Abstract: A shadow region extraction method capable of extracting a shadow region from contrast enhanced three-dimensional images obtained at different time points in an improved manner. The method includes the steps of detecting a first shadow region from a contrast enhanced two-dimensional image constituting a contrast enhanced three-dimensional image obtained at a first time point among a plurality of contrast enhanced three-dimensional images of a subject obtained at different time points, detecting, by the use of position information of a point in the first shadow region, a second shadow region corresponding to the first shadow region from a contrast enhanced two-dimensional image constituting a contrast enhanced three-dimensional image obtained at a second time point different from the first time point, and displaying the first shadow region and the second shadow region.

Abstract: For a radiographic image detector which includes an imaging plane including two-dimensional matrix of pixel sections, each pixel section storing, when exposed to radiation, a charge according to amount of the radiation, and which is used to be exposed to radiation transmitted through the same subject each time the detector is shifted along a predetermined axis of shift, an inclination of the two-dimensional matrix relative to the axis of shift of the radiographic image detector is detected. The inclination is detected by applying radiation two times to the detector at different radiation application positions effected by the shift of the detector so that a common marker is imaged during each radiation application; carrying out a reading operation after each radiation application to acquire image data representing image information of the marker; and detecting the inclination based on a positional relationship between marker images represented by the image data.

Abstract: An aqueous dispersion, having particles of a water-insoluble colorant containing at least one pigment, with the particles being dispersed in a medium containing therein both water and a dispersing agent, wherein the water-insoluble colorant has a crystalline structure, and an average particle diameter of the particles is in the range of from 5 nm to 40 nm, and a monodispersity of the particles is 1.5 or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an energy-absorbing unit, including a UIC buffer or a side buffer, which provides an additional irreversible shock-absorbing stage for e.g., a UIC buffer which can be retroactively installed, an energy-absorbing unit, is proposed which is mountable to the support frame or undercarriage, of e.g., a railborne vehicle as one complete exchangeable unit. The energy-absorbing unit hereto includes a base plate for preferably detachable connecting of the energy-absorbing unit to the support frame or undercarriage of a car body, a connecting plate, to which e.g., the UIC buffer can be connected, and a destructively-configured energy-absorbing element which is braced between the base plate and the connecting plate without play.

Abstract: A vibration-damping reinforcement composition contains 30 to 300 parts by weight of butyl rubber, 30 to 300 parts by weight of acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, 100 parts by weight of epoxy resin, and 0.5 to 30 parts by weight of an epoxy resin curing agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a quality assurance system and method that generates a quality assurance (QA) scorecard for radiologists that use digital devices in a radiological-based medical imaging study. According to one embodiment, client computers, servers, imaging devices, databases, and/or other components may be coupled to provided a unified data collection system. According to one embodiment, systems and methods are provided that analyze various parameters that are derived from the unified data collection system to calculate a QA score for the radiologist. The QA score provides a combined subjective and objective feedback system that includes performance evaluations from other users, including clinicians and patients. According to one embodiment, the feedback may be provided in real-time.

Abstract: A biopsy device includes a support base for supporting a mass to be examined, a compression plate for compressing and holding the mass to be examined against the support base, and a biopsy needle moving mechanism for moving a biopsy needle in a plane along the compression plate as well as in directions perpendicular to the compression plate. The biopsy needle is movable through an opening defined in the compression plate for insertion into the mass to be examined. The biopsy device also includes a determining section for determining whether or not the biopsy needle has pierced the mass to be examined, and a movement limiter for limiting movement of the biopsy needle within a plane perpendicular to a piercing direction along which the biopsy needle pierces the mass to be examined, if the determining section judges that the biopsy needle has pierced the mass to be examined.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus realizes reception focusing processing of performing high-accuracy phase-matching and addition on complex baseband signals by using more continuous amounts of delay than those in conventional reception focusing processing. The apparatus includes: a signal processing unit for generating a complex baseband signal based on a reception signal outputted from each of ultrasonic transducers; a first computing unit for obtaining an amplitude value and a phase value of the complex baseband signal; a phase correcting unit for correcting the phase value; a second computing unit for obtaining a real number component or an imaginary number component of the complex baseband signal based on the amplitude value and the corrected phase value; and an adding unit for adding real number components or imaginary number components of complex baseband signals obtained with respect to the ultrasonic transducers to generate a phase-matched and added signal.

Abstract: Providing a radiation emission unit that includes a radiation source and outputs a fan beam of radiation, a diffraction grating onto which radiation outputted from the radiation emission unit is emitted, and a periodic information imaging radiation image detector that includes multiple linear electrodes and detects periodic information of radiation diffracted by the diffraction grating, disposing the radiation emission unit and the periodic information imaging radiation image detector such that an extending direction of the linear electrodes of the periodic information imaging radiation image detector is perpendicular to a fan surface of the fan beam having a larger spread angle, and configuring the radiation emission unit to scan the fan beam in the perpendicular direction.

Abstract: Skimmers, barges and related methods recover heavy oil or bitumen from contaminated water environments such as tailings ponds. The skimmer has an articulated mesh-like conveyor driven around a drum by a drive sprocket. A pusher mechanism discharges bitumen or heavy oil from cavities in the conveyor. In one embodiment, the skimmer includes an automatic depth control system. In other embodiments, knife-edged shear plates remove heavy oil or bitumen adhering to the conveyor and drum. A barge may incorporate multiple parallel skimmers. The barge may include a bitumen-transfer pump having an annular fluid-injection flange that generates an annulus of lubricating fluid inside a discharge hose. A method of skimming heavy oil or bitumen involves using a skimmer that automatically adjusts its elevation or depth based on a control signal generated by a depth sensor. Another method recovers and transfers bitumen by lubricating the discharge hose using the annular fluid-injection flange.

Abstract: In a radiographic image detection apparatus that can perform long-size radiography on a region of a patient that is larger than the detection range of a radiographic image detector, radiography is performed so that a collimator image is included in a radiographic image in such a manner that the collimator image is present in the vicinity of a side edge of the radiographic image. Further, the inclination of each radiographic image caused by inclination of the radiographic image detector at the time of radiography is corrected based on the collimator image. Further, a synthesis image is produced by combining the plurality of radiographic images the inclination of which has been corrected.

Abstract: A wired circuit board has a metal supporting board, a metal foil formed on the metal supporting board to have a thickness of less than 2.0 ?m, a first insulating layer formed on the metal supporting board to cover the metal foil, and a conductive pattern formed on the first insulating layer.

Abstract: A layer-forming apparatus coats a solution containing a layer component and a flammable solvent on a surface of a base material, and forms a layer on the surface of the base material. In the layer-forming apparatus, a coating chamber in which the solution is coated on the surface of the base material is closed substantially hermetically, and a clean air is supplied from a clean-air supplier to the coating chamber. Then, ions that are produced by a corona discharger are sprayed to the surface of the base material in a state that a vapor concentration of the solvent in the coating chamber is below a burning lower limit, and dusts are removed from the base material. Then, the solution is coated on the surface of the base material from which the dusts are removed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle front-end module having a vehicle front-end structure (100) for mounting to the front end of a rail-borne vehicle, in particular a railway vehicle, wherein the vehicle front-end structure (100) is wholly composed of structural elements made from fiber composite or fiber composite sandwich material. The structural elements forming the vehicle front-end structure (100) comprise first structural elements (10, 10?, 11, 12, 12?, 14, 15, 16) which are configured and directly connected to one another so as to form a substantially deformation-resistant, self-supporting front-end structure designed to accommodate a vehicle driver's cab (101).

Abstract: A radiation image capturing system includes at least one image capturing apparatus including a radiation detector, at least one image capturing apparatus including a stimulable phosphor panel for generating radiation image information, which is readable by an image reading apparatus, and at least one control device for controlling at least the image capturing apparatus and the image reading apparatus based on image capturing instruction information supplied from an external source. The control device includes a change setting unit for changing settings of the image capturing instruction information depending on whether the image capturing apparatus and the image reading apparatus are usable or not, and a controller for controlling the image capturing apparatus and the image reading apparatus based on the changed settings of the image capturing instruction information.

Abstract: A plating film is provided with enough hardness before anodic oxidation, which is hard to be damaged during handling, and also the production method of the plating film. This problem can be solved by an aluminum plating film with aluminum concentration of 98 wt. % or lower, and with a Vickers hardness of 250 or higher. The hardness is increased by containing oxygen, carbon, sulfur, and a halogen element as impurities. The impurity concentration is controlled by adjusting the current density, the plating temperature, or the plating bath composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an inerting method for reducing a risk of fire outbreak in an enclosed space as well as a device therefor. A continuous inerting of the enclosed space to spatially-separated zones of the enclosed space is performed as necessary without needing structural separations. At least one inert gas having a gas density (?Gas) which differs from the mean gas density (?Gas) of the ambient atmosphere of the space is introduced into the enclosed space such that a gas stratification including a first gas layer (A) and a second gas layer (B) forms in the enclosed space, wherein the oxygen content in the first gas layer (A) corresponds substantially to the oxygen content of the ambient atmosphere, and wherein the oxygen content in the second gas layer (B) corresponds to a specific, definable oxygen content which is lower than the oxygen content of the ambient atmosphere.

Abstract: A radiographic image capturing system comprises a radiation converter for converting radiation that has passed through a subject into a radiographic image, a processor for processing the radiographic image, and a selector for, when a plurality of the radiation converters and/or a plurality of the processors are provided, selecting one radiation converter and one processor that have the most appropriate communication state and associating the selected one radiation converter with the selected one processor.

Abstract: A substance detection sensor comprises an insulation layer (2) having flexibility, two electrodes (3A, 3B) so disposed on the insulation layer as to be opposite to each other at a space therebetween and connected to an electric resistance detector, and a conductive layer (4) which is so formed on the insulation layer as to span the two electrodes and to be electrically connected to the two electrodes. The swelling ratio of the conductive layer (4) is changed according to the type and/or the quantity of a specific substance.