text:
can foot snare cattle, hogs, sheep.
to a drag log, then a blind man can follow the mess that the log makes. finish the critter off with spear or big stone lashed to a long, green limb. Why make noise or waste a rd of ammo, right? You need 3/16" OD aircraft cable, and must know how to make a "one way" slip device, out of a pc of 1" angle iron, about 1/8" thick. Go to your local library, sit down at reference computer, and look under "subjects" in the INTERLIBRARY BOOK LOAN system, or BOOKS IN PRINT. Ragnar Benson's book on SURVIVAL POACHING is an excellent book, and you can read it for free. search under "trapping', survival", camping, backpacking, hunting, combat shooting, martial arts, military science.
if shtf, the legal owner of the critter is probably dead, or fled, no way to prove that the guy CLAIMING the critter is telling the truth. Dog packs, people and lack of feed/water is going to kill all the livestock, anyway. 1-2 of them might as well go to somebody who's got some empty metal drums buried, to protect the meat, and who has some salt and knows how to make brine, dip the strips of meat in, it has bug netting to keep the flies off it while it cures. Sending up smoke is a stupid move if enemies are about and they WILL be, if shtf.
Closing this because it isnt making a point. And i dont want a fight starting over it
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- Suburbs of Ridgeland: Coosawhatchie, Gillisonville, Mitchellville, Switzerland.
- Ridgeland is also known as: Jasper County / Ridgeland town.
- Zip codes in the city: 29912, 29936.
- Jasper County funeral flowers can be purchased from one of the local funeral shops we partner with.
- Some of the notable people born here have been: (larue howard), (reverend ike), (david into), (curtis brantley), and (lloyd w. newton).
Ridgeland is a town in Jasper County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 4,036 at the 2010 census, a 60% increase from 2000. It has been the county seat of Jasper County since its formation in 1912. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Ridgeland is included within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Ridgeland is home the Ridgeland Correctional Institution, a medium security prison with the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
The official website for the city of Ridgeland is http://www.ridgelandsc.gov/.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Make your website/blog cooler than before, attract more twitter follower with the animated flying twitter bird. The twitter bird flies through your blog attracting more followers, if you scroll down the bird follows you to bottom, well that's the beauty of this bird. Thanks to way2blogging for making such a cute bird.
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Step 2: Add a text widget to sidebar.
Step 3: Open the text widget, keep the title blank.
Step 4: Now add the following code.
<!-- Twitter Bird Widget for Blogger by Way2blogging.org --> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://bloggerblogwidgets.googlecode.com/files/way2blogging.org-tripleflap.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var twitterAccount = "Your Twitter Username"; var tweetThisText = "Your Blog Title - Your Site URL"; tripleflapInit(); </script > <!-- Twitter Bird Widget for Blogger by Way2blogging.org -->
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text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Sep 5, 2000
|Filing date
|Jan 12, 1999
|Priority date
|Jan 12, 1999
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Ching-Ming Lai
|Original Assignee
|Analogic Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (5), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (19), Classifications (12), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
In an X-ray computed tomography system, an energy source irradiates X-ray beams through an object, and a detector array senses and measures the intensity of the attenuated X-ray across a thin section of the object. The X-ray intensity level incident at each detector is digitized and converted to a value representing the line integral, referred to in the art as a "projection", of the object along the X-ray path.
For third generation systems, during a scan, the X-ray source 20 and the detector array 22 rotate together about the object 24 as shown in FIG. 1. At each rotation angle, or view angle, the collected projections represent a projection profile of the object at that angle. With a set of projection profiles over many view angles, an image of the object across the scanning section can be generated in a process known as reconstruction.
Each detector channel in the array comprises an X-ray detector and associated electronic circuitry for signal amplification and digitization. The channels arc manufactured and calibrated to optimize accuracy and uniformity with respect to offset, gain, and linearity. However, even with perfect calibration, the sensitivity of each channel can be altered over time due to variation in temperature, radiation damage, and other physical conditions. Each channel therefore can exhibit an inherent error in its measurement, which can be categorized as an offset error ei in the projection value of a channel. When the intensity of the offset error ei of a channel i exceeds that of adjacent channels to a certain degree, a ring artifact is manifested in the reconstructed image. In this manner, the offset error ei is a ring-causing error.
The radius ai of a ring artifact 28 caused by channel i is equal to the distance between the projection path of the corresponding channel i and the center of rotation O, as shown in FIG. 2. Assuming this relationship, a ring artifact in an image can be identified by its corresponding channel number i. Assuming that channels are mutually independent, the offset error ei amplitudes are randomly distributed among all channels. For a given channel, the offset error ei may vary as a function of the projection amplitude. Its dependence on the projection amplitude usually remains the same within the duration of a scan. In principle, each affected channel produces a ring artifact of one channel in width, but only those channels with a sufficiently large offset ei generate visible ring artifacts in the image. With a random distribution of offset error ei, the visible rings are likewise randomly distributed.
In conventional techniques for mitigating offset error, the offset error ei can be estimated from the projection data, based on the assumptions that the same degree of error occurs over successive view angles, and that the error is independent of the performance of adjacent channels. Furthermore, it is known that the projection data vary gradually as a function of detector channel. Therefore, if projection data are plotted as two-dimensional data (channel number vs. view angle), a low-pass filter can be employed to average the projection values over a number of successive view angles. A high-pass filter can then be applied along the channel number dimension to filter offset error out of the object's projection profile. Linear filtering alone may be insufficient for separating the offset error from the object profile. Therefore, additional nonlinear filtering is often necessary to discriminate offset error from the object profile.
In the conventional techniques, the error offset responsible for causing a single-channel ring can be estimated with fair accuracy. The estimated error is then subtracted from the projection values collected at that channel. Following correction of all channels, the reconstructed image is free of single-channel rings. However, it is quite common for an image to exhibit multiple-channel ring artifacts. The high-pass filter is incapable of yielding an adequate estimate of this multiple-channel error, because such a filter is designed for determining single-channel error. Consequently, multiple-channel rings are not fully corrected, and the resulting image therefore includes reminiscent rings.
In principle, the wider multiple-channel rings are unlikely to occur if the detector channel offset errors are completely independent of each other. However, detectors located in proximity tend to stay in the same physical condition and their corresponding offsets tend to drift together, particularly in a system having solid-state detectors. The intensities of wide multiple-channel rings are generally much weaker than those of the single-channel rings, since the common offset error over multiple-channels is, on average, smaller than a single-channel offset error. Furthermore, as a result of high-pass filtering in the convolution operation performed during the reconstructing process, the intensity of the wide ring artifact does not stand out as much as that of a single-channel ring of the same offset error amplitude. The presence of wide rings is often visible in images of objects of uniform structure, such as water phantoms. However, due to their relatively low intensity, they are less visible in an image of a non-uniform object, for example, human body images.
In principle, existing filtering ring artifact correction techniques can be extended to correct for the wide rings. However, conventional filters are specifically designed to filter out single-channel error. In order to filter out rings of variable multiple-channel width, a set of filters are required, each tailored to handle a specific width. Since a ring can be several channels in width, the total amount of computations required may be several times that needed for single-channel ring correction, leading to an impractical computing time. It is also questionable whether such a solution would lead to effective correction of wide rings, and worse, it is quite possible that this technique of curing the wide ring artifacts may reintroduce narrow ring artifacts back into the image.
Considering the aforementioned problems, little has been done to address the correction of wide rings in the past. The intensity of these wide rings are not as strong as single-channel rings, and with accurate and frequent calibration, they do not pose a serious problem. However, as systems improve and become increasingly sophisticated, it is desirable to be able to correct them. If they are correctable, the requirements for calibration can also be relaxed.
The present invention is therefore directed to a method and apparatus for progressive correction of ring artifacts in a computed tomography system in a manner which overcomes the limitations of the conventional techniques.
The method of the invention is directed to a technique for correction of a mixture of ring artifacts of various channel widths in an object image generated by a computed tomography system having an array of detector channels for capturing projection data of an object. The method comprises iteratively grouping the detector channels into detector channel groupings. During each iteration, offset error values of each detector channel grouping with respect to other detector channel groupings are determined from the captured projection data. The offset error values are then used to correct the captured projection data.
In a preferred embodiment, adjacent detector channels are grouped into pairs at each iteration. Thus, for example, during the first iteration, each detector channel is grouped individually, and the offset error value of each detector channel determined individually, with respect to other detector channels. During a second iteration, adjacent detector channels are grouped into pairs, and the offset error values of each detector channel pair are determined, with respect to other detector channel pairs. During a third iteration, pairs of adjacent detector channels are paired into quartets, and the offset error values of each quartet are determined, with respect to other detector channel quartets. During a fourth iteration, quartets of adjacent detector channels are paired into octets, and offset error values of each octet are determined, with respect to other detector channel octets. Subsequent iterations may be performed, depending on the total number of detectors used. In alternative embodiments, the number of adjacent channels in each group can be increased in each subsequent iteration, in accordance with other progressions.
At each iteration, the offset error values corresponding to each channel are accumulated. The accumulated values corresponding to each detector channel are applied to the projection data collected by the channel for correction of the captured projection data. The step of determining the offset errors preferably comprises low-pass filtering the data of each detector channel grouping over multiple successive view angles, and high-pass filtering the low-pass filtered data of adjacent channel groupings.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional X-ray CT scanner, including an X-ray source and a detector array mounted on a gantry and rotatable about an object at a constant angular velocity of ω, illustrating the distance ai from the rotation center O to the X-ray incident on detector i.
FIG. 2 is a reconstructed image including a concentric ring artifact of radius ai measured from the rotation center O, as a result of offset error inherent in detector channel i.
FIG. 3A is an example of a plot of the spectrum of the object profile P and the spectrum of offset errors E, following averaging over a plurality of adjacent view angles, and the frequency response function K of the high-pass filter for progressive correction in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3B is an example of a plot of the spectrum of the object profile E' and the offset error P', following first pass high-pass filtering and further averaging over all views in an angular sector in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4A is an example of a plot of the spectra of the object profile P, the offset error E, and the filter response K at a particular view angle for a second pass, in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4B is an example of a plot of the spectra of the filtered and further averaged object profile P' and the offset errors E' in an angular sector as a result of the second pass in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5A is an example of a plot of the spectra of the object profile P, the offset errors E, and the filter response K at a view angle for the third pass in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5B is an example of a plot of the spectra of the filtered and further averaged object profile P' and offset errors E' in an angular sector as a result of third pass in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an example of a plot of the spectrum of the offset errors Ea ', accumulated from four passes, for N original channels in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a system for progressive ring correction, in accordance with the present invention.
The present invention is directed to a ring artifact correction technique which employs the same filter to correct for all ring sizes, including both narrow single-channel and wide multiple-channel rings, in an iterative and progressive manner.
A block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a system 100 for progressive ring correction is shown in FIG. 7, in accordance with the present invention. The system 100 includes a CT scanner 102, including an X-ray source 20 and a detector array 22, mounted on a gantry rotatable about the object 24 for capturing projection data of the object. The projection data are preferably filtered over the view angle by a low-pass filter 104 and over the detector channels by a high-pass filter 106. The filtered results are averaged over many view angles by a ring-error averager unit 108 to generate approximate ring errors, and modified by a weighting and limiting unit 110 to generate detector system offset errors. The offset errors are used by a ring correction unit 112 to correct the intermediate data, which are then progressively re-grouped by a channel grouping unit 114 for the next iteration of ring correction. The offset errors calculated at each iteration are summed at an accumulator 116 in accordance with the original channels. After the last iteration, the accumulated offset errors are presented to a final ring correction unit 118 to correct the original projection data, thereby providing ring-corrected data.
In a preferred embodiment, a single-channel correction is initially performed, in which the data of the various N channels are corrected to eliminate single-channel rings. Every two adjacent channels of the corrected data are then grouped into pairs and treated as a single channel. The total number of channels is thus reduced to N/2 for the next correction iteration (referred to herein as a "pass"), and both channels in each pair are corrected by the same offset error. The second corrected data of N/2 channels are further grouped into N/4 channels to generate third corrected data, and so forth. The offset errors determined at each correction pass are retained and accumulated for each channel. The accumulated offset errors are applied as a correction value to the original data of N channels. Although a 2-to-1 grouping, and four iterations, are spelled out below in describing the preferred embodiment, other groupings, and other numbers of iterations are equally applicable to the present invention.
For simplicity, it is preferred to use the same filter for all correction passes as described above. However, it is not necessary to do so. In principle, the optimal filter in each subsequent pass is nearly, but not exactly, the same as the filter of the first pass. Thus, it is also possible to use a different filter for each pass, and obtain slightly improved results.
A determination of the exact magnitude of the multiple-channel offset error is not necessary for full removal of ring artifacts. A wide ring is gradually corrected over successive correction passes. After a number of passes, the offset error may still not be fully corrected. However, so long as the error varies smoothly across the boundary between adjacent multiple-channels, the ring artifact will not appear. In an experimental embodiment, it has been determined that following a fourth correction pass, with data grouped into N/8 channels, accumulated offset errors are adequate to remove all sizes of visible rings. In this manner, ring artifacts can be eliminated from the image in just a few iterations.
The operation of the progressive correction method of the present invention is best explained in the frequency domain in a qualitative manner, such as the example shown in FIG. 3A, which includes the spectrum of a pure object profile P at a particular view angle, and the spectrum of the associated offset errors E, following averaging over a number of successive view angles. The averaging procedure is, in effect, a low-pass filtering process which suppresses high frequency components, and thus the projection profile P is highly skewed to the low frequency end of the spectrum, as shown. In order to illustrate the high-frequency components at low amplitudes, the vertical scale of the FIG. 3A plot is sectioned to indicate that the magnitude of the projection profile P near zero frequency is much greater than the magnitude appearing on the plot. Also, the offset error values which superimpose on the object profile P in the collected projection data are plotted separately to illustrate the progress of these two components, P and E, in subsequent filtering.
The projection data are collected at N channels, with frequency ranging from 0 to the Nyquist frequency fN. The gain of the frequency response function of the high-pass filter ranges between 0 and 1 as shown in graph K. The high-pass filter in the example given has a half-response point at approximately the one-quarter Nyquist frequency fN /4. The operation of the high-pass filter is the equivalent of multiplying the object profile P and offset error profile E by the filter response function K in frequency space.
To reduce the number of computations, it is preferable, although not necessary, to divide the 360� angular range into a number of sectors, each extending over a constant sector angle. A preferred sector angle is between 15� and 30�. The output data of high-pass filtering, including the object profile P and the error offset profile E are then further averaged over the view angles within each angular sector. The spectra of P' and E' of this further-averaged result for an angular sector are shown in FIG. 3B. Because of the additional averaging, the high-pass filtered object profile P', which varies with the view angle in both positive and negative amplitudes, is further diminished to a very small magnitude. On the other hand, the offset error E', which should maintain at a fairly constant level within the angular sector for each channel, is not diminished by further averaging. Thus, the resultant error offset profile E' of FIG. 3B is approximately the product of graphs E and K of FIG. 3A.
The result obtained in the first pass is actually the filtered object profile P' superimposed with the offset error E' in the spatial domain. Since the magnitude of filtered object profile P' is very small, it may be ignored, and the superimposed result may be considered as an estimate for E'. However, this is only an approximation. Depending on the scanning object, the filtered object profile P' may not be sufficiently filtered out. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the amount of this residual filtered object profile P' is evaluated and used as the basis for adjusting the estimation of the offset error. The spectrum of the adjusted estimates of the offset error departs slightly from the spectrum shown in E'. When these adjusted estimates are used to correct for the collected projection data, the reconstructed image becomes free of single-channel rings.
In the progressive method of the present invention, following the first pass correction, the first pass corrected data are grouped for a second correction. The grouping is analogous to a re-sampling of the data, in which the data of every two channels in a pair are averaged into a single channel, and the frequency bandwidth is reduced into half of the original Nyquist frequency fN /2. FIG. 4A is a plot of the spectra of the grouped data of the second pass for the object profile P and offset error profile E. The total number of channels is reduced to N/2. The high-pass filter K is likewise compressed by a factor of two, with the half-response point reduced to the location near fN /8 in re-sampled frequency space. The result of the high-pass filter and further averaging over all view angles in a sector is shown in FIG. 4B. The residual filtered object profile P' of the second pass in FIG. 4B is slightly larger than that of the first pass in FIG. 3B, because the spectrum of the object profile P remains roughly the same within this re-sampled frequency range, while the half-response point of the high-pass filter K is shifted to a lower frequency. As will be described below, further methods may be employed to differentiate the offset error profile E further from the object profile P, and thus provide additional basis for improved estimation of the offset error.
Using the results of the second pass correction, the projection data can preferably be re-sampled for third and fourth pass corrections. The spectra of the re-sampled data, as well as the high-pass filtered and further averaged results are given in FIG. 5 for the third pass, in the same manner as in FIG. 4. Again, the primary difference, beside the frequency range, is that the magnitude of the residual-filtered object profile P' becomes larger in the third and fourth passes.
The estimated offset errors E' generated at each pass are combined in an accumulated offset error value for each of the N channels. The data corresponding to each paired or grouped channel of the second, third, and fourth passes are mapped into two, four, and eight channels, respectively, of this accumulated offset error. An example spectrum of the accumulated offset error Ea ' is shown in FIG. 6. It is apparent that the spectrum of this accumulated offset error Ea ' is slightly lower in magnitude in the low frequency range than the original offset error E of FIG. 3A. This is due to the relatively larger residual-filtered object profile P' in the low frequencies of later passes, which causes an under-estimation of the offset errors in the low frequency range. However, as mentioned above, the existence of offset error in the low frequency range is not a problem because it will be suppressed by the subsequent convolution filter. Although the accumulated offset error does not fully estimate the actual offset errors, it is an adequate approximation for correcting ring artifacts of all sizes in the reconstructed image.
The technique for correction of single-channel ring artifacts presented herein is a preferred embodiment for carrying out the invention. Other techniques are equally applicable, including those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,542 and G. Kowalski, "Suppression of ring artifacts in CT fan-beam scanners", IEEE Vol. NS-25, no. 5, pp. 1111-16, October 1978, each being incorporated herein by reference.
The first step in the ring correction is the application of a low-pass filter to the data of each channel over a number of successive view angles. Since the projection amplitude varies with view angle, while the offset error amplitude remains fairly constant, low pass filtering enhances the offset error against the object profile (analogous to an enhancement of signal-to-noise ratio) for subsequent high-pass filtering. A moving averaging method can be employed to perform the low-pass filtering operation. If Pi (θ) represents the projection amplitude of the channel i at view angle θ, and Δθ represents an increment of the view angle, the moving averaged projection amplitude Qi (θ) can be written as:
Qi (θ)=(Pi (θ-K*Δθ)+ . . . +Pi (θ-Δθ)+Pi (θ)+Pi (θ+Δθ)+ . . . +Pi (θ+K*Δθ))/(2K+1), (1)
for averaging over 2K+1 view angles, with i=1, 2, . . . , N.
A first high-pass filter is then preferably applied to adjacent channels of the averaged projection Qi (θ) for each channel at each view angle, in order to filter out the object profile and to leave the offset error intact. A 3-point filter can be employed to generate the first filtered result Ri (θ) as:
Ri (θ)=-0.5*Qi-1 (θ)+1.0*Qi (θ)-0.5*Qi+1 (θ), (2)
with i=1, 2, . . . , N. The end points Q0 (θ) and QN+1 (θ) can optionally be set to Q2 (θ) and QN-1 (θ) respectively.
In the region where the projection paths pass through nearly the center of the object and therefore the projection amplitude varies slowly across adjacent channels, the above 3-point filter can adequately filter out the gross structure, which is the low-frequency component of the object profile. However, in regions where the projection paths pass through the boundary of the object, where the projection amplitude decreases rapidly, the first filtered result Ri (θ) still contains an appreciable amount of the gross structure.
In order to further isolate the offset error from the object profile, a second high-pass filter is applied to further reduce, or filter out, the object profile. A 5-point filter can be employed for this task, and the second filtered output Si (θ) which should primarily contain the offset errors, can be calculated as:
Si (θ)=-0.2*Ri-2 (θ)-0.2*Ri-1 (θ)+0.8*Ri (θ)-0.2*Ri+1 (θ)-0.2*Ri+2 (θ), (3)
with i=1, 2, . . . , N. The end points of the filter R-1 (θ), R0 (θ), RN+1 (θ), and RN+2 (θ) can be generated in many different ways. The simplest is set them to 0, since their effect on results is negligible.
The operation of Equations (2) and (3) may optionally be combined into a 7-point filter. Alternatively, a Fourier filtering technique may be employed, in which the Fourier transform of the averaged projection Qi (θ) is multiplied by the equivalent response function of the 7-point filter in frequency space.
To simplify and reduce the number of computations, the full range of view angles can be divided into a number of angular sectors, each sector containing L view angles. The inherent offset error associated with each channel is assumed to remain constant within an angular sector. On the other hand, the fine structure of the object profile varies rapidly as a function of view angle. Thus, the offset error ei associated with channel i can be estimated as the mean of Si (θ) over all view angles in the sector. That is:
ei =(Si (θ1)+Si (θ1 +Δθ)+Si (θ1 +2Δθ)+Si (θ1 +(L-1)*Δθ))/L, (4)
where θ1 is the first view angle in that sector, and i=1, 2, . . . , N.
Although the mean of Si (θ) is an adequate estimate for the offset error ei in most regions of the projection data, such an estimate introduces at least two potential problems. First, the object may contain high-contrast features, such as bones in a human body. Projection of these features can generate a large amount of high-frequency components in the filtered projections Si (θ). Second, the object may include arc-shaped structural features, particularly near the edge of a rounded object, and the projections of these features may happen to fall on the same channels over several view angles. Like the ring-causing offset error, projection of these arcuate structures will stand out in Si (θ). In both situations, the mean of Si (θ) is not a reliable estimate for offset error. At the same time, it is less important to accurately correct for the offset error in these regions, because the rings are obscured by the high-contrast features or the coincident arc-shape structures. A solution proposed by the present invention is to weight less, or underestimate, the error ei in these regions.
A weighting factor, wi, reflecting the confidence of estimation, is used to generate the weighted error e'i as:
e'i =wi *ei, (5)
with wi ranging from 0 to 1. The dependence of wi on the data is not necessarily in a specific form. One technique for determining the weighting factor wi value is based on the standard deviation of the filtered projections Si (θ) of the same channel over the view angles within that sector. If the filtered projections Si (θ) contain only offset error, the projection values should remain fairly constant throughout all view angles within the sector. The standard deviation of Si (θ) will be near the extreme of 0 in this case. On the other hand, if the filtered projections Si (θ) contain projections of high-contrast matters, the values will vary rapidly over large amplitudes, and the standard deviation will be large. Similarly, because the arc-shaped structure does not exactly coincide with a concentric ring, the projection of the arc-shaped structure in Si (θ) usually varies gradually over a large range and contributes to a large standard deviation. If the filtered projection values Si (θ) remain fairly constant within the sector, which means the structural shape is precisely coincident with the ring, the presence of any ring artifact will be obscured by the structural shape and the less accurate estimation of the error is acceptable. Thus, if the standard deviation of Si (θ) is represented by σi, the weighting factor wi can be calculated as: ##EQU1## where σmax is a predetermined constant representing the maximum tolerable standard deviation due to the presence of the residual object profile. For normalized projection data, where the maximum amplitude is typically in the range of 5 to 10 for a human image, a preferred value for this parameter is σmax =0.002.
To determine the standard deviation, σi, let εi be the average of squares of Si (θ) as:
εi =(Si 2 (θ1)+Si 2 (θ1 +Δθ)+Si 2 (θ1 +2Δθ)+Si 2 (θ1 +(L-1)*Δθ))/L.(7)
It is well known that the square of a standard deviation is equal to:
σi 2 =εi -ei 2. (8)
Although Equation (6) is suitable for formulating the weighting factor wi, it is equally acceptable, and in fact preferable, to calculate the weighting factor as: ##EQU2## By using the square of standard deviation, the sensitivity of the weighting factor wi is raised with respect to the deviation σi, and the time consuming square-root calculation is avoided.
With a weighting factor wi calculated from Equation (9) or the like, the weighted error e'i is computed according to Equation (5), and used to correct for the original projection Pi (θ) for every view angle within that sector as:
Pi '(θ)=Pi (θ)-e'i, (10)
where θ=θ1, θ1 +Δθ, θ1 +2Δθ, . . . , θ1 +(L-1)*Δθ.
When the entire set of corrected projections Pi '(θ) are used for reconstruction, the image will be nearly free of single-channel rings. In the present invention, the progressive operation continues to correct for all sizes of rings, and the original projections are not corrected until the final pass, when the multiple-channel offset errors are determined.
To prepare for second pass correction, the averaged projections Qi (θ) are corrected by the averaged error e'i from the first pass as:
Qi '(θ)=Qi (θ)-e'i, (11)
for every channel at every view angle in the sector. That is, θ=θ1, θ1 +Δθ, θ1 +2Δθ, . . . , θ1 +(L-1)*Δθ, where i=1, 2, . . . N. The corrected projections Qi '(θ) are next grouped, for example into pairs of two, as:
Q2i (θ)=0.5*(Qi+i-1 '(θ)+Qi+i '(θ)),(12)
where i=1, 2, . . . , N/2. In this manner, the number of grouped channels is reduced to half of the number of original channels.
The grouped projections Q2i (θ) are next filtered by the three-point high-pass filter to provide filtered projections Ri (θ) as:
Ri (θ)=-0.5*Q2i-1 (θ)+1.0*Q2i (θ)-0.5*Q2i+1 (θ) (13)
where i=1, 2, . . . , N/2. The filter of Equation (13), applied during the second pass, is analogous to the filter of Equation (2) of the first pass. The dual-channel errors e2i are calculated in the same manner as the single-channel errors ei in Equations (3) and (4), except that the range of the index is reduced by half to i=1, 2, . . . , N/2.
At each pass, as more channels are combined into each group, the object profile varies more rapidly across adjacent groups. At the same time, the magnitudes of multiple-channel offset errors are smaller than those of single-channel offset errors. The multiple-channcl estimate will contain more of the object profile relative to the offset error, particularly in projection data collected for regions near the boundary of the object. For this reason, it is preferred to use an additional weighting factor to de-emphasize those with large errors, as they are more likely derived from the object profile. Therefore, instead of Equation (5), the weighted multiple-channels errors are given by:
e2'i =wi *w'i *e2i, (14)
and, similar to Equation (9), w'i is calculated from ##EQU3## with
gi 2 =0.5*(e2i-1 2 +e2i+1 2) (16)
It is possible to replace gi 2 calculated by Equation (16) with gi 2 =e2i 2. However, gi 2 calculated by Equation (16) provides a better indicator for the presence of the residual object profile, because the object profile varies more gradually than the offset error over adjacent groups. Thus, when e2i 2 values are averaged with adjacent groups, as in Equation (16), gi 2 is more dependent on the object profile. As a result, w'i is a more favorable weighting factor, which reduces the estimate for offset error in the presence of the residual object profile. Additional methods for calculating gi 2 are equally applicable, for example, the following three-group averaging:
gi 2 =0.333*(e2i-1 2 +e2i 2 +e2i+1 2)(17)
is as acceptable as the calculation of Equation (16), depending on the application.
Like σmax, the constant gmax represents the maximum tolerable amplitude of error estimate due to the presence of the residual object profile. They are of similar magnitude, and it is acceptable to choose gmax =σmax for purposes of the present invention.
For the third pass of correction, the two-channel grouped projections Q2i (θ) are corrected by the weighted multiple-channel errors e2'i as:
Q2i '(θ)=Q2i (θ)-e2'i, (18)
for every channel at every view angle in the sector, with i=1, 2, . . . N/2. The Q2i '(θ) data set are then further grouped into pairs in preparation for the third pass, to contain four original channels in each group as:
Q4i (θ)=0.5*(Q2i+i-1 '(θ)+Q2i+i '(θ)),(19)
where i=1, 2, . . . , N/4.
The four-channel error data e4i corresponding to the projection data Q4i (θ) are calculated in the same manner as the previous pass, with Q4i (θ) substituting for Q2i (θ) in Equation (13). And, like Equation (14), the weighted four-channel errors are calculated as:
e4'i =wi *w'i *e4i, (20)
with wi and w'i given by Equations (9) and (15), and (similar to Equation (16)):
gi 2 =0.5*(e4i-1 2 +e4i+1 2) (21)
where i=1, 2, . . . , N/4.
The fourth correction pass is performed in the same manner as the third correction, with Q8i (θ) and e8i replacing Q4i (θ) and e4i, respectively, to determine the weighted eight-channel error e8'i for i=1, 2, . . . , N/8.
In an experimental embodiment operating on data collected from a CT scanner, it was determined that four correction passes were suitable for ring artifact correction to a satisfactory level. If further correction is desirable, the process can continue to fifth and sixth passes and beyond, depending on the number of detector channels, the number of channels grouped at each pass, and the level of precision required.
It was also determined that an optimal correction can be achieved by applying a scaling factor to the weighted error in each pass. The scaling factor can be considered as a variable, for tuning the high-pass filter and the weighting factors w and w', to obtain best estimate of the offset error in each pass. It was found that the optimal scaling factor is approximately 0.6 for the first pass, and 0.9 for the second, third, and fourth passes. In this case, the calculated values of e'i, e2'i2, e4'i4, and e8'i8 in the above description are replaced by 0.6e'i, 0.9e2'i2, 0.9e4'i4, and 0.9e8'i8, respectively. The optimal scaling factor depends on the detector system and the extent of the offset errors.
Suppose that four correction passes are performed. The weighted errors are summed to an accumulated weighted error E'i at each pass. At the end of fourth pass, the accumulated error E'i is represented by:
E'i =e'i +e2'i2 +e4'i4 +e8'i8 (22)
for every angular sector in every original channel i=1, 2, . . . , N. The indices for the second pass i2, third pass i4, and fourth pass i8 are, for example, the truncated integers generated by dividing the original channel number by 2, 4, and 8, respectively. That is: ##EQU4## with i2=1, 2, . . . , N/2, i4=1, 2, . . . , N/4, and i8=1, 2, . . . , N/8.
Since the intensity of the ring artifact varies gradually from one sector to another, it is preferred that the accumulated weighted error E'i be interpolated between adjacent angular sectors such as a, b, c. For example, if Ea'i, Eb'i, and Ec'i represent the accumulated weighted error of channel i in three consecutive sectors, the interpolated correction for the middle sector b will be:
Pi '(θ1 +kΔθ)=Pi (θ1 +kΔθ)-((0.5-k/L)*Ea'i +(0.5+k/L)* Eb'i) for 0≦k<L/2 (24)
Pi '(θ1 +kΔθ)=Pi (θ1 +kΔθ)-((1.5-k/L)*Eb'i +(k/L-0.5)*Ec'i) for L/2≦k<L (25)
with i=1, 2, . . . , N, for the projection at view angle θ=θ1 +kΔθ. When all projections are corrected in this manner and the corrected projections Pi '(θ) are used for the reconstruction, the image will be suitably corrected for all sizes of single-channel and multiple-channel ring artifacts.
The foregoing discussion provides an effective method for correction of all sizes of concentric ring artifacts in the CT images. Experimental results demonstrate adequate removal of all sizes of rings inherent in the data collected from a scanner. A single-channel ring correction procedure is employed repetitively to improve results at each pass. Following the first correction, adjacent channels of corrected data are grouped for the second correction. The grouping and correction passes continue on an iterative basis until wider, multiple-channel rings are progressively corrected to an acceptable level.
In later passes, as more channels are combined into a group for correction, it is more difficult to separate the object profile from the ring-causing offset errors. To address this issue, an additional weighting factor is employed following the first pass to further differentiate the object profile from the offset error.
Since grouping of channels is an averaging process, the magnitude of the offset error and its standard deviation are expected to decrease with each pass, as more channels are combined in a group. Thus, it is preferred to reduce the maximum level σmax of the standard deviation in the first weighting factor wi, and gmax in the weighting factor w'i for subsequent passes. For the example given above, it is preferred to use: ##EQU5## instead Of σmax 2 in Equation (9) and gmax 2 in Equation (15).
It is also preferred to limit the averaged error of each pass to a maximum level, such that: ##EQU6## where e'max, e2'max, e4'max, and e8'max, are the maximum allowable averaged error in the first, second, third, and forth correction passes. In a data collection involving normalized projection data where the maximum amplitude is typically in the range of 5 to 10 for a human image, the value e'max is preferably set to 0.002. The remaining maximum error values can be derived from e'max as: ##EQU7##
The purpose of the maximum limits is to prevent over correction in which the offset error is over-estimated because of spurious offset error arising from structural features of the object. In other words, it prevents adding an artificial ring into the image as a result of poor estimation.
The averaged error calculated before application of the limiter in Equation (27) is useful for providing an indication of the physical condition of the detector system. The values can be accumulated into an array Ci as
Ci =e'i +e2'i2 +e4'i4 +e8'i8 (29)
for each original channel i in each sector as in Equations (22) and (23) without limiting the error of each pass to a maximum level. The accumulated condition data Ci can be averaged over all angular sectors to give a single C'i for each original channel i=1, 2, . . . , N. If any value of C'i is substantially higher than e'max, this is an indication that the corresponding detecting channel is malfunctioning, or in poor condition. This system operator can be informed of the status, and decide whether to discard data from that channel to be replaced by, for example, interpolated data from adjacent channels.
Although a specific single-channel ring correction technique is given above, as an example, other single-channel correction techniques can be employed as the basis for the progressive correction method of the present invention to correct for multiple-ring artifacts of various widths. However, a similar weighting factor consistent with the alternative technique, may be required to further differentiate the object profile from the offset error.
With a binary grouping, the total number of groups is reduced according to an exponential rate at each successive iteration. Mathematically, the number of computations will never be more than twice the number of computations required for single-channel correction, even if the iterations continue to the extreme where all original channels are combined into a single group. Furthermore, the initial operation of computing a moving average is performed only once, for example prior to the first pass. As an example, if the process stops at the fourth pass, where 8 original channels arc grouped for correction, the total computing time for this progressive correction is approximately 1.8 times the computing time of the single-channel ring correction, a reasonable computing time for practical applications.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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|Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, Llc
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|Multistep correction for angle consistent artifacts in radial sampled datasets
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|Herbert Bruder
|Adaptive filter
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|Jun 5, 2003
|Rainer Raupach
|Method for removing rings and partial rings in computed tomography images
|Apr 1, 2002
|Oct 2, 2003
|Jiang Hsieh
|Data transmission scheme and system for image reconstruction
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|U.S. Classification
|378/4, 382/131, 378/901
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jan 12, 1999
Owner name: ANALOGIC CORPORATION, MASSACHUSETTS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LAI, CHING-MING;REEL/FRAME:009700/0954
Effective date: 19990104
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text:
Lean in. Opt out. Have it all. None of the above. A new audiobook based on a groundbreaking cross-generational study reveals both greater freedom and new constraints for men and women in their work and family lives. Stew Friedman, founding director of The Wharton School's Work/Life Integration Project, studied two generations of Wharton college students as they graduated: Gen Xers in 1992 and Millennials in 2012. The cross-generational study produced a stark discovery - the rate of graduates who plan to have children has dropped by nearly half over the past 20 years. At the same time, men and women are now more aligned in their attitudes about dual-career relationships, and they are opting out of parenthood in equal proportions. But their reasons for doing so are quite different.
In his new audiobook, Baby Bust: New Choices for Men and Women in Work and Family, Friedman draws on this unique research to explain why so many young people are not planning to become parents. He reveals good news, that there is a greater freedom of choice now, and bad, that new constraints are limiting people's options. In light of these present realities, he offers ideas for what we can do as a society, in our organizations, and for ourselves to make it easier for men and women to choose the lives they want.
In this audiobook, Friedman addresses:
How views about work and family have changed in the past 20 years
Why men and women have different reasons for opting out of parenthood
How family has been redefined
Why we are all now part of a revolution in work and family
What choices we face in our social and educational policy
How organizations and individuals - especially men - can spur cultural change
In the debates on work and family, people of all generations are calling for a reasoned, thoughtful, research-driven contribution to the discussion. In Baby Bust, Friedman offers just that: an astute assessment of how far we have come and where we need to go from here.
Gildan Media is proud to bring you another Wharton Digital Press Audiobook. These notable audiobooks contain the essential tools that can be applied to every facet of your career.
"Provocative and practical, Stew Friedman's Baby Bust draws on his landmark study to document the metamorphosis in men's and women's views and expectations for work and family. As more women are leaning in to their careers, more men today want to be actively engaged in fatherhood. But both see conflicts between work and family life that are increasingly keeping them from choosing to be parents. Revelatory and rigorous, this urgent call to action is required listening for anyone who wants both men and women to be able to choose the world they want to live in." (John Gerzema, author, The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future)
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text:
A campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama featuring guest speaker Oprah Winfrey is expected to draw tens of thousands to University of South Carolina Williams-Brice Stadium Sunday.
The event was moved to Williams-Brice after tickets ran out for the original event location, the Colonial Center, which seats 18,000.
Winfrey will speak about why she supports the Illinois Senator, and why others should, said Amaya Smith, press secretary for Obama's state headquarters.
"Oprah is endorsing Obama, which she has never done for any candidate before," said Mitch Trott, a first-year business student and one of the administrators for the "Gamecocks for Obama" Facebook group. "She's great for pulling people in to hear Obama speak because she is so famous."
Kathryn Witzke, a first-year political science, anthropology and pre-law student, and an administrator for the "Gamecocks for Obama" Facebook group, said Winfrey supports Obama because she knows and supports what he stands for.
"She has the ability to connect with millions of people," Smith said.
Tickets for the event, which were available online, ran out in less than two days. There was still demand for tickets, so Obama headquarters decided to move the event, Smith said.
"We had additional requests, and we wanted to make sure more people could hear Obama's message of change without tickets," she said.
Witzke said that in the first 48 hours, the 18,000 tickets for the Colonial Center were gone, and a waiting list was started.
"That meant that people would have to get to the Colonial Center extraordinarily early and everyone who wanted to see these dynamic individuals would not get that opportunity."
At an Obama speech in Columbia in February, residents lined up hours early for the event, which was at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, then waited longer for Obama to start his speech.
Holding the event at the stadium, which seats more than 80,000, gets rid of the need for tickets. Smith called the transition between the two venues "seamless."
Trott said so far more than 20,000 tickets have been given out for the event at Williams-Brice.
"This will allow for a lot more people to come and hear him talk, which I'm really excited about," Trott said. "This event has the potential to assure Obama a win in South Carolina, if not the other three first primary states."
Smith said that she encourages all USC students interested in hearing Obama's message to attend.
College Republicans are taking advantage of the publicity surrounding the event and the large crowd it will draw to protest Obama, instead supporting Republicans.
Cody Garrison, a third-year history student, said the group will demonstrate outside the stadium to show solidarity for the state Republican Party.
"This is to unite the Republican party and represent it at the Obama rally," Garrison said. "I want people to know that even though different people support different Republican presidential candidates, we are still one party. South Carolina is a conservative state, and we are here to keep it a conservative state."
© 2007 The Daily Gamecock via U-WIRE


text:
Welcome to the majors, kid: Saratoga Springs High School grad Davis makes riding debut
Dylan Davis wasn't in a hurry to wipe the dirt off his upper lip.
For the baby-faced apprentice jockey, making his career debut in a pair of races at Saratoga Race Course on Monday, it was like a faint brown right of passage.
As good as a full-blown, hairy handlebar hung from his nose.
It remained there while the 18-year-old son of trainer and former jockey Robbie Davis talked to a horde of reporters in the winner's circle after finishing eighth in the last of his two races.
"It's very exciting, the whole crowd and everything, it was just a blast," Dylan Davis said. "You can't get better than this. It's Saratoga!"
The 2011 Saratoga Springs High School graduate finished fourth in the fourth race aboard Black Rhino and last of eight aboard Fierce in the fifth race.
In those two dirt sprints Monday, though, he learned the difference between working horses in the morning and riding them in the afternoon.
"I've been galloping almost two years, and this is nothing like it," he said. "It's a whole different game. I got tired."
His father Robbie is in his second year as a trainer after compiling 3,382 wins as a jockey. He rode for 22 years from 1981 through 2002, then hopped back in the saddle once in 2011.
Dylan's older sisters, Jackie and Katie, also are in the business — Katie riding as a workout rider and planning on breaking in as a jockey sometime in the future, and the oldest of the trio, Jackie, is currently the third-leading rider at Suffolk Downs.
"She's doing great," Dylan said of Jackie. "She's trying to give me pointers and everything. Hopefully, I get to meet up with her this winter at Aqueduct."
It's great for the kids, but it can be stressful for Robbie, knowing the dangers facing riders every time they hop into the saddle.
In 1988, his horse ran over fallen rider Mike Venezia, who was killed in the spill. Robbie took a few months off from racing, but eventually returned.
Now three of his six children, Dylan being the youngest, have followed him into racing.
"Every time I go by a church, I don't know if I can say my prayers enough," Robbie said. "Every church I go by, I think I should be going in there.
"This is a wonderful sport. It gets into your blood and it's hooked into you, and it's there forever. There's a lot of ups and downs, a lot of emotions just boiling inside your body. But you can't dwell on things. You just move forward and enjoy the beautiful day we have and have a safe trip."
It's an easy list to prioritize.
"He just said to be safe. That's the best thing," Dylan said. "And if you can, win. That's the second thing."
Dylan had safe trips both times out for trainer Wesley Ward, for whom he had been working some horses in the mornings at Saratoga.
Black Rhino broke well for him in the six-furlong fourth race, and he shared the lead around the turn with Rajiv Maragh, who was riding Itsnottheright for Repole Stables and Bruce Levine just inside Black Rhino.
"I looked back, I was like, 'Where is everyone?' I was kind of nervous," Dylan said of being on the lead in his first race. "I don't know. I tried bringing Maragh back on the rail, but he wasn't budging too much."
Once in the stretch, though, Itsnottheright had more kick than Black Rhino, and Dylan's ride slowed a little to finish in fourth.
Dylan stepped off the scales in the winner's circle to begin his walk back to the jockey's room, and he was greeted immediately by an adoring public. From the stands and from people looking for a handshake along his walk, he was bombarded by well-wishers and met them all with a broad smile.
Minutes before the race, Robbie was pretty sure his son would take it all in stride, even if it was a little harder for dad to do so.
"It's definitely more stressful for me, right now, it seems like," he said. "I asked him how he slept last night, and he said, 'Yeah, I slept good, dad. Why?' I said, 'OK.' It's not getting to him at all, so that's a good sign."
In the next race, 51⁄2 furlongs aboard Fierce, he was stalking the pace early, but lost ground in the turn and couldn't get Fierce to fire.
Black Rhino went off at 5-2 odds, while Fierce was the favored choice at 8-5.
"That makes me even more nervous," Dylan said. "Everyone expects a 10-pound bug to be really great, but all I can do is just try. That's it. The odds are the odds, and the horses don't know it too much. Only the people."
It was an important learning experience for the young rider. Robbie said his son had gotten to the point where he wasn't going to learn anything new in the morning workouts, so it was time to make the leap to become an apprentice.
"He said he was ready, and I guess he was," Robbie said. "It's a tough place to break in to the major leagues. It's really hard. We kind of just want to look forward to next year, just nurse him along this year. He's a long ways off from full-fledged racing."
"The plan is to stay here till the meet closes," Dylan said. "I'm going to tell Ward maybe I'll do one or two a week. Not too many. Then it'll start picking up. We might go to Suffolk before it closes in October, then I'm going to really get going this winter at Aqueduct. This is just the prep, kind of."
Dylan had been scheduled to ride Sandyinthesun in a turf race for his father, but the race was taken off the turf and Robbie didn't expect him to run well over the main track, so he scratched him to run him later in the meet.
Ward, though, made the gesture of letting Robbie give Dylan a leg-up into the saddle for his first career mount in the fourth race. As the horses began to exit the paddock for the post parade, Robbie walked behind Black Rhino and his son, worrying a bit and recounting the simple advice he gave Dylan.
"To be safe, you know? Try to just do the best he can," Robbie said, his eyes still on the back of his son's silver and black silks as they shifted a little uncomfortably in the saddle. "I don't know if the saddle's right, right now. I hope it is. Gotta drop them stirrups down a little bit."
Moments later, eight horses broke from the gate and one more Davis broke into the business of riding.


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Home Run: A Novel Unabridged Audiobook on CD
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Publication Date: 2012
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Publisher's Description▼▲
Baseball star Cory Brand knows how to win. But off the field, he's spiraling out of control. Haunted by old wounds and regrets, his future seems as hopeless as his past. Until one moment — one mistake — changes everything. To save his career, Cory must go back to the town where it all began. His plan is simple: coach the local Little League team, complete a recovery program, and get out as fast as possible. Instead, he runs headfirst into memories he can't escape . . . and the love he left behind. Faced with a second chance he never expected, Cory embarks on a journey of faith, transformation, and redemption. And along the way, he discovers a powerful truth: no one is beyond the healing of God. Based on the motion picture starring Vivica A. Fox and Scott Elrod, Home Run is an inspirational story of the hope God offers each of us.


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This 2-storey complex comprises 23 apartments. A stroll through the apartment hotel's 500 m� gardens comes highly recommended. Hotel facilities include reception hall, hotel safe and Internet access. Additionally, there is a caf�, games room, TV lounge and bicycle hire service, seasonal/occasional entertainment and a gym. The air-conditioned à la carte restaurant invites guests to stop off for a bite to eat. Guests arriving by car may make use of the hotel car park facilities. A laundry service rounds off the facilities on offer. Rooms are all one bedroom apartments with separate lounge, TV, balcony, full bathroom and kitchenette.***PLEASE NOTE: A refundable key deposit of 20 EUROS is required at check-in.***Reception opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm. Guests arriving late should call to inform reception on the following number: +351 289 598 190. This phone line is manned around the clock.
From Faro Airport: take the A22/Via do Infante motorway in the direction of Albufeira. Take the Albufeira exit and continue straight until you reach the last roundabout. Turn left and continue over two roundabouts. At the 3rd roundabout, with the water fountains in the middle, turn right and follow signs to Sta. Eulàlia/Oura. Continue until the next roundabout, with palm trees in the middle, and here turn left until you reach the hotel with its blue sign. From here, turn right and continue until the end of the street. The hotel is on the right hand side. GPS coordinates: 37°5'26.06''''N LONG: 8°11'53.41''''W.
* Fitness room / Gym


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Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Technicolor Adds Sean Mullen, David Kern in Expansion
Technicolor is expanding its animation and games division with the appointment of Sean Mullen as creative director and David Kern as games technical director. Mullen and Kern will be ... Continue Reading →
The Animag 250: Executives to Watch
The Animation Magazine 250th issue celebration continues, this time with our list of executives to watch. They are: Pierre Belaïsch — CEO, Gaumont Animation Melissa Boag — VP ... Continue Reading →
Technicolor to Acquire Mikros Image
Technicolor has entered an exclusive agreement with Mediacontech to acquire French production and postproduction company Mikros Image, which has studios in Paris and Montreal, Canada. ... Continue Reading →
Technicolor Signs New Euro Broadcasters for 'The Deep'
Technicolor has finalized several agreements with European broadcasters to deliver its CG-animated series The Deep (26 x half-hours in production). New partners include Ketnet (Belgium), ... Continue Reading →
Technicolor Acquires Paris-Based OuiDo
Technicolor has acquired French independent animation producer OuiDo Productions. Headed by Sandrine Nguyen and Boris Hertzog, OuiDo Productions has produced such globally popular animation ... Continue Reading →
3D Training Inst. Presents 'Dream Job' Webinar
Leading production-based Autodesk training programs producer 3D Training Institute has announced that senior VFX, animation and digital media executive Stan Szymanski will be the inaugural ... Continue Reading →
Oscar Watch: Best Visual Effects Contenders
The short list of visual effects films that will head to the annual bake-off won't be known until early in December, but the race is still a hot one that's proving more ... Continue Reading →
Feathered Weapons
The Penguin of Madagascar The Penguin of Madagascar The Penguin of Madagascar The ... Continue Reading →
Restoring 'Animal Farm,' Out Oct. 27 in the U.K.
Sometimes, it really pays to be an animation fan on the other side of the pond. Take this week's release of Halas and Batchelor's classic animated feature Animal Farm on ... Continue Reading →
Technicolor, Nerd Corps Entertainment and Australia's A Stark Production have finalized a co-production partnership for the CG animated series The Deep. The agreement will see ... Continue Reading →


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Entry requirements
Applicants must have a minimum of a UK upper second class honours degree (2.1), or equivalent, in physics, materials or mechanical engineering. If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the University's minimum English Language requirements.
Months of entry
Course content
The goal of this research is to advance printed-circuit MEMS 'PopUp' fabrication technology by exploring its integration into soft systems. This will build on our established link with Harvard University.
Our proposed approach is to focus on highly flexible 2D layer-by-layer fabrication methods that can create PopUp functional 3D mechanisms such as mechanical linkages, actuators, sensors and electronics components in millimetre-scale.
This research will exploit unexplored capabilities of the 'EPSRC Robotic Facility' and will complement current 'Soft Systems' research for Surgical Technologies. It will also provide enabling technologies for our funded work in healthcare (HTC in Colorectal Therapies and EPSRC IMPRESS).
Keywords: Robotics, Advanced Manufacturing, Millimetre-Scale, Soft Systems, Popup
Fees and funding
This scholarship is part of Leeds Anniversary Research Scholarship scheme.
Qualification and course duration
Course contact details
- Name
- Dr Ali Alazmani
- email@example.com


text:
Portuguese, PDF, 533kb
Relatorio anual da avaliacao e da auditoria interna 2010 - In Portuguese
This is the 2010 annual report from the "Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua" (CICL)
English, , 1,466kb
Evaluation of the International Organization for Migration and its Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking
The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) commissioned asix-month study of the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) countertrafficking efforts funded by the Norwegian Government.
English, , 1,453kb
Country Assistance Evaluation of Gabon, 1996-2008
The long delays in fulfilling loan conditions, inadequate quality at entry, problems of implementation capacity caused many delays in achieving results. A slow but gradual improvement can be seen though.
English, , 2,583kb
Multi-Donor Trust Fund for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
The initiative was launched in Johannesburg in 2002 to encourage government and companies to work together voluntarily to promote transparency of payments and revenues in order to address the paradoxical "resource curse".
English, , 1,400kb
Evaluation of Transparency International
This evaluation has been commissioned by the Evaluation Department of Norad toassess the efficiency and effectiveness of the Transparency International Secretariat(TI-S) in combating corruption.
English, , 690kb
IMF Performance in the Run-up to the Financial and Economic Crisis, 2004-2007
It finds that the IMF provided few clear warnings about the risks and vulnerabilities associated with the impending crisis before its outbreak.
English, , 1,139kb
Evaluability Study of Partnership Initiatives: Norwegian Support to Achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5
The Global Campaign embodies a multi-country commitment to find better ways of achieving value for money and ensuring that the most vulnerable groups have access to essential services. Norway's support focuses particularly on MDG 4 to reduce child mortality and MDG 5 to improve maternal health.<
English, , 1,396kb
Evaluation of the Paris Declaration - Phase 2 - Zambia
Although there has been some progress in advancing the principles embedded in the Paris Declaration, its catalytic role appears not to have been as strong as would have been expected.
French, PDF, 405kb
La coopération française dans le domaine de la formation initiale et continue des magistrats et personnels judiciaires (1999-2009)
L'évaluation de la coopération française dans le domaine de la formation initiale et continue des magistrats et personnels judiciaires couvre la période 1999-2009. Elle porte sur l'ensemble des instruments français de coopération et des pays bénéficiaires, une centaine environ.
English, , 1,168kb
Evaluation of the Implementation of the Paris Declaration in Uganda - Phase 2
This report sets out the findings of an independent Evaluation of the Implementation of the Paris Declaration in Uganda, which are expected to feed into the on-going evaluation of Uganda's national Poverty Eradication Action Plan.


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|Military Terms and Definitions
wading crossing — See deep fording capability; shallow fording.
walking patient — A patient whose injuries and/or illness are relatively minor, permitting
wanted cargo — (*) In naval control of shipping, a cargo which is not immediately
warble — (*) In naval mine warfare, the process of varying the frequency of sound
warden system — An informal method of communication used to pass information to US
war game — A simulation, by whatever means, of a military operation involving two or
warhead — That part of a missile, projectile, torpedo, rocket, or other munition which
warhead mating — The act of attaching a warhead section to a rocket or missile body,
warhead section — (*) A completely assembled warhead, including appropriate skin
war materiel procurement capability — The quantity of an item that can be acquired by
war materiel requirement — The quantity of an item required to equip and support the
warned exposed — (*) The vulnerability of friendly forces to nuclear weapon effects. In
warned protected — (*) The vulnerability of friendly forces to nuclear weapon effects. In
warning — 1. A communication and acknowledgment of dangers implicit in a wide
warning area — See danger area.
warning net — A communication system established for the purpose of disseminating
warning of attack — A warning to national policymakers that an adversary is not only
warning of war — A warning to national policymakers that a state or alliance intends war,
warning order — (*) 1. A preliminary notice of an order or action that is to follow. 2.
warning red — See air defense warning conditions.
warning shots — The firing of shots or delivery of ordnance by personnel or weapons
warning white — See air defense warning conditions.
warning yellow — See air defense warning conditions.
warp — To haul a ship ahead by line or anchor. (JP 4-01.6)
war reserve materiel requirement — That portion of the war materiel requirement
war reserve materiel requirement, balance — That portion of the war reserve materiel
war reserve materiel requirement, protectable — That portion of the war reserve
war reserve (nuclear) — Nuclear weapons materiel stockpiled in the custody of the
war reserves — (*) Stocks of materiel amassed in peacetime to meet the increase in
war reserve stock — That portion of total materiel assets designated to satisfy the war
war reserve stocks for allies — A Department of Defense program to have the Services
wartime load — The maximum quantity of supplies of all kinds which a ship can carry.
wartime manpower planning system — A standardized Department of Defense
wartime reserve modes — Characteristics and operating procedures of sensor,
Washington Liaison Group — An interagency committee and/or joint monitoring body,
watching mine — (*) In naval mine warfare, a mine secured to its mooring but showing on
watercraft — Any vessel or craft designed specifically and only for movement on the
waterspace management — The allocation of waterspace in terms of antisubmarine
water terminal — A facility for berthing ships simultaneously at piers, quays, and/or
wave — (*) 1. A formation of forces, landing ships, craft, amphibious vehicles or aircraft,
wave crest — The highest part of a wave. See also crest; wave. (JP 4-01.6)
wave height — The vertical distance between trough and crest, usually expressed in feet.
wave length — The horizontal distance between successive wave crests measured
wave period — The time it takes for two successive wave crests to pass a given point. See
wave trough — The lowest part of the wave between crests. See also crest; wave.
wave velocity — The speed at which a wave form advances across the sea, usually
way point — 1. In air operations, a point or a series of points in space to which an aircraft,
W-day — See times.
weapon and payload identification — 1. The determination of the type of weapon being
weapon debris (nuclear) — The residue of a nuclear weapon after it has exploded; that is,
weaponeering — The process of determining the quantity of a specific type of lethal or
weapon engagement zone — In air defense, airspace of defined dimensions within which
weapons assignment — (*) In air defense, the process by which weapons are assigned to
weapons free zone — An air defense zone established for the protection of key assets or
weapons of mass destruction — Weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction
weapons of mass destruction - civil support team — Joint National Guard (Army
weapons readiness state — The degree of readiness of air defense weapons which can
weapons recommendation sheet — (*) A sheet or chart which defines the intention of the
weapons state of readiness — See weapons readiness state.
weapon(s) system — (*) A combination of one or more weapons with all related
weapon system employment concept — (*) A description in broad terms, based on
weapon system video — 1. Imagery recorded by video camera systems aboard aircraft or
weapon-target line — An imaginary straight line from a weapon to a target.
weather deck — A deck having no overhead protection; uppermost deck. (JP 4-01.6)
weight and balance sheet — (*) A sheet which records the distribution of weight in an
wellness — Force health protection program that consolidates and incorporates physical and
wharf — A structure built of open rather than solid construction along a shore or a bank that
wheel load capacity — The capacity of airfield runways, taxiways, parking areas, or
white cap — A small wave breaking offshore as a result of the action of strong winds. See
whiteout — (*) Loss of orientation with respect to the horizon caused by sun reflecting on
white propaganda — Propaganda disseminated and acknowledged by the sponsor or by an
Wilson cloud — See condensation cloud.
winch — A hoisting machine used for loading and discharging cargo and stores or for
wind shear — A change of wind direction and magnitude.
wind velocity — (*) The horizontal direction and speed of air motion.
wing — 1. An Air Force unit composed normally of one primary mission group and the
wingman — An aviator subordinate to and in support of the designated section leader; also,
withdrawal operation — A planned retrograde operation in which a force in contact
withhold (nuclear) — The limiting of authority to employ nuclear weapons by denying
working anchorage — An anchorage where ships lie to discharge cargoes over-side to
working capital fund — A revolving fund established to finance inventories of supplies
working group — An enduring or ad hoc organization within a joint force commander's
work order — A specific or blanket authorization to perform certain work — usually
Worldwide Port System — Automated information system to provide cargo management
wounded — See seriously wounded; slightly wounded.
wounded in action — A casualty category applicable to a hostile casualty, other than the
wreckage locator chart — A chart indicating the geographic location of all known aircraft


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Metaphors for laughter are often surprisingly violent, from busting a gut to splitting your sides to tumbling down the jagged face of Joke Mountain. Break a funny bone with this GrouponLive deal.
The Deal
- One ticket to see 50 Shades! The Musical
- When: Wednesday, September 11, at 8 p.m.
- Where: Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
- Door time: 7 p.m.
- Ticket values include all fees.

Seating Options
- $36 for rear second-balcony section (up to a $52.15 value)
- $43 for front second-balcony section (up to a $62.15 value)
- $50 for main floor section (up to $72.15 value)
- Click here to view the seating chart.

Fifty Shades! The Musical
With sold-out shows in New York, Chicago, and Edinburgh, the musical improvisers of Baby Wants Candy have captured their audience's indecent interest with 50 Shades! The Musical. When a ladies' book club decides to take on the scandalous bestseller, Fifty Shades of Grey—a worldwide sensation with sales of more than 65 million copies—their interpretations of its scenes turn into hilarity. Enactments of the romance between troubled kinkster billionaire Christian and innocent college graduate Anastasia erupt into saucy scenes alive with music and costumes. A live band accompanies the original songs, while dance numbers by the cast animate the stage.