| 1. |
- Andreev, N. E., et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of laser wakefield dynamics in capillary tubes
- 2010
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Ingår i: New Journal of Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1367-2630. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A general approach to the modifications of the spectrum of a laser pulse interacting with matter is elaborated and used for spectral diagnostics of laser wakefield generation in guiding structures. Analytical predictions of the laser frequency red shift due to the wakefield excited in a capillary waveguide are confirmed by self-consistent modeling results. The role of ionization blue shift, and nonlinear laser pulse and wakefield dynamics on the spectrum modification, is analyzed for recent experiments on plasma wave excitation by an intense laser pulse guided in hydrogen-filled glass capillary tubes up to 8 cm long. The dependence of the spectral frequency shift, measured as a function of filling pressure, capillary tube length and incident laser energy, is in excellent agreement with the simulation results, and the associated longitudinal accelerating field is in the range 1-10 GV m(-1).
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| 2. |
- Booij, Ronald, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of visibility of bone structures in the wrist using normal and half of the radiation dose with photon-counting detector CT
- 2023
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Ingår i: European Journal of Radiology. - : ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD. - 0720-048X .- 1872-7727. ; 159
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To quantitatively and qualitatively assess the visibility of bone structures in the wrist on photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) images compared to state-of-the-art energy-integrating de-tector CT (EID-CT).Method: Four human cadaveric wrist specimens were scanned with EID-CT and PCD-CT at identical CTDIvolof 12.2 mGy and with 6.1 mGy (half dose PCD-CT). Axial images were reconstructed using the thinnest possible slice thickness, i.e. 0.4 mm on EID-CT and 0.2 mm on PCD-CT, with the largest image matrix size possible using reconstruction kernels optimized for bone (EID-CT: Ur68, PCD-CT: Br92). Quantitative evaluation was performed to determine contrast-noise ratio (CNR) of bone/ fat, cortical and trabecular sharpness. An observer study using visual grading characteristics (VGC) analysis was performed by six observers to assess the visibility of nutrient canals, trabecular architecture, cortical bone and the general image quality.Results: At equal dose, images obtained with PCD-CT had 39 +/- 6 % lower CNR (p = 0.001), 71 +/- 57 % higher trabecular sharpness in the radius (p = 0.02) and 42 +/- 8 % (p < 0.05) sharper cortical edges than those obtained with EID-CT. This was confirmed by VGC analysis showing a superior visibility of nutrient canals, trabeculae and cortical bone area under the curve (AUC) > 0.89) for PCD-CT, even at half dose.Conclusions: Despite a lower CNR and increased noise, the trabecular and cortical sharpness were twofold higher with PCD-CT. Visual grading analysis demonstrated superior visibility of cortical bone, trabeculae, nutrient canals and an overall improved image quality with PCD-CT over EID-CT. At half dose, PCD-CT also yielded superior image quality, both in quantitative measures and as evaluated by radiologists.
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| 3. |
- Bäck, Sophia, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of transmitral and left atrial appendage flow rate from cardiac 4D-CT
- 2023
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Ingår i: Communications Medicine. - : Springer Nature. - 2730-664X. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plain language summaryAssessing the blood flow inside the heart is important in diagnosis and treatment of various cardiovascular diseases, such as atrial fibrillation or heart failure. We developed a method to accurately track the motion of the heart walls over the course of a heartbeat in three-dimensional Computed Tomography (CT) images. Based on the motion, we calculated the amount of blood passing through the mitral valve and the left atrial appendage orifice, which are markers used in the diagnostic of heart failure and assessment of stroke risk in atrial fibrillation. The results agreed well with measurements from 4D flow MRI, an imaging technique that measures blood velocities. Our method could broaden the use of CT and make additional exams redundant. It can even be used to calculate the blood flow inside the heart. BackgroundCardiac time-resolved CT (4D-CT) acquisitions provide high quality anatomical images of the heart. However, some cardiac diseases require assessment of blood flow in the heart. Diastolic dysfunction, for instance, is diagnosed by measuring the flow through the mitral valve (MV), while in atrial fibrillation, the flow through the left atrial appendage (LAA) indicates the risk for thrombus formation. Accurate validated techniques to extract this information from 4D-CT have been lacking, however.MethodsTo measure the flow rate though the MV and the LAA from 4D-CT, we developed a motion tracking algorithm that performs a nonrigid deformation of the surface separating the blood pool from the myocardium. To improve the tracking of the LAA, this region was deformed separately from the left atrium and left ventricle. We compared the CT based flow with 4D flow and short axis MRI data from the same individual in 9 patients.ResultsFor the mitral valve flow, good agreement was found for the time span between the early and late diastolic peak flow (bias: <0.1 s). The ventricular stroke volume is similar compared to short-axis MRI (bias 3 ml). There are larger differences in the diastolic peak flow rates, with a larger bias for the early flow rate than the late flow rate. The peak LAA outflow rate measured with both modalities matches well (bias: -6 ml/s).ConclusionsOverall, the developed algorithm provides accurate tracking of dynamic cardiac geometries resulting in similar flow rates at the MV and LAA compared to 4D flow MRI. Back et al. describe a motion tracking algorithm to measure the flow rate through the mitral valve (MV) and the left atrial appendage (LAA) from 4D-CT data. The developed algorithm provided accurate tracking of dynamic cardiac geometries resulting in similar flow rates at the MV and LAA to those measured by 4D flow MRI.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Cassou, K., et al.
(författare)
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Optimization toward a high-average-brightness soft-x-ray laser pumped at grazing incidence
- 2007
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Ingår i: Optics Letters. - 0146-9592. ; 32:2, s. 139-141
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the near-field imaging characterization of a 10 Hz Ni-like 18.9 nm molybdenum soft-x-ray laser pumped in a grazing incidence pumping (GRIP) geometry with a table-top laser driver. We investigate the effect of varying the GRIP angle on the spatial behavior of the soft-x-ray laser source. After multiparameter optimization, we were able to find conditions to generate routinely a high-repetition-rate soft-x-ray laser with an energy level of up to 3 mu J/pulse and to 6 x 10(17) photons/s/mm(2)/mrad(2)/(0.1% bandwidth) average brightness and 1 x 10(28) photons/s/mm(2)/mrad(2)/(0.1% bandwidth) peak brightness. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.
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| 6. |
- Desforges, F. G., et al.
(författare)
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Reproducibility of electron beams from laser wakefield acceleration in capillary tubes
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5087 .- 0168-9002. ; 740, s. 54-59
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The stability of accelerated electron beams produced by self injection of plasma electrons into the wakefield driven by a laser pulse guided inside capillary tubes is analyzed statistically in relation to laser and plasma parameters, and compared to results obtained in a gas jet. The analysis shows that reproducible electron beams are achieved with a charge of 66 pC +/- 11%, a FWHM beam divergence of 9 mrad +/- 14%, a maximum energy of 120 MeV +/- 10% and pointing fluctuations of 2.3 mrad using 10 mm long, 178 mu m diameter capillary tubes at an electron density of (10.0 +/- 1.5) x 10(18) cm(-3). Active stabilization of the laser pointing was used and laser parameters were recorded on each shot. Although the shot-to-shot laser energy fluctuations can account for a fraction of the electrons fluctuations, gas density fluctuations are suspected to be a more important source of instability. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 7. |
- deSouza, Nandita M., et al.
(författare)
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Validated imaging biomarkers as decision-making tools in clinical trials and routine practice: current status and recommendations from the EIBALL* subcommittee of the European Society of Radiology (ESR)
- 2019
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Ingår i: Insights into Imaging. - : SPRINGEROPEN. - 1869-4101. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Observer-driven pattern recognition is the standard for interpretation of medical images. To achieve global parity in interpretation, semi-quantitative scoring systems have been developed based on observer assessments; these are widely used in scoring coronary artery disease, the arthritides and neurological conditions and for indicating the likelihood of malignancy. However, in an era of machine learning and artificial intelligence, it is increasingly desirable that we extract quantitative biomarkers from medical images that inform on disease detection, characterisation, monitoring and assessment of response to treatment. Quantitation has the potential to provide objective decision-support tools in the management pathway of patients. Despite this, the quantitative potential of imaging remains under-exploited because of variability of the measurement, lack of harmonised systems for data acquisition and analysis, and crucially, a paucity of evidence on how such quantitation potentially affects clinical decision-making and patient outcome. This article reviews the current evidence for the use of semi-quantitative and quantitative biomarkers in clinical settings at various stages of the disease pathway including diagnosis, staging and prognosis, as well as predicting and detecting treatment response. It critically appraises current practice and sets out recommendations for using imaging objectively to drive patient management decisions.
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| 8. |
- Hansson, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced stability of laser wakefield acceleration using dielectric capillary tubes
- 2014
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Ingår i: Physical Review Special Topics. Accelerators and Beams. - 1098-4402. ; 17:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The stability of beams of laser wakefield accelerated electrons in dielectric capillary tubes is experimentally investigated. These beams are found to be more stable in charge and pointing than the corresponding beams of electrons accelerated in a gas jet. Electron beams with an average charge of 43 pC and a standard deviation of 14% are generated. The fluctuations in charge are partly correlated to fluctuations in laser pulse energy. The pointing scatter of the electron beams is measured to be as low as 0.8 mrad (rms). High laser beam pointing stability improved the stability of the electron beams.
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| 9. |
- Hansson, M., et al.
(författare)
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Localization of ionization-induced trapping in a laser wakefield accelerator using a density down-ramp
- 2016
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Ingår i: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0741-3335 .- 1361-6587. ; 58:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on a study on controlled trapping of electrons, by field ionization of nitrogen ions, in laser wakefield accelerators in variable length gas cells. In addition to ionization-induced trapping in the density plateau inside the cells, which results in wide, but stable, electron energy spectra, a regime of ionization-induced trapping localized in the density down-ramp at the exit of the gas cells, is found. The resulting electron energy spectra are peaked, with 10% shot-to-shot fluctuations in peak energy. Ionization-induced trapping of electrons in the density down-ramp is a way to trap and accelerate a large number of electrons, thus improving the efficiency of the laser-driven wakefield acceleration.
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| 10. |
- Ju, J., et al.
(författare)
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Enhancement of x-rays generated by a guided laser wakefield accelerator inside capillary tubes
- 2012
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Ingår i: Applied Physics Letters. - : AIP Publishing. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 100:19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract in UndeterminedElectrons accelerated in the nonlinear regime in a laser wakefield accelerator experience transverse oscillations inside the plasma cavity, giving rise to ultra-short pulsed x-rays, also called the betatron radiation. We show that the fluence of x-ray can be enhanced by more than one order of magnitude when the laser is guided by a 10 mm long capillary tube instead of interacting with a 2 mm gas jet. X-rays with a synchrotron-like spectrum and associated critical energy ∼ 5 keV, with a peak brightness of ∼ 1×1021 ph/s/mm2/mrad2/0.1%BW, were achieved by employing 16 TW laser pulses.
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