-uniform attenuation correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowak, B.; Zimmy, M.; Kaiser, H.-J.; Schaefer, W.; Reinartz, P.; Buell, U.; Schwarz, E.R.; Dahl, J. vom

2000-01-01

This study assessed a dual-head coincidence gamma camera (hybrid PET) equipped with single-photon transmission for myocardial fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging by comparing this technique with conventional positron emission tomography (PET) using a dedicated ring PET scanner. Twenty-one patients were studied with dedicated FDG ring PET and FDG hybrid PET for evaluation of myocardial glucose metabolism, as well as technetium-99 m tetrofosmin single-photon emission tomography (SPET) to estimate myocardial perfusion. All patients underwent transmitted attenuation correction using germanium-68 rod sources for ring PET and caesium-137 point sources for hybrid PET. Ring PET and hybrid PET emission scans were started 61±12 and 98±15 min, respectively, after administration of 154±31 MBq FDG. Attenuation-corrected images were reconstructed iteratively for ring PET and hybrid PET (ac-hybrid PET), and non-attenuation-corrected images for hybrid PET (non-ac-hybrid PET) only. Tracer distribution was analysed semiquantitatively using a volumetric vector sampling method dividing the left ventricular wall into 13 segments. FDG distribution in non-ac-hybrid PET and ring PET correlated with r=0.36 (P<0.0001), and in ac-hybrid PET and ring PET with r=0.79 (P<0.0001). Non-ac-hybrid PET significantly overestimated FDG uptake in the apical and supra-apical segments, and underestimated FDG uptake in the remaining segments, with the exception of one lateral segment. Ac-hybrid PET significantly overestimated FDG uptake in the apical segment, and underestimated FDG uptake in only three posteroseptal segments. A three-grade score was used to classify diagnosis of viability by FDG PET in 136 segments with reduced perfusion as assessed by SPET. Compared with ring PET, non-ac-hybrid PET showed concordant diagnoses in 80 segments (59%) and ac-hybrid PET in 101 segments (74%) (P<0.001). Agreement between ring PET and non-ac-hybrid PET was best in the basal lateral wall and in the

The influence of physical properties of materials used for slide rings on the process of heat transfer in the non-contacting face seals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blasiak Slawomir

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of analytical solution of the model of heat transfer for non-contacting face seals. Comparative analyses were performed for various physical properties of materials used for slide rings. A mathematical model includes a series of differential equations of partial derivatives with generally used boundary conditions, i.e. the Reynold’s equation, energy equation and heat transfer equations, which describe the heat transfer in sealing rings with surrounding medium. Heat transfer equation is written in the Cartesian coordinate system and solved using the Green’s functions method. Theoretical studies made it possible to draw a number of practical conclusions on the phenomena of heat transfer in the node seal. The presented model will allow more accurate identification of the heat transfer mechanism in the node seal. The results will help to select appropriate materials for sealing rings, depending on operating conditions of non-contacting face seals.

Screening of 439 Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables by Gas Chromatography-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Based on TOF Accurate Mass Database and Q-TOF Spectrum Library.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian-Xun; Li, Xiao-Ying; Chang, Qiao-Ying; Li, Yan; Jin, Ling-He; Pang, Guo-Fang; Fan, Chun-Lin

2018-05-03

Because of its unique characteristics of accurate mass full-spectrum acquisition, high resolution, and fast acquisition rates, GC-quadrupole-time-of-flight MS (GC-Q-TOF/MS) has become a powerful tool for pesticide residue analysis. In this study, a TOF accurate mass database and Q-TOF spectrum library of 439 pesticides were established, and the parameters of the TOF database were optimized. Through solid-phase extraction (SPE), whereby pesticides are extracted from fruit and vegetable substrates by using 40 mL 1% acetic acid in acetonitrile (v/v), purified by the Carbon/NH₂ SPE cartridge, and finally detected by GC-Q-TOF/MS, the rapid analysis of 439 pesticides in fruits and vegetables can be achieved. The methodology verification results show that more than 70 and 91% of pesticides, spiked in fruits and vegetables with concentrations of 10 and 100 μg/kg, respectively, saw recoveries that conform to the European Commission's criterion of between 70 and 120% with RSD ≤20%. Eighty-one percent of pesticides have screening detection limits lower than 10 μg/kg, which makes this a reliable analysis technology for the monitoring of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables. This technology was further validated for its characteristics of high precision, high speed, and high throughput through successful detection of 9817 samples during 2013-2015.

Coincidence measurements on detectors for microPET II: A 1 mm3 resolution PET scanner for small animal imaging

CERN Document Server

Chatziioannou, A; Shao, Y; Doshi, N K; Silverman, B; Meadors, K; Cherry, SR

2000-01-01

We are currently developing a small animal PET scanner with a design goal of 1 mm3 image resolution. We have built three pairs of detectors and tested performance in terms of crystal identification, spatial, energy and timing resolution. The detectors consisted of 12 multiplied by 12 arrays of 1 multiplied by 1 multiplied by 10mm LSO crystals (1.15 mm pitch) coupled to Hamamatsu H7546 64 channel PMTs via 5cm long coherent glass fiber bundles. Optical fiber connection is necessary to allow high packing fraction in a ring geometry scanner. Fiber bundles with and without extramural absorber (EMA) were tested. The results demonstrated an intrinsic spatial resolution of 1.12 mm (direct coupled LSO array), 1.23 mm (bundle without EMA) and 1.27 mm (bundle with EMA) using a similar to 500 micron diameter Na-22 source. Using a 330 micron line source filled with F-18, intrinsic resolution for the EMA bundle improved to 1.05 mm. The respective timing and energy resolution values were 1.96 ns, 21% (direct coupled), 2.20 ...

Quantitative detection of RO2 radicals and other products from cyclohexene ozonolysis with ammonium-CI3-TOF and acetate-CI-API-TOF

Science.gov (United States)

Hansel, A.; Scholz, W.; Mentler, B.; Fischer, L.; Berndt, T.

2017-12-01

The performance of the novel ammonium-CI3-TOF utilizing NH4+ adduct ion chemistry to measure quantitatively first generation oxidized product molecules (OMs) as well as highly oxidized organic molecules (HOMs) was investigated for the first time. The gas-phase ozonolysis of cyclohexene served as a test system in order to evaluate the capability of the detection systems. Experiments have been carried out in the TROPOS free-jet flow system at close to atmospheric conditions. Product ion signals were simultaneously observed by the ammonium-CI3-TOF and the acetate-CI-API-TOF. Both instruments are in remarkable good agreement within a factor of two for HOMs. For OMs not containing an OOH group the acetate technique can considerably underestimate OM concentrations by 2-3 orders of magnitude. First steps of cyclohexene ozonolysis generate ten different (m/z product peaks) main products comprising 92% of observed OMs. The remaining 8% are distributed over several (m/z peaks) minor products that can be attributed to HOMs, predominately to highly oxidized RO2 radicals. Summing up, observed ammonium-CI3-TOF products yield 4.9 x 109 molecules cm-³ in excellent agreement with the amount of reacted cyclohexene of 5.0 x 109 molecules cm-³ for reactant concentrations of [O3] = 2.25 x 1012 molecules cm-³ and [cyclohexene] = 2.0 x 1012 molecules cm-³ and a reaction time of 7.9 s. NH4+ adduct ion chemistry based CIMS techniques offer a unique opportunity for complete detection of the whole product distribution, and consequently, for a much better understanding of atmospheric oxidation processes.

Spin-polarization and spin-dependent logic gates in a double quantum ring based on Rashba spin-orbit effect: Non-equilibrium Green's function approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eslami, Leila; Esmaeilzadeh, Mahdi

2014-01-01

Spin-dependent electron transport in an open double quantum ring, when each ring is made up of four quantum dots and threaded by a magnetic flux, is studied. Two independent and tunable gate voltages are applied to induce Rashba spin-orbit effect in the quantum rings. Using non-equilibrium Green's function formalism, we study the effects of electron-electron interaction on spin-dependent electron transport and show that although the electron-electron interaction induces an energy gap, it has no considerable effect when the bias voltage is sufficiently high. We also show that the double quantum ring can operate as a spin-filter for both spin up and spin down electrons. The spin-polarization of transmitted electrons can be tuned from −1 (pure spin-down current) to +1 (pure spin-up current) by changing the magnetic flux and/or the gates voltage. Also, the double quantum ring can act as AND and NOR gates when the system parameters such as Rashba coefficient are properly adjusted

Applicability of optical scanner method for fine root dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Kume, Tomonori; Ohashi, Mizue; Makita, Naoki; Khoon Kho, Lip; Katayama, Ayumi; Matsumoto, Kazuho; Ikeno, Hidetoshi

2016-04-01

Fine root dynamics is one of the important components in forest carbon cycling, as ~60 % of tree photosynthetic production can be allocated to root growth and metabolic activities. Various techniques have been developed for monitoring fine root biomass, production, mortality in order to understand carbon pools and fluxes resulting from fine roots dynamics. The minirhizotron method is now a widely used technique, in which a transparent tube is inserted into the soil and researchers count an increase and decrease of roots along the tube using images taken by a minirhizotron camera or minirhizotron video camera inside the tube. This method allows us to observe root behavior directly without destruction, but has several weaknesses; e.g., the difficulty of scaling up the results to stand level because of the small observation windows. Also, most of the image analysis are performed manually, which may yield insufficient quantitative and objective data. Recently, scanner method has been proposed, which can produce much bigger-size images (A4-size) with lower cost than those of the minirhizotron methods. However, laborious and time-consuming image analysis still limits the applicability of this method. In this study, therefore, we aimed to develop a new protocol for scanner image analysis to extract root behavior in soil. We evaluated applicability of this method in two ways; 1) the impact of different observers including root-study professionals, semi- and non-professionals on the detected results of root dynamics such as abundance, growth, and decomposition, and 2) the impact of window size on the results using a random sampling basis exercise. We applied our new protocol to analyze temporal changes of root behavior from sequential scanner images derived from a Bornean tropical forests. The results detected by the six observers showed considerable concordance in temporal changes in the abundance and the growth of fine roots but less in the decomposition. We also examined

Particle discrimination by an automatic scanner for nuclear emulsion plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinecke, W.; Fischer, B.E.

1976-01-01

An automatic scanner for nuclear emulsion plates has been improved by adding particle discrimination. By determination of the mean luminosity of tracks in darkfield illumination in addition to the track length a clear discrimination has been obtained, at least for lighter particles. The scanning speed of the original automatic scanner has not been reduced. The scanner works up to 200 times faster than a human scanner. Besides the particle discrimination the determination of the mean track luminosity led to a lower perturbation sensitivity with respect to a high background of accidentally developed silvergrains, scratches in emulsion etc. The reproducibility of the results obtained by the automatic scanner is better than 5%. (Auth.)

Minimum emittance of isochronus rings for synchrotron light source

CERN Document Server

Shoji, Y

1999-01-01

Theoretically achievable minimum emittances of isochronus rings for synchrotron light source are calculated. The rings discussed in this paper consist of isochronus and achromatic bending cells, isochronus TBA (triple bend achromat) cells with negative dispersion, isochronus TBA cells with inverse bends or isochronus QBA (four bend achromat) cells. We show that the minimum emittances of these rings are roughly 2 or 3 times of those of the optimized non-isochronus rings.

submitter Dynamical Models of a Wire Scanner

CERN Document Server

Barjau, Ana; Dehning, Bernd

2016-01-01

The accuracy of the beam profile measurements achievable by the current wire scanners at CERN is limited by the vibrations of their mechanical parts. In particular, the vibrations of the carbon wire represent the major source of wire position uncertainty which limits the beam profile measurement accuracy. In the coming years, due to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) luminosity upgrade, a wire traveling speed up to 20 $m s^{−1}$ and a position measurement accuracy of the order of 1 μm will be required. A new wire scanner design based on the understanding of the wire vibration origin is therefore needed. We present the models developed to understand the main causes of the wire vibrations observed in an existing wire scanner. The development and tuning of those models are based on measurements and tests performed on that CERN proton synchrotron (PS) scanner. The final model for the (wire + fork) system has six degrees-of-freedom (DOF). The wire equations contain three different excitation terms: inertia...

Evaluation of GAFCHROMIC EBT2 dosimetry for the low dose range using a flat-bed scanner with the reflection mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gotanda, Tatsuhiro; Katsuda, Toshizo; Akagawa, Takuya; Gotanda, Rumi; Tabuchi, Akihiko; Yamamoto, Kenyu; Kuwano, Tadao; Takedo, Yoshihiro; Yatake, Hidetoshi; Yabunaka, Koichi

2013-01-01

Recently developed radiochromic films can easily be used to measure absorbed doses because they do not need development processing and indicate a density change that depends on the absorbed dose. However, in GAFCHROMIC EBT2 dosimetry (GAF-EBT2) as a radiochromic film, the precision of the measurement was compromised, because of non-uniformity problems caused by image acquisition using a flat-bed scanner with a transmission mode. The purpose of this study was to improve the precision of the measurement using a flat-bed scanner with a reflection mode at the low absorbed dose dynamic range of GAF-EBT2. The calibration curves of the absorbed dose versus the film density for GAF-EBT2 were provided. X-rays were exposed in the range between ~0 and 120 mGy in increments of about 12 mGy. The results of the method using a flat-bed scanner with the transmission mode were compared with those of the method using the same scanner with the reflection mode. The results should that the determination coefficients (r 2 ) for the straight-line approximation of the calibration curve using the reflection mode were higher than 0.99, and the gradient using the reflection mode was about twice that of the one using the transmission mode. The non-uniformity error that is produced by a flat-bed scanner with the transmission mode setting could be almost eliminated by converting from the transmission mode to the reflection mode. In light of these findings, the method using a flat-bed scanner with the reflection mode (only using uniform white paper) improved the precision of the measurement for the low absorbed dose range.

Trees Outside Forests (TOF inventory as a tool for landscape analysis and support for territorial planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2006-01-01

Full Text Available During the FAO Expert Consultation on Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000 (Kotka - Finland 1996, the importance of Trees Outside Forests (TOF and the need for complete and detailed information about these stands were underlined for the first time. Since then and thanks to some pilot studies launched by FAO at the end of the ninenties, the international attention focused on three main topics: the definition of TOF and its classification (linear features, small woods, scattered and individual trees; the effective sampling methods to assess TOF, that are usually rare elements; the ecological role and the economic and social importance of TOF in industrialized and developing countries. Basing on these considerations, the sampling points of the second Italian National Forest Inventory (National Inventory of Forests and Carbon Sinks - INFC intercepting small woods or linear features were recorded. Consequently, the INFC provides information about a substantial portion of the TOF of the country. Thanks to the availability of these data, a specific study was undertaken, aimed at improving information on TOF features and their role in the landscape. The present paper reports on the first results of this study for four regions of the Central Italy (Lazio, Marche, Toscana and Umbria, where the TOF are particularly significant.

APLIKASI INFO HALAL MENGGUNAKAN BARCODE SCANNER UNTUK SMARTPHONE ANDROID

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beki Subeki

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract – In the production and trade of food products in the era of globalization, people are consuming, especially Muslims need to be given the knowledge, information and access to adequate in order to obtain the correct information about the halal status of products bought. The use of barcode scanners halal product information using the mobile platform is effective and useful for the public to find out information on a product. Barcode scanners can be read by optical scanners called barcode readers or scanned from an image by special software. In Indonesia, most mobile phones have the scanning software for 2D codes, and similar devices available via smartphone.   Keywords : Barcode Scanner, Mobile Platform, Halal Products, Smartphone     Abstrak - Dalam kegiatan produksi dan perdagangan produk pangan di era globalisasi ini, masyarakat yang mengkonsumsi, khususnya umat islam perlu diberikan pengetahuan tentang kehalalan produk, informasi dan akses yang memadai agar memperoleh informasi yang benar tentang status kehalalan produk yang dibelinya. Penggunaan barcode scanner informasi produk halal dengan menggunakan mobile platform dinilai cukup efektif dan berguna bagi masyarakat luas untuk mengetahui informasi sebuah produk. Barcode scanner dapat dibaca oleh pemindai optik yang disebut pembaca kode batang atau dipindai dari sebuah gambar oleh perangkat lunak khusus. Di Indonesia, kebanyakan telepon genggam memiliki perangkat lunak pemindai untuk kode 2D, dan perangkat sejenis tersedia melalui smartphone.   Kata Kunci: Barcode Scanner, Mobile Platform, Produk Halal, Smartphone

Inner images of the human body with a 3D CT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Hisashi

1994-01-01

This article deals with not only CT-endoscopy (CTES) technique but also various imaging and processing techniques of 3D CT. CTES images, which were obtained from 137 patients with suspected cardiovascular disorder or disease of other tubular organs, were reconstructed using a newly developed volumetric scanner with a slip-ring system. Among the 137 patients, 107 (78%) were successfully diagnosed by CTES. For cardiovascular region, dissecting aneurysm was detected in 27/32, aortitis in 9/9, and intra-arterial thrombosis in 5/6. Various imaging and processing techniques, including CT number conversion technique, multi-threshold range imaging, 'open-window' and 'virtual operation', and long segmental arteriogram by intravenous contrast injection, are displayed in futures. In conclusion, CTES might become a safe and minimally invasive means for observing the inner surface of the tubular organs, particularly of the aorta, without the need of fiberscopic manipulation. (N.K.)

A simple scanner for Compton tomography

CERN Document Server

Cesareo, R; Brunetti, A; Golosio, B; Castellano, A

2002-01-01

A first generation CT-scanner was designed and constructed to carry out Compton images. This CT-scanner is composed of a 80 kV, 5 mA X-ray tube and a NaI(Tl) X-ray detector; the tube is strongly collimated, generating a X-ray beam of 2 mm diameter, whilst the detector is not collimated to collect Compton photons from the whole irradiated cylinder. The performances of the equipment were tested contemporaneous transmission and Compton images.

Typing of vancomycin-resistant enterococci with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in a nosocomial outbreak setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Holzknecht, B J; Dargis, R; Pedersen, M; Pinholt, M; Christensen, J J

2018-03-23

To investigate the usefulness of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) typing as a first-line epidemiological tool in a nosocomial outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm). Fifty-five VREfm isolates, previously characterized by whole-genome sequencing (WGS), were included and analysed by MALDI-TOF MS. To take peak reproducibility into account, ethanol/formic acid extraction and other steps of the protocol were conducted in triplicate. Twenty-seven spectra were generated per isolate, and spectra were visually inspected to determine discriminatory peaks. The presence or absence of these was recorded in a peak scheme. Nine discriminatory peaks were identified. A characteristic pattern of these could distinguish between the three major WGS groups: WGS I, WGS II and WGS III. Only one of 38 isolates belonging to WGS I, WGS II or WGS III was misclassified. However, ten of the 17 isolates not belonging to WGS I, II or III displayed peak patterns indistinguishable from those of the outbreak strain. Using visual inspection of spectra, MALDI-TOF MS typing proved to be useful in differentiating three VREfm outbreak clones from each other. However, as non-outbreak isolates could not be reliably differentiated from outbreak clones, the practical value of this typing method for VREfm outbreak management was limited in our setting. Copyright © 2018 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New developments in molecular imaging: positron emission tomography time-of-flight (TOF-PET)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilar, P.; Couce, B.; Iglesias, A.; Lois, C.

2011-01-01

Positron Emission tomography (PET) in increasingly being used in oncology for the diagnosis and staging of disease, as well as in monitoring response to therapy. One of the last advances in PET is the incorporation of Time-of-Flight (TOF) information, which improves the tomographic reconstruction process and subsequently the quality of the final image. In this work, we explain the principles of PET and the fundamentals of TOF-PET. Clinical images are shown in order to illustrate how TOF-PET improves the detectability of small lesions, particularly in patients with high body mass index. (Author) 20 refs

Wide-angle NSE and TOF the spectrometer SPAN at BENSC

CERN Document Server

Pappas, C; Kischnik, R; Mezei, F

2002-01-01

The cylindrical symmetry of the magnetic field configuration of SPAN allows for simultaneous neutron spin echo (NSE) measurements over the whole range of scattering angles accessible by a spectrometer. The open construction also allows for time-of-flight (TOF) measurements, which can be performed under the same conditions as NSE, in particular with polarization analysis. TOF and NSE spectra are then directly comparable with each other, without any adjustable parameters, covering a dynamic range of more than four orders of magnitude at a single wavelength. (orig.)

Wide-angle NSE and TOF: the spectrometer SPAN at BENSC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pappas, C.; Triolo, A.; Kischnik, R.; Mezei, F.

2002-01-01

The cylindrical symmetry of the magnetic field configuration of SPAN allows for simultaneous neutron spin echo (NSE) measurements over the whole range of scattering angles accessible by a spectrometer. The open construction also allows for time-of-flight (TOF) measurements, which can be performed under the same conditions as NSE, in particular with polarization analysis. TOF and NSE spectra are then directly comparable with each other, without any adjustable parameters, covering a dynamic range of more than four orders of magnitude at a single wavelength. (orig.)

Identification of clinically relevant Corynebacterium strains by Api Coryne, MALDI-TOF-mass spectrometry and molecular approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Alibi, S; Ferjani, A; Gaillot, O; Marzouk, M; Courcol, R; Boukadida, J

2015-09-01

We evaluated the Bruker Biotyper matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) for the identification of 97 Corynebacterium clinical in comparison to identification strains by Api Coryne and MALDI-TOF-MS using 16S rRNA gene and hypervariable region of rpoB genes sequencing as a reference method. C. striatum was the predominant species isolated followed by C. amycolatum. There was an agreement between Api Coryne strips and MALDI-TOF-MS identification in 88.65% of cases. MALDI-TOF-MS was unable to differentiate C. aurimucosum from C. minutissimum and C. minutissimum from C. singulare but reliably identify 92 of 97 (94.84%) strains. Two strains remained incompletely identified to the species level by MALDI-TOF-MS and molecular approaches. They belonged to Cellulomonas and Pseudoclavibacter genus. In conclusion, MALDI-TOF-MS is a rapid and reliable method for the identification of Corynebacterium species. However, some limits have been noted and have to be resolved by the application of molecular methods. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier SAS.

n_TOF facility past and future

CERN Document Server

Vlachoudis, V

2010-01-01

The neutron Time of Flight (n_TOF) facility at CERN is a source of high flux of neutrons obtained by the spallation process of 20 GeV/c protons onto a solid lead target and the remarkable beam intensity of the Proton Synchrotron (PS). From November 2008 the n_TOF facility resumed operation after a halt of 4 years due to radio-protection issues. It features a new lead spallation target with a more robust design, more efficient cooling, separate moderator circuit, target area ventilation and most important without any loss of the unique neutron performances of the previous target. Moreover the separate moderator circuit will permit in the future the use of borated or heavy water instead of normal water to reduce the 2.2 MeV gamma background for the neutron capture measurements. The facility has been commissioned in Nov 2008, with performances similar of the previous target and predicted by Monte Carlo simulations. The facility will resume operation for physics from May 2009 with 4 experimental proposals already...

Towards Discovery and Targeted Peptide Biomarker Detection Using nanoESI-TIMS-TOF MS

Science.gov (United States)

Garabedian, Alyssa; Benigni, Paolo; Ramirez, Cesar E.; Baker, Erin S.; Liu, Tao; Smith, Richard D.; Fernandez-Lima, Francisco

2017-09-01

In the present work, the potential of trapped ion mobility spectrometry coupled to TOF mass spectrometry (TIMS-TOF MS) for discovery and targeted monitoring of peptide biomarkers from human-in-mouse xenograft tumor tissue was evaluated. In particular, a TIMS-MS workflow was developed for the detection and quantification of peptide biomarkers using internal heavy analogs, taking advantage of the high mobility resolution (R = 150-250) prior to mass analysis. Five peptide biomarkers were separated, identified, and quantified using offline nanoESI-TIMS-CID-TOF MS; the results were in good agreement with measurements using a traditional LC-ESI-MS/MS proteomics workflow. The TIMS-TOF MS analysis permitted peptide biomarker detection based on accurate mobility, mass measurements, and high sequence coverage for concentrations in the 10-200 nM range, while simultaneously achieving discovery measurements of not initially targeted peptides as markers from the same proteins and, eventually, other proteins. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Detection of Rickettsia spp in Ticks by MALDI-TOF MS

Science.gov (United States)

Yssouf, Amina; Almeras, Lionel; Terras, Jérôme; Socolovschi, Cristina; Raoult, Didier; Parola, Philippe

2015-01-01

Background Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been shown to be an effective tool for the rapid identification of arthropods, including tick vectors of human diseases. Methodology/Principal Findings The objective of the present study was to evaluate the use of MALDI-TOF MS to identify tick species, and to determine the presence of rickettsia pathogens in the infected Ticks. Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Dermacentor marginatus Ticks infected or not by R. conorii conorii or R. slovaca, respectively, were used as experimental models. The MS profiles generated from protein extracts prepared from tick legs exhibited mass peaks that distinguished the infected and uninfected Ticks, and successfully discriminated the Rickettsia spp. A blind test was performed using Ticks that were laboratory-reared, collected in the field or removed from patients and infected or not by Rickettsia spp. A query against our in-lab arthropod MS reference database revealed that the species and infection status of all Ticks were correctly identified at the species and infection status levels. Conclusions/Significance Taken together, the present work demonstrates the utility of MALDI-TOF MS for a dual identification of tick species and intracellular bacteria. Therefore, MALDI-TOF MS is a relevant tool for the accurate detection of Rickettsia spp in Ticks for both field monitoring and entomological diagnosis. The present work offers new perspectives for the monitoring of other vector borne diseases that present public health concerns. PMID:25659152

Ring wormholes via duality rotations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gary W. Gibbons

2016-09-01

Full Text Available We apply duality rotations and complex transformations to the Schwarzschild metric to obtain wormhole geometries with two asymptotically flat regions connected by a throat. In the simplest case these are the well-known wormholes supported by phantom scalar field. Further duality rotations remove the scalar field to yield less well known vacuum metrics of the oblate Zipoy–Voorhees–Weyl class, which describe ring wormholes. The ring encircles the wormhole throat and can have any radius, whereas its tension is always negative and should be less than −c4/4G. If the tension reaches the maximal value, the geometry becomes exactly flat, but the topology remains non-trivial and corresponds to two copies of Minkowski space glued together along the disk encircled by the ring. The geodesics are straight lines, and those which traverse the ring get to the other universe. The ring therefore literally produces a hole in space. Such wormholes could perhaps be created by negative energies concentrated in toroidal volumes, for example by vacuum fluctuations.

WE-DE-201-09: Performance of HDR Ring Surface Applicator Printed by 3D Printer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Z; Baker, J; Hsia, A; Ryu, S

2016-01-01

Purpose: The commercially available Leipzig-style Cone for High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy has a steep depth dose curve and a non-uniform dose distribution. This work shows the performance of a Ring Surface Applicator created using a 3D printer that can generate a better dose distribution. Calculated doses were verified with film measurement. Methods: The water equivalent red-ABS plastic was used to print the Ring Surface Applicator which hosts three catheters: a center piece with a straight catheter and two concentric rings with diameters of 3.5 and 5.5 cm. Gafchromic EBT2 film, Epson Expression 10000 flatbed scanner, and the online software at radiochromic.com were used to analyze the measured data. 10cm×10cm piece of film was sandwiched between two 15×10×5cm3 polystyrene phantoms. The applicator was positioned directly on top of the phantom. Measurement was done using dwell time and positions calculated by Eclipse BrachyVision treatment planning system (RTP). Results: Depth dose curve was generated from the plan and measurement. The results show that the measured and calculated depth dose were in agreement (<3%) from surface to 4mm depth. A discrepancy of 6% was observed at 5 mm depth, where the dose is typically prescribed to. For depths deeper than 5 mm, the measured doses were lower than those calculated by Eclipse BrachyVision. This can be attributed to a combination of simple calculation algorithm using TG-43 and the lack of inhomogeneity correction. Dose profiles at 5 mm depth were also generated from TPS calculation and measured with film. The measured and calculated profiles are similar. Consistent with the depth dose curve, the measured dose is lower than the calculated. Conclusion: Our results showed that the Ring Surface Applicator, printed using 3D printer, can generate more uniform dose distribution within the target volume and can be safely used in the clinic.

WE-DE-201-09: Performance of HDR Ring Surface Applicator Printed by 3D Printer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Z; Baker, J; Hsia, A; Ryu, S [Stony Brook University Medical Center, East Northport, NY (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The commercially available Leipzig-style Cone for High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy has a steep depth dose curve and a non-uniform dose distribution. This work shows the performance of a Ring Surface Applicator created using a 3D printer that can generate a better dose distribution. Calculated doses were verified with film measurement. Methods: The water equivalent red-ABS plastic was used to print the Ring Surface Applicator which hosts three catheters: a center piece with a straight catheter and two concentric rings with diameters of 3.5 and 5.5 cm. Gafchromic EBT2 film, Epson Expression 10000 flatbed scanner, and the online software at radiochromic.com were used to analyze the measured data. 10cm×10cm piece of film was sandwiched between two 15×10×5cm3 polystyrene phantoms. The applicator was positioned directly on top of the phantom. Measurement was done using dwell time and positions calculated by Eclipse BrachyVision treatment planning system (RTP). Results: Depth dose curve was generated from the plan and measurement. The results show that the measured and calculated depth dose were in agreement (<3%) from surface to 4mm depth. A discrepancy of 6% was observed at 5 mm depth, where the dose is typically prescribed to. For depths deeper than 5 mm, the measured doses were lower than those calculated by Eclipse BrachyVision. This can be attributed to a combination of simple calculation algorithm using TG-43 and the lack of inhomogeneity correction. Dose profiles at 5 mm depth were also generated from TPS calculation and measured with film. The measured and calculated profiles are similar. Consistent with the depth dose curve, the measured dose is lower than the calculated. Conclusion: Our results showed that the Ring Surface Applicator, printed using 3D printer, can generate more uniform dose distribution within the target volume and can be safely used in the clinic.

Systematic study of new types of Hamamatsu MPPCs read out with the NINO ASIC

CERN Document Server

Doroud, K; Williams, M C S; Yamamoto, K; Zichichi, A; Zuyeuski, R

2014-01-01

Over the last decade there have been commercial TOF-PET scanners constructed using Photo-Multiplier Tubes (PMT) that have achieved View the MathML source~500ps FWHM Coincidence Time Resolution (CTR). A new device known as the Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) has the potential to overcome some of the limitations of the PMT. Therefore implementing a SiPM based TOF-PET scanner is of high interest. Recently Philips has introduced a TOF-PET scanner that uses digital Silicon PhotoMultipliers (d-SiPMs) which has a CTR of 350 ps. Here we will report on the timing performance of two Hamamatsu 3×3 mm2 analogue-SiPMs read out with the NINO ASIC: this is an ultra-fast amplifier/discriminator with a differential architecture. The differential architecture is very important since the single-ended readout uses the ground as the signal return; as the ground is also the reference level for the discriminators, the result is high crosstalk and degraded time resolution. However differential readout allows the scaling up from a si...

Design of active-neutron fuel rod scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffith, G.W.; Menlove, H.O.

1996-01-01

An active-neutron fuel rod scanner has been designed for the assay of fissile materials in mixed oxide fuel rods. A 252 Cf source is located at the center of the scanner very near the through hole for the fuel rods. Spontaneous fission neutrons from the californium are moderated and induce fissions within the passing fuel rod. The rod continues past a combined gamma-ray and neutron shield where delayed gamma rays above 1 MeV are detected. We used the Monte Carlo code MCNP to design the scanner and review optimum materials and geometries. An inhomogeneous beryllium, graphite, and polyethylene moderator has been designed that uses source neutrons much more efficiently than assay systems using polyethylene moderators. Layers of borated polyethylene and tungsten are used to shield the detectors. Large NaI(Tl) detectors were selected to measure the delayed gamma rays. The enrichment zones of a thermal reactor fuel pin could be measured to within 1% counting statistics for practical rod speeds. Applications of the rod scanner include accountability of fissile material for safeguards applications, quality control of the fissile content in a fuel rod, and the verification of reactivity potential for mixed oxide fuels. (orig.)

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy in stages I and II non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of Waldeyer's ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayabuchi, Naofumi; Jingu, Kenichi; Miyoshi, Makoto; Akasi, Yuko; Masuda, Koji; Komiyama, Sotaro; Kikuchi, Masahiro.

1990-01-01

Sixty-four patients with stages I and II non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) involving Waldeyer's ring treated between 1970 and 1987 were reviewed. Patients with stage II NHL were subdivided into stage II1 (limited type) and stage II2 (advanced type) from the state of neck nodes. Stage II1 was defined as involvement of unilateral cervical nodes less than 4 cm in diameter as well as Waldeyer's ring involvement. Other stage II cases were classified as stage II2. All 17 patients with stage I HNL were treated with radiation therapy alone. Their diseases were well controlled, and none of them died of causes related to the lymphoma. Among 14 patients with stage II1 NHL, the 5-year survival rate for the 9 patients treated with radiation therapy alone was 87.5%. Until 1982, 19 of 21 patients with stage II2 NHL treated with radiation therapy alone or radiation therapy and adjuvant chemotherapy (VEMP or COPP) died within 5 years mainly of disseminated diseases. Since 1983, CHOP had been used as the main treatment as well as radiotherapy for the 12 stage II2 NHL patients. So far, only 3 of them relapsed and 2 of them died of causes related to the lymphoma. Only 1 of these 12 patients was T-cell lymphoma compared to 7 of 9 stage II2 patients before 1982. This suggests that patients with stage I and those with limited stage II can be safely treated with radiotherapy. Also aggressive chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy should be used for patients with advanced stage II HNL involving Waldeyer's ring. (author)

Oblique interaction of a laminar vortex ring with a non-deformable free surface: Vortex reconnection and breakdown

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balakrishnan, S K; Thomas, T G; Coleman, G N

2011-01-01

Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) is used to study the interaction of a laminar vortex ring with a non-deformable, free-slip surface at an oblique angle of incidence. The interaction leads to the well-known phenomenon of vortex reconnection. It was found that the reconnection process leads to rapid production of small-scale vortical structures. This phenomenon was found to be related to the kinematics of the reconection process.

Non-enhanced MR imaging of cerebral aneurysms: 7 Tesla versus 1.5 Tesla.

Science.gov (United States)

Wrede, Karsten H; Dammann, Philipp; Mönninghoff, Christoph; Johst, Sören; Maderwald, Stefan; Sandalcioglu, I Erol; Müller, Oliver; Özkan, Neriman; Ladd, Mark E; Forsting, Michael; Schlamann, Marc U; Sure, Ulrich; Umutlu, Lale

2014-01-01

To prospectively evaluate 7 Tesla time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in comparison to 1.5 Tesla TOF MRA and 7 Tesla non-contrast enhanced magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo (MPRAGE) for delineation of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA). Sixteen neurosurgical patients (male n = 5, female n = 11) with single or multiple UIA were enrolled in this trial. All patients were accordingly examined at 7 Tesla and 1.5 Tesla MRI utilizing dedicated head coils. The following sequences were obtained: 7 Tesla TOF MRA, 1.5 Tesla TOF MRA and 7 Tesla non-contrast enhanced MPRAGE. Image analysis was performed by two radiologists with regard to delineation of aneurysm features (dome, neck, parent vessel), presence of artifacts, vessel-tissue-contrast and overall image quality. Interobserver accordance and intermethod comparisons were calculated by kappa coefficient and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient. A total of 20 intracranial aneurysms were detected in 16 patients, with two patients showing multiple aneurysms (n = 2, n = 4). Out of 20 intracranial aneurysms, 14 aneurysms were located in the anterior circulation and 6 aneurysms in the posterior circulation. 7 Tesla MPRAGE imaging was superior over 1.5 and 7 Tesla TOF MRA in the assessment of all considered aneurysm and image quality features (e.g. image quality: mean MPRAGE7T: 5.0; mean TOF7T: 4.3; mean TOF1.5T: 4.3). Ratings for 7 Tesla TOF MRA were equal or higher over 1.5 Tesla TOF MRA for all assessed features except for artifact delineation (mean TOF7T: 4.3; mean TOF1.5T 4.4). Interobserver accordance was good to excellent for most ratings. 7 Tesla MPRAGE imaging demonstrated its superiority in the detection and assessment of UIA as well as overall imaging features, offering excellent interobserver accordance and highest scores for all ratings. Hence, it may bear the potential to serve as a high-quality diagnostic tool for pretherapeutic assessment and

Accuracy of single-abutment digital cast obtained using intraoral and cast scanners.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae-Jun; Jeong, Ii-Do; Park, Jin-Young; Jeon, Jin-Hun; Kim, Ji-Hwan; Kim, Woong-Chul

2017-02-01

Scanners are frequently used in the fabrication of dental prostheses. However, the accuracy of these scanners is variable, and little information is available. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the accuracy of cast scanners with that of intraoral scanners by using different image impression techniques. A poly(methyl methacrylate) master model was fabricated to replicate a maxillary first molar single-abutment tooth model. The master model was scanned with an accurate engineering scanner to obtain a true value (n=1) and with 2 intraoral scanners (CEREC Bluecam and CEREC Omnicam; n=6 each). The cast scanner scanned the master model and duplicated the dental stone cast from the master model (n=6). The trueness and precision of the data were measured using a 3-dimensional analysis program. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the different sets of scanning data, followed by a post hoc Mann-Whitney U test with a significance level modified by Bonferroni correction (α/6=.0083). The type 1 error level (α) was set at .05. The trueness value (root mean square: mean ±standard deviation) was 17.5 ±1.8 μm for the Bluecam, 13.8 ±1.4 μm for the Omnicam, 17.4 ±1.7 μm for cast scanner 1, and 12.3 ±0.1 μm for cast scanner 2. The differences between the Bluecam and the cast scanner 1 and between the Omnicam and the cast scanner 2 were not statistically significant (P>.0083), but a statistically significant difference was found between all the other pairs (POmnicam, 9.2 ±1.2 μm for cast scanner 1, and 6.9 ±2.6 μm for cast scanner 2. The differences between Bluecam and Omnicam and between Omnicam and cast scanner 1 were not statistically significant (P>.0083), but there was a statistically significant difference between all the other pairs (POmnicam in video image impression had better trueness than a cast scanner but with a similar level of precision. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by

Cocoa content influences chocolate molecular profile investigated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonatto, Cínthia C; Silva, Luciano P

2015-06-01

Chocolate authentication is a key aspect of quality control and safety. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) has been demonstrated to be useful for molecular profiling of cells, tissues, and even food. The present study evaluated if MALDI-TOF MS analysis on low molecular mass profile may classify chocolate samples according to the cocoa content. The molecular profiles of seven processed commercial chocolate samples were compared by using MALDI-TOF MS. Some ions detected exclusively in chocolate samples corresponded to the metabolites of cocoa or other constituents. This method showed the presence of three distinct clusters according to confectionery and sensorial features of the chocolates and was used to establish a mass spectra database. Also, novel chocolate samples were evaluated in order to check the validity of the method and to challenge the database created with the mass spectra of the primary samples. Thus, the method was shown to be reliable for clustering unknown samples into the main chocolate categories. Simple sample preparation of the MALDI-TOF MS approach described will allow the surveillance and monitoring of constituents during the molecular profiling of chocolates. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

The MR-TOF-MS isobar separator for the TITAN facility at TRIUMF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jesch, Christian; Dickel, Timo, E-mail: t.dickel@gsi.de; Plaß, Wolfgang R. [Justus-Liebig-University (Germany); Short, Devin [Simon Fraser University (Canada); Ayet San Andres, Samuel [Justus-Liebig-University (Germany); Dilling, Jens [TRIUMF (Canada); Geissel, Hans; Greiner, Florian; Lang, Johannes [Justus-Liebig-University (Germany); Leach, Kyle G. [Simon Fraser University (Canada); Lippert, Wayne; Scheidenberger, Christoph [Justus-Liebig-University (Germany); Yavor, Mikhail I. [Institute for Analytical Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Science (Russian Federation)

2015-11-15

At TRIUMF’s Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear Science (TITAN) a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) will extend TITAN’s capabilities and facilitate mass measurements and in-trap decay spectroscopy of exotic nuclei that so far have not been possible due to strong isobaric contamination. This MR-TOF-MS will also enable mass measurements of very short-lived nuclides (half-life > 1 ms) that are produced in very low quantities (a few detected ions overall). In order to allow the installation of an MR-TOF-MS in the restricted space on the platform, on which the TITAN facility is located, novel mass spectrometric methods have been developed. Transport, cooling and distribution of the ions inside the device is done using a buffer gas-filled RFQ-based ion beam switchyard. Mass selection is achieved using a dynamic retrapping technique after time-of-flight analysis in an electrostatic isochronous reflector system. Only due to the combination of these novel methods the realization of an MR-TOF-MS based isobar separator at TITAN has become possible. The device has been built, commissioned off-line and is currently under installation at TITAN.

The MR-TOF-MS isobar separator for the TITAN facility at TRIUMF

Science.gov (United States)

Jesch, Christian; Dickel, Timo; Plaß, Wolfgang R.; Short, Devin; Ayet San Andres, Samuel; Dilling, Jens; Geissel, Hans; Greiner, Florian; Lang, Johannes; Leach, Kyle G.; Lippert, Wayne; Scheidenberger, Christoph; Yavor, Mikhail I.

2015-11-01

At TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear Science (TITAN) a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) will extend TITAN's capabilities and facilitate mass measurements and in-trap decay spectroscopy of exotic nuclei that so far have not been possible due to strong isobaric contamination. This MR-TOF-MS will also enable mass measurements of very short-lived nuclides (half-life > 1 ms) that are produced in very low quantities (a few detected ions overall). In order to allow the installation of an MR-TOF-MS in the restricted space on the platform, on which the TITAN facility is located, novel mass spectrometric methods have been developed. Transport, cooling and distribution of the ions inside the device is done using a buffer gas-filled RFQ-based ion beam switchyard. Mass selection is achieved using a dynamic retrapping technique after time-of-flight analysis in an electrostatic isochronous reflector system. Only due to the combination of these novel methods the realization of an MR-TOF-MS based isobar separator at TITAN has become possible. The device has been built, commissioned off-line and is currently under installation at TITAN.

Effects of injected dose, BMI and scanner type on NECR and image noise in PET imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang Tingting; Chang Guoping; Clark, John W Jr; Kohlmyer, Steve; Rohren, Eric; Mawlawi, Osama R

2011-01-01

Noise equivalent count rate (NECR) and image noise are two different but related metrics that have been used to predict and assess image quality, respectively. The aim of this study is to investigate, using patient studies, the relationships between injected dose (ID), body mass index (BMI) and scanner type on NECR and image noise measurements in PET imaging. Two groups of 90 patients each were imaged on a GE DSTE and a DRX PET/CT scanner, respectively. The patients in each group were divided into nine subgroups according to three BMI (20-24.9, 25-29.9, 30-45 kg m -2 ) and three ID (296-444, 444-555, 555-740 MBq) ranges, resulting in ten patients/subgroup. All PET data were acquired in 3D mode and reconstructed using the VuePoint HD (registered) fully 3D OSEM algorithm (2 iterations, 21(DRX) or 20 (DSTE) subsets). NECR and image noise measurements for bed positions covering the liver were calculated for each patient. NECR was calculated from the trues, randoms and scatter events recorded in the DICOM header of each patient study, while image noise was determined as the standard deviation of 50 non-neighboring voxels in the liver of each patient. A t-test compared the NECR and image noise for different scanners but with the same BMI and ID. An ANOVA test on the other hand was used to compare the results of patients with different BMI but the same ID and scanner type as well as different ID but the same BMI and scanner type. As expected the t-test showed a significant difference in NECR between the two scanners for all BMI and ID subgroups. However, contrary to what is expected no such findings were observed for image noise measurement. The ANOVA results showed a statistically significant difference in both NECR and image noise among the different BMI for each ID and scanner subgroup. However, there was no statistically significant difference in NECR and image noise across different ID for each BMI and scanner subgroup. Although the GE DRX PET/CT scanner has better

The role of vacuum in the quality of TOF mass spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhowmick, A.; Gadkari, S.C.; Yakhmi, J.V.; Sahni, V.C.

2005-01-01

The art in the designing of time-of-flight mass spectrometers has come across a long course of development. The present day state-of-the-art machines are essentially the outcome of knowledge from the advances in different other areas of technology. This article discusses exclusively the role of UHV to enhance the quality of the TOF mass spectrometers and its application to the recently developed high resolution TOF mass spectrometer at TP and PED-BARC. (author)

Microorganism Identification Based On MALDI-TOF-MS Fingerprints

Science.gov (United States)

Elssner, Thomas; Kostrzewa, Markus; Maier, Thomas; Kruppa, Gary

Advances in MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry have enabled the ­development of a rapid, accurate and specific method for the identification of bacteria directly from colonies picked from culture plates, which we have named the MALDI Biotyper. The picked colonies are placed on a target plate, a drop of matrix solution is added, and a pattern of protein molecular weights and intensities, "the protein fingerprint" of the bacteria, is produced by the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer. The obtained protein mass fingerprint representing a molecular signature of the microorganism is then matched against a database containing a library of previously measured protein mass fingerprints, and scores for the match to every library entry are produced. An ID is obtained if a score is returned over a pre-set threshold. The sensitivity of the techniques is such that only approximately 104 bacterial cells are needed, meaning that an overnight culture is sufficient, and the results are obtained in minutes after culture. The improvement in time to result over biochemical methods, and the capability to perform a non-targeted identification of bacteria and spores, potentially makes this method suitable for use in the detect-to-treat timeframe in a bioterrorism event. In the case of white-powder samples, the infectious spore is present in sufficient quantity in the powder so that the MALDI Biotyper result can be obtained directly from the white powder, without the need for culture. While spores produce very different patterns from the vegetative colonies of the corresponding bacteria, this problem is overcome by simply including protein fingerprints of the spores in the library. Results on spores can be returned within minutes, making the method suitable for use in the "detect-to-protect" timeframe.

How flatbed scanners upset accurate film dosimetry

Science.gov (United States)

van Battum, L. J.; Huizenga, H.; Verdaasdonk, R. M.; Heukelom, S.

2016-01-01

Film is an excellent dosimeter for verification of dose distributions due to its high spatial resolution. Irradiated film can be digitized with low-cost, transmission, flatbed scanners. However, a disadvantage is their lateral scan effect (LSE): a scanner readout change over its lateral scan axis. Although anisotropic light scattering was presented as the origin of the LSE, this paper presents an alternative cause. Hereto, LSE for two flatbed scanners (Epson 1680 Expression Pro and Epson 10000XL), and Gafchromic film (EBT, EBT2, EBT3) was investigated, focused on three effects: cross talk, optical path length and polarization. Cross talk was examined using triangular sheets of various optical densities. The optical path length effect was studied using absorptive and reflective neutral density filters with well-defined optical characteristics (OD range 0.2-2.0). Linear polarizer sheets were used to investigate light polarization on the CCD signal in absence and presence of (un)irradiated Gafchromic film. Film dose values ranged between 0.2 to 9 Gy, i.e. an optical density range between 0.25 to 1.1. Measurements were performed in the scanner’s transmission mode, with red-green-blue channels. LSE was found to depend on scanner construction and film type. Its magnitude depends on dose: for 9 Gy increasing up to 14% at maximum lateral position. Cross talk was only significant in high contrast regions, up to 2% for very small fields. The optical path length effect introduced by film on the scanner causes 3% for pixels in the extreme lateral position. Light polarization due to film and the scanner’s optical mirror system is the main contributor, different in magnitude for the red, green and blue channel. We concluded that any Gafchromic EBT type film scanned with a flatbed scanner will face these optical effects. Accurate dosimetry requires correction of LSE, therefore, determination of the LSE per color channel and dose delivered to the film.

How flatbed scanners upset accurate film dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Battum, L J; Verdaasdonk, R M; Heukelom, S; Huizenga, H

2016-01-01

Film is an excellent dosimeter for verification of dose distributions due to its high spatial resolution. Irradiated film can be digitized with low-cost, transmission, flatbed scanners. However, a disadvantage is their lateral scan effect (LSE): a scanner readout change over its lateral scan axis. Although anisotropic light scattering was presented as the origin of the LSE, this paper presents an alternative cause. Hereto, LSE for two flatbed scanners (Epson 1680 Expression Pro and Epson 10000XL), and Gafchromic film (EBT, EBT2, EBT3) was investigated, focused on three effects: cross talk, optical path length and polarization. Cross talk was examined using triangular sheets of various optical densities. The optical path length effect was studied using absorptive and reflective neutral density filters with well-defined optical characteristics (OD range 0.2–2.0). Linear polarizer sheets were used to investigate light polarization on the CCD signal in absence and presence of (un)irradiated Gafchromic film. Film dose values ranged between 0.2 to 9 Gy, i.e. an optical density range between 0.25 to 1.1. Measurements were performed in the scanner’s transmission mode, with red–green–blue channels. LSE was found to depend on scanner construction and film type. Its magnitude depends on dose: for 9 Gy increasing up to 14% at maximum lateral position. Cross talk was only significant in high contrast regions, up to 2% for very small fields. The optical path length effect introduced by film on the scanner causes 3% for pixels in the extreme lateral position. Light polarization due to film and the scanner’s optical mirror system is the main contributor, different in magnitude for the red, green and blue channel. We concluded that any Gafchromic EBT type film scanned with a flatbed scanner will face these optical effects. Accurate dosimetry requires correction of LSE, therefore, determination of the LSE per color channel and dose delivered to the film. (paper)

Was the Scanner Calibration Slide used for its intended purpose?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zong Yaping

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract In the article, Scanner calibration revisited, BMC Bioinformatics 2010, 11:361, Dr. Pozhitkov used the Scanner Calibration Slide, a key product of Full Moon BioSystems to generate data in his study of microarray scanner PMT response and proposed a mathematic model for PMT response 1. In the end, the author concluded that "Full Moon BioSystems calibration slides are inadequate for performing calibration," and recommended "against using these slides." We found these conclusions are seriously flawed and misleading, and his recommendation against using the Scanner Calibration Slide was not properly supported.

Twin "Fano-Snowflakes" Over the Smallest Ring of Ternions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Saniga, M.; Havlicek, H.; Planat, M.; Pracna, Petr

2008-01-01

Roč. 4, - (2008), 050-1-7 ISSN 1815-0659 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : geometry over rings * non-communicative ring of order eight * Fano plane Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry

The n_TOF facility: Neutron beams for challenging future measurements at CERN

Science.gov (United States)

Chiaveri, E.; Aberle, O.; Andrzejewski, J.; Audouin, L.; Bacak, M.; Balibrea, J.; Barbagallo, M.; Bečvář, F.; Berthoumieux, E.; Billowes, J.; Bosnar, D.; Brown, A.; Caamaño, M.; Calviño, F.; Calviani, M.; Cano-Ott, D.; Cardella, R.; Casanovas, A.; Cerutti, F.; Chen, Y. H.; Colonna, N.; Cortés, G.; Cortés-Giraldo, M. A.; Cosentino, L.; Damone, L. A.; Diakaki, M.; Domingo-Pardo, C.; Dressler, R.; Dupont, E.; Durán, I.; Fernández-Domínguez, B.; Ferrari, A.; Ferreira, P.; Finocchiaro, P.; Göbel, K.; García, A. R.; Gawlik, A.; Gilardoni, S.; Glodariu, T.; Gonçalves, I. F.; González, E.; Griesmayer, E.; Guerrero, C.; Gunsing, F.; Harada, H.; Heinitz, S.; Heyse, J.; Jenkins, D. G.; Jericha, E.; Käppeler, F.; Kadi, Y.; Kalamara, A.; Kavrigin, P.; Kimura, A.; Kivel, N.; Kokkoris, M.; Krtička, M.; Kurtulgil, D.; Leal-Cidoncha, E.; Lederer, C.; Leeb, H.; Lerendegui-Marco, J.; Meo, S. Lo; Lonsdale, S. J.; Macina, D.; Marganiec, J.; Martínez, T.; Masi, A.; Massimi, C.; Mastinu, P.; Mastromarco, M.; Maugeri, E. A.; Mazzone, A.; Mendoza, E.; Mengoni, A.; Milazzo, P. M.; Mingrone, F.; Musumarra, A.; Negret, A.; Nolte, R.; Oprea, A.; Patronis, N.; Pavlik, A.; Perkowski, J.; Porras, I.; Praena, J.; Quesada, J. M.; Radeck, D.; Rauscher, T.; Reifarth, R.; Rubbia, C.; Ryan, J. A.; Sabaté-Gilarte, M.; Saxena, A.; Schillebeeckx, P.; Schumann, D.; Smith, A. G.; Sosnin, N. V.; Stamatopoulos, A.; Tagliente, G.; Tain, J. L.; Tarifeño-Saldivia, A.; Tassan-Got, L.; Tsinganis, A.; Valenta, S.; Vannini, G.; Variale, V.; Vaz, P.; Ventura, A.; Vlachoudis, V.; Vlastou, R.; Wallner, A.; Warren, S.; Woods, P. J.; Wright, T.; Žugec, P.

2017-09-01

The CERN n_TOF neutron beam facility is characterized by a very high instantaneous neutron flux, excellent TOF resolution at the 185 m long flight path (EAR-1), low intrinsic background and coverage of a wide range of neutron energies, from thermal to a few GeV. These characteristics provide a unique possibility to perform high-accuracy measurements of neutron-induced reaction cross-sections and angular distributions of interest for fundamental and applied Nuclear Physics. Since 2001, the n_TOF Collaboration has collected a wealth of high quality nuclear data relevant for nuclear astrophysics, nuclear reactor technology, nuclear medicine, etc. The overall efficiency of the experimental program and the range of possible measurements has been expanded with the construction of a second experimental area (EAR-2), located 20 m on the vertical of the n_TOF spallation target. This upgrade, which benefits from a neutron flux 30 times higher than in EAR-1, provides a substantial extension in measurement capabilities, opening the possibility to collect data on neutron cross-section of isotopes with short half-lives or available in very small amounts. This contribution will outline the main characteristics of the n_TOF facility, with special emphasis on the new experimental area. In particular, we will discuss the innovative features of the EAR-2 neutron beam that make possible to perform very challenging measurements on short-lived radioisotopes or sub-mg samples, out of reach up to now at other neutron facilities around the world. Finally, the future perspectives of the facility will be presented.

Recent advances in dental optics - Part I: 3D intraoral scanners for restorative dentistry

Science.gov (United States)

Logozzo, Silvia; Zanetti, Elisabetta M.; Franceschini, Giordano; Kilpelä, Ari; Mäkynen, Anssi

2014-03-01

Intra-oral scanning technology is a very fast-growing field in dentistry since it responds to the need of an accurate three-dimensional mapping of the mouth, as required in a large number of procedures such as restorative dentistry and orthodontics. Nowadays, more than 10 intra-oral scanning devices for restorative dentistry have been developed all over the world even if only some of those devices are currently available on the market. All the existing intraoral scanners try to face with problems and disadvantages of traditional impression fabrication process and are based on different non-contact optical technologies and principles. The aim of this publication is to provide an extensive review of existing intraoral scanners for restorative dentistry evaluating their working principles, features and performances.

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in the clinical mycology laboratory: identification of fungi and beyond.

Science.gov (United States)

Posteraro, Brunella; De Carolis, Elena; Vella, Antonietta; Sanguinetti, Maurizio

2013-04-01

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) is becoming essential in most clinical microbiology laboratories throughout the world. Its successful use is mainly attributable to the low operational costs, the universality and flexibility of detection, as well as the specificity and speed of analysis. Based on characteristic protein spectra obtained from intact cells - by means of simple, rapid and reproducible preanalytical and analytical protocols - MALDI-TOF MS allows a highly discriminatory identification of yeasts and filamentous fungi starting from colonies. Whenever used early, direct identification of yeasts from positive blood cultures has the potential to greatly shorten turnaround times and to improve laboratory diagnosis of fungemia. More recently, but still at an infancy stage, MALDI-TOF MS is used to perform strain typing and to determine antifungal drug susceptibility. In this article, the authors discuss how the MALDI-TOF MS technology is destined to become a powerful tool for routine mycological diagnostics.

Performance of a new 3D-only PET scanner - the EXACT3D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spinks, T.J.; Bailey, D.L.; Miller, M.

1996-01-01

Characteristics of currently the highest sensitivity 3D-only PET scanner (CTI/Siemens 966/EXACT3D) have been studied. The device has 48 rings (82cm diameter) of BGO detector elements (4.0 x 4.1 x 30mm, 8 x 8 block) and an axial FOV of 23.4cm. Attenuation correction is carried out with a point source of 137 Cs which moves under hydraulic pressure in a helical tube. Transaxial resolution is 4.7mm 1cm from the centre of the FOV increasing, in the radial direction to 6.3mm and 7.3mm at 10cm and 15cm. At a lower threshold of 350keV, the scatter fraction is 40%. With scatter subtracted, the efficiency (20cm cylinder) is 6.9 x 104 cps/kBq/ml (maximum ring difference of 40); the absolute sensitivity is 5.8%. In the current configuration, the maximum total coincidence event rate is limited to about 3 x 10 6 per sec. The maximum trues rate is about 850kcps (90MBq in the FOV). List mode acquisition has been implemented to maximize temporal resolution and optimize data storage. The more open geometry of this device gives a broader singles FOV. Hence administered doses and/or additional side-shielding need to be carefully considered to optimize noise-equivalent counts

Qualification test of a MPPC-based PET module for future MRI-PET scanners

Science.gov (United States)

Kurei, Y.; Kataoka, J.; Kato, T.; Fujita, T.; Funamoto, H.; Tsujikawa, T.; Yamamoto, S.

2014-11-01

We have developed a high-resolution, compact Positron Emission Tomography (PET) module for future use in MRI-PET scanners. The module consists of large-area, 4×4 ch MPPC arrays (Hamamatsu S11827-3344MG) optically coupled with Ce:LYSO scintillators fabricated into 12×12 matrices of 1×1 mm2 pixels. At this stage, a pair of module and coincidence circuits was assembled into an experimental prototype gantry arranged in a ring of 90 mm in diameter to form the MPPC-based PET system. The PET detector ring was then positioned around the RF coil of the 4.7 T MRI system. We took an image of a point 22Na source under fast spin echo (FSE) and gradient echo (GE), in order to measure interference between the MPPC-based PET and the MRI. We only found a slight degradation in the spatial resolution of the PET image from 1.63 to 1.70 mm (FWHM; x-direction), or 1.48-1.55 mm (FWHM; y-direction) when operating with the MRI, while the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the MRI image was only degraded by 5%. These results encouraged us to develop a more advanced version of the MRI-PET gantry with eight MPPC-based PET modules, whose detailed design and first qualification test are also presented in this paper.

A solution for the inner area of CBM-TOF with pad-MRPC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Y. [Key Laboratory of Particle & Radiation Imaging (Tsinghua University), Ministry of Education Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Huang, X.J., E-mail: huangxj12@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Particle & Radiation Imaging (Tsinghua University), Ministry of Education Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Lyu, P.F.; Han, D.; Xie, B.; Li, Y.J. [Key Laboratory of Particle & Radiation Imaging (Tsinghua University), Ministry of Education Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Herrmann, N.; Deppner, I.; Loizeau, P.; Simon, C. [Physikalisches Institute, University Heidelberg, Heidelberg (Germany); Frühauf, J.; Kiš, M. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fr Schwerionenforschung, GSI, Damstadt (Germany)

2017-02-11

The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment has decided to use the Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chambers(MRPC) technology to build its Time-Of-Flight (TOF) wall. CBM-TOF requires a rate capability over 20 kHz/cm{sup 2} for inner region. A 10-gap pad-MRPC assembled with low resistive glass is designed to construct this area. The prototypes, which consist of 10×0.22 mm gas gaps and 2×8 20 mm×20 mm readout pads, require fewer electronic channels compared to the strip design. A timing resolution of around 60 ps and an efficiency above 98% were obtained in a cosmic test and a beam test taken in 2014 October GSI beam time. The results show that the real-size prototypes fulfill the requirements of the CBM-TOF.

Axial spatial distribution focusing: improving MALDI-TOF/RTOF mass spectrometric performance for high-energy collision-induced dissociation of biomolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Belgacem, O; Pittenauer, E; Openshaw, M E; Hart, P J; Bowdler, A; Allmaier, G

2016-02-15

For the last two decades, curved field reflectron technology has been used in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometers, assisting in the generation of post-source-decay (PSD) or collision-induced dissociation (CID) without decelerating precursor ions, producing true high-energy CID spectra. The result was the generation of product ion mass spectra with product ions typical of high-energy (10 keV and beyond) collision processes. The disadvantage of this approach was the lack of resolution in CID spectra resulting from the excess laser energy deposition used to generate those MS/MS spectra. The work presented in this study overcomes this limitation and includes comprehensive examples of high-energy and high-resolution CID MALDI-MS/MS spectra of biomolecules. The devices used in this study are TOF/RTOF instruments equipped with a high-vacuum MALDI ion source. High-resolution and high-energy CID spectra result from the use of axial spatial distribution focusing (ASDF) in combination with curved field reflectron technology. A CID spectrum of the P14 R1 peptide exhibits product ion resolution in excess of 10,000 (FWHM) but at the same time yields typical high-energy product ions such as w- and [y-2]-type ion series. High-energy CID spectra of lipids, exemplified by a glycerophospholipid and triglyceride, demonstrate C-C backbone fragmentation elucidating the presence of a hydroxyl group in addition to double-bond positioning. A complex high mannose carbohydrate (Man)8 (GlcNAc)2 was also studied at 20 keV collision energy and revealed further high-energy product ions with very high resolution, allowing unambiguous detection and characterization of cross-ring cleavage-related ions. This is the first comprehensive study using a MALDI-TOF/RTOF instrument equipped with a curved field reflectron and an ASDF device prior to the reflectron. © 2015 The Authors. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry published by John Wiley

Vision Assisted Laser Scanner Navigation for Autonomous Robots

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jens Christian; Andersen, Nils Axel; Ravn, Ole

2008-01-01

This paper describes a navigation method based on road detection using both a laser scanner and a vision sensor. The method is to classify the surface in front of the robot into traversable segments (road) and obstacles using the laser scanner, this classifies the area just in front of the robot ...

Comparative evaluation of two commercial PET scanners, ECAT EXACT HR+ and Biograph 2, using GATE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karakatsanis, N.; Sakellios, N.; Tsantilas, N.X.; Dikaios, N.; Tsoumpas, C.; Lazaro, D.; Loudos, G.; Schmidtlein, C.R.; Louizi, K.; Valais, J.; Nikolopoulos, D.; Malamitsi, J.; Kandarakis, J.; Nikita, K.

2006-01-01

Geant4 application for tomographic emission (GATE) is a generic Monte Carlo simulation platform based on a general-purpose code GEANT4 and designed to simulate positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography systems. Monte Carlo simulations are used in nuclear medicine to model imaging systems and develop and assess tomographic reconstruction algorithms and correction methods for improved image quantification. The purpose of this study is to validate two GATE models of the commercial available PET scanner HR+ and the PET/CT Biograph 2. The geometry of the system components has been described in GATE, including detector ring, crystal blocks, PMTs etc. The energy and spatial resolution of the scanners as given by the manufacturers have been taken into account. The GATE simulated results are compared directly to experimental data obtained using a number of NEMA NU-2-2001 performance protocols, including spatial resolution, sensitivity and scatter fraction. All the respective phantoms are precisely modeled. Furthermore, an approximate dead-time model both at the level of single and coincidence events was developed so that the simulated count rate curve can satisfactorily match the experimental count rate performance curve for each scanner In addition a software tool was developed to build the sinograms from the simulated data and import them into the software for tomographic image reconstruction where the reconstruction algorithm of FBP3DRP was applied. An agreement of less than 0.8 mm was obtained between the spatial resolution of the simulated system and the experimental results. Also the simulated scatter fraction for the NEMA NU 2-2001 scatter phantom matched the experimental results to within 3% of measured values. Finally the ratio of the simulated sensitivities with sources radially offset 0 and 10 cm from the central axis of each of the two scanners reaches an agreement of less than 1% between the simulated and experimental values. This

Enhanced MALDI-TOF MS Analysis of Phosphopeptides Using an Optimized DHAP/DAHC Matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Junjie; Xie, Zhensheng; Xue, Peng; Cui, Ziyou; Chen, Xiulan; Li, Jing; Cai, Tanxi; Wu, Peng; Yang, Fuquan

2010-01-01

Selecting an appropriate matrix solution is one of the most effective means of increasing the ionization efficiency of phosphopeptides in matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). In this study, we systematically assessed matrix combinations of 2, 6-dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP) and diammonium hydrogen citrate (DAHC), and demonstrated that the low ratio DHAP/DAHC matrix was more effective in enhancing the ionization of phosphopeptides. Low femtomole level of phosphopeptides from the tryptic digests of α-casein and β-casein was readily detected by MALDI-TOF-MS in both positive and negative ion mode without desalination or phosphopeptide enrichment. Compared with the DHB/PA matrix, the optimized DHAP/DAHC matrix yielded superior sample homogeneity and higher phosphopeptide measurement sensitivity, particularly when multiple phosphorylated peptides were assessed. Finally, the DHAP/DAHC matrix was applied to identify phosphorylation sites from α-casein and β-casein and to characterize two phosphorylation sites from the human histone H1 treated with Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-1 (CDK1) by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. PMID:20339515

Enhanced MALDI-TOF MS Analysis of Phosphopeptides Using an Optimized DHAP/DAHC Matrix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junjie Hou

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Selecting an appropriate matrix solution is one of the most effective means of increasing the ionization efficiency of phosphopeptides in matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS. In this study, we systematically assessed matrix combinations of 2, 6-dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP and diammonium hydrogen citrate (DAHC, and demonstrated that the low ratio DHAP/DAHC matrix was more effective in enhancing the ionization of phosphopeptides. Low femtomole level of phosphopeptides from the tryptic digests of α-casein and β-casein was readily detected by MALDI-TOF-MS in both positive and negative ion mode without desalination or phosphopeptide enrichment. Compared with the DHB/PA matrix, the optimized DHAP/DAHC matrix yielded superior sample homogeneity and higher phosphopeptide measurement sensitivity, particularly when multiple phosphorylated peptides were assessed. Finally, the DHAP/DAHC matrix was applied to identify phosphorylation sites from α-casein and β-casein and to characterize two phosphorylation sites from the human histone H1 treated with Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-1 (CDK1 by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS.

TOF-SIMS studies of yttria-stabilised zirconia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Karin Vels; Norrman, Kion; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2006-01-01

The surface of an as-polished and an as-sintered yttria-stabilised zirconia pellet was analysed with XPS and TOF-SIMS (depth profiling and imaging) in order to study the distribution of impurities. The polished sample was slightly contaminated with Na, K, Mg and Ca. The sintered sample showed...

Fast and Practical Head Tracking in Brain Imaging with Time-of-Flight Camera

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wilm, Jakob; Olesen, Oline Vinter; Jensen, Rasmus Ramsbøl

2013-01-01

scanners. Particularly in MRI and PET, the newest generation of TOF cameras could become a method of tracking small and large scale patient movement in a fast and user friendly way required in clinical environments. We present a novel methodology for fast tracking from TOF point clouds without the need...

Comparison of two intraoral scanners based on three-dimensional surface analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyung-Min Lee

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This in vivo study evaluated the difference of two well-known intraoral scanners used in dentistry, namely iTero (Align Technology and TRIOS (3Shape. Methods Thirty-two participants underwent intraoral scans with TRIOS and iTero scanners, as well as conventional alginate impressions. The scans obtained with the two intraoral scanners were compared with each other and were also compared with the corresponding model scans by means of three-dimensional surface analysis. The average differences between the two intraoral scans on the surfaces were evaluated by color-mapping. The average differences in the three-dimensional direction between each intraoral scans and its corresponding model scan were calculated at all points on the surfaces. Results The average differences between the two intraoral scanners were 0.057 mm at the maxilla and 0.069 mm at the mandible. Color histograms showed that local deviations between the two scanners occurred in the posterior area. As for difference in the three-dimensional direction, there was no statistically significant difference between two scanners. Conclusions Although there were some deviations in visible inspection, there was no statistical significance between the two intraoral scanners.

Ionization beam scanner

CERN Multimedia

CERN PhotoLab

1973-01-01

Inner structure of an ionization beam scanner, a rather intricate piece of apparatus which permits one to measure the density distribution of the proton beam passing through it. On the outside of the tank wall there is the coil for the longitudinal magnetic field, on the inside, one can see the arrangement of electrodes creating a highly homogeneous transverse electric field.

Quality assurance of computed tomography (CT) scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sankaran, A.; Sanu, K.K. . Email : a_sankaran@vsnl.com

2004-01-01

This article reviews the present status of research work and development of various test objects, phantoms and detector/instrumentation systems for quality assurance (QA) of computed tomography (CT) scanners, carried out in advanced countries, with emphasis on similar work done in this research centre. CT scanner is a complex equipment and routine quality control procedures are essential to the maintenance of image quality with optimum patient dose. Image quality can be ensured only through correlation between prospective monitoring of system components and tests of overall performance with standard phantoms. CT examinations contribute a large share to the population dose in advanced countries. The unique dosimetry problems in CT necessitate special techniques. This article describes a comprehensive kit developed indigenously for the following QA and type approval tests as well as for research studies on image quality/dosimetry on CT scanners

Post coital penile ring entrapment: A report of a non-surgical extrication method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agu Thaddeus Chika

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This case report shows how a simple but painstaking method of milking and levering in a slippery field was used to remove a thick metallic ring entrapped at the root of the penis after sexual intercourse. A ring can be removed easily from an organ if the inter-phase is made slippery. However this must be weighed against the handling difficulties posed by a wet slippery surface. With perseverance and the use of unconventional instrument, the ring was successfully extricated as a day case and without a surgical incision.

Corestriction principle for non-Abelian cohomology of reductive group schemes over Dedekind rings of integers of local and global fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Quoc Thang

2006-12-01

We prove some new results on Corestriction principle for non-abelian cohomology of group schemes over the rings of integers of local and global fields. Some connections with Grothendieck - Serre's conjecture are indicated, and applications to the study of class groups of algebraic groups over global fields are given. (author)

Bacterial flora analysis of coliforms in sewage, river water, and ground water using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Yoshihiro; Niina, Kouki; Matsuwaki, Tomonori; Nukazawa, Kei; Iguchi, Atsushi

2018-01-28

The aim of this study was to rapidly and effectively analyze coliforms, which are the most fundamental indicators of water quality for fecal pollution, using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Coliform bacteria were isolated from municipal sewage, river water, and groundwater. For each sample, 100 isolates were determined by MALDI-TOF MS. In addition, these same 100 isolates were also identified via 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Obtained MALDI-TOF MS data were compared with the 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, and the validity of MALDI-TOF MS for classification of coliform bacteria was examined. The concordance rate of bacterial identification for the 100 isolates obtained by MALDI-TOF MS analysis and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis for sewage, river water, and ground water were 96%, 74%, and 62% at the genus level, respectively. Among the sewage, river water, and ground water samples, the coliform bacterial flora were distinct. The dominant genus of coliforms in sewage, river water, and groundwater were Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., and Serratia spp., respectively. We determined that MALDI-TOF MS is a rapid and accurate tool that can be used to identify coliforms. Therefore, without using conventional 16S rRNA sequencing, it is possible to rapidly and effectively classify coliforms in water using MALDI-TOF MS.

Usefulness of MR angiography in patients with non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhagic diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Hyun Ung; Seo, Jeong Jin; Kim, Yun Hyeon; Moon, Woong Jae; Kim, Jae Kyu; Kang, Heoung Keun

1994-01-01

We assessed the usefulness of magnetic resonance angiography(MRA) and its techniques for differential diagnosis of hemorrhagic causes in patients with non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhagic diseases. We retrospectively reviewed 74 patients with non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhagic diseases, which were confirmed by radiological examinations(36 cases) and operations(38 cases). We compared the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) alone from MRI with MRA in evaluation of hemorrhagic causes. MRA was obtained by Time-of-Flight(TOF) and Phase Contrast(PC) technique. We investigated the usefulness of TOF and PC technique. MRI with MRA for detection of hemorrhagic causes(89%, 66 cases) was better than MRI only (64%, 47 cases). PC was better than TOF for evaluation of arteriovenous malformation and aneurysm due to subtraction of background noise(hemorrhage). MRI with MRA is more useful than MRI alone for evaluation of non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhagic causes

Non-enhanced MR imaging of cerebral arteriovenous malformations at 7 Tesla

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wrede, Karsten H.; Dammann, Philipp; Johst, Soeren; Maderwald, Stefan; Moenninghoff, Christoph; Forsting, Michael; Schlamann, Marc; Sandalcioglu, I.E.; Ladd, Mark E.; Sure, Ulrich; Umutlu, Lale

2016-01-01

To evaluate prospectively 7 Tesla time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and 7 Tesla non-contrast-enhanced magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo (MPRAGE) for delineation of intracerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in comparison to 1.5 Tesla TOF MRA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Twenty patients with single or multifocal AVMs were enrolled in this trial. The study protocol comprised 1.5 and 7 Tesla TOF MRA and 7 Tesla non-contrast-enhanced MPRAGE sequences. All patients underwent an additional four-vessel 3D DSA. Image analysis of the following five AVM features was performed individually by two radiologists on a five-point scale: nidus, feeder(s), draining vein(s), relationship to adjacent vessels, and overall image quality and presence of artefacts. A total of 21 intracerebral AVMs were detected. Both sequences at 7 Tesla were rated superior over 1.5 Tesla TOF MRA in the assessment of all considered AVM features. Image quality at 7 Tesla was comparable with DSA considering both sequences. Inter-observer accordance was good to excellent for the majority of ratings. This study demonstrates excellent image quality for depiction of intracerebral AVMs using non-contrast-enhanced 7 Tesla MRA, comparable with DSA. Assessment of untreated AVMs is a promising clinical application of ultra-high-field MRA. (orig.)

Non-enhanced MR imaging of cerebral arteriovenous malformations at 7 Tesla

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wrede, Karsten H.; Dammann, Philipp [University Duisburg-Essen, Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen (Germany); University Hospital Essen, Department of Neurosurgery, Essen (Germany); Johst, Soeren; Maderwald, Stefan [University Duisburg-Essen, Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen (Germany); Moenninghoff, Christoph; Forsting, Michael [University Hospital Essen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Essen (Germany); Schlamann, Marc [University Hospital Essen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Essen (Germany); University Hospital Giessen, Department of Neuroradiology, Giessen (Germany); Sandalcioglu, I.E. [University Hospital Essen, Department of Neurosurgery, Essen (Germany); Nordstadtkrankenhaus Hannover, Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover (Germany); Ladd, Mark E. [University Duisburg-Essen, Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen (Germany); University Hospital Essen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Essen (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Medical Physics in Radiology (E020), Heidelberg (Germany); Sure, Ulrich [University Hospital Essen, Department of Neurosurgery, Essen (Germany); Umutlu, Lale [University Duisburg-Essen, Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen (Germany); University Hospital Essen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Essen (Germany)

2016-03-15

To evaluate prospectively 7 Tesla time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and 7 Tesla non-contrast-enhanced magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo (MPRAGE) for delineation of intracerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in comparison to 1.5 Tesla TOF MRA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Twenty patients with single or multifocal AVMs were enrolled in this trial. The study protocol comprised 1.5 and 7 Tesla TOF MRA and 7 Tesla non-contrast-enhanced MPRAGE sequences. All patients underwent an additional four-vessel 3D DSA. Image analysis of the following five AVM features was performed individually by two radiologists on a five-point scale: nidus, feeder(s), draining vein(s), relationship to adjacent vessels, and overall image quality and presence of artefacts. A total of 21 intracerebral AVMs were detected. Both sequences at 7 Tesla were rated superior over 1.5 Tesla TOF MRA in the assessment of all considered AVM features. Image quality at 7 Tesla was comparable with DSA considering both sequences. Inter-observer accordance was good to excellent for the majority of ratings. This study demonstrates excellent image quality for depiction of intracerebral AVMs using non-contrast-enhanced 7 Tesla MRA, comparable with DSA. Assessment of untreated AVMs is a promising clinical application of ultra-high-field MRA. (orig.)

MALDI-TOF typing highlights geographical and fluconazole resistance clusters in Candida glabrata.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhieb, C; Normand, A C; Al-Yasiri, M; Chaker, E; El Euch, D; Vranckx, K; Hendrickx, M; Sadfi, N; Piarroux, R; Ranque, S

2015-06-01

Utilizing matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra for Candida glabrata typing would be a cost-effective and easy-to-use alternative to classical DNA-based typing methods. This study aimed to use MALDI-TOF for the typing of C. glabrata clinical isolates from various geographical origins and test its capacity to differentiate between fluconazole-sensitive and -resistant strains.Both microsatellite length polymorphism (MLP) and MALDI-TOF mass spectra of 58 C. glabrata isolates originating from Marseilles (France) and Tunis (Tunisia) as well as collection strains from diverse geographic origins were analyzed. The same analysis was conducted on a subset of C. glabrata isolates that were either susceptible (MIC ≤ 8 mg/l) or resistant (MIC ≥ 64 mg/l) to fluconazole.According to the seminal results, both MALDI-TOF and MLP classifications could highlight C. glabrata population structures associated with either geographical dispersal barriers (p typing to investigate C. glabrata infection outbreaks and predict the antifungal susceptibility profile of clinical laboratory isolates. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ring Theory

CERN Document Server

Jara, Pascual; Torrecillas, Blas

1988-01-01

The papers in this proceedings volume are selected research papers in different areas of ring theory, including graded rings, differential operator rings, K-theory of noetherian rings, torsion theory, regular rings, cohomology of algebras, local cohomology of noncommutative rings. The book will be important for mathematicians active in research in ring theory.

A LabVIEW® based generic CT scanner control software platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Dierick, M; Van Loo, D; Masschaele, B; Boone, M; Van Hoorebeke, L

2010-01-01

UGCT, the Centre for X-ray tomography at Ghent University (Belgium) does research on X-ray tomography and its applications. This includes the development and construction of state-of-the-art CT scanners for scientific research. Because these scanners are built for very different purposes they differ considerably in their physical implementations. However, they all share common principle functionality. In this context a generic software platform was developed using LabVIEW® in order to provide the same interface and functionality on all scanners. This article describes the concept and features of this software, and its potential for tomography in a research setting. The core concept is to rigorously separate the abstract operation of a CT scanner from its actual physical configuration. This separation is achieved by implementing a sender-listener architecture. The advantages are that the resulting software platform is generic, scalable, highly efficient, easy to develop and to extend, and that it can be deployed on future scanners with minimal effort.

Integrated quantitative and qualitative workflow for in vivo bioanalytical support in drug discovery using hybrid Q-TOF-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranasinghe, Asoka; Ramanathan, Ragu; Jemal, Mohammed; D'Arienzo, Celia J; Humphreys, W Griffith; Olah, Timothy V

2012-03-01

UHPLC coupled with orthogonal acceleration hybrid quadrupole-TOF (Q-TOF)-MS is an emerging technique offering new strategies for the efficient screening of new chemical entities and related molecules at the early discovery stage within the pharmaceutical industry. In the first part of this article, we examine the main instrumental parameters that are critical for the integration of UHPLC-Q-TOF technology to existing bioanalytical workflows, in order to provide simultaneous quantitative and qualitative bioanalysis of samples generated following in vivo studies. Three modern Q-TOF mass spectrometers, including Bruker maXis™, Agilent 6540 and Sciex TripleTOF™ 5600, all interfaced with UHPLC systems, are evaluated in the second part of the article. The scope of this work is to demonstrate the potential of Q-TOF for the analysis of typical small molecules, therapeutic peptides (molecular weight <6000 Da), and enzymatically (i.e., trypsin, chymotrypsin and pepsin) cleaved peptides from larger proteins. This work focuses mainly on full-scan TOF data obtained under ESI conditions, the major mode of TOF operation in discovery bioanalytical research, where the compounds are selected based on their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic behaviors using animal models prior to selecting a few desirable candidates for further development. Finally, important emerging TOF technologies that could potentially benefit bioanalytical research in the semi-quantification of metabolites without synthesized standards are discussed. Particularly, the utility of captive spray ionization coupled with TripleTOF 5600 was evaluated for improving sensitivity and providing normalized MS response for drugs and their metabolites. The workflow proposed compromises neither the efficiency, nor the quality of pharmacokinetic data in support of early drug discovery programs.

Rapid and accurate identification of Streptococcus equi subspecies by MALDI-TOF MS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kudirkiene, Egle; Welker, Martin; Knudsen, Nanna Reumert

2015-01-01

phenotypic and sequence similarity between three subspecies their discrimination remains difficult. In this study, we aimed to design and validate a novel, Superspectra based, MALDI-TOF MS approach for reliable, rapid and cost-effective identification of SEE and SEZ, the most frequent S. equi subspecies.......3±7.5%). This result may be attributed to the highly clonal population structure of SEE, as opposed to the diversity of SEZ seen in horses. Importantly strains with atypical colony appearance both within SEE and SEZ did not affect correct identification of the strains by MALDI-TOF MS. Atypical colony variants...... are often associated with a higher persistence or virulence of S. equi, thus their correct identification using the current method strengthens its potential use in routine clinical diagnostics. In conclusion, reliable identification of S. equi subspecies was achieved by combining a MALDI-TOF MS method...

PET optimization for improved assessment and accurate quantification of {sup 90}Y-microsphere biodistribution after radioembolization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martí-Climent, Josep M., E-mail: jmmartic@unav.es; Prieto, Elena; Elosúa, César; Rodríguez-Fraile, Macarena; Domínguez-Prado, Inés; Vigil, Carmen; García-Velloso, María J.; Arbizu, Javier; Peñuelas, Iván; Richter, José A. [Nuclear Medicine Department, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, 36, Pío XII Avenue, 31008 Pamplona (Spain)

2014-09-15

acquisition, the optimal parameters for the standard OSEM+PSF reconstruction were only one iteration and a postreconstruction filter of 6 mm FWHM, for both TOF and non-TOF reconstructions. Moreover, when TOF is included, the signal to noise ratio increased and visibility achieved 100% by the experienced observers and 93.3% according to the Rose model of statistical detection. In 50% of patients, TOF allowed the visualization of {sup 90}Y radioembolized lesions not seen without TOF, confirming phantom results. Liver activity was accurately quantified, with no significant differences between reconstructed and actual delivered activity to the whole-liver [mean relative difference (10.2 ± 14.7)%]. Conclusions: Qualitative and quantitative{sup 90}Y PET imaging improved with the introduction of TOF in a PET/CT scanner, thereby allowing the visualization of microsphere deposition in lesions not visible in non-TOF images. This technique accurately quantifies the total activity delivered to the liver during radioembolization with {sup 90}Y-microspheres and allows dose estimation.

Radiation dosimetry of computed tomography x-ray scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poletti, J.L.; Williamson, B.D.P.; Le Heron, J.C.

1983-01-01

This report describes the development and application of the methods employed in National Radiation Laboratory (NRL) surveys of computed tomography x-ray scanners (CT scanners). It includes descriptions of the phantoms and equipment used, discussion of the various dose parameters measured, the principles of the various dosimetry systems employed and some indication of the doses to occupationally exposed personnel

Recent Results In Nuclear Astrophysics At The n_TOF Facility At CERN

CERN Document Server

Tagliente, Giuseppe; Andrzejewski, J; Audouin, L; Bacak, M; Balibrea, J; Barbagallo, M; Bečvář, F; Berthoumieux, E; Billowes, J; Bosnar, D; Brown, A; Caamaño, M; Calviño, F; Calviani, M; Cano-Ott, D; Cardella, R; Casanovas, A; Cerutti, F; Chen, Y H; Chiaveri, E; Colonna, N; Cortés, G; Cortés-Giraldo, M A; Cosentino; Damone, L A; Diakaki, M; Domingo-Pardo, C; Dressler, L R; Dupont, E; Durán, I; Fernández-Domínguez, B; Ferrari, A; Ferreira, P; Finocchiaro, P; Furman, V; Göbel, K; García, A R; Gawlik, A; Gilardoni, S; Glodariu, T; Gonçalves, I F; González, E; Griesmayer, E; Guerrero, C; Gunsing, F; Harada, H; Heinitz, S; Heyse, J; Jenkins, D G; Jericha, E; Käppeler, F; Kadi, Y; Kalamara, A; Kavrigin, P; Kimura, A; Kivel, N; Kokkoris, M; Krtička, M; Kurtulgil, D; Leal-Cidoncha, E; Lederer, C; Lerendegui-Marco, J; Leeb, H; Lo Meo, S; Lonsdale, S J; Macina, D; Marganiec, J; Martínez, T; Masi, A; Massimi, C; Mastinu, P; Mastromarco, M; Maugeri, E A; Mazzone, A; Mendoza, E; Mengoni, A; Mingrone, F; Milazzo, P M; Musumarra, A; Negret, A; Nolte, R; Oprea, A; Patronis, N; Pavlik, A; Perkowski, J; Porras, I; Praena, J; Quesada, J M; Radeck, D; Rauscher, T; Reifarth, R; Rubbia, C; Ryan, J A; Sabaté-Gilarte, M; Saxena, A; Schillebeeckx, P; Schumann, D; Sedyshev, P; Smith, A G; Sosnin, N V; Stamatopoulos, A; Tain, J L; Tarifeño-Saldivia, A; Valenta, S; Vannini, G; Variale, V; Vaz, P; Ventura, A; Vlachoudis, V; Vlastou, R; Wallner, A; Warren, S; Woods, P J; Żugec, P Č

2017-01-01

The neutron time of flight (n_TOF) facility at CERN is a spallation source characterized by a white neutron spectrum. The innovative features of the facility, in the two experimental areas, (20 m and 185 m), allow for an accurate determination of the neutron cross section for radioactive samples or for isotopes with small neutron capture cross section, of interest for Nuclear Astrophysics. The recent results obtained at n_TOF facility are presented.

Free-space wavelength-multiplexed optical scanner.

Science.gov (United States)

Yaqoob, Z; Rizvi, A A; Riza, N A

2001-12-10

A wavelength-multiplexed optical scanning scheme is proposed for deflecting a free-space optical beam by selection of the wavelength of the light incident on a wavelength-dispersive optical element. With fast tunable lasers or optical filters, this scanner features microsecond domain scan setting speeds and large- diameter apertures of several centimeters or more for subdegree angular scans. Analysis performed indicates an optimum scan range for a given diffraction order and grating period. Limitations include beam-spreading effects based on the varying scanner aperture sizes and the instantaneous information bandwidth of the data-carrying laser beam.

Sensitivity estimation in time-of-flight list-mode positron emission tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Herraiz, J L; Sitek, A

2015-11-01

An accurate quantification of the images in positron emission tomography (PET) requires knowing the actual sensitivity at each voxel, which represents the probability that a positron emitted in that voxel is finally detected as a coincidence of two gamma rays in a pair of detectors in the PET scanner. This sensitivity depends on the characteristics of the acquisition, as it is affected by the attenuation of the annihilation gamma rays in the body, and possible variations of the sensitivity of the scanner detectors. In this work, the authors propose a new approach to handle time-of-flight (TOF) list-mode PET data, which allows performing either or both, a self-attenuation correction, and self-normalization correction based on emission data only. The authors derive the theory using a fully Bayesian statistical model of complete data. The authors perform an initial evaluation of algorithms derived from that theory and proposed in this work using numerical 2D list-mode simulations with different TOF resolutions and total number of detected coincidences. Effects of randoms and scatter are not simulated. The authors found that proposed algorithms successfully correct for unknown attenuation and scanner normalization for simulated 2D list-mode TOF-PET data. A new method is presented that can be used for corrections for attenuation and normalization (sensitivity) using TOF list-mode data.

Sensitivity estimation in time-of-flight list-mode positron emission tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herraiz, J. L. [Madrid-MIT M+Visión Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 and Grupo de Física Nuclear, Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, CEI Moncloa, Madrid 28040 (Spain); Sitek, A., E-mail: sarkadiu@gmail.com [Center for Advanced Medical Imaging Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 (United States)

2015-11-15

Purpose: An accurate quantification of the images in positron emission tomography (PET) requires knowing the actual sensitivity at each voxel, which represents the probability that a positron emitted in that voxel is finally detected as a coincidence of two gamma rays in a pair of detectors in the PET scanner. This sensitivity depends on the characteristics of the acquisition, as it is affected by the attenuation of the annihilation gamma rays in the body, and possible variations of the sensitivity of the scanner detectors. In this work, the authors propose a new approach to handle time-of-flight (TOF) list-mode PET data, which allows performing either or both, a self-attenuation correction, and self-normalization correction based on emission data only. Methods: The authors derive the theory using a fully Bayesian statistical model of complete data. The authors perform an initial evaluation of algorithms derived from that theory and proposed in this work using numerical 2D list-mode simulations with different TOF resolutions and total number of detected coincidences. Effects of randoms and scatter are not simulated. Results: The authors found that proposed algorithms successfully correct for unknown attenuation and scanner normalization for simulated 2D list-mode TOF-PET data. Conclusions: A new method is presented that can be used for corrections for attenuation and normalization (sensitivity) using TOF list-mode data.

Miniaturized Fourier-plane fiber scanner for OCT endoscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vilches, Sergio; Kretschmer, Simon; Ataman, Çağlar; Zappe, Hans

2017-01-01

A forward-looking endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe featuring a Fourier-plane fiber scanner is designed, manufactured and characterized. In contrast to common image-plane fiber scanners, the Fourier-plane scanner is a telecentric arrangement that eliminates vignetting and spatial resolution variations across the image plane. To scan the OCT beam in a spiral pattern, a tubular piezoelectric actuator is used to resonate an optical fiber bearing a collimating GRIN lens at its tip. The free-end of the GRIN lens sits at the back focal plane of an objective lens, such that its rotation replicates the beam angles in the collimated region of a classical telecentric 4f optical system. Such an optical arrangement inherently has a low numerical aperture combined with a relatively large field-of-view, rendering it particularly useful for endoscopic OCT imaging. Furthermore, the optical train of the Fourier-plane scanner is shorter than that of a comparable image-plane scanner by one focal length of the objective lens, significantly shortening the final arrangement. As a result, enclosed within a 3D printed housing of 2.5 mm outer diameter and 15 mm total length, the developed probe is the most compact forward-looking endoscopic OCT imager to date. Due to its compact form factor and compatibility with real-time OCT imaging, the developed probe is also ideal for use in the working channel of flexible endoscopes as a potential optical biopsy tool. (paper)

Miniaturized Fourier-plane fiber scanner for OCT endoscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Vilches, Sergio; Kretschmer, Simon; Ataman, Çağlar; Zappe, Hans

2017-10-01

A forward-looking endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe featuring a Fourier-plane fiber scanner is designed, manufactured and characterized. In contrast to common image-plane fiber scanners, the Fourier-plane scanner is a telecentric arrangement that eliminates vignetting and spatial resolution variations across the image plane. To scan the OCT beam in a spiral pattern, a tubular piezoelectric actuator is used to resonate an optical fiber bearing a collimating GRIN lens at its tip. The free-end of the GRIN lens sits at the back focal plane of an objective lens, such that its rotation replicates the beam angles in the collimated region of a classical telecentric 4f optical system. Such an optical arrangement inherently has a low numerical aperture combined with a relatively large field-of-view, rendering it particularly useful for endoscopic OCT imaging. Furthermore, the optical train of the Fourier-plane scanner is shorter than that of a comparable image-plane scanner by one focal length of the objective lens, significantly shortening the final arrangement. As a result, enclosed within a 3D printed housing of 2.5 mm outer diameter and 15 mm total length, the developed probe is the most compact forward-looking endoscopic OCT imager to date. Due to its compact form factor and compatibility with real-time OCT imaging, the developed probe is also ideal for use in the working channel of flexible endoscopes as a potential optical biopsy tool.

Absolute dosimetric characterization of Gafchromic EBT3 and HDv2 films using commercial flat-bed scanners and evaluation of the scanner response function variability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, S. N.; Revet, G.; Fuchs, J. [LULI-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, CEA: Universite Paris-Saclay, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universities, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France); Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Gauthier, M.; Glenzer, S.; Propp, A. [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025 (United States); Bazalova-Carter, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2 (Canada); Bolanos, S. [LULI-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, CEA: Universite Paris-Saclay, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universities, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France); Riquier, R. [LULI-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, CEA: Universite Paris-Saclay, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Sorbonne Universities, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France); CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France); Antici, P. [INRS-EMT, Varennes, J3X1S2 Québec (Canada); Morabito, A. [ELI-ALPS, ELI-HU non profit kft, Dugonics ter 13, H-6720, Szeged (Hungary); Starodubtsev, M. [Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation)

2016-07-15

Radiochromic films (RCF) are commonly used in dosimetry for a wide range of radiation sources (electrons, protons, and photons) for medical, industrial, and scientific applications. They are multi-layered, which includes plastic substrate layers and sensitive layers that incorporate a radiation-sensitive dye. Quantitative dose can be retrieved by digitizing the film, provided that a prior calibration exists. Here, to calibrate the newly developed EBT3 and HDv2 RCFs from Gafchromic™, we used the Stanford Medical LINAC to deposit in the films various doses of 10 MeV photons, and by scanning the films using three independent EPSON Precision 2450 scanners, three independent EPSON V750 scanners, and two independent EPSON 11000XL scanners. The films were scanned in separate RGB channels, as well as in black and white, and film orientation was varied. We found that the green channel of the RGB scan and the grayscale channel are in fact quite consistent over the different models of the scanner, although this comes at the cost of a reduction in sensitivity (by a factor ∼2.5 compared to the red channel). To allow any user to extend the absolute calibration reported here to any other scanner, we furthermore provide a calibration curve of the EPSON 2450 scanner based on absolutely calibrated, commercially available, optical density filters.

Search for electric dipole moments in storage rings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenisa Paolo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The JEDI collaboration aims at making use of storage ring to provide the most precise measurement of the electric dipole moments of hadrons. The method makes exploits a longitudinal polarized beam. The existence an electric dipole moment would generate a torque slowly twisting the particle spin out of plan of the storage ring into the vertical direction. The observation of non zero electric dipole moment would represent a clear sign of new physics beyond the Standard Model. Feasiblity tests are presently undergoing at the COSY storage ring Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany, to develop the novel techniques to be implemented in a future dedicated storage ring.

Evaluation of Handheld Scanners for Automotive Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wadea Ameen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The process of generating a computerized geometric model for an existing part is known as Reverse Engineering (RE. It is a very useful technique in product development and plays a significant role in automotive, aerospace, and medical industries. In fact, it has been getting remarkable attention in manufacturing industries owing to its advanced data acquisition technologies. The process of RE is based on two primary steps: data acquisition (also known as scanning and data processing. To facilitate point data acquisition, a variety of scanning systems is available with different capabilities and limitations. Although the optical control of 3D scanners is fully developed, still several factors can affect the quality of the scanned data. As a result, the proper selection of scanning parameters, such as resolution, laser power, shutter time, etc., becomes very crucial. This kind of investigation can be very helpful and provide its users with guidelines to identify the appropriate factors. Moreover, it is worth noting that no single system is ideal in all applications. Accordingly, this work has compared two portable (handheld systems based on laser scanning and white light optical scanning for automotive applications. A car door containing a free-form surface has been used to achieve the above-mentioned goal. The design of experiments has been employed to determine the effects of different scanning parameters and optimize them. The capabilities and limitations have been identified by comparing the two scanners in terms of accuracy, scanning time, triangle numbers, ease of use, and portability. Then, the relationships between the system capabilities and the application requirements have been established. The results revealed that the laser scanner performed better than the white light scanner in terms of accuracy, while the white light scanner performed better in terms of acquisition speed and triangle numbers.

Bernstein instability driven by thermal ring distribution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Peter H., E-mail: yoonp@umd.edu [Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States); School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-Si, Gyeonggi-Do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of); Hadi, Fazal; Qamar, Anisa [Institute of Physics and Electronics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25000 (Pakistan)

2014-07-15

The classic Bernstein waves may be intimately related to banded emissions detected in laboratory plasmas, terrestrial, and other planetary magnetospheres. However, the customary discussion of the Bernstein wave is based upon isotropic thermal velocity distribution function. In order to understand how such waves can be excited, one needs an emission mechanism, i.e., an instability. In non-relativistic collision-less plasmas, the only known Bernstein wave instability is that associated with a cold perpendicular velocity ring distribution function. However, cold ring distribution is highly idealized. The present Brief Communication generalizes the cold ring distribution model to include thermal spread, so that the Bernstein-ring instability is described by a more realistic electron distribution function, with which the stabilization by thermal spread associated with the ring distribution is demonstrated. The present findings imply that the excitation of Bernstein waves requires a sufficiently high perpendicular velocity gradient associated with the electron distribution function.

Bernstein instability driven by thermal ring distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Peter H.; Hadi, Fazal; Qamar, Anisa

2014-01-01

The classic Bernstein waves may be intimately related to banded emissions detected in laboratory plasmas, terrestrial, and other planetary magnetospheres. However, the customary discussion of the Bernstein wave is based upon isotropic thermal velocity distribution function. In order to understand how such waves can be excited, one needs an emission mechanism, i.e., an instability. In non-relativistic collision-less plasmas, the only known Bernstein wave instability is that associated with a cold perpendicular velocity ring distribution function. However, cold ring distribution is highly idealized. The present Brief Communication generalizes the cold ring distribution model to include thermal spread, so that the Bernstein-ring instability is described by a more realistic electron distribution function, with which the stabilization by thermal spread associated with the ring distribution is demonstrated. The present findings imply that the excitation of Bernstein waves requires a sufficiently high perpendicular velocity gradient associated with the electron distribution function

Report of the eRHIC Ring-Ring Working Group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aschenauer, E. C. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Berg, S. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Blaskiewicz, M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Brennan, M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Fedotov, A. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Fischer, W. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Litvinenko, V. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Montag, C. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Palmer, R. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Parker, B. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Peggs, S. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Ptitsyn, V. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Ranjbar, V. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Tepikian, S. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Trbojevic, D. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Willeke, F. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

2015-10-13

This report evaluates the ring-ring option for eRHIC as a lower risk alternative to the linac-ring option. The reduced risk goes along with a reduced initial luminosity performance. However, a luminosity upgrade path is kept open. This upgrade path consists of two branches, with the ultimate upgrade being either a ring-ring or a linac-ring scheme. The linac-ring upgrade could be almost identical to the proposed linac-ring scheme, which is based on an ERL in the RHIC tunnel. This linac-ring version has been studied in great detail over the past ten years, and its significant risks are known. On the other hand, no detailed work on an ultimate performance ring-ring scenario has been performed yet, other than the development of a consistent parameter set. Pursuing the ring-ring upgrade path introduces high risks and requires significant design work that is beyond the scope of this report.

Design and use of a folded four-ring double-tuned birdcage coil for rat brain sodium imaging at 9.4 T

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, YongHyun; Choi, Chang-Hoon; Worthoff, Wieland A.; Shymanskaya, Aliaksandra; Schöneck, Michael; Willuweit, Antje; Felder, Jörg; Shah, N. Jon

2018-01-01

A folded four-ring quadrature birdcage coil was designed and constructed with a double-tune configuration of an outer high-pass coil for 1H (400 MHz) and inner low-pass coil for 23Na (105.72 MHz at 9.4 T). The coil was evaluated on the bench and in the scanner, comparing its performance with that of single-tuned coils and a large four-ring coil. All coils were tuned and matched and the isolation between two quadrature ports was found to be better than -13.7 dB for 1H and -27 dB for 23Na. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were calculated and 23Na flip angle maps were acquired. 23Na SNR of the folded four-ring reached ∼93% of that obtained with the single-tuned coil. A set of in vivo1H and 23Na axial images to cover the whole rat brain were obtained. The performance of the folded four-ring coil and its benefit for 23Na imaging experiments have been demonstrated. This proposed four-ring coil could avoid length restrictions, e.g. the shoulders, by folding the outer rings vertically. This facilitates the construction of double-tuned four-ring birdcage coils just to fit the head, leading to higher filling factors and better SNR.

Application of MALDI-TOF MS for requalification of a Candida clinical isolates culture collection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reginaldo Lima-Neto

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Microbial culture collections underpin biotechnology applications and are important resources for clinical microbiology by supplying reference strains and/or performing microbial identifications as a service. Proteomic profiles by MALDI-TOF MS have been used for Candida spp. identification in clinical laboratories and demonstrated to be a fast and reliable technique for the routine identification of pathogenic yeasts. The main aim of this study was to apply MALDI-TOF MS combined with classical phenotypic and molecular approaches to identify Candida clinical isolates preserved from 1 up to 52 years in a Brazilian culture collection and assess its value for the identification of yeasts preserved in this type of collections. Forty Candida spp. clinical isolates were identified by morphological and biochemical analyses. Identifications were also performed by the new proteomic approach based on MALDI-TOF MS. Results demonstrated 15% discordance when compared with morphological and biochemical analyses. Discordant isolates were analysed by ITS sequencing, which confirmed the MALDI-TOF MS identifications and these strains were renamed in the culture collection catalogue. In conclusion, proteomic profiles by MALDI-TOF MS represents a rapid and reliable method for identifying clinical Candida species preserved in culture collections and may present clear benefits when compared with the performance of existing daily routine methods applied at health centres and hospitals.

[Practicability of the mobile one-finger scanner Cross Match MV5 in fingerprinting of corpses: are mobile fingerprinting scanners suitable for use in mass disasters?].

Science.gov (United States)

Breitmeier, Dirk; Landmesser, Britta; Schulz, Yvonne; Albrecht, Knut

2008-01-01

Dactyloscopy is a special field in the police records department and a suitable means for identifying unknown dead persons as well as solving crimes by taking fingerprints from living persons. Apart from the conventional methods of dactyloscopy, mobile and more compact instruments are to facilitate taking prints of fingertips and palms also at the scene of mass disasters. In the presented study, living persons and corpses were examined to find out the possible uses and limits of mobile one-finger scanners. The concrete issue of the investigation was whether the mobile one-finger scanner Cross Match MV5 is suitable for application in mass disasters. The device was used in 12 corpses aged 5 weeks to 76 years (mean postmortem interval 5.5 days) and in 28 living persons aged 6 weeks to 87 years. In summary, the scanner produced qualitatively good prints in all age groups of the living individuals. In the corpses, the prints were only partly evaluable. In particular, fingers and fingertips with soot blackening and livid discoloration were difficult to analyse. Postmortem rigidity also complicated the handling of the scanner. In fresh corpses, the scanner can be recommended without reservation. Even if the epidermis was detached, the scanner was able to produce evaluable prints of the dermis of the hypothenar.

Beam-beam interaction in e+-e- storage rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Duff, J.

1977-01-01

Colliding beams in electron-positron storage rings are discussed with particular reference to the space charge forces occuring during beam-beam interactions and their effect on beam current and consequently machine performance (maximum luminosity). The first section deals with linear beam-beam effects and discussses linear tune shift; the second section considers non-linear beam-beam effects and the creation on non-linear resonances. The last section poses questions of the possibility of extrapolating present results to future machines and discusses optimization of storage ring performance. (B.D.)

Multi-dimensional TOF-SIMS analysis for effective profiling of disease-related ions from the tissue surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Ji-Won; Jeong, Hyobin; Kang, Byeongsoo; Kim, Su Jin; Park, Sang Yoon; Kang, Sokbom; Kim, Hark Kyun; Choi, Joon Sig; Hwang, Daehee; Lee, Tae Geol

2015-06-05

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) emerges as a promising tool to identify the ions (small molecules) indicative of disease states from the surface of patient tissues. In TOF-SIMS analysis, an enhanced ionization of surface molecules is critical to increase the number of detected ions. Several methods have been developed to enhance ionization capability. However, how these methods improve identification of disease-related ions has not been systematically explored. Here, we present a multi-dimensional SIMS (MD-SIMS) that combines conventional TOF-SIMS and metal-assisted SIMS (MetA-SIMS). Using this approach, we analyzed cancer and adjacent normal tissues first by TOF-SIMS and subsequently by MetA-SIMS. In total, TOF- and MetA-SIMS detected 632 and 959 ions, respectively. Among them, 426 were commonly detected by both methods, while 206 and 533 were detected uniquely by TOF- and MetA-SIMS, respectively. Of the 426 commonly detected ions, 250 increased in their intensities by MetA-SIMS, whereas 176 decreased. The integrated analysis of the ions detected by the two methods resulted in an increased number of discriminatory ions leading to an enhanced separation between cancer and normal tissues. Therefore, the results show that MD-SIMS can be a useful approach to provide a comprehensive list of discriminatory ions indicative of disease states.

New methods of microbiological identification using MALDI-TOF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacyr Pasternak

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Rapid diagnosis of pathogens is decisive to guarantee adequatetherapy in infections: culture methods are precise and sensitive, butrather slow. New resources are available to enable faster diagnosis,and the most promising is MALDI-TOF technology: mass spectrometryapplied to microbiological diagnosis. Times as fast as 10 to 15 minutes to etiological diagnosis are possible after a positive blood culture result. We hope to have this technology in our laboratory, ANVISA permitting and improving their very slow rate of doing things… MALDI-TOF is basically putting a sample of culture or an enriched suspension of the probable pathogen over a small spot with a matrix and vaporizing it with a laser pulse: the products are aspired into a chamber, ionized and reach detectors at variable times: the detectors show time of arrival and quantity of the product, and each pathogen has its characteristic spectrum analyzed by a software.

Reliable identification at the species level of Brucella isolates with MALDI-TOF-MS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lista Florigio

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The genus Brucella contains highly infectious species that are classified as biological threat agents. The timely detection and identification of the microorganism involved is essential for an effective response not only to biological warfare attacks but also to natural outbreaks. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS is a rapid method for the analysis of biological samples. The advantages of this method, compared to conventional techniques, are rapidity, cost-effectiveness, accuracy and suitability for the high-throughput identification of bacteria. Discrepancies between taxonomy and genetic relatedness on the species and biovar level complicate the development of detection and identification assays. Results In this study, the accurate identification of Brucella species using MALDI-TOF-MS was achieved by constructing a Brucella reference library based on multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA data. By comparing MS-spectra from Brucella species against a custom-made MALDI-TOF-MS reference library, MALDI-TOF-MS could be used as a rapid identification method for Brucella species. In this way, 99.3% of the 152 isolates tested were identified at the species level, and B. suis biovar 1 and 2 were identified at the level of their biovar. This result demonstrates that for Brucella, even minimal genomic differences between these serovars translate to specific proteomic differences. Conclusions MALDI-TOF-MS can be developed into a fast and reliable identification method for genetically highly related species when potential taxonomic and genetic inconsistencies are taken into consideration during the generation of the reference library.

Preliminary design of the BPM electronics memory scanner/dual boxcar averager for the Advanced Photon Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Votaw, A.J.

1992-01-01

The memory scanner/dual boxcar averager are VXI modules that are part of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) beam position monitor (BPM) data acquisition system. Each pair of modules is designed to gather and process digital data from up to nine digital channels transmitting the BPM data from the storage ring (360 locations) and the synchrotron (80 locations). They store beam history in a buffer, store the latest scan of all channels, and provide boxcar averaged X and Y position data for the global orbit feedback system, provide boxcar average X and Y position data for beam diagnostics, and a buffered output of SCDU data as it is scanned for the beam abort interlock system. The system's capability to support single pass, closed orbit and tune measurement functions will also be briefly described

High-accuracy determination of the neutron flux at n{sub T}OF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barbagallo, M.; Colonna, N.; Mastromarco, M.; Meaze, M.; Tagliente, G.; Variale, V. [Sezione di Bari, INFN, Bari (Italy); Guerrero, C.; Andriamonje, S.; Boccone, V.; Brugger, M.; Calviani, M.; Cerutti, F.; Chin, M.; Ferrari, A.; Kadi, Y.; Losito, R.; Versaci, R.; Vlachoudis, V. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Tsinganis, A. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens (Greece); Tarrio, D.; Duran, I.; Leal-Cidoncha, E.; Paradela, C. [Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago (Spain); Altstadt, S.; Goebel, K.; Langer, C.; Reifarth, R.; Schmidt, S.; Weigand, M. [Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt (Germany); Andrzejewski, J.; Marganiec, J.; Perkowski, J. [Uniwersytet Lodzki, Lodz (Poland); Audouin, L.; Leong, L.S.; Tassan-Got, L. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/IN2P3 - IPN, Orsay (France); Becares, V.; Cano-Ott, D.; Garcia, A.R.; Gonzalez-Romero, E.; Martinez, T.; Mendoza, E. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain); Becvar, F.; Krticka, M.; Kroll, J.; Valenta, S. [Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic); Belloni, F.; Fraval, K.; Gunsing, F.; Lampoudis, C.; Papaevangelou, T. [Commissariata l' Energie Atomique (CEA) Saclay - Irfu, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Berthoumieux, E.; Chiaveri, E. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Commissariata l' Energie Atomique (CEA) Saclay - Irfu, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Billowes, J.; Ware, T.; Wright, T. [University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Bosnar, D.; Zugec, P. [University of Zagreb, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Zagreb (Croatia); Calvino, F.; Cortes, G.; Gomez-Hornillos, M.B.; Riego, A. [Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain); Carrapico, C.; Goncalves, I.F.; Sarmento, R.; Vaz, P. [Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa (Portugal); Cortes-Giraldo, M.A.; Praena, J.; Quesada, J.M.; Sabate-Gilarte, M. [Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla (Spain); Diakaki, M.; Karadimos, D.; Kokkoris, M.; Vlastou, R. [National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Athens (Greece); Domingo-Pardo, C.; Giubrone, G.; Tain, J.L. [CSIC-Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular, Valencia (Spain); Dressler, R.; Kivel, N.; Schumann, D.; Steinegger, P. [Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Dzysiuk, N.; Mastinu, P.F. [Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, INFN, Rome (Italy); Eleftheriadis, C.; Manousos, A. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki (Greece); Ganesan, S.; Gurusamy, P.; Saxena, A. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai (IN); Griesmayer, E.; Jericha, E.; Leeb, H. [Technische Universitaet Wien, Atominstitut, Wien (AT); Hernandez-Prieto, A. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (ES); Jenkins, D.G.; Vermeulen, M.J. [University of York, Heslington, York (GB); Kaeppeler, F. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus Nord, Karlsruhe (DE); Koehler, P. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge (US); Lederer, C. [Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt (DE); University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Vienna (AT); Massimi, C.; Mingrone, F.; Vannini, G. [Universita di Bologna (IT); INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Dipartimento di Fisica, Bologna (IT); Mengoni, A.; Ventura, A. [Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l' energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile (ENEA), Bologna (IT); Milazzo, P.M. [Sezione di Trieste, INFN, Trieste (IT); Mirea, M. [Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering - IFIN HH, Bucharest - Magurele (RO); Mondalaers, W.; Plompen, A.; Schillebeeckx, P. [Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, European Commission JRC, Geel (BE); Pavlik, A.; Wallner, A. [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Vienna (AT); Rauscher, T. [University of Basel, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Basel (CH); Roman, F. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering - IFIN HH, Bucharest - Magurele (RO); Rubbia, C. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso dell' INFN, Assergi (AQ) (IT); Weiss, C. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (CH); Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt (DE)

2013-12-15

The neutron flux of the n{sub T}OF facility at CERN was measured, after installation of the new spallation target, with four different systems based on three neutron-converting reactions, which represent accepted cross sections standards in different energy regions. A careful comparison and combination of the different measurements allowed us to reach an unprecedented accuracy on the energy dependence of the neutron flux in the very wide range (thermal to 1 GeV) that characterizes the n{sub T}OF neutron beam. This is a pre-requisite for the high accuracy of cross section measurements at n{sub T}OF. An unexpected anomaly in the neutron-induced fission cross section of {sup 235}U is observed in the energy region between 10 and 30keV, hinting at a possible overestimation of this important cross section, well above currently assigned uncertainties. (orig.)

Finding an analytic description of the resolution function for n_TOF-EAR2 at CERN

CERN Document Server

Eriksson, John Benjamin

2017-01-01

At CERN's neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF a high intensity pulsed neutron source is used to measure energy-dependent neutron-induced reaction cross sections of isotopes relevant to various fields of research such as nuclear astrophysics, -technology or -medicine. Neutron kinetic energies are determined using the time-of-flight (ToF) technique. A correct ToF to energy conversion is essential and is influenced by many factors, one of which is the so-called resolution function (RF). The RF is a characteristic unique to each experimental facility and can only be determined through simulations using Monte Carlo codes. The goal of this project is to find an analytic description of the RF for n_TOF-EAR2. Two functions for two different energy ranges were found, each a combination of linear, polynomial and exponential functions. Furthermore, the energy dependence of the function's parameters was investigated.

Article n_TOF : rectificatif

CERN Multimedia

2008-01-01

Une erreur s’est malencontreusement glissée dans la version française de la dernière édition du Bulletin papier. L’introduction (en gras) de l’article « Les neutrons sur la piste de décollage » était celle de l’article sur le Linac 4 paru dans l’édition précédente. Le paragraphe correct est le suivant : « Au repos depuis quatre ans, les neutrons volent à nouveau dans l’installation n_TOF (mesure du temps de vol des neutrons), qui vient d’être remise en service avec une nouvelle cible. » Veuillez nous excuser pour cette erreur.

Identification of Algerian Field-Caught Phlebotomine Sand Fly Vectors by MALDI-TOF MS.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismail Lafri

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Phlebotomine sand flies are known to transmit Leishmania parasites, bacteria and viruses that affect humans and animals in many countries worldwide. Precise sand fly identification is essential to prevent phlebotomine-borne diseases. Over the past two decades, progress in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS has emerged as an accurate tool for arthropod identification. The objective of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS as a tool for identifying field-caught phlebotomine.Sand flies were captured in four sites in north Algeria. A subset was morphologically and genetically identified. Six species were found in these areas and a total of 28 stored frozen specimens were used for the creation of the reference spectrum database. The relevance of this original method for sand fly identification was validated by two successive blind tests including the morphological identification of 80 new specimens which were stored at -80°C, and 292 unknown specimens, including engorged specimens, which were preserved under different conditions. Intra-species reproducibility and inter-species specificity of the protein profiles were obtained, allowing us to distinguish specimens at the gender level. Querying of the sand fly database using the MS spectra from the blind test groups revealed concordant results between morphological and MALDI-TOF MS identification. However, MS identification results were less efficient for specimens which were engorged or stored in alcohol. Identification of 362 phlebotomine sand flies, captured at four Algerian sites, by MALDI-TOF MS, revealed that the subgenus Larroussius was predominant at all the study sites, except for in M'sila where P. (Phlebotomus papatasi was the only sand fly species detected.The present study highlights the application of MALDI-TOF MS for monitoring sand fly fauna captured in the field. The low cost, reliability and

Identification of Algerian Field-Caught Phlebotomine Sand Fly Vectors by MALDI-TOF MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Lafri, Ismail; Almeras, Lionel; Bitam, Idir; Caputo, Aurelia; Yssouf, Amina; Forestier, Claire-Lise; Izri, Arezki; Raoult, Didier; Parola, Philippe

2016-01-01

Phlebotomine sand flies are known to transmit Leishmania parasites, bacteria and viruses that affect humans and animals in many countries worldwide. Precise sand fly identification is essential to prevent phlebotomine-borne diseases. Over the past two decades, progress in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has emerged as an accurate tool for arthropod identification. The objective of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS as a tool for identifying field-caught phlebotomine. Sand flies were captured in four sites in north Algeria. A subset was morphologically and genetically identified. Six species were found in these areas and a total of 28 stored frozen specimens were used for the creation of the reference spectrum database. The relevance of this original method for sand fly identification was validated by two successive blind tests including the morphological identification of 80 new specimens which were stored at -80°C, and 292 unknown specimens, including engorged specimens, which were preserved under different conditions. Intra-species reproducibility and inter-species specificity of the protein profiles were obtained, allowing us to distinguish specimens at the gender level. Querying of the sand fly database using the MS spectra from the blind test groups revealed concordant results between morphological and MALDI-TOF MS identification. However, MS identification results were less efficient for specimens which were engorged or stored in alcohol. Identification of 362 phlebotomine sand flies, captured at four Algerian sites, by MALDI-TOF MS, revealed that the subgenus Larroussius was predominant at all the study sites, except for in M'sila where P. (Phlebotomus) papatasi was the only sand fly species detected. The present study highlights the application of MALDI-TOF MS for monitoring sand fly fauna captured in the field. The low cost, reliability and rapidity of MALDI-TOF

A comparative study of carbocyanine dyes measured with TOF-SIMS and other mass spectrometric techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adriaensen, L.; Vangaever, F.; Gijbels, R.

2004-01-01

A series of cationic, zwitterionic and anionic carbocyanine dyes have been measured with TOF-SIMS under Ga + bombardment. In contrast to the cationic dyes, which give very intense molecular ion and characteristic fragment signals in the positive mode, the anionic dyes produce only a few fragment signals of low intensity. Even in the negative mode no molecular ions of the anionic dyes are seen in the recorded spectra. Actually, none of the studied molecules produces negative SIMS spectra containing molecular information. A comparative study was made between TOF-SIMS and other mass spectrometric techniques, namely, fast atom bombardment (FAB), electro spray ionization (ESI) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI). The measurements show that MALDI, ESI as well as FAB all give rise to spectra containing molecular ion signals, either in the positive, in the negative or in both modes. Unlike with TOF-SIMS, this observation also applies to the anionic dyes. Characteristic fragments of the dyes are present in all the recorded spectra. However, TOF-SIMS appears to induce more fragment ions in comparison with the other techniques. ESI, for instance, produces hardly any molecular fragments. Finally, the kind of fragment ions recorded depends upon the technique used, though some signals are produced by various techniques. For these carbocyanine dyes there is no clear correlation between the mass spectra obtained with TOF-SIMS and spectra obtained with the other techniques. This points to different desorption/ionization mechanisms, and makes it difficult, in practice, to make predictions on the feasibility of TOF-SIMS, starting from results of the other MS techniques

Remote synchronization of amplitudes across an experimental ring of non-linear oscillators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minati, Ludovico, E-mail: lminati@ieee.org, E-mail: ludovico.minati@unitn.it, E-mail: lminati@istituto-besta.it [Center for Mind/Brain Science, University of Trento, 38123 Mattarello TN, Italy and Scientific Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan (Italy)

2015-12-15

In this paper, the emergence of remote synchronization in a ring of 32 unidirectionally coupled non-linear oscillators is reported. Each oscillator consists of 3 negative voltage gain stages connected in a loop to which two integrators are superimposed and receives input from its preceding neighbour via a “mixing” stage whose gains form the main system control parameters. Collective behaviour of the network is investigated numerically and experimentally, based on a custom-designed circuit board featuring 32 field-programmable analog arrays. A diverse set of synchronization patterns is observed depending on the control parameters. While phase synchronization ensues globally, albeit imperfectly, for certain control parameter values, amplitudes delineate subsets of non-adjacent but preferentially synchronized nodes; this cannot be trivially explained by synchronization paths along sequences of structurally connected nodes and is therefore interpreted as representing a form of remote synchronization. Complex topology of functional synchronization thus emerges from underlying elementary structural connectivity. In addition to the Kuramoto order parameter and cross-correlation coefficient, other synchronization measures are considered, and preliminary findings suggest that generalized synchronization may identify functional relationships across nodes otherwise not visible. Further work elucidating the mechanism underlying this observation of remote synchronization is necessary, to support which experimental data and board design materials have been made freely downloadable.

Moths on the Flatbed Scanner: The Art of Joseph Scheer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen L. Buchmann

2011-12-01

Full Text Available During the past decade a few artists and even fewer entomologists discovered flatbed scanning technology, using extreme resolution graphical arts scanners for acquiring high magnification digital images of plants, animals and inanimate objects. They are not just for trip receipts anymore. The special attributes of certain scanners, to image thick objects is discussed along with the technical features of the scanners including magnification, color depth and shadow detail. The work of pioneering scanner artist, Joseph Scheer from New York’s Alfred University is highlighted. Representative flatbed-scanned images of moths are illustrated along with techniques to produce them. Collecting and preparing moths, and other objects, for scanning are described. Highlights of the Fulbright sabbatical year of professor Scheer in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico are presented, along with comments on moths in science, folklore, art and pop culture. The use of flatbed scanners is offered as a relatively new method for visualizing small objects while acquiring large files for creating archival inkjet prints for display and sale.

Persistent currents in an ensemble of isolated mesoscopic rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altland, A.; Iida, S.; Mueller-Groelling, A.; Weidenmueller, H.A.

1992-01-01

In this work, the authors calculate the persistent current induced at zero temperature by an external, constant, and homogeneous magnetic field in an ensemble of isolated mesoscopic rings. In each ring, the electrons are assumed to move independently under the influence of a Gaussian white noise random impurity potential. They account for the magnetic field only in terms of the flux threading each ring, without considering the field present in the body of the ring. Particular attention is paid to the constraint of integer particle number on each ring. The authors evaluate the persistent current non-perturbatively, using a generating functional involving Grassmann integration. The magnetic flux threading each ring breaks the orthogonal symmetry of the formalism; forcing us to calculate explicitly the orthogonal-unitary crossover. 24 refs., 1 fig

Scanner-based macroscopic color variation estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Chunghui; Lai, Di; Zeise, Eric

2006-01-01

Flatbed scanners have been adopted successfully in the measurement of microscopic image artifacts, such as granularity and mottle, in print samples because of their capability of providing full color, high resolution images. Accurate macroscopic color measurement relies on the use of colorimeters or spectrophotometers to provide a surrogate for human vision. The very different color response characteristics of flatbed scanners from any standard colorimetric response limits the utility of a flatbed scanner as a macroscopic color measuring device. This metamerism constraint can be significantly relaxed if our objective is mainly to quantify the color variations within a printed page or between pages where a small bias in measured colors can be tolerated as long as the color distributions relative to the individual mean values is similar. Two scenarios when converting color from the device RGB color space to a standardized color space such as CIELab are studied in this paper, blind and semi-blind color transformation, depending on the availability of the black channel information. We will show that both approaches offer satisfactory results in quantifying macroscopic color variation across pages while the semi-blind color transformation further provides fairly accurate color prediction capability.

Impedance Characterisation of the SPS Wire Scanner

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2091911; Prof. Sillanpää, Mika

As a beam diagnostic tool, the SPS wire scanner interacts with the proton bunches traversing the vacuum pipes of the Super Proton Synchrotron particle accelerator. Following the interaction, the bunches decelerate or experience momentum kicks off-axis and couple energy to the cavity walls, resonances and to the diagnostic tool, the scanning wire. The beam coupling impedance and, in particular, the beam induced heating of the wire motivate the characterisation and redesign of the SPS wire scanner. In this thesis, we characterise RF-wise the low frequency modes of the SPS wire scanner. These have the highest contribution to the impedance. We measure the cavity modes in terms of resonance frequency and quality factor by traditional measurement techniques and data analysis. We carry out a 4-port measurement to evaluate the beam coupling to the scanning wire, that yields the spectral heating power. If combined with the simulations, one is able to extract the beam coupling impedance and deduce the spectral dissipa...

A scanner for single photon emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.B.; Cumpstey, D.E.; Evans, N.T.S.; Coleman, J.D.; Ettinger, K.V.; Mallard, J.R.

1982-01-01

The technique of single photon ECT has now been available for some eighteen years, but has yet still to be exploited fully. The difficulties of doing this lie in the need for gathering data of sufficiently good statistical accuracy in a reasonable counting time, in the uniformity of detector sensitivity, and in the means for correcting the image satisfactorily for photon attenuation within the body. The relative ease with which a general purpose gamma camera can be adapted to give rotation around the patient makes this an attractive practical approach to the problem. However, the sensitivity of gamma cameras over their field of view is by no means uniform, and their sensitivity is less good than that of purpose-designed scanners when no more than about ten sections through the body are required. There is therefore a need to assess the clinical usefulness of a whole body tomographic scanner of high sensitivity and uniformity. Such a machine is the Aberdeen Section Scanner Mark II described

Assessment of heat treatment of dairy products by MALDI-TOF-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Meltretter, Jasmin; Birlouez-Aragon, Inès; Becker, Cord-Michael; Pischetsrieder, Monika

2009-12-01

The formation of the Amadori product from lactose (protein lactosylation) is a major parameter to evaluate the quality of processed milk. Here, MALDI-TOF-MS was used for the relative quantification of lactose-adducts in heated milk. Milk was heated at a temperature of 70, 80, and 100 degrees C between 0 and 300 min, diluted, and subjected directly to MALDI-TOF-MS. The lactosylation rate of alpha-lactalbumin increased with increasing reaction temperature and time. The results correlated well with established markers for heat treatment of milk (concentration of total soluble protein, soluble alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin at pH 4.6, and fluorescence of advanced Maillard products and soluble tryptophan index; r=0.969-0.997). The method was also applied to examine commercially available dairy products. In severely heated products, protein pre-purification by immobilized metal affinity chromatography improved spectra quality. Relative quantification of protein lactosylation by MALDI-TOF-MS proved to be a very fast and reliable method to monitor early Maillard reaction during milk processing.

Characterizing Neutron Diagnostics on the nTOF Line at SUNY Geneseo

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Hannah; Seppala, Hannah; Visca, Hannah; Wakwella, Praveen; Fletcher, Kurt; Padalino, Stephen; Forrest, Chad; Regan, Sean; Sangster, Craig

2016-10-01

Charged particle beams from SUNY Geneseo's 1.7 MV Tandem Pelletron Accelerator induce nuclear reactions that emit neutrons ranging from 0.5 to 17.9 MeV via 2H(d,n)3He and 11B(d,n)12C. This adjustable neutron source can be used to calibrate ICF and HEDP neutron scintillators for ICF diagnostics. However, gamma rays and muons, which are often present during an accelerator-based calibration, are difficult to differentiate from neutron signals in scintillators. To mitigate this problem, a new neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) line has been constructed. The nTOF timing is measured using the associated particle technique. A charged particle produced by the nuclear reaction serves as a start signal, while its associated neutron is the stop signal. Each reaction is analyzed event-by-event to determine whether the scintillator signal was generated by a neutron, gamma or muon. Using this nTOF technique, the neutron response for different scintillation detectors can be determined. Funded in part by a LLE contract through the DOE.

Defining Diagnostic Biomarkers Using Shotgun Proteomics and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Armengaud, Jean

2017-01-01

Whole-cell MALDI-TOF has become a robust and widely used tool to quickly identify any pathogen. In addition to being routinely used in hospitals, it is also useful for low cost dereplication in large scale screening procedures of new environmental isolates for environmental biotechnology or taxonomical applications. Here, I describe how specific biomarkers can be defined using shotgun proteomics and whole-cell MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Based on MALDI-TOF spectra recorded on a given set of pathogens with internal calibrants, m/z values of interest are extracted. The proteins which contribute to these peaks are deduced from label-free shotgun proteomics measurements carried out on the same sample. Quantitative information based on the spectral count approach allows ranking the most probable candidates. Proteogenomic approaches help to define whether these proteins give the same m/z values along the whole taxon under consideration or result in heterogeneous lists. These specific biomarkers nicely complement conventional profiling approaches and may help to better define groups of organisms, for example at the subspecies level.

Quantitative and Visual Assessments toward Potential Sub-mSv or Ultrafast FDG PET Using High-Sensitivity TOF PET in PET/MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Behr, Spencer C; Bahroos, Emma; Hawkins, Randall A; Nardo, Lorenzo; Ravanfar, Vahid; Capbarat, Emily V; Seo, Youngho

2018-06-01

Newer high-performance time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) systems have the capability to preserve diagnostic image quality with low count density, while maintaining a high raw photon detection sensitivity that would allow for a reduction in injected dose or rapid data acquisition. To assess this, we performed quantitative and visual assessments of the PET images acquired using a highly sensitive (23.3 cps/kBq) large field of view (25-cm axial) silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based TOF PET (400-ps timing resolution) integrated with 3 T-MRI in comparison to PET images acquired on non-TOF PET/x-ray computed tomography (CT) systems. Whole-body 2-deoxy-2-[ 18 F]fluoro-D-glucose ([ 18 F]FDG) PET/CT was acquired for 15 patients followed by whole body PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with an average injected dose of 325 ± 84 MBq. The PET list mode data from PET/MRI were reconstructed using full datasets (4 min/bed) and reduced datasets (2, 1, 0.5, and 0.25 min/bed). Qualitative assessment between PET/CT and PET/MR images were made. A Likert-type scale between 1 and 5, 1 for non-diagnostic, 3 equivalent to PET/CT, and 5 superior quality, was used. Maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUV max and SUV mean ) of normal tissues and lesions detected were measured and compared. Mean visual assessment scores were 3.54 ± 0.32, 3.62 ± 0.38, and 3.69 ± 0.35 for the brain and 3.05 ± 0.49, 3.71 ± 0.45, and 4.14 ± 0.44 for the whole-body maximum intensity projections (MIPs) for 1, 2, and 4 min/bed PET/MR images, respectively. The SUV mean values for normal tissues were lower and statistically significant for images acquired at 4, 2, 1, 0.5, and 0.25 min/bed on the PET/MR, with values of - 18 ± 28 % (p PET/MR datasets. High-sensitivity TOF PET showed comparable but still better visual image quality even at a much reduced activity in comparison to lower-sensitivity non-TOF PET. Our data translates to a seven times

Rapid typing of Mannheimia haemolytica major genotypes 1 and 2 using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Genotype 2 M. haemolytica predominantly associate over genotype 1 with the lungs of cattle with respiratory disease and ICEs containing antimicrobial resistance genes. Distinct protein masses were detected by MALDI-TOF MS between genotype 1 and 2 strains. MALDI-TOF MS could rapidly differentiate ge...

Geometric calibration between PET scanner and structured light scanner

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjer, Hans Martin; Olesen, Oline Vinter; Paulsen, Rasmus Reinhold

2011-01-01

Head movements degrade the image quality of high resolution Positron Emission Tomography (PET) brain studies through blurring and artifacts. Manny image reconstruction methods allows for motion correction if the head position is tracked continuously during the study. Our method for motion tracking...... is a structured light scanner placed just above the patient tunnel on the High Resolution Research Tomograph (HRRT, Siemens). It continuously registers point clouds of a part of the patient's face. The relative motion is estimated as the rigid transformation between frames. A geometric calibration between...

New Insights for Diagnosis of Pineapple Fusariosis by MALDI-TOF MS Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Cledir; Ventura, José Aires; Lima, Nelson

2016-08-01

Fusarium is one of the most economically important fungal genus, since it includes many pathogenic species which cause a wide range of plant diseases. Morphological or molecular biology identification of Fusarium species is a limiting step in the fast diagnosis and treatment of plant disease caused by these fungi. Mass spectrometry by matrix-assisted laser/desorption ionisation-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF)-based fingerprinting approach was applied to the fungal growth monitoring and direct detection of strain Fusarium guttiforme E-480 inoculated in both pineapple cultivars Pérola and Imperial side shoots, that are susceptible and resistant, respectively, to this fungal strain. MALDI-TOF MS technique was capable to detect fungal molecular mass peaks in the susceptible pineapple stem side shoot tissue. It is assumed that these molecular masses are mainly constituted by ribosomal proteins. MALDI-TOF-based fingerprinting approach has herein been demonstrated to be sensitive and accurate for the direct detection of F. guttiforme E-480 molecular masses on both susceptible and resistant pineapple side stem free of any pre-treatment. According to the results obtained, the changing on molecular mass peaks of infected susceptible pineapple tissue together with the possibility of fungal molecular masses analysis into this pineapple tissue can be a good indication for an early diagnosis by MALDI-TOF MS of pineapple fusariosis.

Method for calibration of an axial tomographic scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sparks, R.A.

1977-01-01

The method of calibrating an axial tomographic scanner including frame means having an opening therein in which an object to be examined is to be placed, source and detector means mounted on the frame means for directing one or more beams of penetrating radiation through the object from the source to the detector means, and means to rotate the scanner including the source and detector means about the object whereby a plurality of sets of data corresponding to the transmission or absorption by the object of a plurality of beams of penetrating radiation are collected; the calibration method comprising mounting calibration means supporting an adjustable centering member onto the frame means, positioning the adjustable centering member at approximately the center of rotation of the scanner, placing position-sensitive indicator means adjacent the approximately centered member, rotating the scanner and the calibration means mounted thereon at least one time and, if necessary, adjusting the positioning of the centering member until the centering member is coincident with the center of rotation of the scanner as determined by minimum deflection of the position-sensitive indicator means, rotating and translating the source and detector means and determining for each angular orientation of the frame means supporting the source and detector means the central position of each translational scan relative to the centered member and/or if a plurality of detectors are utilized with the detector means for each planar slice of the object being examined, the central position of each translational scan for each detector relative to the centered member

Reproducibility in protein profiling by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albrethsen, Jakob

2007-01-01

, immunocapture, prestructured target surfaces, standardized matrix (co)crystallization, improved MALDI-TOF MS instrument components, internal standard peptides, quality-control samples, replicate measurements, and algorithms for normalization and peak detection. CONCLUSIONS: Further evaluation and optimization...

Performance of an improved first generation optical CT scanner for 3D dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian, Xin; Wuu, Cheng-Shie; Adamovics, John

2013-01-01

Performance analysis of a modified 3D dosimetry optical scanner based on the first generation optical CT scanner OCTOPUS is presented. The system consists of PRESAGE™ dosimeters, the modified 3D scanner, and a new developed in-house user control panel written in Labview program which provides more flexibility to optimize mechanical control and data acquisition technique. The total scanning time has been significantly reduced from initial 8 h to ∼2 h by using the modified scanner. The functional performance of the modified scanner has been evaluated in terms of the mechanical integrity uncertainty of the data acquisition process. Optical density distribution comparison between the modified scanner, OCTOPUS and the treatment plan system has been studied. It has been demonstrated that the agreement between the modified scanner and treatment plans is comparable with that between the OCTOPUS and treatment plans. (note)

Properties of tree rings in LSST sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, H.Y.; Tsybychev, D.; Nomerotski, A.

2017-01-01

Images of uniformly illuminated sensors for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope have circular periodic patterns with an appearance similar to tree rings. These patterns are caused by circularly symmetric variations of the dopant concentration in the monocrystal silicon boule induced by the manufacturing process. Non-uniform charge density results in the parasitic electric field inside the silicon sensor, which may distort shapes of astronomical sources. In this study we analyzed data from fifteen LSST sensors produced by ITL to determine the main parameters of the tree rings: amplitude and period, and also variability across the sensors tested at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Tree ring pattern has a weak dependence on the wavelength. However the ring amplitude gets smaller as wavelength gets longer, since longer wavelengths penetrate deeper into the silicon. Tree ring amplitude gets larger as it gets closer to the outer part of the wafer, from 0.1 to 1.0%, indicating that the resistivity variation is larger for larger radii.

Lattices for antiproton rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Autin, B.

1984-01-01

After a description of the constraints imposed by the cooling of Antiprotons on the lattice of the rings, the reasons which motivate the shape and the structure of these machines are surveyed. Linear and non-linear beam optics properties are treated with a special amplification to the Antiproton Accumulator. (orig.)

Accuracy of automated volumetry of pulmonary nodules across different multislice CT scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Marco; Muehlenbruch, Georg; Mahnken, Andreas H.; Katoh, Markus; Guenther, Rolf W.; Wildberger, Joachim E.; Ley-Zaporozhan, Julia; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Gietema, H.A.; Prokop, Mathias; Czech, Andre; Diederich, Stefan; Bakai, Annemarie; Salganicoff, Marcos

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of an automated volumetry software for phantom pulmonary nodules across various 16-slice multislice spiral CT (MSCT) scanners from different vendors. A lung phantom containing five different nodule categories (intraparenchymal, around a vessel, vessel attached, pleural, and attached to the pleura), with each category comprised of 7-9 nodules (total, n = 40) of varying sizes (diameter 3-10 mm; volume 6.62 mm 3 -525 mm 3 ), was scanned with four different 16-slice MSCT scanners (Siemens, GE, Philips, Toshiba). Routine and low-dose chest protocols with thin and thick collimations were applied. The data from all scanners were used for further analysis using a dedicated prototype volumetry software. Absolute percentage volume errors (APE) were calculated and compared. The mean APE for all nodules was 8.4% (±7.7%) for data acquired with the 16-slice Siemens scanner, 14.3% (±11.1%) for the GE scanner, 9.7% (±9.6%) for the Philips scanner and 7.5% (±7.2%) for the Toshiba scanner, respectively. The lowest APEs were found within the diameter size range of 5-10 mm and volumes >66 mm 3 . Nodule volumetry is accurate with a reasonable volume error in data from different scanner vendors. This may have an important impact for intraindividual follow-up studies. (orig.)

A differential centrifugation protocol and validation criterion for enhancing mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) results in microbial identification using blood culture growth bottles.

Science.gov (United States)

March-Rosselló, G A; Muñoz-Moreno, M F; García-Loygorri-Jordán de Urriés, M C; Bratos-Pérez, M A

2013-05-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) is a widely used tool in clinical microbiology for rapidly identifying microorganisms. This technique can be applied directly on positive blood cultures without the need for its culturing, thereby, reducing the time required for microbiological diagnosis. The present study proposes an innovative identification protocol applied to positive blood culture bottles using MALDI-TOF. We have processed 100 positive blood culture bottles, of which 36 of 37 Gram-negative bacteria (97.3 %) were correctly identified directly with 100 % of Enterobacteriaceae and other Gram-negative rods and 87.5 % of non-fermenting Gram-negative rods. We also correctly identified directly 62 of 63 of Gram-positive bacteria (98.4 %) with 100 % of Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Gram-positive bacilli and 98 % of Staphylococcus. Applying the differential centrifugation protocol at the moment the automatic blood culture incubation system gives a positive reading together with the proposed validation criterion offers 98 % sensitivity (95 % confidence interval: 95.2-100 %). The MALDI-TOF system, thus, provides a rapid and reliable system for identifying microorganisms from blood culture growth bottles.

Design and use of a folded four-ring double-tuned birdcage coil for rat brain sodium imaging at 9.4 T.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, YongHyun; Choi, Chang-Hoon; Worthoff, Wieland A; Shymanskaya, Aliaksandra; Schöneck, Michael; Willuweit, Antje; Felder, Jörg; Shah, N Jon

2018-01-01

A folded four-ring quadrature birdcage coil was designed and constructed with a double-tune configuration of an outer high-pass coil for 1 H (400 MHz) and inner low-pass coil for 23 Na (105.72 MHz at 9.4 T). The coil was evaluated on the bench and in the scanner, comparing its performance with that of single-tuned coils and a large four-ring coil. All coils were tuned and matched and the isolation between two quadrature ports was found to be better than -13.7 dB for 1 H and -27 dB for 23 Na. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were calculated and 23 Na flip angle maps were acquired. 23 Na SNR of the folded four-ring reached ∼93% of that obtained with the single-tuned coil. A set of in vivo 1 H and 23 Na axial images to cover the whole rat brain were obtained. The performance of the folded four-ring coil and its benefit for 23 Na imaging experiments have been demonstrated. This proposed four-ring coil could avoid length restrictions, e.g. the shoulders, by folding the outer rings vertically. This facilitates the construction of double-tuned four-ring birdcage coils just to fit the head, leading to higher filling factors and better SNR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ultra-compact imaging plate scanner module using a MEMS mirror and specially designed MPPC

Science.gov (United States)

Miyamoto, Yuichi; Sasaki, Kensuke; Takasaka, Masaomi; Fujimoto, Masatoshi; Yamamoto, Koei

2017-02-01

Computed radiography (CR), which is one of the most useful methods for dental imaging and nondestructive testing, uses a phosphor imaging plate (IP) because it is flexible, reusable, and inexpensive. Conventional IP scanners utilize a galvanometer or a polygon mirror as a scanning device and a photomultiplier as an optical sensor. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology currently provides silicon-based devices and has the potential to replace such discrete devices and sensors. Using these devices, we constructed an ultra-compact IP scanner. Our extremely compact plate scanner utilizes a module that is composed of a one-dimensional MEMS mirror and a long multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC) that is combined with a specially designed wavelength filter and a rod lens. The MEMS mirror, which is a non-resonant electromagnetic type, is 2.6 mm in diameter with a recommended optical scanning angle up to +/-15°. The CR's wide dynamic range is maintained using a newly developed MPPC. The MPPC is a sort of silicon photomultiplier and is a high-sensitivity photon-counting device. To achieve such a wide dynamic range, we developed a long MPPC that has over 10,000 pixels. For size reduction and high optical efficiency, we set the MPPC close to an IP across the rod lens. To prevent the MPPC from detecting excitation light, which is much more intense than photo-stimulated light, we produced a sharp-cut wavelength filter that has a wide angle (+/-60°) of tolerance. We evaluated our constructed scanner module through gray chart and resolution chart images.

Rotating positron tomographs revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Townsend, D.; Defrise, M.; Geissbuhler, A.

1994-01-01

We have compared the performance of a PET scanner comprising two rotating arrays of detectors with that of the more conventional stationary-ring design. The same total number of detectors was used in each, and neither scanner had septa. For brain imaging, we find that the noise-equivalent count rate is greater for the rotating arrays by a factor of two. Rotating arrays have a sensitivity profile that peaks in the centre of the field of view, both axially and transaxially. In the transaxial plane, this effect offsets to a certain extent the decrease in the number of photons detected towards the centre of the brain due to self-absorption. We have also compared the performance of a rotating scanner to that of a full-ring scanner with the same number of rings. We find that a full-ring scanner with an axial extent of 16.2 cm (24 rings) is a factor of 3.5 more sensitive than a rotating scanner with 40% of the detectors and the same axial extent. (Author)

MALDI-TOF MS as a tool to identify foodborne yeasts and yeast-like fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Quintilla, Raquel; Kolecka, Anna; Casaregola, Serge; Daniel, Heide M; Houbraken, Jos; Kostrzewa, Markus; Boekhout, Teun; Groenewald, Marizeth

2018-02-02

Since food spoilage by yeasts causes high economic losses, fast and accurate identifications of yeasts associated with food and food-related products are important for the food industry. In this study the efficiency of the matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to identify food related yeasts was evaluated. A CBS in-house MALDI-TOF MS database was created and later challenged with a blinded test set of 146 yeast strains obtained from food and food related products. Ninety eight percent of the strains were correctly identified with log score values>1.7. One strain, Mrakia frigida, gained a correct identification with a score value1.7. Ambiguous identifications were observed due to two incorrect reference mass spectra's found in the commercial database BDAL v.4.0, namely Candida sake DSM 70763 which was re-identified as Candida oleophila, and Candida inconspicua DSM 70631 which was re-identified as Pichia membranifaciens. MALDI-TOF MS can distinguish between most of the species, but for some species complexes, such as the Kazachstania telluris and Mrakia frigida complexes, MALDI-TOF MS showed limited resolution and identification of sibling species was sometimes problematic. Despite this, we showed that the MALDI-TOF MS is applicable for routine identification and validation of foodborne yeasts, but a further update of the commercial reference databases is needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TOF technique for laser-driven proton beam diagnostics for the ELIMED beamline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milluzzo, G.; Scuderi, V.; Amico, A.G.; Cirrone, G.A.P.; Cuttone, G.; Larosa, G.; Leanza, R.; Petringa, G.; Pipek, J.; Romano, F.; Napoli, M. De; Dostal, J.; Margarone, D.; Schillaci, F.; Velyhan, A.

2017-01-01

The Time of Flight (TOF) method for laser-driven ion beam diagnostics has been extensively investigated so far for low energy ion diagnostics and several works, reported in literature [1,2], have shown its efficiency in the measurement of particle beam characteristics such as ion species, energy spectrum and current. Moreover, such technique allows obtaining a shot-to-shot on-line monitoring of optically accelerated particles, necessary to control the reproducibility of the accelerated beam and to deliver a beam suitable for any kind of applications. For this reason, the ELIMED beamline [3,4], which will be entirely developed at INFN-LNS and installed in 2017 within the ion beamline ELIMAIA (ELI Multidisciplinary Applications of laser-Ion Acceleration) experimental hall at ELI-Beamlines in Prague, will be equipped with an on-line diagnostics system composed by silicon carbide and diamond detectors, using the TOF technique. In this contribution, the procedure developed for TOF signal analysis will be briefly reported.

Efficient system modeling for a small animal PET scanner with tapered DOI detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Mengxi; Zhou, Jian; Yang, Yongfeng; Qi, Jinyi; Rodríguez-Villafuerte, Mercedes

2016-01-01

A prototype small animal positron emission tomography (PET) scanner for mouse brain imaging has been developed at UC Davis. The new scanner uses tapered detector arrays with depth of interaction (DOI) measurement. In this paper, we present an efficient system model for the tapered PET scanner using matrix factorization and a virtual scanner geometry. The factored system matrix mainly consists of two components: a sinogram blurring matrix and a geometrical matrix. The geometric matrix is based on a virtual scanner geometry. The sinogram blurring matrix is estimated by matrix factorization. We investigate the performance of different virtual scanner geometries. Both simulation study and real data experiments are performed in the fully 3D mode to study the image quality under different system models. The results indicate that the proposed matrix factorization can maintain image quality while substantially reduce the image reconstruction time and system matrix storage cost. The proposed method can be also applied to other PET scanners with DOI measurement. (paper)

RPC HADES-TOF wall cosmic ray test performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blanco, A., E-mail: alberto@coimbra.lip.pt [Laboratorio de Instrumentacao e Fisica Experimental de Particulas, LIP, Coimbra (Portugal); Belver, D.; Cabanelas, P. [LabCAF, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, USC, Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Diaz, J. [Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular IFIC (CSIC-Universidad de Valencia), Valencia (Spain); Fonte, P. [Laboratorio de Instrumentacao e Fisica Experimental de Particulas, LIP, Coimbra (Portugal); Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Coimbra, ISEC, Coimbra (Portugal); Garzon, J.A. [LabCAF, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, USC, Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Gil, A. [Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular IFIC (CSIC-Universidad de Valencia), Valencia (Spain); Gonzalez-Diaz, D.; Koenig, W.; Kolb, B. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt (Germany); Lopes, L. [Laboratorio de Instrumentacao e Fisica Experimental de Particulas, LIP, Coimbra (Portugal); Palka, M. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt (Germany); Pereira, A. [Laboratorio de Instrumentacao e Fisica Experimental de Particulas, LIP, Coimbra (Portugal); and others

2012-01-01

In this work we present results concerning the cosmic ray test, prior to the final installation and commissioning of the new Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) Time of Flight (TOF) wall for the High-Acceptance DiElectron Spectrometer (HADES) at GSI. The TOF wall is composed of six equal sectors, each one constituted by 186 individual 4-gaps glass-aluminium shielded RPC cells distributed in six columns and 31 rows in two partially overlapping layers, covering an area of 1.26 m{sup 2}. All sectors were tested with the final Front End Electronic (FEE) and Data AcQuisition system (DAQ) together with Low Voltage (LV) and High Voltage (HV) systems. Results confirm a very uniform average system time resolution of 77 ps sigma together with an average multi-hit time resolution of 83 ps. Crosstalk levels below 1% (in average), moderate timing tails along with an average longitudinal position resolution of 8.4 mm sigma are also confirmed.

RPC HADES-TOF wall cosmic ray test performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco, A.; Belver, D.; Cabanelas, P.; Díaz, J.; Fonte, P.; Garzon, J.A.; Gil, A.; Gonzalez-Díaz, D.; Koenig, W.; Kolb, B.; Lopes, L.; Palka, M.; Pereira, A.

2012-01-01

In this work we present results concerning the cosmic ray test, prior to the final installation and commissioning of the new Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) Time of Flight (TOF) wall for the High-Acceptance DiElectron Spectrometer (HADES) at GSI. The TOF wall is composed of six equal sectors, each one constituted by 186 individual 4-gaps glass-aluminium shielded RPC cells distributed in six columns and 31 rows in two partially overlapping layers, covering an area of 1.26 m 2 . All sectors were tested with the final Front End Electronic (FEE) and Data AcQuisition system (DAQ) together with Low Voltage (LV) and High Voltage (HV) systems. Results confirm a very uniform average system time resolution of 77 ps sigma together with an average multi-hit time resolution of 83 ps. Crosstalk levels below 1% (in average), moderate timing tails along with an average longitudinal position resolution of 8.4 mm sigma are also confirmed.

Proof of concept Laplacian estimate derived for noninvasive tripolar concentric ring electrode with incorporated radius of the central disc and the widths of the concentric rings.

Science.gov (United States)

Makeyev, Oleksandr; Lee, Colin; Besio, Walter G

2017-07-01

Tripolar concentric ring electrodes are showing great promise in a range of applications including braincomputer interface and seizure onset detection due to their superiority to conventional disc electrodes, in particular, in accuracy of surface Laplacian estimation. Recently, we proposed a general approach to estimation of the Laplacian for an (n + 1)-polar electrode with n rings using the (4n + 1)-point method for n ≥ 2 that allows cancellation of all the truncation terms up to the order of 2n. This approach has been used to introduce novel multipolar and variable inter-ring distances concentric ring electrode configurations verified using finite element method. The obtained results suggest their potential to improve Laplacian estimation compared to currently used constant interring distances tripolar concentric ring electrodes. One of the main limitations of the proposed (4n + 1)-point method is that the radius of the central disc and the widths of the concentric rings are not included and therefore cannot be optimized. This study incorporates these two parameters by representing the central disc and both concentric rings as clusters of points with specific radius and widths respectively as opposed to the currently used single point and concentric circles. A proof of concept Laplacian estimate is derived for a tripolar concentric ring electrode with non-negligible radius of the central disc and non-negligible widths of the concentric rings clearly demonstrating how both of these parameters can be incorporated into the (4n + 1)-point method.

Characterization of a Large, Low-Cost 3D Scanner

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeremy Straub

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Imagery-based 3D scanning can be performed by scanners with multiple form factors, ranging from small and inexpensive scanners requiring manual movement around a stationary object to large freestanding (nearly instantaneous units. Small mobile units are problematic for use in scanning living creatures, which may be unwilling or unable to (or for the very young and animals, unaware of the need to hold a fixed position for an extended period of time. Alternately, very high cost scanners that can capture a complete scan within a few seconds are available, but they are cost prohibitive for some applications. This paper seeks to assess the performance of a large, low-cost 3D scanner, presented in prior work, which is able to concurrently capture imagery from all around an object. It provides the capabilities of the large, freestanding units at a price point akin to the smaller, mobile ones. This allows access to 3D scanning technology (particularly for applications requiring instantaneous imaging at a lower cost. Problematically, prior analysis of the scanner’s performance was extremely limited. This paper characterizes the efficacy of the scanner for scanning both inanimate objects and humans. Given the importance of lighting to visible light scanning systems, the scanner’s performance under multiple lighting configurations is evaluated, characterizing its sensitivity to lighting design.

Plasma-laser ion discrimination by TOF technique applied to coupled SiC detectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavallaro, Salvatore

2018-01-01

The rate estimation of nuclear reactions induced in high intensity laser-target interaction (≥1016 W/cm2), is strongly depending on the neutron detection efficiency and ion charge discrimination, according to particles involved in exit open-channels. Ion discrimination is basically performed by means of analysis of pits observed on track detector, which is critically dependent on calibration and/or fast TOF devices based on SiC and diamond detectors. Last setup is used to determine the ion energy and to obtain a rough estimation of yields. However, for each TOF interval, the dependence of yield from the energy deposited in the detector sensitive region, introduces a distortion in the ion spectra. Moreover, if two ion species are present in the same spectrum, the discrimination of their contribution is not attainable. In this paper a new method is described which allows to discriminate the contribution of two ion species in the wide energy range of nuclear reactions induced in laser-target interactions. The method is based on charge response of two TOF-SiC detectors, of suitable thicknesses, placed in adjacent positions. In presence of two ion species, the response of the detectors, associated with different energy losses, can determine the ion specific contribution to each TOF interval.

ASSOCIATIVE RINGS SOLVED AS LIE RINGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. B. Smirnov

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper has proved that an associative ring which is solvable of a n- class as a Lie ring has a nilpotent ideal of the nilpotent class not more than 3×10n–2  and a corresponding quotient ring satisfies an identity [[x1, x2, [x3, x4

Harnessing case isolation and ring vaccination to control Ebola.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chad Wells

2015-05-01

Full Text Available As a devastating Ebola outbreak in West Africa continues, non-pharmaceutical control measures including contact tracing, quarantine, and case isolation are being implemented. In addition, public health agencies are scaling up efforts to test and deploy candidate vaccines. Given the experimental nature and limited initial supplies of vaccines, a mass vaccination campaign might not be feasible. However, ring vaccination of likely case contacts could provide an effective alternative in distributing the vaccine. To evaluate ring vaccination as a strategy for eliminating Ebola, we developed a pair approximation model of Ebola transmission, parameterized by confirmed incidence data from June 2014 to January 2015 in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Our results suggest that if a combined intervention of case isolation and ring vaccination had been initiated in the early fall of 2014, up to an additional 126 cases in Liberia and 560 cases in Sierra Leone could have been averted beyond case isolation alone. The marginal benefit of ring vaccination is predicted to be greatest in settings where there are more contacts per individual, greater clustering among individuals, when contact tracing has low efficacy or vaccination confers post-exposure protection. In such settings, ring vaccination can avert up to an additional 8% of Ebola cases. Accordingly, ring vaccination is predicted to offer a moderately beneficial supplement to ongoing non-pharmaceutical Ebola control efforts.

Harnessing case isolation and ring vaccination to control Ebola.

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Chad; Yamin, Dan; Ndeffo-Mbah, Martial L; Wenzel, Natasha; Gaffney, Stephen G; Townsend, Jeffrey P; Meyers, Lauren Ancel; Fallah, Mosoka; Nyenswah, Tolbert G; Altice, Frederick L; Atkins, Katherine E; Galvani, Alison P

2015-05-01

As a devastating Ebola outbreak in West Africa continues, non-pharmaceutical control measures including contact tracing, quarantine, and case isolation are being implemented. In addition, public health agencies are scaling up efforts to test and deploy candidate vaccines. Given the experimental nature and limited initial supplies of vaccines, a mass vaccination campaign might not be feasible. However, ring vaccination of likely case contacts could provide an effective alternative in distributing the vaccine. To evaluate ring vaccination as a strategy for eliminating Ebola, we developed a pair approximation model of Ebola transmission, parameterized by confirmed incidence data from June 2014 to January 2015 in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Our results suggest that if a combined intervention of case isolation and ring vaccination had been initiated in the early fall of 2014, up to an additional 126 cases in Liberia and 560 cases in Sierra Leone could have been averted beyond case isolation alone. The marginal benefit of ring vaccination is predicted to be greatest in settings where there are more contacts per individual, greater clustering among individuals, when contact tracing has low efficacy or vaccination confers post-exposure protection. In such settings, ring vaccination can avert up to an additional 8% of Ebola cases. Accordingly, ring vaccination is predicted to offer a moderately beneficial supplement to ongoing non-pharmaceutical Ebola control efforts.

The performance characteristics of the Philips Gemini PET/CT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Keefe, G.J.; Papenfuss, A.T.; Scott, A.M.; Rowe, C.C.

2002-01-01

Full text: The Department of Nuclear Medicine, Centre for PET at the ARMC is commissioning a next generation PET/CT scanner based on gadolinium silicic dioxide (GSO) crystal technology to replace the BGO crystal PET scanner that has been in operation since 1992. The Gemini PET/CT scanner is a fully 3D PET system which offers significantly increased resolution and sensitivity allowing wholebody scans in under 30 minutes. Until the late 90's, PET scanners were largely used with septa for neurological imaging and the performance characteristics of PET scanners were presented according to the NEMA-NU2-94 standard which specifically addresses the performance of PET scanners for neurological applications. PET is now largely used without septa for oncological imaging and as such, the NEMA-NU2-94 standard does not adequately reflect performance. The NEMA-NU2-2001 standard was designed to incorporate the effects of out-of-FOV activity and its contribution to performance by virtue of the increased scatter and randoms that result when performing wholebody scans without the use of septa. As part of the acceptance program of the Allegro/Gemini systems, the NEMA-NU2-2001 standard will be used to characterise the spatial resolution, sensitivity, randoms and scatter contributions and the Noise Equivalent Count rate (NECr). These results will be presented and compared with the ECAT 951/31R performance characteristics. Copyright (2002) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

Addressing Spatial Variability of Surface-Layer Wind with Long-Range WindScanners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Jacob; Vasiljevic, Nikola; Kelly, Mark C.

2015-01-01

of the WindScanner data is high, although the fidelity of the estimated vertical velocity component is significantly limited by the elevation angles of the scanner heads. The system of long-range WindScanners presented in this paper is close to being fully operational, with the pilot study herein serving...

Improved quality of image got through whole-body CT scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asahina, Kiyotaka

1980-01-01

The quality of brain images taken with a whole-body CT scanner has so far been generally inferior in quality to those got through a CT scanner exclusively used for brains. In order to improve the whole-body CT scanner so as to get better brain image, its detection system has been made multichannel; the capacity of its X-ray tube, increased; and its software, innovated. As a result, the spatial resolution has been improved from 5.51 p/cm to 9.01 p/cm, the contrast resolution has been improved from 3.2 mm% to 1.5 mm%, with the noise maintained at 0.5%. In clinical examination, the image quality has been improved equally well for brains, abdomens and lungs. Especially high appreciation is given to the diagnosis information got through this new scanner. (author)

On prime and semiprime rings with generalized derivations and non ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

that any continuous derivation on a commutative Banach algebra has the range in the .... isomorphic to a dense ring of linear transformations of some vector space r over P and .... This section deals with application of our main results. Here A ...

SU-F-T-578: Characterization of Vidar DosimetryPro Advantage RED Scanner with Application to SBRT and SRS QA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dumas, M; Wen, N [Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To use Gafchromic EBT3 film to quantify key dosimetric characteristics of the Vidar DosimetryPro Advantage RED film scanner for use in SBRT/SRS QA, by analyzing scanner uniformity and dose sensitivity. Method: Gafchromic EBT3 film was used in this study. Films were irradiated using 6MV FFF and 10MV FFF beams from a Varian Edge linear accelerator, with setup of 100cm SAD at depth 5 cm. Nine doses were delivered per film, with calibration dose ranges of 1–10 Gy and 3–24 Gy for 6MV FFF, and 3–27 Gy for 10MV FFF. Films were scanned with the long side of the film parallel to the detector array. Dose calibration curves were fitted to a 3rd degree polynomial. The derivative of a calibration curve was taken to determine the scanner’s sensitivity per dose delivered (OD/Gy). Scanner non-uniformity was calculated in 2 dimensions by taking the mean of standard deviation in each row and column. Absolute dose SRS/SBRT Gamma analyses were performed with passing criteria of 3% and 1mm DTA. For comparison, Gamma analyses were also performed using an Epson Expression 10000 XL. Results: Uniformity for the Vidar scanner was 0.37% +/− 0.03% in the perpendicular to scan direction and 0.67% +/− 0.05% in the parallel to scan direction, with an overall uniformity of 0.52% +/− 0.03%. Epson red channel uniformity was 0.85% +/− 0.05% and 0.88% +/− 0.08% for the green channel. The Vidar average dose sensitivity from 1–10 Gy was 0.112 OD/Gy and 0.061 OD/Gy for 3–24 Gy. SBRT/SRS Gamma pass rates were 97.8 +/− 1.4 for Vidar and 97.5 +/− 1.4 for Epson. Conclusion: The Vidar scanner has 41% less non-uniformity compared to Epson XL10000 green channel. The dose sensitivity is 2–3 time greater for the Vidar scanner compared to the Epson in the SRS/SBRT dose range of 5–24 Gy.

Philips Gemini TF64 PET/CT Acceptance Testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González Gonzalez, Joaquín J.; Calderón Marin, Carlos F.; Varela Corona, Consuelo; Machado Tejeda, Adalberto; González Correa, Héctor J.

2016-01-01

The Philips Gemini TF64 is the first PET/CT scanner installed in Cuba at the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology in 2014. It is a third generation fully tridimensional whole body PET scanner with time-of-flight (TOF) technology combined with a 64-slice Brilliance CT scanner. The CT detector module contains 672x64 solid state detector, incorporating GOS scintillators, optical diodes and electronic signal channels arranged in 64 side by side arcs, with 672 detectors in each arc. There are sixteen 0.75 mm individual detector elements around the center and four 1.5 mm elements at each end, resulting in a 24 mm total detection length. The PET detector consists of 28 pixelar modules of a 23x44 array of 4x4x22 mm3 of LYSO crystals arranged in an Anger-logic detector design. The hardware coincidence-timing window for this scanner is set at 4 ns and delayed coincidence window technique is used to estimate the random coincidences in collected data. In this study the performance characteristics of PET/CT scanner were measured as part of the program tests of acceptance for clinical use.Methodology. The performance characteristics of CT scanner were evaluated by manufacturer protocol using Philips system performance phantom. Some additional geometrical tests were performed by the user. The intrinsic measurements of energy resolution as well as timing resolution, which define the TOF performance of PET scanner, were performed following the recommendations of manufacturer using 18 F. Spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction, counting rate performance, image quality and accuracy were measured according to the NEMA NU-2 2007 procedures. Additionally, to characterize the effect of TOF reconstruction on lesion contrast and noise, the standard NEMA torso phantom was reconstructed with and without TOF capability. The accuracy of PET/CT image registration was tested according to the manufacturer protocol using an image alignment calibration holder with 6 point sources of 22

Non-Enhanced MR Imaging of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations at 7 Tesla.

Science.gov (United States)

Wrede, Karsten H; Dammann, Philipp; Johst, Sören; Mönninghoff, Christoph; Schlamann, Marc; Maderwald, Stefan; Sandalcioglu, I Erol; Ladd, Mark E; Forsting, Michael; Sure, Ulrich; Umutlu, Lale

2016-03-01

To evaluate prospectively 7 Tesla time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and 7 Tesla non-contrast-enhanced magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo (MPRAGE) for delineation of intracerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in comparison to 1.5 Tesla TOF MRA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Twenty patients with single or multifocal AVMs were enrolled in this trial. The study protocol comprised 1.5 and 7 Tesla TOF MRA and 7 Tesla non-contrast-enhanced MPRAGE sequences. All patients underwent an additional four-vessel 3D DSA. Image analysis of the following five AVM features was performed individually by two radiologists on a five-point scale: nidus, feeder(s), draining vein(s), relationship to adjacent vessels, and overall image quality and presence of artefacts. A total of 21 intracerebral AVMs were detected. Both sequences at 7 Tesla were rated superior over 1.5 Tesla TOF MRA in the assessment of all considered AVM features. Image quality at 7 Tesla was comparable with DSA considering both sequences. Inter-observer accordance was good to excellent for the majority of ratings. This study demonstrates excellent image quality for depiction of intracerebral AVMs using non-contrast-enhanced 7 Tesla MRA, comparable with DSA. Assessment of untreated AVMs is a promising clinical application of ultra-high-field MRA. • Non-contrast-enhanced 7 Tesla MRA demonstrates excellent image quality for intracerebral AVM depiction. • Image quality at 7 Tesla was comparable with DSA considering both sequences. • Assessment of intracerebral AVMs is a promising clinical application of ultra-high-field MRA.

The 236U neutron capture cross-section measured at the n_TOF CERN facility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mastromarco M.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The 236U isotope plays an important role in nuclear systems, both for future and currently operating ones. The actual knowledge of the capture reaction of this isotope is satisfactory in the thermal region, but it is considered insufficient for Fast Reactor and ADS applications. For this reason the 236U(n, γ reaction cross-section has been measured for the first time in the whole energy region from thermal energy up to 1 MeV at the n_TOF facility with two different detection systems: an array of C6D6 detectors, employing the total energy deposited method, and a FX1 total absorption calorimeter (TAC, made of 40 BaF2 crystals. The two n_TOF data sets agree with each other within the statistical uncertainty in the Resolved Resonance Region up to 800 eV, while sizable differences (up to ≃ 20% are found relative to the current evaluated data libraries. Moreover two new resonances have been found in the n_TOF data. In the Unresolved Resonance Region up to 200 keV, the n_TOF results show a reasonable agreement with previous measurements and evaluated data.

Improved mass resolution and mass accuracy in TOF-SIMS spectra and images using argon gas cluster ion beams.

Science.gov (United States)

Shon, Hyun Kyong; Yoon, Sohee; Moon, Jeong Hee; Lee, Tae Geol

2016-06-09

The popularity of argon gas cluster ion beams (Ar-GCIB) as primary ion beams in time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) has increased because the molecular ions of large organic- and biomolecules can be detected with less damage to the sample surfaces. However, Ar-GCIB is limited by poor mass resolution as well as poor mass accuracy. The inferior quality of the mass resolution in a TOF-SIMS spectrum obtained by using Ar-GCIB compared to the one obtained by a bismuth liquid metal cluster ion beam and others makes it difficult to identify unknown peaks because of the mass interference from the neighboring peaks. However, in this study, the authors demonstrate improved mass resolution in TOF-SIMS using Ar-GCIB through the delayed extraction of secondary ions, a method typically used in TOF mass spectrometry to increase mass resolution. As for poor mass accuracy, although mass calibration using internal peaks with low mass such as hydrogen and carbon is a common approach in TOF-SIMS, it is unsuited to the present study because of the disappearance of the low-mass peaks in the delayed extraction mode. To resolve this issue, external mass calibration, another regularly used method in TOF-MS, was adapted to enhance mass accuracy in the spectrum and image generated by TOF-SIMS using Ar-GCIB in the delayed extraction mode. By producing spectra analyses of a peptide mixture and bovine serum albumin protein digested with trypsin, along with image analyses of rat brain samples, the authors demonstrate for the first time the enhancement of mass resolution and mass accuracy for the purpose of analyzing large biomolecules in TOF-SIMS using Ar-GCIB through the use of delayed extraction and external mass calibration.

Exact suppression of depolarisation by beam-beam interaction in an electron ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buon, J.

1983-03-01

It is shown that depolarisation due to beam-beam interaction can be exactly suppressed in an electron storage ring. The necessary ''spin matching'' conditions to be fulfilled are derived for a planar ring. They depend on the ring optics, assumed linear, but not on the features of the beam-beam force, like intensity and non-linearity. Extension to a ring equipped with 90 0 spin rotators is straightorward

The CT scanner as a therapy machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwamoto, K.S.; Norman, A.

1990-01-01

Many tumors in the brain and in other tissues can be delineated precisely in images obtained with a CT scanner. After the scan is obtained the patient is taken to another room for radiation therapy and is positioned in the beam with the aid of external markers, simulators or stereotactic devices. This procedure is time consuming and subject to error when precise localization of the beam is desired. The CT scanner itself, with the addition of the collimator, is capable of delivering radiation therapy with great precision without the need for external markers. The patient can be scanned and treated on the same table, the isocenter of the beam can be placed precisely in the center of the lesion, the beam can be restricted to just those planes in which the lesion appears, several arcs can be obtained by simply tilting the gantry, and the position of the patient in the beam can be monitored continuously during therapy. The authors describe the properties of the CTX, the CT scanner modified for therapy. (author). 6 refs.; 6 figs

Computer-aided analysis of digital dental impressions obtained from intraoral and extraoral scanners.

Science.gov (United States)

Bohner, Lauren Oliveira Lima; De Luca Canto, Graziela; Marció, Bruno Silva; Laganá, Dalva Cruz; Sesma, Newton; Tortamano Neto, Pedro

2017-11-01

The internal and marginal adaptation of a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) prosthesis relies on the quality of the 3-dimensional image. The quality of imaging systems requires evaluation. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate and compare the trueness of intraoral and extraoral scanners in scanning prepared teeth. Ten acrylic resin teeth to be used as a reference dataset were prepared according to standard guidelines and scanned with an industrial computed tomography system. Data were acquired with 4 scanner devices (n=10): the Trios intraoral scanner (TIS), the D250 extraoral scanner (DES), the Cerec Bluecam intraoral scanner (CBIS), and the Cerec InEosX5 extraoral scanner (CIES). For intraoral scanners, each tooth was digitized individually. Extraoral scanning was obtained from dental casts of each prepared tooth. The discrepancy between each scan and its respective reference model was obtained by deviation analysis (μm) and volume/area difference (μm). Statistical analysis was performed using linear models for repeated measurement factors test and 1-way ANOVA (α=.05). No significant differences in deviation values were found among scanners. For CBIS and CIES, the deviation was significantly higher (PDentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mapping Ring Particle Cooling across Saturn's Rings with Cassini CIRS

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Shawn M.; Spilker, L. J.; Edgington, S. G.; Pilorz, S. H.; Deau, E.

2010-10-01

Previous studies have shown that the rings' thermal inertia, a measure of their response to changes in the thermal environment, varies from ring to ring. Thermal inertia can provide insight into the physical structure of Saturn's ring particles and their regoliths. Low thermal inertia and quick temperature responses are suggestive of ring particles that have more porous or fluffy regoliths or that are riddled with cracks. Solid, coherent particles can be expected to have higher thermal inertias (Ferrari et al. 2005). Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer has recorded millions of spectra of Saturn's rings since its arrival at Saturn in 2004 (personal communication, M. Segura). CIRS records far infrared radiation between 10 and 600 cm-1 (16.7 and 1000 µm) at focal plane 1 (FP1), which has a field of view of 3.9 mrad. Thermal emission from Saturn's rings peaks in this wavelength range. FP1 spectra can be used to infer ring temperatures. By tracking how ring temperatures vary, we can determine the thermal inertia of the rings. In this work we focus on CIRS observations of the shadowed portion of Saturn's rings. The thermal budget of the rings is dominated by the solar radiation absorbed by its constituent particles. When ring particles enter Saturn's shadow this source of energy is abruptly cut off. As a result, ring particles cool as they traverse Saturn's shadow. From these shadow observations we can create cooling curves at specific locations across the rings. We will show that the rings' cooling curves and thus their thermal inertia vary not only from ring to ring, but by location within the individual rings. This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA. Copyright 2010 California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged.

The present status of the n-TOF facility at CERN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igashira, Masayuki

2005-01-01

The main aim of the n - TOF facility at CERN is to provide precise neutron cross-section data relevant to the R and D of accelerator driven systems, nuclear astrophysics, etc. It is composed of a spallation neutron source, a 187.5-m flight path, a variety of detectors, a data acquisition system, etc. A 20 GeV proton synchrotron is employed together with a lead target for the spallation neutron source. The measurement of capture and fission cross sections started in 2002 and had been performed until the mid of November in 2004. The capture and fission measurements were performed for 28 and 7 isotopes, respectively. The brief history, present status, and future plan of the n - TOF facility are reported. (author)

Development of TOF-PET using Compton scattering by plastic scintillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuramoto, M.; Nakamori, T.; Kimura, S.; Gunji, S.; Takakura, M.; Kataoka, J.

2017-01-01

We propose a time-of-flight (TOF) technique using plastic scintillators which have fast decay time of a few ns for positron emission tomography (PET). While the photoelectric absorption probability of the plastic for 511 keV gamma rays are extremely low due to its small density and effective atomic number, the cross section of Compton scattering is comparable to that of absorption by conventional inorganic scintillators. We thus propose TOF-PET using Compton scattering with plastic scintillators (Compton-PET), and performed fundamental experiments towards exploration of the Compton-PET capability. We demonstrated that the plastic scintillators achieved the better time resolution in comparison to LYSO(Ce) and GAGG(Ce) scintillators. In addition we evaluated the depth-of-interaction resolving capability with the plastic scintillators.

Development of TOF-PET using Compton scattering by plastic scintillators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuramoto, M., E-mail: kuramoto@maxwell.kj.yamagata-u.ac.jp [Yamagata University, Kojirakawa 1-4-12, Yamagata 990-8560 (Japan); Nakamori, T., E-mail: nakamori@maxwell.kj.yamagata-u.ac.jp [Yamagata University, Kojirakawa 1-4-12, Yamagata 990-8560 (Japan); Kimura, S.; Gunji, S.; Takakura, M. [Yamagata University, Kojirakawa 1-4-12, Yamagata 990-8560 (Japan); Kataoka, J. [Waseda University, Okubo 3-4-1, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan)

2017-02-11

We propose a time-of-flight (TOF) technique using plastic scintillators which have fast decay time of a few ns for positron emission tomography (PET). While the photoelectric absorption probability of the plastic for 511 keV gamma rays are extremely low due to its small density and effective atomic number, the cross section of Compton scattering is comparable to that of absorption by conventional inorganic scintillators. We thus propose TOF-PET using Compton scattering with plastic scintillators (Compton-PET), and performed fundamental experiments towards exploration of the Compton-PET capability. We demonstrated that the plastic scintillators achieved the better time resolution in comparison to LYSO(Ce) and GAGG(Ce) scintillators. In addition we evaluated the depth-of-interaction resolving capability with the plastic scintillators.

Development of TOF-PET using Compton scattering by plastic scintillators

Science.gov (United States)

Kuramoto, M.; Nakamori, T.; Kimura, S.; Gunji, S.; Takakura, M.; Kataoka, J.

2017-02-01

We propose a time-of-flight (TOF) technique using plastic scintillators which have fast decay time of a few ns for positron emission tomography (PET). While the photoelectric absorption probability of the plastic for 511 keV gamma rays are extremely low due to its small density and effective atomic number, the cross section of Compton scattering is comparable to that of absorption by conventional inorganic scintillators. We thus propose TOF-PET using Compton scattering with plastic scintillators (Compton-PET), and performed fundamental experiments towards exploration of the Compton-PET capability. We demonstrated that the plastic scintillators achieved the better time resolution in comparison to LYSO(Ce) and GAGG(Ce) scintillators. In addition we evaluated the depth-of-interaction resolving capability with the plastic scintillators.

Application of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in clinical diagnostic microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

De Carolis, Elena; Vella, Antonietta; Vaccaro, Luisa; Torelli, Riccardo; Spanu, Teresa; Fiori, Barbara; Posteraro, Brunella; Sanguinetti, Maurizio

2014-09-12

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has recently emerged as a powerful technique for identification of microorganisms, changing the workflow of well-established laboratories so that its impact on microbiological diagnostics has been unparalleled. In comparison with conventional identification methods that rely on biochemical tests and require long incubation procedures, MALDI-TOF MS has the advantage of identifying bacteria and fungi directly from colonies grown on culture plates in a few minutes and with simple procedures. Numerous studies on different systems available demonstrate the reliability and accuracy of the method, and new frontiers have been explored besides microbial species level identification, such as direct identification of pathogens from positive blood cultures, subtyping, and drug susceptibility detection.

Dynamic apeerture in damping rings with realistic wigglers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cai, Yunhai; /SLAC

2005-05-04

The International Linear Collider based on superconducting RF cavities requires the damping rings to have extremely small equilibrium emittance, huge circumference, fast damping time, and large acceptance. To achieve all of these requirements is a very challenging task. In this paper, we will present a systematic approach to designing the damping rings using simple cells and non-interlaced sextupoles. The designs of the damping rings with various circumferences and shapes, including dogbone, are presented. To model realistic wigglers, we have developed a new hybrid symplectic integrator for faster and accurate evaluation of dynamic aperture of the lattices.

Stage IA non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the Waldeyer's ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uematsu, Minoru; Kondo, Makoto; Kubo, Asuchishi

1993-01-01

Seventeen patients with stage IA non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the Waldeyer's ring were treated with radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. All lesions were judged as having intermediate grade malignancy in the Working Formulation. Eight patients received combined treatment with three cycles of cylcophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednison (CHOP) and radiation therapy with 30 to 40 Gy. Another 9 patients were treated with radiation therapy 40 to 60 Gy alone. After a median follow-up of 69 months, all 8 patients, treated with combined modality were alive and relapse-free whereas 4 of the 9 treated with irradiation alone had relapsed. All relapses occurred transdiaphragmatically. Two of the 4 relapsing patients were saved, but the other two died of the disease. The 5-year relapse-free and cause-specific survival rates were 100% and 100% in the combined modality group, and 56% and 76% in the radiation therapy alone group (relapse-free: p=0.04, cause-specific: p=0.16). There were no serious complications related to treatment, although most patients complained of mouth dryness and most patients given CHOP had paresthesia. Our opinion was that the total impact of these two side-effects on quality of life was less pronounced after combined modality than after radiation therapy alone. Limited chemotherapy and radiation therapy seemed to be more beneficial than radiation therapy alone not only in relapse-free survival but also in quality of life after treatment. (orig.)

Upgraded airborne scanner for commercial remote sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Sheng-Huei; Rubin, Tod D.

1994-06-01

Traditional commercial remote sensing has focused on the geologic market, with primary focus on mineral identification and mapping in the visible through short-wave infrared spectral regions (0.4 to 2.4 microns). Commercial remote sensing users now demand airborne scanning capabilities spanning the entire wavelength range from ultraviolet through thermal infrared (0.3 to 12 microns). This spectral range enables detection, identification, and mapping of objects and liquids on the earth's surface and gases in the air. Applications requiring this range of wavelengths include detection and mapping of oil spills, soil and water contamination, stressed vegetation, and renewable and non-renewable natural resources, and also change detection, natural hazard mitigation, emergency response, agricultural management, and urban planning. GER has designed and built a configurable scanner that acquires high resolution images in 63 selected wave bands in this broad wavelength range.

Homotopic non-local regularized reconstruction from sparse positron emission tomography measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Alexander; Liu, Chenyi; Wang, Xiao Yu; Fieguth, Paul; Bie, Hongxia

2015-01-01

Positron emission tomography scanners collect measurements of a patient’s in vivo radiotracer distribution. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide (tracer), which is introduced into the body on a biologically active molecule, and the tomograms must be reconstructed from projections. The reconstruction of tomograms from the acquired PET data is an inverse problem that requires regularization. The use of tightly packed discrete detector rings, although improves signal-to-noise ratio, are often associated with high costs of positron emission tomography systems. Thus a sparse reconstruction, which would be capable of overcoming the noise effect while allowing for a reduced number of detectors, would have a great deal to offer. In this study, we introduce and investigate the potential of a homotopic non-local regularization reconstruction framework for effectively reconstructing positron emission tomograms from such sparse measurements. Results obtained using the proposed approach are compared with traditional filtered back-projection as well as expectation maximization reconstruction with total variation regularization. A new reconstruction method was developed for the purpose of improving the quality of positron emission tomography reconstruction from sparse measurements. We illustrate that promising reconstruction performance can be achieved for the proposed approach even at low sampling fractions, which allows for the use of significantly fewer detectors and have the potential to reduce scanner costs

Commissioning of n_TOF EAR2

CERN Multimedia

The construction of the second beam line and experiment area (EAR2) of the n_TOF facility is currently ongoing and scheduled to be completed by July 2014. An extensive series of measurements is planned in order to determine the beam characteristics like the neutron flux, the spatial beam profile and the resolution function, as well as the response of several detectors considered for use in future measurements at EAR2. A rigorous study of backgrounds will be undertaken in various conditions.

The dynamics of rings around small, irregular bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Sicardy, Bruno

2017-06-01

Stellar occultations revealed the presence of two dense rings around the Centaur object (10199) Chariklo (Braga-Ribas et al., Nature 508, 72, 2014). This is the first ring system discovered around an object that is not a giant planet, suggesting that rings may exist around numerous bodies in the solar system. Chariklo's rings roughly reside at the outer limit of the Roche zone of the body. Moreover, the main ring has sharp edges, which call for the presence of putative shepherd satellites. Those characteristics give an image of Chariklo's rings that are rather similar, in terms of dynamics, to those surrounding the gaseous planets.An important difference exists, however, between giant planets and small bodies: the formers are highly axisymmetric, while the latters can support mass anomalies (eg surface topographic features) or non-spherical shapes (eg an ellipsoidal figure of equilibrium) that involve masses, relative to the body itself, as large as 10-4-10-3.We investigate the effect of non-axisymmetric terms in the potential of the body upon a collisional debris disk that initially surrounds a small irregular body. We show that the corotation points being maxima of energy, dissipative collisions remove the particles from the corotation zone over short time scales (< 106 years). Moreover, the Lindblad resonances inside the corotation radius create torques that drive the particles onto the surface of the central body. Conversely, the outer Lindblad resonances push the disk material beyond the outer 3/2 and 2/1 Lindblad resonances.Taking as an example Chariklo's ring system, for which recent data have been obtained from stellar occultations, we show that the Lindblad resonant torques actuate over short time scales (< 106 years). This general picture offers a natural explanation of the presence of dense rings at the outer limit of Chariklo's Roche zone, and their absence closer to the body.The work leading to this results has received funding from the European

In-beam test of the RPC architecture foreseen to be used for the CBM-TOF inner wall

Science.gov (United States)

Petriş, M.; Bartoş, D.; Petrovici, M.; Rădulescu, L.; Simion, V.; Deppner, I.; Herrmann, N.; Simon, C.; Frühauf, J.; Kiš, M.; Loizeau, P.-A.

2018-05-01

The Time Of Flight (TOF) subsystem is one of the main detectors of the CBM experiment. The TOF wall in conjunction with Silicon Tracking System (STS) is foreseen to identify charged hadrons, i.e. pions, kaons and protons, with a full azimuthal coverage at 2.50 - 250 polar angles. A system time resolution of at least 80 ps, including all contributions, such as electronics jitter and the resolution of the time reference system, is required. Such a performance should be maintained up to a counting rate larger than 30 kHz/cm2 at the most inner region of TOF wall. Our R&D activity has been focused on the development of two-dimensional position sensitive Multi-gap Resistive Plate Counter (MRPC) prototypes for the forward region of the CBM-TOF subdetector, the most demanding zone in terms of granularity and counting rate. The in-beam tests using secondary particles produced in 30 GeV/u Pb ion collisions on a Pb target at SPS - CERN aimed to test the performance of these prototypes in conditions similar to the ones expected at SIS100 at FAIR. The performance of the prototypes is studied in conditions of exposure of the whole active area of the chamber to high multiplicity of reaction products. The results show that this type of MRPC fulfill the challenging requirements of the CBM-TOF wall. Therefore, such an architecture is recommended as basic solution for CBM-TOF inner zone.

Photometric Analysis of the Jovian Ring System and Modeling of Ring Origin and Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Esposito, L. W.

2003-01-01

We have successfully completed the work described in our proposal. The work supported by this grant resulted in the publication of the following paper: Brooks, S. M., L. W. Esposito, M. R. Showalter, and H. B. Throop. 2002. The size distribution of Jupiter's main ring from Galileo imaging and spectroscopy. Icarus, in press. This was also the major part of Dr. Shawn Brooks PhD dissertation. Dr. Brooks gave oral presentations on this work at the Lunar and Planetary Conference, the annual meetings of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society, the annual meetings of the European Geophysical Society, the international Jupiter Conference in Boulder, the Jupiter after Galileo and Cassini Conference in Lisbon and to the Working Group in Non-Linear Dynamics in Potsdam, Germany. This work was reviewed in: Esposito, L. W. 2002. Planetary rings. Rep. hog. Phys. 65, 1741-1783. Planetary rings. LASP reprint 874. Online at http://stacks.iop.org/RoPP/65/1741. Dr. Esposito gave presentations at schools and over the internet on the results of this work. Dr. Brooks lectured in undergraduate and graduate classes on Jupiter's rings, and on the meaning of his research. In August 2003, Dr. Shawn Brooks received the Phd degree from the University of Colorado in Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences.

A rural CT scanner: evaluating the effect on local health care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merkens, B.J.; Mowbray, R.D.; Creeden, L.; Engels, P.T.; Rothwell, D.M.; Chan, B.T.B.; Tu, K.

2006-01-01

The first small rural hospital in Ontario to propose a computed tomography (CT) scanner was in Walkerton, a town 160 km north of London. The Ontario Ministry of Health approved the proposal as a pilot project to evaluate the effect on local health care of a rural scanner. This evaluation study had 3 parts: a survey of physicians, a survey of patients, and an analysis of population CT scanning rates. The physicians in the area served by the scanner were asked about its impact on their care of their patients in a mailed questionnaire and in semistructured interviews. Scanner outpatients were given a questionnaire in which they rated the importance of its advantages. The analysis of scanning rates--the ratio of number of scans to estimated population--compared rates in the area with other Ontario rates before and after the scanner was introduced. The physicians reported that local CT allowed them to diagnose and treat patients sooner, closer to home, and with greater confidence. On average, 75% of the patients ranked faster and closer access as very important. Scanning rates in the area rose, although they did not match urban rates. The study confirms that the rural scanner changed the area's health care in significant ways and that it helped to narrow the gap between rural and urban service levels. We recommend that CT be expanded to other rural regions. (author)

Verification of a CT scanner using a miniature step gauge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cantatore, Angela; Andreasen, J.L.; Carmignato, S.

2011-01-01

The work deals with performance verification of a CT scanner using a 42mm miniature replica step gauge developed for optical scanner verification. Errors quantification and optimization of CT system set-up in terms of resolution and measurement accuracy are fundamental for use of CT scanning...

The performance of silicon photomultipliers in Cherenkov TOF PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolenec, Rok; Korpar, Samo; Krizan, Peter; Pestotink, Rok

2015-01-01

In time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF PET) one of the main factors limiting the time resolution is the time evolution of the scintillation process. This can be avoided by using exclusively the Cherenkov light produced in a suitable material. Sub 100 ps FWHM timing has already been experimentally demonstrated but with a drawback of relatively low detection efficiency due to the photodetectors used. In this work silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are considered as a photodetector in Cherenkov TOF PET. The detection efficiency can be significantly improved by using SiPMs, however, at room temperature the SiPM dark counts introduce a significant source of fake coincidences. SiPM samples from different producers were tested in a simple back-to-back setup in combination with lead fluoride Cherenkov radiators. Results for coincidence timing, detection efficiency and effects of dark counts at different temperatures and SiPM overvoltages are presented.

Quality assurance for MR stereotactic imaging for three Siemens scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozubikova, P.; Novotny, J. Jr.; Kulhova, K.; Mihalova, P.; Tamasova, J.; Veselsk, T.

2014-01-01

Quality assurance of stereotactic imaging, especially with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), is a complex issue. It can be divided in the basic verification and commissioning of a particular new scanner or a new scanning MRI protocol that is being implemented into a clinical practice and the routine quality assurance performed for each single radiosurgical case. The aim of this study was geometric distortion assessment in MRI with a special PTGR (Physikalisch-Technische Gesellschaft fuer Radiologie - GmbH, Tuebingen, Germany) target phantom. PTGR phantom consists of 21 three-dimensional cross-hairs filled with contrast medium. Cross hairs are positioned at known Leksell coordinates with a precision of better than 0.1 mm and covering the whole stereotactic space. The phantom can be fixed in the Leksell stereotactic frame and thus stereotactic imaging procedures can be reproduced following exactly the same steps as for a real patient, including also the stereotactic image definition in the Leksell GammaPlan. Since the geometric position (stereotactic coordinates) of each cross-hair is known based on the construction of the phantom, it can be compared with the actual measured Leksell coordinates based on the stereotactic MRI. Deviations between expected and actual coordinates provide information about the level of distortion. The measured distortions proved satisfactory accuracy precision for stereotactic localization at 1.5 T Siemens Magnetom Avanto scanner, Siemens Magnetom Symphony scanner and 3T Siemens Magnetom Skyra scanner (Na Homolce Hospital, Prague). The mean distortion for these MR scanners for standard imaging protocol (T1 weighted 3D images) were 0.8 mm, 1.1 mm and 1.1 mm and maximum distortions were 1.3 mm, 1.9 mm and 2.2 mm, respectively.There was detected dependence of the distortions on the slice orientation and the type of imaging protocol. Image distortions are also property of each particular scanner, the worst distortion were observed for 3T

Improvement of brain single photon emission tomography (SPET) using transmission data acquisition in a four-head SPET scanner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murase, Kenya; Tanada, Shuji; Inoue, Takeshi; Sugawara, Yoshifumi; Hamamoto, Ken

1993-01-01

Attenuation coefficient maps (μ-maps) are a useful way to compensate for non-uniform attenuation when performing single photon emission tomography (SPET). A new method was developed to record single photon transmission data and a μ-map for the brain was produced using a four-head SPET scanner. Transmission data were acquired by a gamma camera of opposite to a flood radioactive source attached to one of four gamma cameras in the four-head SPET scanner. Attenuation correction was performed using the iterative expectation maximization algorithm and the μ-map. Phantom studies demonstrated that this method could reconstruct the distribution of radioactivity more accurately than conventional methods, even for a severely non-uniform μ-map, and could improve the quality of SPET images. Clinical application to technetium-99m hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime (HMPAO) brain SPET also demonstrated the usefulness of this method. Thus, this method appears to be promising for improvement in the image quality and quantitative accuracy of brain SPET. (orig.)

On commutativity of one-sided s-unital rings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. A. S. Abujabal

1992-01-01

Full Text Available The following theorem is proved: Let r=r(y>1, s, and t be non-negative integers. If R is a left s-unital ring satisfies the polynomial identity [xy−xsyrxt,x]=0 for every x,y∈R, then R is commutative. The commutativity of a right s-unital ring satisfying the polynomial identity [xy−yrxt,x]=0 for all x,y∈R, is also proved.

Novel Zinc-Catalytic Systems for Ring-Opening Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karolina Żółtowska

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Polycaprolactone (PCL is a biodegradable synthetic polymer that is currently widely used in many pharmaceutical and medical applications. In this paper we describe the coordination ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone in the presence of two newly synthesized catalytic systems: diethylzinc/gallic acid and diethylzinc/propyl gallate. The chemical structures of the obtained PCLs were characterized by 1H- or 13C-NMR, FTIR spectroscopy and MALDI TOF mass spectrometry. The average molecular weight of the resulting polyesters was analysed by gel permeation chromatography and a viscosity method. The effects of temperature, reaction time and type of catalytic system on the polymerization process were examined. Linear PCLs with defined average molecular weight were successfully obtained. Importantly, in some cases the presence of macrocyclic products was not observed during the polymerization process. This study provides an effective method for the synthesis of biodegradable polyesters for medical and pharmaceutical applications due to the fact that gallic acid/propyl gallate are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Precipitation reconstruction using ring-width chronology

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

ring samples of two adjacent homogeneous sites, has been used to reconstruct precipitation for the non-monsoon months (previous year October to concurrent May) back to AD 1171. This provides the first record of hydrological conditions for the ...

Generation and detection of vortex rings in superfluid 4He at very low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yano, H; Nishijima, A; Yamamoto, S; Ogawa, T; Nago, Y; Obara, K; Ishikawa, O; Tsubota, M; Hata, T

2012-01-01

Motions of vortices are fundamental characteristics of quantum turbulence. These motions are expected to be governed only by quantized circulations in superfluids at the zero temperature limit. In the present paper, we report the motions of vortex rings emitted from a quantum turbulence in superfluid 4 He, by detecting vortex rings using a vortex-free vibrating wire as a detector. The time of flights of vortex rings are distributed, because vortex rings are emitted in any direction from a turbulent region and the detector can respond only to a reachable vortex ring. By measuring time-of-flights many times, we find an exponential distribution of time-of-flights with a non-detection period, which corresponds to the fastest time of flights of vortex rings. For a larger generation power of vortex rings, a distribution of time-of-flights still shows a single exponential distribution, but a non-detection period becomes shorter. This result implies that sizes of emitted vortex rings are distributed dependently on the generation power of turbulence. The observed exponential distributions are confirmed by numerical simulations of the dynamics of vortex rings.

The nonlinear evolution of ring dark solitons in Bose-Einstein condensates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue Jukui

2004-01-01

The dynamics of the ring dark soliton in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with thin disc-shaped potential is investigated analytically and numerically. Analytical investigation shows that the ring dark soliton in the radial non-symmetric cylindrical BEC is governed by a cylindrical Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation, while the ring dark soliton in the radial symmetric cylindrical BEC is governed by a cylindrical Korteweg-de Vries equation. The reduction to the cylindrical KP or KdV equation may be useful to understand the dynamics of a ring dark soliton. The numerical results show that the evolution properties and the snaking of a ring dark soliton are modified significantly by the trapping

On commutativity of right s-unital rings with some polynomial constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M.A.

1994-08-01

We study the commutativity of certain class of rings, namely rings with unity 1 and right s-unital rings under each of the following properties [yx m - x n f(y)x p ,x]=0, [yx m +x n f(y)x p ,x]=0, where f(t) is a polynomial in t 2 Z[t] varying with pair of ring elements x,y and m,n,p are fixed non-negative integers. Moreover, the results have been extended to the case when m and n depend on the choice of x and y and the ring satisfies the Chacron's Theorem. (author). 14 refs

Defense Commissaries: Issues Related to the Sale of Electronic Scanner Data

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1998-01-01

In response to your request that we review DeCA'S sale of scanner data and its implementation of category management, this report identifies DeCA'S total revenue from selling scanner data and compares license revenues...

Molecular weight evaluation of poly-dimethylsiloxane on solid surfaces using silver deposition/TOF-SIMS

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Masae; Murase, Atsushi

2004-06-01

Molecular ions include information about end groups, functional groups and molecular weight. A method for directly detecting this in the high-mass region of the spectrum (>1000 amu) from poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) on a solid surface was investigated. It was found that a TOF-SIMS analysis of silver-deposited surfaces (silver deposition/TOF-SIMS) is useful for this purpose. Two methods for silver deposition, the diode sputtering method and the vacuum evaporation coating method, were tried. The former required the sample to be cooled so as to prevent the damage of the sample surface due to thermal oxidation; the latter caused no damage to sample surfaces at room temperature. Using silver deposition/TOF-SIMS analysis, silver-cationized quasi-molecular ions were clearly detected from PDMS on solid surfaces and their images were observed without the interference of deposited silver. By applying to the analysis of paint defects, etc., it was confirmed that this technique is useful to analyze practical industrial materials. Silver-cationized ions were detected not only from PDMS, but also from other organic materials, such as some kinds of lubricant additives and fluorine oils on solid surfaces. Therefore, silver deposition/TOF-SIMS was proved to be useful for the analysis of thin substances on solid surfaces.

Bayesian Peptide Peak Detection for High Resolution TOF Mass Spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jianqiu; Zhou, Xiaobo; Wang, Honghui; Suffredini, Anthony; Zhang, Lin; Huang, Yufei; Wong, Stephen

2010-11-01

In this paper, we address the issue of peptide ion peak detection for high resolution time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) data. A novel Bayesian peptide ion peak detection method is proposed for TOF data with resolution of 10 000-15 000 full width at half-maximum (FWHW). MS spectra exhibit distinct characteristics at this resolution, which are captured in a novel parametric model. Based on the proposed parametric model, a Bayesian peak detection algorithm based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling is developed. The proposed algorithm is tested on both simulated and real datasets. The results show a significant improvement in detection performance over a commonly employed method. The results also agree with expert's visual inspection. Moreover, better detection consistency is achieved across MS datasets from patients with identical pathological condition.

Ultra-High-Resolution Computed Tomography of the Lung: Image Quality of a Prototype Scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Kakinuma, Ryutaro; Moriyama, Noriyuki; Muramatsu, Yukio; Gomi, Shiho; Suzuki, Masahiro; Nagasawa, Hirobumi; Kusumoto, Masahiko; Aso, Tomohiko; Muramatsu, Yoshihisa; Tsuchida, Takaaki; Tsuta, Koji; Maeshima, Akiko Miyagi; Tochigi, Naobumi; Watanabe, Shun-ichi; Sugihara, Naoki; Tsukagoshi, Shinsuke; Saito, Yasuo; Kazama, Masahiro; Ashizawa, Kazuto; Awai, Kazuo; Honda, Osamu; Ishikawa, Hiroyuki; Koizumi, Naoya; Komoto, Daisuke; Moriya, Hiroshi; Oda, Seitaro; Oshiro, Yasuji; Yanagawa, Masahiro; Tomiyama, Noriyuki; Asamura, Hisao

2015-01-01

Purpose The image noise and image quality of a prototype ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (U-HRCT) scanner was evaluated and compared with those of conventional high-resolution CT (C-HRCT) scanners. Materials and Methods This study was approved by the institutional review board. A U-HRCT scanner prototype with 0.25 mm x 4 rows and operating at 120 mAs was used. The C-HRCT images were obtained using a 0.5 mm x 16 or 0.5 mm x 64 detector-row CT scanner operating at 150 mAs. Images from both scanners were reconstructed at 0.1-mm intervals; the slice thickness was 0.25 mm for the U-HRCT scanner and 0.5 mm for the C-HRCT scanners. For both scanners, the display field of view was 80 mm. The image noise of each scanner was evaluated using a phantom. U-HRCT and C-HRCT images of 53 images selected from 37 lung nodules were then observed and graded using a 5-point score by 10 board-certified thoracic radiologists. The images were presented to the observers randomly and in a blinded manner. Results The image noise for U-HRCT (100.87 ± 0.51 Hounsfield units [HU]) was greater than that for C-HRCT (40.41 ± 0.52 HU; P < .0001). The image quality of U-HRCT was graded as superior to that of C-HRCT (P < .0001) for all of the following parameters that were examined: margins of subsolid and solid nodules, edges of solid components and pulmonary vessels in subsolid nodules, air bronchograms, pleural indentations, margins of pulmonary vessels, edges of bronchi, and interlobar fissures. Conclusion Despite a larger image noise, the prototype U-HRCT scanner had a significantly better image quality than the C-HRCT scanners. PMID:26352144

Ultra-High-Resolution Computed Tomography of the Lung: Image Quality of a Prototype Scanner.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryutaro Kakinuma

Full Text Available The image noise and image quality of a prototype ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (U-HRCT scanner was evaluated and compared with those of conventional high-resolution CT (C-HRCT scanners.This study was approved by the institutional review board. A U-HRCT scanner prototype with 0.25 mm x 4 rows and operating at 120 mAs was used. The C-HRCT images were obtained using a 0.5 mm x 16 or 0.5 mm x 64 detector-row CT scanner operating at 150 mAs. Images from both scanners were reconstructed at 0.1-mm intervals; the slice thickness was 0.25 mm for the U-HRCT scanner and 0.5 mm for the C-HRCT scanners. For both scanners, the display field of view was 80 mm. The image noise of each scanner was evaluated using a phantom. U-HRCT and C-HRCT images of 53 images selected from 37 lung nodules were then observed and graded using a 5-point score by 10 board-certified thoracic radiologists. The images were presented to the observers randomly and in a blinded manner.The image noise for U-HRCT (100.87 ± 0.51 Hounsfield units [HU] was greater than that for C-HRCT (40.41 ± 0.52 HU; P < .0001. The image quality of U-HRCT was graded as superior to that of C-HRCT (P < .0001 for all of the following parameters that were examined: margins of subsolid and solid nodules, edges of solid components and pulmonary vessels in subsolid nodules, air bronchograms, pleural indentations, margins of pulmonary vessels, edges of bronchi, and interlobar fissures.Despite a larger image noise, the prototype U-HRCT scanner had a significantly better image quality than the C-HRCT scanners.