Dependency of image quality on system configuration parameters in a stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system

Purpose: In principle, a stationary digital breast tomosynthesis (s-DBT) system has better image quality when compared to continuous motion DBT systems due to zero motion blur of the source. The authors have developed a s-DBT system by using a linear carbon nanotube x-ray source array. The purpose of the current study was to quantitatively evaluate the performance of the s-DBT system;and investigate the dependence of imaging quality on the system configuration parameters. Methods: Physical phantoms were used to assess the image quality of each configuration including inplane resolution as measured by the modulation transfer function (MTF), inplane contrast as measured by the signal difference to noise ratio (SdNR), and depth resolution as measured by the z-axis artifact spread function. Five parameters were varied to create five groups of configurations: (1) total angular span; (2) total number of projection images; (3) distribution of exposure (mAs) across the projection images; (4) entrance dose; (5) detector pixel size. Results: It was found that the z-axis depth resolution increased with the total angular span but was insensitive to the number of projection images, mAs distribution, entrance dose, and detector pixel size. The SdNR was not affected by the angular span or the number of projection images. A decrease in SdNR was observed when the mAs was not evenly distributed across the projection images. As expected, the SdNR increased with entrance dose and when larger pixel sizes were used. For a given detector pixel size, the inplane resolution was found to be insensitive to the total angular span, number of projection images, mAs distribution, and entrance dose. A 25% increase in the MTF was observed when the detector was operating in full resolution mode (70 μm pixel size) compared to 2 × 2 binned mode (140 μm pixel size). Conclusions: The results suggest that the optimal imaging configuration for a s-DBT system is a large angular span, an intermittent number of projection views, and a uniform mAs distribution over all views. With the detector operating at full resolution, a stationary DBT system can achieve an inplane resolution of 5.1 cycles per mm, which is significantly better than continuous motion DBT systems

Extreme Values of Relative Distances for Spacecraft in Elliptic Displaced Orbits

This paper provides a framework to obtain a semi-analytical approximation of extreme values of relative distances between two spacecraft that cover elliptic displaced orbits. The relative motion is described in the rotating reference frame of the chief spacecraft and is parameterized with a new set of displaced orbital elements. The extreme values of the radial, along-track and cross-track distance are analytically evaluated (as roots of suitable algebraic equations) both for quasi-periodic orbits in the incommensurable case, and for periodic orbits in the 1:1 commensurable case. In particular, in the 1:1 commensurable case a Fourier series expansion is used to obtain a time-explicit expression of the relative motion. Finally, some illustrative examples are presented to validate the correctness of the proposed method

Grain Oriented Crystallization, Piezoelectric, and Pyroelectric Properties of (BaxSr₂ - X)TiSi₂O₈ Glass Ceramics

Polar, nonferroelectric (BaxSr2 - x)TiSi2O8 glass ceramics with highly oriented crystallites were prepared by a gradient temperature heat treatment technique. The crystallization mechanism and microstructures of (BaxSr2 - x)TiSi2O8 glass ceramics were investigated by means of differential thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, and the dielectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties were investigated for various compositions. The results show that polar (BaxSr2 - x)TiSi2O8 glass ceramics have a low dielectric constant and a high hydrostatic figure of merit dh × gh = ~ 2500. This high hydrostatic figure of merit, along with other unique characteristics, such as no aging or depoling problems and good stability at high temperatures, high pressure, and in harsh environments, makes (BaxSr2 - x)TiSi2O8 glass ceramics attractive for use as hydrophones and high temperature infrared detectors

A peak capacitor current pulse-train controlled buck converter with fast transient response and a wide load range

It is known that ripple-based control of a switching dc-dc converter benefits from a faster transient response than a conventional PWM control switching dc-dc converter. However, ripple-based control switching dc-dc converters may suffer from fast-scale oscillation. In order to achieve fast transient response and ensure stable operation of a switching dc-dc converter over a wide load range, based on a conventional pulse train control technique, a peak capacitor current pulse train (PCC-PT) control technique is proposed in this paper. With a buck converter as an example, the operating modes, steady-state performance and transient respond performance of a PCC-PT controlled buck converter are presented and assessed. To eliminate fast-scale oscillation, circuit and control parameter design consideration are given. An accurate discrete iteration model of a PCC-PT controlled buck converter is established, based on which, the effects of circuit parameters on stability of converter operating in a DCM mode, mixed DCM-CCM mode, and CCM mode are studied. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the analysis results

NASA ASCENDS Mission to Measure Atmospheric CO2 from Space: A Status Report

No abstract availabl

Analysis of the Tribolium homeotic complex: insights into mechanisms constraining insect Hox clusters

The remarkable conservation of Hox clusters is an accepted but little understood principle of biology. Some organizational constraints have been identified for vertebrate Hox clusters, but most of these are thought to be recent innovations that may not apply to other organisms. Ironically, many model organisms have disrupted Hox clusters and may not be well-suited for studies of structural constraints. In contrast, the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, which has a long history in Hox gene research, is thought to have a more ancestral-type Hox cluster organization. Here, we demonstrate that the Tribolium homeotic complex (HOMC) is indeed intact, with the individual Hox genes in the expected colinear arrangement and transcribed from the same strand. There is no evidence that the cluster has been invaded by non-Hox protein-coding genes, although expressed sequence tag and genome tiling data suggest that noncoding transcripts are prevalent. Finally, our analysis of several mutations affecting the Tribolium HOMC suggests that intermingling of enhancer elements with neighboring transcription units may constrain the structure of at least one region of the Tribolium cluster. This work lays a foundation for future studies of the Tribolium HOMC that may provide insights into the reasons for Hox cluster conservation

The new model of fitting the spectral energy distributions of Mkn 421 and Mkn 501

The spectral energy distribution (SED) of TeV blazars has a double-humped shape that is usually interpreted as Synchrotron Self Compton (SSC) model. The one zone SSC model is used broadly but cannot fit the high energy tail of SED very well. It need bulk Lorentz factor which is conflict with the observation. Furthermore one zone SSC model can not explain the entire spectrum. In the paper, we propose a new model that the high energy emission is produced by the accelerated protons in the blob with a small size and high magnetic field, the low energy radiation comes from the electrons in the expanded blob. Because the high and low energy photons are not produced at the same time, the requirement of large Doppler factor from pair production is relaxed. We present the fitting results of the SEDs for Mkn 501 during April 1997 and Mkn 421 during March 2001 respectively.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figures, 1table. accepted for publication in Sciences in China --