Highlights

In the followiong pages you can read the highlight contributes that appear in the welcome page



Synchrotron-Radiation MicroCT For The Non-destructive Structural Evaluation Of  Bowed Stringed Intrumens.

Rigon, doi link.

Feasibility studies have been carried out at the SYRMEP beamline of the Elettra synchrotron laboratory in Trieste with the aim of demonstrating the advantages and evaluating  the  effectiveness  of  synchrotron  radiation  X-ray microtomography   as   a   suitable   technique   for   non-destructive analysis of bowed stringed instruments. The particular  geometry  of  the  X-ray  beam  and  the  use  of  a novel  detector  allow  structural  evaluation  of  the  main details  of  the  instruments  with  unprecedented  richness of details. This, in turn, will allow precise dendrochronological  investigation  of  historical  violins,  as  well  as  the characterization  of  their  structure,  defects,  wood  thickness and density.

The  combined  approach  of  synchrotron  radiation tomography, by the use of large detectors coupled with laminar X-ray beams and the use of local area
microtomography,  is  an  important  tool  in  the  non-invasive three dimensional analysis of ancient and modern bowed string instruments. Besides obvious
applications  such  as  dendrocronological  evaluations  or  quality  analysis  of  musical  instruments  of great  value,  this  approach  can  be  of  great  help  in
the characterization of the outer layers, where both varnish  and  fillers  are  known  to  be  in  some  way responsible  of  the  overall  performance.24  More  in
general,  this  approach  will  be  of  fundamental importance  in  the  evaluation  and  the  definition  of the  restoration  and  conservation  protocols  for
instruments  of  great  historical,  artistic  and  economic importance.

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 SYNCHROTRON-RADIATION MICROTOMOGRAPHY FOR THE NON-DESTRUCTIVE STRUCTURAL EVALUATION OF BOWED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
Luigi  Rigon,  Erik  Vallazza,  Fulvia  Arfelli,  Renata  Longo,  Diego Dreossi,  Anna  Bergamaschi,  Bernd  Schmitt,  Rongchang  Chen, Maria  Assunta  Cova, Roberto  Perabò,  Marco  Fioravanti,  Lucia Mancini,  Ralf  Hendrik  Menk,  Nicola  Sodini,  Giuliana  Tromba, Franco Zanini
e-PS, 2010, 7, 71-77





Investigation of the microstructure and mineralogical composition of urinary calculi fragments by synchrotron radiation X-ray microCT: a feasibility study

The  outcomes  from  the  feasibility  study  on utilization  of  synchrotron  radiation  X-ray  microtomography (SR-lCT) to investigate the texture and the quantitative   mineralogical   composition   of   selected   calcium oxalate-based urinary calculi fragments are presented.
J. Kaiser et. al. Urol Res (2011) 39:259–267
 


The  outcomes  from  the  feasibility  study  on utilization  of  synchrotron  radiation  X-ray  microtomography (SR-lCT) to investigate the texture and the quantitative   mineralogical   composition   of   selected   calcium
oxalate-based urinary calculi fragments are presented. The comparison  of  the  results  obtained  by  SR-lCT  analysis with   those   derived   from   current   standard   analytical approaches is provided. SR-lCT is proved as a potential effective   technique   for   determination   of   texture,   3D
microstructure, and composition of kidney stones

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Investigation of the microstructure and mineralogical composition of urinary calculi fragments by synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography: a feasibility studyand  Jozef Kaiser , Marke´ta Hola´, Michaela Galiova´,  Karel Novotny´, Viktor Kanicky´, Petr Martinec  Jirˇı´ Scˇucˇka,  Francesco Brun, Nicola Sodini,
Giuliana Tromba,  Lucia Mancini,  Tamara Korˇistkova, Urol Res (2011) 39:259–267 DOI 10.1007/s00240-010-0343-9      doi link



Quantitative analysis of X-ray microtoCT images of geomaterials: Application to volcanic rocks


X-ray  computed  microtomography  is  an excellent tool for the three-dimensional analysis of rock microstructure.
  D. Zandomeneghi et. al. Geosphere; December 2010; v. 6; no. 6;


X-ray  computed  microtomography  is  an excellent tool for the three-dimensional analysis of rock microstructure. Digital images are acquired, visualized, and processed to identify  and  measure  several  discrete  features and constituents of rock samples, by means of  mathematical  algorithms  and  computational methods. In this paper, we present digital images of volcanic rocks collected with X-ray computed microtomography techniques and studied by means  of  a  software  library,  called  Pore3D,
custom-implemented at  the Elettra Synchro tron  Light  Laboratory  of  Trieste  (Italy). Using the Pore3D software, we analyzed the fabrics and we quantifi ed the characteristics of  the  main  constituents  (vesicles,  crystals, and  glassy  matrix)  of  four  different  types of  pyroclasts:  frothy  pumice,  tube  pumice, scoria , and “crystalline” scoria. We  identifi ed  the  distinctive  features  of these  different  types  of  volcanic  rocks.  The frothy  pumices  show  vesicles  that  coalesce in isotropic aggregates, especially toward the sample interior, while the scoriae have a low porosity and an abundance of isolated vesicles. In the “crystalline” scoria sample most
of  the  vesicle  separation  is  due  to  the  presence of crystals of different types, while the tube  pumice  shows  an  anisotropic  distribution of vesicles and crystals at the microscale, as  also  observed  at  the  scale  of  the  hand sample.  Quantitative  analysis  and  textural information  may  supply  an  additional  tool to investigate the eruptive processes and the
origin of volcanic rocks.

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Quantitative analysis of X-ray microtomography images of geomaterials:
Application to volcanic rocks.

D. Zandomeneghi, M. Voltolini, L. Mancini, F. Brun, D. Dreossi, and M. Polacci, doi link

Breast computed tomography with the PICASSO detector: A feasibility study

The SYRMEP (Synchrotron Radiation for Medical Physics) collaboration has performed, for the first time in the world, a clinical program of mammography with synchrotron radiation.

  L. Rigon et. al. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 628 (2011) 419–422


The SYRMEP (Synchrotron Radiation for Medical Physics) collaboration has performed, for the first time in the world, a clinical program of mammography with synchrotron radiation. This program provided
excellent results, although utilizing a commercial screen-film system as a detector. The PICASSO (Phase Imaging for Clinical Application with Silicon detector and Synchrotron radiation) project has developed a detector prototype capable of fully exploiting the peculiar characteristics of the synchrotron source, utilizing silicon microstrip sensors illuminated in the edge-on geometry and operated in single-photon counting. In this paper the potential of the PICASSO detector in breast computed tomography was
evaluated by means of custom phantoms. Very encouraging results have been obtained with severe dose constrains as far as both spatial and contrast resolution are concerned. Moreover, the capability of detecting phase contrast effects was demonstrated, albeit with a higher delivered dose.

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Breast computed tomography with the PICASSO detector: A feasibility study
Luigi Rigon, Federica Tapete, Diego Dreossi, Fulvia Arfelli, Anna Bergamaschi, Rong-Chang Chen , Renata Longo, Ralf-Hendrik Menk, Bernd Schmitt, Erik Vallazza , Edoardo Castelli , doi link

Mammography with Synchrotron Radiation


To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic contribution of mammography with synchrotron radiation in patients with questionable or suspicious breast abnormalities identified at combined digital mammography (DM) and ultrasonography (US).
E. Castelli et al., Volume 259: Number 3—June 2011


To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic contribution of mammography with synchrotron radiation in patients with questionable or suspicious breast abnormalities identified at combined digital mammography (DM) and ultrasonography (US).
The ethics committee approved this prospective study, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients. Mammography with synchrotron radiation was performed with a phase-detection technique at a synchrotron radiation laboratory. Forty-nine women who met at least one of the inclusion criteria (palpable mass, focal asymmetry, architectural distortion, or equivocal or suspicious mass at DM; none clarified at US) were enrolled. Forty-seven women (mean age, 57.8 years ± 8.8 [standard deviation]; age range, 43-78 years) completed the study protocol, which involved biopsy or follow-up for 1 year as the reference standard.

Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) scores of 1-3 were considered to indicate a negative result, while scores 4-5 were considered to indicate a positive result. The visibility of breast abnormalities and the glandular parenchymal structure at DM and at mammography with synchrotron radiation was compared by using the Wilcoxon signed rank test.
In 29 of the 31 patients with a final diagnosis of benign entity, mammography with synchrotron radiation yielded BI-RADS scores of 1-3. In 13 of the remaining 16 patients with a final diagnosis of malignancy, mammography with synchrotron radiation yielded BI-RADS scores of 4-5. Therefore, a sensitivity of 81% (13 of 16 patients) and a specificity of 94% (29 of 31 patients) were achieved with use of the described BI-RADS dichotomization system.
These study results suggest that mammography with synchrotron radiation can be used to clarify cases of questionable or suspicious breast abnormalities identified at DM.

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Mammography with Synchrotron Radiation: First Clinical Experience with Phase-Detection Technique,  E. Castelli ,  M. Tonutti,  F.  Arfelli, R. Longo, E. Quai, L. Rigon, D. Sanabor , F.  Zanconati ,  D. Dreossi ,  A. Abrami , E. Quai, P.  Bregant , K. Casarin , V.  Chenda,  R. Menk , T.  Rokvic,  A. Vascotto , G. Tromba , M. Cova ,doi link

Learning the finer points


Researchers had used the synchrotron micro-tomography technique to unlock a Guadagini’s tiniest secret, showing also a full and detailed description of the different modifications applied to the violin during the years.
F. Zanini , The Strad January  vol 123 pp. 36-41 


X-ray computed tomography (CT) is becoming a common technique for the structural analysis of ancient manufacts of cultural relevance, providing luthiers, art historians, conservators and restorators with a unique tool for the characterization of musical instruments. CT-derived information aid in the replication of original masterpieces and have an important role in the valuation, insurance, and identification of valuable stringed instruments.
The value of an historical instrument may decrease considerably if a defect or repair is discovered. For example, a violin with a crack in the sound post region of the back plate is conventionally valued at only 50% of the same instrument without the defect. Moreover, it is well known that many serious abnormal conditions may be concealed with glue, filler material, retouch, or varnish. Abnormal conditions that affect bowed stringed instruments include cracking, warping, and wormholes (caused by the infestation of larvae).

Unfortunately, conventional tomographic systems are not able to reach the desired spatial resolution (i.e. between 10 and 50 microns) or are able to analyse a whole instruments due to the reduced field of view of X-ray detectors and/or the dimensions of the commercial X-ray hutches. After the first feasibility studies, carried out at the SYRMEP beamline of the Elettra synchrotron laboratory in Trieste, showing the advantages and evaluating the effectiveness of synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography, the first analysis of a instrument of historical importance (the 1735 violin by Giovan Battista Guadagnini) has shown the full potential of the technique.

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Learning the finer points,  F. Zanini The Strad January  vol 123 pp. 36-41 
Last Updated on Monday, 04 March 2024 12:22