The subject invention pertains to a suction-controllable triaxial test system and a method for studying the micro-hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils through the visualization of the in-situ evolution of three-dimensional (3D) microstructure upon triaxial loading in a ((p-u.sub.a), q, s) space. The triaxial apparatus can be small enough to be operated within a micro-focus or nano-focus X-ray CT scanner. Internal characteristics and 3D movements of soil particles and the water and air in soil pores can be visualized during in-situ controllable hydro-mechanical loading processes without disturbing the soil sample. The evolution of 3D micro-structure of unsaturated soil samples of varying matric suction can be directly related with their element-scale behavior for conducting cross-scale fundamental studies.

The subject invention pertains to a suction-controllable triaxial test system and a method for studying the micro-hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils through the visualization of the in-situ evolution of three-dimensional (3D) microstructure upon triaxial loading in a ((p-u.sub.a), q, s) space. The triaxial apparatus can be small enough to be operated within a micro-focus or nano-focus X-ray CT scanner. Internal characteristics and 3D movements of soil particles and the water and air in soil pores can be visualized during in-situ controllable hydro-mechanical loading processes without disturbing the soil sample. The evolution of 3D micro-structure of unsaturated soil samples of varying matric suction can be directly related with their element-scale behavior for conducting cross-scale fundamental studies.

The present specification provides a detector for an X-ray imaging system. The detector includes at least one high resolution layer having high resolution wavelength-shifting optical fibers, each fiber occupying a distinct region of the detector, at least one low resolution layer with low resolution regions, and a single segmented multi-channel photo-multiplier tube for coupling signals obtained from the high resolution fibers and the low resolution regions.

The present specification provides a detector for an X-ray imaging system. The detector includes at least one high resolution layer having high resolution wavelength-shifting optical fibers, each fiber occupying a distinct region of the detector, at least one low resolution layer with low resolution regions, and a single segmented multi-channel photo-multiplier tube for coupling signals obtained from the high resolution fibers and the low resolution regions.

An alert output apparatus is configured to hold: image information indicating one or more inspection objects included in a photographic object of an image for which determination is to be executed; alert target item information indicating an alert target item; and co-occurrence item information indicating alert co-occurrence items each determined in advance as an item to be included in the image at the same time as the alert target item, and to output alert when determining that at least one inspection object out of the one or more inspection objects matches to the alert target item and satisfies a given condition, and when determining that no inspection object out of the one or more inspection objects matches to the alert target item but at least one inspection object out of the one or more inspection objects matches to at least one of the alert co-occurrence items.

An alert output apparatus is configured to hold: image information indicating one or more inspection objects included in a photographic object of an image for which determination is to be executed; alert target item information indicating an alert target item; and co-occurrence item information indicating alert co-occurrence items each determined in advance as an item to be included in the image at the same time as the alert target item, and to output alert when determining that at least one inspection object out of the one or more inspection objects matches to the alert target item and satisfies a given condition, and when determining that no inspection object out of the one or more inspection objects matches to the alert target item but at least one inspection object out of the one or more inspection objects matches to at least one of the alert co-occurrence items.

In some embodiments, the present specification describes methods for displaying a three-dimensional image of an isolated threat object or region of interest with a single touch or click and providing spatial and contextual information relative to the object, while also executing a view dependent virtual cut-away or rendering occluding portions of the reconstructed image data as transparent. In some embodiments, the method includes allowing operators to associate audio comments with a scan image of an object. In some embodiments, the method also includes highlighting a plurality of voxels, which are indicative of at least one potential threat item, in a mask having a plurality of variable color intensities, where the intensities may be varied based on the potential threat items.

In some embodiments, the present specification describes methods for displaying a three-dimensional image of an isolated threat object or region of interest with a single touch or click and providing spatial and contextual information relative to the object, while also executing a view dependent virtual cut-away or rendering occluding portions of the reconstructed image data as transparent. In some embodiments, the method includes allowing operators to associate audio comments with a scan image of an object. In some embodiments, the method also includes highlighting a plurality of voxels, which are indicative of at least one potential threat item, in a mask having a plurality of variable color intensities, where the intensities may be varied based on the potential threat items.

A target inspection system includes a portable x-ray scanner configured to output a scanning beam of x-rays, a transmission detector module to detect x-rays of the scanning beam of x-rays that are transmitted through a target when the target is interposed between the portable x-ray scanner and the transmission detector module, and a coupling arm configured to couple the portable x-ray scanner to the transmission detector module mechanically to form a target inspection assembly, via a mechanical coupling between the coupling arm and the portable x-ray scanner at a proximal end of the coupling arm, and via a mechanical coupling between the coupling arm and the transmission detector module at a distal end of the coupling arm. The transmission detector module and the portable x-ray scanner are mechanically coupled together via the coupling arm, defining an opening to receive the target to be interposed therebetween for an x-ray scanning operation.

A target inspection system includes a portable x-ray scanner configured to output a scanning beam of x-rays, a transmission detector module to detect x-rays of the scanning beam of x-rays that are transmitted through a target when the target is interposed between the portable x-ray scanner and the transmission detector module, and a coupling arm configured to couple the portable x-ray scanner to the transmission detector module mechanically to form a target inspection assembly, via a mechanical coupling between the coupling arm and the portable x-ray scanner at a proximal end of the coupling arm, and via a mechanical coupling between the coupling arm and the transmission detector module at a distal end of the coupling arm. The transmission detector module and the portable x-ray scanner are mechanically coupled together via the coupling arm, defining an opening to receive the target to be interposed therebetween for an x-ray scanning operation.