Sample records for obtained high spatial

  1. The fusion of satellite and UAV data: simulation of high spatial resolution band

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jenerowicz, Agnieszka; Siok, Katarzyna; Woroszkiewicz, Malgorzata; Orych, Agata

    2017-10-01

    Remote sensing techniques used in the precision agriculture and farming that apply imagery data obtained with sensors mounted on UAV platforms became more popular in the last few years due to the availability of low- cost UAV platforms and low- cost sensors. Data obtained from low altitudes with low- cost sensors can be characterised by high spatial and radiometric resolution but quite low spectral resolution, therefore the application of imagery data obtained with such technology is quite limited and can be used only for the basic land cover classification. To enrich the spectral resolution of imagery data acquired with low- cost sensors from low altitudes, the authors proposed the fusion of RGB data obtained with UAV platform with multispectral satellite imagery. The fusion is based on the pansharpening process, that aims to integrate the spatial details of the high-resolution panchromatic image with the spectral information of lower resolution multispectral or hyperspectral imagery to obtain multispectral or hyperspectral images with high spatial resolution. The key of pansharpening is to properly estimate the missing spatial details of multispectral images while preserving their spectral properties. In the research, the authors presented the fusion of RGB images (with high spatial resolution) obtained with sensors mounted on low- cost UAV platforms and multispectral satellite imagery with satellite sensors, i.e. Landsat 8 OLI. To perform the fusion of UAV data with satellite imagery, the simulation of the panchromatic bands from RGB data based on the spectral channels linear combination, was conducted. Next, for simulated bands and multispectral satellite images, the Gram-Schmidt pansharpening method was applied. As a result of the fusion, the authors obtained several multispectral images with very high spatial resolution and then analysed the spatial and spectral accuracies of processed images.

  2. Ultra high spatial and temporal resolution breast imaging at 7T.

    PubMed

    van de Bank, B L; Voogt, I J; Italiaander, M; Stehouwer, B L; Boer, V O; Luijten, P R; Klomp, D W J

    2013-04-01

    There is a need to obtain higher specificity in the detection of breast lesions using MRI. To address this need, Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced (DCE) MRI has been combined with other structural and functional MRI techniques. Unfortunately, owing to time constraints structural images at ultra-high spatial resolution can generally not be obtained during contrast uptake, whereas the relatively low spatial resolution of functional imaging (e.g. diffusion and perfusion) limits the detection of small lesions. To be able to increase spatial as well as temporal resolution simultaneously, the sensitivity of MR detection needs to increase as well as the ability to effectively accelerate the acquisition. The required gain in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be obtained at 7T, whereas acceleration can be obtained with high-density receiver coil arrays. In this case, morphological imaging can be merged with DCE-MRI, and other functional techniques can be obtained at higher spatial resolution, and with less distortion [e.g. Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI)]. To test the feasibility of this concept, we developed a unilateral breast coil for 7T. It comprises a volume optimized dual-channel transmit coil combined with a 30-channel receive array coil. The high density of small coil elements enabled efficient acceleration in any direction to acquire ultra high spatial resolution MRI of close to 0.6 mm isotropic detail within a temporal resolution of 69 s, high spatial resolution MRI of 1.5 mm isotropic within an ultra high temporal resolution of 6.7 s and low distortion DWI at 7T, all validated in phantoms, healthy volunteers and a patient with a lesion in the right breast classified as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) IV. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Hyperspectral and multispectral data fusion based on linear-quadratic nonnegative matrix factorization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benhalouche, Fatima Zohra; Karoui, Moussa Sofiane; Deville, Yannick; Ouamri, Abdelaziz

    2017-04-01

    This paper proposes three multisharpening approaches to enhance the spatial resolution of urban hyperspectral remote sensing images. These approaches, related to linear-quadratic spectral unmixing techniques, use a linear-quadratic nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) multiplicative algorithm. These methods begin by unmixing the observable high-spectral/low-spatial resolution hyperspectral and high-spatial/low-spectral resolution multispectral images. The obtained high-spectral/high-spatial resolution features are then recombined, according to the linear-quadratic mixing model, to obtain an unobservable multisharpened high-spectral/high-spatial resolution hyperspectral image. In the first designed approach, hyperspectral and multispectral variables are independently optimized, once they have been coherently initialized. These variables are alternately updated in the second designed approach. In the third approach, the considered hyperspectral and multispectral variables are jointly updated. Experiments, using synthetic and real data, are conducted to assess the efficiency, in spatial and spectral domains, of the designed approaches and of linear NMF-based approaches from the literature. Experimental results show that the designed methods globally yield very satisfactory spectral and spatial fidelities for the multisharpened hyperspectral data. They also prove that these methods significantly outperform the used literature approaches.

  4. Optical spatial differentiator based on subwavelength high-contrast gratings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Zhewei; Si, Jiangnan; Yu, Xuanyi; Deng, Xiaoxu

    2018-04-01

    An optical spatial differentiator based on subwavelength high-contrast gratings (HCGs) is proposed experimentally. The spatial differentiation property of the subwavelength HCG is analyzed by calculating its spatial spectral transfer function based on the periodic waveguide theory. By employing the FDTD solutions, the performance of the subwavelength HCG spatial differentiator was investigated numerically. The subwavelength HCG differentiator with the thickness at the nanoscale was fabricated on the quartz substrate by electron beam lithography and Bosch deep silicon etching. Observed under an optical microscope with a CCD camera, the spatial differentiation of the incident field profile was obtained by the subwavelength HCG differentiator in transmission without Fourier lens. By projecting the images of slits, letter "X," and a cross on the subwavelength HCG differentiator, edge detections of images were obtained in transmission. With the nanoscale HCG structure and simple optical implementation, the proposed optical spatial differentiator provides the prospects for applications in optical computing systems and parallel data processing.

  5. Resolution Enhancement of Hyperion Hyperspectral Data using Ikonos Multispectral Data

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-09-01

    spatial - resolution hyperspectral image to produce a sharpened product. The result is a product that has the spectral properties of the ...multispectral sensors. In this work, we examine the benefits of combining data from high- spatial - resolution , low- spectral - resolution spectral imaging...sensors with data obtained from high- spectral - resolution , low- spatial - resolution spectral imaging sensors.

  6. Study of reflection gratings recorded in polyvinyl alcohol/acrylamide-based photopolymer.

    PubMed

    Fuentes, Rosa; Fernández, Elena; García, Celia; Beléndez, Augusto; Pascual, Inmaculada

    2009-12-01

    High-spatial-frequency fringes associated with reflection holographic optical elements are difficult to obtain with currently available recording materials. In this work, holographic reflection gratings were stored in a polyvinyl alcohol/acrylamide photopolymer. This material is formed of acrylamide photopolymer, which is considered interesting material for optical storage applications such as holographic memories. The experimental procedure for examining the high-spatial-frequency response of this material is explained, and the experimental results obtained are presented. With the aim of obtaining the best results, the performance of different material compositions is compared.

  7. Spatial adaption procedures on unstructured meshes for accurate unsteady aerodynamic flow computation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rausch, Russ D.; Batina, John T.; Yang, Henry T. Y.

    1991-01-01

    Spatial adaption procedures for the accurate and efficient solution of steady and unsteady inviscid flow problems are described. The adaption procedures were developed and implemented within a two-dimensional unstructured-grid upwind-type Euler code. These procedures involve mesh enrichment and mesh coarsening to either add points in a high gradient region or the flow or remove points where they are not needed, respectively, to produce solutions of high spatial accuracy at minimal computational costs. A detailed description is given of the enrichment and coarsening procedures and comparisons with alternative results and experimental data are presented to provide an assessment of the accuracy and efficiency of the capability. Steady and unsteady transonic results, obtained using spatial adaption for the NACA 0012 airfoil, are shown to be of high spatial accuracy, primarily in that the shock waves are very sharply captured. The results were obtained with a computational savings of a factor of approximately fifty-three for a steady case and as much as twenty-five for the unsteady cases.

  8. High-angular-resolution stellar imaging with occultations from the Cassini spacecraft - III. Mira

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stewart, Paul N.; Tuthill, Peter G.; Nicholson, Philip D.; Hedman, Matthew M.

    2016-04-01

    We present an analysis of spectral and spatial data of Mira obtained by the Cassini spacecraft, which not only observed the star's spectra over a broad range of near-infrared wavelengths, but was also able to obtain high-resolution spatial information by watching the star pass behind Saturn's rings. The observed spectral range of 1-5 microns reveals the stellar atmosphere in the crucial water-bands which are unavailable to terrestrial observers, and the simultaneous spatial sampling allows the origin of spectral features to be located in the stellar environment. Models are fitted to the data, revealing the spectral and spatial structure of molecular layers surrounding the star. High-resolution imagery is recovered revealing the layered and asymmetric nature of the stellar atmosphere. The observational data set is also used to confront the state-of-the-art cool opacity-sampling dynamic extended atmosphere models of Mira variables through a detailed spectral and spatial comparison, revealing in general a good agreement with some specific departures corresponding to particular spectral features.

  9. Spatial adaption procedures on unstructured meshes for accurate unsteady aerodynamic flow computation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rausch, Russ D.; Yang, Henry T. Y.; Batina, John T.

    1991-01-01

    Spatial adaption procedures for the accurate and efficient solution of steady and unsteady inviscid flow problems are described. The adaption procedures were developed and implemented within a two-dimensional unstructured-grid upwind-type Euler code. These procedures involve mesh enrichment and mesh coarsening to either add points in high gradient regions of the flow or remove points where they are not needed, respectively, to produce solutions of high spatial accuracy at minimal computational cost. The paper gives a detailed description of the enrichment and coarsening procedures and presents comparisons with alternative results and experimental data to provide an assessment of the accuracy and efficiency of the capability. Steady and unsteady transonic results, obtained using spatial adaption for the NACA 0012 airfoil, are shown to be of high spatial accuracy, primarily in that the shock waves are very sharply captured. The results were obtained with a computational savings of a factor of approximately fifty-three for a steady case and as much as twenty-five for the unsteady cases.

  10. High-resolution maps of real and illusory tactile activation in primary somatosensory cortex in individual monkeys with functional magnetic resonance imaging and optical imaging.

    PubMed

    Chen, Li M; Turner, Gregory H; Friedman, Robert M; Zhang, Na; Gore, John C; Roe, Anna W; Avison, Malcolm J

    2007-08-22

    Although blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been widely used to explore human brain function, questions remain regarding the ultimate spatial resolution of positive BOLD fMRI, and indeed the extent to which functional maps revealed by positive BOLD correlate spatially with maps obtained with other high-spatial-resolution mapping techniques commonly used in animals, such as optical imaging of intrinsic signal (OIS) and single-unit electrophysiology. Here, we demonstrate that the positive BOLD signal at 9.4T can reveal the fine topography of individual fingerpads in single-condition activation maps in nonhuman primates. These digit maps are similar to maps obtained from the same animal using intrinsic optical imaging. Furthermore, BOLD fMRI reliably resolved submillimeter spatial shifts in activation in area 3b previously identified with OIS (Chen et al., 2003) as neural correlates of the "funneling illusion." These data demonstrate that at high field, high-spatial-resolution topographic maps can be achieved using the positive BOLD signal, weakening previous notions regarding the spatial specificity of the positive BOLD signal.

  11. Influence of spherical aberration, stimulus spatial frequency, and pupil apodisation on subjective refractions

    PubMed Central

    Bradley, Arthur; Xu, Renfeng; Thibos, Larry; Marin, Gildas; Hernandez, Martha

    2014-01-01

    Purpose To test competing hypotheses (Stiles Crawford pupil apodising or superior imaging of high spatial frequencies by the central pupil) for the pupil size independence of subjective refractions in the presence of primary spherical aberration. Methods Subjective refractions were obtained with a variety of test stimuli (high contrast letters, urban cityscape, high and low spatial frequency gratings) while modulating pupil diameter, levels of primary spherical aberration and pupil apodisation. Subjective refractions were also obtained with low-pass and high-pass stimuli and using “darker” and “sharper” subjective criteria. Results Subjective refractions for stimuli containing high spatial frequencies focus a near paraxial region of the pupil and are affected only slightly by level of Seidel spherical aberration, degree of pupil apodisation and pupil diameter, and generally focused a radius of about 1 to 1.5 mm from the pupil centre. Low spatial frequency refractions focus a marginal region of the pupil, and are significantly affected by level of spherical aberration, amount of pupil apodisation, and pupil size. Clinical refractions that employ the “darker” or “sharper” subjective criteria bias the patient to use lower or higher spatial frequencies respectively. Conclusions In the presence of significant levels of spherical aberration, the pupil size independence of subjective refractions occurs with or without Stiles Crawford apodisation for refractions that optimise high spatial frequency content in the image. If low spatial frequencies are optimised by a subjective refraction, spherical refractive error varies with spherical aberration, pupil size, and level of apodisation. As light levels drop from photopic to scotopic, therefore, we expect a shift from pupil size independent to pupil size dependent subjective refractions. Emphasising a “sharper” criterion during subjective refractions will improve image quality for high spatial frequencies and generate pupil size independent refractions. PMID:24397356

  12. Turbulence imaging and applications using beam emission spectroscopy on DIII-D (invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McKee, G. R.; Fenzi, C.; Fonck, R. J.; Jakubowski, M.

    2003-03-01

    Two-dimensional measurements of density fluctuations are obtained in the radial and poloidal plane of the DIII-D tokamak with the Beam Emission Spectroscopy (BES) diagnostic system. The goals are to visualize the spatial structure and time evolution of turbulent eddies, as well as to obtain the 2D statistical properties of turbulence. The measurements are obtained with an array of localized BES spatial channels configured to image a midplane region of the plasma. 32 channels have been deployed, each with a spatial resolution of about 1 cm in the radial and poloidal directions, thus providing measurements of turbulence in the wave number range 0

  13. Joint Entropy for Space and Spatial Frequency Domains Estimated from Psychometric Functions of Achromatic Discrimination

    PubMed Central

    Silveira, Vladímir de Aquino; Souza, Givago da Silva; Gomes, Bruno Duarte; Rodrigues, Anderson Raiol; Silveira, Luiz Carlos de Lima

    2014-01-01

    We used psychometric functions to estimate the joint entropy for space discrimination and spatial frequency discrimination. Space discrimination was taken as discrimination of spatial extent. Seven subjects were tested. Gábor functions comprising unidimensionalsinusoidal gratings (0.4, 2, and 10 cpd) and bidimensionalGaussian envelopes (1°) were used as reference stimuli. The experiment comprised the comparison between reference and test stimulithat differed in grating's spatial frequency or envelope's standard deviation. We tested 21 different envelope's standard deviations around the reference standard deviation to study spatial extent discrimination and 19 different grating's spatial frequencies around the reference spatial frequency to study spatial frequency discrimination. Two series of psychometric functions were obtained for 2%, 5%, 10%, and 100% stimulus contrast. The psychometric function data points for spatial extent discrimination or spatial frequency discrimination were fitted with Gaussian functions using the least square method, and the spatial extent and spatial frequency entropies were estimated from the standard deviation of these Gaussian functions. Then, joint entropy was obtained by multiplying the square root of space extent entropy times the spatial frequency entropy. We compared our results to the theoretical minimum for unidimensional Gábor functions, 1/4π or 0.0796. At low and intermediate spatial frequencies and high contrasts, joint entropy reached levels below the theoretical minimum, suggesting non-linear interactions between two or more visual mechanisms. We concluded that non-linear interactions of visual pathways, such as the M and P pathways, could explain joint entropy values below the theoretical minimum at low and intermediate spatial frequencies and high contrasts. These non-linear interactions might be at work at intermediate and high contrasts at all spatial frequencies once there was a substantial decrease in joint entropy for these stimulus conditions when contrast was raised. PMID:24466158

  14. Joint entropy for space and spatial frequency domains estimated from psychometric functions of achromatic discrimination.

    PubMed

    Silveira, Vladímir de Aquino; Souza, Givago da Silva; Gomes, Bruno Duarte; Rodrigues, Anderson Raiol; Silveira, Luiz Carlos de Lima

    2014-01-01

    We used psychometric functions to estimate the joint entropy for space discrimination and spatial frequency discrimination. Space discrimination was taken as discrimination of spatial extent. Seven subjects were tested. Gábor functions comprising unidimensionalsinusoidal gratings (0.4, 2, and 10 cpd) and bidimensionalGaussian envelopes (1°) were used as reference stimuli. The experiment comprised the comparison between reference and test stimulithat differed in grating's spatial frequency or envelope's standard deviation. We tested 21 different envelope's standard deviations around the reference standard deviation to study spatial extent discrimination and 19 different grating's spatial frequencies around the reference spatial frequency to study spatial frequency discrimination. Two series of psychometric functions were obtained for 2%, 5%, 10%, and 100% stimulus contrast. The psychometric function data points for spatial extent discrimination or spatial frequency discrimination were fitted with Gaussian functions using the least square method, and the spatial extent and spatial frequency entropies were estimated from the standard deviation of these Gaussian functions. Then, joint entropy was obtained by multiplying the square root of space extent entropy times the spatial frequency entropy. We compared our results to the theoretical minimum for unidimensional Gábor functions, 1/4π or 0.0796. At low and intermediate spatial frequencies and high contrasts, joint entropy reached levels below the theoretical minimum, suggesting non-linear interactions between two or more visual mechanisms. We concluded that non-linear interactions of visual pathways, such as the M and P pathways, could explain joint entropy values below the theoretical minimum at low and intermediate spatial frequencies and high contrasts. These non-linear interactions might be at work at intermediate and high contrasts at all spatial frequencies once there was a substantial decrease in joint entropy for these stimulus conditions when contrast was raised.

  15. Spatial Representativeness of PM2.5 Concentrations Obtained Using Observations From Network Stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Xiaoqin; Zhao, Chuanfeng; Jiang, Jonathan H.; Wang, Chunying; Yang, Xin; Yung, Yuk L.

    2018-03-01

    Haze has been a focused air pollution phenomenon in China, and its characterization is highly desired. Aerosol properties obtained from a single station are frequently used to represent the haze condition over a large domain, such as tens of kilometers, which could result in high uncertainties due to their spatial variation. Using a high-resolution network observation over an urban city in North China from November 2015 to February 2016, this study examines the spatial representativeness of ground station observations of particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5). We developed a new method to determine the representative area of PM2.5 measurements from limited stations. The key idea is to determine the PM2.5 spatial representative area using its spatial variability and temporal correlation. We also determine stations with large representative area using two grid networks with different resolutions. Based on the high spatial resolution measurements, the representative area of PM2.5 at one station can be determined from the grids with high correlations and small differences of PM2.5. The representative area for a single station in the study period ranges from 0.25 to 16.25 km2 but is less than 3 km2 for more than half of the stations. The representative area varies with locations, and observation at 10 optimal stations would have a good representativeness of those obtained from 169 stations for the 4 month time scale studied. Both evaluations with an empirical orthogonal function analysis and with independent data set corroborate the validity of the results found in this study.

  16. Examination about the Spatial Representation of PM2.5 Obtained from Limited Stations Using a Network Observation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, X.; Zhao, C.

    2017-12-01

    Haze aerosol pollution has been a focus issue in China, and its characteristics is highly demanded. With limited observation sites, aerosol properties obtained from a single site is frequently used to represent the haze condition over a large domain, such as tens of kilometers. This could result in high uncertainties in the haze characteristics due to their spatial variation. Using a network observation from November 2015 to February 2016 over an urban city in North China with high spatial resolution, this study examines the spatial representation of ground site observations. A method is first developed to determine the representative area of measurements from limited stations. The key idea of this method is to determine the spatial variability of particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) concentration using a variance function in 2km x 2km grids. Based on the high spatial resolution (0.5km x 0.5km) measurements of PM2.5, the grids in which PM2.5 have high correlations and weak value differences are determined as the representation area of measurements at these grids. Note that the size representation area is not exactly a circle region. It shows that the size representation are for the study region and study period ranges from 0.25 km2 to 16.25 km2. The representation area varies with locations. For the 20 km x 20 km study region, 10 station observations would have a good representation of the PM2.5 observations obtained from current 169 stations at the four-month time scale.

  17. A SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF THE FINE ROOT BIOMASS FROM STAND DATA IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

    EPA Science Inventory

    High spatial variability of fine roots in natural forest stands makes accurate estimates of stand-level fine root biomass difficult and expensive to obtain by standard coring methods. This study uses aboveground tree metrics and spatial relationships to improve core-based estima...

  18. The spatial resolution of silicon-based electron detectors in beta-autoradiography.

    PubMed

    Cabello, Jorge; Wells, Kevin

    2010-03-21

    Thin tissue autoradiography is an imaging modality where ex-vivo tissue sections are placed in direct contact with autoradiographic film. These tissue sections contain a radiolabelled ligand bound to a specific biomolecule under study. This radioligand emits beta - or beta+ particles ionizing silver halide crystals in the film. High spatial resolution autoradiograms are obtained using low energy radioisotopes, such as (3)H where an intrinsic 0.1-1 microm spatial resolution can be achieved. Several digital alternatives have been presented over the past few years to replace conventional film but their spatial resolution has yet to equal film, although silicon-based imaging technologies have demonstrated higher sensitivity compared to conventional film. It will be shown in this work how pixel size is a critical parameter for achieving high spatial resolution for low energy uncollimated beta imaging. In this work we also examine the confounding factors impeding silicon-based technologies with respect to spatial resolution. The study considers charge diffusion in silicon and detector noise, and this is applied to a range of radioisotopes typically used in autoradiography. Finally an optimal detector geometry to obtain the best possible spatial resolution for a specific technology and a specific radioisotope is suggested.

  19. Vegetation Coverage and Impervious Surface Area Estimated Based on the Estarfm Model and Remote Sensing Monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Rongming; Wang, Shu; Guo, Jiao; Guo, Liankun

    2018-04-01

    Impervious surface area and vegetation coverage are important biophysical indicators of urban surface features which can be derived from medium-resolution images. However, remote sensing data obtained by a single sensor are easily affected by many factors such as weather conditions, and the spatial and temporal resolution can not meet the needs for soil erosion estimation. Therefore, the integrated multi-source remote sensing data are needed to carry out high spatio-temporal resolution vegetation coverage estimation. Two spatial and temporal vegetation coverage data and impervious data were obtained from MODIS and Landsat 8 remote sensing images. Based on the Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (ESTARFM), the vegetation coverage data of two scales were fused and the data of vegetation coverage fusion (ESTARFM FVC) and impervious layer with high spatiotemporal resolution (30 m, 8 day) were obtained. On this basis, the spatial variability of the seepage-free surface and the vegetation cover landscape in the study area was measured by means of statistics and spatial autocorrelation analysis. The results showed that: 1) ESTARFM FVC and impermeable surface have higher accuracy and can characterize the characteristics of the biophysical components covered by the earth's surface; 2) The average impervious surface proportion and the spatial configuration of each area are different, which are affected by natural conditions and urbanization. In the urban area of Xi'an, which has typical characteristics of spontaneous urbanization, landscapes are fragmented and have less spatial dependence.

  20. Spatially and momentum resolved energy electron loss spectra from an ultra-thin PrNiO{sub 3} layer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kinyanjui, M. K., E-mail: michael.kinyanjui@uni-ulm.de; Kaiser, U.; Benner, G.

    2015-05-18

    We present an experimental approach which allows for the acquisition of spectra from ultra-thin films at high spatial, momentum, and energy resolutions. Spatially and momentum (q) resolved electron energy loss spectra have been obtained from a 12 nm ultra-thin PrNiO{sub 3} layer using a nano-beam electron diffraction based approach which enabled the acquisition of momentum resolved spectra from individual, differently oriented nano-domains and at different positions of the PrNiO{sub 3} thin layer. The spatial and wavelength dependence of the spectral excitations are obtained and characterized after the analysis of the experimental spectra using calculated dielectric and energy loss functions. The presentedmore » approach makes a contribution towards obtaining momentum-resolved spectra from nanostructures, thin film, heterostructures, surfaces, and interfaces.« less

  1. Method and apparatus for optical Doppler tomographic imaging of fluid flow velocity in highly scattering media

    DOEpatents

    Nelson, John Stuart; Milner, Thomas Edward; Chen, Zhongping

    1999-01-01

    Optical Doppler tomography permits imaging of fluid flow velocity in highly scattering media. The tomography system combines Doppler velocimetry with high spatial resolution of partially coherent optical interferometry to measure fluid flow velocity at discrete spatial locations. Noninvasive in vivo imaging of blood flow dynamics and tissue structures with high spatial resolutions of the order of 2 to 10 microns is achieved in biological systems. The backscattered interference signals derived from the interferometer may be analyzed either through power spectrum determination to obtain the position and velocity of each particle in the fluid flow sample at each pixel, or the interference spectral density may be analyzed at each frequency in the spectrum to obtain the positions and velocities of the particles in a cross-section to which the interference spectral density corresponds. The realized resolutions of optical Doppler tomography allows noninvasive in vivo imaging of both blood microcirculation and tissue structure surrounding the vessel which has significance for biomedical research and clinical applications.

  2. Interference Confocal Microscope Integrated with Spatial Phase Shifter.

    PubMed

    Wang, Weibo; Gu, Kang; You, Xiaoyu; Tan, Jiubin; Liu, Jian

    2016-08-24

    We present an interference confocal microscope (ICM) with a new single-body four-step simultaneous phase-shifter device designed to obtain high immunity to vibration. The proposed ICM combines the respective advantages of simultaneous phase shifting interferometry and bipolar differential confocal microscopy to obtain high axis resolution, large dynamic range, and reduce the sensitivity to vibration and reflectance disturbance seamlessly. A compact single body spatial phase shifter is added to capture four phase-shifted interference signals simultaneously without time delay and construct a stable and space-saving simplified interference confocal microscope system. The test result can be obtained by combining the interference phase response and the bipolar property of differential confocal microscopy without phase unwrapping. Experiments prove that the proposed microscope is capable of providing stable measurements with 1 nm of axial depth resolution for either low- or high-numerical aperture objective lenses.

  3. Hybrid Discrete Wavelet Transform and Gabor Filter Banks Processing for Features Extraction from Biomedical Images

    PubMed Central

    Lahmiri, Salim; Boukadoum, Mounir

    2013-01-01

    A new methodology for automatic feature extraction from biomedical images and subsequent classification is presented. The approach exploits the spatial orientation of high-frequency textural features of the processed image as determined by a two-step process. First, the two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is applied to obtain the HH high-frequency subband image. Then, a Gabor filter bank is applied to the latter at different frequencies and spatial orientations to obtain new Gabor-filtered image whose entropy and uniformity are computed. Finally, the obtained statistics are fed to a support vector machine (SVM) binary classifier. The approach was validated on mammograms, retina, and brain magnetic resonance (MR) images. The obtained classification accuracies show better performance in comparison to common approaches that use only the DWT or Gabor filter banks for feature extraction. PMID:27006906

  4. Multimodality hard-x-ray imaging of a chromosome with nanoscale spatial resolution

    DOE PAGES

    Yan, Hanfei; Nazaretski, Evgeny; Lauer, Kenneth R.; ...

    2016-02-05

    Here, we developed a scanning hard x-ray microscope using a new class of x-ray nano-focusing optic called a multilayer Laue lens and imaged a chromosome with nanoscale spatial resolution. The combination of the hard x-ray's superior penetration power, high sensitivity to elemental composition, high spatial-resolution and quantitative analysis creates a unique tool with capabilities that other microscopy techniques cannot provide. Using this microscope, we simultaneously obtained absorption-, phase-, and fluorescence-contrast images of Pt-stained human chromosome samples. The high spatial-resolution of the microscope and its multi-modality imaging capabilities enabled us to observe the internal ultra-structures of a thick chromosome without sectioningmore » it.« less

  5. Multimodality hard-x-ray imaging of a chromosome with nanoscale spatial resolution

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yan, Hanfei; Nazaretski, Evgeny; Lauer, Kenneth R.

    Here, we developed a scanning hard x-ray microscope using a new class of x-ray nano-focusing optic called a multilayer Laue lens and imaged a chromosome with nanoscale spatial resolution. The combination of the hard x-ray's superior penetration power, high sensitivity to elemental composition, high spatial-resolution and quantitative analysis creates a unique tool with capabilities that other microscopy techniques cannot provide. Using this microscope, we simultaneously obtained absorption-, phase-, and fluorescence-contrast images of Pt-stained human chromosome samples. The high spatial-resolution of the microscope and its multi-modality imaging capabilities enabled us to observe the internal ultra-structures of a thick chromosome without sectioningmore » it.« less

  6. Snowpack spatial and temporal variability assessment using SMP high-resolution penetrometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Komarov, Anton; Seliverstov, Yuriy; Sokratov, Sergey; Grebennikov, Pavel

    2017-04-01

    This research is focused on study of spatial and temporal variability of structure and characteristics of snowpack, quick identification of layers based on hardness and dispersion values received from snow micro penetrometer (SMP). We also discuss the detection of weak layers and definition of their parameters in non-alpine terrain. As long as it is the first SMP tool available in Russia, our intent is to test it in different climate and weather conditions. During two separate snowpack studies in plain and mountain landscapes, we derived density and grain size profiles by comparing snow density and grain size from snowpits and SMP measurements. The first case study was MSU meteorological observatory test site in Moscow. SMP data was obtained by 6 consecutive measurements along 10 m transects with a horizontal resolution of approximately 50 cm. The detailed description of snowpack structure, density, grain size, air and snow temperature was also performed. By comparing this information, the detailed scheme of snowpack evolution was created. The second case study was in Khibiny mountains. One 10-meter-long transect was made. SMP, density, grain size and snow temperature data was obtained with horizontal resolution of approximately 50 cm. The high-definition profile of snowpack density variation was acquired using received data. The analysis of data reveals high spatial and temporal variability in snow density and layer structure in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. It indicates that the spatial variability is exhibiting similar spatial patterns as surface topology. This suggests a strong influence from such factors as wind and liquid water pressure on the temporal and spatial evolution of snow structure. It was also defined, that spatial variation of snowpack characteristics is substantial even within homogeneous plain landscape, while in high-latitude mountain regions it grows significantly.

  7. Development of a large-area Multigap RPC with adequate spatial resolution for muon tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, J.; Wang, Y.; Wang, X.; Zeng, M.; Xie, B.; Han, D.; Lyu, P.; Wang, F.; Li, Y.

    2016-11-01

    We study the performance of a large-area 2-D Multigap Resistive Plate Chamber (MRPC) designed for muon tomography with high spatial resolution. An efficiency up to 98% and a spatial resolution of around 270 μ m are obtained in cosmic ray and X-ray tests. The performance of the MRPC is also investigated for two working gases: standard gas and pure Freon. The result shows that the MRPC working in pure Freon can provide higher efficiency and better spatial resolution.

  8. High Resolution Tissue Imaging Using the Single-probe Mass Spectrometry under Ambient Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rao, Wei; Pan, Ning; Yang, Zhibo

    2015-06-01

    Ambient mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is an emerging field with great potential for the detailed spatial analysis of biological samples with minimal pretreatment. We have developed a miniaturized sampling and ionization device, the Single-probe, which uses in-situ surface micro-extraction to achieve high detection sensitivity and spatial resolution during MSI experiments. The Single-probe was coupled to a Thermo LTQ Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer and was able to create high spatial and high mass resolution MS images at 8 ± 2 and 8.5 μm on flat polycarbonate microscope slides and mouse kidney sections, respectively, which are among the highest resolutions available for ambient MSI techniques. Our proof-of-principle experiments indicate that the Single-probe MSI technique has the potential to obtain ambient MS images with very high spatial resolutions with minimal sample preparation, which opens the possibility for subcellular ambient tissue MSI to be performed in the future.

  9. A SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF FINE-ROOT BIOMASS FROM STAND DATA IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON

    EPA Science Inventory

    Because of the high spatial variability of fine roots in natural forest stands, accurate estimates of stand-level fine root biomass are difficult and expensive to obtain by standard coring methods. This study compares two different approaches that employ aboveground tree metrics...

  10. High-resolution scanning precession electron diffraction: Alignment and spatial resolution.

    PubMed

    Barnard, Jonathan S; Johnstone, Duncan N; Midgley, Paul A

    2017-03-01

    Methods are presented for aligning the pivot point of a precessing electron probe in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) and for assessing the spatial resolution in scanning precession electron diffraction (SPED) experiments. The alignment procedure is performed entirely in diffraction mode, minimising probe wander within the bright-field (BF) convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) disk and is used to obtain high spatial resolution SPED maps. Through analysis of the power spectra of virtual bright-field images extracted from the SPED data, the precession-induced blur was measured as a function of precession angle. At low precession angles, SPED spatial resolution was limited by electronic noise in the scan coils; whereas at high precession angles SPED spatial resolution was limited by tilt-induced two-fold astigmatism caused by the positive spherical aberration of the probe-forming lens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Spatial adaptation procedures on tetrahedral meshes for unsteady aerodynamic flow calculations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rausch, Russ D.; Batina, John T.; Yang, Henry T. Y.

    1993-01-01

    Spatial adaptation procedures for the accurate and efficient solution of steady and unsteady inviscid flow problems are described. The adaptation procedures were developed and implemented within a three-dimensional, unstructured-grid, upwind-type Euler code. These procedures involve mesh enrichment and mesh coarsening to either add points in high gradient regions of the flow or remove points where they are not needed, respectively, to produce solutions of high spatial accuracy at minimal computational cost. A detailed description of the enrichment and coarsening procedures are presented and comparisons with experimental data for an ONERA M6 wing and an exact solution for a shock-tube problem are presented to provide an assessment of the accuracy and efficiency of the capability. Steady and unsteady results, obtained using spatial adaptation procedures, are shown to be of high spatial accuracy, primarily in that discontinuities such as shock waves are captured very sharply.

  12. Spatial adaptation procedures on tetrahedral meshes for unsteady aerodynamic flow calculations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rausch, Russ D.; Batina, John T.; Yang, Henry T. Y.

    1993-01-01

    Spatial adaptation procedures for the accurate and efficient solution of steady and unsteady inviscid flow problems are described. The adaptation procedures were developed and implemented within a three-dimensional, unstructured-grid, upwind-type Euler code. These procedures involve mesh enrichment and mesh coarsening to either add points in high gradient regions of the flow or remove points where they are not needed, respectively, to produce solutions of high spatial accuracy at minimal computational cost. The paper gives a detailed description of the enrichment and coarsening procedures and presents comparisons with experimental data for an ONERA M6 wing and an exact solution for a shock-tube problem to provide an assessment of the accuracy and efficiency of the capability. Steady and unsteady results, obtained using spatial adaptation procedures, are shown to be of high spatial accuracy, primarily in that discontinuities such as shock waves are captured very sharply.

  13. Overlapping MALDI-Mass Spectrometry Imaging for In-Parallel MS and MS/MS Data Acquisition without Sacrificing Spatial Resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hansen, Rebecca L.; Lee, Young Jin

    2017-09-01

    Metabolomics experiments require chemical identifications, often through MS/MS analysis. In mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), this necessitates running several serial tissue sections or using a multiplex data acquisition method. We have previously developed a multiplex MSI method to obtain MS and MS/MS data in a single experiment to acquire more chemical information in less data acquisition time. In this method, each raster step is composed of several spiral steps and each spiral step is used for a separate scan event (e.g., MS or MS/MS). One main limitation of this method is the loss of spatial resolution as the number of spiral steps increases, limiting its applicability for high-spatial resolution MSI. In this work, we demonstrate multiplex MS imaging is possible without sacrificing spatial resolution by the use of overlapping spiral steps, instead of spatially separated spiral steps as used in the previous work. Significant amounts of matrix and analytes are still left after multiple spectral acquisitions, especially with nanoparticle matrices, so that high quality MS and MS/MS data can be obtained on virtually the same tissue spot. This method was then applied to visualize metabolites and acquire their MS/MS spectra in maize leaf cross-sections at 10 μm spatial resolution. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  14. Global mapping of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 and H5Nx clade 2.3.4.4 viruses with spatial cross-validation

    PubMed Central

    Dhingra, Madhur S; Artois, Jean; Robinson, Timothy P; Linard, Catherine; Chaiban, Celia; Xenarios, Ioannis; Engler, Robin; Liechti, Robin; Kuznetsov, Dmitri; Xiao, Xiangming; Dobschuetz, Sophie Von; Claes, Filip; Newman, Scott H; Dauphin, Gwenaëlle; Gilbert, Marius

    2016-01-01

    Global disease suitability models are essential tools to inform surveillance systems and enable early detection. We present the first global suitability model of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 and demonstrate that reliable predictions can be obtained at global scale. Best predictions are obtained using spatial predictor variables describing host distributions, rather than land use or eco-climatic spatial predictor variables, with a strong association with domestic duck and extensively raised chicken densities. Our results also support a more systematic use of spatial cross-validation in large-scale disease suitability modelling compared to standard random cross-validation that can lead to unreliable measure of extrapolation accuracy. A global suitability model of the H5 clade 2.3.4.4 viruses, a group of viruses that recently spread extensively in Asia and the US, shows in comparison a lower spatial extrapolation capacity than the HPAI H5N1 models, with a stronger association with intensively raised chicken densities and anthropogenic factors. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19571.001 PMID:27885988

  15. Effect of subaperture beamforming on phase coherence imaging.

    PubMed

    Hasegawa, Hideyuki; Kanai, Hiroshi

    2014-11-01

    High-frame-rate echocardiography using unfocused transmit beams and parallel receive beamforming is a promising method for evaluation of cardiac function, such as imaging of rapid propagation of vibration of the heart wall resulting from electrical stimulation of the myocardium. In this technique, high temporal resolution is realized at the expense of spatial resolution and contrast. The phase coherence factor has been developed to improve spatial resolution and contrast in ultrasonography. It evaluates the variance in phases of echo signals received by individual transducer elements after delay compensation, as in the conventional delay-andsum beamforming process. However, the phase coherence factor suppresses speckle echoes because phases of speckle echoes fluctuate as a result of interference of echoes. In the present study, the receiving aperture was divided into several subapertures, and conventional delay-and-sum beamforming was performed with respect to each subaperture to suppress echoes from scatterers except for that at a focal point. After subaperture beamforming, the phase coherence factor was obtained from beamformed RF signals from respective subapertures. By means of this procedure, undesirable echoes, which can interfere with the echo from a focal point, can be suppressed by subaperture beamforming, and the suppression of the phase coherence factor resulting from phase fluctuation caused by such interference can be avoided. In the present study, the effect of subaperture beamforming in high-frame-rate echocardiography with the phase coherence factor was evaluated using a phantom. By applying subaperture beamforming, the average intensity of speckle echoes from a diffuse scattering medium was significantly higher (-39.9 dB) than that obtained without subaperture beamforming (-48.7 dB). As for spatial resolution, the width at half-maximum of the lateral echo amplitude profile obtained without the phase coherence factor was 1.06 mm. By using the phase coherence factor, spatial resolution was improved significantly, and subaperture beamforming achieved a better spatial resolution of 0.75 mm than that of 0.78 mm obtained without subaperture beamforming.

  16. A method for predicting DCT-based denoising efficiency for grayscale images corrupted by AWGN and additive spatially correlated noise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rubel, Aleksey S.; Lukin, Vladimir V.; Egiazarian, Karen O.

    2015-03-01

    Results of denoising based on discrete cosine transform for a wide class of images corrupted by additive noise are obtained. Three types of noise are analyzed: additive white Gaussian noise and additive spatially correlated Gaussian noise with middle and high correlation levels. TID2013 image database and some additional images are taken as test images. Conventional DCT filter and BM3D are used as denoising techniques. Denoising efficiency is described by PSNR and PSNR-HVS-M metrics. Within hard-thresholding denoising mechanism, DCT-spectrum coefficient statistics are used to characterize images and, subsequently, denoising efficiency for them. Results of denoising efficiency are fitted for such statistics and efficient approximations are obtained. It is shown that the obtained approximations provide high accuracy of prediction of denoising efficiency.

  17. Method to optimize patch size based on spatial frequency response in image rendering of the light field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Wei; Wang, Yanan; Zhu, Zhenhao; Su, Jinhui

    2018-05-01

    A focused plenoptic camera can effectively transform angular and spatial information to yield a refocused rendered image with high resolution. However, choosing a proper patch size poses a significant problem for the image-rendering algorithm. By using a spatial frequency response measurement, a method to obtain a suitable patch size is presented. By evaluating the spatial frequency response curves, the optimized patch size can be obtained quickly and easily. Moreover, the range of depth over which images can be rendered without artifacts can be estimated. Experiments show that the results of the image rendered based on frequency response measurement are in accordance with the theoretical calculation, which indicates that this is an effective way to determine the patch size. This study may provide support to light-field image rendering.

  18. Three-dimensional spectral-spatial EPR imaging of free radicals in the heart: a technique for imaging tissue metabolism and oxygenation.

    PubMed Central

    Kuppusamy, P; Chzhan, M; Vij, K; Shteynbuk, M; Lefer, D J; Giannella, E; Zweier, J L

    1994-01-01

    It has been hypothesized that free radical metabolism and oxygenation in living organs and tissues such as the heart may vary over the spatially defined tissue structure. In an effort to study these spatially defined differences, we have developed electron paramagnetic resonance imaging instrumentation enabling the performance of three-dimensional spectral-spatial images of free radicals infused into the heart and large vessels. Using this instrumentation, high-quality three-dimensional spectral-spatial images of isolated perfused rat hearts and rabbit aortas are obtained. In the isolated aorta, it is shown that spatially and spectrally accurate images of the vessel lumen and wall could be obtained in this living vascular tissue. In the isolated rat heart, imaging experiments were performed to determine the kinetics of radical clearance at different spatial locations within the heart during myocardial ischemia. The kinetic data show the existence of regional and transmural differences in myocardial free radical clearance. It is further demonstrated that EPR imaging can be used to noninvasively measure spatially localized oxygen concentrations in the heart. Thus, the technique of spectral-spatial EPR imaging is shown to be a powerful tool in providing spatial information regarding the free radical distribution, metabolism, and tissue oxygenation in living biological organs and tissues. Images PMID:8159757

  19. CO2-Tea pulse clipping using pulsed high voltage preionization for high spatial resolution I.R. Lidar systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gasmi, Taieb

    2018-04-01

    An extra-cavity CO2-TEA laser pulse clipper for high spatial resolution atmospheric monitoring is presented. The clipper uses pulsed high voltageto facilitate the breakdown of the gas within the clipper cell. Complete extinction of the nitrogen tail, that degrades the range resolution of LIDARS, is obtained at pressures from 375 up to 1500 Torr for nitrogen and argon gases whereas an attenuation coefficient of almost 102 is achieved for helium. Excellent energy stability and pulse width repeatability were achieved using high voltage pre-ionized gas technique.

  20. Quantitative 3D investigation of Neuronal network in mouse spinal cord model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bukreeva, I.; Campi, G.; Fratini, M.; Spanò, R.; Bucci, D.; Battaglia, G.; Giove, F.; Bravin, A.; Uccelli, A.; Venturi, C.; Mastrogiacomo, M.; Cedola, A.

    2017-01-01

    The investigation of the neuronal network in mouse spinal cord models represents the basis for the research on neurodegenerative diseases. In this framework, the quantitative analysis of the single elements in different districts is a crucial task. However, conventional 3D imaging techniques do not have enough spatial resolution and contrast to allow for a quantitative investigation of the neuronal network. Exploiting the high coherence and the high flux of synchrotron sources, X-ray Phase-Contrast multiscale-Tomography allows for the 3D investigation of the neuronal microanatomy without any aggressive sample preparation or sectioning. We investigated healthy-mouse neuronal architecture by imaging the 3D distribution of the neuronal-network with a spatial resolution of 640 nm. The high quality of the obtained images enables a quantitative study of the neuronal structure on a subject-by-subject basis. We developed and applied a spatial statistical analysis on the motor neurons to obtain quantitative information on their 3D arrangement in the healthy-mice spinal cord. Then, we compared the obtained results with a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Our approach paves the way to the creation of a “database” for the characterization of the neuronal network main features for a comparative investigation of neurodegenerative diseases and therapies.

  1. Swept Field Laser Confocal Microscopy for Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Resolution in Live-Cell Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Castellano-Muñoz, Manuel; Peng, Anthony Wei; Salles, Felipe T.; Ricci, Anthony J.

    2013-01-01

    Confocal fluorescence microscopy is a broadly used imaging technique that enhances the signal-to-noise ratio by removing out of focal plane fluorescence. Confocal microscopes come with a variety of modifications depending on the particular experimental goals. Microscopes, illumination pathways, and light collection were originally focused upon obtaining the highest resolution image possible, typically on fixed tissue. More recently, live-cell confocal imaging has gained importance. Since measured signals are often rapid or transient, thus requiring higher sampling rates, specializations are included to enhance spatial and temporal resolution while maintaining tissue viability. Thus, a balance between image quality, temporal resolution, and tissue viability is needed. A subtype of confocal imaging, termed swept field confocal (SFC) microscopy, can image live cells at high rates while maintaining confocality. SFC systems can use a pinhole array to obtain high spatial resolution, similar to spinning disc systems. In addition, SFC imaging can achieve faster rates by using a slit to sweep the light across the entire image plane, thus requiring a single scan to generate an image. Coupled to a high-speed charge-coupled device camera and a laser illumination source, images can be obtained at greater than 1,000 frames per second while maintaining confocality. PMID:22831554

  2. Optimization of Decision-Making for Spatial Sampling in the North China Plain, Based on Remote-Sensing a Priori Knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, J.; Bai, L.; Liu, S.; Su, X.; Hu, H.

    2012-07-01

    In this paper, the MODIS remote sensing data, featured with low-cost, high-timely and moderate/low spatial resolutions, in the North China Plain (NCP) as a study region were firstly used to carry out mixed-pixel spectral decomposition to extract an useful regionalized indicator parameter (RIP) (i.e., an available ratio, that is, fraction/percentage, of winter wheat planting area in each pixel as a regionalized indicator variable (RIV) of spatial sampling) from the initial selected indicators. Then, the RIV values were spatially analyzed, and the spatial structure characteristics (i.e., spatial correlation and variation) of the NCP were achieved, which were further processed to obtain the scalefitting, valid a priori knowledge or information of spatial sampling. Subsequently, founded upon an idea of rationally integrating probability-based and model-based sampling techniques and effectively utilizing the obtained a priori knowledge or information, the spatial sampling models and design schemes and their optimization and optimal selection were developed, as is a scientific basis of improving and optimizing the existing spatial sampling schemes of large-scale cropland remote sensing monitoring. Additionally, by the adaptive analysis and decision strategy the optimal local spatial prediction and gridded system of extrapolation results were able to excellently implement an adaptive report pattern of spatial sampling in accordance with report-covering units in order to satisfy the actual needs of sampling surveys.

  3. Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Postfire Vegetation Survey Campaigns through Large and Heterogeneous Areas: Opportunities and Challenges.

    PubMed

    Fernández-Guisuraga, José Manuel; Sanz-Ablanedo, Enoc; Suárez-Seoane, Susana; Calvo, Leonor

    2018-02-14

    This study evaluated the opportunities and challenges of using drones to obtain multispectral orthomosaics at ultra-high resolution that could be useful for monitoring large and heterogeneous burned areas. We conducted a survey using an octocopter equipped with a Parrot SEQUOIA multispectral camera in a 3000 ha framework located within the perimeter of a megafire in Spain. We assessed the quality of both the camera raw imagery and the multispectral orthomosaic obtained, as well as the required processing capability. Additionally, we compared the spatial information provided by the drone orthomosaic at ultra-high spatial resolution with another image provided by the WorldView-2 satellite at high spatial resolution. The drone raw imagery presented some anomalies, such as horizontal banding noise and non-homogeneous radiometry. Camera locations showed a lack of synchrony of the single frequency GPS receiver. The georeferencing process based on ground control points achieved an error lower than 30 cm in X-Y and lower than 55 cm in Z. The drone orthomosaic provided more information in terms of spatial variability in heterogeneous burned areas in comparison with the WorldView-2 satellite imagery. The drone orthomosaic could constitute a viable alternative for the evaluation of post-fire vegetation regeneration in large and heterogeneous burned areas.

  4. Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Postfire Vegetation Survey Campaigns through Large and Heterogeneous Areas: Opportunities and Challenges

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    This study evaluated the opportunities and challenges of using drones to obtain multispectral orthomosaics at ultra-high resolution that could be useful for monitoring large and heterogeneous burned areas. We conducted a survey using an octocopter equipped with a Parrot SEQUOIA multispectral camera in a 3000 ha framework located within the perimeter of a megafire in Spain. We assessed the quality of both the camera raw imagery and the multispectral orthomosaic obtained, as well as the required processing capability. Additionally, we compared the spatial information provided by the drone orthomosaic at ultra-high spatial resolution with another image provided by the WorldView-2 satellite at high spatial resolution. The drone raw imagery presented some anomalies, such as horizontal banding noise and non-homogeneous radiometry. Camera locations showed a lack of synchrony of the single frequency GPS receiver. The georeferencing process based on ground control points achieved an error lower than 30 cm in X-Y and lower than 55 cm in Z. The drone orthomosaic provided more information in terms of spatial variability in heterogeneous burned areas in comparison with the WorldView-2 satellite imagery. The drone orthomosaic could constitute a viable alternative for the evaluation of post-fire vegetation regeneration in large and heterogeneous burned areas. PMID:29443914

  5. Efficient visual object and word recognition relies on high spatial frequency coding in the left posterior fusiform gyrus: evidence from a case-series of patients with ventral occipito-temporal cortex damage.

    PubMed

    Roberts, Daniel J; Woollams, Anna M; Kim, Esther; Beeson, Pelagie M; Rapcsak, Steven Z; Lambon Ralph, Matthew A

    2013-11-01

    Recent visual neuroscience investigations suggest that ventral occipito-temporal cortex is retinotopically organized, with high acuity foveal input projecting primarily to the posterior fusiform gyrus (pFG), making this region crucial for coding high spatial frequency information. Because high spatial frequencies are critical for fine-grained visual discrimination, we hypothesized that damage to the left pFG should have an adverse effect not only on efficient reading, as observed in pure alexia, but also on the processing of complex non-orthographic visual stimuli. Consistent with this hypothesis, we obtained evidence that a large case series (n = 20) of patients with lesions centered on left pFG: 1) Exhibited reduced sensitivity to high spatial frequencies; 2) demonstrated prolonged response latencies both in reading (pure alexia) and object naming; and 3) were especially sensitive to visual complexity and similarity when discriminating between novel visual patterns. These results suggest that the patients' dual reading and non-orthographic recognition impairments have a common underlying mechanism and reflect the loss of high spatial frequency visual information normally coded in the left pFG.

  6. A sparse equivalent source method for near-field acoustic holography.

    PubMed

    Fernandez-Grande, Efren; Xenaki, Angeliki; Gerstoft, Peter

    2017-01-01

    This study examines a near-field acoustic holography method consisting of a sparse formulation of the equivalent source method, based on the compressive sensing (CS) framework. The method, denoted Compressive-Equivalent Source Method (C-ESM), encourages spatially sparse solutions (based on the superposition of few waves) that are accurate when the acoustic sources are spatially localized. The importance of obtaining a non-redundant representation, i.e., a sensing matrix with low column coherence, and the inherent ill-conditioning of near-field reconstruction problems is addressed. Numerical and experimental results on a classical guitar and on a highly reactive dipole-like source are presented. C-ESM is valid beyond the conventional sampling limits, making wide-band reconstruction possible. Spatially extended sources can also be addressed with C-ESM, although in this case the obtained solution does not recover the spatial extent of the source.

  7. Novel method to sample very high power CO2 lasers: II Continuing Studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eric, John; Seibert, Daniel B., II; Green, Lawrence I.

    2005-04-01

    For the past 28 years, the Laser Hardened Materials Evaluation Laboratory (LHMEL) at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH, has worked with CO2 lasers capable of producing continuous energy up to 150 kW. These lasers are used in a number of advanced materials processing applications that require accurate spatial energy measurements of the laser. Conventional non-electronic methods are not satisfactory for determining the spatial energy profile. This paper describes continuing efforts in qualifying the new method in which a continuous, real-time electronic spatial energy profile can be obtained for very high power, (VHP) CO2 lasers.

  8. [Ecological risk assessment of land use based on exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA): a case study of Haitan Island, Fujian Province].

    PubMed

    Wu, Jian; Chen, Peng; Wen, Chao-Xiang; Fu, Shi-Feng; Chen, Qing-Hui

    2014-07-01

    As a novel environment management tool, ecological risk assessment has provided a new perspective for the quantitative evaluation of ecological effects of land-use change. In this study, Haitan Island in Fujian Province was taken as a case. Based on the Landsat TM obtained in 1990, SPOT5 RS images obtained in 2010, general layout planning map of Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone in 2030, as well as the field investigation data, we established an ecological risk index to measure ecological endpoints. By using spatial autocorrelation and semivariance analysis of Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), the ecological risk of Haitan Island under different land-use situations was assessed, including the past (1990), present (2010) and future (2030), and the potential risk and its changing trend were analyzed. The results revealed that the ecological risk index showed obvious scale effect, with strong positive correlation within 3000 meters. High-high (HH) and low-low (LL) aggregations were predominant types in spatial distribution of ecological risk index. The ecological risk index showed significant isotropic characteristics, and its spatial distribution was consistent with Anselin Local Moran I (LISA) distribution during the same period. Dramatic spatial distribution change of each ecological risk area was found among 1990, 2010 and 2030, and the fluctuation trend and amplitude of different ecological risk areas were diverse. The low ecological risk area showed a rise-to-fall trend while the medium and high ecological risk areas showed a fall-to-rise trend. In the planning period, due to intensive anthropogenic disturbance, the high ecological risk area spread throughout the whole region. To reduce the ecological risk in land-use and maintain the regional ecological security, the following ecological risk control strategies could be adopted, i.e., optimizing the spatial pattern of land resources, protecting the key ecoregions and controlling the scale of construction land use.

  9. Two dimensional wavefront retrieval using lateral shearing interferometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mancilla-Escobar, B.; Malacara-Hernández, Z.; Malacara-Hernández, D.

    2018-06-01

    A new zonal two-dimensional method for wavefront retrieval from a surface under test using lateral shearing interferometry is presented. A modified Saunders method and phase shifting techniques are combined to generate a method for wavefront reconstruction. The result is a wavefront with an error below 0.7 λ and without any global high frequency filtering. A zonal analysis over square cells along the surfaces is made, obtaining a polynomial expression for the wavefront deformations over each cell. The main advantage of this method over previously published methods is that a global filtering of high spatial frequencies is not present. Thus, a global smoothing of the wavefront deformations is avoided, allowing the detection of deformations with relatively small extensions, that is, with high spatial frequencies. Additionally, local curvature and low order aberration coefficients are obtained in each cell.

  10. Systematic Dimensionality Reduction for Quantum Walks: Optimal Spatial Search and Transport on Non-Regular Graphs

    PubMed Central

    Novo, Leonardo; Chakraborty, Shantanav; Mohseni, Masoud; Neven, Hartmut; Omar, Yasser

    2015-01-01

    Continuous time quantum walks provide an important framework for designing new algorithms and modelling quantum transport and state transfer problems. Often, the graph representing the structure of a problem contains certain symmetries that confine the dynamics to a smaller subspace of the full Hilbert space. In this work, we use invariant subspace methods, that can be computed systematically using the Lanczos algorithm, to obtain the reduced set of states that encompass the dynamics of the problem at hand without the specific knowledge of underlying symmetries. First, we apply this method to obtain new instances of graphs where the spatial quantum search algorithm is optimal: complete graphs with broken links and complete bipartite graphs, in particular, the star graph. These examples show that regularity and high-connectivity are not needed to achieve optimal spatial search. We also show that this method considerably simplifies the calculation of quantum transport efficiencies. Furthermore, we observe improved efficiencies by removing a few links from highly symmetric graphs. Finally, we show that this reduction method also allows us to obtain an upper bound for the fidelity of a single qubit transfer on an XY spin network. PMID:26330082

  11. Effects of spatial resolution ratio in image fusion

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ling, Y.; Ehlers, M.; Usery, E.L.; Madden, M.

    2008-01-01

    In image fusion, the spatial resolution ratio can be defined as the ratio between the spatial resolution of the high-resolution panchromatic image and that of the low-resolution multispectral image. This paper attempts to assess the effects of the spatial resolution ratio of the input images on the quality of the fused image. Experimental results indicate that a spatial resolution ratio of 1:10 or higher is desired for optimal multisensor image fusion provided the input panchromatic image is not downsampled to a coarser resolution. Due to the synthetic pixels generated from resampling, the quality of the fused image decreases as the spatial resolution ratio decreases (e.g. from 1:10 to 1:30). However, even with a spatial resolution ratio as small as 1:30, the quality of the fused image is still better than the original multispectral image alone for feature interpretation. In cases where the spatial resolution ratio is too small (e.g. 1:30), to obtain better spectral integrity of the fused image, one may downsample the input high-resolution panchromatic image to a slightly lower resolution before fusing it with the multispectral image.

  12. Raft cultivation area extraction from high resolution remote sensing imagery by fusing multi-scale region-line primitive association features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Min; Cui, Qi; Wang, Jie; Ming, Dongping; Lv, Guonian

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we first propose several novel concepts for object-based image analysis, which include line-based shape regularity, line density, and scale-based best feature value (SBV), based on the region-line primitive association framework (RLPAF). We then propose a raft cultivation area (RCA) extraction method for high spatial resolution (HSR) remote sensing imagery based on multi-scale feature fusion and spatial rule induction. The proposed method includes the following steps: (1) Multi-scale region primitives (segments) are obtained by image segmentation method HBC-SEG, and line primitives (straight lines) are obtained by phase-based line detection method. (2) Association relationships between regions and lines are built based on RLPAF, and then multi-scale RLPAF features are extracted and SBVs are selected. (3) Several spatial rules are designed to extract RCAs within sea waters after land and water separation. Experiments show that the proposed method can successfully extract different-shaped RCAs from HR images with good performance.

  13. Modelling the dependence of contrast sensitivity on grating area and spatial frequency.

    PubMed

    Rovamo, J; Luntinen, O; Näsänen, R

    1993-12-01

    We modelled the human foveal visual system in a detection task as a simple image processor comprising (i) low-pass filtering due to the optical transfer function of the eye, (ii) high-pass filtering of neural origin, (iii) addition of internal neural noise, and (iv) detection by a local matched filter. Its detection efficiency for gratings was constant up to a critical area but then decreased with increasing area. To test the model we measured Michelson contrast sensitivity as a function of grating area at spatial frequencies of 0.125-32 c/deg for simple vertical and circular cosine gratings. In circular gratings luminance was sinusoidally modulated as a function of the radius of the grating field. In agreement with the model, contrast sensitivity at all spatial frequencies increased in proportion to the square-root of grating area at small areas. When grating area exceeded critical area, the increase saturated and contrast sensitivity became independent of area at large grating areas. Spatial integration thus obeyed Piper's law at small grating areas. The critical area of spatial integration, marking the cessation of Piper's law, was constant in solid degrees at low spatial frequencies but inversely proportional to spatial frequency squared at medium and high spatial frequencies. At low spatial frequencies the maximum contrast sensitivity obtainable by spatial integration increased in proportion to spatial frequency but at high spatial frequencies it decreased in proportion to the cube of the increasing spatial frequency. The increase was due to high-pass filtering of neural origin (lateral inhibition) and the decrease was mainly due to the optical transfer function of the eye. Our model explained 95% of the total variance of the contrast sensitivity data.

  14. High spatial resolution measurements of ram accelerator gas dynamic phenomena

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hinkey, J. B.; Burnham, E. A.; Bruckner, A. P.

    1992-01-01

    High spatial resolution experimental tube wall pressure measurements of ram accelerator gas dynamic phenomena are presented. The projectile resembles the centerbody of a ramjet and travels supersonically through a tube filled with a combustible gaseous mixture, with the tube acting as the outer cowling. Pressure data are recorded as the projectile passes by sensors mounted in the tube wall at various locations along the tube. Data obtained by using a special highly instrumented section of tube has allowed the recording of gas dynamic phenomena with a spatial resolution on the order of one tenth the projectile length. High spatial resolution tube wall pressure data from the three regimes of propulsion studied to date (subdetonative, transdetonative, and superdetonative) are presented and reveal the 3D character of the flowfield induced by projectile fins and the canting of the projectile body relative to the tube wall. Also presented for comparison to the experimental data are calculations made with an inviscid, 3D CFD code.

  15. A High Spatial Resolution Depth Sensing Method Based on Binocular Structured Light

    PubMed Central

    Yao, Huimin; Ge, Chenyang; Xue, Jianru; Zheng, Nanning

    2017-01-01

    Depth information has been used in many fields because of its low cost and easy availability, since the Microsoft Kinect was released. However, the Kinect and Kinect-like RGB-D sensors show limited performance in certain applications and place high demands on accuracy and robustness of depth information. In this paper, we propose a depth sensing system that contains a laser projector similar to that used in the Kinect, and two infrared cameras located on both sides of the laser projector, to obtain higher spatial resolution depth information. We apply the block-matching algorithm to estimate the disparity. To improve the spatial resolution, we reduce the size of matching blocks, but smaller matching blocks generate lower matching precision. To address this problem, we combine two matching modes (binocular mode and monocular mode) in the disparity estimation process. Experimental results show that our method can obtain higher spatial resolution depth without loss of the quality of the range image, compared with the Kinect. Furthermore, our algorithm is implemented on a low-cost hardware platform, and the system can support the resolution of 1280 × 960, and up to a speed of 60 frames per second, for depth image sequences. PMID:28397759

  16. Spatial coherence effect on layer thickness determination in narrowband full-field optical coherence tomography.

    PubMed

    Safrani, Avner; Abdulhalim, Ibrahim

    2011-06-20

    Longitudinal spatial coherence (LSC) is determined by the spatial frequency content of an optical beam. The use of lenses with a high numerical aperture (NA) in full-field optical coherence tomography and a narrowband light source makes the LSC length much shorter than the temporal coherence length, hence suggesting that high-resolution 3D images of biological and multilayered samples can be obtained based on the low LSC. A simplified model is derived, supported by experimental results, which describes the expected interference output signal of multilayered samples when high-NA lenses are used together with a narrowband light source. An expression for the correction factor for the layer thickness determination is found valid for high-NA objectives. Additionally, the method was applied to a strongly scattering layer, demonstrating the potential of this method for high-resolution imaging of scattering media.

  17. Spatial and temporal patterns of dengue infections in Timor-Leste, 2005-2013.

    PubMed

    Wangdi, Kinley; Clements, Archie C A; Du, Tai; Nery, Susana Vaz

    2018-01-04

    Dengue remains an important public health problem in Timor-Leste, with several major epidemics occurring over the last 10 years. The aim of this study was to identify dengue clusters at high geographical resolution and to determine the association between local environmental characteristics and the distribution and transmission of the disease. Notifications of dengue cases that occurred from January 2005 to December 2013 were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Timor-Leste. The population of each suco (the third-level administrative subdivision) was obtained from the Population and Housing Census 2010. Spatial autocorrelation in dengue incidence was explored using Moran's I statistic, Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), and the Getis-Ord statistics. A multivariate, Zero-Inflated, Poisson (ZIP) regression model was developed with a conditional autoregressive (CAR) prior structure, and with posterior parameters estimated using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation with Gibbs sampling. The analysis used data from 3206 cases. Dengue incidence was highly seasonal with a large peak in January. Patients ≥ 14 years were found to be 74% [95% credible interval (CrI): 72-76%] less likely to be infected than those < 14 years, and females were 12% (95% CrI: 4-21%) more likely to suffer from dengue as compared to males. Dengue incidence increased by 0.7% (95% CrI: 0.6-0.8%) for a 1 °C increase in mean temperature; and 47% (95% CrI: 29-59%) for a 1 mm increase in precipitation. There was no significant residual spatial clustering after accounting for climate and demographic variables. Dengue incidence was highly seasonal and spatially clustered, with positive associations with temperature, precipitation and demographic factors. These factors explained the observed spatial heterogeneity of infection.

  18. Modeling α- and β-diversity in a tropical forest from remotely sensed and spatial data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hernández-Stefanoni, J. Luis; Gallardo-Cruz, J. Alberto; Meave, Jorge A.; Rocchini, Duccio; Bello-Pineda, Javier; López-Martínez, J. Omar

    2012-10-01

    Comprehensive information on species distribution and species composition patterns of plant communities is required for effective conservation and management of biodiversity. Remote sensing offers an inexpensive means of attaining complete spatial coverage for large areas, at regular time intervals, and can therefore be extremely useful for estimating both species richness and spatial variation of species composition (α- and β-diversity). An essential step to map such attributes is to identify and understand their main drivers. We used remotely sensed data as a surrogate of plant productivity and habitat structure variables for explaining α- and β-diversity, and evaluated the relative roles of productivity-habitat structure and spatial variables in explaining observed patterns of α- and β-diversity by using a Principal Coordinates of Neighbor Matrices analysis. We also examined the relationship between remotely sensed and field data, in order to map α- and β-diversity at the landscape-level in the Yucatan Peninsula, using a regression kriging procedure. These two procedures integrate the relationship of species richness and spatial species turnover both with remotely sensed data and spatial structure. The empirical models so obtained can be used to predict species richness and variation in species composition, and they can be regarded as valuable tools not only for identifying areas with high local species richness (α-diversity), but also areas with high species turnover (β-diversity). Ultimately, information obtained in this way can help maximize the number of species preserved in a landscape.

  19. Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy | Materials Science | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    electrical measurement techniques is the high spatial resolution. For example, C-AFM measurements on : High-resolution image of a sample semiconductor device; the image shows white puff-like clusters on a dark background and was obtained using atomic force microscopy. Bottom: High-resolution image of the

  20. Detector motion method to increase spatial resolution in photon-counting detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Daehee; Park, Kyeongjin; Lim, Kyung Taek; Cho, Gyuseong

    2017-03-01

    Medical imaging requires high spatial resolution of an image to identify fine lesions. Photon-counting detectors in medical imaging have recently been rapidly replacing energy-integrating detectors due to the former`s high spatial resolution, high efficiency and low noise. Spatial resolution in a photon counting image is determined by the pixel size. Therefore, the smaller the pixel size, the higher the spatial resolution that can be obtained in an image. However, detector redesigning is required to reduce pixel size, and an expensive fine process is required to integrate a signal processing unit with reduced pixel size. Furthermore, as the pixel size decreases, charge sharing severely deteriorates spatial resolution. To increase spatial resolution, we propose a detector motion method using a large pixel detector that is less affected by charge sharing. To verify the proposed method, we utilized a UNO-XRI photon-counting detector (1-mm CdTe, Timepix chip) at the maximum X-ray tube voltage of 80 kVp. A similar spatial resolution of a 55- μm-pixel image was achieved by application of the proposed method to a 110- μm-pixel detector with a higher signal-to-noise ratio. The proposed method could be a way to increase spatial resolution without a pixel redesign when pixels severely suffer from charge sharing as pixel size is reduced.

  1. Pluto: Distribution of ices and coloring agents from New Horizons LEISA observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cruikshank, Dale P.; Grundy, William M.; Stern, S. Alan; Olkin, Catherine B.; Cook, Jason C.; Dalle Ore, Cristina M.; Binzel, Richard P.; Earle, Alissa M.; Ennico, Kimberly; Jennings, Donald E.; Howett, Carly J. A.; Linscott, Ivan R.; Lunsford, Allen W.; Parker, Alex H.; Parker, Joel W.; Protopapa, Silvia; Reuter, Dennis C.; Singer, Kelsi N.; Spencer, John R.; Tsang, Constantine C. C.; Verbiscer, Anne J.; Weaver, Harold A.; Young, Leslie A.

    2015-11-01

    Pluto was observed at high spatial resolution (maximum ~3 km/px) by the New Horizons LEISA imaging spectrometer. LEISA is a component of the Ralph instrument (Reuter, D.C., Stern, S.A., Scherrer, J., et al. 2008, Space Sci. Rev. 140, 129) and affords a spectral resolving power of 240 in the wavelength range 1.25-2.5 µm, and 560 in the range 2.1-2.25 µm. Spatially resolved spectra with LEISA are used to map the distributions of the known ices on Pluto (N2, CH4, CO) and to search for other surface components. The spatial distribution of volatile ices is compared with the distribution of the coloring agent(s) on Pluto's surface. The correlation of ice abundance and the degree of color (ranging from yellow to orange to dark red) is consistent with the presence of tholins, which are refractory organic solids of complex structure and high molecular weight, with colors consistent with those observed on Pluto. Tholins are readily synthesized in the laboratory by energetic processing of mixtures of the ices (N2, CH4, CO) known on Pluto's surface. We present results returned from the spacecraft to date obtained from the analysis of the high spatial resolution dataset obtained near the time of closest approach to the planet. Supported by NASA’s New Horizons project.

  2. Guided filter and principal component analysis hybrid method for hyperspectral pansharpening

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qu, Jiahui; Li, Yunsong; Dong, Wenqian

    2018-01-01

    Hyperspectral (HS) pansharpening aims to generate a fused HS image with high spectral and spatial resolution through integrating an HS image with a panchromatic (PAN) image. A guided filter (GF) and principal component analysis (PCA) hybrid HS pansharpening method is proposed. First, the HS image is interpolated and the PCA transformation is performed on the interpolated HS image. The first principal component (PC1) channel concentrates on the spatial information of the HS image. Different from the traditional PCA method, the proposed method sharpens the PAN image and utilizes the GF to obtain the spatial information difference between the HS image and the enhanced PAN image. Then, in order to reduce spectral and spatial distortion, an appropriate tradeoff parameter is defined and the spatial information difference is injected into the PC1 channel through multiplying by this tradeoff parameter. Once the new PC1 channel is obtained, the fused image is finally generated by the inverse PCA transformation. Experiments performed on both synthetic and real datasets show that the proposed method outperforms other several state-of-the-art HS pansharpening methods in both subjective and objective evaluations.

  3. The estimation of probable maximum precipitation: the case of Catalonia.

    PubMed

    Casas, M Carmen; Rodríguez, Raül; Nieto, Raquel; Redaño, Angel

    2008-12-01

    A brief overview of the different techniques used to estimate the probable maximum precipitation (PMP) is presented. As a particular case, the 1-day PMP over Catalonia has been calculated and mapped with a high spatial resolution. For this purpose, the annual maximum daily rainfall series from 145 pluviometric stations of the Instituto Nacional de Meteorología (Spanish Weather Service) in Catalonia have been analyzed. In order to obtain values of PMP, an enveloping frequency factor curve based on the actual rainfall data of stations in the region has been developed. This enveloping curve has been used to estimate 1-day PMP values of all the 145 stations. Applying the Cressman method, the spatial analysis of these values has been achieved. Monthly precipitation climatological data, obtained from the application of Geographic Information Systems techniques, have been used as the initial field for the analysis. The 1-day PMP at 1 km(2) spatial resolution over Catalonia has been objectively determined, varying from 200 to 550 mm. Structures with wavelength longer than approximately 35 km can be identified and, despite their general concordance, the obtained 1-day PMP spatial distribution shows remarkable differences compared to the annual mean precipitation arrangement over Catalonia.

  4. Newly developed surface coil for endoluminal MRI, depiction of pig gastric wall layers and vascular architecture in ex vivo study.

    PubMed

    Morita, Yoshinori; Kutsumi, Hiromu; Yoshinaka, Hayato; Matsuoka, Yuichiro; Kuroda, Kagayaki; Gotanda, Masakazu; Sekino, Naomi; Kumamoto, Etsuko; Yoshida, Masaru; Inokuchi, Hideto; Azuma, Takeshi

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to visualize the gastric wall layers and to depict the vascular architecture in vitro by using resected porcine stomachs studied with high-spatial resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Normal dissected porcine stomach samples (n = 4) were examined with a 3 Tesla MR system using a newly developed surface coil. MR images were obtained by the surface coil as receiver and a head coil as transmitter. High-spatial-resolution spin-echo MR images were obtained with a field of view of 8 x 8 cm, a matrix of 256 x 128 and slice thicknesses of 3 and 5 mm. T1 and T2-weighted MR images clearly depicted the normal porcine gastric walls as consisting of four distinct layers. In addition, vascular architectures in proper muscle layers were also visualized, which were confirmed by histological examinations to correspond to blood vessels. High-spatial-resolution MR imaging using a surface coil placed closely to the gastric wall enabled the differentiation of porcine gastric wall layers and the depiction of the blood vessels in proper muscle layer in this experimental study.

  5. Applications of geostatistics and Markov models for logo recognition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pham, Tuan

    2003-01-01

    Spatial covariances based on geostatistics are extracted as representative features of logo or trademark images. These spatial covariances are different from other statistical features for image analysis in that the structural information of an image is independent of the pixel locations and represented in terms of spatial series. We then design a classifier in the sense of hidden Markov models to make use of these geostatistical sequential data to recognize the logos. High recognition rates are obtained from testing the method against a public-domain logo database.

  6. A New Pansharpening Method Based on Spatial and Spectral Sparsity Priors.

    PubMed

    He, Xiyan; Condat, Laurent; Bioucas-Diaz, Jose; Chanussot, Jocelyn; Xia, Junshi

    2014-06-27

    The development of multisensor systems in recent years has led to great increase in the amount of available remote sensing data. Image fusion techniques aim at inferring high quality images of a given area from degraded versions of the same area obtained by multiple sensors. This paper focuses on pansharpening, which is the inference of a high spatial resolution multispectral image from two degraded versions with complementary spectral and spatial resolution characteristics: a) a low spatial resolution multispectral image; and b) a high spatial resolution panchromatic image. We introduce a new variational model based on spatial and spectral sparsity priors for the fusion. In the spectral domain we encourage low-rank structure, whereas in the spatial domain we promote sparsity on the local differences. Given the fact that both panchromatic and multispectral images are integrations of the underlying continuous spectra using different channel responses, we propose to exploit appropriate regularizations based on both spatial and spectral links between panchromatic and the fused multispectral images. A weighted version of the vector Total Variation (TV) norm of the data matrix is employed to align the spatial information of the fused image with that of the panchromatic image. With regard to spectral information, two different types of regularization are proposed to promote a soft constraint on the linear dependence between the panchromatic and the fused multispectral images. The first one estimates directly the linear coefficients from the observed panchromatic and low resolution multispectral images by Linear Regression (LR) while the second one employs the Principal Component Pursuit (PCP) to obtain a robust recovery of the underlying low-rank structure. We also show that the two regularizers are strongly related. The basic idea of both regularizers is that the fused image should have low-rank and preserve edge locations. We use a variation of the recently proposed Split Augmented Lagrangian Shrinkage (SALSA) algorithm to effectively solve the proposed variational formulations. Experimental results on simulated and real remote sensing images show the effectiveness of the proposed pansharpening method compared to the state-of-the-art.

  7. A new PET scanner with semiconductor detectors enables better identification of intratumoral inhomogeneity.

    PubMed

    Shiga, Tohru; Morimoto, Yuichi; Kubo, Naoki; Katoh, Norio; Katoh, Chietsugu; Takeuchi, Wataru; Usui, Reiko; Hirata, Kenji; Kojima, Shinichi; Umegaki, Kikuo; Shirato, Hiroki; Tamaki, Nagara

    2009-01-01

    An autoradiography method revealed intratumoral inhomogeneity in various solid tumors. It is becoming increasingly important to estimate intratumoral inhomogeneity. However, with low spatial resolution and high scatter noise, it is difficult to detect intratumoral inhomogeneity in clinical settings. We developed a new PET system with CdTe semiconductor detectors to provide images with high spatial resolution and low scatter noise. Both phantom images and patients' images were analyzed to evaluate intratumoral inhomogeneity. This study was performed with a cold spot phantom that had 6-mm-diameter cold sphenoid defects, a dual-cylinder phantom with an adjusted concentration of 1:2, and an "H"-shaped hot phantom. These were surrounded with water. Phantom images and (18)F-FDG PET images of patients with nasopharyngeal cancer were compared with conventional bismuth germanate PET images. Profile curves for the phantoms were measured as peak-to-valley ratios to define contrast. Intratumoral inhomogeneity and tumor edge sharpness were evaluated on the images of the patients. The contrast obtained with the semiconductor PET scanner (1.53) was 28% higher than that obtained with the conventional scanner (1.20) for the 6-mm-diameter cold sphenoid phantom. The contrast obtained with the semiconductor PET scanner (1.43) was 27% higher than that obtained with the conventional scanner (1.13) for the dual-cylinder phantom. Similarly, the 2-mm cold region between 1-mm hot rods was identified only by the new PET scanner and not by the conventional scanner. The new PET scanner identified intratumoral inhomogeneity in more detail than the conventional scanner in 6 of 10 patients. The tumor edge was sharper on the images obtained with the new PET scanner than on those obtained with the conventional scanner. These phantom and clinical studies suggested that this new PET scanner has the potential for better identification of intratumoral inhomogeneity, probably because of its high spatial resolution and low scatter noise.

  8. Assessment of craniospinal arteriovenous malformations at 3T with highly temporally and highly spatially resolved contrast-enhanced MR angiography.

    PubMed

    Saleh, R S; Lohan, D G; Villablanca, J P; Duckwiler, G; Kee, S T; Finn, J P

    2008-05-01

    Patients with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) are known to have an elevated risk of complications with conventional catheter angiography (CCA) but nonetheless require monitoring of hemodynamics. Thus, we aimed to evaluate both anatomy and hemodynamics in patients with AVM noninvasively by using contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) at 3T and to compare the results with CCA. Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant study. Twenty control subjects without vascular malformation (6 men, 18-70 years of age) and 10 patients with AVMs (6 men, 20-74 years of age) underwent supra-aortic time-resolved and high-spatial-resolution CE-MRA at 3T. Large-field-of-view coronal acquisitions extending from the root of the aorta to the cranial vertex were obtained for both MRA techniques. Image quality was assessed by 2 specialized radiologists by using a 4-point scale. AVM characteristics and nidus size were evaluated by using both CE-MRA and CCA in all patients. In patients, 96.6% (319/330) of arterial segments on high-spatial-resolution MRA and 87.7% (272/310) of arterial segments on time-resolved MRA were graded excellent/good. MRA showed 100% specificity for detecting feeding arteries and venous drainage (n = 8) and complete obliteration of the AVM in 2 cases (concordance with CCA). Nidus diameters measured by both MRA and CCA resulted in a very strong correlation (r = 0.99) with a mild overestimation by MRA (0.10 cm by using the Bland-Altman plot). By combining highly temporally resolved and highly spatially resolved MRA at 3T as complementary studies, one can assess vascular anatomy and hemodynamics noninvasively in patients with AVM.

  9. Characterization of spatially resolved high resolution x-ray spectrometers for HEDP and light-source experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hill, K. W.; Bitter, M.; Delgado-Aparicio, L.; Efthimion, P.; Pablant, N.; Lu, J.; Beiersdorfer, P.; Chen, H.; Magee, E.

    2014-10-01

    A high resolution 1D imaging x-ray spectrometer concept comprising a spherically bent crystal and a 2D pixelated detector is being optimized for diagnostics of small sources such as high energy density physics (HEDP) and synchrotron radiation or x-ray free electron laser experiments. This instrument is used on tokamak experiments for measurement of spatial profiles of Doppler ion temperature and plasma flow velocity, as well as electron temperature. Laboratory measurements demonstrate a resolving power, E/ ΔE of 10,000 and spatial resolution better than 10 μm. Good performance is obtained for Bragg angles ranging from 23 to 63 degrees. Initial tests of the instrument on HEDP plasmas are being performed with a goal of developing spatially resolved ion and electron temperature diagnostics. This work was performed under the auspices of the US DOE by PPPL under Contract DE-AC02-09CH11466 and by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

  10. An algorithm for spatial heirarchy clustering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Velasco, F. R. D.

    1981-01-01

    A method for utilizing both spectral and spatial redundancy in compacting and preclassifying images is presented. In multispectral satellite images, a high correlation exists between neighboring image points which tend to occupy dense and restricted regions of the feature space. The image is divided into windows of the same size where the clustering is made. The classes obtained in several neighboring windows are clustered, and then again successively clustered until only one region corresponding to the whole image is obtained. By employing this algorithm only a few points are considered in each clustering, thus reducing computational effort. The method is illustrated as applied to LANDSAT images.

  11. Investigation on filter method for smoothing spiral phase plate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yuanhang; Wen, Shenglin; Luo, Zijian; Tang, Caixue; Yan, Hao; Yang, Chunlin; Liu, Mincai; Zhang, Qinghua; Wang, Jian

    2018-03-01

    Spiral phase plate (SPP) for generating vortex hollow beams has high efficiency in various applications. However, it is difficult to obtain an ideal spiral phase plate because of its continuous-varying helical phase and discontinued phase step. This paper describes the demonstration of continuous spiral phase plate using filter methods. The numerical simulations indicate that different filter method including spatial domain filter, frequency domain filter has unique impact on surface topography of SPP and optical vortex characteristics. The experimental results reveal that the spatial Gaussian filter method for smoothing SPP is suitable for Computer Controlled Optical Surfacing (CCOS) technique and obtains good optical properties.

  12. Modeling the spatial distribution of Chagas disease vectors using environmental variables and people´s knowledge.

    PubMed

    Hernández, Jaime; Núñez, Ignacia; Bacigalupo, Antonella; Cattan, Pedro E

    2013-05-31

    Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to mammal hosts by triatomine insect vectors. The goal of this study was to model the spatial distribution of triatomine species in an endemic area. Vector's locations were obtained with a rural householders' survey. This information was combined with environmental data obtained from remote sensors, land use maps and topographic SRTM data, using the machine learning algorithm Random Forests to model species distribution. We analysed the combination of variables on three scales: 10 km, 5 km and 2.5 km cell size grids. The best estimation, explaining 46.2% of the triatomines spatial distribution, was obtained for 5 km of spatial resolution. Presence probability distribution increases from central Chile towards the north, tending to cover the central-coastal region and avoiding areas of the Andes range. The methodology presented here was useful to model the distribution of triatomines in an endemic area; it is best explained using 5 km of spatial resolution, and their presence increases in the northern part of the study area. This study's methodology can be replicated in other countries with Chagas disease or other vectorial transmitted diseases, and be used to locate high risk areas and to optimize resource allocation, for prevention and control of vectorial diseases.

  13. Modeling the spatial distribution of Chagas disease vectors using environmental variables and people´s knowledge

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to mammal hosts by triatomine insect vectors. The goal of this study was to model the spatial distribution of triatomine species in an endemic area. Methods Vector’s locations were obtained with a rural householders’ survey. This information was combined with environmental data obtained from remote sensors, land use maps and topographic SRTM data, using the machine learning algorithm Random Forests to model species distribution. We analysed the combination of variables on three scales: 10 km, 5 km and 2.5 km cell size grids. Results The best estimation, explaining 46.2% of the triatomines spatial distribution, was obtained for 5 km of spatial resolution. Presence probability distribution increases from central Chile towards the north, tending to cover the central-coastal region and avoiding areas of the Andes range. Conclusions The methodology presented here was useful to model the distribution of triatomines in an endemic area; it is best explained using 5 km of spatial resolution, and their presence increases in the northern part of the study area. This study’s methodology can be replicated in other countries with Chagas disease or other vectorial transmitted diseases, and be used to locate high risk areas and to optimize resource allocation, for prevention and control of vectorial diseases. PMID:23724993

  14. Spatial analysis on human brucellosis incidence in mainland China: 2004–2010

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Junhui; Yin, Fei; Zhang, Tao; Yang, Chao; Zhang, Xingyu; Feng, Zijian; Li, Xiaosong

    2014-01-01

    Objectives China has experienced a sharply increasing rate of human brucellosis in recent years. Effective spatial monitoring of human brucellosis incidence is very important for successful implementation of control and prevention programmes. The purpose of this paper is to apply exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) methods and the empirical Bayes (EB) smoothing technique to monitor county-level incidence rates for human brucellosis in mainland China from 2004 to 2010 by examining spatial patterns. Methods ESDA methods were used to characterise spatial patterns of EB smoothed incidence rates for human brucellosis based on county-level data obtained from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP) in mainland China from 2004 to 2010. Results EB smoothed incidence rates for human brucellosis were spatially dependent during 2004–2010. The local Moran test identified significantly high-risk clusters of human brucellosis (all p values <0.01), which persisted during the 7-year study period. High-risk counties were centred in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and other Northern provinces (ie, Hebei, Shanxi, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces) around the border with the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region where animal husbandry was highly developed. The number of high-risk counties increased from 25 in 2004 to 54 in 2010. Conclusions ESDA methods and the EB smoothing technique can assist public health officials in identifying high-risk areas. Allocating more resources to high-risk areas is an effective way to reduce human brucellosis incidence. PMID:24713215

  15. Spatially Resolved Hard X-ray Emission in the Central 5 kpc of the Galaxy Merger NGC 6240

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Junfeng; Nardini, E.; Fabbiano, G.; Karovska, M.; Elvis, M.; Pellegrini, S.; Max, C. E.; Risaliti, G.; U, V.; Zezas, A.

    2013-04-01

    We have obtained a deep, sub-arcsecond resolution X-ray image of the nuclear region of the luminous galaxy merger NGC 6240 with Chandra, which resolves the X-ray emission from the pair of active nuclei and the diffuse hot gas in great detail. We detect extended hard X-ray emission from 70 million K hot gas over a spatial scale of 5 kpc, indicating the presence of fast shocks with velocity of 2200 km/s. For the first time we obtain spatial distribution of this highly ionized gas emitting FeXXV and find that it shows a remarkable correspondence to the large scale morphology of H_2(1-0) S(1) line emission and Hα filaments. Propagation of fast shocks originated in the starburst driven wind into the ambient dense gas can account for this morphological correspondence. Both the energetics and the iron mass in the hot gas are consistent with the expected injection from the supernovae explosion during the starburst that is commensurate with its high star formation rate.

  16. Pulsed-neutron imaging by a high-speed camera and center-of-gravity processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mochiki, K.; Uragaki, T.; Koide, J.; Kushima, Y.; Kawarabayashi, J.; Taketani, A.; Otake, Y.; Matsumoto, Y.; Su, Y.; Hiroi, K.; Shinohara, T.; Kai, T.

    2018-01-01

    Pulsed-neutron imaging is attractive technique in the research fields of energy-resolved neutron radiography and RANS (RIKEN) and RADEN (J-PARC/JAEA) are small and large accelerator-driven pulsed-neutron facilities for its imaging, respectively. To overcome the insuficient spatial resolution of the conunting type imaging detectors like μ NID, nGEM and pixelated detectors, camera detectors combined with a neutron color image intensifier were investigated. At RANS center-of-gravity technique was applied to spots image obtained by a CCD camera and the technique was confirmed to be effective for improving spatial resolution. At RADEN a high-frame-rate CMOS camera was used and super resolution technique was applied and it was recognized that the spatial resolution was futhermore improved.

  17. Spatial analysis of county-based gonorrhoea incidence in mainland China, from 2004 to 2009.

    PubMed

    Yin, Fei; Feng, Zijian; Li, Xiaosong

    2012-07-01

    Gonorrhoea is one of the most common sexually transmissible infections in mainland China. Effective spatial monitoring of gonorrhoea incidence is important for successful implementation of control and prevention programs. The county-level gonorrhoea incidence rates for all of mainland China was monitored through examining spatial patterns. County-level data on gonorrhoea cases between 2004 and 2009 were obtained from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention. Bayesian smoothing and exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) methods were used to characterise the spatial distribution pattern of gonorrhoea cases. During the 6-year study period, the average annual gonorrhoea incidence was 12.41 cases per 100000 people. Using empirical Bayes smoothed rates, the local Moran test identified one significant single-centre cluster and two significant multi-centre clusters of high gonorrhoea risk (all P-values <0.01). Bayesian smoothing and ESDA methods can assist public health officials in using gonorrhoea surveillance data to identify high risk areas. Allocating more resources to such areas could effectively reduce gonorrhoea incidence.

  18. Sub-pixel mapping of hyperspectral imagery using super-resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Shreya; Sharma, Shakti; Buddhiraju, Krishna M.

    2016-04-01

    With the development of remote sensing technologies, it has become possible to obtain an overview of landscape elements which helps in studying the changes on earth's surface due to climate, geological, geomorphological and human activities. Remote sensing measures the electromagnetic radiations from the earth's surface and match the spectral similarity between the observed signature and the known standard signatures of the various targets. However, problem lies when image classification techniques assume pixels to be pure. In hyperspectral imagery, images have high spectral resolution but poor spatial resolution. Therefore, the spectra obtained is often contaminated due to the presence of mixed pixels and causes misclassification. To utilise this high spectral information, spatial resolution has to be enhanced. Many factors make the spatial resolution one of the most expensive and hardest to improve in imaging systems. To solve this problem, post-processing of hyperspectral images is done to retrieve more information from the already acquired images. The algorithm to enhance spatial resolution of the images by dividing them into sub-pixels is known as super-resolution and several researches have been done in this domain.In this paper, we propose a new method for super-resolution based on ant colony optimization and review the popular methods of sub-pixel mapping of hyperspectral images along with their comparative analysis.

  19. Slitless Solar Spectroscopy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davila, Joseph M.; Jones, Sahela

    2011-01-01

    Spectrographs have traditionally suffered from the inability to obtain line intensities, widths, and Doppler shifts over large spatial regions of the Sun quickly because of the narrow instantaneous field of view. This has limited the spectroscopic analysis of rapidly varying solar features like, flares, CME eruptions, coronal jets, and reconnection regions. Imagers have provided high time resolution images of the full Sun with limited spectral resolution. In this paper we present recent advances in deconvolving spectrally dispersed images obtained through broad slits. We use this new theoretical formulation to examine the effectiveness of various potential observing scenarios, spatial and spectral resolutions, signal to noise ratio, and other instrument characteristics. This information will lay the foundation for a new generation of spectral imagers optimized for slitless spectral operation, while retaining the ability to obtain spectral information in transient solar events.

  20. Gain measurements and spatial coherence in neon-like x-ray lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krishnan, J.; Cairns, C.; Dwivedi, L.; Holden, M.; Key, M. H.; Lewis, C. L. S.; MacPhee, A.; Neely, D.; Norreys, P. A.; Pert, G. J.; Ramsden, S. A.; Smith, C. G.; Tallents, G. J.; Zhang, J.

    1995-05-01

    Many of the applications with x-ray lasers require high quality output radiation with properties such as short wavelength and a high degree of coherence (longitudinal and spatial). Ne-like Yttrium (Z=39) is potentially a bright and monochromatic XUV lasing medium. The output at 15.5 nm is monochromatic due to the overlap of the J=2-1 and J=0-1 lines. A gain coefficient of 3±1 was obtained at 15.5 nm by irradiating 100 μm wide yttrium stripes at 6×1013 W/cm2 with 1.06 μm, 650 ps pulses from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory VULCAN laser. We have investigated improving x-ray laser spatial coherence utilizing a series of amplifiers instead of the standard double target configuration. An ``injector-amplifier'' scheme was successfully demonstrated with the Ne-like Ge x-ray laser. A spatially small and coherent part of the 23 nm beam from the standard double target geometry has been relayed using a W/Si multilayer mirror onto a single or double target configuration situated at a distance of ˜1.5 m from the mirror and pumped by two 150 mm diameter beams of VULCAN laser. A beam ``foot-print monitor'' was employed with a flat mirror to relay 23 nm output onto a film pack to record the spatial variation of the x-ray laser beam. Analyzing the fringes obtained through a cross-wire placed in front of the beam shows that an increase in spatial coherence was achieved by adding amplifiers to the x-ray laser beam line.

  1. Analysis of long term trends of precipitation estimates acquired using radar network in Turkey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tugrul Yilmaz, M.; Yucel, Ismail; Kamil Yilmaz, Koray

    2016-04-01

    Precipitation estimates, a vital input in many hydrological and agricultural studies, can be obtained using many different platforms (ground station-, radar-, model-, satellite-based). Satellite- and model-based estimates are spatially continuous datasets, however they lack the high resolution information many applications often require. Station-based values are actual precipitation observations, however they suffer from their nature that they are point data. These datasets may be interpolated however such end-products may have large errors over remote locations with different climate/topography/etc than the areas stations are installed. Radars have the particular advantage of having high spatial resolution information over land even though accuracy of radar-based precipitation estimates depends on the Z-R relationship, mountain blockage, target distance from the radar, spurious echoes resulting from anomalous propagation of the radar beam, bright band contamination and ground clutter. A viable method to obtain spatially and temporally high resolution consistent precipitation information is merging radar and station data to take advantage of each retrieval platform. An optimally merged product is particularly important in Turkey where complex topography exerts strong controls on the precipitation regime and in turn hampers observation efforts. There are currently 10 (additional 7 are planned) weather radars over Turkey obtaining precipitation information since 2007. This study aims to optimally merge radar precipitation data with station based observations to introduce a station-radar blended precipitation product. This study was supported by TUBITAK fund # 114Y676.

  2. Effect of scanning velocity on femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures on HgCdTe crystal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, Hongan; Dai, Ye; Wang, Haodong; Yan, Xiaona; Ma, Guohong

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, a femtosecond laser line-scanning irradiation was used to induce the periodic surface microstructure on HgCdTe crystal. Low spatial frequency laser induced periodic surface structures of 650-770 nm and high spatial frequency laser induced periodic surface structures of 152-246 nm were respectively found with different scanning speeds. The evolution process from low spatial frequency laser induced periodic surface structures to high spatial frequency laser induced periodic surface structures is characterized by scanning electron microscope. Their spatial periods deduced by using a two-dimensional Fourier transformation partly agree with the predictions of the Sipe-Drude theory. Confocal micro-Raman spectral show that the atomic arrangement of induced low spatial frequency laser-induced structures are basically consistent with the crystal in the central area of laser-scanning line, however a new peak at 164 cm-1 for the CdTe-like mode becomes evident due to the Hg vaporization when strong laser ablation happens. The obtained surface periodic ripples may have applications in fabricating advanced infrared detector.

  3. Signatures of Penumbral Magnetic Fields at Very High Spatial Resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langhans, K.

    2006-12-01

    Full Stokes spectro-polarimetry, together with refined techniques to interpret the measurements and continual modeling efforts, have improved our understanding of sunspot penumbrae in the last years. In spite of this progress, an improvement in the spatial resolution of the observations is clearly needed to establish in a more direct way the fine structure of the penumbra. The discovery of dark penumbral cores by tet{l3 Sc02} suggests that we are starting to resolve the fundamental scales of the penumbra. Spectro-polarimetric measurements that are sensitive to the magnetic field in both the photosphere and higher layers, and obtained at a spatial resolution approaching 0.1 arcsec, may therefore allow us to draw firm conclusions about the fine scale organization of penumbral magnetic fields. In this paper I will discuss recent polarization measurements at very high spatial resolution, trying to reconcile the different scenarios put forward to explain the structure of the penumbra.

  4. Deterministic error correction for nonlocal spatial-polarization hyperentanglement

    PubMed Central

    Li, Tao; Wang, Guan-Yu; Deng, Fu-Guo; Long, Gui-Lu

    2016-01-01

    Hyperentanglement is an effective quantum source for quantum communication network due to its high capacity, low loss rate, and its unusual character in teleportation of quantum particle fully. Here we present a deterministic error-correction scheme for nonlocal spatial-polarization hyperentangled photon pairs over collective-noise channels. In our scheme, the spatial-polarization hyperentanglement is first encoded into a spatial-defined time-bin entanglement with identical polarization before it is transmitted over collective-noise channels, which leads to the error rejection of the spatial entanglement during the transmission. The polarization noise affecting the polarization entanglement can be corrected with a proper one-step decoding procedure. The two parties in quantum communication can, in principle, obtain a nonlocal maximally entangled spatial-polarization hyperentanglement in a deterministic way, which makes our protocol more convenient than others in long-distance quantum communication. PMID:26861681

  5. Deterministic error correction for nonlocal spatial-polarization hyperentanglement.

    PubMed

    Li, Tao; Wang, Guan-Yu; Deng, Fu-Guo; Long, Gui-Lu

    2016-02-10

    Hyperentanglement is an effective quantum source for quantum communication network due to its high capacity, low loss rate, and its unusual character in teleportation of quantum particle fully. Here we present a deterministic error-correction scheme for nonlocal spatial-polarization hyperentangled photon pairs over collective-noise channels. In our scheme, the spatial-polarization hyperentanglement is first encoded into a spatial-defined time-bin entanglement with identical polarization before it is transmitted over collective-noise channels, which leads to the error rejection of the spatial entanglement during the transmission. The polarization noise affecting the polarization entanglement can be corrected with a proper one-step decoding procedure. The two parties in quantum communication can, in principle, obtain a nonlocal maximally entangled spatial-polarization hyperentanglement in a deterministic way, which makes our protocol more convenient than others in long-distance quantum communication.

  6. MPGD for breast cancer prevention: a high resolution and low dose radiation medical imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gutierrez, R. M.; Cerquera, E. A.; Mañana, G.

    2012-07-01

    Early detection of small calcifications in mammograms is considered the best preventive tool of breast cancer. However, existing digital mammography with relatively low radiation skin exposure has limited accessibility and insufficient spatial resolution for small calcification detection. Micro Pattern Gaseous Detectors (MPGD) and associated technologies, increasingly provide new information useful to generate images of microscopic structures and make more accessible cutting edge technology for medical imaging and many other applications. In this work we foresee and develop an application for the new information provided by a MPGD camera in the form of highly controlled images with high dynamical resolution. We present a new Super Detail Image (S-DI) that efficiently profits of this new information provided by the MPGD camera to obtain very high spatial resolution images. Therefore, the method presented in this work shows that the MPGD camera with SD-I, can produce mammograms with the necessary spatial resolution to detect microcalcifications. It would substantially increase efficiency and accessibility of screening mammography to highly improve breast cancer prevention.

  7. Slit-lamp photography and videography with high magnifications

    PubMed Central

    Yuan, Jin; Jiang, Hong; Mao, Xinjie; Ke, Bilian; Yan, Wentao; Liu, Che; Cintrón-Colón, Hector R; Perez, Victor L; Wang, Jianhua

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To demonstrate the use of the slit-lamp photography and videography with extremely high magnifications for visualizing structures of the anterior segment of the eye. Methods A Canon 60D digital camera with Movie Crop Function was adapted into a Nikon FS-2 slit-lamp to capture still images and video clips of the structures of the anterior segment of the eye. Images obtained using the slit-lamp were tested for spatial resolution. The cornea of human eyes was imaged with the slit-lamp and the structures were compared with the pictures captured using the ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT). The central thickness of the corneal epithelium and total cornea was obtained using the slit-lamp and the results were compared with the thickness obtained using UHR-OCT. Results High-quality ocular images and higher spatial resolutions were obtained by using the slit-lamp with extremely high magnifications and Movie Crop Function, rather than the traditional slit-lamp. The structures and characteristics of the cornea, such as the normal epithelium, abnormal epithelium of corneal intraepithelial neoplasia, LASIK interface, and contact lenses, were clearly visualized using this device. These features were confirmed by comparing the obtained images with those acquired using UHR-OCT. Moreover, the tear film debris on the ocular surface and the corneal nerve in the anterior corneal stroma were also visualized. The thicknesses of the corneal epithelium and total cornea were similar to that measured using UHR-OCT (P < 0.05). Conclusions We demonstrated that the slit-lamp photography and videography with extremely high magnifications allows better visualization of the anterior segment structures of the eye, especially of the epithelium, when compared with the traditional slit-lamp. PMID:26020484

  8. Spatial distribution of protons at high and low altitudes in the radiation belts. Comparison of theory and experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Panasyuk, M.I.; Reizman, S.Y.; Sosnovets, E.N.

    1986-05-01

    A comparative analysis of experimental data on the spatial distributions of protons with energies (E) greater than 0.1 MeV at high and low latitudes, which were obtained on the Molniya-1, Kosmos-900, Elektron, and 1964-45A satellites, is carried out. As a result of the comparison of the experimental data relating to the measurements of protons with E - 0.2 MeV with the calculation including radial drift of particles under the action of electric and magnetic field fluctuations, it is shown that radial diffusion with a diffusion coefficient independent of geomagnetic latitude is the primary mechanism shaping the spatial distributions of protonsmore » at geomagnetic latitudes up to ..lambda.. approx. = 40/sup 0/. The results of the experiments and the calculations agree under the assumption of both magnetic and electric diffusion, but the latter case requires the inclusion of the model of a spatially inhomogeneous convection electric field. At ..lambda.. greater than or equal to 50/sup 0/ pitchangle scattering makes the primary contribution to the shaping of the spatial structure of the protons at low altitudes. A value of 2 less than or equal to n less than or equal to 4 is obtained for the exponent of the slope of the radial distribution of cold electrons N /sub e/ (r)..cap alpha.. /sup -n/ at 2 less than or equal to L less than or equal to 4.« less

  9. Connecting the Dots Between Health, Poverty and Place in Accra, Ghana

    PubMed Central

    Weeks, John R.; Getis, Arthur; Stow, Douglas A.; Hill, Allan G.; Rain, David; Engstrom, Ryan; Stoler, Justin; Lippitt, Christopher; Jankowska, Marta; Lopez-Carr, Anna Carla; Coulter, Lloyd; Ofiesh, Caetlin

    2013-01-01

    West Africa has a rapidly growing population, an increasing fraction of which lives in urban informal settlements characterized by inadequate infrastructure and relatively high health risks. Little is known, however, about the spatial or health characteristics of cities in this region or about the spatial inequalities in health within them. In this article we show how we have been creating a data-rich field laboratory in Accra, Ghana, to connect the dots between health, poverty, and place in a large city in West Africa. Our overarching goal is to test the hypothesis that satellite imagery, in combination with census and limited survey data, such as that found in demographic and health surveys (DHSs), can provide clues to the spatial distribution of health inequalities in cities where fewer data exist than those we have collected for Accra. To this end, we have created the first digital boundary file of the city, obtained high spatial resolution satellite imagery for two dates, collected data from a longitudinal panel of 3,200 women spatially distributed throughout Accra, and obtained microlevel data from the census. We have also acquired water, sewerage, and elevation layers and then coupled all of these data with extensive field research on the neighborhood structure of Accra. We show that the proportional abundance of vegetation in a neighborhood serves as a key indicator of local levels of health and well-being and that local perceptions of health risk are not always consistent with objective measures. PMID:24532846

  10. Reconfigurable wavefront sensor for ultrashort pulses.

    PubMed

    Bock, Martin; Das, Susanta Kumar; Fischer, Carsten; Diehl, Michael; Börner, Peter; Grunwald, Ruediger

    2012-04-01

    A highly flexible Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor for ultrashort pulse diagnostics is presented. The temporal system performance is studied in detail. Reflective operation is enabled by programming tilt-tolerant microaxicons into a liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulator. Nearly undistorted pulse transfer is obtained by generating nondiffracting needle beams as subbeams. Reproducible wavefront analysis and spatially resolved second-order autocorrelation are demonstrated at incident angles up to 50° and pulse durations down to 6 fs.

  11. High Annular Resolution Stellar Interferometry.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-07-31

    correlation is separable, C3 (Ax,At) = C1 (Ax) C2 (At), then the spatial structure and time evolution are uncorrelated and under these conditions one would...the following one. Reference 6 points out the bias obtained on the shape of the normalised spatial correlation function of dynamic speckle under the...MS student) 1982 H Daum (U1 assistant) 1981 C S ________ 20. 6. MUPID This appendix oontains oopies of the 20 publioations produced under this

  12. Fast determination of the spatially distributed photon fluence for light dose evaluation of PDT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Kuanxin; Chen, Weiting; Li, Tongxin; Yan, Panpan; Qin, Zhuanping; Zhao, Huijuan

    2018-02-01

    Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has shown superiorities of noninvasiveness and high-efficiency in the treatment of early-stage skin cancer. Rapid and accurate determination of spatially distributed photon fluence in turbid tissue is essential for the dosimetry evaluation of PDT. It is generally known that photon fluence can be accurately obtained by Monte Carlo (MC) methods, while too much time would be consumed especially for complex light source mode or online real-time dosimetry evaluation of PDT. In this work, a method to rapidly calculate spatially distributed photon fluence in turbid medium is proposed implementing a classical perturbation and iteration theory on mesh Monte Carlo (MMC). In the proposed method, photon fluence can be obtained by superposing a perturbed and iterative solution caused by the defects in turbid medium to an unperturbed solution for the background medium and therefore repetitive MMC simulations can be avoided. To validate the method, a non-melanoma skin cancer model is carried out. The simulation results show the solution of photon fluence can be obtained quickly and correctly by perturbation algorithm.

  13. Using rank-order geostatistics for spatial interpolation of highly skewed data in a heavy-metal contaminated site.

    PubMed

    Juang, K W; Lee, D Y; Ellsworth, T R

    2001-01-01

    The spatial distribution of a pollutant in contaminated soils is usually highly skewed. As a result, the sample variogram often differs considerably from its regional counterpart and the geostatistical interpolation is hindered. In this study, rank-order geostatistics with standardized rank transformation was used for the spatial interpolation of pollutants with a highly skewed distribution in contaminated soils when commonly used nonlinear methods, such as logarithmic and normal-scored transformations, are not suitable. A real data set of soil Cd concentrations with great variation and high skewness in a contaminated site of Taiwan was used for illustration. The spatial dependence of ranks transformed from Cd concentrations was identified and kriging estimation was readily performed in the standardized-rank space. The estimated standardized rank was back-transformed into the concentration space using the middle point model within a standardized-rank interval of the empirical distribution function (EDF). The spatial distribution of Cd concentrations was then obtained. The probability of Cd concentration being higher than a given cutoff value also can be estimated by using the estimated distribution of standardized ranks. The contour maps of Cd concentrations and the probabilities of Cd concentrations being higher than the cutoff value can be simultaneously used for delineation of hazardous areas of contaminated soils.

  14. Behavioral states may be associated with distinct spatial patterns in electrocorticogram.

    PubMed

    Panagiotides, Heracles; Freeman, Walter J; Holmes, Mark D; Pantazis, Dimitrios

    2011-03-01

    To determine if behavioral states are associated with unique spatial electrocorticographic (ECoG) patterns, we obtained recordings with a microgrid electrode array applied to the cortical surface of a human subject. The array was constructed with the intent of extracting maximal spatial information by optimizing interelectrode distances. A 34-year-old patient with intractable epilepsy underwent intracranial ECoG monitoring after standard methods failed to reveal localization of seizures. During the 8-day period of invasive recording, in addition to standard clinical electrodes a square 1 × 1 cm microgrid array with 64 electrodes (1.25 mm separation) was placed on the right inferior temporal gyrus. Careful review of video recordings identified four extended naturalistic behaviors: reading, conversing on the telephone, looking at photographs, and face-to-face interactions. ECoG activity recorded with the microgrid that corresponded to these behaviors was collected and ECoG spatial patterns were analyzed. During periods of ECoG selected for analysis, no electrographic seizures or epileptiform patterns were present. Moments of maximal spatial variance are shown to cluster by behavior. Comparisons between conditions using a permutation test reveal significantly different spatial patterns for each behavior. We conclude that ECoG recordings obtained on the cortical surface with optimal high spatial frequency resolution reveal distinct local spatial patterns that reflect different behavioral states, and we predict that similar patterns will be found in many if not most cortical areas on which a microgrid is placed.

  15. SRXRF analysis with spatial resolution of dental calculus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez, Héctor Jorge; Pérez, Carlos Alberto; Grenón, Miriam

    2000-09-01

    This work presents elemental-composition studies of dental calculus by X-ray fluorescence analysis using synchrotron radiation. The intrinsic characteristics of synchrotron light allow for a semi-quantitative analysis with spatial resolution. The experiments were carried out in the high-vacuum station of the XRF beamline at the Synchrotron Light National Laboratory (Campinas, Brazil). All the measurements were performed in conventional geometry (45°+45°) and the micro-collimation was attained via a pair of orthogonal slits mounted in the beamline. In this way, pixels of 50 μm×50 μm were obtained keeping a high flux of photons on the sample. Samples of human dental calculus were measured in different positions along their growing axis, in order to determine variations of the compositions in the pattern of deposit. Intensity ratios of minor elements and traces were obtained, and linear profiles and surface distributions were determined. As a general summary, we can conclude that μXRF experiments with spatial resolution on dental calculus are feasible with simple collimation and adequate positioning systems, keeping a high flux of photon. These results open interesting perspectives for the future station of the line, devoted to μXRF, which will reach resolutions of the order of 10 μm.

  16. Hot and dense plasma probing by soft X-ray lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krůs, M.; Kozlová, M.; Nejdl, J.; Rus, B.

    2018-01-01

    Soft X-ray lasers, due to their short wavelength, its brightness, and good spatial coherence, are excellent sources for the diagnostics of dense plasmas (up to 1025 cm-3) which are relevant to e.g. inertial fusion. Several techniques and experimental results, which are obtained at the quasi-steady state scheme being collisionally pumped 21.2 nm neon-like zinc laser installed at PALS Research Center, are presented here; among them the plasma density measurement by a double Lloyd mirror interferometer, deflectometer based on Talbot effect measuring plasma density gradients itself, with a following ray tracing postprocessing. Moreover, the high spatial resolution (nm scale) plasma images can be obtained when soft X-ray lasers are used.

  17. Single image super-resolution via regularized extreme learning regression for imagery from microgrid polarimeters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sargent, Garrett C.; Ratliff, Bradley M.; Asari, Vijayan K.

    2017-08-01

    The advantage of division of focal plane imaging polarimeters is their ability to obtain temporally synchronized intensity measurements across a scene; however, they sacrifice spatial resolution in doing so due to their spatially modulated arrangement of the pixel-to-pixel polarizers and often result in aliased imagery. Here, we propose a super-resolution method based upon two previously trained extreme learning machines (ELM) that attempt to recover missing high frequency and low frequency content beyond the spatial resolution of the sensor. This method yields a computationally fast and simple way of recovering lost high and low frequency content from demosaicing raw microgrid polarimetric imagery. The proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art single-image super-resolution algorithms in terms of structural similarity and peak signal-to-noise ratio.

  18. Ultrafast, large-field multiphoton microscopy based on an acousto-optic deflector and a spatial light modulator.

    PubMed

    Shao, Yonghong; Qin, Wan; Liu, Honghai; Qu, Junle; Peng, Xiang; Niu, Hanben; Gao, Bruce Z

    2012-07-01

    We present an ultrafast, large-field multiphoton excitation fluorescence microscope with high lateral and axial resolutions based on a two-dimensional (2-D) acousto-optical deflector (AOD) scanner and spatial light modulator (SLM). When a phase-only SLM is used to shape the near-infrared light from a mode-locked titanium:sapphire laser into a multifocus array including the 0-order beam, a 136 μm × 136 μm field of view is achieved with a 60× objective using a 2-D AOD scanner without any mechanical scan element. The two-photon fluorescence image of a neuronal network that was obtained using this system demonstrates that our microscopy permits observation of dynamic biological events in a large field with high-temporal and -spatial resolution.

  19. Surface Temperature Data Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hansen, James; Ruedy, Reto

    2012-01-01

    Small global mean temperature changes may have significant to disastrous consequences for the Earth's climate if they persist for an extended period. Obtaining global means from local weather reports is hampered by the uneven spatial distribution of the reliably reporting weather stations. Methods had to be developed that minimize as far as possible the impact of that situation. This software is a method of combining temperature data of individual stations to obtain a global mean trend, overcoming/estimating the uncertainty introduced by the spatial and temporal gaps in the available data. Useful estimates were obtained by the introduction of a special grid, subdividing the Earth's surface into 8,000 equal-area boxes, using the existing data to create virtual stations at the center of each of these boxes, and combining temperature anomalies (after assessing the radius of high correlation) rather than temperatures.

  20. Magnetic field `flyby' measurement using a smartphone's magnetometer and accelerometer simultaneously

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monteiro, Martín; Stari, Cecilia; Cabeza, Cecilia; Marti, Arturo C.

    2017-12-01

    The spatial dependence of magnetic fields in simple configurations is a common topic in introductory electromagnetism lessons, both in high school and in university courses. In typical experiments, magnetic fields and distances are obtained taking point-by-point values using a Hall sensor and a ruler, respectively. Here, we show how to take advantage of the smartphone capabilities to get simultaneous measures with the built-in accelerometer and magnetometer and to obtain the spatial dependence of magnetic fields. We consider a simple setup consisting of a smartphone mounted on a track whose direction coincides with the axis of a coil. While the smartphone is moving on the track, both the magnetic field and the distance from the center of the coil (integrated numerically from the acceleration values) are simultaneously obtained. This methodology can easily be extended to more complicated setups.

  1. Spatial pattern evolution of Aedes aegypti breeding sites in an Argentinean city without a dengue vector control programme.

    PubMed

    Espinosa, Manuel O; Polop, Francisco; Rotela, Camilo H; Abril, Marcelo; Scavuzzo, Carlos M

    2016-11-21

    The main objective of this study was to obtain and analyse the space-time dynamics of Aedes aegypti breeding sites in Clorinda City, Formosa Province, Argentina coupled with landscape analysis using the maximum entropy approach in order to generate a dengue vector niche model. In urban areas, without vector control activities, 12 entomologic (larval) samplings were performed during three years (October 2011 to October 2014). The entomologic surveillance area represented 16,511 houses. Predictive models for Aedes distribution were developed using vector breeding abundance data, density analysis, clustering and geoprocessing techniques coupled with Earth observation satellite data. The spatial analysis showed a vector spatial distribution pattern with clusters of high density in the central region of Clorinda with a well-defined high-risk area in the western part of the city. It also showed a differential temporal behaviour among different areas, which could have implications for risk models and control strategies at the urban scale. The niche model obtained for Ae. aegypti, based on only one year of field data, showed that 85.8% of the distribution of breeding sites is explained by the percentage of water supply (48.2%), urban distribution (33.2%), and the percentage of urban coverage (4.4%). The consequences for the development of control strategies are discussed with reference to the results obtained using distribution maps based on environmental variables.

  2. Experimental evaluation of fluctuating density and radiated noise from a high temperature jet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Massier, P. F.; Parthasarathy, S. P.; Cuffel, R. F.

    1973-01-01

    An experimental investigation has been conducted to characterize the fluctuating density within a high-temperature (1100 K) subsonic jet and to characterize by the noise radiated to the surroundings. Cross correlations obtained by introducing time delay to the signals detected from spatially separated crossed laser beams set up as a Schlieren system were used to determine radial and axial distributions of the convection velocity of the moving noise sources (eddies). In addition, the autocorrelation of the fluctuating density was evaluated in the moving frame of reference of the eddies. Also, the autocorrelation of the radiated noise in the moving reference frame was evaluated from cross correlations by introducing time delay to the signals detected by spatially separated pairs of microphones. Radial distributions of the mean velocity were obtained from measurements of the stagnation temperature, and stagnation and static pressures with the use of probes.

  3. High resolution laser beam induced current images under trichromatic laser radiation: approximation to the solar irradiation.

    PubMed

    Navas, F J; Alcántara, R; Fernández-Lorenzo, C; Martín-Calleja, J

    2010-03-01

    A laser beam induced current (LBIC) map of a photoactive surface is a very useful tool when it is necessary to study the spatial variability of properties such as photoconverter efficiency or factors connected with the recombination of carriers. Obtaining high spatial resolution LBIC maps involves irradiating the photoactive surface with a photonic beam with Gaussian power distribution and with a low dispersion coefficient. Laser emission fulfils these characteristics, but against it is the fact that it is highly monochromatic and therefore has a spectral distribution different to solar emissions. This work presents an instrumental system and procedure to obtain high spatial resolution LBIC maps in conditions approximating solar irradiation. The methodology developed consists of a trichromatic irradiation system based on three sources of laser excitation with emission in the red, green, and blue zones of the electromagnetic spectrum. The relative irradiation powers are determined by either solar spectrum distribution or Planck's emission formula which provides information approximate to the behavior of the system if it were under solar irradiation. In turn, an algorithm and a procedure have been developed to be able to form images based on the scans performed by the three lasers, providing information about the photoconverter efficiency of photovoltaic devices under the irradiation conditions used. This system has been checked with three photosensitive devices based on three different technologies: a commercial silicon photodiode, a commercial photoresistor, and a dye-sensitized solar cell. These devices make it possible to check how the superficial quantum efficiency has areas dependent upon the excitation wavelength while it has been possible to measure global incident photon-to-current efficiency values approximating those that would be obtained under irradiation conditions with sunlight.

  4. Physically motivated correlation formalism in hyperspectral imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy, Ankita; Rafert, J. Bruce

    2004-05-01

    Most remote sensing data-sets contain a limiting number of independent spatial and spectral measurements, beyond which no effective increase in information is achieved. This paper presents a Physically Motivated Correlation Formalism (PMCF) ,which places both Spatial and Spectral data on an equivalent mathematical footing in the context of a specific Kernel, such that, optimal combinations of independent data can be selected from the entire Hypercube via the method of "Correlation Moments". We present an experimental and computational analysis of Hyperspectral data sets using the Michigan Tech VFTHSI [Visible Fourier Transform Hyperspectral Imager] based on a Sagnac Interferometer, adjusted to obtain high SNR levels. The captured Signal Interferograms of different targets - aerial snaps of Houghton and lab-based data (white light , He-Ne laser , discharge tube sources) with the provision of customized scan of targets with the same exposures are processed using inverse imaging transformations and filtering techniques to obtain the Spectral profiles and generate Hypercubes to compute Spectral/Spatial/Cross Moments. PMCF answers the question of how optimally the entire hypercube should be sampled and finds how many spatial-spectral pixels are required for a particular target recognition.

  5. A Global Map of Thermal Inertia from Mars Global Surveyor Mapping-Mission Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mellon, M. T.; Kretke, K. A.; Smith, M. D.; Pelkey, S. M.

    2002-01-01

    TES (thermal emission spectrometry) has obtained high spatial resolution surface temperature observations from which thermal inertia has been derived. Seasonal coverage of these data now provides a nearly global view of Mars, including the polar regions, at high resolution. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

  6. Spatial features of dose-surface maps from deformably-registered plans correlate with late gastrointestinal complications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moulton, Calyn R.; House, Michael J.; Lye, Victoria; Tang, Colin I.; Krawiec, Michele; Joseph, David J.; Denham, James W.; Ebert, Martin A.

    2017-05-01

    This study investigates the associations between spatial distribution of dose to the rectal surface and observed gastrointestinal toxicities after deformably registering each phase of a combined external beam radiotherapy (EBRT)/high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDRBT) prostate cancer treatment. The study contains data for 118 patients where the HDRBT CT was deformably-registered to the EBRT CT. The EBRT and registered HDRBT TG43 dose distributions in a reference 2 Gy/fraction were 3D-summed. Rectum dose-surface maps (DSMs) were obtained by virtually unfolding the rectum surface slice-by-slice. Associations with late peak gastrointestinal toxicities were investigated using voxel-wise DSM analysis as well as parameterised spatial patterns. The latter were obtained by thresholding DSMs from 1-80 Gy (increment  =  1) and extracting inferior-superior extent, left-right extent, area, perimeter, compactness, circularity and ellipse fit parameters. Logistic regressions and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to correlate features with toxicities. Rectal bleeding, stool frequency, diarrhoea and urgency/tenesmus were associated with greater lateral and/or longitudinal spread of the high doses near the anterior rectal surface. Rectal bleeding and stool frequency were also influenced by greater low-intermediate doses to the most inferior 20% of the rectum and greater low-intermediate-high doses to 40-80% of the rectum length respectively. Greater low-intermediate doses to the superior 20% and inferior 20% of the rectum length were associated with anorectal pain and urgency/tenesmus respectively. Diarrhoea, completeness of evacuation and proctitis were also related to greater low doses to the posterior side of the rectum. Spatial features for the intermediate-high dose regions such as area, perimeter, compactness, circularity, ellipse eccentricity and confinement to ellipse fits were strongly associated with toxicities other than anorectal pain. Consequently, toxicity is related to the shape of isodoses as well as dose coverage. The findings indicate spatial constraints on doses to certain sections of the rectum may be important for reducing toxicities and optimising dose.

  7. Electro-optical design of a long slit streak tube

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Liping; Tian, Jinshou; Wen, Wenlong; Chen, Ping; Wang, Xing; Hui, Dandan; Wang, Junfeng

    2017-11-01

    A small size and long slit streak tube with high spatial resolution was designed and optimized. Curved photocathode and screen were adopted to increase the photocathode working area and spatial resolution. High physical temporal resolution obtained by using a slit accelerating electrode. Deflection sensitivity of the streak tube was improved by adopting two-folded deflection plates. The simulations indicate that the photocathode effective working area can reach 30mm × 5mm. The static spatial resolution is higher than 40lp/mm and 12lp/mm along scanning and slit directions respectively while the physical temporal resolution is higher than 60ps. The magnification is 0.75 and 0.77 in scanning and slit directions. And also, the deflection sensitivity is as high as 37mm/kV. The external dimension of the streak tube are only ∅74mm×231mm. Thus, it can be applied to laser imaging radar system for large field of view and high range precision detection.

  8. New learning based super-resolution: use of DWT and IGMRF prior.

    PubMed

    Gajjar, Prakash P; Joshi, Manjunath V

    2010-05-01

    In this paper, we propose a new learning-based approach for super-resolving an image captured at low spatial resolution. Given the low spatial resolution test image and a database consisting of low and high spatial resolution images, we obtain super-resolution for the test image. We first obtain an initial high-resolution (HR) estimate by learning the high-frequency details from the available database. A new discrete wavelet transform (DWT) based approach is proposed for learning that uses a set of low-resolution (LR) images and their corresponding HR versions. Since the super-resolution is an ill-posed problem, we obtain the final solution using a regularization framework. The LR image is modeled as the aliased and noisy version of the corresponding HR image, and the aliasing matrix entries are estimated using the test image and the initial HR estimate. The prior model for the super-resolved image is chosen as an Inhomogeneous Gaussian Markov random field (IGMRF) and the model parameters are estimated using the same initial HR estimate. A maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation is used to arrive at the cost function which is minimized using a simple gradient descent approach. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach by conducting the experiments on gray scale as well as on color images. The method is compared with the standard interpolation technique and also with existing learning-based approaches. The proposed approach can be used in applications such as wildlife sensor networks, remote surveillance where the memory, the transmission bandwidth, and the camera cost are the main constraints.

  9. Spatial distribution of the gamma-ray bursts at very high redshift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mészáros, Attila

    2018-05-01

    The author - with his collaborators - already in years 1995-96 have shown - purely from the analyses of the observations - that the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can be till redshift 20. Since that time several other statistical studies of the spatial distribution of GRBs were provided. Remarkable conclusions concerning the star-formation rate and the validity of the cosmological principle were obtained about the regions of the cosmic dawn. In this contribution these efforts are surveyed.

  10. Encoding spatial images: A fuzzy set theory approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sztandera, Leszek M.

    1992-01-01

    As the use of fuzzy set theory continues to grow, there is an increased need for methodologies and formalisms to manipulate obtained fuzzy subsets. Concepts involving relative position of fuzzy patterns are acknowledged as being of high importance in many areas. In this paper, we present an approach based on the concept of dominance in fuzzy set theory for modelling relative positions among fuzzy subsets of a plane. In particular, we define the following spatial relations: to the left (right), in front of, behind, above, below, near, far from, and touching. This concept has been implemented to define spatial relationships among fuzzy subsets of the image plane. Spatial relationships based on fuzzy set theory, coupled with a fuzzy segmentation, should therefore yield realistic results in scene understanding.

  11. Effects of spatial frequency content on classification of face gender and expression.

    PubMed

    Aguado, Luis; Serrano-Pedraza, Ignacio; Rodríguez, Sonia; Román, Francisco J

    2010-11-01

    The role of different spatial frequency bands on face gender and expression categorization was studied in three experiments. Accuracy and reaction time were measured for unfiltered, low-pass (cut-off frequency of 1 cycle/deg) and high-pass (cutoff frequency of 3 cycles/deg) filtered faces. Filtered and unfiltered faces were equated in root-mean-squared contrast. For low-pass filtered faces reaction times were higher than unfiltered and high-pass filtered faces in both categorization tasks. In the expression task, these results were obtained with expressive faces presented in isolation (Experiment 1) and also with neutral-expressive dynamic sequences where each expressive face was preceded by a briefly presented neutral version of the same face (Experiment 2). For high-pass filtered faces different effects were observed on gender and expression categorization. While both speed and accuracy of gender categorization were reduced comparing to unfiltered faces, the efficiency of expression classification remained similar. Finally, we found no differences between expressive and non expressive faces in the effects of spatial frequency filtering on gender categorization (Experiment 3). These results show a common role of information from the high spatial frequency band in the categorization of face gender and expression.

  12. [Examination of upper abdominal region in high spatial resolution diffusion-weighted imaging using 3-Tesla MRI].

    PubMed

    Terada, Masaki; Matsushita, Hiroki; Oosugi, Masanori; Inoue, Kazuyasu; Yaegashi, Taku; Anma, Takeshi

    2009-03-20

    The advantage of the higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3-Tesla) has the possibility of contributing to the improvement of high spatial resolution without causing image deterioration. In this study, we compared SNR and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value with 3-Tesla as the condition in the diffusion-weighted image (DWI) parameter of the 1.5-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (1.5-Tesla) and we examined the high spatial resolution images in the imaging method [respiratory-triggering (RT) method and breath free (BF) method] and artifact (motion and zebra) in the upper abdominal region of DWI at 3-Tesla. We have optimized scan parameters based on phantom and in vivo study. As a result, 3-Tesla was able to obtain about 1.5 times SNR in comparison with the 1.5-Tesla, ADC value had few differences. Moreover, the RT method was effective in correcting the influence of respiratory movement in comparison with the BF method, and image improvement by the effective acquisition of SNR and reduction of the artifact were provided. Thus, DWI of upper abdominal region was a useful sequence for the high spatial resolution in 3-Tesla.

  13. The Black Hole Masses and Star Formation Rates of z>1 Dust Obscured Galaxies: Results from Keck OSIRIS Integral Field Spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Melbourne, J.; Peng, Chien Y.; Soifer, B. T.; Urrutia, Tanya; Desai, Vandana; Armus, L.; Bussmann, R. S.; Dey, Arjun; Matthews, K.

    2011-04-01

    We have obtained high spatial resolution Keck OSIRIS integral field spectroscopy of four z ~ 1.5 ultra-luminous infrared galaxies that exhibit broad Hα emission lines indicative of strong active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity. The observations were made with the Keck laser guide star adaptive optics system giving a spatial resolution of 0farcs1 or <1 kpc at these redshifts. These high spatial resolution observations help to spatially separate the extended narrow-line regions—possibly powered by star formation—from the nuclear regions, which may be powered by both star formation and AGN activity. There is no evidence for extended, rotating gas disks in these four galaxies. Assuming dust correction factors as high as A(Hα) = 4.8 mag, the observations suggest lower limits on the black hole masses of (1-9) × 108 M sun and star formation rates <100 M sun yr-1. The black hole masses and star formation rates of the sample galaxies appear low in comparison to other high-z galaxies with similar host luminosities. We explore possible explanations for these observations, including host galaxy fading, black hole growth, and the shut down of star formation.

  14. Improved spatial resolution of luminescence images acquired with a silicon line scanning camera

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teal, Anthony; Mitchell, Bernhard; Juhl, Mattias K.

    2018-04-01

    Luminescence imaging is currently being used to provide spatially resolved defect in high volume silicon solar cell production. One option to obtain the high throughput required for on the fly detection is the use a silicon line scan cameras. However, when using a silicon based camera, the spatial resolution is reduced as a result of the weakly absorbed light scattering within the camera's chip. This paper address this issue by applying deconvolution from a measured point spread function. This paper extends the methods for determining the point spread function of a silicon area camera to a line scan camera with charge transfer. The improvement in resolution is quantified in the Fourier domain and in spatial domain on an image of a multicrystalline silicon brick. It is found that light spreading beyond the active sensor area is significant in line scan sensors, but can be corrected for through normalization of the point spread function. The application of this method improves the raw data, allowing effective detection of the spatial resolution of defects in manufacturing.

  15. Lung cancer mortality clusters in Shandong Province, China: how do they change over 40 years?

    PubMed Central

    Fu, Zhentao; Li, Yingmei; Lu, Zilong; Chu, Jie; Sun, Jiandong; Zhang, Jiyu; Zhang, Gaohui; Xue, Fuzhong; Guo, Xiaolei; Xu, Aiqiang

    2017-01-01

    Lung cancer has long been a major health problem in China. This study aimed to examine the temporal trend and spatial pattern of lung cancer mortality in Shandong Province from 1970 to 2013. Lung cancer mortality data were obtained from Shandong Death Registration System and three nationwide retrospective cause-of-death surveys. A Purely Spatial Scan Statistics method with Discrete Poisson models was used to detect possible high-risk spatial clusters. The results show that lung cancer mortality rate in Shandong Province increased markedly from 1970-1974 (7.22 per 100,000 person-years) to 2011-2013 (56.37/100, 000). This increase was associated with both demographic and non-demographic factors. Several significant spatial clusters with high lung cancer mortality were identified. The most likely cluster was located in the northern region of Shandong Province during both 1970-1974 and 2011-2013. It appears the spatial pattern remained largely consistent over the last 40 years despite the absolute increase in the mortality rates. These findings will help develop intervention strategies to reduce lung cancer mortality in this large Chinese population. PMID:29179474

  16. A Multivariate Granger Causality Concept towards Full Brain Functional Connectivity.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Christoph; Pester, Britta; Schmid-Hertel, Nicole; Witte, Herbert; Wismüller, Axel; Leistritz, Lutz

    2016-01-01

    Detecting changes of spatially high-resolution functional connectivity patterns in the brain is crucial for improving the fundamental understanding of brain function in both health and disease, yet still poses one of the biggest challenges in computational neuroscience. Currently, classical multivariate Granger Causality analyses of directed interactions between single process components in coupled systems are commonly restricted to spatially low- dimensional data, which requires a pre-selection or aggregation of time series as a preprocessing step. In this paper we propose a new fully multivariate Granger Causality approach with embedded dimension reduction that makes it possible to obtain a representation of functional connectivity for spatially high-dimensional data. The resulting functional connectivity networks may consist of several thousand vertices and thus contain more detailed information compared to connectivity networks obtained from approaches based on particular regions of interest. Our large scale Granger Causality approach is applied to synthetic and resting state fMRI data with a focus on how well network community structure, which represents a functional segmentation of the network, is preserved. It is demonstrated that a number of different community detection algorithms, which utilize a variety of algorithmic strategies and exploit topological features differently, reveal meaningful information on the underlying network module structure.

  17. Integrating Eddy Covariance, Penman-Monteith and METRIC based Evapotranspiration estimates to generate high resolution space-time ET over the Brazos River Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mbabazi, D.; Mohanty, B.; Gaur, N.

    2017-12-01

    Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important component of the water and energy balance and accounts for 60 -70% of precipitation losses. However, accurate estimates of ET are difficult to quantify at varying spatial and temporal scales. Eddy covariance methods estimate ET at high temporal resolutions but without capturing the spatial variation in ET within its footprint. On the other hand, remote sensing methods using Landsat imagery provide ET with high spatial resolution but low temporal resolution (16 days). In this study, we used both eddy covariance and remote sensing methods to generate high space-time resolution ET. Daily, monthly and seasonal ET estimates were obtained using the eddy covariance (EC) method, Penman-Monteith (PM) and Mapping Evapotranspiration with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) models to determine cotton and native prairie ET dynamics in the Brazos river basin characterized by varying hydro-climatic and geological gradients. Daily estimates of spatially distributed ET (30 m resolution) were generated using spatial autocorrelation and temporal interpolations between the EC flux variable footprints and METRIC ET for the 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. A comparison of the 2016 and 2017 preliminary daily ET estimates showed similar ET dynamics/trends among the EC, PM and METRIC methods, and 5-20% differences in seasonal ET estimates. This study will improve the spatial estimates of EC ET and temporal resolution of satellite derived ET thus providing better ET data for water use management.

  18. Area-based tests for association between spatial patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maruca, Susan L.; Jacquez, Geoffrey M.

    Edge effects pervade natural systems, and the processes that determine spatial heterogeneity (e.g. physical, geochemical, biological, ecological factors) occur on diverse spatial scales. Hence, tests for association between spatial patterns should be unbiased by edge effects and be based on null spatial models that incorporate the spatial heterogeneity characteristic of real-world systems. This paper develops probabilistic pattern association tests that are appropriate when edge effects are present, polygon size is heterogeneous, and the number of polygons varies from one classification to another. The tests are based on the amount of overlap between polygons in each of two partitions. Unweighted and area-weighted versions of the statistics are developed and verified using scenarios representing both polygon overlap and avoidance at different spatial scales and for different distributions of polygon sizes. These statistics were applied to Soda Butte Creek, Wyoming, to determine whether stream microhabitats, such as riffles, pools and glides, can be identified remotely using high spatial resolution hyperspectral imagery. These new ``spatially explicit'' techniques provide information and insights that cannot be obtained from the spectral information alone.

  19. Spatial and temporal changes in household structure locations using high-resolution satellite imagery for population assessment: an analysis in southern Zambia, 2006-2011.

    PubMed

    Shields, Timothy; Pinchoff, Jessie; Lubinda, Jailos; Hamapumbu, Harry; Searle, Kelly; Kobayashi, Tamaki; Thuma, Philip E; Moss, William J; Curriero, Frank C

    2016-05-31

    Satellite imagery is increasingly available at high spatial resolution and can be used for various purposes in public health research and programme implementation. Comparing a census generated from two satellite images of the same region in rural southern Zambia obtained four and a half years apart identified patterns of household locations and change over time. The length of time that a satellite image-based census is accurate determines its utility. Households were enumerated manually from satellite images obtained in 2006 and 2011 of the same area. Spatial statistics were used to describe clustering, cluster detection, and spatial variation in the location of households. A total of 3821 household locations were enumerated in 2006 and 4256 in 2011, a net change of 435 houses (11.4% increase). Comparison of the images indicated that 971 (25.4%) structures were added and 536 (14.0%) removed. Further analysis suggested similar household clustering in the two images and no substantial difference in concentration of households across the study area. Cluster detection analysis identified a small area where significantly more household structures were removed than expected; however, the amount of change was of limited practical significance. These findings suggest that random sampling of households for study participation would not induce geographic bias if based on a 4.5-year-old image in this region. Application of spatial statistical methods provides insights into the population distribution changes between two time periods and can be helpful in assessing the accuracy of satellite imagery.

  20. Radar derived spatial statistics of summer rain. Volume 1: Experiment description

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Katz, I.; Arnold, A.; Goldhirsh, J.; Konrad, T. G.; Vann, W. L.; Dobson, E. B.; Rowland, J. R.

    1975-01-01

    An experiment was performed at Wallops Island, Virginia, to obtain a statistical description of summer rainstorms. Its purpose was to obtain information needed for design of earth and space communications systems in which precipitation in the earth's atmosphere scatters or attenuates the radio signal. Rainstorms were monitored with the high resolution SPANDAR radar and the 3-dimensional structures of the storms were recorded on digital tape. The equipment, the experiment, and tabulated data obtained during the experiment are described.

  1. Concave omnidirectional imaging device for cylindrical object based on catadioptric panoramic imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Xiaojun; Wu, Yumei; Wen, Peizhi

    2018-03-01

    To obtain information on the outer surface of a cylinder object, we propose a catadioptric panoramic imaging system based on the principle of uniform spatial resolution for vertical scenes. First, the influence of the projection-equation coefficients on the spatial resolution and astigmatism of the panoramic system are discussed, respectively. Through parameter optimization, we obtain the appropriate coefficients for the projection equation, and so the imaging quality of the entire imaging system can reach an optimum value. Finally, the system projection equation is calibrated, and an undistorted rectangular panoramic image is obtained using the cylindrical-surface projection expansion method. The proposed 360-deg panoramic-imaging device overcomes the shortcomings of existing surface panoramic-imaging methods, and it has the advantages of low cost, simple structure, high imaging quality, and small distortion, etc. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  2. Effects of natural factors on the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soils surrounding mining regions.

    PubMed

    Ding, Qian; Cheng, Gong; Wang, Yong; Zhuang, Dafang

    2017-02-01

    Various studies have shown that soils surrounding mining areas are seriously polluted with heavy metals. Determining the effects of natural factors on spatial distribution of heavy metals is important for determining the distribution characteristics of heavy metals in soils. In this study, an 8km buffer zone surrounding a typical non-ferrous metal mine in Suxian District of Hunan Province, China, was selected as the study area, and statistical, spatial autocorrelation and spatial interpolation analyses were used to obtain descriptive statistics and spatial autocorrelation characteristics of As, Pb, Cu, and Zn in soil. Additionally, the distributions of soil heavy metals under the influences of natural factors, including terrain (elevation and slope), wind direction and distance from a river, were determined. Layout of sampling sites, spatial changes of heavy metal contents at high elevations and concentration differences between upwind and downwind directions were then evaluated. The following results were obtained: (1) At low elevations, heavy metal concentrations decreased slightly, then increased considerably with increasing elevation. At high elevations, heavy metal concentrations first decreased, then increased, then decreased with increasing elevation. As the slope increased, heavy metal contents increased then decreased. (2) Heavy metal contents changed consistently in the upwind and downwind directions. Heavy metal contents were highest in 1km buffer zone and decreased with increasing distance from the mining area. The largest decrease in heavy metal concentrations was in 2km buffer zone. Perennial wind promotes the transport of heavy metals in downwind direction. (3) The spatial extent of the influence of the river on Pb, Zn and Cu in the soil was 800m. (4) The influence of the terrain on the heavy metal concentrations was greater than that of the wind. These results provide a scientific basis for preventing and mitigating heavy metal soil pollution in areas surrounding mines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Landsat image data quality studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schueler, C. F.; Salomonson, V. V.

    1985-01-01

    Preliminary results of the Landsat-4 Image Data Quality Analysis (LIDQA) program to characterize the data obtained using the Thematic Mapper (TM) instrument on board the Landsat-4 and Landsat-5 satellites are reported. TM design specifications were compared to the obtained data with respect to four criteria, including spatial resolution; geometric fidelity; information content; and image relativity to Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data. The overall performance of the TM was rated excellent despite minor instabilities and radiometric anomalies in the data. Spatial performance of the TM exceeded design specifications in terms of both image sharpness and geometric accuracy, and the image utility of the TM data was at least twice as high as MSS data. The separability of alfalfa and sugar beet fields in a TM image is demonstrated.

  4. Phase synchrony reveals organization in human atrial fibrillation

    PubMed Central

    Vidmar, David; Narayan, Sanjiv M.

    2015-01-01

    It remains unclear if human atrial fibrillation (AF) is spatially nonhierarchical or exhibits a hierarchy of organization sustained by sources. We utilize activation times obtained at discrete locations during AF to compute the phase synchrony between tissue regions, to examine underlying spatial dynamics throughout both atria. We construct a binary synchronization network and show that this network can accurately define regions of coherence in coarse-grained in silico data. Specifically, domains controlled by spiral waves exhibit regions of high phase synchrony. We then apply this analysis to clinical data from patients experiencing cardiac arrhythmias using multielectrode catheters to simultaneously record from a majority of both atria. We show that pharmaceutical intervention with ibutilide organizes activation by increasing the size of the synchronized domain in AF and quantify the increase in temporal organization when arrhythmia changes from fibrillation to tachycardia. Finally, in recordings from 24 patients in AF we show that the level of synchrony is spatially broad with some patients showing large spatially contiguous regions of synchronization, while in others synchrony is localized to small pockets. Using computer simulations, we show that this distribution is inconsistent with distributions obtained from simulations that mimic multiwavelet reentry but is consistent with mechanisms in which one or more spatially conserved spiral waves is surrounded by tissue in which activation is disorganized. PMID:26475585

  5. Cross-Scale Molecular Analysis of Chemical Heterogeneity in Shale Rocks

    DOE PAGES

    Hao, Zhao; Bechtel, Hans A.; Kneafsey, Timothy; ...

    2018-02-07

    The organic and mineralogical heterogeneity in shale at micrometer and nanometer spatial scales contributes to the quality of gas reserves, gas flow mechanisms and gas production. Here, we demonstrate two molecular imaging approaches based on infrared spectroscopy to obtain mineral and kerogen information at these mesoscale spatial resolutions in large-sized shale rock samples. The first method is a modified microscopic attenuated total reflectance measurement that utilizes a large germanium hemisphere combined with a focal plane array detector to rapidly capture chemical images of shale rock surfaces spanning hundreds of micrometers with micrometer spatial resolution. The second method, synchrotron infrared nano-spectroscopy,more » utilizes a metallic atomic force microscope tip to obtain chemical images of micrometer dimensions but with nanometer spatial resolution. This chemically "deconvoluted" imaging at the nano-pore scale is then used to build a machine learning model to generate a molecular distribution map across scales with a spatial span of 1000 times, which enables high-throughput geochemical characterization in greater details across the nano-pore and micro-grain scales and allows us to identify co-localization of mineral phases with chemically distinct organics and even with gas phase sorbents. Finally, this characterization is fundamental to understand mineral and organic compositions affecting the behavior of shales.« less

  6. Cross-Scale Molecular Analysis of Chemical Heterogeneity in Shale Rocks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hao, Zhao; Bechtel, Hans A.; Kneafsey, Timothy

    The organic and mineralogical heterogeneity in shale at micrometer and nanometer spatial scales contributes to the quality of gas reserves, gas flow mechanisms and gas production. Here, we demonstrate two molecular imaging approaches based on infrared spectroscopy to obtain mineral and kerogen information at these mesoscale spatial resolutions in large-sized shale rock samples. The first method is a modified microscopic attenuated total reflectance measurement that utilizes a large germanium hemisphere combined with a focal plane array detector to rapidly capture chemical images of shale rock surfaces spanning hundreds of micrometers with micrometer spatial resolution. The second method, synchrotron infrared nano-spectroscopy,more » utilizes a metallic atomic force microscope tip to obtain chemical images of micrometer dimensions but with nanometer spatial resolution. This chemically "deconvoluted" imaging at the nano-pore scale is then used to build a machine learning model to generate a molecular distribution map across scales with a spatial span of 1000 times, which enables high-throughput geochemical characterization in greater details across the nano-pore and micro-grain scales and allows us to identify co-localization of mineral phases with chemically distinct organics and even with gas phase sorbents. Finally, this characterization is fundamental to understand mineral and organic compositions affecting the behavior of shales.« less

  7. Horizontal Residual Mean Circulation: Evaluation of Spatial Correlations in Coarse Resolution Ocean Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Y.; McDougall, T. J.

    2016-02-01

    Coarse resolution ocean models lack knowledge of spatial correlations between variables on scales smaller than the grid scale. Some researchers have shown that these spatial correlations play a role in the poleward heat flux. In order to evaluate the poleward transport induced by the spatial correlations at a fixed horizontal position, an equation is obtained to calculate the approximate transport from velocity gradients. The equation involves two terms that can be added to the quasi-Stokes streamfunction (based on temporal correlations) to incorporate the contribution of spatial correlations. Moreover, these new terms do not need to be parameterized and is ready to be evaluated by using model data directly. In this study, data from a high resolution ocean model have been used to estimate the accuracy of this HRM approach for improving the horizontal property fluxes in coarse-resolution ocean models. A coarse grid is formed by sub-sampling and box-car averaging the fine grid scale. The transport calculated on the coarse grid is then compared to the transport on original high resolution grid scale accumulated over a corresponding number of grid boxes. The preliminary results have shown that the estimate on coarse resolution grids roughly match the corresponding transports on high resolution grids.

  8. The SUVIT Instrument on the Solar-C Mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarbell, Theodore D.; Ichimoto, Kiyoshi

    2014-06-01

    Solar-C is a new space mission being proposed to JAXA, with significant contributions anticipated from NASA, ESA, and EU countries. The main scientific objectives are to: reveal the mechanisms for heating and dynamics of the chromosphere and corona and acceleration of the solar wind; determine the physical origin of the large-scale explosions and eruptions that drive short-term solar, heliospheric, and geospace variability; use the solar atmosphere as a laboratory for understanding fundamental physical processes; make unprecedented observations of the polar magnetic fields. The unique approaches of Solar-C to achieve these goals are to: determine the properties and evolution of the 3-dimensional magnetic field, especially on small spatial scales, and for the first time observed in the crucial low beta plasma region; observe all the temperature regimes of the atmosphere seamlessly at the highest spatial resolution ever achieved; observe at high cadence the prevailing dynamics in all regions of the atmosphere; determine physical properties from high resolution spectroscopic measurements throughout the atmosphere and into the solar wind. The powerful suite of instruments onboard Solar-C will be sensitive to temperatures from the photosphere 5500 K) to solar flares 20 MK) with no temperature gap, with spatial resolution at all temperatures of 0.3″ or less (0.1″ in the lower atmosphere) and at high cadence. The purpose of the Solar UV-Visible-IR Telescope (SUVIT) is to obtain chromospheric velocity, temperature, density and magnetic field diagnostics over as wide arange of heights as possible, through high cadence spectral line profiles and vector spectro-polarimetry. SUVIT is a meter-class telescope currently under study at 1.4m in order to obtain sufficientresolution and S/N. SUVIT has two complementary focal plane packages, the Filtergraph that makes high cadence imaging observations with the highest spatial resolution and the Spectro-polarimeter that makes precise spectro-polarimetric observations. With their powerful sets of spectral lines, FG and SP collect physical measurements from the lower photosphere to upper chromosphere with much better spatial and temporal resolution than Hinode SOT.

  9. Automated brain tumor segmentation using spatial accuracy-weighted hidden Markov Random Field.

    PubMed

    Nie, Jingxin; Xue, Zhong; Liu, Tianming; Young, Geoffrey S; Setayesh, Kian; Guo, Lei; Wong, Stephen T C

    2009-09-01

    A variety of algorithms have been proposed for brain tumor segmentation from multi-channel sequences, however, most of them require isotropic or pseudo-isotropic resolution of the MR images. Although co-registration and interpolation of low-resolution sequences, such as T2-weighted images, onto the space of the high-resolution image, such as T1-weighted image, can be performed prior to the segmentation, the results are usually limited by partial volume effects due to interpolation of low-resolution images. To improve the quality of tumor segmentation in clinical applications where low-resolution sequences are commonly used together with high-resolution images, we propose the algorithm based on Spatial accuracy-weighted Hidden Markov random field and Expectation maximization (SHE) approach for both automated tumor and enhanced-tumor segmentation. SHE incorporates the spatial interpolation accuracy of low-resolution images into the optimization procedure of the Hidden Markov Random Field (HMRF) to segment tumor using multi-channel MR images with different resolutions, e.g., high-resolution T1-weighted and low-resolution T2-weighted images. In experiments, we evaluated this algorithm using a set of simulated multi-channel brain MR images with known ground-truth tissue segmentation and also applied it to a dataset of MR images obtained during clinical trials of brain tumor chemotherapy. The results show that more accurate tumor segmentation results can be obtained by comparing with conventional multi-channel segmentation algorithms.

  10. Combining geostatistics with Moran's I analysis for mapping soil heavy metals in Beijing, China.

    PubMed

    Huo, Xiao-Ni; Li, Hong; Sun, Dan-Feng; Zhou, Lian-Di; Li, Bao-Guo

    2012-03-01

    Production of high quality interpolation maps of heavy metals is important for risk assessment of environmental pollution. In this paper, the spatial correlation characteristics information obtained from Moran's I analysis was used to supplement the traditional geostatistics. According to Moran's I analysis, four characteristics distances were obtained and used as the active lag distance to calculate the semivariance. Validation of the optimality of semivariance demonstrated that using the two distances where the Moran's I and the standardized Moran's I, Z(I) reached a maximum as the active lag distance can improve the fitting accuracy of semivariance. Then, spatial interpolation was produced based on the two distances and their nested model. The comparative analysis of estimation accuracy and the measured and predicted pollution status showed that the method combining geostatistics with Moran's I analysis was better than traditional geostatistics. Thus, Moran's I analysis is a useful complement for geostatistics to improve the spatial interpolation accuracy of heavy metals.

  11. Combining Geostatistics with Moran’s I Analysis for Mapping Soil Heavy Metals in Beijing, China

    PubMed Central

    Huo, Xiao-Ni; Li, Hong; Sun, Dan-Feng; Zhou, Lian-Di; Li, Bao-Guo

    2012-01-01

    Production of high quality interpolation maps of heavy metals is important for risk assessment of environmental pollution. In this paper, the spatial correlation characteristics information obtained from Moran’s I analysis was used to supplement the traditional geostatistics. According to Moran’s I analysis, four characteristics distances were obtained and used as the active lag distance to calculate the semivariance. Validation of the optimality of semivariance demonstrated that using the two distances where the Moran’s I and the standardized Moran’s I, Z(I) reached a maximum as the active lag distance can improve the fitting accuracy of semivariance. Then, spatial interpolation was produced based on the two distances and their nested model. The comparative analysis of estimation accuracy and the measured and predicted pollution status showed that the method combining geostatistics with Moran’s I analysis was better than traditional geostatistics. Thus, Moran’s I analysis is a useful complement for geostatistics to improve the spatial interpolation accuracy of heavy metals. PMID:22690179

  12. Dynamic nuclear polarization and optimal control spatial-selective 13C MRI and MRS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vinding, Mads S.; Laustsen, Christoffer; Maximov, Ivan I.; Søgaard, Lise Vejby; Ardenkjær-Larsen, Jan H.; Nielsen, Niels Chr.

    2013-02-01

    Aimed at 13C metabolic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) applications, we demonstrate that dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) may be combined with optimal control 2D spatial selection to simultaneously obtain high sensitivity and well-defined spatial restriction. This is achieved through the development of spatial-selective single-shot spiral-readout MRI and MRS experiments combined with dynamic nuclear polarization hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate on a 4.7 T pre-clinical MR scanner. The method stands out from related techniques by facilitating anatomic shaped region-of-interest (ROI) single metabolite signals available for higher image resolution or single-peak spectra. The 2D spatial-selective rf pulses were designed using a novel Krotov-based optimal control approach capable of iteratively fast providing successful pulse sequences in the absence of qualified initial guesses. The technique may be important for early detection of abnormal metabolism, monitoring disease progression, and drug research.

  13. Uav-Based Crops Classification with Joint Features from Orthoimage and Dsm Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, B.; Shi, Y.; Duan, Y.; Wu, W.

    2018-04-01

    Accurate crops classification remains a challenging task due to the same crop with different spectra and different crops with same spectrum phenomenon. Recently, UAV-based remote sensing approach gains popularity not only for its high spatial and temporal resolution, but also for its ability to obtain spectraand spatial data at the same time. This paper focus on how to take full advantages of spatial and spectrum features to improve crops classification accuracy, based on an UAV platform equipped with a general digital camera. Texture and spatial features extracted from the RGB orthoimage and the digital surface model of the monitoring area are analysed and integrated within a SVM classification framework. Extensive experiences results indicate that the overall classification accuracy is drastically improved from 72.9 % to 94.5 % when the spatial features are combined together, which verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

  14. High-harmonic generation by quantum-dot nanorings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bâldea, Ioan; Gupta, Ashish K.; Cederbaum, Lorenz S.; Moiseyev, Nimrod

    2004-06-01

    Exact numerical results are obtained within the extended Hubbard Hamiltonian for nanorings consisting of Ag quantum dots (QD’s) with C6v symmetry which interact with a circularly polarized light. The results show that the high-harmonic generation (HHG) spectra obtained from such artificial “molecules” are more pronounced than the HHG spectra obtained from a real molecule such as benzene. Our studies show that the HHG spectra obtained from the QD nanorings consist of two plateaus while only one plateau appears for benzene. The role of electron correlations in the generation of the high-order harmonics is studied, and it is shown that it can increase the intensity of the high-order harmonics. Mainly affected are the harmonics which are located in the second plateau. Selection rules for the produced high harmonics and a new “synergetic” selection rule for the symmetry of the states contributing to the HHG spectrum, a combined effect of spatial and charge conjugation symmetries, are discussed.

  15. Spatial-impulse-response-dependent back-projection using the non-stationary convolution in optoacoustic mesoscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Tong; Wang, Yihan; Gao, Feng; Zhao, Huijuan; Ntziachristos, Vasilis; Li, Jiao

    2018-02-01

    Photoacoustic mesoscopy (PAMe), offering high-resolution (sub-100-μm) and high optical contrast imaging at the depth of 1-10 mm, generally obtains massive collection data using a high-frequency focused ultrasonic transducer. The spatial impulse response (SIR) of this focused transducer causes the distortion of measured signals in both duration and amplitude. Thus, the reconstruction method considering the SIR needs to be investigated in the computation-economic way for PAMe. Here, we present a modified back-projection algorithm, by introducing a SIR-dependent calibration process using a non-satationary convolution method. The proposed method is performed on numerical simulations and phantom experiments of microspheres with diameter of both 50 μm and 100 μm, and the improvement of image fidelity of this method is proved to be evident by methodology parameters. The results demonstrate that, the images reconstructed when the SIR of transducer is accounted for have higher contrast-to-noise ratio and more reasonable spatial resolution, compared to the common back-projection algorithm.

  16. AP-MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Gangliosides Using 2,6-Dihydroxyacetophenone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jackson, Shelley N.; Muller, Ludovic; Roux, Aurelie; Oktem, Berk; Moskovets, Eugene; Doroshenko, Vladimir M.; Woods, Amina S.

    2018-03-01

    Matrix-assisted laser/desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is widely used as a unique tool to record the distribution of a large range of biomolecules in tissues. 2,6-Dihydroxyacetophenone (DHA) matrix has been shown to provide efficient ionization of lipids, especially gangliosides. The major drawback for DHA as it applies to MS imaging is that it sublimes under vacuum (low pressure) at the extended time necessary to complete both high spatial and mass resolution MSI studies of whole organs. To overcome the problem of sublimation, we used an atmospheric pressure (AP)-MALDI source to obtain high spatial resolution images of lipids in the brain using a high mass resolution mass spectrometer. Additionally, the advantages of atmospheric pressure and DHA for imaging gangliosides are highlighted. The imaging of [M-H]- and [M-H2O-H]- mass peaks for GD1 gangliosides showed different distribution, most likely reflecting the different spatial distribution of GD1a and GD1b species in the brain. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  17. High-power Al-free active region (λ= 852nm) DFB laser diodes for atomic clocks and interferometry applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ligeret, V.; Vermersch, F.-J.; Bansropun, S.; Lecomte, M.; Calligaro, M.; Parillaud, O.; Krakowski, M.

    2017-11-01

    Atomic clocks will be used in the future European positioning system Galileo. Among them, the optically pumped clocks provide a better alternative with comparable accuracy for a more compact system. For these systems, diode lasers emitting at 852nm are strategic components. The laser in a conventional bench for atomic clocks presents disadvantages for spatial applications. A better approach would be to realise a system based on a distributed-feedback laser (DFB). We have developed the technological foundations of such lasers operating at 852nm. These include an Al free active region, a single spatial mode ridge waveguide and a DFB structure. The device is a separate confinement heterostructure with a GaInP large optical cavity and a single compressive strained GaInAsP quantum well. The broad area laser diodes are characterised by low internal losses (<3cm -1 ), a high internal efficiency (94%) and a low transparency current density (100A/cm2). For an AR-HR coated ridge Fabry Perot laser, we obtain a power of 230mW with M2=1.3. An optical power of 150mW was obtained at 854nm wavelength, 20°C for AR-HR coated devices. We obtain a single spatial mode emission with M2=1.21 and a SMSR over 30dB, both at 150mW. DFB Lasers at 852.12nm, corresponding to the D2 caesium transition, were then realised with a power of 40mW, 37°C for uncoated devices. The SMSR is over 30dB and the M2=1.33 at 40mW. Furthermore, the preliminary results of the linewidth obtained with a Fabry Perot interferometer give a value of less than 2MHz.

  18. A new global 1-km dataset of percentage tree cover derived from remote sensing

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    DeFries, R.S.; Hansen, M.C.; Townshend, J.R.G.; Janetos, A.C.; Loveland, Thomas R.

    2000-01-01

    Accurate assessment of the spatial extent of forest cover is a crucial requirement for quantifying the sources and sinks of carbon from the terrestrial biosphere. In the more immediate context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, implementation of the Kyoto Protocol calls for estimates of carbon stocks for a baseline year as well as for subsequent years. Data sources from country level statistics and other ground-based information are based on varying definitions of 'forest' and are consequently problematic for obtaining spatially and temporally consistent carbon stock estimates. By combining two datasets previously derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) at 1 km spatial resolution, we have generated a prototype global map depicting percentage tree cover and associated proportions of trees with different leaf longevity (evergreen and deciduous) and leaf type (broadleaf and needleleaf). The product is intended for use in terrestrial carbon cycle models, in conjunction with other spatial datasets such as climate and soil type, to obtain more consistent and reliable estimates of carbon stocks. The percentage tree cover dataset is available through the Global Land Cover Facility at the University of Maryland at http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu.

  19. Influence of 4,4’-azobis (4-cyanopentanoic acid) in Transmission and Reflection Gratings Stored in a PVA/AA Photopolymer

    PubMed Central

    Fernandez, Elena; Fuentes, Rosa; Belendez, Augusto; Pascual, Inmaculada

    2016-01-01

    Holographic transmission gratings with a spatial frequency of 2658 lines/mm and reflection gratings with a spatial frequency of 4553 lines/mm were stored in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/acrylamide (AA) based photopolymer. This material can reach diffraction efficiencies close to 100% for spatial frequencies about 1000 lines/mm. However, for higher spatial frequencies, the diffraction efficiency decreases considerably as the spatial frequency increases. To enhance the material response at high spatial frequencies, a chain transfer agent, the 4,4’-azobis (4-cyanopentanoic acid), ACPA, is added to the composition of the material. Different concentrations of ACPA are incorporated into the main composition of the photopolymer to find the concentration value that provides the highest diffraction efficiency. Moreover, the refractive index modulation and the optical thickness of the transmission and reflection gratings were obtained, evaluated and compared to procure more information about the influence of the ACPA on them. PMID:28773322

  20. Large-Scale, High-Resolution Neurophysiological Maps Underlying fMRI of Macaque Temporal Lobe

    PubMed Central

    Papanastassiou, Alex M.; DiCarlo, James J.

    2013-01-01

    Maps obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are thought to reflect the underlying spatial layout of neural activity. However, previous studies have not been able to directly compare fMRI maps to high-resolution neurophysiological maps, particularly in higher level visual areas. Here, we used a novel stereo microfocal x-ray system to localize thousands of neural recordings across monkey inferior temporal cortex (IT), construct large-scale maps of neuronal object selectivity at subvoxel resolution, and compare those neurophysiology maps with fMRI maps from the same subjects. While neurophysiology maps contained reliable structure at the sub-millimeter scale, fMRI maps of object selectivity contained information at larger scales (>2.5 mm) and were only partly correlated with raw neurophysiology maps collected in the same subjects. However, spatial smoothing of neurophysiology maps more than doubled that correlation, while a variety of alternative transforms led to no significant improvement. Furthermore, raw spiking signals, once spatially smoothed, were as predictive of fMRI maps as local field potential signals. Thus, fMRI of the inferior temporal lobe reflects a spatially low-passed version of neurophysiology signals. These findings strongly validate the widespread use of fMRI for detecting large (>2.5 mm) neuronal domains of object selectivity but show that a complete understanding of even the most pure domains (e.g., faces vs nonface objects) requires investigation at fine scales that can currently only be obtained with invasive neurophysiological methods. PMID:24048850

  1. Controls on the spatial variability of key soil properties: comparing field data with a mechanistic soilscape evolution model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vanwalleghem, T.; Román, A.; Giraldez, J. V.

    2016-12-01

    There is a need for better understanding the processes influencing soil formation and the resulting distribution of soil properties. Soil properties can exhibit strong spatial variation, even at the small catchment scale. Especially soil carbon pools in semi-arid, mountainous areas are highly uncertain because bulk density and stoniness are very heterogeneous and rarely measured explicitly. In this study, we explore the spatial variability in key soil properties (soil carbon stocks, stoniness, bulk density and soil depth) as a function of processes shaping the critical zone (weathering, erosion, soil water fluxes and vegetation patterns). We also compare the potential of a geostatistical versus a mechanistic soil formation model (MILESD) for predicting these key soil properties. Soil core samples were collected from 67 locations at 6 depths. Total soil organic carbon stocks were 4.38 kg m-2. Solar radiation proved to be the key variable controlling soil carbon distribution. Stone content was mostly controlled by slope, indicating the importance of erosion. Spatial distribution of bulk density was found to be highly random. Finally, total carbon stocks were predicted using a random forest model whose main covariates were solar radiation and NDVI. The model predicts carbon stocks that are double as high on north versus south-facing slopes. However, validation showed that these covariates only explained 25% of the variation in the dataset. Apparently, present-day landscape and vegetation properties are not sufficient to fully explain variability in the soil carbon stocks in this complex terrain under natural vegetation. This is attributed to a high spatial variability in bulk density and stoniness, key variables controlling carbon stocks. Similar results were obtained with the mechanistic soil formation model MILESD, suggesting that more complex models might be needed to further explore this high spatial variability.

  2. Multiscale assessment of landscape structure in heterogeneous forested area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simoniello, T.; Pignatti, S.; Carone, M. T.; Fusilli, L.; Lanfredi, M.; Coppola, R.; Santini, F.

    2010-05-01

    The characterization of landscape structure in space or time is fundamental to infer ecological processes (Ingegnoli, 2002). Landscape pattern arrangements strongly influence forest ecological functioning and biodiversity, as an example landscape fragmentation can induce habitat degradation reducing forest species populations or limiting their recolonization. Such arrangements are spatially correlated and scale-dependent, therefore they have distinctive operational-scales at which they can be best characterized (Wu, 2004). In addition, the detail of the land cover classification can have substantial influences on resulting pattern quantification (Greenberg et al.2001). In order to evaluate the influence of the observational scales and labelling details, we investigated a forested area (Pollino National Park; southern Italy) by analyzing the patch arrangement derived from three remote sensing sensors having different spectral and spatial resolutions. In particular, we elaborated data from the hyperspectral MIVIS (102 bands; ~7m) and Hyperion (220 bands; 30m), and the multispectral Landsat-TM (7 bands; 30m). Moreover, to assess the landscape evolution we investigated the hierarchical structure of the study area (landscape, class, patch) by elaborating two Landsat-TM acquired in 1987 and 1998. Preprocessed data were classified by adopting a supervised procedure based on the Minimum Distance classifier. The obtained labelling correspond to Corine level 5 for the high resolution MIVIS data, to Corine level 4 for Hyperion and to an intermediate level 4-3 for TM data. The analysis was performed by taking into account patch density, diversity and evenness at landscape level; mean patch size and interdispersion at class level; patch structure and perimeter regularity at patch level. The three sensors described a landscape with a quite high level of richness and distribution. The high spectral and spatial resolution of MIVIS data provided the highest diversity level (SHDI = 2.05), even if the results obtained for TM were not so different (1.93), Hyperion showed the lowest value (1.79). The obtained evenness index was similar for all the landscapes (~ 0.72). At class level, the interdispersion increases as the spatial and spectral resolution power decrease. Due to the low labelling detail, TM classes represent an aggregation of MIVIS and Hyperion classes; therefore they result larger and more diffused over the territory favouring higher interspersion values in the computation. The investigation of the patch structure highlighted the highest MIVIS capability in describing the patch articulation; Hyperion and TM showed quite similar situation. The historical analysis based on TM imagery showed a fragmentation process for some forested patches (mainly beeches): an increase of structure complexity (higher FRACT) is coupled with a higher patch number and an extension reduction. On the whole, the obtained results showed that the multispectral Landsat-TM images represent a good data source for supporting studies on landscape structure of forested areas and that for analyzing the articulation of particular species the high spectral resolution needs to be coupled with a high spatial resolution, i.e. Hyperion sampling is not adequate for such a purpose.

  3. Acquisition of a full-resolution image and aliasing reduction for a spatially modulated imaging polarimeter with two snapshots

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Jing; Yuan, Changan; Huang, Guohua; Zhao, Yinjun; Ren, Wenyi; Cao, Qizhi; Li, Jianying; Jin, Mingwu

    2018-01-01

    A snapshot imaging polarimeter using spatial modulation can encode four Stokes parameters allowing instantaneous polarization measurement from a single interferogram. However, the reconstructed polarization images could suffer a severe aliasing signal if the high-frequency component of the intensity image is prominent and occurs in the polarization channels, and the reconstructed intensity image also suffers reduction of spatial resolution due to low-pass filtering. In this work, a method using two anti-phase snapshots is proposed to address the two problems simultaneously. The full-resolution target image and the pure interference fringes can be obtained from the sum and the difference of the two anti-phase interferograms, respectively. The polarization information reconstructed from the pure interference fringes does not contain the aliasing signal from the high-frequency component of the object intensity image. The principles of the method are derived and its feasibility is tested by both computer simulation and a verification experiment. This work provides a novel method for spatially modulated imaging polarization technology with two snapshots to simultaneously reconstruct a full-resolution object intensity image and high-quality polarization components. PMID:29714224

  4. Applicability of Various Interpolation Approaches for High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Climate Data in Korea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jo, A.; Ryu, J.; Chung, H.; Choi, Y.; Jeon, S.

    2018-04-01

    The purpose of this study is to create a new dataset of spatially interpolated monthly climate data for South Korea at high spatial resolution (approximately 30m) by performing various spatio-statistical interpolation and comparing with forecast LDAPS gridded climate data provided from Korea Meterological Administration (KMA). Automatic Weather System (AWS) and Automated Synoptic Observing System (ASOS) data in 2017 obtained from KMA were included for the spatial mapping of temperature and rainfall; instantaneous temperature and 1-hour accumulated precipitation at 09:00 am on 31th March, 21th June, 23th September, and 24th December. Among observation data, 80 percent of the total point (478) and remaining 120 points were used for interpolations and for quantification, respectively. With the training data and digital elevation model (DEM) with 30 m resolution, inverse distance weighting (IDW), co-kriging, and kriging were performed by using ArcGIS10.3.1 software and Python 3.6.4. Bias and root mean square were computed to compare prediction performance quantitatively. When statistical analysis was performed for each cluster using 20 % validation data, co kriging was more suitable for spatialization of instantaneous temperature than other interpolation method. On the other hand, IDW technique was appropriate for spatialization of precipitation.

  5. A spatial operator algebra for manipulator modeling and control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rodriguez, G.; Jain, A.; Kreutz-Delgado, K.

    1991-01-01

    A recently developed spatial operator algebra for manipulator modeling, control, and trajectory design is discussed. The elements of this algebra are linear operators whose domain and range spaces consist of forces, moments, velocities, and accelerations. The effect of these operators is equivalent to a spatial recursion along the span of a manipulator. Inversion of operators can be efficiently obtained via techniques of recursive filtering and smoothing. The operator algebra provides a high-level framework for describing the dynamic and kinematic behavior of a manipulator and for control and trajectory design algorithms. The interpretation of expressions within the algebraic framework leads to enhanced conceptual and physical understanding of manipulator dynamics and kinematics.

  6. Near-edge X-ray refraction fine structure microscopy

    DOE PAGES

    Farmand, Maryam; Celestre, Richard; Denes, Peter; ...

    2017-02-06

    We demonstrate a method for obtaining increased spatial resolution and specificity in nanoscale chemical composition maps through the use of full refractive reference spectra in soft x-ray spectro-microscopy. Using soft x-ray ptychography, we measure both the absorption and refraction of x-rays through pristine reference materials as a function of photon energy and use these reference spectra as the basis for decomposing spatially resolved spectra from a heterogeneous sample, thereby quantifying the composition at high resolution. While conventional instruments are limited to absorption contrast, our novel refraction based method takes advantage of the strongly energy dependent scattering cross-section and can seemore » nearly five-fold improved spatial resolution on resonance.« less

  7. Device for high spatial resolution chemical analysis of a sample and method of high spatial resolution chemical analysis

    DOEpatents

    Van Berkel, Gary J.

    2015-10-06

    A system and method for analyzing a chemical composition of a specimen are described. The system can include at least one pin; a sampling device configured to contact a liquid with a specimen on the at least one pin to form a testing solution; and a stepper mechanism configured to move the at least one pin and the sampling device relative to one another. The system can also include an analytical instrument for determining a chemical composition of the specimen from the testing solution. In particular, the systems and methods described herein enable chemical analysis of specimens, such as tissue, to be evaluated in a manner that the spatial-resolution is limited by the size of the pins used to obtain tissue samples, not the size of the sampling device used to solubilize the samples coupled to the pins.

  8. Physics of cardiac imaging with multiple-row detector CT.

    PubMed

    Mahesh, Mahadevappa; Cody, Dianna D

    2007-01-01

    Cardiac imaging with multiple-row detector computed tomography (CT) has become possible due to rapid advances in CT technologies. Images with high temporal and spatial resolution can be obtained with multiple-row detector CT scanners; however, the radiation dose associated with cardiac imaging is high. Understanding the physics of cardiac imaging with multiple-row detector CT scanners allows optimization of cardiac CT protocols in terms of image quality and radiation dose. Knowledge of the trade-offs between various scan parameters that affect image quality--such as temporal resolution, spatial resolution, and pitch--is the key to optimized cardiac CT protocols, which can minimize the radiation risks associated with these studies. Factors affecting temporal resolution include gantry rotation time, acquisition mode, and reconstruction method; factors affecting spatial resolution include detector size and reconstruction interval. Cardiac CT has the potential to become a reliable tool for noninvasive diagnosis and prevention of cardiac and coronary artery disease. (c) RSNA, 2007.

  9. High spatial resolution and high brightness ion beam probe for in-situ elemental and isotopic analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Long, Tao; Clement, Stephen W. J.; Bao, Zemin; Wang, Peizhi; Tian, Di; Liu, Dunyi

    2018-03-01

    A high spatial resolution and high brightness ion beam from a cold cathode duoplasmatron source and primary ion optics are presented and applied to in-situ analysis of micro-scale geological material with complex structural and chemical features. The magnetic field in the source as well as the influence of relative permeability of magnetic materials on source performance was simulated using COMSOL to confirm the magnetic field strength of the source. Based on SIMION simulation, a high brightness and high spatial resolution negative ion optical system has been developed to achieve Critical (Gaussian) illumination mode. The ion source and primary column are installed on a new Time-of-Flight secondary ion mass spectrometer for analysis of geological samples. The diameter of the ion beam was measured by the knife-edge method and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results show that an O2- beam of ca. 5 μm diameter with a beam intensity of ∼5 nA and an O- beam of ca. 5 μm diameter with a beam intensity of ∼50 nA were obtained, respectively. This design will open new possibilities for in-situ elemental and isotopic analysis in geological studies.

  10. Analytical theory for extracellular electrical stimulation of nerve with focal electrodes. I. Passive unmyelinated axon.

    PubMed Central

    Rubinstein, J T; Spelman, F A

    1988-01-01

    The cable model of a passive, unmyelinated fiber in an applied extracellular field is derived. The solution is valid for an arbitrary, time-varying, applied field, which may be determined analytically or numerically. Simple analytical computations are presented. They explain a variety of known phenomena and predict some previously undescribed properties of extracellular electrical stimulation. The polarization of a fiber in an applied field behaves like the output of a spatial high-pass and temporal low-pass filter of the stimulus. High-frequency stimulation results in a more spatially restricted region of fiber excitation, effectively reducing current spread relative to that produced by low-frequency stimulation. Chronaxie measured extracellularly is a function of electrode position relative to the stimulated fiber, and its value may differ substantially from that obtained intracellularly. Frequency dependence of psychophysical threshold obtained by electrical stimulation of the macaque cochlea closely follows the frequency dependence of single-fiber passive response. PMID:3233274

  11. The spatial clustering of obesity: does the built environment matter?

    PubMed

    Huang, R; Moudon, A V; Cook, A J; Drewnowski, A

    2015-12-01

    Obesity rates in the USA show distinct geographical patterns. The present study used spatial cluster detection methods and individual-level data to locate obesity clusters and to analyse them in relation to the neighbourhood built environment. The 2008-2009 Seattle Obesity Study provided data on the self-reported height, weight, and sociodemographic characteristics of 1602 King County adults. Home addresses were geocoded. Clusters of high or low body mass index were identified using Anselin's Local Moran's I and a spatial scan statistic with regression models that searched for unmeasured neighbourhood-level factors from residuals, adjusting for measured individual-level covariates. Spatially continuous values of objectively measured features of the local neighbourhood built environment (SmartMaps) were constructed for seven variables obtained from tax rolls and commercial databases. Both the Local Moran's I and a spatial scan statistic identified similar spatial concentrations of obesity. High and low obesity clusters were attenuated after adjusting for age, gender, race, education and income, and they disappeared once neighbourhood residential property values and residential density were included in the model. Using individual-level data to detect obesity clusters with two cluster detection methods, the present study showed that the spatial concentration of obesity was wholly explained by neighbourhood composition and socioeconomic characteristics. These characteristics may serve to more precisely locate obesity prevention and intervention programmes. © 2014 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

  12. The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): High Angular Resolution Astronomy at Far-Infrared Wavelengths

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rinehart, Stephen A.

    2008-01-01

    Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding of the universe, and observations with Spitzer, the upcoming Herschel mission. and SOFIA will continue to provide exciting new discoveries. The comparatively low spatial resolution of these missions, however. is insufficient to resolve the physical scales on which mid- to far-infrared emission arises, resulting in source and structure ambiguities that limit our ability to answer key science questions. Interferometry enables high angular resolution at these wavelengths. We have proposed a new high altitude balloon experiment, the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII). High altitude operation makes far-infrared (30- 300micron) observations possible, and BETTII's 8-meter baseline provides unprecedented angular resolution (-0.5 arcsec) in this band. BETTII will use a double- Fourier instrument to simultaneously obtain both spatial and spectral informatioT. he spatially resolved spectroscopy provided by BETTII will address key questions about the nature of disks in young cluster stars and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the groundwork for future space interferometers.

  13. Novel imaging analysis system to measure the spatial dimension of engineered tissue construct.

    PubMed

    Choi, Kyoung-Hwan; Yoo, Byung-Su; Park, So Ra; Choi, Byung Hyune; Min, Byoung-Hyun

    2010-02-01

    The measurement of the spatial dimensions of tissue-engineered constructs is very important for their clinical applications. In this study, a novel method to measure the volume of tissue-engineered constructs was developed using iterative mathematical computations. The method measures and analyzes three-dimensional (3D) parameters of a construct to estimate its actual volume using a sequence of software-based mathematical algorithms. The mathematical algorithm is composed of two stages: the shape extraction and the determination of volume. The shape extraction utilized 3D images of a construct: length, width, and thickness, captured by a high-quality camera with charge coupled device. The surface of the 3D images was then divided into fine sections. The area of each section was measured and combined to obtain the total surface area. The 3D volume of the target construct was then mathematically obtained using its total surface area and thickness. The accuracy of the measurement method was verified by comparing the results with those obtained from the hydrostatic weighing method (Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science [KRISS], Korea). The mean difference in volume between two methods was 0.0313 +/- 0.0003% (n = 5, P = 0.523) with no significant statistical difference. In conclusion, our image-based spatial measurement system is a reliable and easy method to obtain an accurate 3D volume of a tissue-engineered construct.

  14. Spatially encoded phase-contrast MRI-3D MRI movies of 1D and 2D structures at millisecond resolution.

    PubMed

    Merboldt, Klaus-Dietmar; Uecker, Martin; Voit, Dirk; Frahm, Jens

    2011-10-01

    This work demonstrates that the principles underlying phase-contrast MRI may be used to encode spatial rather than flow information along a perpendicular dimension, if this dimension contains an MRI-visible object at only one spatial location. In particular, the situation applies to 3D mapping of curved 2D structures which requires only two projection images with different spatial phase-encoding gradients. These phase-contrast gradients define the field of view and mean spin-density positions of the object in the perpendicular dimension by respective phase differences. When combined with highly undersampled radial fast low angle shot (FLASH) and image reconstruction by regularized nonlinear inversion, spatial phase-contrast MRI allows for dynamic 3D mapping of 2D structures in real time. First examples include 3D MRI movies of the acting human hand at a temporal resolution of 50 ms. With an even simpler technique, 3D maps of curved 1D structures may be obtained from only three acquisitions of a frequency-encoded MRI signal with two perpendicular phase encodings. Here, 3D MRI movies of a rapidly rotating banana were obtained at 5 ms resolution or 200 frames per second. In conclusion, spatial phase-contrast 3D MRI of 2D or 1D structures is respective two or four orders of magnitude faster than conventional 3D MRI. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  15. Modelling spatial patterns of urban growth in Africa

    PubMed Central

    Linard, Catherine; Tatem, Andrew J.; Gilbert, Marius

    2013-01-01

    The population of Africa is predicted to double over the next 40 years, driving exceptionally high urban expansion rates that will induce significant socio-economic, environmental and health changes. In order to prepare for these changes, it is important to better understand urban growth dynamics in Africa and better predict the spatial pattern of rural-urban conversions. Previous work on urban expansion has been carried out at the city level or at the global level with a relatively coarse 5–10 km resolution. The main objective of the present paper was to develop a modelling approach at an intermediate scale in order to identify factors that influence spatial patterns of urban expansion in Africa. Boosted Regression Tree models were developed to predict the spatial pattern of rural-urban conversions in every large African city. Urban change data between circa 1990 and circa 2000 available for 20 large cities across Africa were used as training data. Results showed that the urban land in a 1 km neighbourhood and the accessibility to the city centre were the most influential variables. Results obtained were generally more accurate than results obtained using a distance-based urban expansion model and showed that the spatial pattern of small, compact and fast growing cities were easier to simulate than cities with lower population densities and a lower growth rate. The simulation method developed here will allow the production of spatially detailed urban expansion forecasts for 2020 and 2025 for Africa, data that are increasingly required by global change modellers. PMID:25152552

  16. Optimal attributes for the object based detection of giant reed in riparian habitats: A comparative study between Airborne High Spatial Resolution and WorldView-2 imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandes, Maria Rosário; Aguiar, Francisca C.; Silva, João M. N.; Ferreira, Maria Teresa; Pereira, José M. C.

    2014-10-01

    Giant reed is an aggressive invasive plant of riparian ecosystems in many sub-tropical and warm-temperate regions, including Mediterranean Europe. In this study we tested a set of geometric, spectral and textural attributes in an object based image analysis (OBIA) approach to map giant reed invasions in riparian habitats. Bagging Classification and Regression Tree were used to select the optimal attributes and to build the classification rules sets. Mapping accuracy was performed using landscape metrics and the Kappa coefficient to compare the topographical and geometric similarity between the giant reed patches obtained with the OBIA map and with a validation map derived from on-screen digitizing. The methodology was applied in two high spatial resolution images: an airborne multispectral imagery and the newly WorldView-2 imagery. A temporal coverage of the airborne multispectral images was radiometrically calibrated with the IR-Mad transformation and used to assess the influence of the phenological variability of the invader. We found that optimal attributes for giant reed OBIA detection are a combination of spectral, geometric and textural information, with different scoring selection depending on the spectral and spatial characteristics of the imagery. WorldView-2 showed higher mapping accuracy (Kappa coefficient of 77%) and spectral attributes, including the newly yellow band, were preferentially selected, although a tendency to overestimate the total invaded area, due to the low spatial resolution (2 m of pixel size vs. 50 cm) was observed. When airborne images were used, geometric attributes were primarily selected and a higher spatial detail of the invasive patches was obtained, due to the higher spatial resolution. However, in highly heterogeneous landscapes, the low spectral resolution of the airborne images (4 bands instead of the 8 of WorldView-2) reduces the capability to detect giant reed patches. Giant reed displays peculiar spectral and geometric traits, at leaf, canopy and stand level, which makes the OBIA approach a very suitable technique for management purposes.

  17. Implications of high-spatial-resolution thermal infrared (Termoskan) data for Mars landing site selection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Betts, Bruce H.

    1994-01-01

    Thermal infrared observations of Mars from spacecraft provide physical information about the upper thermal skin depth of the surface, which is on the order of a few centimeters in depth and thus very significant for lander site selection. The Termoskan instrument onboard the Soviet Phobos '88 spacecraft acquired the highest spatial-resolution thermal infrared data obtained for Mars, ranging in resolution from 300 m to 3 km per pixel. It simultaneously obtained broadband reflected solar flux data. Although the 6 deg N - 30 deg S Termoskan coverage only slightly overlaps the nominal Mars Pathfinder target range, the implications of Termoskan data for that overlap region and the extrapolations that can be made to other regions give important clues for optimal landing site selection.

  18. Spatial-time-state fusion algorithm for defect detection through eddy current pulsed thermography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Xiang; Gao, Bin; Woo, Wai Lok; Tian, Gui Yun; Xiao, Xiao Ting

    2018-05-01

    Eddy Current Pulsed Thermography (ECPT) has received extensive attention due to its high sensitive of detectability on surface and subsurface cracks. However, it remains as a difficult challenge in unsupervised detection as to identify defects without knowing any prior knowledge. This paper presents a spatial-time-state features fusion algorithm to obtain fully profile of the defects by directional scanning. The proposed method is intended to conduct features extraction by using independent component analysis (ICA) and automatic features selection embedding genetic algorithm. Finally, the optimal feature of each step is fused to obtain defects reconstruction by applying common orthogonal basis extraction (COBE) method. Experiments have been conducted to validate the study and verify the efficacy of the proposed method on blind defect detection.

  19. A Compact "Water Window" Microscope with 60 nm Spatial Resolution for Applications in Biology and Nanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Wachulak, Przemyslaw; Torrisi, Alfio; Nawaz, Muhammad F; Bartnik, Andrzej; Adjei, Daniel; Vondrová, Šárka; Turňová, Jana; Jančarek, Alexandr; Limpouch, Jiří; Vrbová, Miroslava; Fiedorowicz, Henryk

    2015-10-01

    Short illumination wavelength allows an extension of the diffraction limit toward nanometer scale; thus, improving spatial resolution in optical systems. Soft X-ray (SXR) radiation, from "water window" spectral range, λ=2.3-4.4 nm wavelength, which is particularly suitable for biological imaging due to natural optical contrast provides better spatial resolution than one obtained with visible light microscopes. The high contrast in the "water window" is obtained because of selective radiation absorption by carbon and water, which are constituents of the biological samples. The development of SXR microscopes permits the visualization of features on the nanometer scale, but often with a tradeoff, which can be seen between the exposure time and the size and complexity of the microscopes. Thus, herein, we present a desk-top system, which overcomes the already mentioned limitations and is capable of resolving 60 nm features with very short exposure time. Even though the system is in its initial stage of development, we present different applications of the system for biology and nanotechnology. Construction of the microscope with recently acquired images of various samples will be presented and discussed. Such a high resolution imaging system represents an interesting solution for biomedical, material science, and nanotechnology applications.

  20. Accelerated high-resolution photoacoustic tomography via compressed sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arridge, Simon; Beard, Paul; Betcke, Marta; Cox, Ben; Huynh, Nam; Lucka, Felix; Ogunlade, Olumide; Zhang, Edward

    2016-12-01

    Current 3D photoacoustic tomography (PAT) systems offer either high image quality or high frame rates but are not able to deliver high spatial and temporal resolution simultaneously, which limits their ability to image dynamic processes in living tissue (4D PAT). A particular example is the planar Fabry-Pérot (FP) photoacoustic scanner, which yields high-resolution 3D images but takes several minutes to sequentially map the incident photoacoustic field on the 2D sensor plane, point-by-point. However, as the spatio-temporal complexity of many absorbing tissue structures is rather low, the data recorded in such a conventional, regularly sampled fashion is often highly redundant. We demonstrate that combining model-based, variational image reconstruction methods using spatial sparsity constraints with the development of novel PAT acquisition systems capable of sub-sampling the acoustic wave field can dramatically increase the acquisition speed while maintaining a good spatial resolution: first, we describe and model two general spatial sub-sampling schemes. Then, we discuss how to implement them using the FP interferometer and demonstrate the potential of these novel compressed sensing PAT devices through simulated data from a realistic numerical phantom and through measured data from a dynamic experimental phantom as well as from in vivo experiments. Our results show that images with good spatial resolution and contrast can be obtained from highly sub-sampled PAT data if variational image reconstruction techniques that describe the tissues structures with suitable sparsity-constraints are used. In particular, we examine the use of total variation (TV) regularization enhanced by Bregman iterations. These novel reconstruction strategies offer new opportunities to dramatically increase the acquisition speed of photoacoustic scanners that employ point-by-point sequential scanning as well as reducing the channel count of parallelized schemes that use detector arrays.

  1. Comparison of Focused and Near-Field Imaging of Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) at Millimeter Wave Frequencies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kharkovshy, S.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, F. L.

    2007-01-01

    Millimeter wave imaging techniques can provide high spatial-resolution images of various composites. Lens antennas may be incorporated into the imaging system to provide a small incident beam footprint. Another approach may involve the use of horn antennas, which if operating in their near-fields, images with reasonably high spatial-resolutions may also be obtained. This paper gives a comparison between such near-field and focused far-field imaging of the Space Shuttle Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) used in its external fuel tank at millimeter wave frequencies. Small horn antennas and lens antennas with relatively long depth of focus were used in this investigation.

  2. Copper Decoration of Carbon Nanotubes and High Resolution Electron Microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Probst, Camille

    A new process of decorating carbon nanotubes with copper was developed for the fabrication of nanocomposite aluminum-nanotubes. The process consists of three stages: oxidation, activation and electroless copper plating on the nanotubes. The oxidation step was required to create chemical function on the nanotubes, essential for the activation step. Then, catalytic nanoparticles of tin-palladium were deposited on the tubes. Finally, during the electroless copper plating, copper particles with a size between 20 and 60 nm were uniformly deposited on the nanotubes surface. The reproducibility of the process was shown by using another type of carbon nanotube. The fabrication of nanocomposites aluminum-nanotubes was tested by aluminum vacuum infiltration. Although the infiltration of carbon nanotubes did not produce the expected results, an interesting electron microscopy sample was discovered during the process development: the activated carbon nanotubes. Secondly, scanning transmitted electron microscopy (STEM) imaging in SEM was analysed. The images were obtained with a new detector on the field emission scanning electron microscope (Hitachi S-4700). Various parameters were analysed with the use of two different samples: the activated carbon nanotubes (previously obtained) and gold-palladium nanodeposits. Influences of working distance, accelerating voltage or sample used on the spatial resolution of images obtained with SMART (Scanning Microscope Assessment and Resolution Testing) were analysed. An optimum working distance for the best spatial resolution related to the sample analysed was found for the imaging in STEM mode. Finally, relation between probe size and spatial resolution of backscattered electrons (BSE) images was studied. An image synthesis method was developed to generate the BSE images from backscattered electrons coefficients obtained with CASINO software. Spatial resolution of images was determined using SMART. The analysis shown that using a probe size smaller than the size of the observed object (sample features) does not improve the spatial resolution. In addition, the effects of the accelerating voltage, the current intensity and the sample geometry and composition were analysed.

  3. High quality high spatial resolution functional classification in low dose dynamic CT perfusion using singular value decomposition (SVD) and k-means clustering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pisana, Francesco; Henzler, Thomas; Schönberg, Stefan; Klotz, Ernst; Schmidt, Bernhard; Kachelrieß, Marc

    2017-03-01

    Dynamic CT perfusion acquisitions are intrinsically high-dose examinations, due to repeated scanning. To keep radiation dose under control, relatively noisy images are acquired. Noise is then further enhanced during the extraction of functional parameters from the post-processing of the time attenuation curves of the voxels (TACs) and normally some smoothing filter needs to be employed to better visualize any perfusion abnormality, but sacrificing spatial resolution. In this study we propose a new method to detect perfusion abnormalities keeping both high spatial resolution and high CNR. To do this we first perform the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the original noisy spatial temporal data matrix to extract basis functions of the TACs. Then we iteratively cluster the voxels based on a smoothed version of the three most significant singular vectors. Finally, we create high spatial resolution 3D volumes where to each voxel is assigned a distance from the centroid of each cluster, showing how functionally similar each voxel is compared to the others. The method was tested on three noisy clinical datasets: one brain perfusion case with an occlusion in the left internal carotid, one healthy brain perfusion case, and one liver case with an enhancing lesion. Our method successfully detected all perfusion abnormalities with higher spatial precision when compared to the functional maps obtained with a commercially available software. We conclude this method might be employed to have a rapid qualitative indication of functional abnormalities in low dose dynamic CT perfusion datasets. The method seems to be very robust with respect to both spatial and temporal noise and does not require any special a priori assumption. While being more robust respect to noise and with higher spatial resolution and CNR when compared to the functional maps, our method is not quantitative and a potential usage in clinical routine could be as a second reader to assist in the maps evaluation, or to guide a dataset smoothing before the modeling part.

  4. Fabrication and characterization of a 0.5-mm lutetium oxyorthosilicate detector array for high-resolution PET applications.

    PubMed

    Stickel, Jennifer R; Qi, Jinyi; Cherry, Simon R

    2007-01-01

    With the increasing use of in vivo imaging in mouse models of disease, there are many interesting applications that demand imaging of organs and tissues with submillimeter resolution. Though there are other contributing factors, the spatial resolution in small-animal PET is still largely determined by the detector pixel dimensions. In this work, a pair of lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) arrays with 0.5-mm pixels was coupled to multichannel photomultiplier tubes and evaluated for use as high-resolution PET detectors. Flood histograms demonstrated that most crystals were clearly identifiable. Energy resolution varied from 22% to 38%. The coincidence timing resolution was 1.42-ns full width at half maximum (FWHM). The intrinsic spatial resolution was 0.68-mm FWHM as measured with a 30-gauge needle filled with (18)F. The improvement in spatial resolution in a tomographic setting is demonstrated using images of a line source phantom reconstructed with filtered backprojection and compared with images obtained from 2 dedicated small-animal PET scanners. Finally, a projection image of the mouse foot is shown to demonstrate the application of these 0.5-mm LSO detectors to a biologic task. A pair of highly pixelated LSO detections has been constructed and characterized for use as high-spatial-resolution PET detectors. It appears that small-animal PET systems capable of a FWHM spatial resolution of 600 microm or less are feasible and should be pursued.

  5. Explicit validation of a surface shortwave radiation balance model over snow-covered complex terrain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Helbig, N.; Löwe, H.; Mayer, B.; Lehning, M.

    2010-09-01

    A model that computes the surface radiation balance for all sky conditions in complex terrain is presented. The spatial distribution of direct and diffuse sky radiation is determined from observations of incident global radiation, air temperature, and relative humidity at a single measurement location. Incident radiation under cloudless sky is spatially derived from a parameterization of the atmospheric transmittance. Direct and diffuse sky radiation for all sky conditions are obtained by decomposing the measured global radiation value. Spatial incident radiation values under all atmospheric conditions are computed by adjusting the spatial radiation values obtained from the parametric model with the radiation components obtained from the decomposition model at the measurement site. Topographic influences such as shading are accounted for. The radiosity approach is used to compute anisotropic terrain reflected radiation. Validations of the shortwave radiation balance model are presented in detail for a day with cloudless sky. For a day with overcast sky a first validation is presented. Validation of a section of the horizon line as well as of individual radiation components is performed with high-quality measurements. A new measurement setup was designed to determine terrain reflected radiation. There is good agreement between the measurements and the modeled terrain reflected radiation values as well as with incident radiation values. A comparison of the model with a fully three-dimensional radiative transfer Monte Carlo model is presented. That validation reveals a good agreement between modeled radiation values.

  6. Active Optics: stress polishing of toric mirrors for the VLT SPHERE adaptive optics system.

    PubMed

    Hugot, Emmanuel; Ferrari, Marc; El Hadi, Kacem; Vola, Pascal; Gimenez, Jean Luc; Lemaitre, Gérard R; Rabou, Patrick; Dohlen, Kjetil; Puget, Pascal; Beuzit, Jean Luc; Hubin, Norbert

    2009-05-20

    The manufacturing of toric mirrors for the Very Large Telescope-Spectro-Polarimetric High-Contrast Exoplanet Research instrument (SPHERE) is based on Active Optics and stress polishing. This figuring technique allows minimizing mid and high spatial frequency errors on an aspherical surface by using spherical polishing with full size tools. In order to reach the tight precision required, the manufacturing error budget is described to optimize each parameter. Analytical calculations based on elasticity theory and finite element analysis lead to the mechanical design of the Zerodur blank to be warped during the stress polishing phase. Results on the larger (366 mm diameter) toric mirror are evaluated by interferometry. We obtain, as expected, a toric surface within specification at low, middle, and high spatial frequencies ranges.

  7. Reflecting Schmidt/Littrow Prism Imaging Spectrometer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Breckinridge, J. B.; Page, N. A.; Shack, R. V.; Shannon, R. R.

    1985-01-01

    High resolution achieved with wide field of view. Imaging Spectrometer features off-axis reflecting optics, including reflecting "slit" that also serves as field flattener. Only refracting element is prism. By scanning slit across object or scene and timing out signal, both spectral and spatial information in scene are obtained.

  8. Investigation of the near subsurface using acoustic to seismic coupling

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Agricultural, hydrological and civil engineering applications have realized a need for information of the near subsurface over large areas. In order to obtain this spatially distributed data over such scales, the measurement technique must be highly mobile with a short acquisition time. Therefore, s...

  9. Matrix recrystallization for MALDI-MS imaging of maize lipids at high-spatial resolution

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Duenas, Maria Emilia; Carlucci, Laura; Lee, Young Jin

    Matrix recrystallization is optimized and applied to improve lipid ion signals in maize embryos and leaves. A systematic study was performed varying solvent and incubation time. During this study, unexpected side reactions were found when methanol was used as a recrystallization solvent, resulting in the formation of a methyl ester of phosphatidic acid. Furthermore, using an optimum recrystallization condition with isopropanol, there is no apparent delocalization demonstrated with a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) pattern and maize leaf images obtained at 10 μm spatial resolution.

  10. Matrix recrystallization for MALDI-MS imaging of maize lipids at high-spatial resolution

    DOE PAGES

    Duenas, Maria Emilia; Carlucci, Laura; Lee, Young Jin

    2016-06-27

    Matrix recrystallization is optimized and applied to improve lipid ion signals in maize embryos and leaves. A systematic study was performed varying solvent and incubation time. During this study, unexpected side reactions were found when methanol was used as a recrystallization solvent, resulting in the formation of a methyl ester of phosphatidic acid. Furthermore, using an optimum recrystallization condition with isopropanol, there is no apparent delocalization demonstrated with a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) pattern and maize leaf images obtained at 10 μm spatial resolution.

  11. Matrix Recrystallization for MALDI-MS Imaging of Maize Lipids at High-Spatial Resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dueñas, Maria Emilia; Carlucci, Laura; Lee, Young Jin

    2016-09-01

    Matrix recrystallization is optimized and applied to improve lipid ion signals in maize embryos and leaves. A systematic study was performed varying solvent and incubation time. During this study, unexpected side reactions were found when methanol was used as a recrystallization solvent, resulting in the formation of a methyl ester of phosphatidic acid. Using an optimum recrystallization condition with isopropanol, there is no apparent delocalization demonstrated with a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) pattern and maize leaf images obtained at 10 μm spatial resolution.

  12. Matrix Recrystallization for MALDI-MS Imaging of Maize Lipids at High-Spatial Resolution.

    PubMed

    Dueñas, Maria Emilia; Carlucci, Laura; Lee, Young Jin

    2016-09-01

    Matrix recrystallization is optimized and applied to improve lipid ion signals in maize embryos and leaves. A systematic study was performed varying solvent and incubation time. During this study, unexpected side reactions were found when methanol was used as a recrystallization solvent, resulting in the formation of a methyl ester of phosphatidic acid. Using an optimum recrystallization condition with isopropanol, there is no apparent delocalization demonstrated with a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) pattern and maize leaf images obtained at 10 μm spatial resolution. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

  13. Estimating evaporation with thermal UAV data and two-source energy balance models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffmann, H.; Nieto, H.; Jensen, R.; Guzinski, R.; Zarco-Tejada, P.; Friborg, T.

    2016-02-01

    Estimating evaporation is important when managing water resources and cultivating crops. Evaporation can be estimated using land surface heat flux models and remotely sensed land surface temperatures (LST), which have recently become obtainable in very high resolution using lightweight thermal cameras and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In this study a thermal camera was mounted on a UAV and applied into the field of heat fluxes and hydrology by concatenating thermal images into mosaics of LST and using these as input for the two-source energy balance (TSEB) modelling scheme. Thermal images are obtained with a fixed-wing UAV overflying a barley field in western Denmark during the growing season of 2014 and a spatial resolution of 0.20 m is obtained in final LST mosaics. Two models are used: the original TSEB model (TSEB-PT) and a dual-temperature-difference (DTD) model. In contrast to the TSEB-PT model, the DTD model accounts for the bias that is likely present in remotely sensed LST. TSEB-PT and DTD have already been well tested, however only during sunny weather conditions and with satellite images serving as thermal input. The aim of this study is to assess whether a lightweight thermal camera mounted on a UAV is able to provide data of sufficient quality to constitute as model input and thus attain accurate and high spatial and temporal resolution surface energy heat fluxes, with special focus on latent heat flux (evaporation). Furthermore, this study evaluates the performance of the TSEB scheme during cloudy and overcast weather conditions, which is feasible due to the low data retrieval altitude (due to low UAV flying altitude) compared to satellite thermal data that are only available during clear-sky conditions. TSEB-PT and DTD fluxes are compared and validated against eddy covariance measurements and the comparison shows that both TSEB-PT and DTD simulations are in good agreement with eddy covariance measurements, with DTD obtaining the best results. The DTD model provides results comparable to studies estimating evaporation with similar experimental setups, but with LST retrieved from satellites instead of a UAV. Further, systematic irrigation patterns on the barley field provide confidence in the veracity of the spatially distributed evaporation revealed by model output maps. Lastly, this study outlines and discusses the thermal UAV image processing that results in mosaics suited for model input. This study shows that the UAV platform and the lightweight thermal camera provide high spatial and temporal resolution data valid for model input and for other potential applications requiring high-resolution and consistent LST.

  14. Spatial ecology of refuge selection by an herbivore under risk of predation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilson, Tammy L.; Rayburn, Andrew P.; Edwards, Thomas C.

    2012-01-01

    Prey species use structures such as burrows to minimize predation risk. The spatial arrangement of these resources can have important implications for individual and population fitness. For example, there is evidence that clustered resources can benefit individuals by reducing predation risk and increasing foraging opportunity concurrently, which leads to higher population density. However, the scale of clustering that is important in these processes has been ignored during theoretical and empirical development of resource models. Ecological understanding of refuge exploitation by prey can be improved by spatial analysis of refuge use and availability that incorporates the effect of scale. We measured the spatial distribution of pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) refugia (burrows) through censuses in four 6-ha sites. Point pattern analyses were used to evaluate burrow selection by comparing the spatial distribution of used and available burrows. The presence of food resources and additional overstory cover resources was further examined using logistic regression. Burrows were spatially clustered at scales up to approximately 25 m, and then regularly spaced at distances beyond ~40 m. Pygmy rabbit exploitation of burrows did not match availability. Burrows used by pygmy rabbits were likely to be located in areas with high overall burrow density (resource clusters) and high overstory cover, which together minimized predation risk. However, in some cases we observed an interaction between either overstory cover (safety) or understory cover (forage) and burrow density. The interactions show that pygmy rabbits will use burrows in areas with low relative burrow density (high relative predation risk) if understory food resources are high. This points to a potential trade-off whereby rabbits must sacrifice some safety afforded by additional nearby burrows to obtain ample forage resources. Observed patterns of clustered burrows and non-random burrow use improve understanding of the importance of spatial distribution of refugia for burrowing herbivores. The analyses used allowed for the estimation of the spatial scale where subtle trade-offs between predation avoidance and foraging opportunity are likely to occur in a natural system.

  15. Assessment of Potential Location of High Arsenic Contamination Using Fuzzy Overlay and Spatial Anisotropy Approach in Iron Mine Surrounding Area

    PubMed Central

    Wirojanagud, Wanpen; Srisatit, Thares

    2014-01-01

    Fuzzy overlay approach on three raster maps including land slope, soil type, and distance to stream can be used to identify the most potential locations of high arsenic contamination in soils. Verification of high arsenic contamination was made by collection samples and analysis of arsenic content and interpolation surface by spatial anisotropic method. A total of 51 soil samples were collected at the potential contaminated location clarified by fuzzy overlay approach. At each location, soil samples were taken at the depth of 0.00-1.00 m from the surface ground level. Interpolation surface of the analysed arsenic content using spatial anisotropic would verify the potential arsenic contamination location obtained from fuzzy overlay outputs. Both outputs of the spatial surface anisotropic and the fuzzy overlay mapping were significantly spatially conformed. Three contaminated areas with arsenic concentrations of 7.19 ± 2.86, 6.60 ± 3.04, and 4.90 ± 2.67 mg/kg exceeded the arsenic content of 3.9 mg/kg, the maximum concentration level (MCL) for agricultural soils as designated by Office of National Environment Board of Thailand. It is concluded that fuzzy overlay mapping could be employed for identification of potential contamination area with the verification by surface anisotropic approach including intensive sampling and analysis of the substances of interest. PMID:25110751

  16. High Contrast Imaging with NICMOS - I: Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks with Coronagraphic Polarimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, G.; Hines, D. C.

    2007-06-01

    HST's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), with its highly stable point spread function, very high imaging Strehl ratio (panchromatically > 98% over its entire 0.8 - 2.4 micron wavelength regime) and coronagraphic imaging capability, celebrated its tenth anniversary in space earlier this year. These combined instrumental attributes uniquely contribute to its capability as a high-contrast imager as demonstrated by its continuing production of new examples of spatially resolved scattered-light imagery of both optically thick and thin circumstellar disks and sub-stellar companions to young stars and brown dwarfs well into the (several) Jovian mass range. We review these capabilities, illustrating with observationally based results, including examples obtained since HST's entry into two gyro guiding mode in mid 2005. The advent of a recently introduced, and now commissioned and calibrated, coronagraphic polarimetry mode has enabled very-high contrast 2 micron imaging polarimetry with 0.2 spatial resolution. Such imagery provides important constraints in the interpretation of disk-scattered starlight in assessing circumstellar disk geometries and the physical properties of their constituent grains. We demonstrate this new capability with observational results from two currently-executing HST programs obtaining 2 micron coronagraphic polarimetric images of circumstellar T-Tauri and debris disks.

  17. High-order harmonic generation driven by inhomogeneous plasmonics fields spatially bounded: influence on the cut-off law

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neyra, E.; Videla, F.; Ciappina, M. F.; Pérez-Hernández, J. A.; Roso, L.; Lewenstein, M.; Torchia, G. A.

    2018-03-01

    We study high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in model atoms driven by plasmonic-enhanced fields. These fields result from the illumination of plasmonic nanostructures by few-cycle laser pulses. We demonstrate that the spatial inhomogeneous character of the laser electric field, in a form of Gaussian-shaped functions, leads to an unexpected relationship between the HHG cutoff and the laser wavelength. Precise description of the spatial form of the plasmonic-enhanced field allows us to predict this relationship. We combine the numerical solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) with the plasmonic-enhanced electric fields obtained from 3D finite element simulations. We additionally employ classical simulations to supplement the TDSE outcomes and characterize the extended HHG spectra by means of their associated electron trajectories. A proper definition of the spatially inhomogeneous laser electric field is instrumental to accurately describe the underlying physics of HHG driven by plasmonic-enhanced fields. This characterization opens up new perspectives for HHG control with various experimental nano-setups.

  18. Single mode, broad-waveguide ARROW-type semiconductor diode lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Muhanna, Abdulrahman Ali

    A broad transverse waveguide (low confinement) concept is used to achieve a record-high spatially incoherent cw output power of 11W for InGaAs active devices (λ = 0.97 μm) from 100μm wide-stripe and 2mm-long devices with low internal loss, α1 = 1cm-1, and high characteristic temperatures, T0 = 210K, and T1 = 1800K. A detailed above-threshold analysis reveals that reduction in gain spatial hole burning (GSHB) is possible in ARROW-type structures by using a low transverse confinement factor; consequently, a wider ARROW-core can be utilized. By incorporating both a broad-waveguide concept as well as an asymmetric structure in the transverse direction, and an ARROW-type structure in the lateral direction, a novel single-spatial mode diode laser with improved performance is obtained. Devices with low transverse confinement factor (Γ ~ 1%) and a core-region width of 7.8 μm achieved 510mW single-spatial mode pulsed output power (λ = 0.946 μm) with a full- width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the lateral far-field pattern of 4.7°.

  19. Spatial analysis of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus among pregnant women1

    PubMed Central

    de Holanda, Eliane Rolim; Galvão, Marli Teresinha Gimeniz; Pedrosa, Nathália Lima; Paiva, Simone de Sousa; de Almeida, Rosa Lívia Freitas

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: to analyze the spatial distribution of reported cases of pregnant women infected by the human immunodeficiency virus and to identify the urban areas with greater social vulnerability to the infection among pregnant women. METHOD: ecological study, developed by means of spatial analysis techniques of area data. Secondary data were used from the Brazilian National Disease Notification System for the city of Recife, Pernambuco. Birth data were obtained from the Brazilian Information System on Live Births and socioeconomic data from the 2010 Demographic Census. RESULTS: the presence of spatial self-correlation was verified. Moran's Index was significant for the distribution. Clusters were identified, considered as high-risk areas, located in grouped neighborhoods, with equally high infection rates among pregnant women. A neighborhood located in the Northwest of the city was distinguished, considered in an epidemiological transition phase. CONCLUSION: precarious living conditions, as evidenced by the indicators illiteracy, absence of prenatal care and poverty, were relevant for the risk of vertical HIV transmission, converging to the grouping of cases among disadvantaged regions. PMID:26155005

  20. A multi-temporal analysis approach for land cover mapping in support of nuclear incident response

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sah, Shagan; van Aardt, Jan A. N.; McKeown, Donald M.; Messinger, David W.

    2012-06-01

    Remote sensing can be used to rapidly generate land use maps for assisting emergency response personnel with resource deployment decisions and impact assessments. In this study we focus on constructing accurate land cover maps to map the impacted area in the case of a nuclear material release. The proposed methodology involves integration of results from two different approaches to increase classification accuracy. The data used included RapidEye scenes over Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Station (Oswego, NY). The first step was building a coarse-scale land cover map from freely available, high temporal resolution, MODIS data using a time-series approach. In the case of a nuclear accident, high spatial resolution commercial satellites such as RapidEye or IKONOS can acquire images of the affected area. Land use maps from the two image sources were integrated using a probability-based approach. Classification results were obtained for four land classes - forest, urban, water and vegetation - using Euclidean and Mahalanobis distances as metrics. Despite the coarse resolution of MODIS pixels, acceptable accuracies were obtained using time series features. The overall accuracies using the fusion based approach were in the neighborhood of 80%, when compared with GIS data sets from New York State. The classifications were augmented using this fused approach, with few supplementary advantages such as correction for cloud cover and independence from time of year. We concluded that this method would generate highly accurate land maps, using coarse spatial resolution time series satellite imagery and a single date, high spatial resolution, multi-spectral image.

  1. Optimized AVHRR land surface temperature downscaling method for local scale observations: case study for the coastal area of the Gulf of Gdańsk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chybicki, Andrzej; Łubniewski, Zbigniew

    2017-09-01

    Satellite imaging systems have known limitations regarding their spatial and temporal resolution. The approaches based on subpixel mapping of the Earth's environment, which rely on combining the data retrieved from sensors of higher temporal and lower spatial resolution with the data characterized by lower temporal but higher spatial resolution, are of considerable interest. The paper presents the downscaling process of the land surface temperature (LST) derived from low resolution imagery acquired by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), using the inverse technique. The effective emissivity derived from another data source is used as a quantity describing thermal properties of the terrain in higher resolution, and allows the downsampling of low spatial resolution LST images. The authors propose an optimized downscaling method formulated as the inverse problem and show that the proposed approach yields better results than the use of other downsampling methods. The proposed method aims to find estimation of high spatial resolution LST data by minimizing the global error of the downscaling. In particular, for the investigated region of the Gulf of Gdansk, the RMSE between the AVHRR image downscaled by the proposed method and the Landsat 8 LST reference image was 2.255°C with correlation coefficient R equal to 0.828 and Bias = 0.557°C. For comparison, using the PBIM method, it was obtained RMSE = 2.832°C, R = 0.775 and Bias = 0.997°C for the same satellite scene. It also has been shown that the obtained results are also good in local scale and can be used for areas much smaller than the entire satellite imagery scene, depicting diverse biophysical conditions. Specifically, for the analyzed set of small sub-datasets of the whole scene, the obtained RSME between the downscaled and reference image was smaller, by approx. 0.53°C on average, in the case of applying the proposed method than in the case of using the PBIM method.

  2. Canopy Density Mapping on Ultracam-D Aerial Imagery in Zagros Woodlands, Iran

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erfanifard, Y.; Khodaee, Z.

    2013-09-01

    Canopy density maps express different characteristics of forest stands, especially in woodlands. Obtaining such maps by field measurements is so expensive and time-consuming. It seems necessary to find suitable techniques to produce these maps to be used in sustainable management of woodland ecosystems. In this research, a robust procedure was suggested to obtain these maps by very high spatial resolution aerial imagery. It was aimed to produce canopy density maps by UltraCam-D aerial imagery, newly taken in Zagros woodlands by Iran National Geographic Organization (NGO), in this study. A 30 ha plot of Persian oak (Quercus persica) coppice trees was selected in Zagros woodlands, Iran. The very high spatial resolution aerial imagery of the plot purchased from NGO, was classified by kNN technique and the tree crowns were extracted precisely. The canopy density was determined in each cell of different meshes with different sizes overlaid on the study area map. The accuracy of the final maps was investigated by the ground truth obtained by complete field measurements. The results showed that the proposed method of obtaining canopy density maps was efficient enough in the study area. The final canopy density map obtained by a mesh with 30 Ar (3000 m2) cell size had 80% overall accuracy and 0.61 KHAT coefficient of agreement which shows a great agreement with the observed samples. This method can also be tested in other case studies to reveal its capability in canopy density map production in woodlands.

  3. Feasibility of Computed Tomography-Guided Methods for Spatial Normalization of Dopamine Transporter Positron Emission Tomography Image.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jin Su; Cho, Hanna; Choi, Jae Yong; Lee, Seung Ha; Ryu, Young Hoon; Lyoo, Chul Hyoung; Lee, Myung Sik

    2015-01-01

    Spatial normalization is a prerequisite step for analyzing positron emission tomography (PET) images both by using volume-of-interest (VOI) template and voxel-based analysis. Magnetic resonance (MR) or ligand-specific PET templates are currently used for spatial normalization of PET images. We used computed tomography (CT) images acquired with PET/CT scanner for the spatial normalization for [18F]-N-3-fluoropropyl-2-betacarboxymethoxy-3-beta-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane (FP-CIT) PET images and compared target-to-cerebellar standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) values with those obtained from MR- or PET-guided spatial normalization method in healthy controls and patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We included 71 healthy controls and 56 patients with PD who underwent [18F]-FP-CIT PET scans with a PET/CT scanner and T1-weighted MR scans. Spatial normalization of MR images was done with a conventional spatial normalization tool (cvMR) and with DARTEL toolbox (dtMR) in statistical parametric mapping software. The CT images were modified in two ways, skull-stripping (ssCT) and intensity transformation (itCT). We normalized PET images with cvMR-, dtMR-, ssCT-, itCT-, and PET-guided methods by using specific templates for each modality and measured striatal SUVR with a VOI template. The SUVR values measured with FreeSurfer-generated VOIs (FSVOI) overlaid on original PET images were also used as a gold standard for comparison. The SUVR values derived from all four structure-guided spatial normalization methods were highly correlated with those measured with FSVOI (P < 0.0001). Putaminal SUVR values were highly effective for discriminating PD patients from controls. However, the PET-guided method excessively overestimated striatal SUVR values in the PD patients by more than 30% in caudate and putamen, and thereby spoiled the linearity between the striatal SUVR values in all subjects and showed lower disease discrimination ability. Two CT-guided methods showed comparable capability with the MR-guided methods in separating PD patients from controls and showed better correlation between putaminal SUVR values and the parkinsonian motor severity than the PET-guided method. CT-guided spatial normalization methods provided reliable striatal SUVR values comparable to those obtained with MR-guided methods. CT-guided methods can be useful for analyzing dopamine transporter PET images when MR images are unavailable.

  4. Feasibility of Computed Tomography-Guided Methods for Spatial Normalization of Dopamine Transporter Positron Emission Tomography Image

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jin Su; Cho, Hanna; Choi, Jae Yong; Lee, Seung Ha; Ryu, Young Hoon; Lyoo, Chul Hyoung; Lee, Myung Sik

    2015-01-01

    Background Spatial normalization is a prerequisite step for analyzing positron emission tomography (PET) images both by using volume-of-interest (VOI) template and voxel-based analysis. Magnetic resonance (MR) or ligand-specific PET templates are currently used for spatial normalization of PET images. We used computed tomography (CT) images acquired with PET/CT scanner for the spatial normalization for [18F]-N-3-fluoropropyl-2-betacarboxymethoxy-3-beta-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane (FP-CIT) PET images and compared target-to-cerebellar standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) values with those obtained from MR- or PET-guided spatial normalization method in healthy controls and patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods We included 71 healthy controls and 56 patients with PD who underwent [18F]-FP-CIT PET scans with a PET/CT scanner and T1-weighted MR scans. Spatial normalization of MR images was done with a conventional spatial normalization tool (cvMR) and with DARTEL toolbox (dtMR) in statistical parametric mapping software. The CT images were modified in two ways, skull-stripping (ssCT) and intensity transformation (itCT). We normalized PET images with cvMR-, dtMR-, ssCT-, itCT-, and PET-guided methods by using specific templates for each modality and measured striatal SUVR with a VOI template. The SUVR values measured with FreeSurfer-generated VOIs (FSVOI) overlaid on original PET images were also used as a gold standard for comparison. Results The SUVR values derived from all four structure-guided spatial normalization methods were highly correlated with those measured with FSVOI (P < 0.0001). Putaminal SUVR values were highly effective for discriminating PD patients from controls. However, the PET-guided method excessively overestimated striatal SUVR values in the PD patients by more than 30% in caudate and putamen, and thereby spoiled the linearity between the striatal SUVR values in all subjects and showed lower disease discrimination ability. Two CT-guided methods showed comparable capability with the MR-guided methods in separating PD patients from controls and showed better correlation between putaminal SUVR values and the parkinsonian motor severity than the PET-guided method. Conclusion CT-guided spatial normalization methods provided reliable striatal SUVR values comparable to those obtained with MR-guided methods. CT-guided methods can be useful for analyzing dopamine transporter PET images when MR images are unavailable. PMID:26147749

  5. Design and laboratory calibration of the compact pushbroom hyperspectral imaging system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Jiankang; Ji, Yiqun; Chen, Yuheng; Chen, Xinhua; Shen, Weimin

    2009-11-01

    The designed hyperspectral imaging system is composed of three main parts, that is, optical subsystem, electronic subsystem and capturing subsystem. And a three-dimensional "image cube" can be obtained through push-broom. The fore-optics is commercial-off-the-shelf with high speed and three continuous zoom ratios. Since the dispersive imaging part is based on Offner relay configuration with an aberration-corrected convex grating, high power of light collection and variable view field are obtained. The holographic recording parameters of the convex grating are optimized, and the aberration of the Offner configuration dispersive system is balanced. The electronic system adopts module design, which can minimize size, mass, and power consumption. Frame transfer area-array CCD is chosen as the image sensor and the spectral line can be binned to achieve better SNR and sensitivity without any deterioration in spatial resolution. The capturing system based on the computer can set the capturing parameters, calibrate the spectrometer, process and display spectral imaging data. Laboratory calibrations are prerequisite for using precise spectral data. The spatial and spectral calibration minimize smile and keystone distortion caused by optical system, assembly and so on and fix positions of spatial and spectral line on the frame area-array CCD. Gases excitation lamp is used in smile calibration and the keystone calculation is carried out by different viewing field point source created by a series of narrow slit. The laboratory and field imaging results show that this pushbroom hyperspectral imaging system can acquire high quality spectral images.

  6. Surface Desorption Dielectric-Barrier Discharge Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Hong; Jiang, Jie; Li, Na; Li, Ming; Wang, Yingying; He, Jing; You, Hong

    2017-07-18

    A variant of dielectric-barrier discharge named surface desorption dielectric-barrier discharge ionization (SDDBDI) mass spectrometry was developed for high-efficiency ion transmission and high spatial resolution imaging. In SDDBDI, a tungsten nanotip and the inlet of the mass spectrometer are used as electrodes, and a piece of coverslip is used as a sample plate as well as an insulating dielectric barrier, which simplifies the configuration of instrument and thus the operation. Different from volume dielectric-barrier discharge (VDBD), the microdischarges are generated on the surface at SDDBDI, and therefore the plasma density is extremely high. Analyte ions are guided directly into the MS inlet without any deflection. This configuration significantly improves the ion transmission efficiency and thus the sensitivity. The dependence of sensitivity and spatial resolution of the SDDBDI on the operation parameters were systematically investigated. The application of SDDBDI was successfully demonstrated by analysis of multiple species including amino acids, pharmaceuticals, putative cancer biomarkers, and mixtures of both fatty acids and hormones. Limits of detection (S/N = 3) were determined to be 0.84 and 0.18 pmol, respectively, for the analysis of l-alanine and metronidazole. A spatial resolution of 22 μm was obtained for the analysis of an imprinted cyclophosphamide pattern, and imaging of a "T" character was successfully demonstrated under ambient conditions. These results indicate that SDDBDI has high-efficiency ion transmission, high sensitivity, and high spatial resolution, which render it a potential tool for mass spectrometry imaging.

  7. Example-based super-resolution for single-image analysis from the Chang'e-1 Mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Fan-Lu; Wang, Xiang-Jun

    2016-11-01

    Due to the low spatial resolution of images taken from the Chang'e-1 (CE-1) orbiter, the details of the lunar surface are blurred and lost. Considering the limited spatial resolution of image data obtained by a CCD camera on CE-1, an example-based super-resolution (SR) algorithm is employed to obtain high-resolution (HR) images. SR reconstruction is important for the application of image data to increase the resolution of images. In this article, a novel example-based algorithm is proposed to implement SR reconstruction by single-image analysis, and the computational cost is reduced compared to other example-based SR methods. The results show that this method can enhance the resolution of images using SR and recover detailed information about the lunar surface. Thus it can be used for surveying HR terrain and geological features. Moreover, the algorithm is significant for the HR processing of remotely sensed images obtained by other imaging systems.

  8. Free-breathing 3D diffusion MRI for high-resolution hepatic metastasis characterization in small animals.

    PubMed

    Ribot, Emeline J; Trotier, Aurélien J; Castets, Charles R; Dallaudière, Benjamin; Thiaudière, Eric; Franconi, Jean-Michel; Miraux, Sylvain

    2016-02-01

    The goal of this study was to develop a 3D diffusion weighted sequence for free breathing liver imaging in small animals at high magnetic field. Hepatic metastases were detected and the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) were measured. A 3D SE-EPI sequence was developed by (i) inserting a water-selective excitation radiofrequency pulse to suppress adipose tissue signal and (ii) bipolar diffusion gradients to decrease the sensitivity to respiration motion. Mice with hepatic metastases were imaged at 7T by applying b values from 200 to 1100 s/mm(2). 3D images with high spatial resolution (182 × 156 × 125 µm) were obtained in only 8 min 32 s. The modified DW-SE-EPI sequence allowed to obtain 3D abdominal images of healthy mice with fat SNR 2.5 times lower than without any fat suppression method and sharpness 2.8 times higher than on respiration-triggered images. Due to the high spatial resolution, the core and the periphery of disseminated hepatic metastases were differentiated at high b-values only, demonstrating the presence of edema and proliferating cells (with ADC of 2.65 × 10(-3) and 1.55 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively). Furthermore, these metastases were accurately distinguished from proliferating ones within the same animal at high b-values (mean ADC of 0.38 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s). Metastases of less than 1.7 mm(3) diameter were detected. The new 3D SE-EPI sequence enabled to obtain diffusion information within liver metastases. In addition of intra-metastasis heterogeneity, differences in diffusion were measured between metastases within an animal. This sequence could be used to obtain diffusion information at high magnetic field.

  9. Estimating Soil Moisture Using Polsar Data: a Machine Learning Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khedri, E.; Hasanlou, M.; Tabatabaeenejad, A.

    2017-09-01

    Soil moisture is an important parameter that affects several environmental processes. This parameter has many important functions in numerous sciences including agriculture, hydrology, aerology, flood prediction, and drought occurrence. However, field procedures for moisture calculations are not feasible in a vast agricultural region territory. This is due to the difficulty in calculating soil moisture in vast territories and high-cost nature as well as spatial and local variability of soil moisture. Polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) imaging is a powerful tool for estimating soil moisture. These images provide a wide field of view and high spatial resolution. For estimating soil moisture, in this study, a model of support vector regression (SVR) is proposed based on obtained data from AIRSAR in 2003 in C, L, and P channels. In this endeavor, sequential forward selection (SFS) and sequential backward selection (SBS) are evaluated to select suitable features of polarized image dataset for high efficient modeling. We compare the obtained data with in-situ data. Output results show that the SBS-SVR method results in higher modeling accuracy compared to SFS-SVR model. Statistical parameters obtained from this method show an R2 of 97% and an RMSE of lower than 0.00041 (m3/m3) for P, L, and C channels, which has provided better accuracy compared to other feature selection algorithms.

  10. Coherent Lienard-Wiechert fields produced by free electron lasers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Elias, L.R.; Gallardo, J.C.

    1981-12-01

    Results are presented here of a three-dimensional numerical analysis of the radiation fields produced in a free electron laser. The method used here to obtain the spatial and temporal behavior of the radiated fields is based on the coherent superposition of the exact Lienard-Wiechert fields produced by each electron in the beam. Interference effects are responsible for the narrow angular radiation patterns obtained and for the high degree of monochromaticity of the radiated field.

  11. Correction of geometric distortion in Propeller echo planar imaging using a modified reversed gradient approach.

    PubMed

    Chang, Hing-Chiu; Chuang, Tzu-Chao; Lin, Yi-Ru; Wang, Fu-Nien; Huang, Teng-Yi; Chung, Hsiao-Wen

    2013-04-01

    This study investigates the application of a modified reversed gradient algorithm to the Propeller-EPI imaging method (periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction based on echo-planar imaging readout) for corrections of geometric distortions due to the EPI readout. Propeller-EPI acquisition was executed with 360-degree rotational coverage of the k-space, from which the image pairs with opposite phase-encoding gradient polarities were extracted for reversed gradient geometric and intensity corrections. The spatial displacements obtained on a pixel-by-pixel basis were fitted using a two-dimensional polynomial followed by low-pass filtering to assure correction reliability in low-signal regions. Single-shot EPI images were obtained on a phantom, whereas high spatial resolution T2-weighted and diffusion tensor Propeller-EPI data were acquired in vivo from healthy subjects at 3.0 Tesla, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Phantom images show success of the smoothed displacement map concept in providing improvements of the geometric corrections at low-signal regions. Human brain images demonstrate prominently superior reconstruction quality of Propeller-EPI images with modified reversed gradient corrections as compared with those obtained without corrections, as evidenced from verification against the distortion-free fast spin-echo images at the same level. The modified reversed gradient method is an effective approach to obtain high-resolution Propeller-EPI images with substantially reduced artifacts.

  12. Spatial Intensity Duration Frequency Relationships Using Hierarchical Bayesian Analysis for Urban Areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rupa, Chandra; Mujumdar, Pradeep

    2016-04-01

    In urban areas, quantification of extreme precipitation is important in the design of storm water drains and other infrastructure. Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF) relationships are generally used to obtain design return level for a given duration and return period. Due to lack of availability of extreme precipitation data for sufficiently large number of years, estimating the probability of extreme events is difficult. Typically, a single station data is used to obtain the design return levels for various durations and return periods, which are used in the design of urban infrastructure for the entire city. In an urban setting, the spatial variation of precipitation can be high; the precipitation amounts and patterns often vary within short distances of less than 5 km. Therefore it is crucial to study the uncertainties in the spatial variation of return levels for various durations. In this work, the extreme precipitation is modeled spatially using the Bayesian hierarchical analysis and the spatial variation of return levels is studied. The analysis is carried out with Block Maxima approach for defining the extreme precipitation, using Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution for Bangalore city, Karnataka state, India. Daily data for nineteen stations in and around Bangalore city is considered in the study. The analysis is carried out for summer maxima (March - May), monsoon maxima (June - September) and the annual maxima rainfall. In the hierarchical analysis, the statistical model is specified in three layers. The data layer models the block maxima, pooling the extreme precipitation from all the stations. In the process layer, the latent spatial process characterized by geographical and climatological covariates (lat-lon, elevation, mean temperature etc.) which drives the extreme precipitation is modeled and in the prior level, the prior distributions that govern the latent process are modeled. Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm (Metropolis Hastings algorithm within a Gibbs sampler) is used to obtain the samples of parameters from the posterior distribution of parameters. The spatial maps of return levels for specified return periods, along with the associated uncertainties, are obtained for the summer, monsoon and annual maxima rainfall. Considering various covariates, the best fit model is selected using Deviance Information Criteria. It is observed that the geographical covariates outweigh the climatological covariates for the monsoon maxima rainfall (latitude and longitude). The best covariates for summer maxima and annual maxima rainfall are mean summer precipitation and mean monsoon precipitation respectively, including elevation for both the cases. The scale invariance theory, which states that statistical properties of a process observed at various scales are governed by the same relationship, is used to disaggregate the daily rainfall to hourly scales. The spatial maps of the scale are obtained for the study area. The spatial maps of IDF relationships thus generated are useful in storm water designs, adequacy analysis and identifying the vulnerable flooding areas.

  13. Multi-scale temporal and spatial variation in genotypic composition of Cladophora-borne Escherichia coli populations in Lake Michigan.

    PubMed

    Badgley, Brian D; Ferguson, John; Vanden Heuvel, Amy; Kleinheinz, Gregory T; McDermott, Colleen M; Sandrin, Todd R; Kinzelman, Julie; Junion, Emily A; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara N; Whitman, Richard L; Sadowsky, Michael J

    2011-01-01

    High concentrations of Escherichia coli in mats of Cladophora in the Great Lakes have raised concern over the continued use of this bacterium as an indicator of microbial water quality. Determining the impacts of these environmentally abundant E. coli, however, necessitates a better understanding of their ecology. In this study, the population structure of 4285 Cladophora-borne E. coli isolates, obtained over multiple three day periods from Lake Michigan Cladophora mats in 2007-2009, was examined by using DNA fingerprint analyses. In contrast to previous studies that have been done using isolates from attached Cladophora obtained over large time scales and distances, the extensive sampling done here on free-floating mats over successive days at multiple sites provided a large dataset that allowed for a detailed examination of changes in population structure over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. While Cladophora-borne E. coli populations were highly diverse and consisted of many unique isolates, multiple clonal groups were also present and accounted for approximately 33% of all isolates examined. Patterns in population structure were also evident. At the broadest scales, E. coli populations showed some temporal clustering when examined by year, but did not show good spatial distinction among sites. E. coli population structure also showed significant patterns at much finer temporal scales. Populations were distinct on an individual mat basis at a given site, and on individual days within a single mat. Results of these studies indicate that Cladophora-borne E. coli populations consist of a mixture of stable, and possibly naturalized, strains that persist during the life of the mat, and more unique, transient strains that can change over rapid time scales. It is clear that further study of microbial processes at fine spatial and temporal scales is needed, and that caution must be taken when interpolating short term microbial dynamics from results obtained from weekly or monthly samples. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Multi-scale temporal and spatial variation in genotypic composition of Cladophora-borne Escherichia coli populations in Lake Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Badgley, B.D.; Ferguson, J.; Heuvel, A.V.; Kleinheinz, G.T.; McDermott, C.M.; Sandrin, T.R.; Kinzelman, J.; Junion, E.A.; Byappanahalli, M.N.; Whitman, R.L.; Sadowsky, M.J.

    2011-01-01

    High concentrations of Escherichia coli in mats of Cladophora in the Great Lakes have raised concern over the continued use of this bacterium as an indicator of microbial water quality. Determining the impacts of these environmentally abundant E. coli, however, necessitates a better understanding of their ecology. In this study, the population structure of 4285 Cladophora-borne E. coli isolates, obtained over multiple three day periods from Lake Michigan Cladophora mats in 2007-2009, was examined by using DNA fingerprint analyses. In contrast to previous studies that have been done using isolates from attached Cladophora obtained over large time scales and distances, the extensive sampling done here on free-floating mats over successive days at multiple sites provided a large dataset that allowed for a detailed examination of changes in population structure over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. While Cladophora-borne E. coli populations were highly diverse and consisted of many unique isolates, multiple clonal groups were also present and accounted for approximately 33% of all isolates examined. Patterns in population structure were also evident. At the broadest scales, E. coli populations showed some temporal clustering when examined by year, but did not show good spatial distinction among sites. E. coli population structure also showed significant patterns at much finer temporal scales. Populations were distinct on an individual mat basis at a given site, and on individual days within a single mat. Results of these studies indicate that Cladophora-borne E. coli populations consist of a mixture of stable, and possibly naturalized, strains that persist during the life of the mat, and more unique, transient strains that can change over rapid time scales. It is clear that further study of microbial processes at fine spatial and temporal scales is needed, and that caution must be taken when interpolating short term microbial dynamics from results obtained from weekly or monthly samples.

  15. Self-error-rejecting photonic qubit transmission in polarization-spatial modes with linear optical elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, YuXiao; Guo, PengLiang; Gao, ChengYan; Wang, HaiBo; Alzahrani, Faris; Hobiny, Aatef; Deng, FuGuo

    2017-12-01

    We present an original self-error-rejecting photonic qubit transmission scheme for both the polarization and spatial states of photon systems transmitted over collective noise channels. In our scheme, we use simple linear-optical elements, including half-wave plates, 50:50 beam splitters, and polarization beam splitters, to convert spatial-polarization modes into different time bins. By using postselection in different time bins, the success probability of obtaining the uncorrupted states approaches 1/4 for single-photon transmission, which is not influenced by the coefficients of noisy channels. Our self-error-rejecting transmission scheme can be generalized to hyperentangled n-photon systems and is useful in practical high-capacity quantum communications with photon systems in two degrees of freedom.

  16. Remote sensing and GIS integration: Towards intelligent imagery within a spatial data infrastructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdelrahim, Mohamed Mahmoud Hosny

    2001-11-01

    In this research, an "Intelligent Imagery System Prototype" (IISP) was developed. IISP is an integration tool that facilitates the environment for active, direct, and on-the-fly usage of high resolution imagery, internally linked to hidden GIS vector layers, to query the real world phenomena and, consequently, to perform exploratory types of spatial analysis based on a clear/undisturbed image scene. The IISP was designed and implemented using the software components approach to verify the hypothesis that a fully rectified, partially rectified, or even unrectified digital image can be internally linked to a variety of different hidden vector databases/layers covering the end user area of interest, and consequently may be reliably used directly as a base for "on-the-fly" querying of real-world phenomena and for performing exploratory types of spatial analysis. Within IISP, differentially rectified, partially rectified (namely, IKONOS GEOCARTERRA(TM)), and unrectified imagery (namely, scanned aerial photographs and captured video frames) were investigated. The system was designed to handle four types of spatial functions, namely, pointing query, polygon/line-based image query, database query, and buffering. The system was developed using ESRI MapObjects 2.0a as the core spatial component within Visual Basic 6.0. When used to perform the pre-defined spatial queries using different combinations of image and vector data, the IISP provided the same results as those obtained by querying pre-processed vector layers even when the image used was not orthorectified and the vector layers had different parameters. In addition, the real-time pixel location orthorectification technique developed and presented within the IKONOS GEOCARTERRA(TM) case provided a horizontal accuracy (RMSE) of +/- 2.75 metres. This accuracy is very close to the accuracy level obtained when purchasing the orthorectified IKONOS PRECISION products (RMSE of +/- 1.9 metre). The latter cost approximately four times as much as the IKONOS GEOCARTERRA(TM) products. The developed IISP is a step closer towards the direct and active involvement of high-resolution remote sensing imagery in querying the real world and performing exploratory types of spatial analysis. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

  17. Development of a spatio-temporal disaggregation method (DisNDVI) for generating a time series of fine resolution NDVI images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bindhu, V. M.; Narasimhan, B.

    2015-03-01

    Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a key parameter in understanding the vegetation dynamics, has high spatial and temporal variability. However, continuous monitoring of NDVI is not feasible at fine spatial resolution (<60 m) owing to the long revisit time needed by the satellites to acquire the fine spatial resolution data. Further, the study attains significance in the case of humid tropical regions of the earth, where the prevailing atmospheric conditions restrict availability of fine resolution cloud free images at a high temporal frequency. As an alternative to the lack of high resolution images, the current study demonstrates a novel disaggregation method (DisNDVI) which integrates the spatial information from a single fine resolution image and temporal information in terms of crop phenology from time series of coarse resolution images to generate estimates of NDVI at fine spatial and temporal resolution. The phenological variation of the pixels captured at the coarser scale provides the basis for relating the temporal variability of the pixel with the NDVI available at fine resolution. The proposed methodology was tested over a 30 km × 25 km spatially heterogeneous study area located in the south of Tamil Nadu, India. The robustness of the algorithm was assessed by an independent comparison of the disaggregated NDVI and observed NDVI obtained from concurrent Landsat ETM+ imagery. The results showed good spatial agreement across the study area dominated with agriculture and forest pixels, with a root mean square error of 0.05. The validation done at the coarser scale showed that disaggregated NDVI spatially averaged to 240 m compared well with concurrent MODIS NDVI at 240 m (R2 > 0.8). The validation results demonstrate the effectiveness of DisNDVI in improving the spatial and temporal resolution of NDVI images for utility in fine scale hydrological applications such as crop growth monitoring and estimation of evapotranspiration.

  18. Broad frequency band full field measurements for advanced applications: Point-wise comparisons between optical technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zanarini, Alessandro

    2018-01-01

    The progress of optical systems gives nowadays at disposal on lightweight structures complex dynamic measurements and modal tests, each with its own advantages, drawbacks and preferred usage domains. It is thus more easy than before to obtain highly spatially defined vibration patterns for many applications in vibration engineering, testing and general product development. The potential of three completely different technologies is here benchmarked on a common test rig and advanced applications. SLDV, dynamic ESPI and hi-speed DIC are here first deployed in a complex and unique test on the estimation of FRFs with high spatial accuracy from a thin vibrating plate. The latter exhibits a broad band dynamics and high modal density in the common frequency domain where the techniques can find an operative intersection. A peculiar point-wise comparison is here addressed by means of discrete geometry transforms to put all the three technologies on trial at each physical point of the surface. Full field measurement technologies cannot estimate only displacement fields on a refined grid, but can exploit the spatial consistency of the results through neighbouring locations by means of numerical differentiation operators in the spatial domain to obtain rotational degrees of freedom and superficial dynamic strain distributions, with enhanced quality, compared to other technologies in literature. Approaching the task with the aid of superior quality receptance maps from the three different full field gears, this work calculates and compares rotational and dynamic strain FRFs. Dynamic stress FRFs can be modelled directly from the latter, by means of a constitutive model, avoiding the costly and time-consuming steps of building and tuning a numerical dynamic model of a flexible component or a structure in real life conditions. Once dynamic stress FRFs are obtained, spectral fatigue approaches can try to predict the life of a component in many excitation conditions. Different spectral shaping of the excitation can easily be used to enhance the comparison in the framework of any of the spectral approaches for fatigue life calculations, highlighting benefits and drawbacks of a direct experimental approach to failure and risk assessment in structural dynamics when dealing with complex patterns in real-life testing. Are optical measurements and spatially dense datasets really effective in advanced model updating of lightweight structures with complex structural dynamics? The noise shown in the raw signal of some experiments may pose issues in proficiently exploiting the added data in a fruitful model updating procedure. Model updating results are here compared between scanning and native full field technologies, with comments and details on the test rig, on the advantages and drawbacks of the approaches. The identification of EMA models highlights the increasing quality of shapes that can be obtained from native full field high resolution gears, against that (some time unexpectedly poor) of SLDV tested.

  19. Spatially-controlled illumination with rescan confocal microscopy enhances image quality, resolution and reduces photodamage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krishnaswami, Venkataraman; De Luca, Giulia M. R.; Breedijk, Ronald M. P.; Van Noorden, Cornelis J. F.; Manders, Erik M. M.; Hoebe, Ron A.

    2017-02-01

    Fluorescence microscopy is an important tool in biomedical imaging. An inherent trade-off lies between image quality and photodamage. Recently, we have introduced rescan confocal microscopy (RCM) that improves the lateral resolution of a confocal microscope down to 170 nm. Previously, we have demonstrated that with controlled-light exposure microscopy, spatial control of illumination reduces photodamage without compromising image quality. Here, we show that the combination of these two techniques leads to high resolution imaging with reduced photodamage without compromising image quality. Implementation of spatially-controlled illumination was carried out in RCM using a line scanning-based approach. Illumination is spatially-controlled for every line during imaging with the help of a prediction algorithm that estimates the spatial profile of the fluorescent specimen. The estimation is based on the information available from previously acquired line images. As a proof-of-principle, we show images of N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells, obtained by this new setup with reduced illumination dose, improved resolution and without compromising image quality.

  20. Correction of mid-spatial-frequency errors by smoothing in spin motion for CCOS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yizhong; Wei, Chaoyang; Shao, Jianda; Xu, Xueke; Liu, Shijie; Hu, Chen; Zhang, Haichao; Gu, Haojin

    2015-08-01

    Smoothing is a convenient and efficient way to correct mid-spatial-frequency errors. Quantifying the smoothing effect allows improvements in efficiency for finishing precision optics. A series experiments in spin motion are performed to study the smoothing effects about correcting mid-spatial-frequency errors. Some of them use a same pitch tool at different spinning speed, and others at a same spinning speed with different tools. Introduced and improved Shu's model to describe and compare the smoothing efficiency with different spinning speed and different tools. From the experimental results, the mid-spatial-frequency errors on the initial surface were nearly smoothed out after the process in spin motion and the number of smoothing times can be estimated by the model before the process. Meanwhile this method was also applied to smooth the aspherical component, which has an obvious mid-spatial-frequency error after Magnetorheological Finishing processing. As a result, a high precision aspheric optical component was obtained with PV=0.1λ and RMS=0.01λ.

  1. a Robust Descriptor Based on Spatial and Frequency Structural Information for Visible and Thermal Infrared Image Matching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fu, Z.; Qin, Q.; Wu, C.; Chang, Y.; Luo, B.

    2017-09-01

    Due to the differences of imaging principles, image matching between visible and thermal infrared images still exist new challenges and difficulties. Inspired by the complementary spatial and frequency information of geometric structural features, a robust descriptor is proposed for visible and thermal infrared images matching. We first divide two different spatial regions to the region around point of interest, using the histogram of oriented magnitudes, which corresponds to the 2-D structural shape information to describe the larger region and the edge oriented histogram to describe the spatial distribution for the smaller region. Then the two vectors are normalized and combined to a higher feature vector. Finally, our proposed descriptor is obtained by applying principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimension of the combined high feature vector to make our descriptor more robust. Experimental results showed that our proposed method was provided with significant improvements in correct matching numbers and obvious advantages by complementing information within spatial and frequency structural information.

  2. Aerosol properties over the western Mediterranean basin: temporal and spatial variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lyamani, H.; Valenzuela, A.; Perez-Ramirez, D.; Toledano, C.; Granados-Muñoz, M. J.; Olmo, F. J.; Alados-Arboledas, L.

    2015-03-01

    This study focuses on the analysis of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) aerosol data obtained over Alborán Island (35.90° N, 3.03° W, 15 m a.s.l.) in the western Mediterranean from July 2011 to January 2012. Additional aerosol data from the three nearest AERONET stations (Málaga, Oujda and Palma de Mallorca) and the Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) were also analyzed in order to investigate the temporal and spatial variations of aerosol over this scarcely explored region. High aerosol loads over Alborán were mainly associated with desert dust transport from North Africa and occasional advection of anthropogenic fine particles from central European urban-industrial areas. The fine particle load observed over Alborán was surprisingly similar to that obtained over the other three nearest AERONET stations, suggesting homogeneous spatial distribution of fine particle loads over the four studied sites in spite of the large differences in local sources. The results from MAN acquired over the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Atlantic Ocean from July to November 2011 revealed a pronounced predominance of fine particles during the cruise period.

  3. Design Parameters and Objectives of a High-­Resolution X-­ray Imaging Crystal Spectrometer for the Large Helical Device (LHD)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bitter, M; Gates, D; Neilson, H

    A high-resolution X-ray imaging crystal spectrometer, whose instrumental concept was thoroughly tested on NSTX and Alcator C-Mod, is presently being designed for LHD. The instrument will record spatially resolved spectra of helium-like Ar16+ and provide ion temperature profiles with spatial and temporal resolutions of 1 cm and > 10 ms which are obtained by a tomographic inversion of the spectral data, using the stellarator equilibrium reconstruction codes, STELLOPT and PIES. Since the spectrometer will be equipped with radiation hardened, high count rate, PILATUS detectors,, it is expected to be operational for all experimental conditions on LHD, which include plasmas ofmore » high density and plasmas with auxiliary RF and neutral beam heating. The special design features required by the magnetic field structure at LHD will be described.« less

  4. High-energy X-ray applications: current status and new opportunities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Šišak Jung, Dubravka; Donath, Tilman; Magdysyuk, Oxana

    Characterization of semi and noncrystalline materials, monitoring structural phase transitionsin situ, and obtaining structural information together with spatial distribution of the investigated material are only a few applications that hugely benefitted from the combination of high-energy X-rays and modern algorithms for data processing. This work examines the possibility of advancing these applications by shortening the data acquisition and improving the data quality by using the new high-energy PILATUS3 CdTe detector.

  5. Experimental observation of spatial quantum noise reduction below the standard quantum limit with bright twin beams of light

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Ashok; Nunley, Hayden; Marino, Alberto

    2016-05-01

    Quantum noise reduction (QNR) below the standard quantum limit (SQL) has been a subject of interest for the past two to three decades due to its wide range of applications in quantum metrology and quantum information processing. To date, most of the attention has focused on the study of QNR in the temporal domain. However, many areas in quantum optics, specifically in quantum imaging, could benefit from QNR not only in the temporal domain but also in the spatial domain. With the use of a high quantum efficiency electron multiplier charge coupled device (EMCCD) camera, we have observed spatial QNR below the SQL in bright narrowband twin light beams generated through a four-wave mixing (FWM) process in hot rubidium atoms. Owing to momentum conservation in this process, the twin beams are momentum correlated. This leads to spatial quantum correlations and spatial QNR. Our preliminary results show a spatial QNR of over 2 dB with respect to the SQL. Unlike previous results on spatial QNR with faint and broadband photon pairs from parametric down conversion (PDC), we demonstrate spatial QNR with spectrally and spatially narrowband bright light beams. The results obtained will be useful for atom light interaction based quantum protocols and quantum imaging. Work supported by the W.M. Keck Foundation.

  6. Dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI at 7 Tesla utilizing a single-loop coil: a feasibility trial.

    PubMed

    Umutlu, Lale; Maderwald, Stefan; Kraff, Oliver; Theysohn, Jens M; Kuemmel, Sherko; Hauth, Elke A; Forsting, Michael; Antoch, Gerald; Ladd, Mark E; Quick, Harald H; Lauenstein, Thomas C

    2010-08-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultra-high-field breast imaging at 7 Tesla. A total of 15 subjects, including 5 patients with histologically proven breast cancer, were examined on a 7 Tesla whole-body magnetic resonance imaging system using a unilateral linearly polarized single-loop coil. Subjects were placed in prone position on a biopsy support system, with the coil placed directly below the region of interest. The examination protocol included the following sequences: 1) T2-weighted turbo spin echo sequence; 2) six dynamic T1-weighted spoiled gradient-echo sequences; and 3) subtraction imaging. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging at 7 Tesla could be obtained at high spatial resolution with short acquisition times, providing good image accuracy and a conclusively good delineation of small anatomical and pathological structures. T2-weighted imaging could be obtained with high spatial resolution at adequate acquisition times. Because of coil limitations, four high-field magnetic resonance examinations showed decreased diagnostic value. This first scientific approach of dynamic contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging at 7 Tesla demonstrates the complexity of ultra-high-field breast magnetic resonance imaging and countenances the implementation of further advanced bilateral coil concepts to circumvent current limitations from the coil and ultra-high-field magnetic strength. 2010 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Design and performance of a high spatial resolution, time-of-flight PET detector

    PubMed Central

    Krishnamoorthy, Srilalan; LeGeyt, Benjamin; Werner, Matthew E.; Kaul, Madhuri; Newcomer, F. M.; Karp, Joel S.; Surti, Suleman

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the design and performance of a high spatial resolution PET detector with time-of-flight capabilities. With an emphasis on high spatial resolution and sensitivity, we initially evaluated the performance of several 1.5 × 1.5 and 2.0 × 2.0 mm2 and 12–15 mm long LYSO crystals read out by several appropriately sized PMTs. Experiments to evaluate the impact of reflector on detector performance were performed and the final detector consisted of a 32 × 32 array of 1.5 × 1.5 × 15 mm3 LYSO crystals packed with a diffuse reflector and read out by a single Hamamatsu 64 channel multi-anode PMT. Such a design made it compact, modular and offered a cost-effective solution to obtaining excellent energy and timing resolution. To minimize the number of readout signals, a compact front-end readout electronics that summed anode signals along each of the orthogonal directions was also developed. Experimental evaluation of detector performance demonstrates clear discrimination of the crystals within the detector. An average energy resolution (FWHM) of 12.7 ± 2.6% and average coincidence timing resolution (FWHM) of 348 ps was measured, demonstrating suitability for use in the development of a high spatial resolution time-of-flight scanner for dedicated breast PET imaging. PMID:25246711

  8. Phase-and-amplitude recovery from a single phase-contrast image using partially spatially coherent x-ray radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beltran, Mario A.; Paganin, David M.; Pelliccia, Daniele

    2018-05-01

    A simple method of phase-and-amplitude extraction is derived that corrects for image blurring induced by partially spatially coherent incident illumination using only a single intensity image as input. The method is based on Fresnel diffraction theory for the case of high Fresnel number, merged with the space-frequency description formalism used to quantify partially coherent fields and assumes the object under study is composed of a single-material. A priori knowledge of the object’s complex refractive index and information obtained by characterizing the spatial coherence of the source is required. The algorithm was applied to propagation-based phase-contrast data measured with a laboratory-based micro-focus x-ray source. The blurring due to the finite spatial extent of the source is embedded within the algorithm as a simple correction term to the so-called Paganin algorithm and is also numerically stable in the presence of noise.

  9. Quasi-CW diode-pumped self-starting adaptive laser with self-Q-switched output.

    PubMed

    Smith, G; Damzen, M J

    2007-05-14

    An investigation is made into a quasi-CW (QCW) diode-pumped holographic adaptive laser utilising an ultra high gain (approximately 10(4)) Nd:YVO(4) bounce amplifier. The laser produces pulses at 1064 nm with energy approximately 0.6 mJ, duration <3 ns and peak power approximately 200 kW, with high stability, via self-Q-switching effects due to the transient dynamics of the writing and replay of the gain hologram for each pump pulse. The system produces a near-diffraction-limited output with M(2)<1.3 and operates with a single longitudinal mode. In a further adaptive laser configuration, the output was amplified to obtain pulses of approximately 5.6 mJ energy, approximately 7 ns duration and approximately 1 MW peak power. The output spatial quality is also M(2)<1.3 with SLM operation. Up to 2.9 mJ pulse energy of frequency doubled green (532 nm) radiation is obtained, using an LBO crystal, representing approximately 61% conversion efficiency. This work shows that QCW diode-pumped self-adaptive holographic lasers can provide a useful source of high peak power, short duration pulses with excellent spatial quality and narrow linewidth spectrum.

  10. Microscopy illumination engineering using a low-cost liquid crystal display.

    PubMed

    Guo, Kaikai; Bian, Zichao; Dong, Siyuan; Nanda, Pariksheet; Wang, Ying Min; Zheng, Guoan

    2015-02-01

    Illumination engineering is critical for obtaining high-resolution, high-quality images in microscope settings. In a typical microscope, the condenser lens provides sample illumination that is uniform and free from glare. The associated condenser diaphragm can be manually adjusted to obtain the optimal illumination numerical aperture. In this paper, we report a programmable condenser lens for active illumination control. In our prototype setup, we used a $15 liquid crystal display as a transparent spatial light modulator and placed it at the back focal plane of the condenser lens. By setting different binary patterns on the display, we can actively control the illumination and the spatial coherence of the microscope platform. We demonstrated the use of such a simple scheme for multimodal imaging, including bright-field microscopy, darkfield microscopy, phase-contrast microscopy, polarization microscopy, 3D tomographic imaging, and super-resolution Fourier ptychographic imaging. The reported illumination engineering scheme is cost-effective and compatible with most existing platforms. It enables a turnkey solution with high flexibility for researchers in various communities. From the engineering point-of-view, the reported illumination scheme may also provide new insights for the development of multimodal microscopy and Fourier ptychographic imaging.

  11. Dynamic spatial filtering using a digital micromirror device for high-speed optical diffraction tomography.

    PubMed

    Jin, Di; Zhou, Renjie; Yaqoob, Zahid; So, Peter T C

    2018-01-08

    Optical diffraction tomography (ODT) is an emerging microscopy technique for three-dimensional (3D) refractive index (RI) mapping of transparent specimens. Recently, the digital micromirror device (DMD) based scheme for angle-controlled plane wave illumination has been proposed to improve the imaging speed and stability of ODT. However, undesired diffraction noise always exists in the reported DMD-based illumination scheme, which leads to a limited contrast ratio of the measurement fringe and hence inaccurate RI mapping. Here we present a novel spatial filtering method, based on a second DMD, to dynamically remove the diffraction noise. The reported results illustrate significantly enhanced image quality of the obtained interferograms and the subsequently derived phase maps. And moreover, with this method, we demonstrate mapping of 3D RI distribution of polystyrene beads as well as biological cells with high accuracy. Importantly, with the proper hardware configuration, our method does not compromise the 3D imaging speed advantage promised by the DMD-based illumination scheme. Specifically, we have been able to successfully obtain interferograms at over 1 kHz speed, which is critical for potential high-throughput label-free 3D image cytometry applications.

  12. Sustained attention is favored by progesterone during early luteal phase and visuo-spatial memory by estrogens during ovulatory phase in young women.

    PubMed

    Solís-Ortiz, S; Corsi-Cabrera, M

    2008-08-01

    Studies examining the influence of the menstrual cycle on cognitive function have been highly contradictory. The maintenance of attention is key to successful information processing, however how it co-vary with other cognitive functions and mood in function of phases of the menstrual cycle is not well know. Therefore, neuropsychological performance of nine healthy women with regular menstrual cycles was assessed during ovulation (OVU), early luteal (EL), late luteal (LL) and menstrual (MEN) phases. Neuropsychological test scores of sustained attention, executive functions, manual coordination, visuo-spatial memory, verbal fluency, spatial ability, anxiety and depression were obtained and submitted to a principal components analysis (PCA). Five eigenvectors that accounted the 68.31% of the total variance were identified. Performance of the sustained attention was grouped in an independent eigenvector (component 1), and the scores on verbal fluency and visuo-spatial memory were grouped together in an eigenvector (component 5), which explained 17.69% and 12.03% of the total variance, respectively. The component 1 (p<0.034) and the component 5 (p<0.003) showed significant variations during the menstrual cycle. Sustained attention showed an increase in the EL phase, when the progesterone is high. Visuo-spatial memory was increased, while that verbal fluency was decreased during the OVU phase, when the estrogens levels are high. These results indicate that sustained attention is favored by early luteal phase progesterone and do not covaried with any other neuropsychological variables studied. The influence of the estrogens on visuo-spatial memory was corroborated, and covaried inversely with verbal fluency.

  13. Dynamic strain and rotation ground motions of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake from dense high-rate GPS observations in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, B. S.; Rau, R. J.; Lin, C. J.; Kuo, L. C.

    2017-12-01

    Seismic waves generated by the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku, Japan earthquake were well recorded by continuous GPS in Taiwan. Those GPS were operated in one hertz sampling rate and densely distributed in Taiwan Island. Those continuous GPS observations and the precise point positioning technique provide an opportunity to estimate spatial derivatives from absolute ground motions of this giant teleseismic event. In this study, we process and investigate more than one and half hundred high-rate GPS displacements and its spatial derivatives, thus strain and rotations, to compare to broadband seismic and rotational sensor observations. It is shown that continuous GPS observations are highly consistent with broadband seismic observations during its surface waves across Taiwan Island. Several standard Geodesy and seismic array analysis techniques for spatial gradients have been applied to those continuous GPS time series to determine its dynamic strain and rotation time histories. Results show that those derivate GPS vertical axis ground rotations are consistent to seismic array determined rotations. However, vertical rotation-rate observations from the R1 rotational sensors have low resolutions and could not compared with GPS observations for this special event. For its dese spatial distribution of GPS stations in Taiwan Island, not only wavefield gradient time histories at individual site was obtained but also 2-D spatial ground motion fields were determined in this study also. In this study, we will report the analyzed results of those spatial gradient wavefields of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake across Taiwan Island and discuss its geological implications.

  14. Manufacture of electrical and magnetic graded and anisotropic materials for novel manipulations of microwaves.

    PubMed

    Grant, P S; Castles, F; Lei, Q; Wang, Y; Janurudin, J M; Isakov, D; Speller, S; Dancer, C; Grovenor, C R M

    2015-08-28

    Spatial transformations (ST) provide a design framework to generate a required spatial distribution of electrical and magnetic properties of materials to effect manipulations of electromagnetic waves. To obtain the electromagnetic properties required by these designs, the most common materials approach has involved periodic arrays of metal-containing subwavelength elements. While aspects of ST theory have been confirmed using these structures, they are often disadvantaged by narrowband operation, high losses and difficulties in implementation. An all-dielectric approach involves weaker interactions with applied fields, but may offer more flexibility for practical implementation. This paper investigates manufacturing approaches to produce composite materials that may be conveniently arranged spatially, according to ST-based designs. A key aim is to highlight the limitations and possibilities of various manufacturing approaches, to constrain designs to those that may be achievable. The article focuses on polymer-based nano- and microcomposites in which interactions with microwaves are achieved by loading the polymers with high-permittivity and high-permeability particles, and manufacturing approaches based on spray deposition, extrusion, casting and additive manufacture.

  15. Manufacture of electrical and magnetic graded and anisotropic materials for novel manipulations of microwaves

    PubMed Central

    Grant, P. S.; Castles, F.; Lei, Q.; Wang, Y.; Janurudin, J. M.; Isakov, D.; Speller, S.; Dancer, C.; Grovenor, C. R. M.

    2015-01-01

    Spatial transformations (ST) provide a design framework to generate a required spatial distribution of electrical and magnetic properties of materials to effect manipulations of electromagnetic waves. To obtain the electromagnetic properties required by these designs, the most common materials approach has involved periodic arrays of metal-containing subwavelength elements. While aspects of ST theory have been confirmed using these structures, they are often disadvantaged by narrowband operation, high losses and difficulties in implementation. An all-dielectric approach involves weaker interactions with applied fields, but may offer more flexibility for practical implementation. This paper investigates manufacturing approaches to produce composite materials that may be conveniently arranged spatially, according to ST-based designs. A key aim is to highlight the limitations and possibilities of various manufacturing approaches, to constrain designs to those that may be achievable. The article focuses on polymer-based nano- and microcomposites in which interactions with microwaves are achieved by loading the polymers with high-permittivity and high-permeability particles, and manufacturing approaches based on spray deposition, extrusion, casting and additive manufacture. PMID:26217051

  16. Scanning photoelectron microscope for nanoscale three-dimensional spatial-resolved electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis.

    PubMed

    Horiba, K; Nakamura, Y; Nagamura, N; Toyoda, S; Kumigashira, H; Oshima, M; Amemiya, K; Senba, Y; Ohashi, H

    2011-11-01

    In order to achieve nondestructive observation of the three-dimensional spatially resolved electronic structure of solids, we have developed a scanning photoelectron microscope system with the capability of depth profiling in electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). We call this system 3D nano-ESCA. For focusing the x-ray, a Fresnel zone plate with a diameter of 200 μm and an outermost zone width of 35 nm is used. In order to obtain the angular dependence of the photoelectron spectra for the depth-profile analysis without rotating the sample, we adopted a modified VG Scienta R3000 analyzer with an acceptance angle of 60° as a high-resolution angle-resolved electron spectrometer. The system has been installed at the University-of-Tokyo Materials Science Outstation beamline, BL07LSU, at SPring-8. From the results of the line-scan profiles of the poly-Si/high-k gate patterns, we achieved a total spatial resolution better than 70 nm. The capability of our system for pinpoint depth-profile analysis and high-resolution chemical state analysis is demonstrated. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  17. The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Silverburg, Robert

    2009-01-01

    Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding of the universe, and observations with Spitzer, the upcoming Herschel mission, and SOFIA will continue to provide exciting new discoveries. The comparatively low spatial resolution of these missions, however, is insufficient to resolve the physical scales on which mid- to far-infrared emission arises, resulting in source and structure ambiguities that limit our ability to answer key science questions. Interferometry enables high angular resolution at these wavelengths. We have proposed a new high altitude balloon experiment, the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII). High altitude operation makes far-infrared (30- 300micron) observations possible, and BETTII's 8-meter baseline provides unprecedented angular resolution (approx. 0.5 arcsec) in this band. BETTII will use a double-Fourier instrument to simultaneously obtain both spatial and spectral information. The spatially resolved spectroscopy provided by BETTII will address key questions about the nature of disks in young cluster stars and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the groundwork for future space interferometers.

  18. Memory-based snowdrift game on a square lattice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shu, Feng; Liu, Xingwen; Fang, Kai; Chen, Hao

    2018-04-01

    Spatial reciprocity is an effective way widely accepted to facilitate cooperation. In the case of snowdrift game, some researches showed that spatial reciprocity inhibits cooperation for a very wide range of cost-to-benefit ratio r. However, some other researches found that based on the spatial reciprocity, a wider range of r is helpful to achieve a high cooperation level. Thus, how to enlarge the range of r for the purpose of promoting cooperation becomes a hot topic recently. This paper proposes a new memory-based method, in which each individual compares with its own previous payoffs to find out the maximal one as virtual payoff and then randomly compares with one of its neighbours to obtain the optimal strategy according to the given updating rules. It shows the positive effect of spatial reciprocity in the context of memory. Specifically, in this situation, not only the lower ratio can appear a high cooperation level, but also the larger ratio r can emerge a high cooperation level. That is, an expected cooperation level can be achieved simultaneously for small and large r. Furthermore, the scenarios of both constant-size memory and size-varying memory are investigated. An interesting phenomenon is discovered that the cooperation level drops down gradually as the memory size increases.

  19. An advanced stochastic weather generator for simulating 2-D high-resolution climate variables

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peleg, Nadav; Fatichi, Simone; Paschalis, Athanasios; Molnar, Peter; Burlando, Paolo

    2017-07-01

    A new stochastic weather generator, Advanced WEather GENerator for a two-dimensional grid (AWE-GEN-2d) is presented. The model combines physical and stochastic approaches to simulate key meteorological variables at high spatial and temporal resolution: 2 km × 2 km and 5 min for precipitation and cloud cover and 100 m × 100 m and 1 h for near-surface air temperature, solar radiation, vapor pressure, atmospheric pressure, and near-surface wind. The model requires spatially distributed data for the calibration process, which can nowadays be obtained by remote sensing devices (weather radar and satellites), reanalysis data sets and ground stations. AWE-GEN-2d is parsimonious in terms of computational demand and therefore is particularly suitable for studies where exploring internal climatic variability at multiple spatial and temporal scales is fundamental. Applications of the model include models of environmental systems, such as hydrological and geomorphological models, where high-resolution spatial and temporal meteorological forcing is crucial. The weather generator was calibrated and validated for the Engelberg region, an area with complex topography in the Swiss Alps. Model test shows that the climate variables are generated by AWE-GEN-2d with a level of accuracy that is sufficient for many practical applications.

  20. Pseudo color ghost coding imaging with pseudo thermal light

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duan, De-yang; Xia, Yun-jie

    2018-04-01

    We present a new pseudo color imaging scheme named pseudo color ghost coding imaging based on ghost imaging but with multiwavelength source modulated by a spatial light modulator. Compared with conventional pseudo color imaging where there is no nondegenerate wavelength spatial correlations resulting in extra monochromatic images, the degenerate wavelength and nondegenerate wavelength spatial correlations between the idle beam and signal beam can be obtained simultaneously. This scheme can obtain more colorful image with higher quality than that in conventional pseudo color coding techniques. More importantly, a significant advantage of the scheme compared to the conventional pseudo color coding imaging techniques is the image with different colors can be obtained without changing the light source and spatial filter.

  1. Study on analysis from sources of error for Airborne LIDAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, H. C.; Yan, Q.; Liu, Z. J.; Zuo, Z. Q.; Xu, Q. Q.; Li, F. F.; Song, C.

    2016-11-01

    With the advancement of Aerial Photogrammetry, it appears that to obtain geo-spatial information of high spatial and temporal resolution provides a new technical means for Airborne LIDAR measurement techniques, with unique advantages and broad application prospects. Airborne LIDAR is increasingly becoming a new kind of space for earth observation technology, which is mounted by launching platform for aviation, accepting laser pulses to get high-precision, high-density three-dimensional coordinate point cloud data and intensity information. In this paper, we briefly demonstrates Airborne laser radar systems, and that some errors about Airborne LIDAR data sources are analyzed in detail, so the corresponding methods is put forwarded to avoid or eliminate it. Taking into account the practical application of engineering, some recommendations were developed for these designs, which has crucial theoretical and practical significance in Airborne LIDAR data processing fields.

  2. Optimization of air gap for two-dimensional imaging system using synchrotron radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeniya, Tsutomu; Takeda, Tohoru; Yu, Quanwen; Hyodo, Kazuyuki; Yuasa, Tetsuya; Aiyoshi, Yuji; Hiranaka, Yukio; Itai, Yuji; Akatsuka, Takao

    2000-11-01

    Since synchrotron radiation (SR) has several excellent properties such as high brilliance, broad continuous energy spectrum and small divergence, we can obtain x-ray images with high contrast and high spatial resolution by using of SR. In 2D imaging using SR, air gap method is very effective to reduce the scatter contamination. However, to use air gap method, the geometrical effect of finite source size of SR must be considered because spatial resolution of image is degraded by air gap. For 2D x-ray imaging with SR, x-ray mammography was chosen to examine the effect of air gap method. We theoretically discussed the optimization of air gap distance suing effective scatter point source model proposed by Muntz, and executed experiment with a newly manufactured monochromator with asymmetrical reflection and an imaging plate.

  3. Mapping Spatial Variability in Health and Wealth Indicators in Accra, Ghana Using High Spatial Resolution Imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Engstrom, R.; Ashcroft, E.

    2014-12-01

    There has been a tremendous amount of research conducted that examines disparities in health and wealth of persons between urban and rural areas however, relatively little research has been undertaken to examine variations within urban areas. A major limitation to elucidating differences with urban areas is the lack of social and demographic data at a sufficiently high spatial resolution to determine these differences. Generally the only available data that contain this information are census data which are collected at most every ten years and are often difficult to obtain at a high enough spatial resolution to allow for examining in depth variability in health and wealth indicators at high spatial resolutions, especially in developing countries. High spatial resolution satellite imagery may be able to provide timely and synoptic information that is related to health and wealth variability within a city. In this study we use two dates of Quickbird imagery (2003 and 2010) classified into the vegetation-impervious surface-soil (VIS) model introduced by Ridd (1995). For 2003 we only have partial coverage of the city, while for 2010 we have a mosaic, which covers the entire city of Accra, Ghana. Variations in the VIS values represent the physical variations within the city and these are compared to variations in economic, and/or sociodemographic data derived from the 2000 Ghanaian census at two spatial resolutions, the enumeration area (approximately US Census Tract) and the neighborhood for the city. Results indicate a significant correlation between both vegetation and impervious surface to type of cooking fuel used in the household, population density, housing density, availability of sewers, cooking space usage, and other variables. The correlations are generally stronger at the neighborhood level and the relationships are stable through time and space. Overall, the results indicate that information derived from high resolution satellite data is related to indicators of health and wealth within a developing world city and that the even if the imagery is collected 10 years after the census information, the relationships are still significant.

  4. Spatial variation of air quality index and urban driving factors linkages: evidence from Chinese cities.

    PubMed

    Pu, Haixia; Luo, Kunli; Wang, Pin; Wang, Shaobin; Kang, Shun

    2017-02-01

    Daily air quality index (AQI) of 161 Chinese cities obtained from the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China in 2015 is conducted. In this study, to better explore spatial distribution and regional characteristic of AQI, global and local spatial autocorrelation is utilized. Pearson's correlation is introduced to determine the influence of single urban indicator on AQI value. Meanwhile, multiple linear stepwise regression is chosen to estimate quantitatively the most influential urban indicators on AQI. The spatial autocorrelation analysis indicates that the AQI value of Chinese 161 cities shows a spatial dependency. Higher AQI is mainly located in north and northwest regions, whereas low AQI is concentrated in the south and the Qinghai-Tibet regions. The low AQI and high AQI values in China both exhibit relative immobility through seasonal variation. The influence degree of three adverse urban driving factors on AQI value is ranked from high to low: coal consumption of manufacturing > building area > coal consumption of the power industry. It is worth noting that the risk of exposed population to poor quality is greater in the northern region than in other regions. The results of the study provide a reference for the formulation of urban policy and improvement of air quality in China.

  5. A new approach to large area microchannel plate manufacture

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1986-01-01

    Methods of manufacture of twisted single elements as the base for producing microchannel plates (MCP) are discussed. Initial evaluations validated the off-axis channel concept and no technological roadblocks were identified which would prevent fabrication of high gain, high spatial resolution, large format MCP's using this technique. The first MP's have operated at stable gains of 3 million with pulse height resolution superior to results obtained by standard chevron MCP's.

  6. Structured illumination 3D microscopy using adaptive lenses and multimode fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Czarske, Jürgen; Philipp, Katrin; Koukourakis, Nektarios

    2017-06-01

    Microscopic techniques with high spatial and temporal resolution are required for in vivo studying biological cells and tissues. Adaptive lenses exhibit strong potential for fast motion-free axial scanning. However, they also lead to a degradation of the achievable resolution because of aberrations. This hurdle can be overcome by digital optical technologies. We present a novel High-and-Low-frequency (HiLo) 3D-microscope using structured illumination and an adaptive lens. Uniform illumination is used to obtain optical sectioning for the high-frequency (Hi) components of the image, and nonuniform illumination is needed to obtain optical sectioning for the low-frequency (Lo) components of the image. Nonuniform illumination is provided by a multimode fiber. It ensures robustness against optical aberrations of the adaptive lens. The depth-of-field of our microscope can be adjusted a-posteriori by computational optics. It enables to create flexible scans, which compensate for irregular axial measurement positions. The adaptive HiLo 3D-microscope provides an axial scanning range of 1 mm with an axial resolution of about 4 microns and sub-micron lateral resolution over the full scanning range. In result, volumetric measurements with high temporal and spatial resolution are provided. Demonstration measurements of zebrafish embryos with reporter gene-driven fluorescence in the thyroid gland are presented.

  7. Spatial Differentiation of Landscape Values in the Murray River Region of Victoria, Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Xuan; Pfueller, Sharron; Whitelaw, Paul; Winter, Caroline

    2010-05-01

    This research advances the understanding of the location of perceived landscape values through a statistically based approach to spatial analysis of value densities. Survey data were obtained from a sample of people living in and using the Murray River region, Australia, where declining environmental quality prompted a reevaluation of its conservation status. When densities of 12 perceived landscape values were mapped using geographic information systems (GIS), valued places clustered along the entire river bank and in associated National/State Parks and reserves. While simple density mapping revealed high value densities in various locations, it did not indicate what density of a landscape value could be regarded as a statistically significant hotspot or distinguish whether overlapping areas of high density for different values indicate identical or adjacent locations. A spatial statistic Getis-Ord Gi* was used to indicate statistically significant spatial clusters of high value densities or “hotspots”. Of 251 hotspots, 40% were for single non-use values, primarily spiritual, therapeutic or intrinsic. Four hotspots had 11 landscape values. Two, lacking economic value, were located in ecologically important river red gum forests and two, lacking wilderness value, were near the major towns of Echuca-Moama and Albury-Wodonga. Hotspots for eight values showed statistically significant associations with another value. There were high associations between learning and heritage values while economic and biological diversity values showed moderate associations with several other direct and indirect use values. This approach may improve confidence in the interpretation of spatial analysis of landscape values by enhancing understanding of value relationships.

  8. Nonuniform grid implicit spatial finite difference method for acoustic wave modeling in tilted transversely isotropic media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Chunlei; Stoffa, Paul L.

    2012-01-01

    Discrete earth models are commonly represented by uniform structured grids. In order to ensure accurate numerical description of all wave components propagating through these uniform grids, the grid size must be determined by the slowest velocity of the entire model. Consequently, high velocity areas are always oversampled, which inevitably increases the computational cost. A practical solution to this problem is to use nonuniform grids. We propose a nonuniform grid implicit spatial finite difference method which utilizes nonuniform grids to obtain high efficiency and relies on implicit operators to achieve high accuracy. We present a simple way of deriving implicit finite difference operators of arbitrary stencil widths on general nonuniform grids for the first and second derivatives and, as a demonstration example, apply these operators to the pseudo-acoustic wave equation in tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) media. We propose an efficient gridding algorithm that can be used to convert uniformly sampled models onto vertically nonuniform grids. We use a 2D TTI salt model to demonstrate its effectiveness and show that the nonuniform grid implicit spatial finite difference method can produce highly accurate seismic modeling results with enhanced efficiency, compared to uniform grid explicit finite difference implementations.

  9. Estimation of the high-spatial-resolution variability in extreme wind speeds for forestry applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venäläinen, Ari; Laapas, Mikko; Pirinen, Pentti; Horttanainen, Matti; Hyvönen, Reijo; Lehtonen, Ilari; Junila, Päivi; Hou, Meiting; Peltola, Heli M.

    2017-07-01

    The bioeconomy has an increasing role to play in climate change mitigation and the sustainable development of national economies. In Finland, a forested country, over 50 % of the current bioeconomy relies on the sustainable management and utilization of forest resources. Wind storms are a major risk that forests are exposed to and high-spatial-resolution analysis of the most vulnerable locations can produce risk assessment of forest management planning. In this paper, we examine the feasibility of the wind multiplier approach for downscaling of maximum wind speed, using 20 m spatial resolution CORINE land-use dataset and high-resolution digital elevation data. A coarse spatial resolution estimate of the 10-year return level of maximum wind speed was obtained from the ERA-Interim reanalyzed data. Using a geospatial re-mapping technique the data were downscaled to 26 meteorological station locations to represent very diverse environments. Applying a comparison, we find that the downscaled 10-year return levels represent 66 % of the observed variation among the stations examined. In addition, the spatial variation in wind-multiplier-downscaled 10-year return level wind was compared with the WAsP model-simulated wind. The heterogeneous test area was situated in northern Finland, and it was found that the major features of the spatial variation were similar, but in some locations, there were relatively large differences. The results indicate that the wind multiplier method offers a pragmatic and computationally feasible tool for identifying at a high spatial resolution those locations with the highest forest wind damage risks. It can also be used to provide the necessary wind climate information for wind damage risk model calculations, thus making it possible to estimate the probability of predicted threshold wind speeds for wind damage and consequently the probability (and amount) of wind damage for certain forest stand configurations.

  10. The robustness of T2 value as a trabecular structural index at multiple spatial resolutions of 7 Tesla MRI.

    PubMed

    Lee, D K; Song, Y K; Park, B W; Cho, H P; Yeom, J S; Cho, G; Cho, H

    2018-04-15

    To evaluate the robustness of MR transverse relaxation times of trabecular bone from spin-echo and gradient-echo acquisitions at multiple spatial resolutions of 7 T. The effects of MRI resolutions to T 2 and T2* of trabecular bone were numerically evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations. T 2 , T2*, and trabecular structural indices from multislice multi-echo and UTE acquisitions were measured in defatted human distal femoral condyles on a 7 T scanner. Reference structural indices were extracted from high-resolution microcomputed tomography images. For bovine knee trabecular samples with intact bone marrow, T 2 and T2* were measured by degrading spatial resolutions on a 7 T system. In the defatted trabecular experiment, both T 2 and T2* values showed strong ( |r| > 0.80) correlations with trabecular spacing and number, at a high spatial resolution of 125 µm 3 . The correlations for MR image-segmentation-derived structural indices were significantly degraded ( |r| < 0.50) at spatial resolutions of 250 and 500 µm 3 . The correlations for T2* rapidly dropped ( |r| < 0.50) at a spatial resolution of 500 µm 3 , whereas those for T 2 remained consistently high ( |r| > 0.85). In the bovine trabecular experiments with intact marrow, low-resolution (approximately 1 mm 3 , 2 minutes) T 2 values did not shorten ( |r| > 0.95 with respect to approximately 0.4 mm 3 , 11 minutes) and maintained consistent correlations ( |r| > 0.70) with respect to trabecular spacing (turbo spin echo, 22.5 minutes). T 2 measurements of trabeculae at 7 T are robust with degrading spatial resolution and may be preferable in assessing trabecular spacing index with reduced scan time, when high-resolution 3D micro-MRI is difficult to obtain. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  11. Estimating Soil Moisture at High Spatial Resolution with Three Radiometric Satellite Products: A Study from a South-Eastern Australian Catchment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senanayake, I. P.; Yeo, I. Y.; Tangdamrongsub, N.; Willgoose, G. R.; Hancock, G. R.; Wells, T.; Fang, B.; Lakshmi, V.

    2017-12-01

    Long-term soil moisture datasets at high spatial resolution are important in agricultural, hydrological, and climatic applications. The soil moisture estimates can be achieved using satellite remote sensing observations. However, the satellite soil moisture data are typically available at coarse spatial resolutions ( several tens of km), therefore require further downscaling. Different satellite soil moisture products have to be conjointly employed in developing a consistent time-series of high resolution soil moisture, while the discrepancies amongst different satellite retrievals need to be resolved. This study aims to downscale three different satellite soil moisture products, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS, 25 km), the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP, 36 km) and the SMAP-Enhanced (9 km), and to conduct an inter-comparison of the downscaled results. The downscaling approach is developed based on the relationship between the diurnal temperature difference and the daily mean soil moisture content. The approach is applied to two sub-catchments (Krui and Merriwa River) of the Goulburn River catchment in the Upper Hunter region (NSW, Australia) to estimate soil moisture at 1 km resolution for 2015. The three coarse spatial resolution soil moisture products and their downscaled results will be validated with the in-situ observations obtained from the Scaling and Assimilation of Soil Moisture and Streamflow (SASMAS) network. The spatial and temporal patterns of the downscaled results will also be analysed. This study will provide the necessary insights for data selection and bias corrections to maintain the consistency of a long-term high resolution soil moisture dataset. The results will assist in developing a time-series of high resolution soil moisture data over the south-eastern Australia.

  12. Time-resolved quantitative-phase microscopy of laser-material interactions using a wavefront sensor.

    PubMed

    Gallais, Laurent; Monneret, Serge

    2016-07-15

    We report on a simple and efficient technique based on a wavefront sensor to obtain time-resolved amplitude and phase images of laser-material interactions. The main interest of the technique is to obtain quantitative self-calibrated phase measurements in one shot at the femtosecond time-scale, with high spatial resolution. The technique is used for direct observation and quantitative measurement of the Kerr effect in a fused silica substrate and free electron generation by photo-ionization processes in an optical coating.

  13. Terraced-heterostructure large-optical-cavity AlGaAs diode laser - A new type of high-power CW single-mode device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Botez, D.; Connolly, J. C.

    1982-01-01

    A new terraced lateral wave confining structure is obtained by liquid phase epitaxy over channeled substrates misoriented perpendicular to the channels' direction. Single spatial and longitudinal mode CW operation is achieved to 50 mW from one facet, in large spot sizes (2 x 7.5 micron, 1/e squared points in intensity) and narrow beams (6 deg x 23 deg), full width half-power). At 70 C ambient temperature CW lasing is obtained to 15 mW from one facet. Weak mode confinement in an asymmetric lateral waveguides provides discrimination against high-order mode oscillation.

  14. Multi-approach assessment of the spatial distribution of the specific yield: application to the Crau plain aquifer, France

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seraphin, Pierre; Gonçalvès, Julio; Vallet-Coulomb, Christine; Champollion, Cédric

    2018-06-01

    Spatially distributed values of the specific yield, a fundamental parameter for transient groundwater mass balance calculations, were obtained by means of three independent methods for the Crau plain, France. In contrast to its traditional use to assess recharge based on a given specific yield, the water-table fluctuation (WTF) method, applied using major recharging events, gave a first set of reference values. Then, large infiltration processes recorded by monitored boreholes and caused by major precipitation events were interpreted in terms of specific yield by means of a one-dimensional vertical numerical model solving Richards' equations within the unsaturated zone. Finally, two gravity field campaigns, at low and high piezometric levels, were carried out to assess the groundwater mass variation and thus alternative specific yield values. The range obtained by the WTF method for this aquifer made of alluvial detrital material was 2.9- 26%, in line with the scarce data available so far. The average spatial value of specific yield by the WTF method (9.1%) is consistent with the aquifer scale value from the hydro-gravimetric approach. In this investigation, an estimate of the hitherto unknown spatial distribution of the specific yield over the Crau plain was obtained using the most reliable method (the WTF method). A groundwater mass balance calculation over the domain using this distribution yielded similar results to an independent quantification based on a stable isotope-mixing model. This agreement reinforces the relevance of such estimates, which can be used to build a more accurate transient hydrogeological model.

  15. Multi-approach assessment of the spatial distribution of the specific yield: application to the Crau plain aquifer, France

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seraphin, Pierre; Gonçalvès, Julio; Vallet-Coulomb, Christine; Champollion, Cédric

    2018-03-01

    Spatially distributed values of the specific yield, a fundamental parameter for transient groundwater mass balance calculations, were obtained by means of three independent methods for the Crau plain, France. In contrast to its traditional use to assess recharge based on a given specific yield, the water-table fluctuation (WTF) method, applied using major recharging events, gave a first set of reference values. Then, large infiltration processes recorded by monitored boreholes and caused by major precipitation events were interpreted in terms of specific yield by means of a one-dimensional vertical numerical model solving Richards' equations within the unsaturated zone. Finally, two gravity field campaigns, at low and high piezometric levels, were carried out to assess the groundwater mass variation and thus alternative specific yield values. The range obtained by the WTF method for this aquifer made of alluvial detrital material was 2.9- 26%, in line with the scarce data available so far. The average spatial value of specific yield by the WTF method (9.1%) is consistent with the aquifer scale value from the hydro-gravimetric approach. In this investigation, an estimate of the hitherto unknown spatial distribution of the specific yield over the Crau plain was obtained using the most reliable method (the WTF method). A groundwater mass balance calculation over the domain using this distribution yielded similar results to an independent quantification based on a stable isotope-mixing model. This agreement reinforces the relevance of such estimates, which can be used to build a more accurate transient hydrogeological model.

  16. Regular subwavelength surface structures induced by femtosecond laser pulses on stainless steel.

    PubMed

    Qi, Litao; Nishii, Kazuhiro; Namba, Yoshiharu

    2009-06-15

    In this research, we studied the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures on the stainless steel surface using femtosecond laser pulses. A 780 nm wavelength femtosecond laser, through a 0.2 mm pinhole aperture for truncating fluence distribution, was focused onto the stainless steel surface. Under different experimental condition, low-spatial-frequency laser-induced periodic surface structures with a period of 526 nm and high-spatial-frequency laser-induced periodic surface structures with a period of 310 nm were obtained. The mechanism of the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures on the stainless steel surface is discussed.

  17. Advances in solar radio astronomy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kundu, M. R.

    1982-01-01

    The status of the observations and interpretations of the sun's radio emission covering the entire radio spectrum from millimeter wavelengths to hectometer and kilometer wavelengths is reviewed. Emphasis is given to the progress made in solar radio physics as a result of recent advances in plasma and radiation theory. It is noted that the capability now exists of observing the sun with a spatial resolution of approximately a second of arc and a temporal resolution of about a millisecond at centimeter wavelengths and of obtaining fast multifrequency two-dimensional pictures of the sun at meter and decameter wavelengths. A summary is given of the properties of nonflaring active regions at millimeter, centimeter, and meter-decameter wavelengths. The properties of centimeter wave bursts are discussed in connection with the high spatial resolution observations. The observations of the preflare build-up of an active region are reviewed. High spatial resolution observations (a few seconds of arc to approximately 1 arcsec) are discussed, with particular attention given to the one- and two-dimensional maps of centimeter-wavelength burst sources.

  18. Triple tailored nonlinear dispersion of dressed four- and six-wave mixing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Yanyong; Wang, Zhiguo; Zhang, Zhaoyang; Gu, Bingling; Wang, Kun; Yang, Gaoguo; Zhang, Yanpeng

    2018-06-01

    We investigate the spectral signals and spatial images of a probe transmission signal, four-wave mixing (FWM), and six-wave mixing (SWM) under double dressing effects in an inverted Y-type system. Especially, we get the triple tailored nonlinear dispersion (about 60 MHz) of the dressed FWM and SWM through the interaction between electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) windows and the Kerr nonlinearity. Moreover, SWM and dressed FWM with narrow linewidth are obtained through the tailoring of the three EIT windows, which is much narrower than the EIT. In addition, we first elaborate the modulation effect from the self-Kerr coefficient of FWM on the spot. We also investigate the spatial characteristics (defocusing, shifting, and splitting) of FWM and SWM induced by tailored self-Kerr and cross-Kerr effects among the relative fields. Such spatial shifting, splitting induced by the tailored nonlinear dispersion can be used for a higher contrast and high speed switch as well as a high resolution router.

  19. Gaze-independent brain-computer interfaces based on covert attention and feature attention

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treder, M. S.; Schmidt, N. M.; Blankertz, B.

    2011-10-01

    There is evidence that conventional visual brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) based on event-related potentials cannot be operated efficiently when eye movements are not allowed. To overcome this limitation, the aim of this study was to develop a visual speller that does not require eye movements. Three different variants of a two-stage visual speller based on covert spatial attention and non-spatial feature attention (i.e. attention to colour and form) were tested in an online experiment with 13 healthy participants. All participants achieved highly accurate BCI control. They could select one out of thirty symbols (chance level 3.3%) with mean accuracies of 88%-97% for the different spellers. The best results were obtained for a speller that was operated using non-spatial feature attention only. These results show that, using feature attention, it is possible to realize high-accuracy, fast-paced visual spellers that have a large vocabulary and are independent of eye gaze.

  20. Narrow titanium oxide nanowires induced by femtosecond laser pulses on a titanium surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Hui; Li, Xian-Feng; Zhang, Cheng-Yun; Tie, Shao-Long; Lan, Sheng

    2017-02-01

    The evolution of the nanostructure induced on a titanium (Ti) surface with increasing irradiation pulse number by using a 400-nm femtosecond laser was examined by using scanning electron microscopy. High spatial frequency periodic structures of TiO2 parallel to the laser polarization were initially observed because of the laser-induced oxidation of the Ti surface and the larger efficacy factor of TiO2 in this direction. Periodically aligned TiO2 nanowires with featured width as small as 20 nm were obtained. With increasing pulse number, however, low spatial frequency periodic structures of Ti perpendicular to the laser polarization became dominant because Ti possesses a larger efficacy factor in this direction. The competition between the high- and low-spatial frequency periodic structures is in good agreement with the prediction of the efficacy factor theory and it should also be observed in the femtosecond laser ablation of other metals which are easily oxidized in air.

  1. Translation of EEG Spatial Filters from Resting to Motor Imagery Using Independent Component Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yijun; Wang, Yu-Te; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

    2012-01-01

    Electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) often use spatial filters to improve signal-to-noise ratio of task-related EEG activities. To obtain robust spatial filters, large amounts of labeled data, which are often expensive and labor-intensive to obtain, need to be collected in a training procedure before online BCI control. Several studies have recently developed zero-training methods using a session-to-session scenario in order to alleviate this problem. To our knowledge, a state-to-state translation, which applies spatial filters derived from one state to another, has never been reported. This study proposes a state-to-state, zero-training method to construct spatial filters for extracting EEG changes induced by motor imagery. Independent component analysis (ICA) was separately applied to the multi-channel EEG in the resting and the motor imagery states to obtain motor-related spatial filters. The resultant spatial filters were then applied to single-trial EEG to differentiate left- and right-hand imagery movements. On a motor imagery dataset collected from nine subjects, comparable classification accuracies were obtained by using ICA-based spatial filters derived from the two states (motor imagery: 87.0%, resting: 85.9%), which were both significantly higher than the accuracy achieved by using monopolar scalp EEG data (80.4%). The proposed method considerably increases the practicality of BCI systems in real-world environments because it is less sensitive to electrode misalignment across different sessions or days and does not require annotated pilot data to derive spatial filters. PMID:22666377

  2. A comparison of cover calculation techniques for relating point-intercept vegetation sampling to remote sensing imagery

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Accurate and timely spatial predictions of vegetation cover from remote imagery are an important data source for natural resource management. High-quality in situ data are needed to develop and validate these products. Point-intercept sampling techniques are a common method for obtaining quantitativ...

  3. Femtosecond laser irradiation on Nd:YAG crystal: Surface ablation and high-spatial-frequency nanograting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Yingying; Zhang, Limu; Romero, Carolina; Vázquez de Aldana, Javier R.; Chen, Feng

    2018-05-01

    In this work, we systematically study the surface modifications of femtosecond (fs) laser irradiated Nd:YAG crystal in stationary focusing case (i.e., the beam focused on the target in the steady focusing geometry) or dynamic scanning case (i.e., focused fs-laser beam scanning over the target material). Micro-sized structures (e.g. micro-craters or lines) are experimentally produced in a large scale of parameters in terms of pulse energy as well as (effective) pulse number. Surface ablation of Nd:YAG surface under both processing cases are investigated, involving the morphological evolution, parameter dependence, the ablation threshold fluences and the incubation factors. Meanwhile, under specific irradiation conditions, periodic surface structures with high-spatial-frequency (<λ/2) can be generated. The obtained period is as short as 157 nm in this work. Investigations on the evolution of nanograting formation and fluence dependence of period are performed. The experimental results obtained under different cases and the comparison between them reveal that incubation effect plays an important role not only in the ablation of Nd:YAG surface but also in the processes of nanograting formation.

  4. Spatio-temporal reconstruction of brain dynamics from EEG with a Markov prior.

    PubMed

    Hansen, Sofie Therese; Hansen, Lars Kai

    2017-03-01

    Electroencephalography (EEG) can capture brain dynamics in high temporal resolution. By projecting the scalp EEG signal back to its origin in the brain also high spatial resolution can be achieved. Source localized EEG therefore has potential to be a very powerful tool for understanding the functional dynamics of the brain. Solving the inverse problem of EEG is however highly ill-posed as there are many more potential locations of the EEG generators than EEG measurement points. Several well-known properties of brain dynamics can be exploited to alleviate this problem. More short ranging connections exist in the brain than long ranging, arguing for spatially focal sources. Additionally, recent work (Delorme et al., 2012) argues that EEG can be decomposed into components having sparse source distributions. On the temporal side both short and long term stationarity of brain activation are seen. We summarize these insights in an inverse solver, the so-called "Variational Garrote" (Kappen and Gómez, 2013). Using a Markov prior we can incorporate flexible degrees of temporal stationarity. Through spatial basis functions spatially smooth distributions are obtained. Sparsity of these are inherent to the Variational Garrote solver. We name our method the MarkoVG and demonstrate its ability to adapt to the temporal smoothness and spatial sparsity in simulated EEG data. Finally a benchmark EEG dataset is used to demonstrate MarkoVG's ability to recover non-stationary brain dynamics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Scanning ion imaging - a potent tool in SIMS U -Pb zircon geochronology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whitehouse, M. J.; Fedo, C.; Kusiak, M.; Nemchin, A.

    2012-12-01

    The application of high spatial resolution (< 15-20 μm lateral) U-Pb data obtained by sec-ondary ion mass spectrometers (SIMS) coupled with textural information from scanning electron microscope (SEM) based cathodoluminescence (CL) and/or back-scattered elec-tron (BSE) characterisation, has revolutionised geochronology over the past 25 years, re-vealing complexities of crustal evolution from zoned zircons. In addition to ge-ochronology, such studies now commonly form the basis of broader investigations using O- and Hf- isotopes and trace elements obtained from the same growth zone as age, circumventing ambiguities commonly present in bulk-rock isotope studies. The choice of analytical beam diameter is often made to maximise the precision of data obtained from a given area of analysis within an identifiable growth zone. In cases where zircons yield poorly constrained internal structures in SEM, high spatial resolution spot analyses may yield uninterpretable and/or meaningless mixed ages by inadvertent sampling across regions with real age differences. Scanning ion imaging (SII) has the potential to generate accurate and precise geochrono-logical data with a spatial resolution down to ca. 2 μm, much higher than that of a normal spot analysis. SII acquisition utilises a rastered primary beam to image an area of the sample with a spatial resolution dependent on the selected primary beam diameter. On the Cameca ims1270/80 instruments, the primary beam scanning is coupled with the dynamic transfer optical system (DTOS) which deflects the secondary ions back on to the ion optical axis of the instrument regardless of where in the raster illuminated area the ions originated. This feature allows retention of a high field magnification (= high transmission) mode and the ability to operate the mass spectrometer at high mass resolution without any compromise in the quality of the peak shape. Secondary ions may be detected either in a sequential (peak hopping) mono-collection mode or simultaneous multicollection mode using low-noise pulse counting electron multipliers. Regardless of the detection mode, data are acquired over sufficient cycles to generate usable counting statistics from selected sub-areas of the image. In two case studies from southern west Greenland and Antarctica, Pb-isotope maps gen-erated using SII reveal considerable complexities of internal structure, age and isotope systematics that were not predictable from CL imaging of the grains (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Scanning ion images of the 207Pb/206Pb ratio in zircons from (a) W. Greenland and (b) Antarctica (inset shows rastered area of grain corresponding to the image).

  6. Mapping ephemeral stream networks in desert environments using very-high-spatial-resolution multispectral remote sensing

    DOE PAGES

    Hamada, Yuki; O'Connor, Ben L.; Orr, Andrew B.; ...

    2016-03-26

    In this paper, understanding the spatial patterns of ephemeral streams is crucial for understanding how hydrologic processes influence the abundance and distribution of wildlife habitats in desert regions. Available methods for mapping ephemeral streams at the watershed scale typically underestimate the size of channel networks. Although remote sensing is an effective means of collecting data and obtaining information on large, inaccessible areas, conventional techniques for extracting channel features are not sufficient in regions that have small topographic gradients and subtle target-background spectral contrast. By using very high resolution multispectral imagery, we developed a new algorithm that applies landscape information tomore » map ephemeral channels in desert regions of the Southwestern United States where utility-scale solar energy development is occurring. Knowledge about landscape features and structures was integrated into the algorithm using a series of spectral transformation and spatial statistical operations to integrate information about landscape features and structures. The algorithm extracted ephemeral stream channels at a local scale, with the result that approximately 900% more ephemeral streams was identified than what were identified by using the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrography Dataset. The accuracy of the algorithm in detecting channel areas was as high as 92%, and its accuracy in delineating channel center lines was 91% when compared to a subset of channel networks that were digitized by using the very high resolution imagery. Although the algorithm captured stream channels in desert landscapes across various channel sizes and forms, it often underestimated stream headwaters and channels obscured by bright soils and sparse vegetation. While further improvement is warranted, the algorithm provides an effective means of obtaining detailed information about ephemeral streams, and it could make a significant contribution toward improving the hydrological modelling of desert environments.« less

  7. Mapping ephemeral stream networks in desert environments using very-high-spatial-resolution multispectral remote sensing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hamada, Yuki; O'Connor, Ben L.; Orr, Andrew B.

    In this paper, understanding the spatial patterns of ephemeral streams is crucial for understanding how hydrologic processes influence the abundance and distribution of wildlife habitats in desert regions. Available methods for mapping ephemeral streams at the watershed scale typically underestimate the size of channel networks. Although remote sensing is an effective means of collecting data and obtaining information on large, inaccessible areas, conventional techniques for extracting channel features are not sufficient in regions that have small topographic gradients and subtle target-background spectral contrast. By using very high resolution multispectral imagery, we developed a new algorithm that applies landscape information tomore » map ephemeral channels in desert regions of the Southwestern United States where utility-scale solar energy development is occurring. Knowledge about landscape features and structures was integrated into the algorithm using a series of spectral transformation and spatial statistical operations to integrate information about landscape features and structures. The algorithm extracted ephemeral stream channels at a local scale, with the result that approximately 900% more ephemeral streams was identified than what were identified by using the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrography Dataset. The accuracy of the algorithm in detecting channel areas was as high as 92%, and its accuracy in delineating channel center lines was 91% when compared to a subset of channel networks that were digitized by using the very high resolution imagery. Although the algorithm captured stream channels in desert landscapes across various channel sizes and forms, it often underestimated stream headwaters and channels obscured by bright soils and sparse vegetation. While further improvement is warranted, the algorithm provides an effective means of obtaining detailed information about ephemeral streams, and it could make a significant contribution toward improving the hydrological modelling of desert environments.« less

  8. Formation of ECR Plasma in a Dielectric Plasma Guide under Self-Excitation of a Standing Ion-Acoustic Wave

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balmashnov, A. A.; Kalashnikov, A. V.; Kalashnikov, V. V.; Stepina, S. P.; Umnov, A. M.

    2018-01-01

    The formation of a spatially localized plasma with a high brightness has been experimentally observed in a dielectric plasma guide under the electron cyclotron resonance discharge at the excitation of a standing ion-acoustic wave. The results obtained show the possibility of designing compact high-intensity radiation sources with a spectrum determined by the working gas or gas mixture type, high-intensity chemically active particle flow sources, and plasma thrusters for correcting orbits of light spacecraft.

  9. Digital PIV Measurements in the Diffuser of a High Speed Centrifugal Compressor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wernet, Mark P.

    1998-01-01

    Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) is a powerful measurement technique which can be used as an alternative or complementary approach to Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) in a wide range of research applications. PIV data are measured simultaneously at multiple points in space, which enables the investigation of the non-stationary spatial structures typically encountered in turbomachinery. Obtaining ample optical access, sufficiently high seed particle concentrations and accurate synchronization of image acquisition relative to impeller position are the most formidable tasks in the successful implementation of PIV in turbomachinery. Preliminary results from the successful application of the standard 2-D digital PIV technique in the diffuser of a high speed centrifugal compressor are presented. Instantaneous flow. measurements were also obtained during compressor surge.

  10. High-resolution NMR in magnetic fields with unknown spatiotemporal variations.

    PubMed

    Pelupessy, Philippe; Rennella, Enrico; Bodenhausen, Geoffrey

    2009-06-26

    Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments are usually carried out in homogeneous magnetic fields. In many cases, however, high-resolution spectra are virtually impossible to obtain because of the inherent heterogeneity of the samples or living organisms under investigation, as well as the poor homogeneity of the magnets (particularly when bulky samples must be placed outside their bores). Unstable power supplies and vibrations arising from cooling can lead to field fluctuations in time as well as space. We show how high-resolution NMR spectra can be obtained in inhomogeneous fields with unknown spatiotemporal variations. Our method, based on coherence transfer between spins, can accommodate spatial inhomogeneities of at least 11 gauss per centimeter and temporal fluctuations slower than 2 hertz.

  11. A Predictive Risk Model for A(H7N9) Human Infections Based on Spatial-Temporal Autocorrelation and Risk Factors: China, 2013–2014

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Wen; Yang, Kun; Xu, Quan-Li; Yang, Yu-Lian

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the spatial distribution, spatial autocorrelation, temporal cluster, spatial-temporal autocorrelation and probable risk factors of H7N9 outbreaks in humans from March 2013 to December 2014 in China. The results showed that the epidemic spread with significant spatial-temporal autocorrelation. In order to describe the spatial-temporal autocorrelation of H7N9, an improved model was developed by introducing a spatial-temporal factor in this paper. Logistic regression analyses were utilized to investigate the risk factors associated with their distribution, and nine risk factors were significantly associated with the occurrence of A(H7N9) human infections: the spatial-temporal factor φ (OR = 2546669.382, p < 0.001), migration route (OR = 0.993, p < 0.01), river (OR = 0.861, p < 0.001), lake(OR = 0.992, p < 0.001), road (OR = 0.906, p < 0.001), railway (OR = 0.980, p < 0.001), temperature (OR = 1.170, p < 0.01), precipitation (OR = 0.615, p < 0.001) and relative humidity (OR = 1.337, p < 0.001). The improved model obtained a better prediction performance and a higher fitting accuracy than the traditional model: in the improved model 90.1% (91/101) of the cases during February 2014 occurred in the high risk areas (the predictive risk > 0.70) of the predictive risk map, whereas 44.6% (45/101) of which overlaid on the high risk areas (the predictive risk > 0.70) for the traditional model, and the fitting accuracy of the improved model was 91.6% which was superior to the traditional model (86.1%). The predictive risk map generated based on the improved model revealed that the east and southeast of China were the high risk areas of A(H7N9) human infections in February 2014. These results provided baseline data for the control and prevention of future human infections. PMID:26633446

  12. Pressure spectra from single-snapshot tomographic PIV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneiders, Jan F. G.; Avallone, Francesco; Pröbsting, Stefan; Ragni, Daniele; Scarano, Fulvio

    2018-03-01

    The power spectral density and coherence of temporal pressure fluctuations are obtained from low-repetition-rate tomographic PIV measurements. This is achieved by extension of recent single-snapshot pressure evaluation techniques based upon the Taylor's hypothesis (TH) of frozen turbulence and vortex-in-cell (VIC) simulation. Finite time marching of the measured instantaneous velocity fields is performed using TH and VIC. Pressure is calculated from the resulting velocity time series. Because of the theoretical limitations, the finite time marching can be performed until the measured flow structures are convected out of the measurement volume. This provides a lower limit of resolvable frequency range. An upper limit is given by the spatial resolution of the measurements. Finite time-marching approaches are applied to low-repetition-rate tomographic PIV data of the flow past a straight trailing edge at 10 m/s. Reference results of the power spectral density and coherence are obtained from surface pressure transducers. In addition, the results are compared to state-of-the-art experimental data obtained from time-resolved tomographic PIV performed at 10 kHz. The time-resolved approach suffers from low spatial resolution and limited maximum acquisition frequency because of hardware limitations. Additionally, these approaches strongly depend upon the time kernel length chosen for pressure evaluation. On the other hand, the finite time-marching approaches make use of low-repetition-rate tomographic PIV measurements that offer higher spatial resolution. Consequently, increased accuracy of the power spectral density and coherence of pressure fluctuations are obtained in the high-frequency range, in comparison to the time-resolved measurements. The approaches based on TH and VIC are found to perform similarly in the high-frequency range. At lower frequencies, TH is found to underestimate coherence and intensity of the pressure fluctuations in comparison to time-resolved PIV and the microphone reference data. The VIC-based approach, on the other hand, returns results on the order of the reference.

  13. Hyperspectral and multispectral satellite sensors for mapping chlorophyll content in a Mediterranean Pinus sylvestris L. plantation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Navarro-Cerrillo, Rafael Mª; Trujillo, Jesus; de la Orden, Manuel Sánchez; Hernández-Clemente, Rocío

    2014-02-01

    A new generation of narrow-band hyperspectral remote sensing data offers an alternative to broad-band multispectral data for the estimation of vegetation chlorophyll content. This paper examines the potential of some of these sensors comparing red-edge and simple ratio indices to develop a rapid and cost-effective system for monitoring Mediterranean pine plantations in Spain. Chlorophyll content retrieval was analyzed with the red-edge R750/R710 index and the simple ratio R800/R560 index using the PROSPECT-5 leaf model and the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) and experimental approach. Five sensors were used: AHS, CHRIS/Proba, Hyperion, Landsat and QuickBird. The model simulation results obtained with synthetic spectra demonstrated the feasibility of estimating Ca + b content in conifers using the simple ratio R800/R560 index formulated with different full widths at half maximum (FWHM) at the leaf level. This index yielded a r2 = 0.69 for a FWHM of 30 nm and r2 = 0.55 for a FWHM of 70 nm. Experimental results compared the regression coefficients obtained with various multispectral and hyperspectral images with different spatial resolutions at the stand level. The strongest relationships where obtained using high-resolution hyperspectral images acquired with the AHS sensor (r2 = 0.65) while coarser spatial and spectral resolution images yielded a lower root mean square error (QuickBird r2 = 0.42; Landsat r2 = 0.48; Hyperion r2 = 0.56; CHRIS/Proba r2 = 0.57). This study shows the need to estimate chlorophyll content in forest plantations at the stand level with high spatial and spectral resolution sensors. Nevertheless, these results also show the accuracy obtained with medium-resolution sensors when monitoring physiological processes. Generating biochemical maps at the stand level could play a critical rule in the early detection of forest decline processes enabling their use in precision forestry.

  14. A spatial operator algebra for manipulator modeling and control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rodriguez, G.; Kreutz, K.; Jain, A.

    1989-01-01

    A spatial operator algebra for modeling the control and trajectory design of manipulation is discussed, with emphasis on its analytical formulation and implementation in the Ada programming language. The elements of this algebra are linear operators whose domain and range spaces consist of forces, moments, velocities, and accelerations. The effect of these operators is equivalent to a spatial recursion along the span of the manipulator. Inversion is obtained using techniques of recursive filtering and smoothing. The operator alegbra provides a high-level framework for describing the dynamic and kinematic behavior of a manipulator and control and trajectory design algorithms. Implementable recursive algorithms can be immediately derived from the abstract operator expressions by inspection, thus greatly simplifying the transition from an abstract problem formulation and solution to the detailed mechanization of a specific algorithm.

  15. Poster — Thur Eve — 01: The effect of the number of projections on MTF and CNR in Compton scatter tomography

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chighvinadze, T; Pistorius, S; CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB

    2014-08-15

    Purpose: To investigate the dependence of the reconstructed image quality on the number of projections in multi-projection Compton scatter tomography (MPCST). The conventional relationship between the projection number used for reconstruction and reconstructed image quality pertained to CT does not necessarily apply to MPCST, which can produce images from a single projection if the detectors have sufficiently high energy and spatial resolution. Methods: The electron density image was obtained using filtered-backprojection of the scatter signal over circular arcs formed using Compton equation. The behavior of the reconstructed image quality as a function of the projection number was evaluated through analyticalmore » simulations and characterized by CNR and MTF. Results: The increase of the projection number improves the contrast with this dependence being a function of fluence. The number of projections required to approach the asymptotic maximum contrast decreases as the fluence increases. Increasing projection number increases the CNR but not spatial resolution. Conclusions: For MPCST using a 500eV energy resolution and a 2×2mm{sup 2} size detector, an adequate image quality can be obtained with a small number of projections provided the incident fluence is high enough. This is conceptually different from conventional CT where a minimum number of projections is required to obtain an adequate image quality. While increasing projection number, even for the lowest dose value, the CNR increases even though the number of photons per projection decreases. The spatial resolution of the image is improved by increasing the sampling within a projection rather than by increasing the number of projections.« less

  16. Numerical Weather Predictions Evaluation Using Spatial Verification Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tegoulias, I.; Pytharoulis, I.; Kotsopoulos, S.; Kartsios, S.; Bampzelis, D.; Karacostas, T.

    2014-12-01

    During the last years high-resolution numerical weather prediction simulations have been used to examine meteorological events with increased convective activity. Traditional verification methods do not provide the desired level of information to evaluate those high-resolution simulations. To assess those limitations new spatial verification methods have been proposed. In the present study an attempt is made to estimate the ability of the WRF model (WRF -ARW ver3.5.1) to reproduce selected days with high convective activity during the year 2010 using those feature-based verification methods. Three model domains, covering Europe, the Mediterranean Sea and northern Africa (d01), the wider area of Greece (d02) and central Greece - Thessaly region (d03) are used at horizontal grid-spacings of 15km, 5km and 1km respectively. By alternating microphysics (Ferrier, WSM6, Goddard), boundary layer (YSU, MYJ) and cumulus convection (Kain-­-Fritsch, BMJ) schemes, a set of twelve model setups is obtained. The results of those simulations are evaluated against data obtained using a C-Band (5cm) radar located at the centre of the innermost domain. Spatial characteristics are well captured but with a variable time lag between simulation results and radar data. Acknowledgements: This research is co­financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) and Greek national funds, through the action "COOPERATION 2011: Partnerships of Production and Research Institutions in Focused Research and Technology Sectors" (contract number 11SYN_8_1088 - DAPHNE) in the framework of the operational programme "Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship" and Regions in Transition (OPC II, NSRF 2007-­-2013).

  17. High-rise construction in the Saint Petersburg agglomeration in 1703-1950s

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sementsov, Sergey; Akulova, Nadezhda; Kurakina, Severina

    2018-03-01

    Regularities of high-rise construction (implemented projects and developments) in Saint Petersburg and the Saint Petersburg agglomeration since the foundation of the city in 1703 till the 1950s are considered. Based on these regularities, a single spatially developed system of vertical dominants is formed. High-rise construction in the city and its suburbs started in the 1710s and continues up to the present time. In the considered decades (1703-1950s), high-rise construction mostly performed urban-planning functions (with vertical and symbolic dominants), relying on patterns of the visual perception of man-made landscapes under development. Since the 1710s, the construction of vertical dominants (mainly temples, spires of towers, lighthouses, etc.) of five ranks (depending on the altitude range and in relation to the background development) was conducted in territories of the entire agglomeration. These dominants were arranged in landscapes of the city and suburbs with almost mathematically precise accuracy and according to special regulations. Such dominants obtained particular descriptive and silhouette characteristics in accordance with the conditions of spatial perception. In some periods of city development, attempts were made to create monuments (symbolic dominants) of specific height and include those in the spatial system of high-rise dominants as significant elements of the city silhouette.

  18. Estimating chlorophyll with thermal and broadband multispectral high resolution imagery from an unmanned aerial system using relevance vector machines for precision agriculture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elarab, Manal; Ticlavilca, Andres M.; Torres-Rua, Alfonso F.; Maslova, Inga; McKee, Mac

    2015-12-01

    Precision agriculture requires high-resolution information to enable greater precision in the management of inputs to production. Actionable information about crop and field status must be acquired at high spatial resolution and at a temporal frequency appropriate for timely responses. In this study, high spatial resolution imagery was obtained through the use of a small, unmanned aerial system called AggieAirTM. Simultaneously with the AggieAir flights, intensive ground sampling for plant chlorophyll was conducted at precisely determined locations. This study reports the application of a relevance vector machine coupled with cross validation and backward elimination to a dataset composed of reflectance from high-resolution multi-spectral imagery (VIS-NIR), thermal infrared imagery, and vegetative indices, in conjunction with in situ SPAD measurements from which chlorophyll concentrations were derived, to estimate chlorophyll concentration from remotely sensed data at 15-cm resolution. The results indicate that a relevance vector machine with a thin plate spline kernel type and kernel width of 5.4, having LAI, NDVI, thermal and red bands as the selected set of inputs, can be used to spatially estimate chlorophyll concentration with a root-mean-squared-error of 5.31 μg cm-2, efficiency of 0.76, and 9 relevance vectors.

  19. NMR relaxation in natural soils: Fast Field Cycling and T1-T2 Determination by IR-MEMS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haber-Pohlmeier, S.; Pohlmeier, A.; Stapf, S.; van Dusschoten, D.

    2009-04-01

    Soils are natural porous media of highest importance for food production and sustainment of water resources. For these functions, prominent properties are their ability of water retainment and transport, which are mainly controlled by pore size distribution. The latter is related to NMR relaxation times of water molecules, of which the longitudinal relaxation time can be determined non-invasively by fast-field cycling relaxometry (FFC) and both are obtainable by inversion recovery - multi-echo- imaging (IR-MEMS) methods. The advantage of the FFC method is the determination of the field dependent dispersion of the spin-lattice relaxation rate, whereas MRI at high field is capable of yielding spatially resolved T1 and T2 times. Here we present results of T1- relaxation time distributions of water in three natural soils, obtained by the analysis of FFC data by means of the inverse Laplace transformation (CONTIN)1. Kaldenkirchen soil shows relatively broad bimodal distribution functions D(T1) which shift to higher relaxation rates with increasing relaxation field. These data are compared to spatially resolved T1- and T2 distributions, obtained by IR-MEMS. The distribution of T1 corresponds well to that obtained by FFC.

  20. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pacold, J. I.; Altman, A. B.; Donald, S B

    Materials of interest for nuclear forensic science are often highly heterogeneous, containing complex mixtures of actinide compounds in a wide variety of matrices. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) is ideally suited to study such materials, as it can be used to chemically image specimens by acquiring X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) data with 25 nm spatial resolution. In particular, STXM in the soft X-ray synchrotron radiation regime (approximately 120 – 2000 eV) can collect spectroscopic information from the actinides and light elements in a single experiment. Thus, STXM combines the chemical sensitivity of X-ray absorption spectroscopy with high spatial resolutionmore » in a single non-destructive characterization method. This report describes the application of STXM to a broad range of nuclear materials. Where possible, the spectroscopic images obtained by STXM are compared with information derived from other analytical methods, and used to make inferences about the process history of each material. STXM measurements can yield information including the morphology of a sample, “elemental maps” showing the spatial distribution of major chemical constituents, and XANES spectra from localized regions of a sample, which may show spatial variations in chemical composition.« less

  1. Yield variability prediction by remote sensing sensors with different spatial resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumhálová, Jitka; Matějková, Štěpánka

    2017-04-01

    Currently, remote sensing sensors are very popular for crop monitoring and yield prediction. This paper describes how satellite images with moderate (Landsat satellite data) and very high (QuickBird and WorldView-2 satellite data) spatial resolution, together with GreenSeeker hand held crop sensor, can be used to estimate yield and crop growth variability. Winter barley (2007 and 2015) and winter wheat (2009 and 2011) were chosen because of cloud-free data availability in the same time period for experimental field from Landsat satellite images and QuickBird or WorldView-2 images. Very high spatial resolution images were resampled to worse spatial resolution. Normalised difference vegetation index was derived from each satellite image data sets and it was also measured with GreenSeeker handheld crop sensor for the year 2015 only. Results showed that each satellite image data set can be used for yield and plant variability estimation. Nevertheless, better results, in comparison with crop yield, were obtained for images acquired in later phenological phases, e.g. in 2007 - BBCH 59 - average correlation coefficient 0.856, and in 2011 - BBCH 59-0.784. GreenSeeker handheld crop sensor was not suitable for yield estimation due to different measuring method.

  2. Enhanced EDX images by fusion of multimodal SEM images using pansharpening techniques.

    PubMed

    Franchi, G; Angulo, J; Moreaud, M; Sorbier, L

    2018-01-01

    The goal of this paper is to explore the potential interest of image fusion in the context of multimodal scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. In particular, we aim at merging the backscattered electron images that usually have a high spatial resolution but do not provide enough discriminative information to physically classify the nature of the sample, with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) images that have discriminative information but a lower spatial resolution. The produced images are named enhanced EDX. To achieve this goal, we have compared the results obtained with classical pansharpening techniques for image fusion with an original approach tailored for multimodal SEM fusion of information. Quantitative assessment is obtained by means of two SEM images and a simulated dataset produced by a software based on PENELOPE. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.

  3. Continuous wave dye-laser technique for simultaneous, spatially resolved measurements of temperature, pressure, and velocity of NO in an underexpanded free jet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Di Rosa, Michael D.; Chang, Albert Y.; Hanson, Ronald K.

    1993-01-01

    Gas dynamic quantities within an underexpanded nitrogen free jet, seeded with 0.5 percent NO, were measured nonintrusively by using an intracavity-doubled, rapid-tuning, CW ring dye laser. The UV beam passed obliquely through the jet axis, and its frequency repetitively scanned across adjacent rotational lines in the NO gamma band near 225 nm at a rate of 4 kHz. Spatially resolved excitation scans were obtained by monitoring the induced broadband fluoresence. Modeling the Doppler-shifted excitation scans with Voigt profiles permitted simultaneous determinations of NO velocity, rotational temperature, and pressure. Zero Doppler shift was referenced to an absorption trace obtained across a static cell and recorded concurrently with the excitation scan. Typically, the measured and predicted axial distributions agreed within 10 percent. At high Mach numbers there was evidence of rotational freezing of NO.

  4. Lung Cancer Mortality and Radon Concentration in a Chronically Exposed Neighborhood in Chihuahua, Mexico: A Geospatial Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Hinojosa de la Garza, Octavio R.; Sanín, Luz H.; Montero Cabrera, María Elena; Serrano Ramirez, Korina Ivette; Martínez Meyer, Enrique; Reyes Cortés, Manuel

    2014-01-01

    This study correlated lung cancer (LC) mortality with statistical data obtained from government public databases. In order to asses a relationship between LC deaths and radon accumulation in dwellings, indoor radon concentrations were measured with passive detectors randomly distributed in Chihuahua City. Kriging (K) and Inverse-Distance Weighting (IDW) spatial interpolations were carried out. Deaths were georeferenced and Moran's I correlation coefficients were calculated. The mean values (over n = 171) of the interpolation of radon concentrations of deceased's dwellings were 247.8 and 217.1 Bq/m3, for K and IDW, respectively. Through the Moran's I values obtained, correspondingly equal to 0.56 and 0.61, it was evident that LC mortality was directly associated with locations with high levels of radon, considering a stable population for more than 25 years, suggesting spatial clustering of LC deaths due to indoor radon concentrations. PMID:25165752

  5. Tip-enhanced Raman mapping with top-illumination AFM.

    PubMed

    Chan, K L Andrew; Kazarian, Sergei G

    2011-04-29

    Tip-enhanced Raman mapping is a powerful, emerging technique that offers rich chemical information and high spatial resolution. Currently, most of the successes in tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) measurements are based on the inverted configuration where tips and laser are approaching the sample from opposite sides. This results in the limitation of measurement for transparent samples only. Several approaches have been developed to obtain tip-enhanced Raman mapping in reflection mode, many of which involve certain customisations of the system. We have demonstrated in this work that it is also possible to obtain TERS nano-images using an upright microscope (top-illumination) with a gold-coated Si atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever without significant modification to the existing integrated AFM/Raman system. A TERS image of a single-walled carbon nanotube has been achieved with a spatial resolution of ∼ 20-50 nm, demonstrating the potential of this technique for studying non-transparent nanoscale materials.

  6. Strain and lattice orientation distribution in SiN/Ge complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor compatible light emitting microstructures by quick x-ray nano-diffraction microscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chahine, G. A.; Schülli, T. U.; Zoellner, M. H.

    2015-02-16

    This paper presents a study of the spatial distribution of strain and lattice orientation in CMOS-fabricated strained Ge microstripes using high resolution x-ray micro-diffraction. The recently developed model-free characterization tool, based on a quick scanning x-ray diffraction microscopy technique can image strain down to levels of 10{sup −5} (Δa/a) with a spatial resolution of ∼0.5 μm. Strain and lattice tilt are extracted using the strain and orientation calculation software package X-SOCS. The obtained results are compared with the biaxial strain distribution obtained by lattice parameter-sensitive μ-Raman and μ-photoluminescence measurements. The experimental data are interpreted with the help of finite element modelingmore » of the strain relaxation dynamics in the investigated structures.« less

  7. Phase-detected Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mizuno, Yosuke; Hayashi, Neisei; Fukuda, Hideyuki; Nakamura, Kentaro

    2018-05-01

    Optical fiber sensing techniques based on Brillouin scattering have been extensively studied for structural health monitoring owing to their capability of distributed strain and temperature measurement. Although a higher signal-to-noise ratio (leading to high spatial resolution and high-speed measurement) is generally obtained for two-end-access systems, they reduce the degree of freedom in embedding the sensors into structures, and render the measurement no longer feasible when extremely high loss or breakage occurs at a point of the sensing fiber. To overcome these drawbacks, a one-end-access sensing technique called Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry (BOCDR) has been developed. BOCDR has a high spatial resolution and cost efficiency, but its conventional configuration suffered from relatively low-speed operation. In this paper, we review the recently developed high-speed configurations of BOCDR, including phase-detected BOCDR, with which we demonstrate real-time distributed measurement by tracking a propagating mechanical wave. We also demonstrate breakage detection with a wide strain dynamic range.

  8. Phase-detected Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mizuno, Yosuke; Hayashi, Neisei; Fukuda, Hideyuki; Nakamura, Kentaro

    2018-06-01

    Optical fiber sensing techniques based on Brillouin scattering have been extensively studied for structural health monitoring owing to their capability of distributed strain and temperature measurement. Although a higher signal-to-noise ratio (leading to high spatial resolution and high-speed measurement) is generally obtained for two-end-access systems, they reduce the degree of freedom in embedding the sensors into structures, and render the measurement no longer feasible when extremely high loss or breakage occurs at a point of the sensing fiber. To overcome these drawbacks, a one-end-access sensing technique called Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry (BOCDR) has been developed. BOCDR has a high spatial resolution and cost efficiency, but its conventional configuration suffered from relatively low-speed operation. In this paper, we review the recently developed high-speed configurations of BOCDR, including phase-detected BOCDR, with which we demonstrate real-time distributed measurement by tracking a propagating mechanical wave. We also demonstrate breakage detection with a wide strain dynamic range.

  9. High resolution modelling and observation of wind-driven surface currents in a semi-enclosed estuary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nash, S.; Hartnett, M.; McKinstry, A.; Ragnoli, E.; Nagle, D.

    2012-04-01

    Hydrodynamic circulation in estuaries is primarily driven by tides, river inflows and surface winds. While tidal and river data can be quite easily obtained for input to hydrodynamic models, sourcing accurate surface wind data is problematic. Firstly, the wind data used in hydrodynamic models is usually measured on land and can be quite different in magnitude and direction from offshore winds. Secondly, surface winds are spatially-varying but due to a lack of data it is common practice to specify a non-varying wind speed and direction across the full extents of a model domain. These problems can lead to inaccuracies in the surface currents computed by three-dimensional hydrodynamic models. In the present research, a wind forecast model is coupled with a three-dimensional numerical model of Galway Bay, a semi-enclosed estuary on the west coast of Ireland, to investigate the effect of surface wind data resolution on model accuracy. High resolution and low resolution wind fields are specified to the model and the computed surface currents are compared with high resolution surface current measurements obtained from two high frequency SeaSonde-type Coastal Ocean Dynamics Applications Radars (CODAR). The wind forecast models used for the research are Harmonie cy361.3, running on 2.5 and 0.5km spatial grids for the low resolution and high resolution models respectively. The low-resolution model runs over an Irish domain on 540x500 grid points with 60 vertical levels and a 60s timestep and is driven by ECMWF boundary conditions. The nested high-resolution model uses 300x300 grid points on 60 vertical levels and a 12s timestep. EFDC (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code) is used for the hydrodynamic model. The Galway Bay model has ten vertical layers and is resolved spatially and temporally at 150m and 4 sec respectively. The hydrodynamic model is run for selected hindcast dates when wind fields were highly energetic. Spatially- and temporally-varying wind data is provided by offline coupling with the wind forecast models. Modelled surface currents show good correlation with CODAR observed currents and the resolution of the surface wind data is shown to be important for model accuracy.

  10. Identifying cochlear implant channels with poor electrode-neuron interfaces: electrically evoked auditory brain stem responses measured with the partial tripolar configuration.

    PubMed

    Bierer, Julie Arenberg; Faulkner, Kathleen F; Tremblay, Kelly L

    2011-01-01

    The goal of this study was to compare cochlear implant behavioral measures and electrically evoked auditory brain stem responses (EABRs) obtained with a spatially focused electrode configuration. It has been shown previously that channels with high thresholds, when measured with the tripolar configuration, exhibit relatively broad psychophysical tuning curves. The elevated threshold and degraded spatial/spectral selectivity of such channels are consistent with a poor electrode-neuron interface, defined as suboptimal electrode placement or reduced nerve survival. However, the psychophysical methods required to obtain these data are time intensive and may not be practical during a clinical mapping session, especially for young children. Here, we have extended the previous investigation to determine whether a physiological approach could provide a similar assessment of channel functionality. We hypothesized that, in accordance with the perceptual measures, higher EABR thresholds would correlate with steeper EABR amplitude growth functions, reflecting a degraded electrode-neuron interface. Data were collected from six cochlear implant listeners implanted with the HiRes 90k cochlear implant (Advanced Bionics). Single-channel thresholds and most comfortable listening levels were obtained for stimuli that varied in presumed electrical field size by using the partial tripolar configuration, for which a fraction of current (σ) from a center active electrode returns through two neighboring electrodes and the remainder through a distant indifferent electrode. EABRs were obtained in each subject for the two channels having the highest and lowest tripolar (σ = 1 or 0.9) behavioral threshold. Evoked potentials were measured with both the monopolar (σ = 0) and a more focused partial tripolar (σ ≥ 0.50) configuration. Consistent with previous studies, EABR thresholds were highly and positively correlated with behavioral thresholds obtained with both the monopolar and partial tripolar configurations. The Wave V amplitude growth functions with increasing stimulus level showed the predicted effect of shallower growth for the partial tripolar than for the monopolar configuration, but this was observed only for the low-threshold channels. In contrast, high-threshold channels showed the opposite effect; steeper growth functions were seen for the partial tripolar configuration. These results suggest that behavioral thresholds or EABRs measured with a restricted stimulus can be used to identify potentially impaired cochlear implant channels. Channels having high thresholds and steep growth functions would likely not activate the appropriate spatially restricted region of the cochlea, leading to suboptimal perception. As a clinical tool, quick identification of impaired channels could lead to patient-specific mapping strategies and result in improved speech and music perception.

  11. Slitless Spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davila, J. M.; O'Neill, J. F.

    2013-12-01

    Spectrographs provide a unique window into plasma parameters in the solar atmosphere. In fact spectrographs provide the most accurate measurements of plasma parameters such as density, temperature, and flow speed. However, traditionally spectrographic instruments have suffered from the inability to cover large spatial regions of the Sun quickly. To cover an active region sized spatial region, the slit must be rastered over the area of interest with an exposure taken at each pointing location. Because of this long cycle time, the spectra of dynamic events like flares, CME initiations, or transient brightening are obtained only rarely. And even if spectra are obtained they are either taken over an extremely small spatial region, or the spectra are not co-temporal across the raster. Either of these complicates the interpretation of the spectral raster results. Imagers are able to provide high time and spatial resolution images of the full Sun but with limited spectral resolution. The telescopes onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) normally take a full disk solar image every 10 seconds with roughly 1 arcsec spatial resolution. However the spectral resolution of the multilayer imagers on SDO is of order 100 times less than a typical spectrograph. Because of this it is difficult to interpret multilayer imaging data to accurately obtain plasma parameters like temperature and density from these data, and there is no direct measure of plasma flow velocity. SERTS and EIS partially addressed this problem by using a wide slit to produce monochromatic images with limited FOV to limit overlapping. However dispersion within the wide slit image remained a problem which prevented the determination of intensity, Doppler shift, and line width in the wide slit. Kankelborg and Thomas introduced the idea of using multiple images -1, 0, and +1 spectral orders of a single emission line. This scheme provided three independent images to measure the three spectral line parameters in each pixel with the Multi-Order Solar EUV Spectrograph (MOSES) instrument. We suggest a reconstruction approach based on tomographic methods with regularization. Preliminary results show that the typical Doppler shift and line width error introduced by the reconstruction method is of order a few km/s at 300 A. This is on the order of the error obtained in narrow slit spectrographs but with data obtained over a two-dimensional field of view.

  12. Precision Viticulture : is it relevant to manage the vineyard according to the within field spatial variability of the environment ?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tisseyre, Bruno

    2015-04-01

    For more than 15 years, research projects are conducted in the precision viticulture (PV) area around the world. These research projects have provided new insights into the within-field variability in viticulture. Indeed, access to high spatial resolution data (remote sensing, embedded sensors, etc.) changes the knowledge we have of the fields in viticulture. In particular, the field which was until now considered as a homogeneous management unit, presents actually a high spatial variability in terms of yield, vigour an quality. This knowledge will lead (and is already causing) changes on how to manage the vineyard and the quality of the harvest at the within field scale. From the experimental results obtained in various countries of the world, the goal of the presentation is to provide figures on: - the spatial variability of the main parameters (yield, vigor, quality), and how this variability is organized spatially, - the temporal stability of the observed spatial variability and the potential link with environmental parameters like soil, topography, soil water availability, etc. - information sources available at a high spatial resolution conventionally used in precision agriculture likely to highlight this spatial variability (multi-spectral images, soil electrical conductivity, etc.) and the limitations that these information sources are likely to present in viticulture. Several strategies are currently being developed to take into account the within field variability in viticulture. They are based on the development of specific equipments, sensors, actuators and site specific strategies with the aim of adapting the vineyard operations at the within-field level. These strategies will be presented briefly in two ways : - Site specific operations (fertilization, pruning, thinning, irrigation, etc.) in order to counteract the effects of the environment and to obtain a final product with a controlled and consistent wine quality, - Differential harvesting with the objective to take advantage of the observed spatial variability to produce different quality of wines. These later approach tends to produce very different quality wines which will be blended to control the final quality and/or marketed differently. These applications show that the environment and its spatial variability can be valued with the goal of controlling the final quality of the wine produced. Technologies to characterize the spatial variability of vine fields are currently in rapid evolution. They will significantly impact production methods and management strategies of the vineyard. In its last part, the presentation will summarize the technologies likely to impact the knowledge and the vineyard management either at the field level, at the vineyard level or at the regional level. A brief overview of the needs in terms of information processing will be also performed. A reflection on the difficulties that might limit the adoption of precision viticulture technologies (PV) will be done. Indeed, although very informative, PV entails high costs of information acquisition and data processing. Cost is one of the major obstacles to the dissemination of these tools and services to the majority of wine producers. In this context, the pooling of investments is a choke point to make the VP accessible to the highest number of growers. Thus, to be adopted, the VP will necessarily satisfy the operational requirements at the field level, but also throughout the whole production area (at the regional level). This working scale raises new scientific questions to be addressed.

  13. Correction of geometric distortion in Propeller echo planar imaging using a modified reversed gradient approach

    PubMed Central

    Chang, Hing-Chiu; Chuang, Tzu-Chao; Wang, Fu-Nien; Huang, Teng-Yi; Chung, Hsiao-Wen

    2013-01-01

    Objective This study investigates the application of a modified reversed gradient algorithm to the Propeller-EPI imaging method (periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction based on echo-planar imaging readout) for corrections of geometric distortions due to the EPI readout. Materials and methods Propeller-EPI acquisition was executed with 360-degree rotational coverage of the k-space, from which the image pairs with opposite phase-encoding gradient polarities were extracted for reversed gradient geometric and intensity corrections. The spatial displacements obtained on a pixel-by-pixel basis were fitted using a two-dimensional polynomial followed by low-pass filtering to assure correction reliability in low-signal regions. Single-shot EPI images were obtained on a phantom, whereas high spatial resolution T2-weighted and diffusion tensor Propeller-EPI data were acquired in vivo from healthy subjects at 3.0 Tesla, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Results Phantom images show success of the smoothed displacement map concept in providing improvements of the geometric corrections at low-signal regions. Human brain images demonstrate prominently superior reconstruction quality of Propeller-EPI images with modified reversed gradient corrections as compared with those obtained without corrections, as evidenced from verification against the distortion-free fast spin-echo images at the same level. Conclusions The modified reversed gradient method is an effective approach to obtain high-resolution Propeller-EPI images with substantially reduced artifacts. PMID:23630654

  14. Highly angular dependent high-contrast grating mirror and its application for transverse-mode control of VCSELs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inoue, Shunya; Kashino, Junichi; Matsutani, Akihiro; Ohtsuki, Hideo; Miyashita, Takahiro; Koyama, Fumio

    2014-09-01

    We report on the design and fabrication of a highly angular dependent high contrast grating (HCG) mirror. The modeling and experiment on amorphous-Si/SiO2 HCG clearly show the large angular dependence of reflectivity, which enables single transverse-mode operations of large-area VCSELs. We fabricate 980 nm VCSELs with the angular dependent HCG functioning as a spatial frequency filter. We obtained the single transverse mode operation of the fabricated device in contrast to conventional VCSELs with semiconductor multilayer mirrors.

  15. a Novel Ihs-Ga Fusion Method Based on Enhancement Vegetated Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niazi, S.; Mokhtarzade, M.; Saeedzadeh, F.

    2015-12-01

    Pan sharpening methods aim to produce a more informative image containing the positive aspects of both source images. However, the pan sharpening process usually introduces some spectral and spatial distortions in the resulting fused image. The amount of these distortions varies highly depending on the pan sharpening technique as well as the type of data. Among the existing pan sharpening methods, the Intensity-Hue-Saturation (IHS) technique is the most widely used for its efficiency and high spatial resolution. When the IHS method is used for IKONOS or QuickBird imagery, there is a significant color distortion which is mainly due to the wavelengths range of the panchromatic image. Regarding the fact that in the green vegetated regions panchromatic gray values are much larger than the gray values of intensity image. A novel method is proposed which spatially adjusts the intensity image in vegetated areas. To do so the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used to identify vegetation areas where the green band is enhanced according to the red and NIR bands. In this way an intensity image is obtained in which the gray values are comparable to the panchromatic image. Beside the genetic optimization algorithm is used to find the optimum weight parameters in order to gain the best intensity image. Visual and statistical analysis proved the efficiency of the proposed method as it significantly improved the fusion quality in comparison to conventional IHS technique. The accuracy of the proposed pan sharpening technique was also evaluated in terms of different spatial and spectral metrics. In this study, 7 metrics (Correlation Coefficient, ERGAS, RASE, RMSE, SAM, SID and Spatial Coefficient) have been used in order to determine the quality of the pan-sharpened images. Experiments were conducted on two different data sets obtained by two different imaging sensors, IKONOS and QuickBird. The result of this showed that the evaluation metrics are more promising for our fused image in comparison to other pan sharpening methods.

  16. Properties and Frequency Conversion of High-Brightness Diode-Laser Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boller, Klaus-Jochen; Beier, Bernard; Wallenstein, Richard

    An overview of recent developments in the field of high-power, high-brightness diode-lasers, and the optically nonlinear conversion of their output into other wavelength ranges, is given. We describe the generation of continuous-wave (CW) laser beams at power levels of several hundreds of milliwatts to several watts with near-perfect spatial and spectral properties using Master-Oscillator Power-Amplifier (MOPA) systems. With single- or double-stage systems, using amplifiers of tapered or rectangular geometry, up to 2.85 W high-brightness radiation is generated at wavelengths around 810nm with AlGaAs diodes. Even higher powers, up to 5.2W of single-frequency and high spatial quality beams at 925nm, are obtained with InGaAs diodes. We describe the basic properties of the oscillators and amplifiers used. A strict proof-of-quality for the diode radiation is provided by direct and efficient nonlinear optical conversion of the diode MOPA output into other wavelength ranges. We review recent experiments with the highest power levels obtained so far by direct frequency doubling of diode radiation. In these experiments, 100mW single-frequency ultraviolet light at 403nm was generated, as well as 1W of single-frequency blue radiation at 465nm. Nonlinear conversion of diode radiation into widely tunable infrared radiation has recently yielded record values. We review the efficient generation of widely tunable single-frequency radiation in the infrared with diode-pumped Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs). With this system, single-frequency output radiation with powers of more than 0.5W was generated, widely tunable around wavelengths of 2.1,m and 1.65,m and with excellent spectral and spatial quality. These developments are clear indicators of recent advances in the field of high-brightness diode-MOPA systems, and may emphasize their future central importance for applications within a vast range of optical wavelengths.

  17. Urban-hazard risk analysis: mapping of heat-related risks in the elderly in major Italian cities.

    PubMed

    Morabito, Marco; Crisci, Alfonso; Gioli, Beniamino; Gualtieri, Giovanni; Toscano, Piero; Di Stefano, Valentina; Orlandini, Simone; Gensini, Gian Franco

    2015-01-01

    Short-term impacts of high temperatures on the elderly are well known. Even though Italy has the highest proportion of elderly citizens in Europe, there is a lack of information on spatial heat-related elderly risks. Development of high-resolution, heat-related urban risk maps regarding the elderly population (≥ 65). A long time-series (2001-2013) of remote sensing MODIS data, averaged over the summer period for eleven major Italian cities, were downscaled to obtain high spatial resolution (100 m) daytime and night-time land surface temperatures (LST). LST was estimated pixel-wise by applying two statistical model approaches: 1) the Linear Regression Model (LRM); 2) the Generalized Additive Model (GAM). Total and elderly population density data were extracted from the Joint Research Centre population grid (100 m) from the 2001 census (Eurostat source), and processed together using "Crichton's Risk Triangle" hazard-risk methodology for obtaining a Heat-related Elderly Risk Index (HERI). The GAM procedure allowed for improved daytime and night-time LST estimations compared to the LRM approach. High-resolution maps of daytime and night-time HERI levels were developed for inland and coastal cities. Urban areas with the hazardous HERI level (very high risk) were not necessarily characterized by the highest temperatures. The hazardous HERI level was generally localized to encompass the city-centre in inland cities and the inner area in coastal cities. The two most dangerous HERI levels were greater in the coastal rather than inland cities. This study shows the great potential of combining geospatial technologies and spatial demographic characteristics within a simple and flexible framework in order to provide high-resolution urban mapping of daytime and night-time HERI. In this way, potential areas for intervention are immediately identified with up-to-street level details. This information could support public health operators and facilitate coordination for heat-related emergencies.

  18. Urban-Hazard Risk Analysis: Mapping of Heat-Related Risks in the Elderly in Major Italian Cities

    PubMed Central

    Morabito, Marco; Crisci, Alfonso; Gioli, Beniamino; Gualtieri, Giovanni; Toscano, Piero; Di Stefano, Valentina; Orlandini, Simone; Gensini, Gian Franco

    2015-01-01

    Background Short-term impacts of high temperatures on the elderly are well known. Even though Italy has the highest proportion of elderly citizens in Europe, there is a lack of information on spatial heat-related elderly risks. Objectives Development of high-resolution, heat-related urban risk maps regarding the elderly population (≥65). Methods A long time-series (2001–2013) of remote sensing MODIS data, averaged over the summer period for eleven major Italian cities, were downscaled to obtain high spatial resolution (100 m) daytime and night-time land surface temperatures (LST). LST was estimated pixel-wise by applying two statistical model approaches: 1) the Linear Regression Model (LRM); 2) the Generalized Additive Model (GAM). Total and elderly population density data were extracted from the Joint Research Centre population grid (100 m) from the 2001 census (Eurostat source), and processed together using “Crichton’s Risk Triangle” hazard-risk methodology for obtaining a Heat-related Elderly Risk Index (HERI). Results The GAM procedure allowed for improved daytime and night-time LST estimations compared to the LRM approach. High-resolution maps of daytime and night-time HERI levels were developed for inland and coastal cities. Urban areas with the hazardous HERI level (very high risk) were not necessarily characterized by the highest temperatures. The hazardous HERI level was generally localized to encompass the city-centre in inland cities and the inner area in coastal cities. The two most dangerous HERI levels were greater in the coastal rather than inland cities. Conclusions This study shows the great potential of combining geospatial technologies and spatial demographic characteristics within a simple and flexible framework in order to provide high-resolution urban mapping of daytime and night-time HERI. In this way, potential areas for intervention are immediately identified with up-to-street level details. This information could support public health operators and facilitate coordination for heat-related emergencies. PMID:25985204

  19. Seismic tomography for charaterization of an ore vein in the research and education mine Reiche Zeche

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winter, Sebastian; Schlüter, Ralf; Hlousek, Felix; Buske, Stefan

    2017-04-01

    A test site for the design, implementation and operation of an underground in-situ bioleaching unit has been installed by the „Biohydrometallurgical Center for Strategic Elements" at the research and education mine "Reiche Zeche" of Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg. For this purpose an ore vein block will be developed and mined with the bio-hydrometallurgical in-situ leaching technology. As a site survey an underground seismic tomography experiment has been performed to investigate the spatial distribution of the ore vein within this block consisting mainly of gneiss and with dimensions of about 30 x 10 meters. The experiment was performed with a sledgehammer as source and 76 three-component receivers with source and receiver point intervals of about 1 m surrounding the approximately rectangular block. High precision laser scanning was performed to obtain accurate source and receiver positions which was particularly necessary to obtain reliable results due to the generally high wave velocities of the gneiss. The resulting seismic data set showed a high signal-to-noise ratio with clear first arrivals which were picked for all source and receiver combinations and subsequently used as input to a first-arrival tomographic inversion scheme. The resulting velocity model has very good ray coverage and shows well resolved high- and low-velocity regions within the block. These regions can be clearly assigned to mapped outcrops of the ore vein along the galleries surrounding the block, including a correlation of low velocities to fractured rock parts as well as high velocities to the undisturbed ore vein core, respectively. In summary the obtained velocity model and the inferred spatial distribution of the ore vein provides a good basis for planning and implementing the actual ore mining step using the envisaged bioleaching technology.

  20. Spatial analysis for the identification of risk areas for schistosomiasis mansoni in the State of Sergipe, Brazil, 2005-2014.

    PubMed

    Santos, Allan Dantas Dos; Lima, Ana Caroline Rodrigues; Santos, Márcio Bezerra; Alves, José Antônio Barreto; Góes, Marco Aurélio de Oliveira; Nunes, Marco Antônio Prado; Sá, Sidney Lourdes César Souza; Araújo, Karina Conceição Gomes Machado de

    2016-01-01

    Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infectious disease with a worldwide prevalence. The objective of this work is to identify risk areas for schistosomiasis mansoni transmission in the State of Sergipe, Brazil, during the period from 2005 to 2014. We conducted an epidemiological study with secondary data from the Information System Control Program of Schistosomiasis [Sistema de Informação do Programa de Controle da Esquistossomose (SISPCE)]. Temporal trends were analyzed to obtain the annual percentage change (APC) in the rates of annual prevalence. In addition to the description of general indicators of the disease, the spatial analysis was descriptive, by means of the estimator of intensity kernel, and showed spatial dependence by indicators of global Moran (I) and Local Index of Spatial Association (LISA). Thematic maps of spatial distribution were made, identifying priority intervention areas in need of healthcare. There were 78,663 cases of schistosomiasis, with an average of 8.7% positivity recorded; 79.8% of the cases were treated, and Sergipe showed a decreasing positive trend (APC: -2.78). There was the presence of spatial autocorrelation and a significant global Moran index (I = 0.19; p-value = 0.03). We identified clusters of high-risk areas, mainly located in the northeast and southcentral of the state, which each had equally high infection rates. There was a decreasing positive trend of schistosomiasis in Sergipe. Spatial analysis identified the geographic distribution of risk and allowed the definition of priority areas for the maintenance and intensification of control interventions.

  1. Agro-hydrology and multi-temporal high-resolution remote sensing: toward an explicit spatial processes calibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrant, S.; Gascoin, S.; Veloso, A.; Salmon-Monviola, J.; Claverie, M.; Rivalland, V.; Dedieu, G.; Demarez, V.; Ceschia, E.; Probst, J.-L.; Durand, P.; Bustillo, V.

    2014-12-01

    The growing availability of high-resolution satellite image series offers new opportunities in agro-hydrological research and modeling. We investigated the possibilities offered for improving crop-growth dynamic simulation with the distributed agro-hydrological model: topography-based nitrogen transfer and transformation (TNT2). We used a leaf area index (LAI) map series derived from 105 Formosat-2 (F2) images covering the period 2006-2010. The TNT2 model (Beaujouan et al., 2002), calibrated against discharge and in-stream nitrate fluxes for the period 1985-2001, was tested on the 2005-2010 data set (climate, land use, agricultural practices, and discharge and nitrate fluxes at the outlet). Data from the first year (2005) were used to initialize the hydrological model. A priori agricultural practices obtained from an extensive field survey, such as seeding date, crop cultivar, and amount of fertilizer, were used as input variables. Continuous values of LAI as a function of cumulative daily temperature were obtained at the crop-field level by fitting a double logistic equation against discrete satellite-derived LAI. Model predictions of LAI dynamics using the a priori input parameters displayed temporal shifts from those observed LAI profiles that are irregularly distributed in space (between field crops) and time (between years). By resetting the seeding date at the crop-field level, we have developed an optimization method designed to efficiently minimize this temporal shift and better fit the crop growth against both the spatial observations and crop production. This optimization of simulated LAI has a negligible impact on water budgets at the catchment scale (1 mm yr-1 on average) but a noticeable impact on in-stream nitrogen fluxes (around 12%), which is of interest when considering nitrate stream contamination issues and the objectives of TNT2 modeling. This study demonstrates the potential contribution of the forthcoming high spatial and temporal resolution products from the Sentinel-2 satellite mission for improving agro-hydrological modeling by constraining the spatial representation of crop productivity.

  2. Agro-hydrology and multi temporal high resolution remote sensing: toward an explicit spatial processes calibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrant, S.; Gascoin, S.; Veloso, A.; Salmon-Monviola, J.; Claverie, M.; Rivalland, V.; Dedieu, G.; Demarez, V.; Ceschia, E.; Probst, J.-L.; Durand, P.; Bustillo, V.

    2014-07-01

    The recent and forthcoming availability of high resolution satellite image series offers new opportunities in agro-hydrological research and modeling. We investigated the perspective offered by improving the crop growth dynamic simulation using the distributed agro-hydrological model, Topography based Nitrogen transfer and Transformation (TNT2), using LAI map series derived from 105 Formosat-2 (F2) images during the period 2006-2010. The TNT2 model (Beaujouan et al., 2002), calibrated with discharge and in-stream nitrate fluxes for the period 1985-2001, was tested on the 2006-2010 dataset (climate, land use, agricultural practices, discharge and nitrate fluxes at the outlet). A priori agricultural practices obtained from an extensive field survey such as seeding date, crop cultivar, and fertilizer amount were used as input variables. Continuous values of LAI as a function of cumulative daily temperature were obtained at the crop field level by fitting a double logistic equation against discrete satellite-derived LAI. Model predictions of LAI dynamics with a priori input parameters showed an temporal shift with observed LAI profiles irregularly distributed in space (between field crops) and time (between years). By re-setting seeding date at the crop field level, we proposed an optimization method to minimize efficiently this temporal shift and better fit the crop growth against the spatial observations as well as crop production. This optimization of simulated LAI has a negligible impact on water budget at the catchment scale (1 mm yr-1 in average) but a noticeable impact on in-stream nitrogen fluxes (around 12%) which is of interest considering nitrate stream contamination issues and TNT2 model objectives. This study demonstrates the contribution of forthcoming high spatial and temporal resolution products of Sentinel-2 satellite mission in improving agro-hydrological modeling by constraining the spatial representation of crop productivity.

  3. Assessing the applicability of WRF optimal parameters under the different precipitation simulations in the Greater Beijing Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Di, Zhenhua; Duan, Qingyun; Wang, Chen; Ye, Aizhong; Miao, Chiyuan; Gong, Wei

    2018-03-01

    Forecasting skills of the complex weather and climate models have been improved by tuning the sensitive parameters that exert the greatest impact on simulated results based on more effective optimization methods. However, whether the optimal parameter values are still work when the model simulation conditions vary, which is a scientific problem deserving of study. In this study, a highly-effective optimization method, adaptive surrogate model-based optimization (ASMO), was firstly used to tune nine sensitive parameters from four physical parameterization schemes of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to obtain better summer precipitation forecasting over the Greater Beijing Area in China. Then, to assess the applicability of the optimal parameter values, simulation results from the WRF model with default and optimal parameter values were compared across precipitation events, boundary conditions, spatial scales, and physical processes in the Greater Beijing Area. The summer precipitation events from 6 years were used to calibrate and evaluate the optimal parameter values of WRF model. Three boundary data and two spatial resolutions were adopted to evaluate the superiority of the calibrated optimal parameters to default parameters under the WRF simulations with different boundary conditions and spatial resolutions, respectively. Physical interpretations of the optimal parameters indicating how to improve precipitation simulation results were also examined. All the results showed that the optimal parameters obtained by ASMO are superior to the default parameters for WRF simulations for predicting summer precipitation in the Greater Beijing Area because the optimal parameters are not constrained by specific precipitation events, boundary conditions, and spatial resolutions. The optimal values of the nine parameters were determined from 127 parameter samples using the ASMO method, which showed that the ASMO method is very highly-efficient for optimizing WRF model parameters.

  4. Sensitivity and specificity considerations for fMRI encoding, decoding, and mapping of auditory cortex at ultra-high field.

    PubMed

    Moerel, Michelle; De Martino, Federico; Kemper, Valentin G; Schmitter, Sebastian; Vu, An T; Uğurbil, Kâmil; Formisano, Elia; Yacoub, Essa

    2018-01-01

    Following rapid technological advances, ultra-high field functional MRI (fMRI) enables exploring correlates of neuronal population activity at an increasing spatial resolution. However, as the fMRI blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) contrast is a vascular signal, the spatial specificity of fMRI data is ultimately determined by the characteristics of the underlying vasculature. At 7T, fMRI measurement parameters determine the relative contribution of the macro- and microvasculature to the acquired signal. Here we investigate how these parameters affect relevant high-end fMRI analyses such as encoding, decoding, and submillimeter mapping of voxel preferences in the human auditory cortex. Specifically, we compare a T 2 * weighted fMRI dataset, obtained with 2D gradient echo (GE) EPI, to a predominantly T 2 weighted dataset obtained with 3D GRASE. We first investigated the decoding accuracy based on two encoding models that represented different hypotheses about auditory cortical processing. This encoding/decoding analysis profited from the large spatial coverage and sensitivity of the T 2 * weighted acquisitions, as evidenced by a significantly higher prediction accuracy in the GE-EPI dataset compared to the 3D GRASE dataset for both encoding models. The main disadvantage of the T 2 * weighted GE-EPI dataset for encoding/decoding analyses was that the prediction accuracy exhibited cortical depth dependent vascular biases. However, we propose that the comparison of prediction accuracy across the different encoding models may be used as a post processing technique to salvage the spatial interpretability of the GE-EPI cortical depth-dependent prediction accuracy. Second, we explored the mapping of voxel preferences. Large-scale maps of frequency preference (i.e., tonotopy) were similar across datasets, yet the GE-EPI dataset was preferable due to its larger spatial coverage and sensitivity. However, submillimeter tonotopy maps revealed biases in assigned frequency preference and selectivity for the GE-EPI dataset, but not for the 3D GRASE dataset. Thus, a T 2 weighted acquisition is recommended if high specificity in tonotopic maps is required. In conclusion, different fMRI acquisitions were better suited for different analyses. It is therefore critical that any sequence parameter optimization considers the eventual intended fMRI analyses and the nature of the neuroscience questions being asked. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Zeroth-order phase-contrast technique.

    PubMed

    Pizolato, José Carlos; Cirino, Giuseppe Antonio; Gonçalves, Cristhiane; Neto, Luiz Gonçalves

    2007-11-01

    What we believe to be a new phase-contrast technique is proposed to recover intensity distributions from phase distributions modulated by spatial light modulators (SLMs) and binary diffractive optical elements (DOEs). The phase distribution is directly transformed into intensity distributions using a 4f optical correlator and an iris centered in the frequency plane as a spatial filter. No phase-changing plates or phase dielectric dots are used as a filter. This method allows the use of twisted nematic liquid-crystal televisions (LCTVs) operating in the real-time phase-mostly regime mode between 0 and p to generate high-intensity multiple beams for optical trap applications. It is also possible to use these LCTVs as input SLMs for optical correlators to obtain high-intensity Fourier transform distributions of input amplitude objects.

  6. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tipireddy, R.; Stinis, P.; Tartakovsky, A. M.

    In this paper, we present a novel approach for solving steady-state stochastic partial differential equations (PDEs) with high-dimensional random parameter space. The proposed approach combines spatial domain decomposition with basis adaptation for each subdomain. The basis adaptation is used to address the curse of dimensionality by constructing an accurate low-dimensional representation of the stochastic PDE solution (probability density function and/or its leading statistical moments) in each subdomain. Restricting the basis adaptation to a specific subdomain affords finding a locally accurate solution. Then, the solutions from all of the subdomains are stitched together to provide a global solution. We support ourmore » construction with numerical experiments for a steady-state diffusion equation with a random spatially dependent coefficient. Lastly, our results show that highly accurate global solutions can be obtained with significantly reduced computational costs.« less

  7. Using Imaging Methods to Interrogate Radiation-Induced Cell Signaling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shankaran, Harish; Weber, Thomas J.; Freiin von Neubeck, Claere H.

    2012-04-01

    There is increasing emphasis on the use of systems biology approaches to define radiation induced responses in cells and tissues. Such approaches frequently rely on global screening using various high throughput 'omics' platforms. Although these methods are ideal for obtaining an unbiased overview of cellular responses, they often cannot reflect the inherent heterogeneity of the system or provide detailed spatial information. Additionally, performing such studies with multiple sampling time points can be prohibitively expensive. Imaging provides a complementary method with high spatial and temporal resolution capable of following the dynamics of signaling processes. In this review, we utilize specific examplesmore » to illustrate how imaging approaches have furthered our understanding of radiation induced cellular signaling. Particular emphasis is placed on protein co-localization, and oscillatory and transient signaling dynamics.« less

  8. Generation of Bright, Spatially Coherent Soft X-Ray High Harmonics in a Hollow Waveguide Using Two-Color Synthesized Laser Pulses.

    PubMed

    Jin, Cheng; Stein, Gregory J; Hong, Kyung-Han; Lin, C D

    2015-07-24

    We investigate the efficient generation of low-divergence high-order harmonics driven by waveform-optimized laser pulses in a gas-filled hollow waveguide. The drive waveform is obtained by synthesizing two-color laser pulses, optimized such that highest harmonic yields are emitted from each atom. Optimization of the gas pressure and waveguide configuration has enabled us to produce bright and spatially coherent harmonics extending from the extreme ultraviolet to soft x rays. Our study on the interplay among waveguide mode, atomic dispersion, and plasma effect uncovers how dynamic phase matching is accomplished and how an optimized waveform is maintained when optimal waveguide parameters (radius and length) and gas pressure are identified. Our analysis should help laboratory development in the generation of high-flux bright coherent soft x rays as tabletop light sources for applications.

  9. 16 W output power by high-efficient spectral beam combining of DBR-tapered diode lasers.

    PubMed

    Müller, André; Vijayakumar, Deepak; Jensen, Ole Bjarlin; Hasler, Karl-Heinz; Sumpf, Bernd; Erbert, Götz; Andersen, Peter E; Petersen, Paul Michael

    2011-01-17

    Up to 16 W output power has been obtained using spectral beam combining of two 1063 nm DBR-tapered diode lasers. Using a reflecting volume Bragg grating, a combining efficiency as high as 93.7% is achieved, resulting in a single beam with high spatial coherence. The result represents the highest output power achieved by spectral beam combining of two single element tapered diode lasers. Since spectral beam combining does not affect beam propagation parameters, M2-values of 1.8 (fast axis) and 3.3 (slow axis) match the M2-values of the laser with lowest spatial coherence. The principle of spectral beam combining used in our experiments can be expanded to combine more than two tapered diode lasers and hence it is expected that the output power may be increased even further in the future.

  10. Implementation of a SVWP-based laser beam shaping technique for generation of 100-mJ-level picosecond pulses.

    PubMed

    Adamonis, J; Aleknavičius, A; Michailovas, K; Balickas, S; Petrauskienė, V; Gertus, T; Michailovas, A

    2016-10-01

    We present implementation of the energy-efficient and flexible laser beam shaping technique in a high-power and high-energy laser amplifier system. The beam shaping is based on a spatially variable wave plate (SVWP) fabricated by femtosecond laser nanostructuring of glass. We reshaped the initially Gaussian beam into a super-Gaussian (SG) of the 12th order with efficiency of about 50%. The 12th order of the SG beam provided the best compromise between large fill factor, low diffraction on the edges of the active media, and moderate intensity distribution modification during free-space propagation. We obtained 150 mJ pulses of 532 nm radiation. High-energy, pulse duration of 85 ps and the nearly flat-top spatial profile of the beam make it ideal for pumping optical parametric chirped pulse amplification systems.

  11. Chandra/ACIS Observations of the 30 Doradus Star-Forming Complex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Townsley, Leisa; Broos, Patrick; Feigelson, Eric; Burrows, David; Chu, You-Hua; Garmire, Gordon; Griffiths, Richard; Maeda, Yoshitomo; Pavlov, George; Tsuboi, Yohko

    2002-04-01

    30 Doradus is the archetype giant extragalactic H II region, a massive star-forming complex in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We examine high-spatial-resolution X-ray images and spectra of the essential parts of 30 Doradus, obtained with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The central cluster of young high-mass stars, R136, is resolved at the arcsecond level, allowing spectral analysis of bright constituents; other OB/Wolf-Rayet binaries and multiple systems (e.g. R139, R140) are also detected. Spatially-resolved spectra are presented for N157B, the composite SNR containing a 16-msec pulsar. The spectrally soft superbubble structures seen by ROSAT are dramatically imaged by Chandra; we explore the spectral differences they exhibit. Taken together, the components of 30 Doradus give us an excellent microscopic view of high-energy phenomena seen on larger scales in more distant galaxies as starbursts and galactic winds.

  12. Combining High Spatial Resolution Optical and LIDAR Data for Object-Based Image Classification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, R.; Zhang, T.; Geng, R.; Wang, L.

    2018-04-01

    In order to classify high spatial resolution images more accurately, in this research, a hierarchical rule-based object-based classification framework was developed based on a high-resolution image with airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. The eCognition software is employed to conduct the whole process. In detail, firstly, the FBSP optimizer (Fuzzy-based Segmentation Parameter) is used to obtain the optimal scale parameters for different land cover types. Then, using the segmented regions as basic units, the classification rules for various land cover types are established according to the spectral, morphological and texture features extracted from the optical images, and the height feature from LiDAR respectively. Thirdly, the object classification results are evaluated by using the confusion matrix, overall accuracy and Kappa coefficients. As a result, a method using the combination of an aerial image and the airborne Lidar data shows higher accuracy.

  13. High resolution propagation-based imaging system for in vivo dynamic computed tomography of lungs in small animals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Preissner, M.; Murrie, R. P.; Pinar, I.; Werdiger, F.; Carnibella, R. P.; Zosky, G. R.; Fouras, A.; Dubsky, S.

    2018-04-01

    We have developed an x-ray imaging system for in vivo four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) of small animals for pre-clinical lung investigations. Our customized laboratory facility is capable of high resolution in vivo imaging at high frame rates. Characterization using phantoms demonstrate a spatial resolution of slightly below 50 μm at imaging rates of 30 Hz, and the ability to quantify material density differences of at least 3%. We benchmark our system against existing small animal pre-clinical CT scanners using a quality factor that combines spatial resolution, image noise, dose and scan time. In vivo 4DCT images obtained on our system demonstrate resolution of important features such as blood vessels and small airways, of which the smallest discernible were measured as 55–60 μm in cross section. Quantitative analysis of the images demonstrate regional differences in ventilation between injured and healthy lungs.

  14. High-resolution Statistics of Solar Wind Turbulence at Kinetic Scales Using the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chasapis, Alexandros; Matthaeus, W. H.; Parashar, T. N.

    Using data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) and Cluster missions obtained in the solar wind, we examine second-order and fourth-order structure functions at varying spatial lags normalized to ion inertial scales. The analysis includes direct two-spacecraft results and single-spacecraft results employing the familiar Taylor frozen-in flow approximation. Several familiar statistical results, including the spectral distribution of energy, and the sale-dependent kurtosis, are extended down to unprecedented spatial scales of ∼6 km, approaching electron scales. The Taylor approximation is also confirmed at those small scales, although small deviations are present in the kinetic range. The kurtosis is seen to attain verymore » high values at sub-proton scales, supporting the previously reported suggestion that monofractal behavior may be due to high-frequency plasma waves at kinetic scales.« less

  15. Fractal properties of background noise and target signal enhancement using CSEM data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benavides, Alfonso; Everett, Mark E.; Pierce, Carl; Nguyen, Cam

    2003-09-01

    Controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) spatial profiles and 2-D conductivity maps were obtained on the Brazos Valley, TX floodplain to study the fractal statistics of geological signals and effects of man-made conductive targets using Geonics EM34, EM31 and EM63. Using target-free areas, a consistent power-law power spectrum (|A(k)| ~ k ^-β) for the profiles was found with β values typical of fractional Brownian motion (fBm). This means that the spatial variation of conductivity does not correspond to Gaussian statistics, where there are spatial correlations at different scales. The presence of targets tends to flatten the power-law power spectrum (PS) at small wavenumbers. Detection and localization of targets can be achieved using short-time Fourier transform (STFT). The presence of targets is enhanced because the signal energy is spread to higher wavenumbers (small scale numbers) in the positions occupied by the targets. In the case of poor spatial sampling or small amount of data, the information available from the power spectrum is not enough to separate spatial correlations from target signatures. Advantages are gained by using the spatial correlations of the fBm in order to reject the background response, and to enhance the signals from highly conductive targets. This approach was tested for the EM31 using a pre-processing step that combines apparent conductivity readings from two perpendicular transmitter-receiver orientations at each station. The response obtained using time-domain CSEM is influence to a lesser degree by geological noise and the target response can be processed to recover target features. The homotopy method is proposed to solve the inverse problem using a set of possible target models and a dynamic library of responses used to optimize the starting model.

  16. Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Multiple Cropping Indices in the North China Plain Using a Long Remote Sensing Data Time Series.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Yan; Bai, Linyan; Feng, Jianzhong; Lin, Xiaosong; Wang, Li; Xu, Lijun; Ran, Qiyun; Wang, Kui

    2016-04-19

    Multiple cropping provides China with a very important system of intensive cultivation, and can effectively enhance the efficiency of farmland use while improving regional food production and security. A multiple cropping index (MCI), which represents the intensity of multiple cropping and reflects the effects of climate change on agricultural production and cropping systems, often serves as a useful parameter. Therefore, monitoring the dynamic changes in the MCI of farmland over a large area using remote sensing data is essential. For this purpose, nearly 30 years of MCIs related to dry land in the North China Plain (NCP) were efficiently extracted from remotely sensed leaf area index (LAI) data from the Global LAnd Surface Satellite (GLASS). Next, the characteristics of the spatial-temporal change in MCI were analyzed. First, 2162 typical arable sample sites were selected based on a gridded spatial sampling strategy, and then the LAI information was extracted from the samples. Second, the Savizky-Golay filter was used to smooth the LAI time-series data of the samples, and then the MCIs of the samples were obtained using a second-order difference algorithm. Finally, the geo-statistical Kriging method was employed to map the spatial distribution of the MCIs and to obtain a time-series dataset of the MCIs of dry land over the NCP. The results showed that all of the MCIs in the NCP showed an increasing trend over the entire study period and increased most rapidly from 1982 to 2002. Spatially, MCIs decreased from south to north; also, high MCIs were mainly concentrated in the relatively flat areas. In addition, the partial spatial changes of MCIs had clear geographical characteristics, with the largest change in Henan Province.

  17. Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Multiple Cropping Indices in the North China Plain Using a Long Remote Sensing Data Time Series

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Yan; Bai, Linyan; Feng, Jianzhong; Lin, Xiaosong; Wang, Li; Xu, Lijun; Ran, Qiyun; Wang, Kui

    2016-01-01

    Multiple cropping provides China with a very important system of intensive cultivation, and can effectively enhance the efficiency of farmland use while improving regional food production and security. A multiple cropping index (MCI), which represents the intensity of multiple cropping and reflects the effects of climate change on agricultural production and cropping systems, often serves as a useful parameter. Therefore, monitoring the dynamic changes in the MCI of farmland over a large area using remote sensing data is essential. For this purpose, nearly 30 years of MCIs related to dry land in the North China Plain (NCP) were efficiently extracted from remotely sensed leaf area index (LAI) data from the Global LAnd Surface Satellite (GLASS). Next, the characteristics of the spatial-temporal change in MCI were analyzed. First, 2162 typical arable sample sites were selected based on a gridded spatial sampling strategy, and then the LAI information was extracted from the samples. Second, the Savizky-Golay filter was used to smooth the LAI time-series data of the samples, and then the MCIs of the samples were obtained using a second-order difference algorithm. Finally, the geo-statistical Kriging method was employed to map the spatial distribution of the MCIs and to obtain a time-series dataset of the MCIs of dry land over the NCP. The results showed that all of the MCIs in the NCP showed an increasing trend over the entire study period and increased most rapidly from 1982 to 2002. Spatially, MCIs decreased from south to north; also, high MCIs were mainly concentrated in the relatively flat areas. In addition, the partial spatial changes of MCIs had clear geographical characteristics, with the largest change in Henan Province. PMID:27104536

  18. Spatial layout optimization design of multi-type LEDs lighting source based on photoelectrothermal coupling theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xue, Lingyun; Li, Guang; Chen, Qingguang; Rao, Huanle; Xu, Ping

    2018-03-01

    Multiple LED-based spectral synthesis technology has been widely used in the fields of solar simulator, color mixing, and artificial lighting of plant factory and so on. Generally, amounts of LEDs are spatially arranged with compact layout to obtain the high power density output. Mutual thermal spreading among LEDs will produce the coupled thermal effect which will additionally increase the junction temperature of LED. Affected by the Photoelectric thermal coupling effect of LED, the spectrum of LED will shift and luminous efficiency will decrease. Correspondingly, the spectral synthesis result will mismatch. Therefore, thermal management of LED spatial layout plays an important role for multi-LEDs light source system. In the paper, the thermal dissipation network topology model considering the mutual thermal spreading effect among the LEDs is proposed for multi-LEDs system with various types of power. The junction temperature increment cased by the thermal coupling has the great relation with the spatial arrangement. To minimize the thermal coupling effect, an optimized method of LED spatial layout for the specific light source structure is presented and analyzed. The results showed that layout of LED with high-power are arranged in the corner and low-power in the center. Finally, according to this method, it is convenient to determine the spatial layout of LEDs in a system having any kind of light source structure, and has the advantages of being universally applicable to facilitate adjustment.

  19. Socio-ecological factors and hand, foot and mouth disease in dry climate regions: a Bayesian spatial approach in Gansu, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gou, Faxiang; Liu, Xinfeng; Ren, Xiaowei; Liu, Dongpeng; Liu, Haixia; Wei, Kongfu; Yang, Xiaoting; Cheng, Yao; Zheng, Yunhe; Jiang, Xiaojuan; Li, Juansheng; Meng, Lei; Hu, Wenbiao

    2017-01-01

    The influence of socio-ecological factors on hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) were explored in this study using Bayesian spatial modeling and spatial patterns identified in dry regions of Gansu, China. Notified HFMD cases and socio-ecological data were obtained from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention, Gansu Yearbook and Gansu Meteorological Bureau. A Bayesian spatial conditional autoregressive model was used to quantify the effects of socio-ecological factors on the HFMD and explore spatial patterns, with the consideration of its socio-ecological effects. Our non-spatial model suggests temperature (relative risk (RR) 1.15, 95 % CI 1.01-1.31), GDP per capita (RR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.01-1.39) and population density (RR 1.98, 95 % CI 1.19-3.17) to have a significant effect on HFMD transmission. However, after controlling for spatial random effects, only temperature (RR 1.25, 95 % CI 1.04-1.53) showed significant association with HFMD. The spatial model demonstrates temperature to play a major role in the transmission of HFMD in dry regions. Estimated residual variation after taking into account the socio-ecological variables indicated that high incidences of HFMD were mainly clustered in the northwest of Gansu. And, spatial structure showed a unique distribution after taking account of socio-ecological effects.

  20. High-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–imaging mass spectrometry of lipids in rodent optic nerve tissue

    PubMed Central

    Anderson, David M. G.; Mills, Daniel; Spraggins, Jeffrey; Lambert, Wendi S.; Calkins, David J.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose To develop a method for generating high spatial resolution (10 µm) matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) images of lipids in rodent optic nerve tissue. Methods Ice-embedded optic nerve tissue from rats and mice were cryosectioned across the coronal and sagittal axes of the nerve fiber. Sections were thaw mounted on gold-coated MALDI plates and were washed with ammonium acetate to remove biologic salts before being coated in 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid by sublimation. MALDI images were generated in positive and negative ion modes at 10 µm spatial resolution. Lipid identification was performed with a high mass resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Results Several lipid species were observed with high signal intensity in MALDI images of optic nerve tissue. Several lipids were localized to specific structures including in the meninges surrounding the optic nerve and in the central neuronal tissue. Specifically, phosphatidylcholine species were observed throughout the nerve tissue in positive ion mode while sulfatide species were observed in high abundance in the meninges surrounding the optic nerve in negative ion mode. Accurate mass measurements and fragmentation using sustained off-resonance irradiation with a high mass resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer instrument allowed for identification of lipid species present in the small structure of the optic nerve directly from tissue sections. Conclusions An optimized sample preparation method provides excellent sensitivity for lipid species present within optic nerve tissue. This allowed the laser spot size and fluence to be reduced to obtain a high spatial resolution of 10 µm. This new imaging modality can now be applied to determine spatial and molecular changes in optic nerve tissue with disease. PMID:23559852

  1. A temporal and spatial analysis of anthropogenic noise sources affecting SNMR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dalgaard, E.; Christiansen, P.; Larsen, J. J.; Auken, E.

    2014-11-01

    One of the biggest challenges when using the surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) method in urban areas is a relatively low signal level compared to a high level of background noise. To understand the temporal and spatial behavior of anthropogenic noise sources like powerlines and electric fences, we have developed a multichannel instrument, noiseCollector (nC), which measures the full noise spectrum up to 10 kHz. Combined with advanced signal processing we can interpret the noise as seen by a SNMR instrument and also obtain insight into the more fundamental behavior of the noise. To obtain a specified acceptable noise level for a SNMR sounding the stack size can be determined by quantifying the different noise sources. Two common noise sources, electromagnetic fields stemming from powerlines and fences are analyzed and show a 1/r2 dependency in agreement with theoretical relations. A typical noise map, obtained with the nC instrument prior to a SNMR field campaign, clearly shows the location of noise sources, and thus we can efficiently determine the optimal location for the SNMR sounding from a noise perspective.

  2. Common Problems with Pyrometry at Shock Physics Experiments and How to Avoid Them

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seifter, Achim; Obst, Andrew; Holtkamp, David

    2007-06-01

    Temperature is not only one of the most prominent parameters in shock physics experiments but also very hard to determine experimentally. Only a few techniques are available because of difficulties due to the short timescale and often very low temperatures. Pyrometry is the most portable of these techniques but has to deal with some problems which give rise to uncertainties. Only if the experiment is designed very carefully some of these difficulties like background radiation from high explosive burn products, muzzle flash or laser light can be avoided. Other problems like spatial temperature non-uniformities or thermal radiation from a transparent anvil are inherent to the experiment and cannot be avoided. By choosing the proper spectral range covered by the pyrometer and fitting the obtained spectral radiance traces with appropriate models meaningful results can be obtained. In this paper we will describe the most important points to be taken into account when designing the experiment, present considerations for choosing the wavelength range of the pyrometer and show data where spatial non uniformities or radiation from hot anvils occurred and temperature data could still be obtained.

  3. Spatial Variations of Chemical Abundances in Titan's Atmosphere as Revealed by ALMA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thelen, Alexander E.; Nixon, Conor; Chanover, Nancy J.; Molter, Edward; Serigano, Joseph; Cordiner, Martin; Charnley, Steven B.; Teanby, Nicholas A.; Irwin, Patrick

    2016-10-01

    Complex organic molecules in Titan's atmosphere - formed through the dissociation of N2 and CH4 - exhibit latitudinal variations in abundance as observed by Cassini. Chemical species including hydrocarbons - such as CH3CCH - and nitriles - HCN, HC3N, CH3CN, and C2H5CN - may show spatial abundance variations as a result of atmospheric circulation, photochemical production and subsequent destruction throughout Titan's seasonal cycle. Recent calibration images of Titan taken by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) with beam sizes of ~0.3'' allow for measurements of rotational transition lines of these species in spatially resolved regions of Titan's disk. We present abundance profiles obtained from public ALMA data taken in 2014, as Titan transitioned into northern summer. Abundance profiles in Titan's lower/middle atmosphere were retrieved by modeling high resolution ALMA spectra using the Non-linear Optimal Estimator for MultivariatE Spectral analySIS (NEMESIS) radiative transfer code. These retrievals were performed using spatial temperature profiles obtained by modeling strong CO lines from datasets taken in similar times with comparable resolution. We compare the abundance variations of chemical species to measurements made using Cassini data. Comparisons of chemical species with strong abundance enhancements over the poles will inform our knowledge of chemical lifetimes in Titan's atmosphere, and allow us to observe the important changes in production and circulation of numerous organic molecules which are attributed to Titan's seasons.

  4. Magnetic Field "Flyby" Measurement Using a Smartphone's Magnetometer and Accelerometer Simultaneously

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Monteiro, Martin; Stari, Cecilia; Cabeza, Cecilia; Marti, Arturo C.

    2017-01-01

    The spatial dependence of magnetic fields in simple configurations is a common topic in introductory electromagnetism lessons, both in high school and in university courses. In typical experiments, magnetic fields and distances are obtained taking point-by-point values using a Hall sensor and a ruler, respectively. Here, we show how to take…

  5. Remote sensing of potential lunar resources. 2: High spatial resolution mapping of spectral reflectance ratios and implications for nearside mare TiO2 content`

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Melendrez, David E.; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Larson, Stephen M.; Singer, Robert B.

    1994-01-01

    High spatial resolution maps illustrating variations in spectral reflectance 400/560 nm ratio values have been generated for the following mare regions: (1) the border between southern Mare Serenitatis and northern Mare Tranquillitatis (including the MS-2 standard area and Apollo 17 landing site), (2) central Mare Tranquillitatis, (3) Oceanus Procellarum near Seleucus, and (4) southern Oceanus Procellarum and Flamsteed. We have also obtained 320-1000 nm reflectance spectra of several sites relative to MS-2 to facilitate scaling of the images and provide additional information on surface composition. Inferred TiO2 abundances for these mare regions have been determined using an empirical calibration which relates the weight percent TiO2 in mature mare regolith to the observed 400/560 nm ratio. Mare areas with high TiO2 abundances are probably rich in ilmenite (FeTiO3) a potential lunar resource. The highest potential TiO2 concentrations we have identified in the nearside maria occur in central Mare Tranquillitatis. Inferred TiO2 contents for these areas are greater than 9 wt% and are spatially consistent with the highest-TiO2 regions mapped previously at lower spatial resolution. We note that the morphology of surface units with high 400/560 nm ratio values increases in complexity at higher spatial resolutions. Comparisons have been made with previously published geologic maps, Lunar Orbiter IV, and ground-based images, and some possible morphologic correlatins have been found between our mapped 400/560 nm ratio values and volcanic landforms such as lava flows, mare domes, and collapse pits.

  6. Influence of excited state spatial distributions on plasma diagnostics: Atmospheric pressure laser-induced He-H2 plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monfared, Shabnam K.; Hüwel, Lutz

    2012-10-01

    Atmospheric pressure plasmas in helium-hydrogen mixtures with H2 molar concentrations ranging from 0.13% to 19.7% were investigated at times from 1 to 25 μs after formation by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Spatially integrated electron density values are obtained using time resolved optical emission spectroscopic techniques. Depending on mixture concentration and delay time, electron densities vary from almost 1017 cm-3 to about 1014 cm-3. Helium based results agree reasonably well with each other, as do values extracted from the Hα and Hβ emission lines. However, in particular for delays up to about 7 μs and in mixtures with less than 1% hydrogen, large discrepancies are observed between results obtained from the two species. Differences decrease with increasing hydrogen partial pressure and/or increasing delay time. In mixtures with molecular hydrogen fraction of 7% or more, all methods yield electron densities that are in good agreement. These findings seemingly contradict the well-established idea that addition of small amounts of hydrogen for diagnostic purposes does not perturb the plasma. Using Abel inversion analysis of the experimental data and a semi-empirical numerical model, we demonstrate that the major part of the detected discrepancies can be traced to differences in the spatial distributions of excited helium and hydrogen neutrals. The model yields spatially resolved emission intensities and electron density profiles that are in qualitative agreement with experiment. For the test case of a 1% H2 mixture at 5 μs delay, our model suggests that high electron temperatures cause an elevated degree of ionization and thus a reduction of excited hydrogen concentration relative to that of helium near the plasma center. As a result, spatially integrated analysis of hydrogen emission lines leads to oversampling of the plasma perimeter and thus to lower electron density values compared to those obtained from helium lines.

  7. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy microscopic imaging classification based on spatial-spectral features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Lian; Yang, Xiukun; Zhong, Mingliang; Liu, Yao; Jing, Xiaojun; Yang, Qin

    2018-04-01

    The discrete fractional Brownian incremental random (DFBIR) field is used to describe the irregular, random, and highly complex shapes of natural objects such as coastlines and biological tissues, for which traditional Euclidean geometry cannot be used. In this paper, an anisotropic variable window (AVW) directional operator based on the DFBIR field model is proposed for extracting spatial characteristics of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) microscopic imaging. Probabilistic principal component analysis first extracts spectral features, and then the spatial features of the proposed AVW directional operator are combined with the former to construct a spatial-spectral structure, which increases feature-related information and helps a support vector machine classifier to obtain more efficient distribution-related information. Compared to Haralick’s grey-level co-occurrence matrix, Gabor filters, and local binary patterns (e.g. uniform LBPs, rotation-invariant LBPs, uniform rotation-invariant LBPs), experiments on three FTIR spectroscopy microscopic imaging datasets show that the proposed AVW directional operator is more advantageous in terms of classification accuracy, particularly for low-dimensional spaces of spatial characteristics.

  8. Confocal laser induced fluorescence with comparable spatial localization to the conventional method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, Derek S.; Henriquez, Miguel F.; Scime, Earl E.; Good, Timothy N.

    2017-10-01

    We present measurements of ion velocity distributions obtained by laser induced fluorescence (LIF) using a single viewport in an argon plasma. A patent pending design, which we refer to as the confocal fluorescence telescope, combines large objective lenses with a large central obscuration and a spatial filter to achieve high spatial localization along the laser injection direction. Models of the injection and collection optics of the two assemblies are used to provide a theoretical estimate of the spatial localization of the confocal arrangement, which is taken to be the full width at half maximum of the spatial optical response. The new design achieves approximately 1.4 mm localization at a focal length of 148.7 mm, improving on previously published designs by an order of magnitude and approaching the localization achieved by the conventional method. The confocal method, however, does so without requiring a pair of separated, perpendicular optical paths. The confocal technique therefore eases the two window access requirement of the conventional method, extending the application of LIF to experiments where conventional LIF measurements have been impossible or difficult, or where multiple viewports are scarce.

  9. Spatial Differentiation of Arable Land and Permanent Grasslands to Improve a Regional Land Management Model for Nutrient Balancing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gómez Giménez, M.; Della Peruta, R.; de Jong, R.; Keller, A.; Schaepman, M. E.

    2015-12-01

    Agroecosystems play an important role providing economic and ecosystem services, which directly impact society. Inappropriate land use and unsustainable agricultural management with associated nutrient cycles can jeopardize important soil functions such as food production, livestock feeding and conservation of biodiversity. The objective of this study was to integrate remotely sensed land cover information into a regional Land Management Model (LMM) to improve the assessment of spatial explicit nutrient balances for agroecosystems. Remotely sensed data as well as an optimized parameter set contributed to feed the LMM providing a better spatial allocation of agricultural data aggregated at farm level. The integration of land use information in the land allocation process relied predominantly on three factors: i) spatial resolution, ii) classification accuracy and iii) parcels definition. The best-input parameter combination resulted in two different land cover classifications with overall accuracies of 98%, improving the LMM performance by 16% as compared to using non-spatially explicit input. Firstly, the use of spatial explicit information improved the spatial allocation output resulting in a pattern that better followed parcel boundaries (Figure 1). Second, the high classification accuracies ensured consistency between the datasets used. Third, the use of a suitable spatial unit to define the parcels boundaries influenced the model in terms of computational time and the amount of farmland allocated. We conclude that the combined use of remote sensing (RS) data with the LMM has the potential to provide highly accurate information of spatial explicit nutrient balances that are crucial for policy options concerning sustainable management of agricultural soils. Figure 1. Details of the spatial pattern obtained: a) Using only the farm census data, b) using also land use information. Framed in black in the left image (a), examples of artifacts that disappeared when using land use information (right image, b). Colors represent different ownership.

  10. Enhanced spatial resolution in fluorescence molecular tomography using restarted L1-regularized nonlinear conjugate gradient algorithm.

    PubMed

    Shi, Junwei; Liu, Fei; Zhang, Guanglei; Luo, Jianwen; Bai, Jing

    2014-04-01

    Owing to the high degree of scattering of light through tissues, the ill-posedness of fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) inverse problem causes relatively low spatial resolution in the reconstruction results. Unlike L2 regularization, L1 regularization can preserve the details and reduce the noise effectively. Reconstruction is obtained through a restarted L1 regularization-based nonlinear conjugate gradient (re-L1-NCG) algorithm, which has been proven to be able to increase the computational speed with low memory consumption. The algorithm consists of inner and outer iterations. In the inner iteration, L1-NCG is used to obtain the L1-regularized results. In the outer iteration, the restarted strategy is used to increase the convergence speed of L1-NCG. To demonstrate the performance of re-L1-NCG in terms of spatial resolution, simulation and physical phantom studies with fluorescent targets located with different edge-to-edge distances were carried out. The reconstruction results show that the re-L1-NCG algorithm has the ability to resolve targets with an edge-to-edge distance of 0.1 cm at a depth of 1.5 cm, which is a significant improvement for FMT.

  11. Mining spatiotemporal patterns of urban dwellers from taxi trajectory data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, Feng; Ji, Minhe; Liu, Ting

    2016-06-01

    With the widespread adoption of locationaware technology, obtaining long-sequence, massive and high-accuracy spatiotemporal trajectory data of individuals has become increasingly popular in various geographic studies. Trajectory data of taxis, one of the most widely used inner-city travel modes, contain rich information about both road network traffic and travel behavior of passengers. Such data can be used to study the microscopic activity patterns of individuals as well as the macro system of urban spatial structures. This paper focuses on trajectories obtained from GPS-enabled taxis and their applications for mining urban commuting patterns. A novel approach is proposed to discover spatiotemporal patterns of household travel from the taxi trajectory dataset with a large number of point locations. The approach involves three critical steps: spatial clustering of taxi origin-destination (OD) based on urban traffic grids to discover potentially meaningful places, identifying threshold values from statistics of the OD clusters to extract urban jobs-housing structures, and visualization of analytic results to understand the spatial distribution and temporal trends of the revealed urban structures and implied household commuting behavior. A case study with a taxi trajectory dataset in Shanghai, China is presented to demonstrate and evaluate the proposed method.

  12. RAPD variation and population genetic structure of Physalaemus cuvieri (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in Central Brazil.

    PubMed

    Telles, Mariana Pires de Campos; Bastos, Rogério Pereira; Soares, Thannya Nascimento; Resende, Lucileide Vilela; Diniz-Filho, José Alexandre Felizola

    2006-01-01

    Studies about the organization of the genetic variability and population structure in natural populations are used either to understand microevolutionary processes or the effects of isolation by human-inducted landscape modifications. In this paper, we analyzed patterns of genetic population structure using 126 RAPD loci scored for 214 individuals of Physalaemus cuvieri, sampled from 18 local populations. Around 97% of these loci were polymorphic. The among-population variation component (Phi(ST)) obtained by AMOVA was equal to 0.101 and theta B obtained using a Bayesian approach for dominant markers was 0.103. Genetic divergence, analyzed by Mantel spatial correlogram, revealed only a short-distance significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances. This is expected if low levels of population differentiation, due to high abundance buffering the effect of stochastic processes, are combined with low spatially restricted gene flow. Although this may be consistent with the current knowledge of species' biology, the spatial distribution of local populations observed in this study also suggest that, at least in part, recent human occupation and habitat fragmentation may also explain part of the interpopulational component of the genetic variation.

  13. Improving the surface metrology accuracy of optical profilers by using multiple measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Xudong; Huang, Qiushi; Shen, Zhengxiang; Wang, Zhanshan

    2016-10-01

    The performance of high-resolution optical systems is affected by small angle scattering at the mid-spatial-frequency irregularities of the optical surface. Characterizing these irregularities is, therefore, important. However, surface measurements obtained with optical profilers are influenced by additive white noise, as indicated by the heavy-tail effect observable on their power spectral density (PSD). A multiple-measurement method is used to reduce the effects of white noise by averaging individual measurements. The intensity of white noise is determined using a model based on the theoretical PSD of fractal surface measurements with additive white noise. The intensity of white noise decreases as the number of times of multiple measurements increases. Using multiple measurements also increases the highest observed spatial frequency; this increase is derived and calculated. Additionally, the accuracy obtained using multiple measurements is carefully studied, with the analysis of both the residual reference error after calibration, and the random errors appearing in the range of measured spatial frequencies. The resulting insights on the effects of white noise in optical profiler measurements and the methods to mitigate them may prove invaluable to improve the quality of surface metrology with optical profilers.

  14. A compact "water-window" microscope with 60-nm spatial resolution based on a double stream gas-puff target and Fresnel zone plate optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wachulak, Przemyslaw; Torrisi, Alfio; Nawaz, Muhammad F.; Adjei, Daniel; Bartnik, Andrzej; Kostecki, Jerzy; Wegrzynski, Łukasz; Vondrová, Šárka; Turňová, Jana; Fok, Tomasz; Jančarek, Alexandr; Fiedorowicz, Henryk

    2015-05-01

    Radiation with shorter illumination wavelength allows for extension of the diffraction limit towards nanometer scale, which is a straightforward way to significantly improve a spatial resolution in photon based microscopes. Soft X-ray (SXR) radiation, from the so called "water window" spectral range, λ=2.3-4.4 nm, which is particularly suitable for biological imaging due to natural optical contrast, providing much better spatial resolution than one obtained with visible light microscopes. The high contrast is obtained because of selective absorption of radiation by carbon and water, being constituents of the biological samples. We present a desk-top system, capable of resolving 60 nm features in few seconds exposure time. We exploit the advantages of a compact, laser-plasma SXR source, based on a double stream nitrogen gas puff target, developed at the Institute of Optoelectronics, Military University of Technology. The source, emitting quasi-monochromatic, incoherent radiation, in the "water widow" spectral range at λ = 2.88 nm, is coupled with ellipsoidal, grazing incidence condenser and Fresnel zone plate objective. The construction of the microscope with some recent images of test and real samples will be presented and discussed.

  15. Kinetic energy and scalar spectra in high Rayleigh number axially homogeneous buoyancy driven turbulence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pawar, Shashikant S.; Arakeri, Jaywant H.

    2016-06-01

    Kinetic energy and scalar spectra from the measurements in high Rayleigh number axially homogeneous buoyancy driven turbulent flow are presented. Kinetic energy and concentration (scalar) spectra are obtained from the experiments wherein density difference is created using brine and fresh water and temperature spectra are obtained from the experiments in which heat is used. Scaling of the frequency spectra of lateral and longitudinal velocity near the tube axis is closer to the Kolmogorov-Obukhov scaling, while the scalar spectra show some evidence of dual scaling, Bolgiano-Obukhov scaling followed by Obukhov-Corrsin scaling. These scalings are also observed in the corresponding second order spatial structure functions of velocity and concentration fluctuations.

  16. High Spatial Resolution Europa Coverage by the Galileo Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    The NIMS instrument on the Galileo spacecraft, which is being used to map the mineral and ice properties over the surfaces of the Jovian moons, produces global spectral images at modest spatial resolution and high resolution spectral images for small selected regions on the satellites. This map illustrates the high resolution coverage of Europa obtained by NIMS through the April 1997 G7 orbit.

    The areas covered are displayed on a Voyager-derived map. A good sampling of the dark trailing-side material (180 to 360 degrees) has been obtained, with less coverage of Europa's leading side.

    The false-color composites use red, green and blue to represent the infrared brightnesses at 0.7, 1.51 and 1.82 microns respectively. Considerable variations are evident and are related to the composition and sizes of the surface grains.

    The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC.

    The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC.

    This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov.

  17. Spectroscopic Study of a Pulsed High-Energy Plasma Deflagration Accelerator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loebner, Keith; Underwood, Thomas; Mouratidis, Theodore; Cappelli, Mark

    2015-11-01

    Observations of broadened Balmer lines emitted by a highly-ionized transient plasma jet are presented. A gated CCD camera coupled to a high-resolution spectrometer is used to obtain chord-averaged broadening data for a complete cross section of the plasma jet, and the data is Abel inverted to derive the radial plasma density distribution. This measurement is performed over narrow gate widths and at multiple axial positions to provide high spatial and temporal resolution. A streak camera coupled to a spectrometer is used to obtain continuous-time broadening data over the entire duration of the discharge event (10-50 microseconds). Analyses of discharge characteristics and comparisons with previous work are discussed. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Stewardship Science Academic Program, as well as the National Defense Science Engineering Graduate Fellowship.

  18. High spatiotemporal resolution monitoring of hydrological function across degraded peatlands in the south west UK.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ashe, Josie; Luscombe, David; Grand-Clement, Emilie; Gatis, Naomi; Anderson, Karen; Brazier, Richard

    2014-05-01

    The Exmoor/Dartmoor Mires Project is a peatland restoration programme focused on the geoclimatically marginal blanket bogs of South West England. In order to better understand the hydrological functioning of degraded/restored peatlands and support land management decisions across these uplands, this study is providing robust spatially distributed, hydrological monitoring at a high temporal resolution and in near real time. This paper presents the conceptual framework and experimental design for three hydrological monitoring arrays situated in headwater catchments dominated by eroding and drained blanket peatland. Over 250 individual measurements are collected at a high temporal resolution (15 minute time-step) via sensors integrated within a remote telemetry system. These are sent directly to a dedicated server over VHF and GPRS mobile networks. Sensors arrays are distributed at varying spatial scales throughout the studied catchments and record multiple parameters including: water table depth, channel flow, temperature, conductivity and pH measurements. A full suite of meteorological sensors and ten spatially distributed automatic flow based water samplers are also connected to the telemetry system and controlled remotely. This paper will highlight the challenges and solutions to obtaining these data in exceptionally remote and harsh field conditions over long (multi annual) temporal scales.

  19. Study of a high-resolution, 3D positioning cadmium zinc telluride detector for PET.

    PubMed

    Gu, Y; Matteson, J L; Skelton, R T; Deal, A C; Stephan, E A; Duttweiler, F; Gasaway, T M; Levin, C S

    2011-03-21

    This paper investigates the performance of 1 mm resolution cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors for positron emission tomography (PET) capable of positioning the 3D coordinates of individual 511 keV photon interactions. The detectors comprise 40 mm × 40 mm × 5 mm monolithic CZT crystals that employ a novel cross-strip readout with interspersed steering electrodes to obtain high spatial and energy resolution. The study found a single anode FWHM energy resolution of 3.06 ± 0.39% at 511 keV throughout most of the detector volume. Improved resolution is expected with properly shielded front-end electronics. Measurements made using a collimated beam established the efficacy of the steering electrodes in facilitating enhanced charge collection across anodes, as well as a spatial resolution of 0.44 ± 0.07 mm in the direction orthogonal to the electrode planes. Finally, measurements based on coincidence electronic collimation yielded a point spread function with 0.78 ± 0.10 mm FWHM, demonstrating 1 mm spatial resolution capability transverse to the anodes-as expected from the 1 mm anode pitch. These findings indicate that the CZT-based detector concept has excellent performance and shows great promise for a high-resolution PET system.

  20. First results from SAM-FP: Fabry-Perot observations with ground-layer adaptive optics - the structure and kinematics of the core of 30 Doradus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mendes de Oliveira, C.; Amram, P.; Quint, Bruno C.; Torres-Flores, S.; Barbá, R.; Andrade, D.

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this paper is to present the first data set obtained with SOAR Adaptive Module-Fabry-Parot (SAM-FP), a Fabry-Perot instrument mounted inside the SOAR telescope Adaptive-Optics Module. This is the only existing imaging Fabry-Perot interferometer using laser-assisted ground-layer adaptive optics. SAM-FP was used to observe the ionized gas, traced by Hα, in the centre of the 30 Doradus starburst (the Tarantula Nebula) in the Large Magellanic Cloud, with high spatial (˜0.6 arcsec, or 0.15 pc) and spectral (R ≃ 11 200) resolution. Radial velocity, velocity dispersion and monochromatic maps were derived. The region displays a mix of narrow, σ ˜ 20 km s-1 profiles and multiple broader profiles with σ ˜ 70-80 km s-1, indicating the complex nature of the nebula kinematics. A comparison with previously obtained VLT/FLAMES spectroscopy demonstrates that the data agree well in the regions of overlap, but the Fabry-Perot data are superior in spatial coverage. A preliminary analysis of the observations finds a new expanding bubble south of R136, with a projected radius of r = 5.6 pc and an expansion velocity of 29 ± 4 km s-1. In addition, the first-time detailed kinematic maps derived here for several complexes and filaments of 30 Doradus allow identification of kinematically independent structures. These data exemplify the power of the combination of a high-order Fabry-Perot with a wide-field imager (3 × 3 arcmin2 GLAO-corrected field of view) for high-resolution spatial and spectral studies. In particular, SAM-FP data cubes are highly advantageous over multifibre or long-slit data sets for nebula structure studies and to search for small-scale bubbles, given their greatly improved spatial coverage. For reference, this paper also presents two appendices with detailed descriptions of the usage of Fabry-Perot devices, including formulae and explanations for understanding Fabry-Perot observations.

  1. Trends in Upper-Level Cloud Cover and Surface Divergence Over the Tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean Between 1952 And 1997

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Norris, Joel R.

    2005-01-01

    This study investigated the spatial pattern of linear trends in surface-observed upper-level (combined mid-level and High-level) cloud cover, precipitation, and surface divergence over the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean during 1952-1957. Cloud values were obtained from the Extended Edited Cloud Report Archive (EECRA), precipitation values were obtained from the Hulme/Climate Research Unit Data Set, and surface divergence was alternatively calculated from wind reported Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set and from Smith and Reynolds Extended Reconstructed sea level pressure data.

  2. Aperture synthesis for microwave radiometers in space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Levine, D. M.; Good, J. C.

    1983-01-01

    A technique is described for obtaining passive microwave measurements from space with high spatial resolution for remote sensing applications. The technique involves measuring the product of the signal from pairs of antennas at many different antenna spacings, thereby mapping the correlation function of antenna voltage. The intensity of radiation at the source can be obtained from the Fourier transform of this correlation function. Theory is presented to show how the technique can be applied to large extended sources such as the Earth when observed from space. Details are presented for a system with uniformly spaced measurements.

  3. Coherent Leinard-Wiechert fields produced by FELs (free-electron laser). Technical report, 14 January 1981-13 January 1982

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Elias, L.R.

    1981-12-01

    Results are presented of a three-dimensional numerical analysis of the radiation fields produced in a free-electron laser. The method used here to obtain the spatial and temporal behavior of the radiated fields is based on the coherent superposition of the radiated fields is based on the coherent superposition of the exact Lienard-Wiechert fields produced by each electron in the beam. Interference effects are responsible for the narrow angular radiation patterns obtained and for the high degree of monochromaticity of the radiated fields.

  4. Technique to quantitatively measure magnetic properties of thin structures at <10 NM spatial resolution

    DOEpatents

    Bajt, Sasa

    2003-07-08

    A highly sensitive and high resolution magnetic microscope images magnetic properties quantitatively. Imaging is done with a modified transmission electron microscope that allows imaging of the sample in a zero magnetic field. Two images from closely spaced planes, one in focus and one slightly out of focus, are sufficient to calculate the absolute values of the phase change imparted to the electrons, and hence obtain the magnetization vector field distribution.

  5. Low voltage polymer network liquid crystal for infrared spatial light modulators.

    PubMed

    Peng, Fenglin; Xu, Daming; Chen, Haiwei; Wu, Shin-Tson

    2015-02-09

    We report a low-voltage and fast-response polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) infrared phase modulator. To optimize device performance, we propose a physical model to understand the curing temperature effect on average domain size. Good agreement between model and experiment is obtained. By optimizing the UV curing temperature and employing a large dielectric anisotropy LC host, we have lowered the 2π phase change voltage to 22.8V at 1.55μm wavelength while keeping response time at about 1 ms. Widespread application of such a PNLC integrated into a high resolution liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) for infrared spatial light modulator is foreseeable.

  6. Using Spatial Correlations of SPDC Sources for Increasing the Signal to Noise Ratio in Images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruíz, A. I.; Caudillo, R.; Velázquez, V. M.; Barrios, E.

    2017-05-01

    We experimentally show that, by using spatial correlations of photon pairs produced by Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion, it is possible to increase the Signal to Noise Ratio in images of objects illuminated with those photons; in comparison, objects illuminated with light from a laser present a minor ratio. Our simple experimental set-up was capable to produce an average improvement in signal to noise ratio of 11dB of Parametric Down-Converted light over laser light. This simple method can be easily implemented for obtaining high contrast images of faint objects and for transmitting information with low noise.

  7. Muzzle flash issues related to the Waco FLIR analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grant, Barbara G.; Hardy, David T.

    2001-09-01

    The controversy surrounding the origin of flashes on the Mt. Carmel FLIR videotape acquired on April 19, 1993, is introduced. The characteristics of muzzle flash are reviewed. A comparative weapons description is offered. The temporal, spatial, and radiance characteristics of thermal infrared muzzle flash are addressed. Data acquired from a field experiment are presented. The authors conclude that the spatial characteristics of muzzle flash enable its detection by equipment such as the FLIR in use at Mt. Carmel on April 19, 1993; that while flashes obtained in the field appear highly radiant, measurements are necessary to quantify their values; and that the temporal behavior of muzzle flash deserves further study.

  8. Creative use of pilot points to address site and regional scale heterogeneity in a variable-density model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dausman, Alyssa M.; Doherty, John; Langevin, Christian D.

    2010-01-01

    Pilot points for parameter estimation were creatively used to address heterogeneity at both the well field and regional scales in a variable-density groundwater flow and solute transport model designed to test multiple hypotheses for upward migration of fresh effluent injected into a highly transmissive saline carbonate aquifer. Two sets of pilot points were used within in multiple model layers, with one set of inner pilot points (totaling 158) having high spatial density to represent hydraulic conductivity at the site, while a second set of outer points (totaling 36) of lower spatial density was used to represent hydraulic conductivity further from the site. Use of a lower spatial density outside the site allowed (1) the total number of pilot points to be reduced while maintaining flexibility to accommodate heterogeneity at different scales, and (2) development of a model with greater areal extent in order to simulate proper boundary conditions that have a limited effect on the area of interest. The parameters associated with the inner pilot points were log transformed hydraulic conductivity multipliers of the conductivity field obtained by interpolation from outer pilot points. The use of this dual inner-outer scale parameterization (with inner parameters constituting multipliers for outer parameters) allowed smooth transition of hydraulic conductivity from the site scale, where greater spatial variability of hydraulic properties exists, to the regional scale where less spatial variability was necessary for model calibration. While the model is highly parameterized to accommodate potential aquifer heterogeneity, the total number of pilot points is kept at a minimum to enable reasonable calibration run times.

  9. Probing the Complexities of Structural Changes in Layered Oxide Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries during Fast Charge-Discharge Cycling and Heating.

    PubMed

    Hu, Enyuan; Wang, Xuelong; Yu, Xiqian; Yang, Xiao-Qing

    2018-02-20

    The rechargeable lithium-ion battery (LIB) is the most promising energy storage system to power electric vehicles with high energy density and long cycling life. However, in order to meet customers' demands for fast charging, the power performances of current LIBs need to be improved. From the cathode aspect, layer-structured cathode materials are widely used in today's market and will continue to play important roles in the near future. The high rate capability of layered cathode materials during charging and discharging is critical to the power performance of the whole cell and the thermal stability is closely related to the safety issues. Therefore, the in-depth understanding of structural changes of layered cathode materials during high rate charging/discharging and the thermal stability during heating are essential in developing new materials and improving current materials. Since structural changes take place from the atomic level to the whole electrode level, combination of characterization techniques covering multilength scales is quite important. In many cases, this means using comprehensive tools involving diffraction, spectroscopy, and imaging to differentiate the surface from the bulk and to obtain structural/chemical information with different levels of spatial resolution. For example, hard X-ray spectroscopy can yield the bulk information and soft X-ray spectroscopy can give the surface information; X-ray based imaging techniques can obtain spatial resolution of tens of nanometers, and electron-based microcopy can go to angstroms. In addition to challenges associated with different spatial resolution, the dynamic nature of structural changes during high rate cycling and heating requires characterization tools to have the capability of collecting high quality data in a time-resolved fashion. Thanks to the advancement in synchrotron based techniques and high-resolution electron microscopy, high temporal and spatial resolutions can now be achieved. In this Account, we focus on the recent works studying kinetic and thermal properties of layer-structured cathode materials, especially the structural changes during high rate cycling and the thermal stability during heating. Advanced characterization techniques relating to the rate capability and thermal stability will be introduced. The different structure evolution behavior of cathode materials cycled at high rate will be compared with that cycled at low rate. Different response of individual transition metals and the inhomogeneity in chemical distribution will be discussed. For the thermal stability, the relationship between structural changes and oxygen release will be emphatically pointed out. In all these studies being reviewed, advanced characterization techniques are critically applied to reveal complexities at multiscale in layer-structured cathode materials.

  10. Spatial band-pass filtering aids decoding musical genres from auditory cortex 7T fMRI.

    PubMed

    Sengupta, Ayan; Pollmann, Stefan; Hanke, Michael

    2018-01-01

    Spatial filtering strategies, combined with multivariate decoding analysis of BOLD images, have been used to investigate the nature of the neural signal underlying the discriminability of brain activity patterns evoked by sensory stimulation -- primarily in the visual cortex. Reported evidence indicates that such signals are spatially broadband in nature, and are not primarily comprised of fine-grained activation patterns. However, it is unclear whether this is a general property of the BOLD signal, or whether it is specific to the details of employed analyses and stimuli. Here we performed an analysis of publicly available, high-resolution 7T fMRI on the response BOLD response to musical genres in primary auditory cortex that matches a previously conducted study on decoding visual orientation from V1.  The results show that the pattern of decoding accuracies with respect to different types and levels of spatial filtering is comparable to that obtained from V1, despite considerable differences in the respective cortical circuitry.

  11. Synchrotron x-ray imaging of acoustic cavitation bubbles induced by acoustic excitation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, Sung Yong; Park, Han Wook; Park, Sung Ho; Lee, Sang Joon

    2017-04-01

    The cavitation induced by acoustic excitation has been widely applied in various biomedical applications because cavitation bubbles can enhance the exchanges of mass and energy. In order to minimize the hazardous effects of the induced cavitation, it is essential to understand the spatial distribution of cavitation bubbles. The spatial distribution of cavitation bubbles visualized by the synchrotron x-ray imaging technique is compared to that obtained with a conventional x-ray tube. Cavitation bubbles with high density in the region close to the tip of the probe are visualized using the synchrotron x-ray imaging technique, however, the spatial distribution of cavitation bubbles in the whole ultrasound field is not detected. In this study, the effects of the ultrasound power of acoustic excitation and working medium on the shape and density of the induced cavitation bubbles are examined. As a result, the synchrotron x-ray imaging technique is useful for visualizing spatial distributions of cavitation bubbles, and it could be used for optimizing the operation conditions of acoustic cavitation.

  12. Local regression type methods applied to the study of geophysics and high frequency financial data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mariani, M. C.; Basu, K.

    2014-09-01

    In this work we applied locally weighted scatterplot smoothing techniques (Lowess/Loess) to Geophysical and high frequency financial data. We first analyze and apply this technique to the California earthquake geological data. A spatial analysis was performed to show that the estimation of the earthquake magnitude at a fixed location is very accurate up to the relative error of 0.01%. We also applied the same method to a high frequency data set arising in the financial sector and obtained similar satisfactory results. The application of this approach to the two different data sets demonstrates that the overall method is accurate and efficient, and the Lowess approach is much more desirable than the Loess method. The previous works studied the time series analysis; in this paper our local regression models perform a spatial analysis for the geophysics data providing different information. For the high frequency data, our models estimate the curve of best fit where data are dependent on time.

  13. High efficiency all-optical plasmonic diode based on a nonlinear side-coupled waveguide-cavity structure with broken symmetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Hong-Qin; Liu, Bin; Hu, Jin-Feng; He, Xing-Dao

    2018-05-01

    An all-optical plasmonic diode, comprising a metal-insulator-metal waveguide coupled with a stub cavity, is proposed based on a nonlinear Fano structure. The key technique used is to break structural spatial symmetry by a simple reflector layer in the waveguide. The spatial asymmetry of the structure gives rise to the nonreciprocity of coupling efficiencies between the Fano cavity and waveguides on both sides of the reflector layer, leading to a nonreciprocal nonlinear response. Transmission properties and dynamic responses are numerically simulated and investigated by the nonlinear finite-difference time-domain method. In the proposed structure, high-efficiency nonreciprocal transmission can be achieved with a low power threshold and an ultrafast response time (subpicosecond level). A high maximum transmittance of 89.3% and an ultra-high transmission contrast ratio of 99.6% can also be obtained. The device can be flexibly adjusted for working wavebands by altering the stub cavity length.

  14. Predicting Human Mobility Patterns in Marine Ecosystems: Entropy and Home Range Calculations Based on High-Resolution Fishing Vessel Tracking Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murawski, S. A.

    2016-02-01

    A number of recent studies have developed metrics of human mobility patterns based on georeferenced cell phone records. The studies generally indicate a high degree of predictability in human location and relatively narrow home ranges for most people. In marine ecosystems there are a number of important uses for such calculations including marine spatial planning and predicting the impacts of marine management options such as establishing marine protected areas (MPAs). In this study we use individual fishing vessel satellite tracking (VMS) records ( 30 million records) obtained from commercial reef fish fishing vessels in the Gulf of Mexico during 2006-2014. This period witnessed the establishment of a variety of new regulations including individual fishing quotas (IFQs) for snapper, grouper, and tilefish, establishment of spatial-area closures, and the temporary closure of as much as 85,000 nautical miles of productive fishing grounds associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill accident. Vessel positions were obtained, with a location frequency of one hour. From these VMS data we calculated three measures of entropy (degree of repeatability in spatial use), as well as calculated the axis of gyration (home range) for each vessel in the data set. These calculations were related to a variety of descriptor variables including vessel size, distance from home port to predominant fishing grounds, revenue generated on fishing trips, and fishing regulations. The applicability of these calculations to marine resource management applications is discussed.

  15. High-spatial-resolution mapping of precipitable water vapour using SAR interferograms, GPS observations and ERA-Interim reanalysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Wei; Liao, Mingsheng; Zhang, Lu; Li, Wei; Yu, Weimin

    2016-09-01

    A high spatial and temporal resolution of the precipitable water vapour (PWV) in the atmosphere is a key requirement for the short-scale weather forecasting and climate research. The aim of this work is to derive temporally differenced maps of the spatial distribution of PWV by analysing the tropospheric delay "noise" in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR). Time series maps of differential PWV were obtained by processing a set of ENVISAT ASAR (Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar) images covering the area of southern California, USA from 6 October 2007 to 29 November 2008. To get a more accurate PWV, the component of hydrostatic delay was calculated and subtracted by using ERA-Interim reanalysis products. In addition, the ERA-Interim was used to compute the conversion factors required to convert the zenith wet delay to water vapour. The InSAR-derived differential PWV maps were calibrated by means of the GPS PWV measurements over the study area. We validated our results against the measurements of PWV derived from the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) which was located together with the ASAR sensor on board the ENVISAT satellite. Our comparative results show strong spatial correlations between the two data sets. The difference maps have Gaussian distributions with mean values close to zero and standard deviations below 2 mm. The advantage of the InSAR technique is that it provides water vapour distribution with a spatial resolution as fine as 20 m and an accuracy of ˜ 2 mm. Such high-spatial-resolution maps of PWV could lead to much greater accuracy in meteorological understanding and quantitative precipitation forecasts. With the launch of Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B satellites, every few days (6 days) new SAR images can be acquired with a wide swath up to 250 km, enabling a unique operational service for InSAR-based water vapour maps with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution.

  16. Seismicity and source spectra analysis in Salton Sea Geothermal Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Y.; Chen, X.

    2016-12-01

    The surge of "man-made" earthquakes in recent years has led to considerable concerns about the associated hazards. Improved monitoring of small earthquakes would significantly help understand such phenomena and the underlying physical mechanisms. In the Salton Sea Geothermal field in southern California, open access of a local borehole network provides a unique opportunity to better understand the seismicity characteristics, the related earthquake hazards, and the relationship with the geothermal system, tectonic faulting and other physical conditions. We obtain high-resolution earthquake locations in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, analyze characteristics of spatiotemporal isolated earthquake clusters, magnitude-frequency distributions and spatial variation of stress drops. The analysis reveals spatial coherent distributions of different types of clustering, b-value distributions, and stress drop distribution. The mixture type clusters (short-duration rapid bursts with high aftershock productivity) are predominately located within active geothermal field that correlate with high b-value, low stress drop microearthquake clouds, while regular aftershock sequences and swarms are distributed throughout the study area. The differences between earthquakes inside and outside of geothermal operation field suggest a possible way to distinguish directly induced seismicity due to energy operation versus typical seismic slip driven sequences. The spatial coherent b-value distribution enables in-situ estimation of probabilities for M≥3 earthquakes, and shows that the high large-magnitude-event (LME) probability zones with high stress drop are likely associated with tectonic faulting. The high stress drop in shallow (1-3 km) depth indicates the existence of active faults, while low stress drops near injection wells likely corresponds to the seismic response to fluid injection. I interpret the spatial variation of seismicity and source characteristics as the result of fluid circulation, the fracture network, and tectonic faulting.

  17. High-resolution diffusion tensor imaging of the human kidneys using a free-breathing, multi-slice, targeted field of view approach

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Rachel W; Von Deuster, Constantin; Stoeck, Christian T; Harmer, Jack; Punwani, Shonit; Ramachandran, Navin; Kozerke, Sebastian; Atkinson, David

    2014-01-01

    Fractional anisotropy (FA) obtained by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to image the kidneys without any contrast media. FA of the medulla has been shown to correlate with kidney function. It is expected that higher spatial resolution would improve the depiction of small structures within the kidney. However, the achievement of high spatial resolution in renal DTI remains challenging as a result of respiratory motion and susceptibility to diffusion imaging artefacts. In this study, a targeted field of view (TFOV) method was used to obtain high-resolution FA maps and colour-coded diffusion tensor orientations, together with measures of the medullary and cortical FA, in 12 healthy subjects. Subjects were scanned with two implementations (dual and single kidney) of a TFOV DTI method. DTI scans were performed during free breathing with a navigator-triggered sequence. Results showed high consistency in the greyscale FA, colour-coded FA and diffusion tensors across subjects and between dual- and single-kidney scans, which have in-plane voxel sizes of 2 × 2 mm2 and 1.2 × 1.2 mm2, respectively. The ability to acquire multiple contiguous slices allowed the medulla and cortical FA to be quantified over the entire kidney volume. The mean medulla and cortical FA values were 0.38 ± 0.017 and 0.21 ± 0.019, respectively, for the dual-kidney scan, and 0.35 ± 0.032 and 0.20 ± 0.014, respectively, for the single-kidney scan. The mean FA between the medulla and cortex was significantly different (p < 0.001) for both dual- and single-kidney implementations. High-spatial-resolution DTI shows promise for improving the characterization and non-invasive assessment of kidney function. © 2014 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:25219683

  18. High-resolution diffusion tensor imaging of the human kidneys using a free-breathing, multi-slice, targeted field of view approach.

    PubMed

    Chan, Rachel W; Von Deuster, Constantin; Stoeck, Christian T; Harmer, Jack; Punwani, Shonit; Ramachandran, Navin; Kozerke, Sebastian; Atkinson, David

    2014-11-01

    Fractional anisotropy (FA) obtained by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to image the kidneys without any contrast media. FA of the medulla has been shown to correlate with kidney function. It is expected that higher spatial resolution would improve the depiction of small structures within the kidney. However, the achievement of high spatial resolution in renal DTI remains challenging as a result of respiratory motion and susceptibility to diffusion imaging artefacts. In this study, a targeted field of view (TFOV) method was used to obtain high-resolution FA maps and colour-coded diffusion tensor orientations, together with measures of the medullary and cortical FA, in 12 healthy subjects. Subjects were scanned with two implementations (dual and single kidney) of a TFOV DTI method. DTI scans were performed during free breathing with a navigator-triggered sequence. Results showed high consistency in the greyscale FA, colour-coded FA and diffusion tensors across subjects and between dual- and single-kidney scans, which have in-plane voxel sizes of 2 × 2 mm(2) and 1.2 × 1.2 mm(2) , respectively. The ability to acquire multiple contiguous slices allowed the medulla and cortical FA to be quantified over the entire kidney volume. The mean medulla and cortical FA values were 0.38 ± 0.017 and 0.21 ± 0.019, respectively, for the dual-kidney scan, and 0.35 ± 0.032 and 0.20 ± 0.014, respectively, for the single-kidney scan. The mean FA between the medulla and cortex was significantly different (p < 0.001) for both dual- and single-kidney implementations. High-spatial-resolution DTI shows promise for improving the characterization and non-invasive assessment of kidney function. © 2014 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Clouds across the Arctic: A spatial perspective uniting surface observations of downwelling infrared radiation, reanalyses and education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cox, Christopher J.

    The polar regions serve an important role in the Earth's energy balance by acting as a heat sink for the global climate system. In the Arctic, a complex distribution of continental and oceanic features support large spatial variability in environmental parameters important for climate. Additionally, feedbacks that are unique to the cryosphere cause the region to be very sensitive to climate perturbations. Environmental changes are being observed, including increasing temperatures, reductions in sea ice extent and thickness, melting permafrost, changing atmospheric circulation patterns and changing cloud properties, which may be signaling a shift in climate. Despite these changes, the Arctic remains an understudied region, including with respect to the atmosphere and clouds. A better understanding of cloud properties and their geographical variability is needed to better understand observed changes and to forecast the future state of the system, to support adaptation and mitigation strategies, and understand how Arctic change impacts other regions of the globe. Surface-based observations of the atmosphere are critical measurements in this effort because they are high quality and have high temporal resolution, but there are few atmospheric observatories in the Arctic and the period of record is short. Reanalyses combine assimilated observations with models to fill in spatial and temporal data gaps, and also provide additional model-derived parameters. Reanalyses are spatially comprehensive, but are limited by large uncertainties and biases, in particular with respect to derived parameters. Infrared radiation is a large component of the surface energy budget. Infrared emission from clouds is closely tied to cloud properties, so measurements of the infrared spectrum can be used to retrieve information about clouds and can also be used to investigate the influence clouds have on the surface radiation balance. In this dissertation, spectral infrared radiances and other observations obtained between 2006 and 2012 at three Arctic observatories are used to investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of cloud properties in the Arctic. The observatory locations are Barrow, Alaska; Eureka, Nunavut, Canada; and Summit Station, Greenland. Additional spatial information is inferred from reanalysis data. Therefore, to establish confidence in analysis results and context for interpretation, the reanalyses are validated using the surface observations in a mutually informative validation-analysis approach. In Chapter 1, a method is developed to convert spectral infrared radiances to downwelling infrared flux. These measurements are used to compare Barrow and Eureka. These sites are then situated in the context of the greater Arctic using the reanalyses. In Chapter 2, spectral infrared radiances are used to obtain a baseline data set of cloud microphysical and optical properties from Eureka. In Chapter 3, downwelling infrared fluxes are obtained from Summit Station using the method from Chapter 1 and are used to develop a new method for reanalysis validation. Comparisons are made between Summit, Barrow and Eureka. Spatial comparisons of cloud infrared influence are made across the Greenland ice sheet using the reanalyses. Chapter 4 reports on an effort to conduct timely and engaging educational programs for high school students in the Arctic, thereby helping to extend the reach of Arctic cloud science beyond research community.

  20. Developing a new Bayesian Risk Index for risk evaluation of soil contamination.

    PubMed

    Albuquerque, M T D; Gerassis, S; Sierra, C; Taboada, J; Martín, J E; Antunes, I M H R; Gallego, J R

    2017-12-15

    Industrial and agricultural activities heavily constrain soil quality. Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) are a threat to public health and the environment alike. In this regard, the identification of areas that require remediation is crucial. In the herein research a geochemical dataset (230 samples) comprising 14 elements (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag, Ni, Mn, Fe, As, Cd, V, Cr, Ti, Al and S) was gathered throughout eight different zones distinguished by their main activity, namely, recreational, agriculture/livestock and heavy industry in the Avilés Estuary (North of Spain). Then a stratified systematic sampling method was used at short, medium, and long distances from each zone to obtain a representative picture of the total variability of the selected attributes. The information was then combined in four risk classes (Low, Moderate, High, Remediation) following reference values from several sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). A Bayesian analysis, inferred for each zone, allowed the characterization of PTEs correlations, the unsupervised learning network technique proving to be the best fit. Based on the Bayesian network structure obtained, Pb, As and Mn were selected as key contamination parameters. For these 3 elements, the conditional probability obtained was allocated to each observed point, and a simple, direct index (Bayesian Risk Index-BRI) was constructed as a linear rating of the pre-defined risk classes weighted by the previously obtained probability. Finally, the BRI underwent geostatistical modeling. One hundred Sequential Gaussian Simulations (SGS) were computed. The Mean Image and the Standard Deviation maps were obtained, allowing the definition of High/Low risk clusters (Local G clustering) and the computation of spatial uncertainty. High-risk clusters are mainly distributed within the area with the highest altitude (agriculture/livestock) showing an associated low spatial uncertainty, clearly indicating the need for remediation. Atmospheric emissions, mainly derived from the metallurgical industry, contribute to soil contamination by PTEs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. High-resolution multi-code implementation of unsteady Navier-Stokes flow solver based on paralleled overset adaptive mesh refinement and high-order low-dissipation hybrid schemes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Gaohua; Fu, Xiang; Wang, Fuxin

    2017-10-01

    The low-dissipation high-order accurate hybrid up-winding/central scheme based on fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) and sixth-order central schemes, along with the Spalart-Allmaras (SA)-based delayed detached eddy simulation (DDES) turbulence model, and the flow feature-based adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), are implemented into a dual-mesh overset grid infrastructure with parallel computing capabilities, for the purpose of simulating vortex-dominated unsteady detached wake flows with high spatial resolutions. The overset grid assembly (OGA) process based on collection detection theory and implicit hole-cutting algorithm achieves an automatic coupling for the near-body and off-body solvers, and the error-and-try method is used for obtaining a globally balanced load distribution among the composed multiple codes. The results of flows over high Reynolds cylinder and two-bladed helicopter rotor show that the combination of high-order hybrid scheme, advanced turbulence model, and overset adaptive mesh refinement can effectively enhance the spatial resolution for the simulation of turbulent wake eddies.

  2. Measurement of surface shear stress vector beneath high-speed jet flow using liquid crystal coating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Cheng-Peng; Zhao, Ji-Song; Jiao, Yun; Cheng, Ke-Ming

    2018-05-01

    The shear-sensitive liquid crystal coating (SSLCC) technique is investigated in the high-speed jet flow of a micro-wind-tunnel. An approach to measure surface shear stress vector distribution using the SSLCC technique is established, where six synchronous cameras are used to record the coating color at different circumferential view angles. Spatial wall shear stress vector distributions on the test surface are obtained at different velocities. The results are encouraging and demonstrate the great potential of the SSLCC technique in high-speed wind-tunnel measurement.

  3. First Measurements of High Frequency Cross-Spectra from a Pair of Large Michelson Interferometers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chou, Aaron S.; Gustafson, Richard; Hogan, Craig

    Measurements are reported of high frequency cross-spectra of signals from the Fermilab Holometer, a pair of co-located 39 m, high power Michelson interferometers. The instrument obtains differential position sensitivity to cross-correlated signals far exceeding any previous measurement in a broad frequency band extending to the 3.8 MHz inverse light crossing time of the apparatus. A model of universal exotic spatial shear correlations that matches the Planck scale holographic information bound of space-time position states is excluded to 4.6{\\sigma} significance.

  4. Fast and Furious: Shock Heated Gas as the Origin of Spatially Resolved Hard X-Ray Emission in the Central 5 kpc of the Galaxy Merger NGC 6240

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Junfeng; Nardini, Emanuele; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Karovska, Margarita; Elvis, Martin; Pellegrini, Silvia; Max, Claire; Risaliti, Guido; U, Vivian; Zezas, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    We have obtained a deep, subarcsecond resolution X-ray image of the nuclear region of the luminous galaxy merger NGC 6240 with Chandra, which resolves the X-ray emission from the pair of active nuclei and the diffuse hot gas in great detail. We detect extended hard X-ray emission from kT ~ 6 keV (~70 MK) hot gas over a spatial scale of 5 kpc, indicating the presence of fast shocks with a velocity of ~2200 km s-1. For the first time, we obtain the spatial distribution of this highly ionized gas emitting Fe XXV, which shows a remarkable correspondence to the large-scale morphology of H2(1-0) S(1) line emission and Hα filaments. Propagation of fast shocks originating in the starburst-driven wind into the ambient dense gas can account for this morphological correspondence. With an observed L 0.5-8 keV = 5.3 × 1041 erg s-1, the diffuse hard X-ray emission is ~100 times more luminous than that observed in the classic starburst galaxy M82. Assuming a filling factor of 1% for the 70 MK temperature gas, we estimate its total mass (M hot = 1.8 × 108 M ⊙) and thermal energy (E th = 6.5 × 1057 erg). The total iron mass in the highly ionized plasma is M Fe = 4.6 × 105 M ⊙. Both the energetics and the iron mass in the hot gas are consistent with the expected injection from the supernovae explosion during the starburst that is commensurate with its high star formation rate. No evidence for fluorescent Fe I emission is found in the CO filament connecting the two nuclei.

  5. Estimation of marine mineral resources abundance using back-scattering intensity of Deep-tow Side Scan Sonar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoo, C. M.; Joo, J.; Hyeong, K.; Chi, S. B.

    2016-12-01

    Manganese nodule, also known as polymetallic nodule, contains precious elements in high contents and is regarded as one of the most important future mineral resources. It occurs throughout the world oceans, but economically feasible deposits show limited distribution only in several deepsea basins including Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ) in northeast equatorial Pacific. Estimation of resources potential is one of the key factors prerequisite for economic feasibility study. Nodule abundance is commonly estimated from direct nodule sampling, however it is difficult to obtain statistically robust data because of highly variable spatial distribution and high cost of direct sampling. Variogram analysis indicates 3.5×3.5km sampling resolution to obtain indicated category of resources data, which requires over 1,000 sampling operations to cover the potential exploitation area with mining life of 20-30 years. High-resolution acoustic survey, bathymetry and back-scattered intensity, can provide high-resolution resources data with the definition of obstacles, such as faults and scarps, for operation of nodule collecting robots. We operated 120 kHz deep-tow side scan sonar (DTSSS) with spatial resolution of 1×1m in a representative area. Sea floor images were also taken continuously by deep-tow camera from selected tracks, converted to nodule abundance using image analysis program and conversion equation, and compared with acoustic data. Back-scattering intensity values could be divided into several group and translated into nodule abundance with high confidence level. Our result indicates that high resolution acoustic survey is appropriate tool for reliable assessment of manganese nodule abundance and definition of minable area.

  6. Robust object tracking techniques for vision-based 3D motion analysis applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knyaz, Vladimir A.; Zheltov, Sergey Y.; Vishnyakov, Boris V.

    2016-04-01

    Automated and accurate spatial motion capturing of an object is necessary for a wide variety of applications including industry and science, virtual reality and movie, medicine and sports. For the most part of applications a reliability and an accuracy of the data obtained as well as convenience for a user are the main characteristics defining the quality of the motion capture system. Among the existing systems for 3D data acquisition, based on different physical principles (accelerometry, magnetometry, time-of-flight, vision-based), optical motion capture systems have a set of advantages such as high speed of acquisition, potential for high accuracy and automation based on advanced image processing algorithms. For vision-based motion capture accurate and robust object features detecting and tracking through the video sequence are the key elements along with a level of automation of capturing process. So for providing high accuracy of obtained spatial data the developed vision-based motion capture system "Mosca" is based on photogrammetric principles of 3D measurements and supports high speed image acquisition in synchronized mode. It includes from 2 to 4 technical vision cameras for capturing video sequences of object motion. The original camera calibration and external orientation procedures provide the basis for high accuracy of 3D measurements. A set of algorithms as for detecting, identifying and tracking of similar targets, so for marker-less object motion capture is developed and tested. The results of algorithms' evaluation show high robustness and high reliability for various motion analysis tasks in technical and biomechanics applications.

  7. A Preliminary Research on the Development of the Hard X-Ray Imaging Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, C. X.; Cai, M. S.; Hu, Y. M.; Huang, Y. Y.; Gong, Y. Z.

    2014-03-01

    Since the 1860s, astronomers have explored a new field with the discovery of X-ray. Instead of the conventional imaging technique by using mirrors or lens, which can not work in the high-energy bands, direct imaging, coded aperture, and Fourier transform are used for the high-energy imaging. It can be implemented in various hardware configurations, among which the spatial modulation collimator are widely used. We adopt the grating collimator based on Fourier transform that is discussed in detail. This paper makes an investigation on the fabrication process of grating. The key components of the hard X-ray telescope based on the spatial modulation are developed, which contains 8 CsI-detector modules, 8-channel shaping amplifiers, and data acquisition system. The preliminary test results of readout electronics system are obtained.

  8. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) measurements and analysis on Sagem 05R0025 secondary substrate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Soufli, R; Baker, S L; Robinson, J C

    2006-02-22

    The summary of Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) on Sagem 05R0025 secondary substrate: (1) 2 x 2 {micro}m{sup 2} and 10 x 10 {micro}m{sup 2} AFM measurements and analysis on Sagem 05R0025 secondary substrate at LLNL indicate rather uniform and extremely isotropic finish across the surface, with high-spatial frequency roughness {sigma} in the range 5.1-5.5 {angstrom} rms; (2) the marked absence of pronounced long-range polishing marks in any direction, combined with increased roughness in the very high spatial frequencies, are consistent with ion-beam polishing treatment on the surface. These observations are consistent with all earlier mirrors they measured from the samemore » vendor; and (3) all data were obtained with a Digital Instruments Dimension 5000{trademark} atomic force microscope.« less

  9. Supramodal Enhancement of Auditory Perceptual and Cognitive Learning by Video Game Playing.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yu-Xuan; Tang, Ding-Lan; Moore, David R; Amitay, Sygal

    2017-01-01

    Medical rehabilitation involving behavioral training can produce highly successful outcomes, but those successes are obtained at the cost of long periods of often tedious training, reducing compliance. By contrast, arcade-style video games can be entertaining and highly motivating. We examine here the impact of video game play on contiguous perceptual training. We alternated several periods of auditory pure-tone frequency discrimination (FD) with the popular spatial visual-motor game Tetris played in silence. Tetris play alone did not produce any auditory or cognitive benefits. However, when alternated with FD training it enhanced learning of FD and auditory working memory. The learning-enhancing effects of Tetris play cannot be explained simply by the visual-spatial training involved, as the effects were gone when Tetris play was replaced with another visual-spatial task using Tetris-like stimuli but not incorporated into a game environment. The results indicate that game play enhances learning and transfer of the contiguous auditory experiences, pointing to a promising approach for increasing the efficiency and applicability of rehabilitative training.

  10. Distinct subsystems for the parafoveal processing of spatial and linguistic information during eye fixations in reading.

    PubMed

    Inhoff, Albrecht W; Radach, Ralph; Eiter, Brianna M; Juhasz, Barbara

    2003-07-01

    Two experiments examined readers' use of parafoveally obtained word length information for word recognition. Both experiments manipulated the length (number of constituent characters) of a parafoveally previewed target word so that it was either accurately or inaccurately specified. In Experiment 1, previews also either revealed or denied useful orthographic information. In Experiment 2, parafoveal targets were either high- or low-frequency words. Eye movement contingent display changes were used to show the intact target upon its fixation. Examination of target viewing duration showed completely additive effects of word length previews and of ortho-graphic previews in Experiment 1, viewing duration being shorter in the accurate-length and the orthographic preview conditions. Experiment 2 showed completely additive effects of word length and word frequency, target viewing being shorter in the accurate-length and the high-frequency conditions. Together these results indicate that functionally distinct subsystems control the use of parafoveally visible spatial and linguistic information in reading. Parafoveally visible spatial information appears to be used for two distinct extralinguistic computations: visual object selection and saccade specification.

  11. Soft x-ray submicron imaging detector based on point defects in LiF

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baldacchini, G.; Bollanti, S.; Bonfigli, F.

    2005-11-15

    The use of lithium fluoride (LiF) crystals and films as imaging detectors for EUV and soft-x-ray radiation is discussed. The EUV or soft-x-ray radiation can generate stable color centers, emitting in the visible spectral range an intense fluorescence from the exposed areas. The high dynamic response of the material to the received dose and the atomic scale of the color centers make this detector extremely interesting for imaging at a spatial resolution which can be much smaller than the light wavelength. Experimental results of contact microscopy imaging of test meshes demonstrate a resolution of the order of 400 nm. Thismore » high spatial resolution has been obtained in a wide field of view, up to several mm{sup 2}. Images obtained on different biological samples, as well as an investigation of a soft x-ray laser beam are presented. The behavior of the generated color centers density as a function of the deposited x-ray dose and the advantages of this new diagnostic technique for both coherent and noncoherent EUV sources, compared with CCDs detectors, photographic films, and photoresists are discussed.« less

  12. Modeling trends from North American Breeding Bird Survey data: a spatially explicit approach

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bled, Florent; Sauer, John R.; Pardieck, Keith L.; Doherty, Paul; Royle, J. Andy

    2013-01-01

    Population trends, defined as interval-specific proportional changes in population size, are often used to help identify species of conservation interest. Efficient modeling of such trends depends on the consideration of the correlation of population changes with key spatial and environmental covariates. This can provide insights into causal mechanisms and allow spatially explicit summaries at scales that are of interest to management agencies. We expand the hierarchical modeling framework used in the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) by developing a spatially explicit model of temporal trend using a conditional autoregressive (CAR) model. By adopting a formal spatial model for abundance, we produce spatially explicit abundance and trend estimates. Analyses based on large-scale geographic strata such as Bird Conservation Regions (BCR) can suffer from basic imbalances in spatial sampling. Our approach addresses this issue by providing an explicit weighting based on the fundamental sample allocation unit of the BBS. We applied the spatial model to three species from the BBS. Species have been chosen based upon their well-known population change patterns, which allows us to evaluate the quality of our model and the biological meaning of our estimates. We also compare our results with the ones obtained for BCRs using a nonspatial hierarchical model (Sauer and Link 2011). Globally, estimates for mean trends are consistent between the two approaches but spatial estimates provide much more precise trend estimates in regions on the edges of species ranges that were poorly estimated in non-spatial analyses. Incorporating a spatial component in the analysis not only allows us to obtain relevant and biologically meaningful estimates for population trends, but also enables us to provide a flexible framework in order to obtain trend estimates for any area.

  13. Image enhancement by spatial frequency post-processing of images obtained with pupil filters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Estévez, Irene; Escalera, Juan C.; Stefano, Quimey Pears; Iemmi, Claudio; Ledesma, Silvia; Yzuel, María J.; Campos, Juan

    2016-12-01

    The use of apodizing or superresolving filters improves the performance of an optical system in different frequency bands. This improvement can be seen as an increase in the OTF value compared to the OTF for the clear aperture. In this paper we propose a method to enhance the contrast of an image in both its low and its high frequencies. The method is based on the generation of a synthetic Optical Transfer Function, by multiplexing the OTFs given by the use of different non-uniform transmission filters on the pupil. We propose to capture three images, one obtained with a clear pupil, one obtained with an apodizing filter that enhances the low frequencies and another one taken with a superresolving filter that improves the high frequencies. In the Fourier domain the three spectra are combined by using smoothed passband filters, and then the inverse transform is performed. We show that we can create an enhanced image better than the image obtained with the clear aperture. To evaluate the performance of the method, bar tests (sinusoidal tests) with different frequency content are used. The results show that a contrast improvement in the high and low frequencies is obtained.

  14. Photon-Counting H33D Detector for Biological Fluorescence Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Michalet, X.; Siegmund, O.H.W.; Vallerga, J.V.; Jelinsky, P.; Millaud, J.E.; Weiss, S.

    2010-01-01

    We have developed a photon-counting High-temporal and High-spatial resolution, High-throughput 3-Dimensional detector (H33D) for biological imaging of fluorescent samples. The design is based on a 25 mm diameter S20 photocathode followed by a 3-microchannel plate stack, and a cross delay line anode. We describe the bench performance of the H33D detector, as well as preliminary imaging results obtained with fluorescent beads, quantum dots and live cells and discuss applications of future generation detectors for single-molecule imaging and high-throughput study of biomolecular interactions. PMID:20151021

  15. Identification of mosquito larval habitats in high resolution satellite data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiang, Richard K.; Hulina, Stephanie M.; Masuoka, Penny M.; Claborn, David M.

    2003-09-01

    Mosquito-born infectious diseases are a serious public health concern, not only for the less developed countries, but also for developed countries like the U.S. Larviciding is an effective method for vector control and adverse effects to non-target species are minimized when mosquito larval habitats are properly surveyed and treated. Remote sensing has proven to be a useful technique for large-area ground cover mapping, and hence, is an ideal tool for identifying potential larval habitats. Locating small larval habitats, however, requires data with very high spatial resolution. Textural and contextual characteristics become increasingly evident at higher spatial resolution. Per-pixel classification often leads to suboptimal results. In this study, we use pan-sharpened Ikonos data, with a spatial resolution approaching 1 meter, to classify potential mosquito larval habitats for a test site in South Korea. The test site is in a predominantly agricultural region. When spatial characteristics were used in conjunction with spectral data, reasonably good classification accuracy was obtained for the test site. In particular, irrigation and drainage ditches are important larval habitats but their footprints are too small to be detected with the original spectral data at 4-meter resolution. We show that the ditches are detectable using automated classification on pan-sharpened data.

  16. Super-resolution reconstruction of diffusion parameters from diffusion-weighted images with different slice orientations.

    PubMed

    Van Steenkiste, Gwendolyn; Jeurissen, Ben; Veraart, Jelle; den Dekker, Arnold J; Parizel, Paul M; Poot, Dirk H J; Sijbers, Jan

    2016-01-01

    Diffusion MRI is hampered by long acquisition times, low spatial resolution, and a low signal-to-noise ratio. Recently, methods have been proposed to improve the trade-off between spatial resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and acquisition time of diffusion-weighted images via super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) techniques. However, during the reconstruction, these SRR methods neglect the q-space relation between the different diffusion-weighted images. An SRR method that includes a diffusion model and directly reconstructs high resolution diffusion parameters from a set of low resolution diffusion-weighted images was proposed. Our method allows an arbitrary combination of diffusion gradient directions and slice orientations for the low resolution diffusion-weighted images, optimally samples the q- and k-space, and performs motion correction with b-matrix rotation. Experiments with synthetic data and in vivo human brain data show an increase of spatial resolution of the diffusion parameters, while preserving a high signal-to-noise ratio and low scan time. Moreover, the proposed SRR method outperforms the previous methods in terms of the root-mean-square error. The proposed SRR method substantially increases the spatial resolution of MRI that can be obtained in a clinically feasible scan time. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Experimental study on the crack detection with optimized spatial wavelet analysis and windowing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghanbari Mardasi, Amir; Wu, Nan; Wu, Christine

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, a high sensitive crack detection is experimentally realized and presented on a beam under certain deflection by optimizing spatial wavelet analysis. Due to the crack existence in the beam structure, a perturbation/slop singularity is induced in the deflection profile. Spatial wavelet transformation works as a magnifier to amplify the small perturbation signal at the crack location to detect and localize the damage. The profile of a deflected aluminum cantilever beam is obtained for both intact and cracked beams by a high resolution laser profile sensor. Gabor wavelet transformation is applied on the subtraction of intact and cracked data sets. To improve detection sensitivity, scale factor in spatial wavelet transformation and the transformation repeat times are optimized. Furthermore, to detect the possible crack close to the measurement boundaries, wavelet transformation edge effect, which induces large values of wavelet coefficient around the measurement boundaries, is efficiently reduced by introducing different windowing functions. The result shows that a small crack with depth of less than 10% of the beam height can be localized with a clear perturbation. Moreover, the perturbation caused by a crack at 0.85 mm away from one end of the measurement range, which is covered by wavelet transform edge effect, emerges by applying proper window functions.

  18. Remote sensing data with the conditional latin hypercube sampling and geostatistical approach to delineate landscape changes induced by large chronological physical disturbances.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yu-Pin; Chu, Hone-Jay; Wang, Cheng-Long; Yu, Hsiao-Hsuan; Wang, Yung-Chieh

    2009-01-01

    This study applies variogram analyses of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images derived from SPOT HRV images obtained before and after the ChiChi earthquake in the Chenyulan watershed, Taiwan, as well as images after four large typhoons, to delineate the spatial patterns, spatial structures and spatial variability of landscapes caused by these large disturbances. The conditional Latin hypercube sampling approach was applied to select samples from multiple NDVI images. Kriging and sequential Gaussian simulation with sufficient samples were then used to generate maps of NDVI images. The variography of NDVI image results demonstrate that spatial patterns of disturbed landscapes were successfully delineated by variogram analysis in study areas. The high-magnitude Chi-Chi earthquake created spatial landscape variations in the study area. After the earthquake, the cumulative impacts of typhoons on landscape patterns depended on the magnitudes and paths of typhoons, but were not always evident in the spatiotemporal variability of landscapes in the study area. The statistics and spatial structures of multiple NDVI images were captured by 3,000 samples from 62,500 grids in the NDVI images. Kriging and sequential Gaussian simulation with the 3,000 samples effectively reproduced spatial patterns of NDVI images. However, the proposed approach, which integrates the conditional Latin hypercube sampling approach, variogram, kriging and sequential Gaussian simulation in remotely sensed images, efficiently monitors, samples and maps the effects of large chronological disturbances on spatial characteristics of landscape changes including spatial variability and heterogeneity.

  19. Two-wavelength spatial-heterodyne holography

    DOEpatents

    Hanson, Gregory R.; Bingham, Philip R.; Simpson, John T.; Karnowski, Thomas P.; Voelkl, Edgar

    2007-12-25

    Systems and methods are described for obtaining two-wavelength differential-phase holograms. A method includes determining a difference between a filtered analyzed recorded first spatially heterodyne hologram phase and a filtered analyzed recorded second spatially-heterodyned hologram phase.

  20. The applicability of FORMOSAT-2 images to coastal waters/bodies classification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teodoro, Ana; Duarte, Lia; Silva, Pedro

    2015-10-01

    FORMOSAT-2, launched in May 2004, is a Taiwanese satellite developed by the National Space Organization (NSPO) of Taiwan. The Remote Sensing Instrument (RSI) is a high spatial- resolution optical sensor onboard FORMOSAT-2 with a 2 m spatial resolution in the panchromatic (PAN) band and a 8 m spatial resolution in four multispectral (MS) bands from the visible to near-infrared region. The RSI images acquired during the daytime can be used for land cover/use studies, natural and forestry resources, disaster prevention and rescue works. The main objectives of this work were to investigate the application of FORMOSAT-2 data in order to: (1) identify beach patterns; (2) correctly extract a sand spit boundary. Different pixel-based and object-based classification algorithms were applied to four FORMOSAT-2 scenes and the results were compared with the results already obtained in previous works. Analyzing the results obtained, is possible to conclude that the FORMOSAT-2 data are adequate to the correct identification of beach patterns and to an accurately extraction of the sand spit boundary (Douro river estuary, Porto, Portugal). The results obtained were compared with the results already achieved with IKONOS-2 images. In conclusion, this research has demonstrated that the FORMOSAT-2 data and image processing techniques employed are an effective methodology to identify beach patterns and to correctly extract sand spit boundaries. In the future more FORMOSAT-2 images will be processed and will be consider the use of pan sharped images and data mining algorithms.

  1. Increase of economy of torque flow pump with high specific speed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gusak, A. G.; Krishtop, I. V.; German, V. F.; Baga, V. N.

    2017-08-01

    Torque flow pumps are widely spread types of energy machines, which are used in majority of modern branches of industry for pumping of dirty media. The main task of researchers of torque flow pumps is increase of such pumps effectiveness for higher feed. Hydraulic losses for torque flow pumps are caused by working process of such pumps and are inevitable. Decrease of losses can be obtained by means of optimization of hydraulic flow part geometry. Modern approach to design of pump outlet introduces new constructive solutions which can increase economy of torque flow pumps. The aim of this research is increase of economy of torque flow pumps by means of application of spatial outlet and investigation of its geometry on pump characteristics. Analytical and numerical methods of liquid flow research for hydraulic flow part of torque flow pump were used in this paper. Moreover, influence of hydraulic flow part geometry of different designs of “Turo” type torque flow pumps outlets on pump characteristics was investigated. Numerical research enabled to study process of energy transfer of torque flow pump and evaluate influence of geometrical dimensions of spatial spiral outlet on its characteristics. Besides numerical research confirmed introduced regularity of peripheral velocity distribution in outlet. Velocity moment distribution in outlet was obtained during implementation of numerical research. Implemented bench tests of torque flow pump prototypes enabled to obtain real characteristics of pump and confirm effectiveness of spatial geometry of outlet application for such pump.

  2. Future Teachers' Spatial Thinking Skills and Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shin, Euikyung E.; Milson, Andrew J.; Smith, Thomas J.

    2016-01-01

    The spatial thinking skills and attitudes of geography majors were compared with those of future teachers majoring in elementary education and secondary social studies education. Scores were obtained for each group on two measures: the spatial skills test and the attitude toward spatial thinking inventory. Mean differences were examined based on…

  3. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Larsen, E.W.

    A class of Projected Discrete-Ordinates (PDO) methods is described for obtaining iterative solutions of discrete-ordinates problems with convergence rates comparable to those observed using Diffusion Synthetic Acceleration (DSA). The spatially discretized PDO solutions are generally not equal to the DSA solutions, but unlike DSA, which requires great care in the use of spatial discretizations to preserve stability, the PDO solutions remain stable and rapidly convergent with essentially arbitrary spatial discretizations. Numerical results are presented which illustrate the rapid convergence and the accuracy of solutions obtained using PDO methods with commonplace differencing methods.

  4. Applications of nanopipettes in bionanotechnology.

    PubMed

    Ying, Liming

    2009-08-01

    At present, technical hurdles remain in probing biochemical processes in living cells and organisms at nanometre spatial resolution, millisecond time resolution and with high specificity and single-molecule sensitivity. Owing to its unique shape, size and electrical properties, the nanopipette has been used to obtain high-resolution topographic images of live cells under physiological conditions, and to create nanoscale features by controlled delivery of biomolecules. In the present paper, I discuss recent progress in the development of a family of new methods for nanosensing and nanomanipulation using nanopipettes.

  5. Rearranging the lenslet array of the compact passive interference imaging system with high resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Gang; Wen, Desheng; Song, Zongxi

    2017-10-01

    With the development of aeronautics and astronautics, higher resolution requirement of the telescope was necessary. However, the increase in resolution of conventional telescope required larger apertures, whose size, weight and power consumption could be prohibitively expensive. This limited the further development of the telescope. This paper introduced a new imaging technology using interference—Compact Passive Interference Imaging Technology with High Resolution, and proposed a rearranging method for the arrangement of the lenslet array to obtain continuously object spatial frequency.

  6. Can Process Understanding Help Elucidate The Structure Of The Critical Zone? Comparing Process-Based Soil Formation Models With Digital Soil Mapping.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vanwalleghem, T.; Román, A.; Peña, A.; Laguna, A.; Giráldez, J. V.

    2017-12-01

    There is a need for better understanding the processes influencing soil formation and the resulting distribution of soil properties in the critical zone. Soil properties can exhibit strong spatial variation, even at the small catchment scale. Especially soil carbon pools in semi-arid, mountainous areas are highly uncertain because bulk density and stoniness are very heterogeneous and rarely measured explicitly. In this study, we explore the spatial variability in key soil properties (soil carbon stocks, stoniness, bulk density and soil depth) as a function of processes shaping the critical zone (weathering, erosion, soil water fluxes and vegetation patterns). We also compare the potential of traditional digital soil mapping versus a mechanistic soil formation model (MILESD) for predicting these key soil properties. Soil core samples were collected from 67 locations at 6 depths. Total soil organic carbon stocks were 4.38 kg m-2. Solar radiation proved to be the key variable controlling soil carbon distribution. Stone content was mostly controlled by slope, indicating the importance of erosion. Spatial distribution of bulk density was found to be highly random. Finally, total carbon stocks were predicted using a random forest model whose main covariates were solar radiation and NDVI. The model predicts carbon stocks that are double as high on north versus south-facing slopes. However, validation showed that these covariates only explained 25% of the variation in the dataset. Apparently, present-day landscape and vegetation properties are not sufficient to fully explain variability in the soil carbon stocks in this complex terrain under natural vegetation. This is attributed to a high spatial variability in bulk density and stoniness, key variables controlling carbon stocks. Similar results were obtained with the mechanistic soil formation model MILESD, suggesting that more complex models might be needed to further explore this high spatial variability.

  7. How Cities Breathe: Ground-Referenced, Airborne Hyperspectral Imaging Precursor Measurements To Space-Based Monitoring

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leifer, Ira; Tratt, David; Quattrochi, Dale; Bovensmann, Heinrich; Gerilowski, Konstantin; Buchwitz, Michael; Burrows, John

    2013-01-01

    Methane's (CH4) large global warming potential (Shindell et al., 2012) and likely increasing future emissions due to global warming feedbacks emphasize its importance to anthropogenic greenhouse warming (IPCC, 2007). Furthermore, CH4 regulation has far greater near-term climate change mitigation potential versus carbon dioxide CO2, the other major anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas (GHG) (Shindell et al., 2009). Uncertainties in CH4 budgets arise from the poor state of knowledge of CH4 sources - in part from a lack of sufficiently accurate assessments of the temporal and spatial emissions and controlling factors of highly variable anthropogenic and natural CH4 surface fluxes (IPCC, 2007) and the lack of global-scale (satellite) data at sufficiently high spatial resolution to resolve sources. Many important methane (and other trace gases) sources arise from urban and mega-urban landscapes where anthropogenic activities are centered - most of humanity lives in urban areas. Studying these complex landscape tapestries is challenged by a wide and varied range of activities at small spatial scale, and difficulty in obtaining up-to-date landuse data in the developed world - a key desire of policy makers towards development of effective regulations. In the developing world, challenges are multiplied with additional political access challenges. As high spatial resolution satellite and airborne data has become available, activity mapping applications have blossomed - i.e., Google maps; however, tap a minute fraction of remote sensing capabilities due to limited (three band) spectral information. Next generation approaches that incorporate high spatial resolution hyperspectral and ultraspectral data will allow detangling of the highly heterogeneous usage megacity patterns by providing diagnostic identification of chemical composition from solids (refs) to gases (refs). To properly enable these next generation technologies for megacity include atmospheric radiative transfer modeling the complex and often aerosol laden, humid, urban microclimates, atmospheric transport and profile monitoring, spatial resolution, temporal cycles (diurnal and seasonal which involve interactions with the surrounding environment diurnal and seasonal cycles) and representative measurement approaches given traffic realities. Promising approaches incorporate contemporaneous airborne remote sensing and in situ measurements, nocturnal surface surveys, with ground station measurement

  8. Optical high-resolution analysis of rotational movement: testing circular spatial filter velocimetry (CSFV) with rotating biological cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schaeper, M.; Schmidt, R.; Kostbade, R.; Damaschke, N.; Gimsa, J.

    2016-07-01

    Circular spatial filtering velocimetry (CSFV) was tested during the microscopic registration of the individual rotations of baker’s yeast cells. Their frequency-dependent rotation (electrorotation; ER) was induced in rotating electric fields, which were generated in a glass chip chamber with four electrodes (600 μm tip-to-tip distance). The electrodes were driven with sinusoidal quadrature signals of 5 or 8 V PP with frequencies up to 3 MHz. The observed cell rotation was of the order of 1-100 s per revolution. At each measuring frequency, the independent rotations of up to 20 cells were simultaneously recorded with a high-speed camera. CSFV was software-implemented using circular spatial filters with harmonic gratings. ER was proportional to the phase shift between the values of the spatial filtering signal of consecutive frames. ER spectra obtained by CSFV from the rotation velocities at different ER-field frequencies agreed well with manual measurements and theoretical spectra. Oscillations in the rotation velocity of a single cell in the elliptically polarized field near an electrode, which were resolved by CSFV, could not be visually discerned. ER step responses after field-on were recorded at 2500 frames per second. Analysis proved the high temporal resolution of CSFV and revealed a largely linear torque-friction relation during the acceleration phase of ER. Future applications of CSFV will allow for the simple and cheap automated high-resolution analysis of rotational movements where mechanical detection has too low a resolution or is not possible, e.g. in polluted environments or for gas and fluid vortices, microscopic objects, etc.

  9. Aspects of decision support in water management--example Berlin and Potsdam (Germany) I--spatially differentiated evaluation.

    PubMed

    Simon, Ute; Brüggemann, Rainer; Pudenz, Stefan

    2004-04-01

    Decisions about sustainable development demand spatially differentiated evaluations. As an example, we demonstrate the evaluation of water management strategies in the cities of Berlin and Potsdam (Germany) with respect to their ecological effects in 14 sections of the surface water system. Two decision support systems were compared, namely PROMETHEE, which is designed to obtain a clear decision (linear ranking), and Hasse Diagram Technique (HDT), normally providing more than one favourable solution (partial order). By PROMETHEE, the spatial differentiation had unwanted effects on the result, negating the stakeholders determined weighting of indicators. Therefore, the stakeholder can barely benefit from the convenience of obtaining a clear decision (linear ranking). In contrast, the result obtained by HDT was not influenced by spatial differentiation. Furthermore, HDT provided helpful tools to analyse the evaluation result, such as the concept of antagonistic indicators to discover conflicts in the evaluation process.

  10. Comet Science Working Group report on the Halley Intercept Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1980-01-01

    The Halley Intercept Mission is described and the scientific benefits expected from the program are defined. One characteristic of the mission is the optical navigation and resulting accurate delivery of the spacecraft to a desired point near the nucleus. This accuracy of delivery has two important implications: (1) high probability that the mass spectrometers and other in situ measurement devices will reach the cometary ionosphere and the zone of parent molecules next to the nucleus; (2) high probability that sunlit, high resolution images of Halley's nucleus will be obtained under proper lighting conditions. In addition an observatory phase is included during which high quality images of the tail and coma structure will be obtained at progressively higher spatial resolutions as the spacecraft approaches the comet. Complete measurements of the comet/solar wind interaction can be made around the time of encounter. Specific recommendations are made concerning project implementation and spacecraft requirements.

  11. Analysis of X-ray Spectra of High-Z Elements obtained on Nike with high spectral and spatial resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aglitskiy, Yefim; Weaver, J. L.; Karasik, M.; Serlin, V.; Obenschain, S. P.; Ralchenko, Yu.

    2014-10-01

    The spectra of multi-charged ions of Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au and Bi have been studied on Nike krypton-fluoride laser facility with the help of two kinds of X-ray spectrometers. First, survey instrument covering a spectral range from 0.5 to 19.5 angstroms which allows simultaneous observation of both M- and N- spectra of above mentioned elements with high spectral resolution. Second, an imaging spectrometer with interchangeable spherically bent Quartz crystals that added higher efficiency, higher spectral resolution and high spatial resolution to the qualities of the former one. Multiple spectral lines with X-ray energies as high as 4 keV that belong to the isoelectronic sequences of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn were identified with the help of NOMAD package developed by Dr. Yu. Ralchenko and colleagues. In our continuous effort to support DOE-NNSA's inertial fusion program, this campaign covered a wide range of plasma conditions that result in production of relatively energetic X-rays. Work supported by the US DOE/NNSA.

  12. Spatial patterns of high Aedes aegypti oviposition activity in northwestern Argentina.

    PubMed

    Estallo, Elizabet Lilia; Más, Guillermo; Vergara-Cid, Carolina; Lanfri, Mario Alberto; Ludueña-Almeida, Francisco; Scavuzzo, Carlos Marcelo; Introini, María Virginia; Zaidenberg, Mario; Almirón, Walter Ricardo

    2013-01-01

    In Argentina, dengue has affected mainly the Northern provinces, including Salta. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial patterns of high Aedes aegypti oviposition activity in San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, northwestern Argentina. The location of clusters as hot spot areas should help control programs to identify priority areas and allocate their resources more effectively. Oviposition activity was detected in Orán City (Salta province) using ovitraps, weekly replaced (October 2005-2007). Spatial autocorrelation was measured with Moran's Index and depicted through cluster maps to identify hot spots. Total egg numbers were spatially interpolated and a classified map with Ae. aegypti high oviposition activity areas was performed. Potential breeding and resting (PBR) sites were geo-referenced. A logistic regression analysis of interpolated egg numbers and PBR location was performed to generate a predictive mapping of mosquito oviposition activity. Both cluster maps and predictive map were consistent, identifying in central and southern areas of the city high Ae. aegypti oviposition activity. A logistic regression model was successfully developed to predict Ae. aegypti oviposition activity based on distance to PBR sites, with tire dumps having the strongest association with mosquito oviposition activity. A predictive map reflecting probability of oviposition activity was produced. The predictive map delimitated an area of maximum probability of Ae. aegypti oviposition activity in the south of Orán city where tire dumps predominate. The overall fit of the model was acceptable (ROC=0.77), obtaining 99% of sensitivity and 75.29% of specificity. Distance to tire dumps is inversely associated with high mosquito activity, allowing us to identify hot spots. These methodologies are useful for prevention, surveillance, and control of tropical vector borne diseases and might assist National Health Ministry to focus resources more effectively.

  13. High Dynamic Imaging for Photometry and Graphic Arts Evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    T. S., Sudheer Kumar; Kurian, Ciji Pearl; Shama, Kumara; K. R., Shailesh

    2018-05-01

    High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI) techniques for luminance measurement is gaining importance in recent years. This paper presents the application of the HDRI system for obtaining the photometric characteristics of lighting fixtures as well to assess the quality of lighting in colour viewing booth of a printing press. The process of quality control of prints in a printing press is known as graphic arts evaluation. This light booth plays a major role in the quality control of prints. In this work, Nikon D5100 camera was used to obtain the photometric characteristics of narrow beam spotlight. The results of this experiment are in agreement with photometric characteristics obtained from a standard industry grade Gonio-photometer. Similarly, Canon 60D camera was used to assess the quality of spatial luminance distribution of light in the colour viewing booth. This work demonstrates the usefulness of HDRI technology for photometric measurements and luminance distributions of illuminated interiors.

  14. Methods for Monitoring the Detection of Multi-Temporal Land Use Change Through the Classification of Urban Areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alhaddad, B. I.; Burns, M. C.; Roca, J.

    2011-08-01

    Urban areas are complicated due to the mix of man-made features and natural features. A higher level of structural information plays an important role in land cover/use classification of urban areas. Additional spatial indicators have to be extracted based on structural analysis in order to understand and identify spatial patterns or the spatial organization of features, especially for man-made feature. It's very difficult to extract such spatial patterns by using only classification approaches. Clusters of urban patterns which are integral parts of other uses may be difficult to identify. A lot of public resources have been directed towards seeking to develop a standardized classification system and to provide as much compatibility as possible to ensure the widespread use of such categorized data obtained from remote sensor sources. In this paper different methods applied to understand the change in the land use areas by understanding and monitoring the change in urban areas and as its hard to apply those methods to classification results for high elements quantities, dusts and scratches (Roca and Alhaddad, 2005). This paper focuses on a methodology developed based relation between urban elements and how to join this elements in zones or clusters have commune behaviours such as form, pattern, size. The main objective is to convert urban class category in to various structure densities depend on conjunction of pixel and shortest distance between them, Delaunay triangulation has been widely used in spatial analysis and spatial modelling. To identify these different zones, a spatial density-based clustering technique was adopted. In highly urban zones, the spatial density of the pixels is high, while in sparsely areas the density of points is much lower. Once the groups of pixels are identified, the calculation of the boundaries of the areas containing each group of pixels defines the new regions indicate the different contains inside such as high or low urban areas. Multi-temporal datasets from 1986, 1995 and 2004 used to urban region centroid to be our reference in this study which allow us to follow the urban movement, increase and decrease by the time. Kernel Density function used to Calculates urban magnitude, Voronoi algorithm is proposed for deriving explicit boundaries between objects units. To test the approach, we selected a site in a suburban area in Barcelona Municipality, the Spain.

  15. Experimental Constraints of the Exotic Shearing of Space-Time

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Richardson, Jonathan William

    2016-08-01

    The Holometer program is a search for rst experimental evidence that space-time has quantum structure. The detector consists of a pair of co-located 40-m power-recycled interferometers whose outputs are read out synchronously at 50 MHz, achieving sensitivity to spatiallycorrelated uctuations in dierential position on time scales shorter than the light-crossing time of the instruments. Unlike gravitational wave interferometers, which time-resolve transient geometrical disturbances in the spatial background, the Holometer is searching for a universal, stationary quantization noise of the background itself. This dissertation presents the nal results of the Holometer Phase I search, an experiment congured for sensitivity to exoticmore » coherent shearing uctuations of space-time. Measurements of high-frequency cross-spectra of the interferometer signals obtain sensitivity to spatially-correlated eects far exceeding any previous measurement, in a broad frequency band extending to 7.6 MHz, twice the inverse light-crossing time of the apparatus. This measurement is the statistical aggregation of 2.1 petabytes of 2-byte dierential position measurements obtained over a month-long exposure time. At 3 signicance, it places an upper limit on the coherence scale of spatial shear two orders of magnitude below the Planck length. The result demonstrates the viability of this novel spatially-correlated interferometric detection technique to reach unprecedented sensitivity to coherent deviations of space-time from classicality, opening the door for direct experimental tests of theories of relational quantum gravity.« less

  16. Shadow imaging of geosynchronous satellites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Douglas, Dennis Michael

    Geosynchronous (GEO) satellites are essential for modern communication networks. If communication to a GEO satellite is lost and a malfunction occurs upon orbit insertion such as a solar panel not deploying there is no direct way to observe it from Earth. Due to the GEO orbit distance of ~36,000 km from Earth's surface, the Rayleigh criteria dictates that a 14 m telescope is required to conventionally image a satellite with spatial resolution down to 1 m using visible light. Furthermore, a telescope larger than 30 m is required under ideal conditions to obtain spatial resolution down to 0.4 m. This dissertation evaluates a method for obtaining high spatial resolution images of GEO satellites from an Earth based system by measuring the irradiance distribution on the ground resulting from the occultation of the satellite passing in front of a star. The representative size of a GEO satellite combined with the orbital distance results in the ground shadow being consistent with a Fresnel diffraction pattern when observed at visible wavelengths. A measurement of the ground shadow irradiance is used as an amplitude constraint in a Gerchberg-Saxton phase retrieval algorithm that produces a reconstruction of the satellite's 2D transmission function which is analogous to a reverse contrast image of the satellite. The advantage of shadow imaging is that a terrestrial based redundant set of linearly distributed inexpensive small telescopes, each coupled to high speed detectors, is a more effective resolved imaging system for GEO satellites than a very large telescope under ideal conditions. Modeling and simulation efforts indicate sub-meter spatial resolution can be readily achieved using collection apertures of less than 1 meter in diameter. A mathematical basis is established for the treatment of the physical phenomena involved in the shadow imaging process. This includes the source star brightness and angular extent, and the diffraction of starlight from the satellite. Atmospheric effects including signal attenuation, refraction/dispersion, and turbulence are also applied to the model. The light collection and physical measurement process using highly sensitive geiger-mode avalanche photo-diode (GM-APD) detectors is described in detail. A simulation of the end-to-end shadow imaging process is constructed and then utilized to quantify the spatial resolution limits based on source star, environmental, observational, collection, measurement, and image reconstruction parameters.

  17. Solar Confocal Interferometers for Sub-Picometer-Resolution Spectral Filters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gary, G. Allen; Pietraszewski, Chris; West, Edward A.; Dines, Terence C.

    2006-01-01

    The confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer allows sub-picometer spectral resolution of Fraunhofer line profiles. Such high spectral resolution is needed to keep pace with the higher spatial resolution of the new set of large-aperture solar telescopes. The line-of-sight spatial resolution derived for line profile inversions would then track the improvements of the transverse spatial scale provided by the larger apertures. The confocal interferometer's unique properties allow a simultaneous increase in both etendue and spectral power. Methods: We have constructed and tested two confocal interferometers. Conclusions: In this paper we compare the confocal interferometer with other spectral imaging filters, provide initial design parameters, show construction details for two designs, and report on the laboratory test results for these interferometers, and propose a multiple etalon system for future testing of these units and to obtain sub-picometer spectral resolution information on the photosphere in both the visible and near-infrared.

  18. Gas refractometry based on an all-fiber spatial optical filter.

    PubMed

    Silva, Susana; Coelho, L; André, R M; Frazão, O

    2012-08-15

    A spatial optical filter based on splice misalignment between optical fibers with different diameters is proposed for gas refractometry. The sensing head is formed by a 2 mm long optical fiber with 50 μm diameter that is spliced with a strong misalignment between two single-mode fibers (SMF28) and interrogated in transmission. The misalignment causes a Fabry-Perot behavior along the reduced-size fiber and depending on the lead-out SMF28 position, it is possible to obtain different spectral responses, namely, bandpass or band-rejection filters. It is shown that the spatial filter device is highly sensitive to refractive index changes on a nitrogen environment by means of the gas pressure variation. A maximum sensitivity of -1390 nm/RIU for the bandpass filter was achieved. Both devices have shown similar temperature responses with an average sensitivity of 25.7 pm/°C.

  19. On the identification of normal modes of oscillation from observations of the solar periphery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gough, D. D.; Latour, J.

    1984-01-01

    The decomposition of solar oscillations into their constituent normal modes requires a knowledge of both the spatial and temporal variation of the perturbation to the Sun's surface. The task is especially difficult when only limited spatial information is available. Observations of the limb darkening function, for example, are probably sensitive to too large a number of modes to permit most of the modes to be identified in a power spectrum of measurements at only a few points on the limb, unless the results are combined with other data. A procedure was considered by which the contributions from quite small groups of modes to spatially well resolved data obtained at any instant can be extracted from the remaining modes. Combining these results with frequency information then permits the modes to be identified, at least if their frequencies are low enough to ensure that modes of high degree do not contribute substantially to the signal.

  20. Iodine imaging in thyroid by fluorescent X-ray CT with 0.05 mm spatial resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takeda, T.; Yu, Q.; Yashiro, T.; Zeniya, T.; Wu, J.; Hasegawa, Y.; Thet-Thet-Lwin; Hyodo, K.; Yuasa, T.; Dilmanian, F. A.; Akatsuka, T.; Itai, Y.

    2001-07-01

    Fluorescent X-ray computed tomography (FXCT) at a 0.05 mm in-plane spatial resolution and 0.05 mm slice thickness depicted the cross sectional distribution of endogenous iodine within thyroid. The distribution obtained from the FXCT image correlated closely to that obtained from the pathological pictures.

  1. Identifying cochlear implant channels with poor electrode-neuron interface: electrically-evoked auditory brainstem responses measured with the partial tripolar configuration

    PubMed Central

    Bierer, Julie Arenberg; Faulkner, Kathleen F.; Tremblay, Kelly L.

    2011-01-01

    Objectives The goal of this study was to compare cochlear implant behavioral measures and electrically-evoked auditory brainstem responses (EABRs) obtained with a spatially focused electrode configuration. It has been shown previously that channels with high thresholds, when measured with the tripolar configuration, exhibit relatively broad psychophysical tuning curves (Bierer and Faulkner, 2010). The elevated threshold and degraded spatial/spectral selectivity of such channels are consistent with a poor electrode-neuron interface, such as suboptimal electrode placement or reduced nerve survival. However, the psychophysical methods required to obtain these data are time intensive and may not be practical during a clinical mapping procedure, especially for young children. Here we have extended the previous investigation to determine if a physiological approach could provide a similar assessment of channel functionality. We hypothesized that, in accordance with the perceptual measures, higher EABR thresholds would correlate with steeper EABR amplitude growth functions, reflecting a degraded electrode-neuron interface. Design Data were collected from six cochlear implant listeners implanted with the HiRes 90k cochlear implant (Advanced Bionics). Single-channel thresholds and most comfortable listening levels were obtained for stimuli that varied in presumed electrical field size by using the partial tripolar configuration, for which a fraction of current (σ) from a center active electrode returns through two neighboring electrodes and the remainder through a distant indifferent electrode. EABRs were obtained in each subject for the two channels having the highest and lowest tripolar (σ=1 or 0.9) behavioral threshold. Evoked potentials were measured with both the monopolar (σ=0) and a more focused partial tripolar (σ ≥ 0.50) configuration. Results Consistent with previous studies, EABR thresholds were highly and positively correlated with behavioral thresholds obtained with both the monopolar and partial tripolar configurations. The Wave V amplitude growth functions with increasing stimulus level showed the predicted effect of shallower growth for the partial tripolar than for the monopolar configuration, but this was observed only for the low threshold channel. In contrast, high-threshold channels showed the opposite effect; steeper growth functions were seen for the partial tripolar configuration. Conclusions These results suggest that behavioral thresholds or EABRs measured with a restricted stimulus can be used to identify potentially impaired cochlear implant channels. Channels having high thresholds and steep growth functions would likely not activate the appropriate spatially restricted region of the cochlea, leading to suboptimal perception. As a clinical tool, quick identification of impaired channels could lead to patient-specific mapping strategies and result in improved speech and music perception. PMID:21178633

  2. Spatial properties of odd and even low order harmonics generated in gas.

    PubMed

    Lambert, G; Andreev, A; Gautier, J; Giannessi, L; Malka, V; Petralia, A; Sebban, S; Stremoukhov, S; Tissandier, F; Vodungbo, B; Zeitoun, Ph

    2015-01-14

    High harmonic generation in gases is developing rapidly as a soft X-ray femtosecond light-source for applications. This requires control over all the harmonics characteristics and in particular, spatial properties have to be kept very good. In previous literature, measurements have always included several harmonics contrary to applications, especially spectroscopic applications, which usually require a single harmonic. To fill this gap, we present here for the first time a detailed study of completely isolated harmonics. The contribution of the surrounding harmonics has been totally suppressed using interferential filtering which is available for low harmonic orders. In addition, this allows to clearly identify behaviors of standard odd orders from even orders obtained by frequency-mixing of a fundamental laser and of its second harmonic. Comparisons of the spatial intensity profiles, of the spatial coherence and of the wavefront aberration level of 5ω at 160 nm and 6ω at 135 nm have then been performed. We have established that the fundamental laser beam aberrations can cause the appearance of a non-homogenous donut-shape in the 6ω spatial intensity distribution. This undesirable effect can be easily controlled. We finally conclude that the spatial quality of an even harmonic can be as excellent as in standard generation.

  3. Students’ Spatial Ability through Open-Ended Approach Aided by Cabri 3D

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Priatna, N.

    2017-09-01

    The use of computer software such as Cabri 3D for learning activities is very unlimited. Students can adjust their learning speed according to their level of ability. Open-ended approach strongly supports the use of computer software in learning, because the goal of open-ended learning is to help developing creative activities and mathematical mindset of students through problem solving simultaneously. In other words, creative activities and mathematical mindset of students should be developed as much as possible in accordance with the ability of spatial ability of each student. Spatial ability is the ability of students in constructing and representing geometry models. This study aims to determine the improvement of spatial ability of junior high school students who obtained learning with open-ended approach aided by Cabri 3D. It adopted a quasi-experimental method with the non-randomized control group pretest-posttest design and the 2×3 factorial model. The instrument of the study is spatial ability test. Based on analysis of the data, it is found that the improvement of spatial ability of students who received open-ended learning aided by Cabri 3D was greater than students who received expository learning, both as a whole and based on the categories of students’ initial mathematical ability.

  4. Comparing the effects of sustained and transient spatial attention on the orienting towards and the processing of electrical nociceptive stimuli.

    PubMed

    Van der Lubbe, Rob H J; Blom, Jorian H G; De Kleine, Elian; Bohlmeijer, Ernst T

    2017-02-01

    We examined whether sustained vs. transient spatial attention differentially affect the processing of electrical nociceptive stimuli. Cued nociceptive stimuli of a relevant intensity (low or high) on the left or right forearm required a foot pedal press. The cued side varied trial wise in the transient attention condition, while it remained constant during a series of trials in the sustained attention condition. The orienting phase preceding the nociceptive stimuli was examined by focusing on lateralized EEG activity. ERPs were computed to examine the influence of spatial attention on the processing of the nociceptive stimuli. Results for the orienting phase showed increased ipsilateral alpha and beta power above somatosensory areas in both the transient and the sustained attention conditions, which may reflect inhibition of ipsilateral and/or disinhibition of contralateral somatosensory areas. Cued nociceptive stimuli evoked a larger N130 than uncued stimuli, both in the transient and the sustained attention conditions. Support for increased efficiency of spatial attention in the sustained attention condition was obtained for the N180 and the P540 component. We concluded that spatial attention is more efficient in the case of sustained than in the case of transient spatial attention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Improving spectral resolution in spatial encoding dimension of single-scan nuclear magnetic resonance 2D spin echo correlated spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Liangjie; Wei, Zhiliang; Yang, Jian; Lin, Yanqin; Chen, Zhong

    2014-11-01

    The spatial encoding technique can be used to accelerate the acquisition of multi-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. However, with this technique, we have to make trade-offs between the spectral width and the resolution in the spatial encoding dimension (F1 dimension), resulting in the difficulty of covering large spectral widths while preserving acceptable resolutions for spatial encoding spectra. In this study, a selective shifting method is proposed to overcome the aforementioned drawback. This method is capable of narrowing spectral widths and improving spectral resolutions in spatial encoding dimensions by selectively shifting certain peaks in spectra of the ultrafast version of spin echo correlated spectroscopy (UFSECSY). This method can also serve as a powerful tool to obtain high-resolution correlated spectra in inhomogeneous magnetic fields for its resistance to any inhomogeneity in the F1 dimension inherited from UFSECSY. Theoretical derivations and experiments have been carried out to demonstrate performances of the proposed method. Results show that the spectral width in spatial encoding dimension can be reduced by shortening distances between cross peaks and axial peaks with the proposed method and the expected resolution improvement can be achieved. Finally, the shifting-absent spectrum can be recovered readily by post-processing.

  6. Digital polarization holography advancing geometrical phase optics.

    PubMed

    De Sio, Luciano; Roberts, David E; Liao, Zhi; Nersisyan, Sarik; Uskova, Olena; Wickboldt, Lloyd; Tabiryan, Nelson; Steeves, Diane M; Kimball, Brian R

    2016-08-08

    Geometrical phase or the fourth generation (4G) optics enables realization of optical components (lenses, prisms, gratings, spiral phase plates, etc.) by patterning the optical axis orientation in the plane of thin anisotropic films. Such components exhibit near 100% diffraction efficiency over a broadband of wavelengths. The films are obtained by coating liquid crystalline (LC) materials over substrates with patterned alignment conditions. Photo-anisotropic materials are used for producing desired alignment conditions at the substrate surface. We present and discuss here an opportunity of producing the widest variety of "free-form" 4G optical components with arbitrary spatial patterns of the optical anisotropy axis orientation with the aid of a digital spatial light polarization converter (DSLPC). The DSLPC is based on a reflective, high resolution spatial light modulator (SLM) combined with an "ad hoc" optical setup. The most attractive feature of the use of a DSLPC for photoalignment of nanometer thin photo-anisotropic coatings is that the orientation of the alignment layer, and therefore of the fabricated LC or LC polymer (LCP) components can be specified on a pixel-by-pixel basis with high spatial resolution. By varying the optical magnification or de-magnification the spatial resolution of the photoaligned layer can be adjusted to an optimum for each application. With a simple "click" it is possible to record different optical components as well as arbitrary patterns ranging from lenses to invisible labels and other transparent labels that reveal different images depending on the side from which they are viewed.

  7. D Object Classification Based on Thermal and Visible Imagery in Urban Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasani, H.; Samadzadegan, F.

    2015-12-01

    The spatial distribution of land cover in the urban area especially 3D objects (buildings and trees) is a fundamental dataset for urban planning, ecological research, disaster management, etc. According to recent advances in sensor technologies, several types of remotely sensed data are available from the same area. Data fusion has been widely investigated for integrating different source of data in classification of urban area. Thermal infrared imagery (TIR) contains information on emitted radiation and has unique radiometric properties. However, due to coarse spatial resolution of thermal data, its application has been restricted in urban areas. On the other hand, visible image (VIS) has high spatial resolution and information in visible spectrum. Consequently, there is a complementary relation between thermal and visible imagery in classification of urban area. This paper evaluates the potential of aerial thermal hyperspectral and visible imagery fusion in classification of urban area. In the pre-processing step, thermal imagery is resampled to the spatial resolution of visible image. Then feature level fusion is applied to construct hybrid feature space include visible bands, thermal hyperspectral bands, spatial and texture features and moreover Principle Component Analysis (PCA) transformation is applied to extract PCs. Due to high dimensionality of feature space, dimension reduction method is performed. Finally, Support Vector Machines (SVMs) classify the reduced hybrid feature space. The obtained results show using thermal imagery along with visible imagery, improved the classification accuracy up to 8% respect to visible image classification.

  8. Off-axis electron holography combining summation of hologram series with double-exposure phase-shifting: Theory and application.

    PubMed

    Boureau, Victor; McLeod, Robert; Mayall, Benjamin; Cooper, David

    2018-06-04

    In this paper we discuss developments for Lorentz mode or "medium resolution" off-axis electron holography such that it is now routinely possible obtain very high sensitivity phase maps with high spatial resolution whilst maintaining a large field of view. Modifications of the usual Fourier reconstruction procedure have been used to combine series of holograms for sensitivity improvement with a phase-shifting method for doubling the spatial resolution. In the frame of these developments, specific attention is given to the phase standard deviation description and its interaction with the spatial resolution as well as the processing of reference holograms. An experimental study based on Dark-Field Electron Holography (DFEH), using a SiGe/Si multilayer epitaxy sample is compared with theory. The method's efficiency of removing the autocorrelation term during hologram reconstruction is discussed. Software has been written in DigitalMicrograph that can be used to routinely perform these tasks. To illustrate the real improvements made using these methods we show that a strain measurement sensitivity of  ±  0.025 % can be achieved with a spatial resolution of 2 nm and  ±  0.13 % with a spatial resolution of 1 nm whilst maintaining a useful field of view of 300 nm. In the frame of these measurements a model of strain noise for DFEH has also been developed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Humanoid monocular stereo measuring system with two degrees of freedom using bionic optical imaging system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Jia-Wei; Wang, Xuan-Yin; Zhu, Shi-Qiang

    2017-10-01

    Based on the process by which the spatial depth clue is obtained by a single eye, a monocular stereo vision to measure the depth information of spatial objects was proposed in this paper and a humanoid monocular stereo measuring system with two degrees of freedom was demonstrated. The proposed system can effectively obtain the three-dimensional (3-D) structure of spatial objects of different distances without changing the position of the system and has the advantages of being exquisite, smart, and flexible. The bionic optical imaging system we proposed in a previous paper, named ZJU SY-I, was employed and its vision characteristic was just like the resolution decay of the eye's vision from center to periphery. We simplified the eye's rotation in the eye socket and the coordinated rotation of other organs of the body into two rotations in the orthogonal direction and employed a rotating platform with two rotation degrees of freedom to drive ZJU SY-I. The structure of the proposed system was described in detail. The depth of a single feature point on the spatial object was deduced, as well as its spatial coordination. With the focal length adjustment of ZJU SY-I and the rotation control of the rotation platform, the spatial coordinates of all feature points on the spatial object could be obtained and then the 3-D structure of the spatial object could be reconstructed. The 3-D structure measurement experiments of two spatial objects with different distances and sizes were conducted. Some main factors affecting the measurement accuracy of the proposed system were analyzed and discussed.

  10. A systems approach for data compression and latency reduction in cortically controlled brain machine interfaces.

    PubMed

    Oweiss, Karim G

    2006-07-01

    This paper suggests a new approach for data compression during extracutaneous transmission of neural signals recorded by high-density microelectrode array in the cortex. The approach is based on exploiting the temporal and spatial characteristics of the neural recordings in order to strip the redundancy and infer the useful information early in the data stream. The proposed signal processing algorithms augment current filtering and amplification capability and may be a viable replacement to on chip spike detection and sorting currently employed to remedy the bandwidth limitations. Temporal processing is devised by exploiting the sparseness capabilities of the discrete wavelet transform, while spatial processing exploits the reduction in the number of physical channels through quasi-periodic eigendecomposition of the data covariance matrix. Our results demonstrate that substantial improvements are obtained in terms of lower transmission bandwidth, reduced latency and optimized processor utilization. We also demonstrate the improvements qualitatively in terms of superior denoising capabilities and higher fidelity of the obtained signals.

  11. Vibration measurement by temporal Fourier analyses of a digital hologram sequence.

    PubMed

    Fu, Yu; Pedrini, Giancarlo; Osten, Wolfgang

    2007-08-10

    A method for whole-field noncontact measurement of displacement, velocity, and acceleration of a vibrating object based on image-plane digital holography is presented. A series of digital holograms of a vibrating object are captured by use of a high-speed CCD camera. The result of the reconstruction is a three-dimensional complex-valued matrix with noise. We apply Fourier analysis and windowed Fourier analysis in both the spatial and the temporal domains to extract the displacement, the velocity, and the acceleration. The instantaneous displacement is obtained by temporal unwrapping of the filtered phase map, whereas the velocity and acceleration are evaluated by Fourier analysis and by windowed Fourier analysis along the time axis. The combination of digital holography and temporal Fourier analyses allows for evaluation of the vibration, without a phase ambiguity problem, and smooth spatial distribution of instantaneous displacement, velocity, and acceleration of each instant are obtained. The comparison of Fourier analysis and windowed Fourier analysis in velocity and acceleration measurements is also presented.

  12. A search for chiral signatures on Mars.

    PubMed

    Sparks, William B; Hough, James H; Bergeron, Louis E

    2005-12-01

    It is thought that the chiral molecules of living material can induce circular polarization in light at levels much higher than expected from abiotic processes. We therefore obtained high quality imaging circular polarimetry of the martian surface during the favorable opposition of 2003 to seek evidence of anomalous optical activity. We used two narrow-band filters covering 43% of the martian surface, 15% of it in-depth. With polarization noise levels <0.1% (4.3 upper limits 0.2-0.3%) and spatial resolution 210 km, we did not find any regions of circular polarization. When data were averaged over the observed face of the planet, we did see a small non-zero circular polarization 0.02%, which may be due to effects associated with the opposition configuration though it is at the limit of the instrumental capability. Our observations covered only a small fraction of parameter space, so although we obtained a null result, we cannot exclude the presence of optical activity at other wavelengths, in other locations, or at higher spatial resolution.

  13. Spatial and Activities Models of Airport Based on GIS and Dynamic Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masri, R. M.; Purwaamijaya, I. M.

    2017-02-01

    The purpose of research were (1) a conceptual, functional model designed and implementation for spatial airports, (2) a causal, flow diagrams and mathematical equations made for airport activity, (3) obtained information on the conditions of space and activities at airports assessment, (4) the space and activities evaluation at airports based on national and international airport services standards, (5) options provided to improve the spatial and airport activities performance become the international standards airport. Descriptive method is used for the research. Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia was study location. The research was conducted on September 2015 to April 2016. A spatial analysis is used to obtain runway, taxiway and building airport geometric information. A system analysis is used to obtain the relationship between components in airports, dynamic simulation activity at airports and information on the results tables and graphs of dynamic model. Airport national and international standard could not be fulfilled by spatial and activity existing condition of Husein Sastranegara. Idea of re-location program is proposed as problem solving for constructing new airport which could be serving international air transportation.

  14. High Contrast Imaging in the Visible: First Experimental Results at the Large Binocular Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pedichini, F.; Stangalini, M.; Ambrosino, F.; Puglisi, A.; Pinna, E.; Bailey, V.; Carbonaro, L.; Centrone, M.; Christou, J.; Esposito, S.; Farinato, J.; Fiore, F.; Giallongo, E.; Hill, J. M.; Hinz, P. M.; Sabatini, L.

    2017-08-01

    In 2014 February, the System for High contrast And coronography from R to K at VISual bands (SHARK-VIS) Forerunner, a high contrast experimental imager operating at visible wavelengths, was installed at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Here we report on the first results obtained by recent on-sky tests. These results show the extremely good performance of the LBT Extreme Adaptive Optics (ExAO) system at visible wavelengths, both in terms of spatial resolution and contrast achieved. Similarly to what was done by Amara & Quanz (2012), we used the SHARK-VIS Forerunner data to quantitatively assess the contrast enhancement. This is done by injecting several different synthetic faint objects in the acquired data and applying the angular differential imaging (ADI) technique. A contrast of the order of 5 × 10-5 is obtained at 630 nm for angular separations from the star larger than 100 mas. These results are discussed in light of the future development of SHARK-VIS and compared to those obtained by other high contrast imagers operating at similar wavelengths.

  15. Digital differential confocal microscopy based on spatial shift transformation.

    PubMed

    Liu, J; Wang, Y; Liu, C; Wilson, T; Wang, H; Tan, J

    2014-11-01

    Differential confocal microscopy is a particularly powerful surface profilometry technique in industrial metrology due to its high axial sensitivity and insensitivity to noise. However, the practical implementation of the technique requires the accurate positioning of point detectors in three-dimensions. We describe a simple alternative based on spatial transformation of a through-focus series of images obtained from a homemade beam scanning confocal microscope. This digital differential confocal microscopy approach is described and compared with the traditional Differential confocal microscopy approach. The ease of use of the digital differential confocal microscopy system is illustrated by performing measurements on a 3D standard specimen. © 2014 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2014 Royal Microscopical Society.

  16. Method for extracting long-equivalent wavelength interferometric information

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hochberg, Eric B. (Inventor)

    1991-01-01

    A process for extracting long-equivalent wavelength interferometric information from a two-wavelength polychromatic or achromatic interferometer. The process comprises the steps of simultaneously recording a non-linear sum of two different frequency visible light interferograms on a high resolution film and then placing the developed film in an optical train for Fourier transformation, low pass spatial filtering and inverse transformation of the film image to produce low spatial frequency fringes corresponding to a long-equivalent wavelength interferogram. The recorded non-linear sum irradiance derived from the two-wavelength interferometer is obtained by controlling the exposure so that the average interferogram irradiance is set at either the noise level threshold or the saturation level threshold of the film.

  17. Spatial and radiometric characterization of multi-spectrum satellite images through multi-fractal analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alonso, Carmelo; Tarquis, Ana M.; Zúñiga, Ignacio; Benito, Rosa M.

    2017-03-01

    Several studies have shown that vegetation indexes can be used to estimate root zone soil moisture. Earth surface images, obtained by high-resolution satellites, presently give a lot of information on these indexes, based on the data of several wavelengths. Because of the potential capacity for systematic observations at various scales, remote sensing technology extends the possible data archives from the present time to several decades back. Because of this advantage, enormous efforts have been made by researchers and application specialists to delineate vegetation indexes from local scale to global scale by applying remote sensing imagery. In this work, four band images have been considered, which are involved in these vegetation indexes, and were taken by satellites Ikonos-2 and Landsat-7 of the same geographic location, to study the effect of both spatial (pixel size) and radiometric (number of bits coding the image) resolution on these wavelength bands as well as two vegetation indexes: the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). In order to do so, a multi-fractal analysis of these multi-spectral images was applied in each of these bands and the two indexes derived. The results showed that spatial resolution has a similar scaling effect in the four bands, but radiometric resolution has a larger influence in blue and green bands than in red and near-infrared bands. The NDVI showed a higher sensitivity to the radiometric resolution than EVI. Both were equally affected by the spatial resolution. From both factors, the spatial resolution has a major impact in the multi-fractal spectrum for all the bands and the vegetation indexes. This information should be taken in to account when vegetation indexes based on different satellite sensors are obtained.

  18. Determination of the complex refractive index segments of turbid sample with multispectral spatially modulated structured light and models approximation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meitav, Omri; Shaul, Oren; Abookasis, David

    2017-09-01

    Spectral data enabling the derivation of a biological tissue sample's complex refractive index (CRI) can provide a range of valuable information in the clinical and research contexts. Specifically, changes in the CRI reflect alterations in tissue morphology and chemical composition, enabling its use as an optical marker during diagnosis and treatment. In the present work, we report a method for estimating the real and imaginary parts of the CRI of a biological sample using Kramers-Kronig (KK) relations in the spatial frequency domain. In this method, phase-shifted sinusoidal patterns at single high spatial frequency are serially projected onto the sample surface at different near-infrared wavelengths while a camera mounted normal to the sample surface acquires the reflected diffuse light. In the offline analysis pipeline, recorded images at each wavelength are converted to spatial phase maps using KK analysis and are then calibrated against phase-models derived from diffusion approximation. The amplitude of the reflected light, together with phase data, is then introduced into Fresnel equations to resolve both real and imaginary segments of the CRI at each wavelength. The technique was validated in tissue-mimicking phantoms with known optical parameters and in mouse models of ischemic injury and heat stress. Experimental data obtained indicate variations in the CRI among brain tissue suffering from injury. CRI fluctuations correlated with alterations in the scattering and absorption coefficients of the injured tissue are demonstrated. This technique for deriving dynamic changes in the CRI of tissue may be further developed as a clinical diagnostic tool and for biomedical research applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the estimation of the spectral CRI of a mouse head following injury obtained in the spatial frequency domain.

  19. Study of satellite retrieved aerosol optical depth spatial resolution effect on particulate matter concentration prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strandgren, J.; Mei, L.; Vountas, M.; Burrows, J. P.; Lyapustin, A.; Wang, Y.

    2014-10-01

    The Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) spatial resolution effect is investigated for the linear correlation between satellite retrieved AOD and ground level particulate matter concentrations (PM2.5). The Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm was developed for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for obtaining AOD with a high spatial resolution of 1 km and provides a good dataset for the study of the AOD spatial resolution effect on the particulate matter concentration prediction. 946 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ground monitoring stations across the contiguous US have been used to investigate the linear correlation between AOD and PM2.5 using AOD at different spatial resolutions (1, 3 and 10 km) and for different spatial scales (urban scale, meso-scale and continental scale). The main conclusions are: (1) for both urban, meso- and continental scale the correlation between PM2.5 and AOD increased significantly with increasing spatial resolution of the AOD, (2) the correlation between AOD and PM2.5 decreased significantly as the scale of study region increased for the eastern part of the US while vice versa for the western part of the US, (3) the correlation between PM2.5 and AOD is much more stable and better over the eastern part of the US compared to western part due to the surface characteristics and atmospheric conditions like the fine mode fraction.

  20. Grading of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia using spatial frequency for optical histology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pu, Yang; Jagtap, Jaidip; Pradhan, Asima; Alfano, Robert R.

    2014-03-01

    It is important to detect cervical dysplasia, Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN). CIN is the potentially premalignant and abnormal squamous cells on surface of cervix. In this study, the spatial frequency spectra of pre-cancer cervical tissues are used to detect differences among different grades of human cervical tissues. Seven sets of thick tissue sections of human cervix of normal, CIN 1, CIN 2, and CIN 3 tissues are studied. The confocal microscope images of the stromal region of normal and CIN human tissues were analyzed using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to generate the spatial spectra. It is observed that higher frequency components exist in CIN tissues than those in normal tissue, as well as those in higher grade CIN tissue than those in lower grade CIN tissue. The width of the spatial frequency of different types of tissues is used to create a criterion for CIN grading by training a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The results show that the randomness of tissue structures from normal to different stages of precancer in cervical tissue can be recognized by fingerprints of the spatial frequency. The efficacy of spatial frequency analysis for CIN grading is evaluated as excellent since high AUC (area under the ROC curve), sensitivity and specificity are obtained by the statistics study. This works lays the foundation of using spatial frequency spectra for a histology evaluation.

  1. The Sun at high spatial resolution: The physics of small spatial structures in a magnetized medium

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rosner, R. T.

    1986-01-01

    An attempt is made to provide a perspective on the problem of spatial structuring on scales smaller than can presently be directly and regularly observed from the ground or with which current space-based instrumentation can be anticipated. There is abundant evidence from both observations and theory that such spatial structuring of the solar outer atmosphere is ubiquitous not only on the observed scales, but also on spatial scales down to (at least) the subarcsecond range. This is not to say that the results to be obtained from observations on these small scales can be anticipated: quite the opposite. What is clear instead is that many of the classic problems of coronal and chromospheric activity - involving the basic dissipative nature of magnetized plasmas - will be seen from a novel perspective at these scales, and that there are reasons for believing that dynamical processes of importance to activity on presently-resolved scales will themselves begin to be resolved on the sub-arcsecond level. Since the Sun is the only astrophysical laboratory for which there is any hope of studying these processes in any detail, this observatioinal opportunity is an exciting prospect for any student of magnetic activity in astrophysics.

  2. Controlling Energy Radiations of Electromagnetic Waves via Frequency Coding Metamaterials.

    PubMed

    Wu, Haotian; Liu, Shuo; Wan, Xiang; Zhang, Lei; Wang, Dan; Li, Lianlin; Cui, Tie Jun

    2017-09-01

    Metamaterials are artificial structures composed of subwavelength unit cells to control electromagnetic (EM) waves. The spatial coding representation of metamaterial has the ability to describe the material in a digital way. The spatial coding metamaterials are typically constructed by unit cells that have similar shapes with fixed functionality. Here, the concept of frequency coding metamaterial is proposed, which achieves different controls of EM energy radiations with a fixed spatial coding pattern when the frequency changes. In this case, not only different phase responses of the unit cells are considered, but also different phase sensitivities are also required. Due to different frequency sensitivities of unit cells, two units with the same phase response at the initial frequency may have different phase responses at higher frequency. To describe the frequency coding property of unit cell, digitalized frequency sensitivity is proposed, in which the units are encoded with digits "0" and "1" to represent the low and high phase sensitivities, respectively. By this merit, two degrees of freedom, spatial coding and frequency coding, are obtained to control the EM energy radiations by a new class of frequency-spatial coding metamaterials. The above concepts and physical phenomena are confirmed by numerical simulations and experiments.

  3. Fiber optic sensors for sub-centimeter spatially resolved measurements: Review and biomedical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tosi, Daniele; Schena, Emiliano; Molardi, Carlo; Korganbayev, Sanzhar

    2018-07-01

    One of the current frontier of optical fiber sensors, and a unique asset of this sensing technology is the possibility to use a whole optical fiber, or optical fiber device, as a sensor. This solution allows shifting the whole sensing paradigm, from the measurement of a single physical parameter (such as temperature, strain, vibrations, pressure) to the measurement of a spatial distribution, or profiling, of a physical parameter along the fiber length. In the recent years, several technologies are achieving this task with unprecedentedly narrow spatial resolution, ranging from the sub-millimeter to the centimeter-level. In this work, we review the main fiber optic sensing technologies that achieve a narrow spatial resolution: Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) dense arrays, chirped FBG (CFBG) sensors, optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) based on either Rayleigh scattering or reflective elements, and microwave photonics (MWP). In the second part of the work, we present the impact of spatially dense fiber optic sensors in biomedical applications, where they find the main impact, presenting the key results obtained in thermo-therapies monitoring, high-resolution diagnostic, catheters monitoring, smart textiles, and other emerging applicative fields.

  4. Development of instrumentation for measurements of two components of velocity with a single sensing element

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byers, C. P.; Fu, M. K.; Fan, Y.; Hultmark, M.

    2018-02-01

    A novel method of obtaining two orthogonal velocity components with high spatial and temporal resolution is investigated. Both components are obtained utilizing a single sensing nanoribbon by combining the two independent operating modes of classic hot wire anemometry and the newly discovered elastic filament velocimetry (EFV). In contrast to hot wire anemometry, EFV measures fluid velocity through correlating the fluid forcing with the internal strain of the wire. In order to utilize both modes of operation, a system that switches between the two operating modes is built and characterized, and the theoretically predicted sensing response time in water is compared to experimental results. The sensing system is capable of switching between the two modes of operation at a frequency of 100 kHz with minimal attenuation with an uncompensated repetition rate up to 3 kHz or up to 10 kHz utilizing modest signal compensation. While further characterization of the sensor performance in air is needed, this methodology enables a technique for obtaining well-resolved yet cost-efficient directional measurements of flow velocities which, for example, can be used for distributed measurements of velocity or measurements of turbulent stresses with excellent spatial resolution.

  5. XPEEM valence state imaging of mineral micro-intergrowths with a spatial resolution of 100nm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, A. D.; Schofield, P. F.; Scholl, A.; Pattrick, R. A. D.; Bridges, J. C.

    2003-03-01

    The crystal chemistry and textural relationships of minerals hold a vast amount of information relating to the formation, history and stability of natural materials. The application of soft X-ray spectroscopy to mineralogical material has revealed that 2p (L{2,3}) spectra provide a sensitive fingerprint of the electronic states of 3d metals. In bulk powdered samples much of the textural and microstructural information is lost, but the area-selectivity capability of X-ray Photo-Emission Electron Microscopy (XPEEM) provides the ability to obtain valence state information from mineral intergrowths with a submicron spatial resolution. Using the state-of-the-art PEEM2 facility on beamline 7.3.1.1 at the Advanced Light Source, Berkeley, USA, a range of minerals, mineral intergrowths and mineralogical textures have been studied for a broad suite of geological, planetary and environmental science materials. High-quality, multi-element valence images have been obtained showing the distribution/variation of the metal valence states across single grains or mineral intergrowths/textures at the l00 nm scale and quantitative valence state ratios can be obtained from areas of 0.01 μ m^2.

  6. Equality in Maternal and Newborn Health: Modelling Geographic Disparities in Utilisation of Care in Five East African Countries.

    PubMed

    Ruktanonchai, Corrine W; Ruktanonchai, Nick W; Nove, Andrea; Lopes, Sofia; Pezzulo, Carla; Bosco, Claudio; Alegana, Victor A; Burgert, Clara R; Ayiko, Rogers; Charles, Andrew Sek; Lambert, Nkurunziza; Msechu, Esther; Kathini, Esther; Matthews, Zoë; Tatem, Andrew J

    2016-01-01

    Geographic accessibility to health facilities represents a fundamental barrier to utilisation of maternal and newborn health (MNH) services, driving historically hidden spatial pockets of localized inequalities. Here, we examine utilisation of MNH care as an emergent property of accessibility, highlighting high-resolution spatial heterogeneity and sub-national inequalities in receiving care before, during, and after delivery throughout five East African countries. We calculated a geographic inaccessibility score to the nearest health facility at 300 x 300 m using a dataset of 9,314 facilities throughout Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Using Demographic and Health Surveys data, we utilised hierarchical mixed effects logistic regression to examine the odds of: 1) skilled birth attendance, 2) receiving 4+ antenatal care visits at time of delivery, and 3) receiving a postnatal health check-up within 48 hours of delivery. We applied model results onto the accessibility surface to visualise the probabilities of obtaining MNH care at both high-resolution and sub-national levels after adjusting for live births in 2015. Across all outcomes, decreasing wealth and education levels were associated with lower odds of obtaining MNH care. Increasing geographic inaccessibility scores were associated with the strongest effect in lowering odds of obtaining care observed across outcomes, with the widest disparities observed among skilled birth attendance. Specifically, for each increase in the inaccessibility score to the nearest health facility, the odds of having skilled birth attendance at delivery was reduced by over 75% (0.24; CI: 0.19-0.3), while the odds of receiving antenatal care decreased by nearly 25% (0.74; CI: 0.61-0.89) and 40% for obtaining postnatal care (0.58; CI: 0.45-0.75). Overall, these results suggest decreasing accessibility to the nearest health facility significantly deterred utilisation of all maternal health care services. These results demonstrate how spatial approaches can inform policy efforts and promote evidence-based decision-making, and are particularly pertinent as the world shifts into the Sustainable Goals Development era, where sub-national applications will become increasingly useful in identifying and reducing persistent inequalities.

  7. Equality in Maternal and Newborn Health: Modelling Geographic Disparities in Utilisation of Care in Five East African Countries

    PubMed Central

    Ruktanonchai, Nick W.; Nove, Andrea; Lopes, Sofia; Pezzulo, Carla; Bosco, Claudio; Alegana, Victor A.; Burgert, Clara R.; Ayiko, Rogers; Charles, Andrew SEK; Lambert, Nkurunziza; Msechu, Esther; Kathini, Esther; Matthews, Zoë; Tatem, Andrew J.

    2016-01-01

    Background Geographic accessibility to health facilities represents a fundamental barrier to utilisation of maternal and newborn health (MNH) services, driving historically hidden spatial pockets of localized inequalities. Here, we examine utilisation of MNH care as an emergent property of accessibility, highlighting high-resolution spatial heterogeneity and sub-national inequalities in receiving care before, during, and after delivery throughout five East African countries. Methods We calculated a geographic inaccessibility score to the nearest health facility at 300 x 300 m using a dataset of 9,314 facilities throughout Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Using Demographic and Health Surveys data, we utilised hierarchical mixed effects logistic regression to examine the odds of: 1) skilled birth attendance, 2) receiving 4+ antenatal care visits at time of delivery, and 3) receiving a postnatal health check-up within 48 hours of delivery. We applied model results onto the accessibility surface to visualise the probabilities of obtaining MNH care at both high-resolution and sub-national levels after adjusting for live births in 2015. Results Across all outcomes, decreasing wealth and education levels were associated with lower odds of obtaining MNH care. Increasing geographic inaccessibility scores were associated with the strongest effect in lowering odds of obtaining care observed across outcomes, with the widest disparities observed among skilled birth attendance. Specifically, for each increase in the inaccessibility score to the nearest health facility, the odds of having skilled birth attendance at delivery was reduced by over 75% (0.24; CI: 0.19–0.3), while the odds of receiving antenatal care decreased by nearly 25% (0.74; CI: 0.61–0.89) and 40% for obtaining postnatal care (0.58; CI: 0.45–0.75). Conclusions Overall, these results suggest decreasing accessibility to the nearest health facility significantly deterred utilisation of all maternal health care services. These results demonstrate how spatial approaches can inform policy efforts and promote evidence-based decision-making, and are particularly pertinent as the world shifts into the Sustainable Goals Development era, where sub-national applications will become increasingly useful in identifying and reducing persistent inequalities. PMID:27561009

  8. Spatial analysis and statistical modelling of snow cover dynamics in the Central Himalayas, Nepal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weidinger, Johannes; Gerlitz, Lars; Böhner, Jürgen

    2017-04-01

    General circulation models are able to predict large scale climate variations in global dimensions, however small scale dynamic characteristics, such as snow cover and its temporal variations in high mountain regions, are not represented sufficiently. Detailed knowledge about shifts in seasonal ablation times and spatial distribution of snow cover are crucial for various research interests. Since high mountain areas, for instance the Central Himalayas in Nepal, are generally remote, it is difficult to obtain data in high spatio-temporal resolutions. Regional climate models and downscaling techniques are implemented to compensate coarse resolution. Furthermore earth observation systems, such as MODIS, also permit bridging this gap to a certain extent. They offer snow (cover) data in daily temporal and medium spatial resolution of around 500 m, which can be applied as evaluation and training data for dynamical hydrological and statistical analyses. Within this approach two snow distribution models (binary snow cover and fractional snow cover) as well as one snow recession model were implemented for a research domain in the Rolwaling Himal in Nepal, employing the random forest technique, which represents a state of the art machine learning algorithm. Both bottom-up strategies provide inductive reasoning to derive rules for snow related processes out of climate (temperature, precipitation and irradiance) and climate-related topographic data sets (elevation, aspect and convergence index) obtained by meteorological network stations, remote sensing products (snow cover - MOD10-A1 and land surface temperatures - MOD11-A1) along with GIS. Snow distribution is predicted reliably on a daily basis in the research area, whereas further effort is necessary for predicting daily snow cover recession processes adequately. Swift changes induced by clear sky conditions with high insolation rates are well represented, whereas steady snow loss still needs continuing effort. All approaches underline the technical difficulties of snow cover modelling during the monsoon season, in accordance with previous studies. The developed methods in combination with continuous in situ measurements provide a basis for further downscaling approaches.

  9. Using Low-Cost GNSS Receivers to Investigate the Small-Scale Precipitable Water Vapor Variability in the Atmosphere for Improving High Resolution Rainfall Forecasts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krietemeyer, Andreas; ten Veldhuis, Marie-claire; van de Giesen, Nick

    2017-04-01

    Recent research has shown that assimilation of Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) measurements into numerical weather predictions models improve the quality of rainfall now- and forecasting. Local PWV fluctuations may be related with water vapor increases in the lower troposphere which lead to deep convection. Prior studies show that about 20 minutes before rain occurs, the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere at 1 km height increases. Monitoring the small-scale temporal and spatial variability of PWV is therefore crucial to improve the weather now- and forecasting for convective storms, that are typically critical for urban stormwater systems. One established technique to obtain PWV measurements in the atmosphere is to exploit signal delays from GNSS satellites to dual-frequency receivers on the ground. Existing dual-frequency receiver networks typically have inter-station distances in the order of tens of kilometers, which is not sufficiently dense to capture the small-scale PWV variations. In this study, we will add low-cost, single-frequency GNSS receivers to an existing dual-frequency receiver network to obtain an inter-station distance of about 1 km in the Rotterdam area (Netherlands). The aim is to investigate the spatial variability of PWV in the atmosphere at this scale. We use the surrounding dual-frequency network (distributed over a radius of approximately 25 km) to apply an ionospheric delay model that accounts for the delay in the ionosphere (50-1000 km altitude) that cannot be eliminated by single-frequency receivers. The results are validated by co-aligning a single-frequency receiver to a dual-frequency receiver. In the next steps, we will investigate how the high temporal and increased spatial resolution network can help to improve high-resolution rainfall forecasts. Their supposed improved forecasting results will be evaluated based on high-resolution rainfall estimates from a polarimetric X-band rainfall radar installed in the city of Rotterdam.

  10. Infrared Imagery of Shuttle (IRIS). Task 1, summary report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chocol, C. J.

    1977-01-01

    The feasibility of remote, high-resolution infrared imagery of the Shuttle Orbiter lower surface during entry to obtain accurate measurements of aerodynamic heat transfer was demonstrated. Using available technology, such images can be taken from an existing aircraft/telescope system (the C141 AIRO) with minimum modification or addition of systems. Images with a spatial resolution of 1 m or better and a temperature resolution of 2.5% between temperatures of 800 and 1900 K can be obtained. Data reconstruction techniques can provide a geometrically and radiometrically corrected array on addressable magnetic tape ready for display by NASA.

  11. Ultrabright femtosecond source of biphotons based on a spatial mode inverter.

    PubMed

    Jarutis, Vygandas; Juodkazis, Saulius; Mizeikis, Vygantas; Sasaki, Keiji; Misawa, Hiroaki

    2005-02-01

    A method of enhancing the efficiency of entangled biphoton sources based on a type II femtosecond spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) process is proposed and implemented experimentally. Enhancement is obtained by mode inversion of one of the SPDC output beams, which allows the beams to overlap completely, thus maximizing the number of SPDC photon pairs with optimum spatiotemporal overlap. By use of this method, biphoton count rates as high as 16 kHz from a single 0.5-mm-long beta-barium borate crystal pumped by second-harmonic radiation from a Ti:sapphire laser were obtained.

  12. Comets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Festou, M. C.; Feldman, P. D.

    Observations of comets obtained with the IUE satellite since its launch in 1978 are reviewed. The status of UV observation of comets prior to IUE is discussed, and particular attention is given to low-resolution UV spectroscopy of cometary comae, the detection of new species in the UV emission, high-dispersion spectroscopy, spatial mapping of the emissions, abundance determinations, and short-term variability. Diagrams, graphs, sample spectra, and tables of numerical data are provided.

  13. Modelling and simulation of a heat exchanger

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Xia, Lei; Deabreu-Garcia, J. Alex; Hartley, Tom T.

    1991-01-01

    Two models for two different control systems are developed for a parallel heat exchanger. First by spatially lumping a heat exchanger model, a good approximate model which has a high system order is produced. Model reduction techniques are applied to these to obtain low order models that are suitable for dynamic analysis and control design. The simulation method is discussed to ensure a valid simulation result.

  14. Far Infrared Imaging Spectrometer for Large Aperture Infrared Telescope System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-12-01

    resolution Fabry - Perot spectrometer (103 < Resolution < 104) for wavelengths from about 50 to 200 micrometer, employing extended field diffraction limited...photo- metry. The Naval Research Laboratory will provide a high resolution Far Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (FIRIS) using Fabry - Perot techniques in...detectors to provide spatial information. The Fabry - Perot uses electromagnetic coil displacement drivers with a lead screw drive to obtain parallel

  15. Irregular wave functions of a hydrogen atom in a uniform magnetic field

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wintgen, D.; Hoenig, A.

    1989-01-01

    The highly excited irregular wave functions of a hydrogen atom in a uniform magnetic field are investigated analytically, with wave function scarring by periodic orbits considered quantitatively. The results obtained confirm that the contributions of closed classical orbits to the spatial wave functions vanish in the semiclassical limit. Their disappearance, however, is slow. This discussion is illustrated by numerical examples.

  16. Beamed neutron emission driven by laser accelerated light ions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kar, S.; Green, A.; Ahmed, H.; Alejo, A.; Robinson, A. P. L.; Cerchez, M.; Clarke, R.; Doria, D.; Dorkings, S.; Fernandez, J.; Mirfayzi, S. R.; McKenna, P.; Naughton, K.; Neely, D.; Norreys, P.; Peth, C.; Powell, H.; Ruiz, J. A.; Swain, J.; Willi, O.; Borghesi, M.

    2016-05-01

    Highly anisotropic, beam-like neutron emission with peak flux of the order of 109 n/sr was obtained from light nuclei reactions in a pitcher-catcher scenario, by employing MeV ions driven by a sub-petawatt laser. The spatial profile of the neutron beam, fully captured for the first time by employing a CR39 nuclear track detector, shows a FWHM divergence angle of ˜ 70^\\circ , with a peak flux nearly an order of magnitude higher than the isotropic component elsewhere. The observed beamed flux of neutrons is highly favourable for a wide range of applications, and indeed for further transport and moderation to thermal energies. A systematic study employing various combinations of pitcher-catcher materials indicates the dominant reactions being d(p, n+p)1H and d(d,n)3He. Albeit insufficient cross-section data are available for modelling, the observed anisotropy in the neutrons’ spatial and spectral profiles is most likely related to the directionality and high energy of the projectile ions.

  17. GLASS: spatially resolved spectroscopy of lensed galaxies in the Frontier Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Tucker; Treu, Tommaso; Brammer, Gabriel; Borello Schmidt, Kasper; Malkan, Matthew A.

    2015-08-01

    The Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) has obtained slitless near-IR spectroscopy of 10 galaxy clusters selected for their strong lensing properties, including all six Hubble Frontier Fields. Slitless grism spectra are ideal for mapping emission lines such as [O II], [O III], and H alpha at z=1-3. The combination of strong gravitational lensing and HST's diffraction limit provides excellent sensitivity with spatial resolution as fine as 100 pc for highly magnified sources, and ~500 pc for less magnified sources near the edge of the field of view. The GLASS survey represents the largest spectroscopic sample with such high resolution at z>1. GLASS and Hubble Frontier Field data provide the distribution of stellar mass, star formation, gas-phase metallicity, and other aspects of the physical structure of high redshift galaxies, reaching unprecedented stellar masses as low as ~10^7 Msun at z=2. I will discuss precise measurements of these physical properties and implications for galaxy evolution.

  18. Spatially resolved spectroscopy of lensed galaxies in the Frontier Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Tucker; Aff004

    The Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) has obtained slitless near-infrared spectroscopy of 10 galaxy clusters selected for their strong lensing properties, including all six Hubble Frontier Fields. Slitless grism spectra are ideal for mapping emission lines such as [O ii], [O iii], and Hα at z=1-3. The combination of strong gravitational lensing and Hubble's diffraction limit provides excellent sensitivity with spatial resolution as fine as 100 pc for highly magnified sources, and ~500 pc for less magnified sources near the edge of the field of view. The GLASS survey represents the largest spectroscopic sample with such high resolution at z > 1. GLASS and Hubble Frontier Field data provide the distribution of stellar mass, star formation, gas-phase metallicity, and other aspects of the physical structure of high redshift galaxies, reaching stellar masses as low as ~107 M⊙ at z=2. I discuss precise measurements of these physical properties and implications for galaxy evolution.

  19. Comparison of UAV and WorldView-2 imagery for mapping leaf area index of mangrove forest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Jinyan; Wang, Le; Li, Xiaojuan; Gong, Huili; Shi, Chen; Zhong, Ruofei; Liu, Xiaomeng

    2017-09-01

    Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing has opened the door to new sources of data to effectively characterize vegetation metrics at very high spatial resolution and at flexible revisit frequencies. Successful estimation of the leaf area index (LAI) in precision agriculture with a UAV image has been reported in several studies. However, in most forests, the challenges associated with the interference from a complex background and a variety of vegetation species have hindered research using UAV images. To the best of our knowledge, very few studies have mapped the forest LAI with a UAV image. In addition, the drawbacks and advantages of estimating the forest LAI with UAV and satellite images at high spatial resolution remain a knowledge gap in existing literature. Therefore, this paper aims to map LAI in a mangrove forest with a complex background and a variety of vegetation species using a UAV image and compare it with a WorldView-2 image (WV2). In this study, three representative NDVIs, average NDVI (AvNDVI), vegetated specific NDVI (VsNDVI), and scaled NDVI (ScNDVI), were acquired with UAV and WV2 to predict the plot level (10 × 10 m) LAI. The results showed that AvNDVI achieved the highest accuracy for WV2 (R2 = 0.778, RMSE = 0.424), whereas ScNDVI obtained the optimal accuracy for UAV (R2 = 0.817, RMSE = 0.423). In addition, an overall comparison results of the WV2 and UAV derived LAIs indicated that UAV obtained a better accuracy than WV2 in the plots that were covered with homogeneous mangrove species or in the low LAI plots, which was because UAV can effectively eliminate the influence from the background and the vegetation species owing to its high spatial resolution. However, WV2 obtained a slightly higher accuracy than UAV in the plots covered with a variety of mangrove species, which was because the UAV sensor provides a negative spectral response function(SRF) than WV2 in terms of the mangrove LAI estimation.

  20. Normative Data for the Hayling and Brixton Tests in an Italian Population.

    PubMed

    Spitoni, Grazia Fernanda; Bevacqua, Sara; Cerini, Claudia; Ciurli, Paola; Piccardi, Laura; Guariglia, Paola; Pezzuti, Lina; Antonucci, Gabriella

    2018-06-01

    The Hayling and Brixton tests constitute a short test battery that quickly assesses verbal and spatial inhibition and flexibility. This battery has shown high construct validity and strong reliability in clinical and experimental settings. The aim of this study was to develop an Italian version of the Hayling and Brixton tests and obtain normative values. We collected normative data from 301 healthy Italian participants aged between 16 and 94 years, taking into account all demographics. To maximize the sample size, we used the overlapping interval strategy. Adjusted scores for demographics were obtained by linear regression analysis. The performance on the Hayling and Brixton tests was influenced by age and education. In particular, age affected verbal accuracy and response time on the Hayling Sentence Completion Test, whereas education only affected the former. Differently, the spatial component, as measured by the Brixton Spatial Anticipation Test, was shaped only by age, which decreased the number of correct responses. Our study provides normative data that have been adjusted for relevant demographics and percentile grids in an Italian population. Our data support the use of the Hayling and Brixton tests as a valid instrument for performing neuropsychological evaluations and longitudinal analyses of executive functions in clinical practice and for research purposes.

  1. Profiles of Motor Laterality in Young Athletes' Performance of Complex Movements: Merging the MOTORLAT and PATHoops Tools

    PubMed Central

    Castañer, Marta; Andueza, Juan; Hileno, Raúl; Puigarnau, Silvia; Prat, Queralt; Camerino, Oleguer

    2018-01-01

    Laterality is a key aspect of the analysis of basic and specific motor skills. It is relevant to sports because it involves motor laterality profiles beyond left-right preference and spatial orientation of the body. The aim of this study was to obtain the laterality profiles of young athletes, taking into account the synergies between the support and precision functions of limbs and body parts in the performance of complex motor skills. We applied two instruments: (a) MOTORLAT, a motor laterality inventory comprising 30 items of basic, specific, and combined motor skills, and (b) the Precision and Agility Tapping over Hoops (PATHoops) task, in which participants had to perform a path by stepping in each of 14 hoops arranged on the floor, allowing the observation of their feet, left-right preference and spatial orientation. A total of 96 young athletes performed the PATHoops task and the 30 MOTORLAT items, allowing us to obtain data about limb dominance and spatial orientation of the body in the performance of complex motor skills. Laterality profiles were obtained by means of a cluster analysis and a correlational analysis and a contingency analysis were applied between the motor skills and spatial orientation actions performed. The results obtained using MOTORLAT show that the combined motor skills criterion (for example, turning while jumping) differentiates athletes' uses of laterality, showing a clear tendency toward mixed laterality profiles in the performance of complex movements. In the PATHoops task, the best spatial orientation strategy was “same way” (same foot and spatial wing) followed by “opposite way” (opposite foot and spatial wing), in keeping with the research assumption that actions unfolding in a horizontal direction in front of an observer's eyes are common in a variety of sports. PMID:29930527

  2. Hyperspectral imaging to investigate the distribution of organic matter and iron down the soil profile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hobley, Eleanor; Kriegs, Stefanie; Steffens, Markus

    2017-04-01

    Obtaining reliable and accurate data regarding the spatial distribution of different soil components is difficult due to issues related with sampling scale and resolution on the one hand and laboratory analysis on the other. When investigating the chemical composition of soil, studies frequently limit themselves to two dimensional characterisations, e.g. spatial variability near the surface or depth distribution down the profile, but rarely combine both approaches due to limitations to sampling and analytical capacities. Furthermore, when assessing depth distributions, samples are taken according to horizon or depth increments, resulting in a mixed sample across the sampling depth. Whilst this facilitates mean content estimation per depth increment and therefore reduces analytical costs, the sample information content with regards to heterogeneity within the profile is lost. Hyperspectral imaging can overcome these sampling limitations, yielding high resolution spectral data of down the soil profile, greatly enhancing the information content of the samples. This can then be used to augment horizontal spatial characterisation of a site, yielding three dimensional information into the distribution of spectral characteristics across a site and down the profile. Soil spectral characteristics are associated with specific chemical components of soil, such as soil organic matter or iron contents. By correlating the content of these soil components with their spectral behaviour, high resolution multi-dimensional analysis of soil chemical composition can be obtained. Here we present a hyperspectral approach to the characterisation of soil organic matter and iron down different soil profiles, outlining advantages and issues associated with the methodology.

  3. Magnetic Resonance Elastography of the Brain using Multi-Shot Spiral Readouts with Self-Navigated Motion Correction

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Curtis L.; McGarry, Matthew D. J.; Van Houten, Elijah E. W.; Weaver, John B.; Paulsen, Keith D.; Sutton, Bradley P.; Georgiadis, John G.

    2012-01-01

    MRE has been introduced in clinical practice as a possible surrogate for mechanical palpation, but its application to study the human brain in vivo has been limited by low spatial resolution and the complexity of the inverse problem associated with biomechanical property estimation. Here, we report significant improvements in brain MRE data acquisition by reporting images with high spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio as quantified by octahedral shear strain metrics. Specifically, we have developed a sequence for brain MRE based on multi-shot, variable-density spiral imaging and three-dimensional displacement acquisition, and implemented a correction scheme for any resulting phase errors. A Rayleigh damped model of brain tissue mechanics was adopted to represent the parenchyma, and was integrated via a finite element-based iterative inversion algorithm. A multi-resolution phantom study demonstrates the need for obtaining high-resolution MRE data when estimating focal mechanical properties. Measurements on three healthy volunteers demonstrate satisfactory resolution of grey and white matter, and mechanical heterogeneities correspond well with white matter histoarchitecture. Together, these advances enable MRE scans that result in high-fidelity, spatially-resolved estimates of in vivo brain tissue mechanical properties, improving upon lower resolution MRE brain studies which only report volume averaged stiffness values. PMID:23001771

  4. A novel x-ray detector design with higher DQE and reduced aliasing: Theoretical analysis of x-ray reabsoprtion in detector converter material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nano, Tomi; Escartin, Terenz; Karim, Karim S.; Cunningham, Ian A.

    2016-03-01

    The ability to improve visualization of structural information in digital radiography without increasing radiation exposures requires improved image quality across all spatial frequencies, especially at high frequencies. The detective quantum efficiency (DQE) as a function of spatial frequency quantifies image quality given by an x-ray detector. We present a method of increasing DQE at high spatial frequencies by improving the modulation transfer function (MTF) and reducing noise aliasing. The Apodized Aperature Pixel (AAP) design uses a detector with micro-elements to synthesize desired pixels and provide higher DQE than conventional detector designs. A cascaded system analysis (CSA) that incorporates x-ray interactions is used for comparison of the theoretical MTF, noise power spectrum (NPS), and DQE. Signal and noise transfer through the converter material is shown to consist of correlated an uncorrelated terms. The AAP design was shown to improve the DQE of both material types that have predominantly correlated transfer (such as CsI) and predominantly uncorrelated transfer (such as Se). Improvement in the MTF by 50% and the DQE by 100% at the sampling cut-off frequency is obtained when uncorrelated transfer is prevalent through the converter material. Optimizing high-frequency DQE results in improved image contrast and visualization of small structures and fine-detail.

  5. Study of a high-resolution, 3-D positioning cadmium zinc telluride detector for PET

    PubMed Central

    Gu, Y; Matteson, J L; Skelton, R T; Deal, A C; Stephan, E A; Duttweiler, F; Gasaway, T M; Levin, C S

    2011-01-01

    This paper investigates the performance of 1 mm resolution Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors for positron emission tomography (PET) capable of positioning the 3-D coordinates of individual 511 keV photon interactions. The detectors comprise 40 mm × 40 mm × 5 mm monolithic CZT crystals that employ a novel cross-strip readout with interspersed steering electrodes to obtain high spatial and energy resolution. The study found a single anode FWHM energy resolution of 3.06±0.39% at 511 keV throughout most the detector volume. Improved resolution is expected with properly shielded front-end electronics. Measurements made using a collimated beam established the efficacy of the steering electrodes in facilitating enhanced charge collection across anodes, as well as a spatial resolution of 0.44±0.07 mm in the direction orthogonal to the electrode planes. Finally, measurements based on coincidence electronic collimation yielded a point spread function with 0.78±0.10 mm FWHM, demonstrating 1 mm spatial resolution capability transverse to the anodes – as expected from the 1 mm anode pitch. These findings indicate that the CZT-based detector concept has excellent performance and shows great promise for a high-resolution PET system. PMID:21335649

  6. Spatial Analysis of Land Subsidence and Flood Pattern Based on DInSAR Method in Sentinel Sar Imagery and Weighting Method in Geo-Hazard Parameters Combination in North Jakarta Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prasetyo, Y.; Yuwono, B. D.; Ramadhanis, Z.

    2018-02-01

    The reclamation program carried out in most cities in North Jakarta is directly adjacent to the Jakarta Bay. Beside this program, the density of population and development center in North Jakarta office has increased the need for underground water excessively. As a result of these things, land subsidence in North Jakarta area is relatively high and so intense. The research methodology was developed based on the method of remote sensing and geographic information systems, expected to describe the spatial correlation between the land subsidence and flood phenomenon in North Jakarta. The DInSAR (Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) method with satellite image data Radar (SAR Sentinel 1A) for the years 2015 to 2016 acquisitions was used in this research. It is intended to obtain a pattern of land subsidence in North Jakarta and then combined with flood patterns. For the preparation of flood threat zoning pattern, this research has been modeling in spatial technique based on a weighted parameter of rainfall, elevation, flood zones and land use. In the final result, we have obtained a flood hazard zonation models then do the overlap against DInSAR processing results. As a result of the research, Geo-hazard modelling has a variety results as: 81% of flood threat zones consist of rural area, 12% consists of un-built areas and 7% consists of water areas. Furthermore, the correlation of land subsidence to flood risk zone is divided into three levels of suitability with 74% in high class, 22% in medium class and 4% in low class. For the result of spatial correlation area between land subsidence and flood risk zone are 77% detected in rural area, 17% detected in un-built area and 6% detected in a water area. Whereas the research product is the geo-hazard maps in North Jakarta as the basis of the spatial correlation analysis between the land subsidence and flooding phenomena.double point.

  7. Plasma density irregularities and Total Electron Content gradients over Europe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zakharenkova, I.; Kotulak, K.; Cherniak, I.; Krankowski, A.; Froń, A.

    2017-12-01

    Perturbations of the ionospheric plasma density are crucial from the scientific and application points of view, as they can severe affect radio signals used in the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and low frequency radio astronomy. For several decades the ionospheric irregularities have been extensively studied by different techniques, including ground-based GNSS observations. Spatial distribution of ionospheric disturbances can be specified by horizontal gradients of the ionospheric density (total electron content, TEC). Another, widely used tool in irregularities monitoring is the rate of TEC index (ROTI). Recently, the Northern Hemisphere ROTI product has been implemented to the International GNSS Service (IGS) and available for community. In this study, we present climatology of the spatial TEC gradients occurred over European region at high to middle latitudes. We developed the TEC gradient maps based on the high-resolution (0.5 degree in latitude and longitude) regional TEC maps covering Europe. The obtained climatological characteristics of the spatial TEC gradients are superimposed and analyzed with the global and regional ROTI product in order to reveal development of highly intense plasma irregularities occurred at high and middle latitudes. During geomagnetic storm the complex of physical processes at auroal zone leads to development of intnse ionospheric irregularities and travelling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs). We presents results of the geomagnetic storm analysis including the 2013 and 2015 St. Patrick's Day geomagnetic storms.

  8. Analysis of higher order harmonics with holographic reflection gratings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mas-Abellan, P.; Madrigal, R.; Fimia, A.

    2017-05-01

    Silver halide emulsions have been considered one of the most energetic sensitive materials for holographic applications. Nonlinear recording effects on holographic reflection gratings recorded on silver halide emulsions have been studied by different authors obtaining excellent experimental results. In this communication specifically we focused our investigation on the effects of refractive index modulation, trying to get high levels of overmodulation that will produce high order harmonics. We studied the influence of the overmodulation and its effects on the transmission spectra for a wide exposure range by use of 9 μm thickness films of ultrafine grain emulsion BB640, exposed to single collimated beams using a red He-Ne laser (wavelength 632.8 nm) with Denisyuk configuration obtaining a spatial frequency of 4990 l/mm recorded on the emulsion. The experimental results show that high overmodulation levels of refractive index produce second order harmonics with high diffraction efficiency (higher than 75%) and a narrow grating bandwidth (12.5 nm). Results also show that overmodulation produce diffraction spectra deformation of the second order harmonic, transforming the spectrum from sinusoidal to approximation of square shape due to very high overmodulation. Increasing the levels of overmodulation of refractive index, we have obtained higher order harmonics, obtaining third order harmonic with diffraction efficiency (up to 23%) and narrowing grating bandwidth (5 nm). This study is the first step to develop a new easy technique to obtain narrow spectral filters based on the use of high index modulation reflection gratings.

  9. Basis adaptation and domain decomposition for steady partial differential equations with random coefficients

    DOE PAGES

    Tipireddy, R.; Stinis, P.; Tartakovsky, A. M.

    2017-09-04

    In this paper, we present a novel approach for solving steady-state stochastic partial differential equations (PDEs) with high-dimensional random parameter space. The proposed approach combines spatial domain decomposition with basis adaptation for each subdomain. The basis adaptation is used to address the curse of dimensionality by constructing an accurate low-dimensional representation of the stochastic PDE solution (probability density function and/or its leading statistical moments) in each subdomain. Restricting the basis adaptation to a specific subdomain affords finding a locally accurate solution. Then, the solutions from all of the subdomains are stitched together to provide a global solution. We support ourmore » construction with numerical experiments for a steady-state diffusion equation with a random spatially dependent coefficient. Lastly, our results show that highly accurate global solutions can be obtained with significantly reduced computational costs.« less

  10. Globally scalable generation of high-resolution land cover from multispectral imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stutts, S. Craig; Raskob, Benjamin L.; Wenger, Eric J.

    2017-05-01

    We present an automated method of generating high resolution ( 2 meter) land cover using a pattern recognition neural network trained on spatial and spectral features obtained from over 9000 WorldView multispectral images (MSI) in six distinct world regions. At this resolution, the network can classify small-scale objects such as individual buildings, roads, and irrigation ponds. This paper focuses on three key areas. First, we describe our land cover generation process, which involves the co-registration and aggregation of multiple spatially overlapping MSI, post-aggregation processing, and the registration of land cover to OpenStreetMap (OSM) road vectors using feature correspondence. Second, we discuss the generation of land cover derivative products and their impact in the areas of region reduction and object detection. Finally, we discuss the process of globally scaling land cover generation using cloud computing via Amazon Web Services (AWS).

  11. Path suppression of strongly collapsing bubbles at finite and low Reynolds numbers.

    PubMed

    Rechiman, Ludmila M; Dellavale, Damián; Bonetto, Fabián J

    2013-06-01

    We study, numerically and experimentally, three different methods to suppress the trajectories of strongly collapsing and sonoluminescent bubbles in a highly viscous sulfuric acid solution. A new numerical scheme based on the window method is proposed to account for the history force acting on a spherical bubble with variable radius. We could quantify the history force, which is not negligible in comparison with the primary Bjerknes force in this type of problem, and results are in agreement with the classical primary Bjerknes force trapping threshold analysis. Moreover, the present numerical implementation reproduces the spatial behavior associated with the positional and path instability of sonoluminescent argon bubbles in strongly gassed and highly degassed sulfuric acid solutions. Finally, the model allows us to demonstrate that spatially stationary bubbles driven by biharmonic excitation could be obtained with a different mode from the one used in previous reported experiments.

  12. Spatio-temporal patterns of Campylobacter colonization in Danish broilers.

    PubMed

    Chowdhury, S; Themudo, G E; Sandberg, M; Ersbøll, A K

    2013-05-01

    Despite a number of risk-factor studies in different countries, the epidemiology of Campylobacter colonization in broilers, particularly spatial dependencies, is still not well understood. A series of analyses (visualization and exploratory) were therefore conducted in order to obtain a better understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of Campylobacter in the Danish broiler population. In this study, we observed a non-random temporal occurrence of Campylobacter, with high prevalence during summer and low during winter. Significant spatio-temporal clusters were identified in the same areas in the summer months from 2007 to 2009. Range of influence between broiler farms were estimated at distances of 9.6 km and 13.5 km in different years. Identification of areas and time with greater risk indicates variable presence of risk factors with space and time. Implementation of safety measures on farms within high-risk clusters during summer could have an impact in reducing prevalence.

  13. Basis adaptation and domain decomposition for steady-state partial differential equations with random coefficients

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tipireddy, R.; Stinis, P.; Tartakovsky, A. M.

    We present a novel approach for solving steady-state stochastic partial differential equations (PDEs) with high-dimensional random parameter space. The proposed approach combines spatial domain decomposition with basis adaptation for each subdomain. The basis adaptation is used to address the curse of dimensionality by constructing an accurate low-dimensional representation of the stochastic PDE solution (probability density function and/or its leading statistical moments) in each subdomain. Restricting the basis adaptation to a specific subdomain affords finding a locally accurate solution. Then, the solutions from all of the subdomains are stitched together to provide a global solution. We support our construction with numericalmore » experiments for a steady-state diffusion equation with a random spatially dependent coefficient. Our results show that highly accurate global solutions can be obtained with significantly reduced computational costs.« less

  14. Sufficient condition for a finite-time singularity in a high-symmetry Euler flow: Analysis and statistics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ng, C. S.; Bhattacharjee, A.

    1996-08-01

    A sufficient condition is obtained for the development of a finite-time singularity in a highly symmetric Euler flow, first proposed by Kida [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 54, 2132 (1995)] and recently simulated by Boratav and Pelz [Phys. Fluids 6, 2757 (1994)]. It is shown that if the second-order spatial derivative of the pressure (pxx) is positive following a Lagrangian element (on the x axis), then a finite-time singularity must occur. Under some assumptions, this Lagrangian sufficient condition can be reduced to an Eulerian sufficient condition which requires that the fourth-order spatial derivative of the pressure (pxxxx) at the origin be positive for all times leading up to the singularity. Analytical as well as direct numerical evaluation over a large ensemble of initial conditions demonstrate that for fixed total energy, pxxxx is predominantly positive with the average value growing with the numbers of modes.

  15. Monitoring and guidance of HIFU beams with dual-mode ultrasound arrays.

    PubMed

    Ballard, John R; Casper, Andrew J; Ebbini, Emad S

    2009-01-01

    We present experimental results illustrating the unique advantages of dual-mode array (DMUA) systems in monitoring and guidance of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) lesion formation. DMUAs offer a unique paradigm in image-guided surgery; one in which images obtained using the same therapeutic transducer provide feedback for: 1) refocusing the array in the presence of strongly scattering objects, e.g. the ribs, 2) temperature change at the intended location of the HIFU focus, and 3) changes in the echogenicity of the tissue in response to therapeutic HIFU. These forms of feedback have been demonstrated in vitro in preparation for the design and implementation of a real-time system for imaging and therapy with DMUAs. The results clearly demonstrate that DMUA image feedback is spatially accurate and provide sufficient spatial and contrast resolution for identification of high contrast objects like the ribs and significant blood vessels in the path of the HIFU beam.

  16. High contrast computed tomography with synchrotron radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Itai, Yuji; Takeda, Tohoru; Akatsuka, Takao; Maeda, Tomokazu; Hyodo, Kazuyuki; Uchida, Akira; Yuasa, Tetsuya; Kazama, Masahiro; Wu, Jin; Ando, Masami

    1995-02-01

    This article describes a new monochromatic x-ray CT system using synchrotron radiation with applications in biomedical diagnosis which is currently under development. The system is designed to provide clear images and to detect contrast materials at low concentration for the quantitative functional evaluation of organs in correspondence with their anatomical structures. In this system, with x-ray energy changing from 30 to 52 keV, images can be obtained to detect various contrast materials (iodine, barium, and gadolinium), and K-edge energy subtraction is applied. Herein, the features of the new system designed to enhance the advantages of SR are reported. With the introduction of a double-crystal monochromator, the high-order x-ray contamination is eliminated. The newly designed CCD detector with a wide dynamic range of 60 000:1 has a spatial resolution of 200 μm. The resulting image quality, which is expected to show improved contrast and spatial resolution, is currently under investigation.

  17. Characterizing regional soil mineral composition using spectroscopyand geostatistics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mulder, V.L.; de Bruin, S.; Weyermann, J.; Kokaly, Raymond F.; Schaepman, M.E.

    2013-01-01

    This work aims at improving the mapping of major mineral variability at regional scale using scale-dependent spatial variability observed in remote sensing data. Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data and statistical methods were combined with laboratory-based mineral characterization of field samples to create maps of the distributions of clay, mica and carbonate minerals and their abundances. The Material Identification and Characterization Algorithm (MICA) was used to identify the spectrally-dominant minerals in field samples; these results were combined with ASTER data using multinomial logistic regression to map mineral distributions. X-ray diffraction (XRD)was used to quantify mineral composition in field samples. XRD results were combined with ASTER data using multiple linear regression to map mineral abundances. We testedwhether smoothing of the ASTER data to match the scale of variability of the target sample would improve model correlations. Smoothing was donewith Fixed Rank Kriging (FRK) to represent the mediumand long-range spatial variability in the ASTER data. Stronger correlations resulted using the smoothed data compared to results obtained with the original data. Highest model accuracies came from using both medium and long-range scaled ASTER data as input to the statistical models. High correlation coefficients were obtained for the abundances of calcite and mica (R2 = 0.71 and 0.70, respectively). Moderately-high correlation coefficients were found for smectite and kaolinite (R2 = 0.57 and 0.45, respectively). Maps of mineral distributions, obtained by relating ASTER data to MICA analysis of field samples, were found to characterize major soil mineral variability (overall accuracies for mica, smectite and kaolinite were 76%, 89% and 86% respectively). The results of this study suggest that the distributions of minerals and their abundances derived using FRK-smoothed ASTER data more closely match the spatial variability of soil and environmental properties at regional scale.

  18. Optimal marker placement in hadrontherapy: intelligent optimization strategies with augmented Lagrangian pattern search.

    PubMed

    Altomare, Cristina; Guglielmann, Raffaella; Riboldi, Marco; Bellazzi, Riccardo; Baroni, Guido

    2015-02-01

    In high precision photon radiotherapy and in hadrontherapy, it is crucial to minimize the occurrence of geometrical deviations with respect to the treatment plan in each treatment session. To this end, point-based infrared (IR) optical tracking for patient set-up quality assessment is performed. Such tracking depends on external fiducial points placement. The main purpose of our work is to propose a new algorithm based on simulated annealing and augmented Lagrangian pattern search (SAPS), which is able to take into account prior knowledge, such as spatial constraints, during the optimization process. The SAPS algorithm was tested on data related to head and neck and pelvic cancer patients, and that were fitted with external surface markers for IR optical tracking applied for patient set-up preliminary correction. The integrated algorithm was tested considering optimality measures obtained with Computed Tomography (CT) images (i.e. the ratio between the so-called target registration error and fiducial registration error, TRE/FRE) and assessing the marker spatial distribution. Comparison has been performed with randomly selected marker configuration and with the GETS algorithm (Genetic Evolutionary Taboo Search), also taking into account the presence of organs at risk. The results obtained with SAPS highlight improvements with respect to the other approaches: (i) TRE/FRE ratio decreases; (ii) marker distribution satisfies both marker visibility and spatial constraints. We have also investigated how the TRE/FRE ratio is influenced by the number of markers, obtaining significant TRE/FRE reduction with respect to the random configurations, when a high number of markers is used. The SAPS algorithm is a valuable strategy for fiducial configuration optimization in IR optical tracking applied for patient set-up error detection and correction in radiation therapy, showing that taking into account prior knowledge is valuable in this optimization process. Further work will be focused on the computational optimization of the SAPS algorithm toward fast point-of-care applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Monitoring the dynamics of surface water fraction from MODIS time series in a Mediterranean environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Linlin; Vrieling, Anton; Skidmore, Andrew; Wang, Tiejun; Turak, Eren

    2018-04-01

    Detailed spatial information of changes in surface water extent is needed for water management and biodiversity conservation, particularly in drier parts of the globe where small, temporally-variant wetlands prevail. Although global surface water histories are now generated from 30 m Landsat data, for many locations they contain large temporal gaps particularly for longer periods (>10 years) due to revisit intervals and cloud cover. Daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) imagery has potential to fill such gaps, but its relatively coarse spatial resolution may not detect small water bodies, which can be of great ecological importance. To address this problem, this study proposes and tests options for estimating the surface water fraction from MODIS 16-day 500 m Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) corrected surface reflectance image composites. The spatial extent of two Landsat tiles over Spain were selected as test areas. We obtained a 500 m reference dataset on surface water fraction by spatially aggregating 30 m binary water masks obtained from the Landsat-derived C-version of Function of Mask (CFmask), which themselves were evaluated against high-resolution Google Earth imagery. Twelve regression tree models were developed with two approaches, Random Forest and Cubist, using spectral metrics derived from MODIS data and topographic parameters generated from a 30 m spatial resolution digital elevation model. Results showed that accuracies were higher when we included annual summary statistics of the spectral metrics as predictor variables. Models trained on a single Landsat tile were ineffective in mapping surface water in the other tile, but global models trained with environmental conditions from both tiles can provide accurate results for both study areas. We achieved the highest accuracy with Cubist global model (R2 = 0.91, RMSE = 11.05%, MAE = 7.67%). Our method was not only effective for mapping permanent water fraction, but also in accurately capturing temporal fluctuations of surface water. Based on this good performance, we produced surface water fraction maps at 16-day interval for the 2000-2015 MODIS archive. Our approach is promising for monitoring surface water fraction at high frequency time intervals over much larger regions provided that training data are collected across the spatial domain for which the model will be applied.

  20. Near-field microscopy with a microfabricated solid immersion lens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fletcher, Daniel Alden

    2001-07-01

    Diffraction of focused light prevents optical microscopes from resolving features in air smaller than half the wavelength, λ Spatial resolution can be improved by passing light through a sub-wavelength metal aperture scanned close to a sample, but aperture-based probes suffer from low optical throughput, typically below 10-4. An alternate and more efficient technique is solid immersion microscopy in which light is focused through a high refractive index Solid Immersion Lens (SIL). This work describes the fabrication, modeling, and use of a microfabricated SIL to obtain spatial resolution better than the diffraction limit in air with high optical throughput for infrared applications. SILs on the order of 10 μm in diameter are fabricated from single-crystal silicon and integrated onto silicon cantilevers with tips for scanning. We measure a focused spot size of λ/5 with optical throughput better than 10-1 at a wavelength of λ = 9.3 μm. Spatial resolution is improved to λ/10 with metal apertures fabricated directly on the tip of the silicon SIL. Microlenses have reduced spherical aberration and better transparency than large lenses but cannot be made arbitrarily small and still focus. We model the advantages and limitations of focusing in lenses close to the wavelength in diameter using an extension of Mie theory. We also investigate a new contrast mechanism unique to microlenses resulting from the decrease in field-of-view with lens diameter. This technique is shown to achieve λ/4 spatial resolution. We explore applications of the microfabricated silicon SIL for high spatial resolution thermal microscopy and biological spectroscopy. Thermal radiation is collected through the SIL from a heated surface with spatial resolution four times better than that of a diffraction- limited infrared microscope. Using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, we observe absorption peaks in bacteria cells positioned at the focus of the silicon SIL.

  1. Does Walkability Contribute to Geographic Variation in Psychosocial Distress? A Spatial Analysis of 91,142 Members of the 45 and Up Study in Sydney, Australia

    PubMed Central

    Morgan, Geoffrey G.; Jalaludin, Bin B.; Bauman, Adrian E.

    2018-01-01

    Walkability describes the capacity of the built environment to promote walking, and has been proposed as a potential focus for community-level mental health planning. We evaluated this possibility by examining the contribution of area-level walkability to variation in psychosocial distress in a population cohort at spatial scales comparable to those used for regional planning in Sydney, Australia. Data on psychosocial distress were analysed for 91,142 respondents to the 45 and Up Study baseline survey between January 2006 and April 2009. We fit conditional auto regression models at the postal area level to obtain smoothed “disease maps” for psychosocial distress, and assess its association with area-level walkability after adjusting for individual- and area-level factors. Prevalence of psychosocial distress was 7.8%; similar for low (7.9%), low-medium (7.9%), medium-high (8.0%), and high (7.4%) walkability areas; and decreased with reducing postal area socioeconomic disadvantage: 12.2% (most), 9.3%, 7.5%, 5.9%, and 4.7% (least). Unadjusted disease maps indicated strong geographic clustering of psychosocial distress with 99.0% of excess prevalence due to unobserved and spatially structured factors, which was reduced to 55.3% in fully adjusted maps. Spatial and unstructured variance decreased by 97.3% and 39.8% after adjusting for individual-level factors, and another 2.3% and 4.2% with the inclusions of area-level factors. Excess prevalence of psychosocial distress in postal areas was attenuated in adjusted models but remained spatially structured. Postal area prevalence of high psychosocial distress is geographically clustered in Sydney, but is unrelated to postal area walkability. Area-level socioeconomic disadvantage makes a small contribution to this spatial structure; however, community-level mental health planning will likely deliver greatest benefits by focusing on individual-level contributors to disease burden and inequality associated with psychosocial distress. PMID:29415461

  2. Does Walkability Contribute to Geographic Variation in Psychosocial Distress? A Spatial Analysis of 91,142 Members of the 45 and Up Study in Sydney, Australia.

    PubMed

    Mayne, Darren J; Morgan, Geoffrey G; Jalaludin, Bin B; Bauman, Adrian E

    2018-02-06

    Walkability describes the capacity of the built environment to promote walking, and has been proposed as a potential focus for community-level mental health planning. We evaluated this possibility by examining the contribution of area-level walkability to variation in psychosocial distress in a population cohort at spatial scales comparable to those used for regional planning in Sydney, Australia. Data on psychosocial distress were analysed for 91,142 respondents to the 45 and Up Study baseline survey between January 2006 and April 2009. We fit conditional auto regression models at the postal area level to obtain smoothed "disease maps" for psychosocial distress, and assess its association with area-level walkability after adjusting for individual- and area-level factors. Prevalence of psychosocial distress was 7.8%; similar for low (7.9%), low-medium (7.9%), medium-high (8.0%), and high (7.4%) walkability areas; and decreased with reducing postal area socioeconomic disadvantage: 12.2% (most), 9.3%, 7.5%, 5.9%, and 4.7% (least). Unadjusted disease maps indicated strong geographic clustering of psychosocial distress with 99.0% of excess prevalence due to unobserved and spatially structured factors, which was reduced to 55.3% in fully adjusted maps. Spatial and unstructured variance decreased by 97.3% and 39.8% after adjusting for individual-level factors, and another 2.3% and 4.2% with the inclusions of area-level factors. Excess prevalence of psychosocial distress in postal areas was attenuated in adjusted models but remained spatially structured. Postal area prevalence of high psychosocial distress is geographically clustered in Sydney, but is unrelated to postal area walkability. Area-level socioeconomic disadvantage makes a small contribution to this spatial structure; however, community-level mental health planning will likely deliver greatest benefits by focusing on individual-level contributors to disease burden and inequality associated with psychosocial distress.

  3. The highs and lows of object impossibility: effects of spatial frequency on holistic processing of impossible objects.

    PubMed

    Freud, Erez; Avidan, Galia; Ganel, Tzvi

    2015-02-01

    Holistic processing, the decoding of a stimulus as a unified whole, is a basic characteristic of object perception. Recent research using Garner's speeded classification task has shown that this processing style is utilized even for impossible objects that contain an inherent spatial ambiguity. In particular, similar Garner interference effects were found for possible and impossible objects, indicating similar holistic processing styles for the two object categories. In the present study, we further investigated the perceptual mechanisms that mediate such holistic representation of impossible objects. We relied on the notion that, whereas information embedded in the high-spatial-frequency (HSF) content supports fine-detailed processing of object features, the information conveyed by low spatial frequencies (LSF) is more crucial for the emergence of a holistic shape representation. To test the effects of image frequency on the holistic processing of impossible objects, participants performed the Garner speeded classification task on images of possible and impossible cubes filtered for their LSF and HSF information. For images containing only LSF, similar interference effects were observed for possible and impossible objects, indicating that the two object categories were processed in a holistic manner. In contrast, for the HSF images, Garner interference was obtained only for possible, but not for impossible objects. Importantly, we provided evidence to show that this effect could not be attributed to a lack of sensitivity to object possibility in the LSF images. Particularly, even for full-spectrum images, Garner interference was still observed for both possible and impossible objects. Additionally, performance in an object classification task revealed high sensitivity to object possibility, even for LSF images. Taken together, these findings suggest that the visual system can tolerate the spatial ambiguity typical to impossible objects by relying on information embedded in LSF, whereas HSF information may underlie the visual system's susceptibility to distortions in objects' spatial layouts.

  4. Dense tissue-like collagen matrices formed in cell-free conditions.

    PubMed

    Mosser, Gervaise; Anglo, Anny; Helary, Christophe; Bouligand, Yves; Giraud-Guille, Marie-Madeleine

    2006-01-01

    A new protocol was developed to produce dense organized collagen matrices hierarchically ordered on a large scale. It consists of a two stage process: (1) the organization of a collagen solution and (2) the stabilization of the organizations by a sol-gel transition that leads to the formation of collagen fibrils. This new protocol relies on the continuous injection of an acid-soluble collagen solution into glass microchambers. It leads to extended concentration gradients of collagen, ranging from 5 to 1000 mg/ml. The self-organization of collagen solutions into a wide array of spatial organizations was investigated. The final matrices obtained by this procedure varied in concentration, structure and density. Changes in the liquid state of the samples were followed by polarized light microscopy, and the final stabilized gel states obtained after fibrillogenesis were analyzed by both light and electron microscopy. Typical organizations extended homogeneously by up to three centimetres in one direction and several hundreds of micrometers in other directions. Fibrillogenesis of collagen solutions of high and low concentrations led to fibrils spatially arranged as has been described in bone and derm, respectively. Moreover, a relationship was revealed between the collagen concentration and the aggregation of and rotational angles between lateral fibrils. These results constitute a strong base from which to further develop highly enriched collagen matrices that could lead to substitutes that mimic connective tissues. The matrices thus obtained may also be good candidates for the study of the three-dimensional migration of cells.

  5. High resolution MR microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ciobanu, Luisa

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) microscopy [1] has the potential to bring the full capabilities of NMR to arbitrarily specified localized positions within small samples. The most interesting target of study is the living biological cell, with typical dimensions ˜100 mum, but with substructures that are much smaller, such as the cell nucleus (typically ˜10 mu m) and mitochondria (1--10 mum). One anticipates that the development of MR microscopy with resolution at the level of these substructures or better and with a wide, three dimensional field-of-view could open a new avenue of investigation into the biology of the living cell. Although the first MR image of a single biological cell was reported in 1987 [2], the cell imaged had quite large (˜1 mm diameter) spatial dimensions and the resolution obtained (on the order of 10 mu m) was not adequate for meaningful imaging of more typically sized cells. The quest for higher resolution has continued. In 1989 Zhou et al. [3] obtained fully three dimensional images with spatial resolution of (6.37 mum)3, or 260 femtoliters. While better "in-plane" resolutions (i.e., the resolution in 2 of the 3 spatial dimensions) have since been obtained, [4, 5] this volume resolution was not exceeded until quite recently by Lee et al., [6] who report 2D images having volume resolution of 75 mum 3 and in-plane resolution of 1 mum. In parallel with these advances in raw resolution several investigators [7, 8, 9] have focused on localized spectroscopy and/or chemical shift imaging. The key obstacles to overcome in MR microscopy are (1) the loss of signal to noise that occurs when observing small volumes and (2) molecular diffusion during the measurement or encoding. To date the problem of sensitivity has typically been addressed by employing small micro-coil receivers. [10] The problem of molecular diffusion can only be defeated with strong magnetic field gradients that can encode spatial information quickly. We report MR microscopy images on phantoms [11, 12] and biological samples (paramecia, algae, brain tissue, lipidic mesophases) obtained using using magnetic field gradients as large as 50 Tesla/meter (5000 G/cm) [13] and micro-coils [14]. Images have voxel resolution as high as (3.7 mum by 3.3 mum by 3.3 mum), or 41 mu m3 (41 femtoliters, containing 2.7 x 10 12 proton spins) [12], marginally the highest voxel resolution reported to date. They are also fully three dimensional, with wide fields of view.

  6. Visual and Spatial Working Memory Are Not that Dissociated after All: A Time-Based Resource-Sharing Account

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vergauwe, Evie; Barrouillet, Pierre; Camos, Valerie

    2009-01-01

    Examinations of interference between visual and spatial materials in working memory have suggested domain- and process-based fractionations of visuo-spatial working memory. The present study examined the role of central time-based resource sharing in visuo-spatial working memory and assessed its role in obtained interference patterns. Visual and…

  7. [Prediction and spatial distribution of recruitment trees of natural secondary forest based on geographically weighted Poisson model].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ling Yu; Liu, Zhao Gang

    2017-12-01

    Based on the data collected from 108 permanent plots of the forest resources survey in Maoershan Experimental Forest Farm during 2004-2016, this study investigated the spatial distribution of recruitment trees in natural secondary forest by global Poisson regression and geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) with four bandwidths of 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 km. The simulation effects of the 5 regressions and the factors influencing the recruitment trees in stands were analyzed, a description was given to the spatial autocorrelation of the regression residuals on global and local levels using Moran's I. The results showed that the spatial distribution of the number of natural secondary forest recruitment was significantly influenced by stands and topographic factors, especially average DBH. The GWPR model with small scale (2.5 km) had high accuracy of model fitting, a large range of model parameter estimates was generated, and the localized spatial distribution effect of the model parameters was obtained. The GWPR model at small scale (2.5 and 5 km) had produced a small range of model residuals, and the stability of the model was improved. The global spatial auto-correlation of the GWPR model residual at the small scale (2.5 km) was the lowe-st, and the local spatial auto-correlation was significantly reduced, in which an ideal spatial distribution pattern of small clusters with different observations was formed. The local model at small scale (2.5 km) was much better than the global model in the simulation effect on the spatial distribution of recruitment tree number.

  8. The Analysis of Burrows Recognition Accuracy in XINJIANG'S Pasture Area Based on Uav Visible Images with Different Spatial Resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, D.; Zheng, J. H.; Ma, T.; Chen, J. J.; Li, X.

    2018-04-01

    The rodent disaster is one of the main biological disasters in grassland in northern Xinjiang. The eating and digging behaviors will cause the destruction of ground vegetation, which seriously affected the development of animal husbandry and grassland ecological security. UAV low altitude remote sensing, as an emerging technique with high spatial resolution, can effectively recognize the burrows. However, how to select the appropriate spatial resolution to monitor the calamity of the rodent disaster is the first problem we need to pay attention to. The purpose of this study is to explore the optimal spatial scale on identification of the burrows by evaluating the impact of different spatial resolution for the burrows identification accuracy. In this study, we shoot burrows from different flight heights to obtain visible images of different spatial resolution. Then an object-oriented method is used to identify the caves, and we also evaluate the accuracy of the classification. We found that the highest classification accuracy of holes, the average has reached more than 80 %. At the altitude of 24 m and the spatial resolution of 1cm, the accuracy of the classification is the highest We have created a unique and effective way to identify burrows by using UAVs visible images. We draw the following conclusion: the best spatial resolution of burrows recognition is 1 cm using DJI PHANTOM-3 UAV, and the improvement of spatial resolution does not necessarily lead to the improvement of classification accuracy. This study lays the foundation for future research and can be extended to similar studies elsewhere.

  9. Photoacoustic tomography guided diffuse optical tomography for small-animal model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yihan; Gao, Feng; Wan, Wenbo; Zhang, Yan; Li, Jiao

    2015-03-01

    Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a biomedical imaging technology for noninvasive visualization of spatial variation about the optical properties of tissue, which can be applied to in vivo small-animal disease model. However, traditional DOT suffers low spatial resolution due to tissue scattering. To overcome this intrinsic shortcoming, multi-modal approaches that incorporate DOT with other imaging techniques have been intensively investigated, where a priori information provided by the other modalities is normally used to reasonably regularize the inverse problem of DOT. Nevertheless, these approaches usually consider the anatomical structure, which is different from the optical structure. Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is an emerging imaging modality that is particularly useful for visualizing lightabsorbing structures embedded in soft tissue with higher spatial resolution compared with pure optical imaging. Thus, we present a PAT-guided DOT approach, to obtain the location a priori information of optical structure provided by PAT first, and then guide DOT to reconstruct the optical parameters quantitatively. The results of reconstruction of phantom experiments demonstrate that both quantification and spatial resolution of DOT could be highly improved by the regularization of feasible-region information provided by PAT.

  10. Parallel Monte Carlo transport modeling in the context of a time-dependent, three-dimensional multi-physics code

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Procassini, R.J.

    1997-12-31

    The fine-scale, multi-space resolution that is envisioned for accurate simulations of complex weapons systems in three spatial dimensions implies flop-rate and memory-storage requirements that will only be obtained in the near future through the use of parallel computational techniques. Since the Monte Carlo transport models in these simulations usually stress both of these computational resources, they are prime candidates for parallelization. The MONACO Monte Carlo transport package, which is currently under development at LLNL, will utilize two types of parallelism within the context of a multi-physics design code: decomposition of the spatial domain across processors (spatial parallelism) and distribution ofmore » particles in a given spatial subdomain across additional processors (particle parallelism). This implementation of the package will utilize explicit data communication between domains (message passing). Such a parallel implementation of a Monte Carlo transport model will result in non-deterministic communication patterns. The communication of particles between subdomains during a Monte Carlo time step may require a significant level of effort to achieve a high parallel efficiency.« less

  11. Comparing Spatial Distributions of Solar Prominence Mass Derived from Coronal Absorption

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gilbert, Holly; Kilper, Gary; Alexander, David; Kucera, Therese

    2010-01-01

    In the present work we extend the use of this mass-inference technique to a sample of prominences observed in at least two coronal lines. This approach, in theory, allows a direct calculation of prominence mass and helium abundance and how these properties vary spatially and temporally. Our motivation is two-fold: to obtain a He(exp 0)/H(exp 0) abundance ratio, and to determine how the relative spatial distribution of the two species varies in prominences. The first of these relies on the theoretical expectation that the amount of absorption at each EUV wavelength is well-characterized. However, in this work we show that due to a saturation of the continuum absorption in the 625 A and 368 A lines (which have much higher opacity compared to 195 A-) the uncertainties in obtaining the relative abundances are too high to give meaningful estimates. This is an important finding because of its impact on future studies in this area. The comparison of the spatial distribution of helium and hydrogen presented here augments previous observational work indicating that cross-field diffusion of neutrals is an important mechanism for mass loss. Significantly different loss timescales for neutral He and H (helium drains much more rapidly than hydrogen) can impact prominence structure, and both the present and past studies suggest this mechanism is playing a role in structure and possibly dynamics. Section 2 of this paper contains a description of the observations and Section 3 summarizes the method used to infer mass along with the criteria imposed in choosing prominences appropriate for this study. Section 3 also contains a discussion of the problems due to limitations of the available data and the implications for determining relative abundances. We present our results in Section 4, including plots of radial-like scans of prominence mass in different lines to show the spatial distribution of the different species. The last section contains a discussion summarizing the importance of the qualitative results found in this work. The Appendix provides a detailed derivation of how to obtain prominence mass and helium abundance (A 1) and includes the data for all prominences studied (A2).

  12. Analysis of the Spatial Organization of Pastures as a Contact Network, Implications for Potential Disease Spread and Biosecurity in Livestock, France, 2010.

    PubMed

    Palisson, Aurore; Courcoul, Aurélie; Durand, Benoit

    2017-01-01

    The use of pastures is part of common herd management practices for livestock animals, but contagion between animals located on neighbouring pastures is one of the major modes of infectious disease transmission between herds. At the population level, this transmission is strongly constrained by the spatial organization of pastures. The aim of this study was to answer two questions: (i) is the spatial configuration of pastures favourable to the spread of infectious diseases in France? (ii) would biosecurity measures allow decreasing this vulnerability? Based on GIS data, the spatial organization of pastures was represented using networks. Nodes were the 3,159,787 pastures reported in 2010 by the French breeders to claim the Common Agricultural Policy subsidies. Links connected pastures when the distance between them was below a predefined threshold. Premises networks were obtained by aggregating into a single node all the pastures under the same ownership. Although the pastures network was very fragmented when the distance threshold was short (1.5 meters, relevant for a directly-transmitted disease), it was not the case when the distance threshold was larger (500 m, relevant for a vector-borne disease: 97% of the nodes in the largest connected component). The premises network was highly connected as the largest connected component always included more than 83% of the nodes, whatever the distance threshold. Percolation analyses were performed to model the population-level efficacy of biosecurity measures. Percolation thresholds varied according to the modelled biosecurity measures and to the distance threshold. They were globally high (e.g. >17% of nodes had to be removed, mimicking the confinement of animals inside farm buildings, to obtain the disappearance of the large connected component). The network of pastures thus appeared vulnerable to the spread of diseases in France. Only a large acceptance of biosecurity measures by breeders would allow reducing this structural risk.

  13. Analysis of the Spatial Organization of Pastures as a Contact Network, Implications for Potential Disease Spread and Biosecurity in Livestock, France, 2010

    PubMed Central

    Palisson, Aurore; Courcoul, Aurélie; Durand, Benoit

    2017-01-01

    The use of pastures is part of common herd management practices for livestock animals, but contagion between animals located on neighbouring pastures is one of the major modes of infectious disease transmission between herds. At the population level, this transmission is strongly constrained by the spatial organization of pastures. The aim of this study was to answer two questions: (i) is the spatial configuration of pastures favourable to the spread of infectious diseases in France? (ii) would biosecurity measures allow decreasing this vulnerability? Based on GIS data, the spatial organization of pastures was represented using networks. Nodes were the 3,159,787 pastures reported in 2010 by the French breeders to claim the Common Agricultural Policy subsidies. Links connected pastures when the distance between them was below a predefined threshold. Premises networks were obtained by aggregating into a single node all the pastures under the same ownership. Although the pastures network was very fragmented when the distance threshold was short (1.5 meters, relevant for a directly-transmitted disease), it was not the case when the distance threshold was larger (500 m, relevant for a vector-borne disease: 97% of the nodes in the largest connected component). The premises network was highly connected as the largest connected component always included more than 83% of the nodes, whatever the distance threshold. Percolation analyses were performed to model the population-level efficacy of biosecurity measures. Percolation thresholds varied according to the modelled biosecurity measures and to the distance threshold. They were globally high (e.g. >17% of nodes had to be removed, mimicking the confinement of animals inside farm buildings, to obtain the disappearance of the large connected component). The network of pastures thus appeared vulnerable to the spread of diseases in France. Only a large acceptance of biosecurity measures by breeders would allow reducing this structural risk. PMID:28060913

  14. Experimental criteria for the determination of fractal parameters of premixed turbulent flames

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shepherd, I. G.; Cheng, Robert K.; Talbot, L.

    1992-10-01

    The influence of spatial resolution, digitization noise, the number of records used for averaging, and the method of analysis on the determination of the fractal parameters of a high Damköhler number, methane/air, premixed, turbulent stagnation-point flame are investigated in this paper. The flow exit velocity was 5 m/s and the turbulent Reynolds number was 70 based on a integral scale of 3 mm and a turbulent intensity of 7%. The light source was a copper vapor laser which delivered 20 nsecs, 5 mJ pulses at 4 kHz and the tomographic cross-sections of the flame were recorded by a high speed movie camera. The spatial resolution of the images is 155 × 121 μm/pixel with a field of view of 50 × 65 mm. The stepping caliper technique for obtaining the fractal parameters is found to give the clearest indication of the cutoffs and the effects of noise. It is necessary to ensemble average the results from more than 25 statistically independent images to reduce sufficiently the scatter in the fractal parameters. The effects of reduced spatial resolution on fractal plots are estimated by artificial degradation of the resolution of the digitized flame boundaries. The effect of pixel resolution, an apparent increase in flame length below the inner scale rolloff, appears in the fractal plots when the measurent scale is less than approximately twice the pixel resolution. Although a clearer determination of fractal parameters is obtained by local averaging of the flame boundaries which removes digitization noise, at low spatial resolution this technique can reduce the fractal dimension. The degree of fractal isotropy of the flame surface can have a significant effect on the estimation of the flame surface area and hence burning rate from two-dimensional images. To estimate this isotropy a determination of the outer cutoff is required and three-dimensional measurements are probably also necessary.

  15. Interleaved EPI based fMRI improved by multiplexed sensitivity encoding (MUSE) and simultaneous multi-band imaging.

    PubMed

    Chang, Hing-Chiu; Gaur, Pooja; Chou, Ying-hui; Chu, Mei-Lan; Chen, Nan-kuei

    2014-01-01

    Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive and powerful imaging tool for detecting brain activities. The majority of fMRI studies are performed with single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) due to its high temporal resolution. Recent studies have demonstrated that, by increasing the spatial-resolution of fMRI, previously unidentified neuronal networks can be measured. However, it is challenging to improve the spatial resolution of conventional single-shot EPI based fMRI. Although multi-shot interleaved EPI is superior to single-shot EPI in terms of the improved spatial-resolution, reduced geometric distortions, and sharper point spread function (PSF), interleaved EPI based fMRI has two main limitations: 1) the imaging throughput is lower in interleaved EPI; 2) the magnitude and phase signal variations among EPI segments (due to physiological noise, subject motion, and B0 drift) are translated to significant in-plane aliasing artifact across the field of view (FOV). Here we report a method that integrates multiple approaches to address the technical limitations of interleaved EPI-based fMRI. Firstly, the multiplexed sensitivity-encoding (MUSE) post-processing algorithm is used to suppress in-plane aliasing artifacts resulting from time-domain signal instabilities during dynamic scans. Secondly, a simultaneous multi-band interleaved EPI pulse sequence, with a controlled aliasing scheme incorporated, is implemented to increase the imaging throughput. Thirdly, the MUSE algorithm is then generalized to accommodate fMRI data obtained with our multi-band interleaved EPI pulse sequence, suppressing both in-plane and through-plane aliasing artifacts. The blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) signal detectability and the scan throughput can be significantly improved for interleaved EPI-based fMRI. Our human fMRI data obtained from 3 Tesla systems demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed methods. It is expected that future fMRI studies requiring high spatial-resolvability and fidelity will largely benefit from the reported techniques.

  16. Effects of ignition location models on the burn patterns of simulated wildfires

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bar-Massada, A.; Syphard, A.D.; Hawbaker, T.J.; Stewart, S.I.; Radeloff, V.C.

    2011-01-01

    Fire simulation studies that use models such as FARSITE often assume that ignition locations are distributed randomly, because spatially explicit information about actual ignition locations are difficult to obtain. However, many studies show that the spatial distribution of ignition locations, whether human-caused or natural, is non-random. Thus, predictions from fire simulations based on random ignitions may be unrealistic. However, the extent to which the assumption of ignition location affects the predictions of fire simulation models has never been systematically explored. Our goal was to assess the difference in fire simulations that are based on random versus non-random ignition location patterns. We conducted four sets of 6000 FARSITE simulations for the Santa Monica Mountains in California to quantify the influence of random and non-random ignition locations and normal and extreme weather conditions on fire size distributions and spatial patterns of burn probability. Under extreme weather conditions, fires were significantly larger for non-random ignitions compared to random ignitions (mean area of 344.5 ha and 230.1 ha, respectively), but burn probability maps were highly correlated (r = 0.83). Under normal weather, random ignitions produced significantly larger fires than non-random ignitions (17.5 ha and 13.3 ha, respectively), and the spatial correlations between burn probability maps were not high (r = 0.54), though the difference in the average burn probability was small. The results of the study suggest that the location of ignitions used in fire simulation models may substantially influence the spatial predictions of fire spread patterns. However, the spatial bias introduced by using a random ignition location model may be minimized if the fire simulations are conducted under extreme weather conditions when fire spread is greatest. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Spatial structure increases the waiting time for cancer

    PubMed Central

    Martens, Erik A.; Kostadinov, Rumen; Maley, Carlo C.; Hallatschek, Oskar

    2012-01-01

    Cancer results from a sequence of genetic and epigenetic changes which lead to a variety of abnormal phenotypes including increased proliferation and survival of somatic cells, and thus, to a selective advantage of pre-cancerous cells. The notion of cancer progression as an evolutionary process has been experiencing increasing interest in recent years. Many efforts have been made to better understand and predict the progression to cancer using mathematical models; these mostly consider the evolution of a well-mixed cell population, even though pre-cancerous cells often evolve in highly structured epithelial tissues. In this study, we propose a novel model of cancer progression that considers a spatially structured cell population where clones expand via adaptive waves. This model is used to assess two different paradigms of asexual evolution that have been suggested to delineate the process of cancer progression. The standard scenario of periodic selection assumes that driver mutations are accumulated strictly sequentially over time. However, when the mutation supply is sufficiently high, clones may arise simultaneously on distinct genetic backgrounds, and clonal adaptation waves interfere with each other. We find that in the presence of clonal interference, spatial structure increases the waiting time for cancer, leads to a patchwork structure of non-uniformly sized clones, decreases the survival probability of virtually neutral (passenger) mutations, and that genetic distance begins to increase over a characteristic length scale Lc. These characteristic features of clonal interference may help to predict the onset of cancers with pronounced spatial structure and to interpret spatially-sampled genetic data obtained from biopsies. Our estimates suggest that clonal interference likely occurs in the progression of colon cancer, and possibly other cancers where spatial structure matters. PMID:22707911

  18. Characterizing the Diurnal Cycle of Land Surface Temperature and Evapotranspiration at High Spatial Resolution Using Thermal Observations from sUAS.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dutta, D.; Drewry, D.; Johnson, W. R.

    2017-12-01

    The surface temperature of plant canopies is an important indicator of the stomatal regulation of plant water use and the associated water flux from plants to atmosphere (evapotranspiration (ET)). Remotely sensed thermal observations using compact, low-cost, lightweight sensors from small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) have the potential to provide surface temperature (ST) and ET estimates at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions, allowing us to characterize the intra-field diurnal variations in canopy ST and ET for a variety of vegetation systems. However, major challenges exist for obtaining accurate surface temperature estimates from low-cost uncooled microbolometer-type sensors. Here we describe the development of calibration methods using thermal chamber experiments, taking into account the ambient optics and sensor temperatures, and applying simple models of spatial non-uniformity correction to the sensor focal-plane-array. We present a framework that can be used to derive accurate surface temperatures using radiometric observations from low-cost sensors, and demonstrate this framework using a sUAS-mounted sensor across a diverse set of calibration and vegetation targets. Further, we demonstrate the use of the Surface Temperature Initiated Closure (STIC) model for computing spatially explicit, high spatial resolution ET estimates across several well-monitored agricultural systems, as driven by sUAS acquired surface temperatures. STIC provides a physically-based surface energy balance framework for the simultaneous retrieval of the surface and atmospheric vapor conductances and surface energy fluxes, by physically integrating radiometric surface temperature information into the Penman-Monteith equation. Results of our analysis over agricultural systems in Ames, IA and Davis, CA demonstrate the power of this approach for quantifying the intra-field spatial variability in the diurnal cycle of plant water use at sub-meter resolutions.

  19. Spatial structure increases the waiting time for cancer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martens, Erik A.; Kostadinov, Rumen; Maley, Carlo C.; Hallatschek, Oskar

    2011-11-01

    Cancer results from a sequence of genetic and epigenetic changes that lead to a variety of abnormal phenotypes including increased proliferation and survival of somatic cells and thus to a selective advantage of pre-cancerous cells. The notion of cancer progression as an evolutionary process has been attracting increasing interest in recent years. A great deal of effort has been made to better understand and predict the progression to cancer using mathematical models; these mostly consider the evolution of a well-mixed cell population, even though pre-cancerous cells often evolve in highly structured epithelial tissues. In this study, we propose a novel model of cancer progression that considers a spatially structured cell population where clones expand via adaptive waves. This model is used to assess two different paradigms of asexual evolution that have been suggested to delineate the process of cancer progression. The standard scenario of periodic selection assumes that driver mutations are accumulated strictly sequentially over time. However, when the mutation supply is sufficiently high, clones may arise simultaneously on distinct genetic backgrounds, and clonal adaptation waves interfere with each other. We find that in the presence of clonal interference, spatial structure increases the waiting time for cancer, leads to a patchwork structure of non-uniformly sized clones and decreases the survival probability of virtually neutral (passenger) mutations, and that genetic distance begins to increase over a characteristic length scale Lc. These characteristic features of clonal interference may help us to predict the onset of cancers with pronounced spatial structure and to interpret spatially sampled genetic data obtained from biopsies. Our estimates suggest that clonal interference likely occurs in the progression of colon cancer and possibly other cancers where spatial structure matters.

  20. Modelling the spatial distribution of Fasciola hepatica in dairy cattle in Europe.

    PubMed

    Ducheyne, Els; Charlier, Johannes; Vercruysse, Jozef; Rinaldi, Laura; Biggeri, Annibale; Demeler, Janina; Brandt, Christina; De Waal, Theo; Selemetas, Nikolaos; Höglund, Johan; Kaba, Jaroslaw; Kowalczyk, Slawomir J; Hendrickx, Guy

    2015-03-26

    A harmonized sampling approach in combination with spatial modelling is required to update current knowledge of fasciolosis in dairy cattle in Europe. Within the scope of the EU project GLOWORM, samples from 3,359 randomly selected farms in 849 municipalities in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Sweden were collected and their infection status assessed using an indirect bulk tank milk (BTM) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Dairy farms were considered exposed when the optical density ratio (ODR) exceeded the 0.3 cut-off. Two ensemble-modelling techniques, Random Forests (RF) and Boosted Regression Trees (BRT), were used to obtain the spatial distribution of the probability of exposure to Fasciola hepatica using remotely sensed environmental variables (1-km spatial resolution) and interpolated values from meteorological stations as predictors. The median ODRs amounted to 0.31, 0.12, 0.54, 0.25 and 0.44 for Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland and southern Sweden, respectively. Using the 0.3 threshold, 571 municipalities were categorized as positive and 429 as negative. RF was seen as capable of predicting the spatial distribution of exposure with an area under the receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.83 (0.96 for BRT). Both models identified rainfall and temperature as the most important factors for probability of exposure. Areas of high and low exposure were identified by both models, with BRT better at discriminating between low-probability and high-probability exposure; this model may therefore be more useful in practise. Given a harmonized sampling strategy, it should be possible to generate robust spatial models for fasciolosis in dairy cattle in Europe to be used as input for temporal models and for the detection of deviations in baseline probability. Further research is required for model output in areas outside the eco-climatic range investigated.

  1. Ground Based Operational Testing Of Holographic Scanning Lidars : The HOLO Experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwemmer, Geary K.; Wilkerson, Thomas D.; Sanders, Jason A.; Guerra, David V.; Miller, David O.; Moody, Stephen E.

    2000-01-01

    Two aerosol backscatter lidar measurement campaigns were conducted using two holographic scanning lidars and one zenith staring lidar for the purposes of reliability testing under field conditions three new lidar systems and to develop new scanning measurement techniques and applications. The first campaign took place near the campus of Utah State University in Logan Utah in March of 1999 and is called HOLO-1. HOLO-2 was conducted in June of 1999 on the campus of Saint Anselm College, near the city of Manchester, New Hampshire. Each campaign covered a period of approximately one week of nearly continuous observation of cloud and aerosol backscatter in the visible and near infrared by lidar, and wide field visible sky images by video camera in the daytime. The scanning capability coupled with a high rep-rate, high average power laser enables both high spatial and high temporal resolution observations that Particularly intriguing is the possibility of deriving atmospheric wind profiles from temporal analysis of aerosol backscatter spatial structure obtained by conical scan without the use of Doppler techniques.

  2. Spatial decoupling of light absorption and catalytic activity of Ni-Mo-loaded high-aspect-ratio silicon microwire photocathodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vijselaar, Wouter; Westerik, Pieter; Veerbeek, Janneke; Tiggelaar, Roald M.; Berenschot, Erwin; Tas, Niels R.; Gardeniers, Han; Huskens, Jurriaan

    2018-03-01

    A solar-driven photoelectrochemical cell provides a promising approach to enable the large-scale conversion and storage of solar energy, but requires the use of Earth-abundant materials. Earth-abundant catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction, for example nickel-molybdenum (Ni-Mo), are generally opaque and require high mass loading to obtain high catalytic activity, which in turn leads to parasitic light absorption for the underlying photoabsorber (for example silicon), thus limiting production of hydrogen. Here, we show the fabrication of a highly efficient photocathode by spatially and functionally decoupling light absorption and catalytic activity. Varying the fraction of catalyst coverage over the microwires, and the pitch between the microwires, makes it possible to deconvolute the contributions of catalytic activity and light absorption to the overall device performance. This approach provided a silicon microwire photocathode that exhibited a near-ideal short-circuit photocurrent density of 35.5 mA cm-2, a photovoltage of 495 mV and a fill factor of 62% under AM 1.5G illumination, resulting in an ideal regenerative cell efficiency of 10.8%.

  3. Pulse-burst PIV in a high-speed wind tunnel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beresh, Steven; Kearney, Sean; Wagner, Justin; Guildenbecher, Daniel; Henfling, John; Spillers, Russell; Pruett, Brian; Jiang, Naibo; Slipchenko, Mikhail; Mance, Jason; Roy, Sukesh

    2015-09-01

    Time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) has been achieved in a high-speed wind tunnel, providing velocity field movies of compressible turbulence events. The requirements of high-speed flows demand greater energy at faster pulse rates than possible with the TR-PIV systems developed for low-speed flows. This has been realized using a pulse-burst laser to obtain movies at up to 50 kHz, with higher speeds possible at the cost of spatial resolution. The constraints imposed by use of a pulse-burst laser are limited burst duration of 10.2 ms and a low duty cycle for data acquisition. Pulse-burst PIV has been demonstrated in a supersonic jet exhausting into a transonic crossflow and in transonic flow over a rectangular cavity. The velocity field sequences reveal the passage of turbulent structures and can be used to find velocity power spectra at every point in the field, providing spatial distributions of acoustic modes. The present work represents the first use of TR-PIV in a high-speed ground-test facility.

  4. Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of water soil erosion in a Mediterranean rain-fed crop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    López-Vicente, M.; Quijano, L.; Gaspar, L.; Machín, J.; Navas, A.

    2012-04-01

    Fertile soil loss by raindrop impact and runoff processes in croplands presents significant variations at temporal and spatial scales. The combined use of advanced GIS techniques and detailed databases allows high resolution mapping of runoff and soil erosion processes. In this study the monthly values of soil loss are calculated in a medium size field of rain-fed winter barley and its drainage area located in the Central Spanish Pre-Pyrenees. The field is surrounded by narrow strips of dense Mediterranean vegetation (mainly holm oaks) and grass. Man-made infrastructures (paved trails and drainage ditches) modify the overland flow pathways and the study site appears hydrologically closed in its northern and western boundaries. This area has a continental Mediterranean climate with two humid periods, one in spring and a second in autumn and a dry summer with rainfall events of high intensity from July to October. The average annual rainfall is 495 mm and the average monthly rainfall intensity ranges from 1.1 mm / h in January to 7.4 mm / h in July. The predicted rates were obtained after running the RMMF model (Morgan, 2001) with the enhancements made to this model by Morgan and Duzant (2008) to the topographic module, and by López-Vicente and Navas (2010) to the hydrological module. A total of 613 soil samples were collected and all input and output maps were generated at high spatial resolution (1 x 1 m of cell size) with ArcMapTM 10.0. A map of effective cumulative runoff was calculated for each month of the year with a weighted multiple flow algorithm and four sub-catchments were distinguished within the field. The average soil erosion in the cultivated area is 1.32 Mg / ha yr and the corresponding map shows a high spatial variability (s.d. = 7.52 Mg / ha yr). The highest values of soil erosion appear in those areas where overland flow is concentrated and slope steepness is higher. The unpaved trail present the highest values of soil erosion with an average value of 72.23 Mg / ha yr, whereas the grass and forested areas have annual rates lower than 0.1 Mg / ha yr. The highest values of soil erosion appear in March, April, May, October and November showing a very good correlation with the depth of monthly rainfall (Pearson's r = 0.97) and a good correlation with the number of rainy days per month (Pearson's r = 0.76). However, no correlation was obtained with the values of monthly rainfall intensity. The availability of a detailed database of soil properties, weather values and a high resolution DEM allows mapping and calculating the spatial and temporal variations of the soil erosion processes within the cultivated area and the area surrounding the crop. Thus, the application of soil erosion models at high spatial and temporal resolution improves their predicting capability due to the complexity and large number of relevant interactions between the different sub-factors.

  5. Analysing and correcting the differences between multi-source and multi-scale spatial remote sensing observations.

    PubMed

    Dong, Yingying; Luo, Ruisen; Feng, Haikuan; Wang, Jihua; Zhao, Jinling; Zhu, Yining; Yang, Guijun

    2014-01-01

    Differences exist among analysis results of agriculture monitoring and crop production based on remote sensing observations, which are obtained at different spatial scales from multiple remote sensors in same time period, and processed by same algorithms, models or methods. These differences can be mainly quantitatively described from three aspects, i.e. multiple remote sensing observations, crop parameters estimation models, and spatial scale effects of surface parameters. Our research proposed a new method to analyse and correct the differences between multi-source and multi-scale spatial remote sensing surface reflectance datasets, aiming to provide references for further studies in agricultural application with multiple remotely sensed observations from different sources. The new method was constructed on the basis of physical and mathematical properties of multi-source and multi-scale reflectance datasets. Theories of statistics were involved to extract statistical characteristics of multiple surface reflectance datasets, and further quantitatively analyse spatial variations of these characteristics at multiple spatial scales. Then, taking the surface reflectance at small spatial scale as the baseline data, theories of Gaussian distribution were selected for multiple surface reflectance datasets correction based on the above obtained physical characteristics and mathematical distribution properties, and their spatial variations. This proposed method was verified by two sets of multiple satellite images, which were obtained in two experimental fields located in Inner Mongolia and Beijing, China with different degrees of homogeneity of underlying surfaces. Experimental results indicate that differences of surface reflectance datasets at multiple spatial scales could be effectively corrected over non-homogeneous underlying surfaces, which provide database for further multi-source and multi-scale crop growth monitoring and yield prediction, and their corresponding consistency analysis evaluation.

  6. Analysing and Correcting the Differences between Multi-Source and Multi-Scale Spatial Remote Sensing Observations

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Yingying; Luo, Ruisen; Feng, Haikuan; Wang, Jihua; Zhao, Jinling; Zhu, Yining; Yang, Guijun

    2014-01-01

    Differences exist among analysis results of agriculture monitoring and crop production based on remote sensing observations, which are obtained at different spatial scales from multiple remote sensors in same time period, and processed by same algorithms, models or methods. These differences can be mainly quantitatively described from three aspects, i.e. multiple remote sensing observations, crop parameters estimation models, and spatial scale effects of surface parameters. Our research proposed a new method to analyse and correct the differences between multi-source and multi-scale spatial remote sensing surface reflectance datasets, aiming to provide references for further studies in agricultural application with multiple remotely sensed observations from different sources. The new method was constructed on the basis of physical and mathematical properties of multi-source and multi-scale reflectance datasets. Theories of statistics were involved to extract statistical characteristics of multiple surface reflectance datasets, and further quantitatively analyse spatial variations of these characteristics at multiple spatial scales. Then, taking the surface reflectance at small spatial scale as the baseline data, theories of Gaussian distribution were selected for multiple surface reflectance datasets correction based on the above obtained physical characteristics and mathematical distribution properties, and their spatial variations. This proposed method was verified by two sets of multiple satellite images, which were obtained in two experimental fields located in Inner Mongolia and Beijing, China with different degrees of homogeneity of underlying surfaces. Experimental results indicate that differences of surface reflectance datasets at multiple spatial scales could be effectively corrected over non-homogeneous underlying surfaces, which provide database for further multi-source and multi-scale crop growth monitoring and yield prediction, and their corresponding consistency analysis evaluation. PMID:25405760

  7. Spatial and temporal disaggregation of the on-road vehicle emission inventory in a medium-sized Andean city. Comparison of GIS-based top-down methodologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gómez, C. D.; González, C. M.; Osses, M.; Aristizábal, B. H.

    2018-04-01

    Emission data is an essential tool for understanding environmental problems associated with sources and dynamics of air pollutants in urban environments, especially those emitted from vehicular sources. There is a lack of knowledge about the estimation of air pollutant emissions and particularly its spatial and temporal distribution in South America, mainly in medium-sized cities with population less than one million inhabitants. This work performed the spatial and temporal disaggregation of the on-road vehicle emission inventory (EI) in the medium-sized Andean city of Manizales, Colombia, with a spatial resolution of 1 km × 1 km and a temporal resolution of 1 h. A reported top-down methodology, based on the analysis of traffic flow levels and road network distribution, was applied. Results obtained allowed the identification of several hotspots of emission at the downtown zone and the residential and commercial area of Manizales. Downtown exhibited the highest percentage contribution of emissions normalized by its total area, with values equal to 6% and 5% of total CO and PM10 emissions per km2 respectively. These indexes were higher than those obtained in residential-commercial area with values of 2%/km2 for both pollutants. Temporal distribution showed strong relationship with driving patterns at rush hours, as well as an important influence of passenger cars and motorcycles in emissions of CO both at downtown and residential-commercial areas, and the impact of public transport in PM10 emissions in the residential-commercial zone. Considering that detailed information about traffic counts and road network distribution is not always available in medium-sized cities, this work compares other simplified top-down methods for spatially assessing the on-road vehicle EI. Results suggested that simplified methods could underestimate the spatial allocation of downtown emissions, a zone dominated by high traffic of vehicles. The comparison between simplified methods based on total traffic counts and road density distribution suggested that the use of total traffic counts in a simplified form could enhance higher uncertainties in the spatial disaggregation of emissions. Results obtained could add new information that help to improve the air pollution management system in the city and contribute to local public policy decisions. Additionally, this work provides appropriate resolution emission fluxes for ongoing research in atmospheric modeling in the city, with the aim to improve the understanding of transport, transformation and impacts of pollutant emissions in urban air quality.

  8. Validation of Shock Layer Radiation: Perspectives for Test Cases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brandis, Aaron

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a review of the analysis and measurement of radiation data obtained in the NASA Ames Research Center's Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) facility. The goal of these experiments was to measure the level of radiation encountered during atmospheric entry. The data obtained from these experiments is highlighted by providing the first spectrally and spatially resolved data for high speed Earth entry and measurements of the CO 4th positive band for conditions relevant to Mars entry. Comparisons of the EAST data with experimental results obtained from shock tunnels at JAXA and the University of Queensland are presented. Furthermore, the paper will detail initial analyses in to the influence and characterization of the measure non-equilibrium radiation.

  9. Analysis on unevenness of skin color using the melanin and hemoglobin components separated by independent component analysis of skin color image

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ojima, Nobutoshi; Fujiwara, Izumi; Inoue, Yayoi; Tsumura, Norimichi; Nakaguchi, Toshiya; Iwata, Kayoko

    2011-03-01

    Uneven distribution of skin color is one of the biggest concerns about facial skin appearance. Recently several techniques to analyze skin color have been introduced by separating skin color information into chromophore components, such as melanin and hemoglobin. However, there are not many reports on quantitative analysis of unevenness of skin color by considering type of chromophore, clusters of different sizes and concentration of the each chromophore. We propose a new image analysis and simulation method based on chromophore analysis and spatial frequency analysis. This method is mainly composed of three techniques: independent component analysis (ICA) to extract hemoglobin and melanin chromophores from a single skin color image, an image pyramid technique which decomposes each chromophore into multi-resolution images, which can be used for identifying different sizes of clusters or spatial frequencies, and analysis of the histogram obtained from each multi-resolution image to extract unevenness parameters. As the application of the method, we also introduce an image processing technique to change unevenness of melanin component. As the result, the method showed high capabilities to analyze unevenness of each skin chromophore: 1) Vague unevenness on skin could be discriminated from noticeable pigmentation such as freckles or acne. 2) By analyzing the unevenness parameters obtained from each multi-resolution image for Japanese ladies, agerelated changes were observed in the parameters of middle spatial frequency. 3) An image processing system modulating the parameters was proposed to change unevenness of skin images along the axis of the obtained age-related change in real time.

  10. Tactile Acuity Charts: A Reliable Measure of Spatial Acuity

    PubMed Central

    Bruns, Patrick; Camargo, Carlos J.; Campanella, Humberto; Esteve, Jaume; Dinse, Hubert R.; Röder, Brigitte

    2014-01-01

    For assessing tactile spatial resolution it has recently been recommended to use tactile acuity charts which follow the design principles of the Snellen letter charts for visual acuity and involve active touch. However, it is currently unknown whether acuity thresholds obtained with this newly developed psychophysical procedure are in accordance with established measures of tactile acuity that involve passive contact with fixed duration and control of contact force. Here we directly compared tactile acuity thresholds obtained with the acuity charts to traditional two-point and grating orientation thresholds in a group of young healthy adults. For this purpose, two types of charts, using either Braille-like dot patterns or embossed Landolt rings with different orientations, were adapted from previous studies. Measurements with the two types of charts were equivalent, but generally more reliable with the dot pattern chart. A comparison with the two-point and grating orientation task data showed that the test-retest reliability of the acuity chart measurements after one week was superior to that of the passive methods. Individual thresholds obtained with the acuity charts agreed reasonably with the grating orientation threshold, but less so with the two-point threshold that yielded relatively distinct acuity estimates compared to the other methods. This potentially considerable amount of mismatch between different measures of tactile acuity suggests that tactile spatial resolution is a complex entity that should ideally be measured with different methods in parallel. The simple test procedure and high reliability of the acuity charts makes them a promising complement and alternative to the traditional two-point and grating orientation thresholds. PMID:24504346

  11. Calibration of the ROSAT HRI Spectral Response

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prestwich, Andrea H.; Silverman, John; McDowell, Jonathan; Callanan, Paul; Snowden, Steve

    2000-01-01

    The ROSAT High Resolution Imager has a limited (2-band) spectral response. This spectral capability can give X-ray hardness ratios on spatial scales of 5 arcseconds. The spectral response of the center of the detector was calibrated before the launch of ROSAT, but the gain decreases with time and also is a function of position on the detector. To complicate matters further, the satellite is 'wobbled', possibly moving a source across several spatial gain states. These difficulties have prevented the spectral response of the ROSAT High Resolution Imager (HRI) from being used for scientific measurements. We have used Bright Earth data and in-flight calibration sources to map the spatial and temporal gain changes, and written software which will allow ROSAT users to generate a calibrated XSPEC (an x ray spectral fitting package) response matrix and hence determine a calibrated hardness ratio. In this report, we describe the calibration procedure and show how to obtain a response matrix. In Section 2 we give an overview of the calibration procedure, in Section 3 we give a summary of HRI spatial and temporal gain variations. Section 4 describes the routines used to determine the gain distribution of a source. In Sections 5 and 6, we describe in detail how, the Bright Earth database and calibration sources are used to derive a corrected response matrix for a given observation. Finally, Section 7 describes how to use the software.

  12. Spatial patterns of leprosy in a hyperendemic state in Northern Brazil, 2001-2012

    PubMed Central

    Monteiro, Lorena Dias; Martins-Melo, Francisco Rogerlândio; Brito, Aline Lima; Alencar, Carlos Henrique; Heukelbach, Jorg

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the spatial patterns of leprosy in the Brazilian state of Tocantins. METHODS This study was based on morbidity data obtained from the Sistema de Informações de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN – Brazilian Notifiable Diseases Information System), of the Ministry of Health. All new leprosy cases in individuals residing in the state of Tocantins, between 2001 and 2012, were included. In addition to the description of general disease indicators, a descriptive spatial analysis, empirical Bayesian analysis and spatial dependence analysis were performed by means of global and local Moran’s indexes. RESULTS A total of 14,542 new cases were recorded during the period under study. Based on the annual case detection rate, 77.0% of the municipalities were classified as hyperendemic (> 40 cases/100,000 inhabitants). Regarding the annual case detection rate in < 15 years-olds, 65.4% of the municipalities were hyperendemic (10.0 to 19.9 cases/100,000 inhabitants); 26.6% had a detection rate of grade 2 disability cases between 5.0 and 9.9 cases/100,000 inhabitants. There was a geographical overlap of clusters of municipalities with high detection rates in hyperendemic areas. Clusters with high disease risk (global Moran’s index: 0.51; p < 0.001), ongoing transmission (0.47; p < 0.001) and late diagnosis (0.44; p < 0.001) were identified mainly in the central-north and southwestern regions of Tocantins. CONCLUSIONS We identified high-risk clusters for transmission and late diagnosis of leprosy in the Brazilian state of Tocantins. Surveillance and control measures should be prioritized in these high-risk municipalities. PMID:26603352

  13. [Study of Image Quality Comparison Based on the MTF Method Between Different Medical Rigid Endoscopes in an In Vitro Model].

    PubMed

    Wang, Yunlong; Ji, Jun; Jiang, Changsong; Huang, Zengyue

    2015-04-01

    This study was aimed to use the method of modulation transfer function (MTF) to compare image quality among three different Olympus medical rigid cystoscopes in an in vitro model. During the experimental processes, we firstly used three different types of cystoscopes (i. e. OLYMPUS cystourethroscopy with FOV of 12 degrees, OLYMPUS Germany A22003A and OLYMPUS A2013A) to collect raster images at different brightness with industrial camera and computer from the resolution target which is with different spatial frequency, and then we processed the collected images using MALAB software with the optical transfer function MTF to obtain the values of MTF at different brightness and different spatial frequency. We then did data mathematical statistics and compared imaging quality. The statistical data showed that all three MTF values were smaller than 1. MTF values with the spatial frequency gradually increasing would decrease approaching 0 at the same brightness. When the brightness enhanced in the same process at the same spatial frequency, MTF values showed a slowly increasing trend. The three endoscopes' MTF values were completely different. In some cases the MTF values had a large difference, and the maximum difference could reach 0.7. Conclusion can be derived from analysis of experimental data that three Olympus medical rigid cystoscopes have completely different imaging quality abilities. The No. 3 endoscope OLYMPUS A2013A has low resolution but high contrast. The No. 1 endoscope OLYMPUS cystourethroscopy with FOV of 12 degrees, on the contrary, had high resolution and lower contrast. The No. 2 endoscope OLYMPUS Germany A22003A had high contrast and high resolution, and its image quality was the best.

  14. Synthetic generation of spatially high resolution extreme rainfall in Japan using Monte Carlo simulation with AMeDAS analyzed rainfall data sets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haruki, W.; Iseri, Y.; Takegawa, S.; Sasaki, O.; Yoshikawa, S.; Kanae, S.

    2016-12-01

    Natural disasters caused by heavy rainfall occur every year in Japan. Effective countermeasures against such events are important. In 2015, a catastrophic flood occurred in Kinu river basin, which locates in the northern part of Kanto region. The remarkable feature of this flood event was not only in the intensity of rainfall but also in the spatial characteristics of heavy rainfall area. The flood was caused by continuous overlapping of heavy rainfall area over the Kinu river basin, suggesting consideration of spatial extent is quite important to assess impacts of heavy rainfall events. However, the spatial extent of heavy rainfall events cannot be properly measured through rainfall measurement by rain gauges at observation points. On the other hand, rainfall measurements by radar observations provide spatially and temporarily high resolution rainfall data which would be useful to catch the characteristics of heavy rainfall events. For long term effective countermeasure, extreme heavy rainfall scenario considering rainfall area and distribution is required. In this study, a new method for generating extreme heavy rainfall events using Monte Carlo Simulation has been developed in order to produce extreme heavy rainfall scenario. This study used AMeDAS analyzed precipitation data which is high resolution grid precipitation data made by Japan Meteorological Agency. Depth area duration (DAD) analysis has been conducted to extract extreme rainfall events in the past, considering time and spatial scale. In the Monte Carlo Simulation, extreme rainfall event is generated based on events extracted by DAD analysis. Extreme heavy rainfall events are generated in specific region in Japan and the types of generated extreme heavy rainfall events can be changed by varying the parameter. For application of this method, we focused on Kanto region in Japan. As a result, 3000 years rainfall data are generated. 100 -year probable rainfall and return period of flood in Kinu River Basin (2015) are obtained using generated data. We compared 100-year probable rainfall calculated by this method with other traditional method. New developed method enables us to generate extreme rainfall events considering time and spatial scale and produce extreme rainfall scenario.

  15. On High-Order Radiation Boundary Conditions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hagstrom, Thomas

    1995-01-01

    In this paper we develop the theory of high-order radiation boundary conditions for wave propagation problems. In particular, we study the convergence of sequences of time-local approximate conditions to the exact boundary condition, and subsequently estimate the error in the solutions obtained using these approximations. We show that for finite times the Pade approximants proposed by Engquist and Majda lead to exponential convergence if the solution is smooth, but that good long-time error estimates cannot hold for spatially local conditions. Applications in fluid dynamics are also discussed.

  16. Correlation between magnetic and electric field perturbations in the field-aligned current regions deduced from DE 2 observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ishii, M.; Sugiura, M.; Iyemori, T.; Slavin, J. A.

    1992-01-01

    The satellite-observed high correlations between magnetic and electric field perturbations in the high-latitude field-aligned current regions are investigated by examining the dependence of the relationship between Delta-B and E on spatial scale, using the electric and magnetic field data obtained by DE 2 in the polar regions. The results are compared with the Pedersen conductivity inferred from the international reference ionosphere model and the Alfven wave velocity calculated from the in situ ion density and magnetic field measurements.

  17. Analysis of spatial correlation in predictive models of forest variables that use LiDAR auxiliary information

    Treesearch

    F. Mauro; Vicente J. Monleon; H. Temesgen; L.A. Ruiz

    2017-01-01

    Accounting for spatial correlation of LiDAR model errors can improve the precision of model-based estimators. To estimate spatial correlation, sample designs that provide close observations are needed, but their implementation might be prohibitively expensive. To quantify the gains obtained by accounting for the spatial correlation of model errors, we examined (

  18. A Spectroscopic Study of the High-Latitude Far Evolved Star V534 Lyr

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sendzikas, E. G.; Chentsov, E. L.

    2017-06-01

    We study a pulsating variable post-AGB star V534 Lyr = HD172324 based on five high resolution spectra (R=60000) obtained with the NES echelle spectrograph of the 6-meter Russian telescope (BTA) in 2010 and 2013. Using the atmosphere modeling method and the Kurucz model set, we obtained the effective temperature Teff=10500 K, surface gravity log g=2.5, and microturbulent velocity ξt=4.0 km/s. The underabundance of the iron group elements [Met/H]⊙ = -0.50 was detected. This fact in combination with high spatial velocity indicates that V534 Lyr does not belong to the disk population. The radial velocity gradient in the V534 Lyr atmosphere is minimum: differential shifts of lines are close to measurement errors. The spectral class A0 Iab corresponds to the distance to V534 Lyr, d≍6 kpc.

  19. Highly efficient hyperentanglement concentration with two steps assisted by quantum swap gates.

    PubMed

    Ren, Bao-Cang; Long, Gui Lu

    2015-11-10

    We present a two-step hyperentanglement concentration protocol (hyper-ECP) for polarization-spatial hyperentangled Bell states based on the high-capacity character of hyperentanglement resorting to the swap gates, which is used to obtain maximally hyperentangled states from partially hyperentangled pure states in long-distance quantum communication. The swap gate, which is constructed with the giant optical circular birefringence (GOCB) of a diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center embedded in a photonic crystal cavity, can be used to transfer the information in one degree of freedom (DOF) between photon systems. By transferring the useful information between hyperentangled photon pairs, more photon pairs in maximally hyperentangled state can be obtained in our hyper-ECP, and the success probability of the hyper-ECP is greatly improved. Moreover, we show that the high-fidelity quantum gate operations can be achieved by mapping the infidelities to heralded losses even in the weak coupling regime.

  20. First Application of the Zeeman Technique to Remotely Measure Auroral Electrojet Intensity From Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yee, J. H.; Gjerloev, J.; Wu, D.; Schwartz, M. J.

    2017-01-01

    Using the O2 118 GHz spectral radiance measurements obtained by the Microwave Limb Sounder instrument on board the Aura spacecraft, we demonstrate that the Zeeman effect can be used to remotely measure the magnetic field perturbations produced by the auroral electrojet near the Hall current closure altitudes. Our derived current-induced magnetic field perturbations are found to be highly correlated with those coincidently obtained by ground magnetometers. These perturbations are also found to be linearly correlated with auroral electrojet strength. The statistically derived polar maps of our measured magnetic field perturbation reveal a spatial-temporal morphology consistent with that produced by the Hall current during substorms and storms. With today's technology, a constellation of compact, low-power, high spectral-resolution cubesats would have the capability to provide high precision and spatiotemporal magnetic field samplings needed for auroral electrojet measurements to gain insights into the spatiotemporal behavior of the auroral electrojet system.

  1. Highly efficient hyperentanglement concentration with two steps assisted by quantum swap gates

    PubMed Central

    Ren, Bao-Cang; Long, Gui Lu

    2015-01-01

    We present a two-step hyperentanglement concentration protocol (hyper-ECP) for polarization-spatial hyperentangled Bell states based on the high-capacity character of hyperentanglement resorting to the swap gates, which is used to obtain maximally hyperentangled states from partially hyperentangled pure states in long-distance quantum communication. The swap gate, which is constructed with the giant optical circular birefringence (GOCB) of a diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center embedded in a photonic crystal cavity, can be used to transfer the information in one degree of freedom (DOF) between photon systems. By transferring the useful information between hyperentangled photon pairs, more photon pairs in maximally hyperentangled state can be obtained in our hyper-ECP, and the success probability of the hyper-ECP is greatly improved. Moreover, we show that the high-fidelity quantum gate operations can be achieved by mapping the infidelities to heralded losses even in the weak coupling regime. PMID:26552898

  2. A Highly Sensitive Biocompatible Spin Probe for Imaging of Oxygen Concentration in Tissues

    PubMed Central

    Bratasz, Anna; Kulkarni, Aditi C.; Kuppusamy, Periannan

    2007-01-01

    The development of an injectable probe formulation, consisting of perchlorotriphenylmethyl triester radical dissolved in hexafluorobenzene, for in vivo oximetry and imaging of oxygen concentration in tissues using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging is reported. The probe was evaluated for its oxygen sensitivity, biostability, and distribution in a radiation-induced fibrosarcoma tumor transplanted into C3H mice. Some of the favorable features of the probe are: a single narrow EPR peak (anoxic linewidth, 41 μT), high solubility in hexafluorobenzene (>12 mM), large linewidth sensitivity to molecular oxygen (∼1.8 μT/mmHg), good stability in tumor tissue (half-life: 3.3 h), absence of spin-spin broadening (up to 12 mM), and lack of power saturation effects (up to 200 mW). Three-dimensional spatial and spectral-spatial (spectroscopic) EPR imaging measurements were used to visualize the distribution of the probe, as well as to obtain spatially resolved pO2 information in the mice tumor subjected to normoxic and hyperoxic treatments. The new probe should enable unique opportunities for measurement of the oxygen concentration in tumors using EPR methods. PMID:17259268

  3. [Study on ecological suitability regionalization of Eucommia ulmoides in Guizhou].

    PubMed

    Kang, Chuan-Zhi; Wang, Qing-Qing; Zhou, Tao; Jiang, Wei-Ke; Xiao, Cheng-Hong; Xie, Yu

    2014-05-01

    To study the ecological suitability regionalization of Eucommia ulmoides, for selecting artificial planting base and high-quality industrial raw material purchase area of the herb in Guizhou. Based on the investigation of 14 Eucommia ulmoides producing areas, pinoresinol diglucoside content and ecological factors were obtained. Using spatial analysis method to carry on ecological suitability regionalization. Meanwhile, combining pinoresinol diglucoside content, the correlation of major active components and environmental factors were analyzed by statistical analysis. The most suitability planting area of Eucommia ulmoides was the northwest of Guizhou. The distribution of Eucommia ulmoides was mainly affected by the type and pH value of soil, and monthly precipitation. The spatial structure of major active components in Eucommia ulmoides were randomly distributed in global space, but had only one aggregation point which had a high positive correlation in local space. The major active components of Eucommia ulmoides had no correlation with altitude, longitude or latitude. Using the spatial analysis method and statistical analysis method, based on environmental factor and pinoresinol diglucoside content, the ecological suitability regionalization of Eucommia ulmoides can provide reference for the selection of suitable planting area, artificial planting base and directing production layout.

  4. Improving PET spatial resolution and detectability for prostate cancer imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bal, H.; Guerin, L.; Casey, M. E.; Conti, M.; Eriksson, L.; Michel, C.; Fanti, S.; Pettinato, C.; Adler, S.; Choyke, P.

    2014-08-01

    Prostate cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer among men, can benefit from recent improvements in positron emission tomography (PET) technology. In particular, better spatial resolution, lower noise and higher detectability of small lesions could be greatly beneficial for early diagnosis and could provide a strong support for guiding biopsy and surgery. In this article, the impact of improved PET instrumentation with superior spatial resolution and high sensitivity are discussed, together with the latest development in PET technology: resolution recovery and time-of-flight reconstruction. Using simulated cancer lesions, inserted in clinical PET images obtained with conventional protocols, we show that visual identification of the lesions and detectability via numerical observers can already be improved using state of the art PET reconstruction methods. This was achieved using both resolution recovery and time-of-flight reconstruction, and a high resolution image with 2 mm pixel size. Channelized Hotelling numerical observers showed an increase in the area under the LROC curve from 0.52 to 0.58. In addition, a relationship between the simulated input activity and the area under the LROC curve showed that the minimum detectable activity was reduced by more than 23%.

  5. Spatial relationship between bone formation and mechanical stimulus within cortical bone: Combining 3D fluorochrome mapping and poroelastic finite element modelling.

    PubMed

    Carrieroa, A; Pereirab, A F; Wilson, A J; Castagno, S; Javaheri, B; Pitsillides, A A; Marenzana, M; Shefelbine, S J

    2018-06-01

    Bone is a dynamic tissue and adapts its architecture in response to biological and mechanical factors. Here we investigate how cortical bone formation is spatially controlled by the local mechanical environment in the murine tibia axial loading model (C57BL/6). We obtained 3D locations of new bone formation by performing 'slice and view' 3D fluorochrome mapping of the entire bone and compared these sites with the regions of high fluid velocity or strain energy density estimated using a finite element model, validated with ex-vivo bone surface strain map acquired ex-vivo using digital image correlation. For the comparison, 2D maps of the average bone formation and peak mechanical stimulus on the tibial endosteal and periosteal surface across the entire cortical surface were created. Results showed that bone formed on the periosteal and endosteal surface in regions of high fluid flow. Peak strain energy density predicted only the formation of bone periosteally. Understanding how the mechanical stimuli spatially relates with regions of cortical bone formation in response to loading will eventually guide loading regime therapies to maintain or restore bone mass in specific sites in skeletal pathologies.

  6. High spatial resolution measurements of NO2 applying Topographic Target Light scattering-Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (ToTaL-DOAS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frins, E.; Platt, U.; Wagner, T.

    2008-06-01

    Tomographic Target Light scattering - Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (ToTaL-DOAS), also called Target-DOAS, is a novel experimental procedure to retrieve trace gas concentrations present in the low atmosphere. Scattered sunlight (partially or totally) reflected from natural or artificial targets of similar albedo located at different distances is analyzed to retrieve the concentration of different trace gases like NO2, SO2 and others. We report high spatial resolution measurements of NO2 mixing ratios in the city of Montevideo (Uruguay) observing three buildings as targets with a Mini-DOAS instrument. Our instrument was 146 m apart from the first building, 196 m from the second and 286 m from the third one. All three buildings are located along a main Avenue. We obtain temporal variation of NO2 mixing ratios between 30 ppb and 65 ppb (±2 ppb). Our measurements demonstrate that ToTaL-DOAS measurements can be made over very short distances. In polluted air masses, the retrieved absorption signal was found to be strong enough to allow measurements over distances in the range of several ten meters, and achieve a spatial resolution of 50 m approximately.

  7. High spatial resolution measurements of NO2 applying Topographic Target Light scattering-Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (ToTaL-DOAS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frins, E.; Platt, U.; Wagner, T.

    2008-12-01

    Topographic Target Light scattering - Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (ToTaL-DOAS), also called Target-DOAS, is a novel experimental procedure to retrieve trace gas concentrations present in the low atmosphere. Scattered sunlight (diffuse or specular) reflected from natural or artificial targets located at different distances are analyzed to retrieve the spatial distribution of the concentration of different trace gases like NO2, SO2 and others. We report high spatial resolution measurements of NO2 mixing ratios in the city of Montevideo (Uruguay) observing three buildings as targets with a Mini-DOAS instrument. Our instrument was 146 m, 196 m, and 280 m apart from three different buildings located along a main Avenue. We obtain temporal variation of NO2 mixing ratios between 30 ppb and 65 ppb from measurements of November 2007 and mixing ratios up to 50 ppb from measurements of August and September 2008. Our measurements demonstrate that ToTaL-DOAS observations can be made over relative short distances. In polluted air masses, the retrieved absorption signal was found to be sufficiently strong to allow measurements over distances in the range of several tens of meters.

  8. Inflatable Antenna Microwave Radiometer for Soil Moisture Measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bailey, M. C.; Kendall, Bruce M.; Schroeder, Lyle C.; Harrington, Richard F.

    1993-01-01

    Microwave measurements of soil moisture are not being obtained at the required spatial Earth resolution with current technology. Recently, new novel designs for lightweight reflector systems have been developed using deployable inflatable antenna structures which could enable lightweight real-aperture radiometers. In consideration of this, a study was conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to determine the feasibility of developing a microwave radiometer system using inflatable reflector antenna technology to obtain high spatial resolution radiometric measurements of soil moisture from low Earth orbit and which could be used with a small and cost effective launch vehicle. The required high resolution with reasonable swath width coupled with the L-band measurement frequency for soil moisture dictated the use of a large (30 meter class) real aperture antenna in conjunction with a pushbroom antenna beam configuration and noise-injection type radiometer designs at 1.4 and 4.3 GHz to produce a 370 kilometer cross-track swath with a 10 kilometer resolution that could be packaged for launch with a Titan 2 class vehicle. This study includes design of the inflatable structure, control analysis, structural and thermal analysis, antenna and feed design, radiometer design, payload packaging, orbital analysis, and electromagnetic losses in the thin membrane inflatable materials.

  9. Objected-oriented remote sensing image classification method based on geographic ontology model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Z.; Liu, Z. J.; Gu, H. Y.

    2016-11-01

    Nowadays, with the development of high resolution remote sensing image and the wide application of laser point cloud data, proceeding objected-oriented remote sensing classification based on the characteristic knowledge of multi-source spatial data has been an important trend on the field of remote sensing image classification, which gradually replaced the traditional method through improving algorithm to optimize image classification results. For this purpose, the paper puts forward a remote sensing image classification method that uses the he characteristic knowledge of multi-source spatial data to build the geographic ontology semantic network model, and carries out the objected-oriented classification experiment to implement urban features classification, the experiment uses protégé software which is developed by Stanford University in the United States, and intelligent image analysis software—eCognition software as the experiment platform, uses hyperspectral image and Lidar data that is obtained through flight in DaFeng City of JiangSu as the main data source, first of all, the experiment uses hyperspectral image to obtain feature knowledge of remote sensing image and related special index, the second, the experiment uses Lidar data to generate nDSM(Normalized DSM, Normalized Digital Surface Model),obtaining elevation information, the last, the experiment bases image feature knowledge, special index and elevation information to build the geographic ontology semantic network model that implement urban features classification, the experiment results show that, this method is significantly higher than the traditional classification algorithm on classification accuracy, especially it performs more evidently on the respect of building classification. The method not only considers the advantage of multi-source spatial data, for example, remote sensing image, Lidar data and so on, but also realizes multi-source spatial data knowledge integration and application of the knowledge to the field of remote sensing image classification, which provides an effective way for objected-oriented remote sensing image classification in the future.

  10. An evaluation of spatial resolution of a prototype proton CT scanner.

    PubMed

    Plautz, Tia E; Bashkirov, V; Giacometti, V; Hurley, R F; Johnson, R P; Piersimoni, P; Sadrozinski, H F-W; Schulte, R W; Zatserklyaniy, A

    2016-12-01

    To evaluate the spatial resolution of proton CT using both a prototype proton CT scanner and Monte Carlo simulations. A custom cylindrical edge phantom containing twelve tissue-equivalent inserts with four different compositions at varying radial displacements from the axis of rotation was developed for measuring the modulation transfer function (MTF) of a prototype proton CT scanner. Two scans of the phantom, centered on the axis of rotation, were obtained with a 200 MeV, low-intensity proton beam: one scan with steps of 4°, and one scan with the phantom continuously rotating. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations of the phantom scan were performed using scanners idealized to various degrees. The data were reconstructed using an iterative projection method with added total variation superiorization based on individual proton histories. Edge spread functions in the radial and azimuthal directions were obtained using the oversampling technique. These were then used to obtain the modulation transfer functions. The spatial resolution was defined by the 10% value of the modulation transfer function (MTF 10% ) in units of line pairs per centimeter (lp/cm). Data from the simulations were used to better understand the contributions of multiple Coulomb scattering in the phantom and the scanner hardware, as well as the effect of discretization of proton location. The radial spatial resolution of the prototype proton CT scanner depends on the total path length, W, of the proton in the phantom, whereas the azimuthal spatial resolution depends both on W and the position, u - , at which the most-likely path uncertainty is evaluated along the path. For protons contributing to radial spatial resolution, W varies with the radial position of the edge, whereas for protons contributing to azimuthal spatial resolution, W is approximately constant. For a pixel size of 0.625 mm, the radial spatial resolution of the image reconstructed from the fully idealized simulation data ranged between 6.31 ± 0.36 lp/cm for W = 197 mm i.e., close to the center of the phantom, and 13.79 ± 0.36 lp/cm for W = 97 mm, near the periphery of the phantom. The azimuthal spatial resolution ranged from 6.99 ± 0.23 lp/cm at u - = 75 mm (near the center) to 11.20 ± 0.26 lp/cm at u - = 20 mm (near the periphery). Multiple Coulomb scattering limits the radial spatial resolution for path lengths greater than approximately 130 mm, and the azimuthal spatial resolution for positions of evaluation greater than approximately 40 mm for W = 199 mm. The radial spatial resolution of the image reconstructed from data from the 4° stepped experimental scan ranged from 5.11 ± 0.61 lp/cm for W = 197 mm to 8.58 ± 0.50 lp/cm for W = 97 mm. In the azimuthal direction, the spatial resolution ranged from 5.37 ± 0.40 lp/cm at u - = 75 mm to 7.27 ± 0.39 lp/cm at u - = 20 mm. The continuous scan achieved the same spatial resolution as that of the stepped scan. Multiple Coulomb scattering in the phantom is the limiting physical factor of the achievable spatial resolution of proton CT; additional loss of spatial resolution in the prototype system is associated with scattering in the proton tracking system and inadequacies of the proton path estimate used in the iterative reconstruction algorithm. Improvement in spatial resolution may be achievable by improving the most likely path estimate by incorporating information about high and low density materials, and by minimizing multiple Coulomb scattering in the proton tracking system.

  11. An evaluation of spatial resolution of a prototype proton CT scanner

    PubMed Central

    Plautz, Tia E.; Bashkirov, V.; Giacometti, V.; Hurley, R. F.; Piersimoni, P.; Sadrozinski, H. F.-W.; Schulte, R. W.; Zatserklyaniy, A.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the spatial resolution of proton CT using both a prototype proton CT scanner and Monte Carlo simulations. Methods: A custom cylindrical edge phantom containing twelve tissue-equivalent inserts with four different compositions at varying radial displacements from the axis of rotation was developed for measuring the modulation transfer function (MTF) of a prototype proton CT scanner. Two scans of the phantom, centered on the axis of rotation, were obtained with a 200 MeV, low-intensity proton beam: one scan with steps of 4°, and one scan with the phantom continuously rotating. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations of the phantom scan were performed using scanners idealized to various degrees. The data were reconstructed using an iterative projection method with added total variation superiorization based on individual proton histories. Edge spread functions in the radial and azimuthal directions were obtained using the oversampling technique. These were then used to obtain the modulation transfer functions. The spatial resolution was defined by the 10% value of the modulation transfer function (MTF10%) in units of line pairs per centimeter (lp/cm). Data from the simulations were used to better understand the contributions of multiple Coulomb scattering in the phantom and the scanner hardware, as well as the effect of discretization of proton location. Results: The radial spatial resolution of the prototype proton CT scanner depends on the total path length, W, of the proton in the phantom, whereas the azimuthal spatial resolution depends both on W and the position, u−, at which the most-likely path uncertainty is evaluated along the path. For protons contributing to radial spatial resolution, W varies with the radial position of the edge, whereas for protons contributing to azimuthal spatial resolution, W is approximately constant. For a pixel size of 0.625 mm, the radial spatial resolution of the image reconstructed from the fully idealized simulation data ranged between 6.31 ± 0.36 lp/cm for W = 197 mm i.e., close to the center of the phantom, and 13.79 ± 0.36 lp/cm for W = 97 mm, near the periphery of the phantom. The azimuthal spatial resolution ranged from 6.99 ± 0.23 lp/cm at u− = 75 mm (near the center) to 11.20 ± 0.26 lp/cm at u− = 20 mm (near the periphery). Multiple Coulomb scattering limits the radial spatial resolution for path lengths greater than approximately 130 mm, and the azimuthal spatial resolution for positions of evaluation greater than approximately 40 mm for W = 199 mm. The radial spatial resolution of the image reconstructed from data from the 4° stepped experimental scan ranged from 5.11 ± 0.61 lp/cm for W = 197 mm to 8.58 ± 0.50 lp/cm for W = 97 mm. In the azimuthal direction, the spatial resolution ranged from 5.37 ± 0.40 lp/cm at u− = 75 mm to 7.27 ± 0.39 lp/cm at u− = 20 mm. The continuous scan achieved the same spatial resolution as that of the stepped scan. Conclusions: Multiple Coulomb scattering in the phantom is the limiting physical factor of the achievable spatial resolution of proton CT; additional loss of spatial resolution in the prototype system is associated with scattering in the proton tracking system and inadequacies of the proton path estimate used in the iterative reconstruction algorithm. Improvement in spatial resolution may be achievable by improving the most likely path estimate by incorporating information about high and low density materials, and by minimizing multiple Coulomb scattering in the proton tracking system. PMID:27908179

  12. Edge-Preserving Image Smoothing Constraint in Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) of Hyperspectral Data.

    PubMed

    Hugelier, Siewert; Vitale, Raffaele; Ruckebusch, Cyril

    2018-03-01

    This article explores smoothing with edge-preserving properties as a spatial constraint for the resolution of hyperspectral images with multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). For each constrained component image (distribution map), irrelevant spatial details and noise are smoothed applying an L 1 - or L 0 -norm penalized least squares regression, highlighting in this way big changes in intensity of adjacent pixels. The feasibility of the constraint is demonstrated on three different case studies, in which the objects under investigation are spatially clearly defined, but have significant spectral overlap. This spectral overlap is detrimental for obtaining a good resolution and additional spatial information should be provided. The final results show that the spatial constraint enables better image (map) abstraction, artifact removal, and better interpretation of the results obtained, compared to a classical MCR-ALS analysis of hyperspectral images.

  13. Four-dimensional ultrafast electron microscopy of phase transitions

    PubMed Central

    Grinolds, Michael S.; Lobastov, Vladimir A.; Weissenrieder, Jonas; Zewail, Ahmed H.

    2006-01-01

    Reported here is direct imaging (and diffraction) by using 4D ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) with combined spatial and temporal resolutions. In the first phase of UEM, it was possible to obtain snapshot images by using timed, single-electron packets; each packet is free of space–charge effects. Here, we demonstrate the ability to obtain sequences of snapshots (“movies”) with atomic-scale spatial resolution and ultrashort temporal resolution. Specifically, it is shown that ultrafast metal–insulator phase transitions can be studied with these achieved spatial and temporal resolutions. The diffraction (atomic scale) and images (nanometer scale) we obtained manifest the structural phase transition with its characteristic hysteresis, and the time scale involved (100 fs) is now studied by directly monitoring coordinates of the atoms themselves. PMID:17130445

  14. Spatial distribution of deaths due to Alzheimer's disease in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Almeida, Milena Cristina da Silva; Gomes, Camila de Moraes Santos; Nascimento, Luiz Fernando Costa

    2014-01-01

    Alzheimer's disease is a common cause of dementia and identifying possible spatial patterns of mortality due to this disease may enable preventive actions. The objective of this study was to identify spatial distribution patterns of mortality due to Alzheimer's disease in the state of São Paulo. Ecological and exploratory study conducted in all municipalities in the state of São Paulo. Data on Alzheimer's disease mortality in the state of São Paulo between 2004 and 2009 were obtained from DATASUS (the Department of Informatics in the Brazilian Ministry of Health). Death rates per 100,000 inhabitants were then calculated and spatial analysis was performed by constructing a death rate map, global Moran index and local Moran index, which were used to obtain the Moran map. The kernel technique was also applied. The Terra View 4.0.0 software was used. 13,030 deaths due to Alzheimer were reported in the state of São Paulo (rate of 5.33 deaths/100,000 inhabitants). São José do Rio Preto, Ribeirão Preto, Bauru and Araçatuba had higher rates. The Moran index was I = 0.085 (P < 0.002). The Moran map identified 42 municipalities that merit intervention and the kernel estimator identified a high density of deaths in the northwestern region of the state. Higher densities of deaths due to Alzheimer were concentrated more to the north and northwest of the state of São Paulo. It was possible to identify municipalities that have priority for interventions to reduce the death rates due to this disease.

  15. High Resolution Stratigraphic Mapping in Complex Terrain: A Comparison of Traditional Remote Sensing Techniques with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - Structure from Motion Photogrammetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nesbit, P. R.; Hugenholtz, C.; Durkin, P.; Hubbard, S. M.; Kucharczyk, M.; Barchyn, T.

    2016-12-01

    Remote sensing and digital mapping have started to revolutionize geologic mapping in recent years as a result of their realized potential to provide high resolution 3D models of outcrops to assist with interpretation, visualization, and obtaining accurate measurements of inaccessible areas. However, in stratigraphic mapping applications in complex terrain, it is difficult to acquire information with sufficient detail at a wide spatial coverage with conventional techniques. We demonstrate the potential of a UAV and Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetric approach for improving 3D stratigraphic mapping applications within a complex badland topography. Our case study is performed in Dinosaur Provincial Park (Alberta, Canada), mapping late Cretaceous fluvial meander belt deposits of the Dinosaur Park formation amidst a succession of steeply sloping hills and abundant drainages - creating a challenge for stratigraphic mapping. The UAV-SfM dataset (2 cm spatial resolution) is compared directly with a combined satellite and aerial LiDAR dataset (30 cm spatial resolution) to reveal advantages and limitations of each dataset before presenting a unique workflow that utilizes the dense point cloud from the UAV-SfM dataset for analysis. The UAV-SfM dense point cloud minimizes distortion, preserves 3D structure, and records an RGB attribute - adding potential value in future studies. The proposed UAV-SfM workflow allows for high spatial resolution remote sensing of stratigraphy in complex topographic environments. This extended capability can add value to field observations and has the potential to be integrated with subsurface petroleum models.

  16. Prediction of brain maturity based on cortical thickness at different spatial resolutions.

    PubMed

    Khundrakpam, Budhachandra S; Tohka, Jussi; Evans, Alan C

    2015-05-01

    Several studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans have shown developmental trajectories of cortical thickness. Cognitive milestones happen concurrently with these structural changes, and a delay in such changes has been implicated in developmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Accurate estimation of individuals' brain maturity, therefore, is critical in establishing a baseline for normal brain development against which neurodevelopmental disorders can be assessed. In this study, cortical thickness derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of a large longitudinal dataset of normally growing children and adolescents (n=308), were used to build a highly accurate predictive model for estimating chronological age (cross-validated correlation up to R=0.84). Unlike previous studies which used kernelized approach in building prediction models, we used an elastic net penalized linear regression model capable of producing a spatially sparse, yet accurate predictive model of chronological age. Upon investigating different scales of cortical parcellation from 78 to 10,240 brain parcels, we observed that the accuracy in estimated age improved with increased spatial scale of brain parcellation, with the best estimations obtained for spatial resolutions consisting of 2560 and 10,240 brain parcels. The top predictors of brain maturity were found in highly localized sensorimotor and association areas. The results of our study demonstrate that cortical thickness can be used to estimate individuals' brain maturity with high accuracy, and the estimated ages relate to functional and behavioural measures, underscoring the relevance and scope of the study in the understanding of biological maturity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. A highly spatially resolved GIS-based model to assess the isoprenoid emissions from key Italian ecosystems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pacheco, Claudia Kemper; Fares, Silvano; Ciccioli, Paolo

    2014-10-01

    The amount of Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOC) emitted from terrestrial vegetation is of great importance in atmospheric reactivity, particularly for ozone-forming reactions and as condensation nuclei in aerosol formation and growth. This work presents a detailed inventory of isoprenoid emissions from vegetation in Italy using an original approach which combines state of the art models to estimate the species-specific isoprenoid emissions and a Geographic Information System (GIS) where emissions are spatially represented. Isoprenoid species and basal emission factors were obtained by combining results from laboratory experiments with those published in literature. For the first time, our investigation was not only restricted to isoprene and total monoterpenes, but our goal was to provide maps of isoprene and individual monoterpenes at a high-spatial (∼1 km2) and temporal resolution (daily runs, monthly trends in emissions are discussed in the text). Another novelty in our research was the inclusion of the effects of phenology on plant emissions. Our results show that: a) isoprene, a-pinene, sabinene and b-pinene are the most important compounds emitted from vegetation in Italy; b) annual biogenic isoprene and monoterpene fluxes for the year 2006 were ∼31.30 Gg and ∼37.70 Gg, respectively; and c) Quercus pubescens + Quercus petrea + Quercus robur, Quercus ilex, Quercus suber and Fagus sylvatica are the principal isoprenoid emitting species in the country. The high spatial and temporal resolution, combined with the species-specific emission output, makes the model particularly suitable for assessing local budgets, and for modeling photochemical pollution in Italy.

  18. High-frequency measurements reveal spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic matter in an urban water conveyance.

    PubMed

    Mihalevich, Bryce A; Horsburgh, Jeffery S; Melcher, Anthony A

    2017-10-30

    Stormwater runoff in urban areas can contribute high concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to receiving waters, potentially causing impairment to the aquatic ecosystem of urban streams and downstream water bodies. Compositional changes in DOM due to storm events in forested, agricultural, and urban landscapes have been well studied, but in situ sensors have not been widely applied to monitor stormwater contributions in urbanized areas, leaving the spatial and temporal characteristics of DOM within these systems poorly understood. We deployed fluorescent DOM (FDOM) sensors at upstream and downstream locations within a study reach to characterize the spatial and temporal changes in DOM quantity and sources within an urban water conveyance that receives stormwater runoff. Baseflow FDOM decreased over the summer season as seasonal flows upstream transported less DOM. FDOM fluctuated diurnally, the amplitude of which also declined as the summer season progressed. During storms, FDOM concentrations were rapidly elevated to values orders of magnitude greater than baseflow measurements, with greater concentrations at the downstream monitoring site, revealing high contributions from stormwater outfalls between the two locations. Observations from custom, in situ fluorometers resembled results obtained using laboratory methods for identifying DOM source material and indicated that DOM transitioned to a more microbially derived composition as the summer season progressed, while stormwater contributions contributed DOM from terrestrial sources. Deployment of a mobile sensing platform during varying flow conditions captured spatial changes in DOM concentration and composition and revealed contributions of DOM from outfalls during stormflows that would have otherwise been unobserved.

  19. Acceleration of stable TTI P-wave reverse-time migration with GPUs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Youngseo; Cho, Yongchae; Jang, Ugeun; Shin, Changsoo

    2013-03-01

    When a pseudo-acoustic TTI (tilted transversely isotropic) coupled wave equation is used to implement reverse-time migration (RTM), shear wave energy is significantly included in the migration image. Because anisotropy has intrinsic elastic characteristics, coupling P-wave and S-wave modes in the pseudo-acoustic wave equation is inevitable. In RTM with only primary energy or the P-wave mode in seismic data, the S-wave energy is regarded as noise for the migration image. To solve this problem, we derive a pure P-wave equation for TTI media that excludes the S-wave energy. Additionally, we apply the rapid expansion method (REM) based on a Chebyshev expansion and a pseudo-spectral method (PSM) to calculate spatial derivatives in the wave equation. When REM is incorporated with the PSM for the spatial derivatives, wavefields with high numerical accuracy can be obtained without grid dispersion when performing numerical wave modeling. Another problem in the implementation of TTI RTM is that wavefields in an area with high gradients of dip or azimuth angles can be blown up in the progression of the forward and backward algorithms of the RTM. We stabilize the wavefields by applying a spatial-frequency domain high-cut filter when calculating the spatial derivatives using the PSM. In addition, to increase performance speed, the graphic processing unit (GPU) architecture is used instead of traditional CPU architecture. To confirm the degree of acceleration compared to the CPU version on our RTM, we then analyze the performance measurements according to the number of GPUs employed.

  20. Ultrasound line-by-line scanning method of spatial-temporal active cavitation mapping for high-intensity focused ultrasound.

    PubMed

    Ding, Ting; Zhang, Siyuan; Fu, Quanyou; Xu, Zhian; Wan, Mingxi

    2014-01-01

    This paper presented an ultrasound line-by-line scanning method of spatial-temporal active cavitation mapping applicable in a liquid or liquid filled tissue cavities exposed by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Scattered signals from cavitation bubbles were obtained in a scan line immediately after one HIFU exposure, and then there was a waiting time of 2 s long enough to make the liquid back to the original state. As this pattern extended, an image was built up by sequentially measuring a series of such lines. The acquisition of the beamformed radiofrequency (RF) signals for a scan line was synchronized with HIFU exposure. The duration of HIFU exposure, as well as the delay of the interrogating pulse relative to the moment while HIFU was turned off, could vary from microseconds to seconds. The feasibility of this method was demonstrated in tap-water and a tap-water filled cavity in the tissue-mimicking gelatin-agar phantom as capable of observing temporal evolutions of cavitation bubble cloud with temporal resolution of several microseconds, lateral and axial resolution of 0.50 mm and 0.29 mm respectively. The dissolution process of cavitation bubble cloud and spatial distribution affected by cavitation previously generated were also investigated. Although the application is limited by the requirement for a gassy fluid (e.g. tap water, etc.) that allows replenishment of nuclei between HIFU exposures, the technique may be a useful tool in spatial-temporal cavitation mapping for HIFU with high precision and resolution, providing a reference for clinical therapy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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