A feasibility study of X‐ray phase‐contrast mammographic tomography at the Imaging and Medical beamline of the Australian Synchrotron

Results are presented of a recent experiment at the Imaging and Medical beamline of the Australian Synchrotron intended to contribute to the implementation of low‐dose high‐sensitivity three‐dimensional mammographic phase‐contrast imaging, initially at synchrotrons and subsequently in hospitals and medical imaging clinics. The effect of such imaging parameters as X‐ray energy, source size, detector resolution, sample‐to‐detector distance, scanning and data processing strategies in the case of propagation‐based phase‐contrast computed tomography (CT) have been tested, quantified, evaluated and optimized using a plastic phantom simulating relevant breast‐tissue characteristics. Analysis of the data collected using a Hamamatsu CMOS Flat Panel Sensor, with a pixel size of 100 µm, revealed the presence of propagation‐based phase contrast and demonstrated significant improvement of the quality of phase‐contrast CT imaging compared with conventional (absorption‐based) CT, at medically acceptable radiation doses.     

Efficient Evaluation of the Elastic Forces and the Jacobian in the Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation

This paper develops a new procedure for evaluating the elastic forces, the elastic energy and the jacobian of the elastic forces in the absolute nodal coordinate formulation. For this procedure, it is fundamental to use some invariant sparse matrices that are integrated in advance and have the property of transforming the evaluation of the elastic forces in a matrix multiplication process. The use of the invariant matrices avoids the integration over the volume of the element for every evaluation of the elastic forces. Great advantages can be achieved from these invariant matrices when evaluating the elastic energy and calculating the jacobian of the elastic forces as well. The exact expression of the jacobian of the differential system of equations of motion is obtained, and some advantages of using the absolute nodal coordinate formulation are pointed out. Numerical results show that there is important time saving as a result of the use of the invariant matrices.     

Narrow band quantitative and multivariate electroencephalogram analysis of peri-adolescent period

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The peri-adolescent period is a crucial developmental moment of transition from childhood to emergent adulthood. The present report analyses the differences in Power Spectrum (PS) of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) between late childhood (24 children between 8 and 13 years old) and young adulthood (24 young adults between 18 and 23 years old). RESULTS: The narrow band analysis of the Electroencephalogram was computed in the frequency range of 0--20 Hz. The analysis of mean and variance suggested that six frequency ranges presented a different rate of maturation at these ages, namely: low delta, delta-theta, low alpha, high alpha, low beta and high beta. For most of these bands the maturation seems to occur later in anterior sites than posterior sites. Correlational analysis showed a lower pattern of correlation between different frequencies in children than in young adults, suggesting a certain asynchrony in the maturation of different rhythms. The topographical analysis revealed similar topographies of the different rhythms in children and young adults. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated the same internal structure for the Electroencephalogram of both age groups. Principal Component Analysis allowed to separate four subcomponents in the alpha range. All these subcomponents peaked at a lower frequency in children than in young adults. CONCLUSIONS: The present approaches complement and solve some of the incertitudes when the classical brain broad rhythm analysis is applied. Children have a higher absolute power than young adults for frequency ranges between 0-20 Hz, the correlation of Power Spectrum (PS) with age and the variance age comparison showed that there are six ranges of frequencies that can distinguish the level of EEG maturation in children and adults. The establishment of maturational order of different frequencies and its possible maturational interdependence would require a complete series including all the different ages.     

Cyclization of 4,5‐Diamino Pyrazole Derivatives and Their Antibacterial Activities

A convenient synthesis of intermediate 4,5‐diamino‐3‐aryl‐1‐phenylpyrazoles 4a – 4c was reported. The different cyclization reactions were carried out with chalcone, 2‐mercaptoacetic acid and p‐anisialdehyde, ethyl chloroformate, glyoxal and thiourea to afford different N and S containing heterocycles. The reaction conditions were compared by conventional heating and microwave irradiation. The structures of the cyclization products were determined by analytical and spectroscopic data. All the synthesized compounds were screened for antibacterial activities in vitro.     

Concise Synthesis of (3Z)-Dodecen-12-olide,Pheromone Component of the Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an invasive insect that has killed millions of ash trees in Canada and the USA. (3Z)-Dodecen-12-olide is a known female-produced pheromone of this insect, and a concise, three-step synthesis of a 2:1 blend of (3Z)-dodecen-12-olide and (3E)-dodecen-12-olide starting from commercially available (2-carboxyethyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide and 10-bromo-1-decene is described. The key steps in this synthesis are a lithium-salt-free Wittig reaction and an intramolecular S_N2 esterification. Both of these macrocyclic lactones are behaviorally active toward EAB, and the 2:1 blend whose synthesis is described here has the potential to be a detection agent, mating disruptor, or mass trapping agent, which could be used in the control of EAB.     

Dissociations of Complexes Between Monovalent Metal Ions and Aromatic Amino Acid or Histidine

The fragmentations of [AA + M]⁺ complexes, where AA = Phe, Tyr, Trp, or His, and M is a monovalent metal (Li, Na, or Ag), have been exhaustively studied through collision-induced dissociation (CID) and through deuterium labeling. Dissociations of the Li- and Ag-containing complexes gave a large number of fragment ions; by contrast, the sodium/amino acid complexes have lower binding energies, and dissociation resulted in much simpler spectra, with loss of the entire ligand dominating. Unambiguous assignments of these fragment ions were made and formation mechanisms are proposed. Of particular interest are fragmentations in which the charge was retained on the organic fragment and the metal was lost, either as a metal hydride (AgH) or hydroxide (LiOH) or as the silver atom (Ag^?).

Remote substituent effects on the oxymercuration of 2-substituted norbornenes: an experimental and theoretical study.

The effect of a remote substituent on regioselectivity in the oxymercuration of 2-substituted norbornenes has been investigated experimentally and theoretically using density functional theory (DFT). Regioselectivities of 1:1 to 14:1 were observed with various 2-substituted norbornenes. Exo-2-substituted norbornenes always gave greater regioselectivities compared to the corresponding endo-2-substituted norbornenes. The effects of solvents on the regioselectivity have also been examined, and ethereal solvents were found to be the best choice giving the optimal yield and regioselectivity. The relative rate of oxymercuration was estimated by competition experiments. The least reactive substrate (X = OAc) gave the highest regioselectivity. According to DFT predictions, the increased difference between the reaction barriers that results in the greater regioselectivity is correlated directly with the larger polarity of the C=C double bond, which is attacked by the mercury and oxygen. A number of stable exo and endo conformers were predicted. All exo conformers show the same polarity of the double bond, while some endo conformers have a reversal of this polarity. All the conformers except those with the OAc substituent are very close in energy and thus should react. The existence of a mixture of endo conformers with the C=C double bond of opposite polarity clearly explains a decrease in regioselectivity for the endo species. The origin of the greatest regioselectivity for the OAc-2-norbornenes lies in the fact that the conformer with the largest polarity is notably lower in energy than others due to an internal C-H-O hydrogen bond.     

Black Holes Are One-Dimensional

The holographic principle has revealed that phyical systems in 3-D space, black holes included, are basically two-dimensional as far as their information content is concerned. This conclusion is complemented by one sketched here: as far as entropy or information flow is concerned, a black hole behaves as a one-dimensional channel. We define a channel in flat spacetime in thermodynamic terms, and contrast it with common entropy emitting systems. A black hole is more like the former: its entropy output is related to the emitted power as it would be for a one-dimensional channel, and disposal of an information stream down a black hole is limited by the power invested in the same way as for a one-dimensional channel.     

Optical absorption by surface plasmons in deep sub-wavelength channels

The interaction of visible light with surface plasmons in a periodic array of silver channels is studied experimentally and theoretically. Channels of width 130 nm and depth 280 nm on a pitch of 468 nm were fabricated using electron beam lithography. Measurements of the reflectance of the channels show strong absorption for a specific angle of incidence at a given wavelength of the light. It is shown using a simple geometric model that this is consistent with the excitation and propagation of surface plasmons in the deep sub-wavelength channels. A numerical simulation of the electromagnetic fields excited in the channels confirms this result.     

Preliminary investigation of power flow and performance phenomenain a multimegawatt coaxial plasma thruster

Preliminary experimental and theoretical research that was directed toward the study of quasi-steady-state power flow in a large, unoptimized, multimegawatt coaxial plasma thruster is summarized. Large coaxial thruster operation is discussed, and the experimental results are evaluated and interpreted with a view to the development of efficient, steady-state, megawatt-class magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters