Volumetric CT with sparse detector arrays (and application to Si-strip photon counters).

PubMed

Sisniega, A; Zbijewski, W; Stayman, J W; Xu, J; Taguchi, K; Fredenberg, E; Lundqvist, Mats; Siewerdsen, J H

2016-01-07

Novel x-ray medical imaging sensors, such as photon counting detectors (PCDs) and large area CCD and CMOS cameras can involve irregular and/or sparse sampling of the detector plane. Application of such detectors to CT involves undersampling that is markedly different from the commonly considered case of sparse angular sampling. This work investigates volumetric sampling in CT systems incorporating sparsely sampled detectors with axial and helical scan orbits and evaluates performance of model-based image reconstruction (MBIR) with spatially varying regularization in mitigating artifacts due to sparse detector sampling. Volumetric metrics of sampling density and uniformity were introduced. Penalized-likelihood MBIR with a spatially varying penalty that homogenized resolution by accounting for variations in local sampling density (i.e. detector gaps) was evaluated. The proposed methodology was tested in simulations and on an imaging bench based on a Si-strip PCD (total area 5 cm  ×  25 cm) consisting of an arrangement of line sensors separated by gaps of up to 2.5 mm. The bench was equipped with translation/rotation stages allowing a variety of scanning trajectories, ranging from a simple axial acquisition to helical scans with variable pitch. Statistical (spherical clutter) and anthropomorphic (hand) phantoms were considered. Image quality was compared to that obtained with a conventional uniform penalty in terms of structural similarity index (SSIM), image uniformity, spatial resolution, contrast, and noise. Scan trajectories with intermediate helical width (~10 mm longitudinal distance per 360° rotation) demonstrated optimal tradeoff between the average sampling density and the homogeneity of sampling throughout the volume. For a scan trajectory with 10.8 mm helical width, the spatially varying penalty resulted in significant visual reduction of sampling artifacts, confirmed by a 10% reduction in minimum SSIM (from 0.88 to 0.8) and a 40% reduction in the dispersion of SSIM in the volume compared to the constant penalty (both penalties applied at optimal regularization strength). Images of the spherical clutter and wrist phantoms confirmed the advantages of the spatially varying penalty, showing a 25% improvement in image uniformity and 1.8  ×  higher CNR (at matched spatial resolution) compared to the constant penalty. The studies elucidate the relationship between sampling in the detector plane, acquisition orbit, sampling of the reconstructed volume, and the resulting image quality. They also demonstrate the benefit of spatially varying regularization in MBIR for scenarios with irregular sampling patterns. Such findings are important and integral to the incorporation of a sparsely sampled Si-strip PCD in CT imaging.

Volumetric CT with sparse detector arrays (and application to Si-strip photon counters)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sisniega, A.; Zbijewski, W.; Stayman, J. W.; Xu, J.; Taguchi, K.; Fredenberg, E.; Lundqvist, Mats; Siewerdsen, J. H.

2016-01-01

Novel x-ray medical imaging sensors, such as photon counting detectors (PCDs) and large area CCD and CMOS cameras can involve irregular and/or sparse sampling of the detector plane. Application of such detectors to CT involves undersampling that is markedly different from the commonly considered case of sparse angular sampling. This work investigates volumetric sampling in CT systems incorporating sparsely sampled detectors with axial and helical scan orbits and evaluates performance of model-based image reconstruction (MBIR) with spatially varying regularization in mitigating artifacts due to sparse detector sampling. Volumetric metrics of sampling density and uniformity were introduced. Penalized-likelihood MBIR with a spatially varying penalty that homogenized resolution by accounting for variations in local sampling density (i.e. detector gaps) was evaluated. The proposed methodology was tested in simulations and on an imaging bench based on a Si-strip PCD (total area 5 cm  ×  25 cm) consisting of an arrangement of line sensors separated by gaps of up to 2.5 mm. The bench was equipped with translation/rotation stages allowing a variety of scanning trajectories, ranging from a simple axial acquisition to helical scans with variable pitch. Statistical (spherical clutter) and anthropomorphic (hand) phantoms were considered. Image quality was compared to that obtained with a conventional uniform penalty in terms of structural similarity index (SSIM), image uniformity, spatial resolution, contrast, and noise. Scan trajectories with intermediate helical width (~10 mm longitudinal distance per 360° rotation) demonstrated optimal tradeoff between the average sampling density and the homogeneity of sampling throughout the volume. For a scan trajectory with 10.8 mm helical width, the spatially varying penalty resulted in significant visual reduction of sampling artifacts, confirmed by a 10% reduction in minimum SSIM (from 0.88 to 0.8) and a 40% reduction in the dispersion of SSIM in the volume compared to the constant penalty (both penalties applied at optimal regularization strength). Images of the spherical clutter and wrist phantoms confirmed the advantages of the spatially varying penalty, showing a 25% improvement in image uniformity and 1.8  ×  higher CNR (at matched spatial resolution) compared to the constant penalty. The studies elucidate the relationship between sampling in the detector plane, acquisition orbit, sampling of the reconstructed volume, and the resulting image quality. They also demonstrate the benefit of spatially varying regularization in MBIR for scenarios with irregular sampling patterns. Such findings are important and integral to the incorporation of a sparsely sampled Si-strip PCD in CT imaging.

Volumetric CT with sparse detector arrays (and application to Si-strip photon counters)

PubMed Central

Sisniega, A; Zbijewski, W; Stayman, J W; Xu, J; Taguchi, K; Fredenberg, E; Lundqvist, Mats; Siewerdsen, J H

2016-01-01

Novel x-ray medical imaging sensors, such as photon counting detectors (PCDs) and large area CCD and CMOS cameras can involve irregular and/or sparse sampling of the detector plane. Application of such detectors to CT involves undersampling that is markedly different from the commonly considered case of sparse angular sampling. This work investigates volumetric sampling in CT systems incorporating sparsely sampled detectors with axial and helical scan orbits and evaluates performance of model-based image reconstruction (MBIR) with spatially varying regularization in mitigating artifacts due to sparse detector sampling. Volumetric metrics of sampling density and uniformity were introduced. Penalized-likelihood MBIR with a spatially varying penalty that homogenized resolution by accounting for variations in local sampling density (i.e. detector gaps) was evaluated. The proposed methodology was tested in simulations and on an imaging bench based on a Si-strip PCD (total area 5 cm × 25 cm) consisting of an arrangement of line sensors separated by gaps of up to 2.5 mm. The bench was equipped with translation/rotation stages allowing a variety of scanning trajectories, ranging from a simple axial acquisition to helical scans with variable pitch. Statistical (spherical clutter) and anthropomorphic (hand) phantoms were considered. Image quality was compared to that obtained with a conventional uniform penalty in terms of structural similarity index (SSIM), image uniformity, spatial resolution, contrast, and noise. Scan trajectories with intermediate helical width (~10 mm longitudinal distance per 360° rotation) demonstrated optimal tradeoff between the average sampling density and the homogeneity of sampling throughout the volume. For a scan trajectory with 10.8 mm helical width, the spatially varying penalty resulted in significant visual reduction of sampling artifacts, confirmed by a 10% reduction in minimum SSIM (from 0.88 to 0.8) and a 40% reduction in the dispersion of SSIM in the volume compared to the constant penalty (both penalties applied at optimal regularization strength). Images of the spherical clutter and wrist phantoms confirmed the advantages of the spatially varying penalty, showing a 25% improvement in image uniformity and 1.8 × higher CNR (at matched spatial resolution) compared to the constant penalty. The studies elucidate the relationship between sampling in the detector plane, acquisition orbit, sampling of the reconstructed volume, and the resulting image quality. They also demonstrate the benefit of spatially varying regularization in MBIR for scenarios with irregular sampling patterns. Such findings are important and integral to the incorporation of a sparsely sampled Si-strip PCD in CT imaging. PMID:26611740

Improving AIRS Radiance Spectra in High Contrast Scenes Using MODIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pagano, Thomas S.; Aumann, Hartmut H.; Manning, Evan M.; Elliott, Denis A.; Broberg, Steven E.

2015-01-01

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the EOS Aqua Spacecraft was launched on May 4, 2002. AIRS acquires hyperspectral infrared radiances in 2378 channels ranging in wavelength from 3.7-15.4 microns with spectral resolution of better than 1200, and spatial resolution of 13.5 km with global daily coverage. The AIRS is designed to measure temperature and water vapor profiles for improvement in weather forecast accuracy and improved understanding of climate processes. As with most instruments, the AIRS Point Spread Functions (PSFs) are not the same for all detectors. When viewing a non-uniform scene, this causes a significant radiometric error in some channels that is scene dependent and cannot be removed without knowledge of the underlying scene. The magnitude of the error depends on the combination of non-uniformity of the AIRS spatial response for a given channel and the non-uniformity of the scene, but is typically only noticeable in about 1% of the scenes and about 10% of the channels. The current solution is to avoid those channels when performing geophysical retrievals. In this effort we use data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument to provide information on the scene uniformity that is used to correct the AIRS data. For the vast majority of channels and footprints the technique works extremely well when compared to a Principal Component (PC) reconstruction of the AIRS channels. In some cases where the scene has high inhomogeneity in an irregular pattern, and in some channels, the method can actually degrade the spectrum. Most of the degraded channels appear to be slightly affected by random noise introduced in the process, but those with larger degradation may be affected by alignment errors in the AIRS relative to MODIS or uncertainties in the PSF. Despite these errors, the methodology shows the ability to correct AIRS radiances in non-uniform scenes under some of the worst case conditions and improves the ability to match AIRS and MODIS radiances in non-uniform scenes.

Enhancing the performance of the light field microscope using wavefront coding

PubMed Central

Cohen, Noy; Yang, Samuel; Andalman, Aaron; Broxton, Michael; Grosenick, Logan; Deisseroth, Karl; Horowitz, Mark; Levoy, Marc

2014-01-01

Light field microscopy has been proposed as a new high-speed volumetric computational imaging method that enables reconstruction of 3-D volumes from captured projections of the 4-D light field. Recently, a detailed physical optics model of the light field microscope has been derived, which led to the development of a deconvolution algorithm that reconstructs 3-D volumes with high spatial resolution. However, the spatial resolution of the reconstructions has been shown to be non-uniform across depth, with some z planes showing high resolution and others, particularly at the center of the imaged volume, showing very low resolution. In this paper, we enhance the performance of the light field microscope using wavefront coding techniques. By including phase masks in the optical path of the microscope we are able to address this non-uniform resolution limitation. We have also found that superior control over the performance of the light field microscope can be achieved by using two phase masks rather than one, placed at the objective’s back focal plane and at the microscope’s native image plane. We present an extended optical model for our wavefront coded light field microscope and develop a performance metric based on Fisher information, which we use to choose adequate phase masks parameters. We validate our approach using both simulated data and experimental resolution measurements of a USAF 1951 resolution target; and demonstrate the utility for biological applications with in vivo volumetric calcium imaging of larval zebrafish brain. PMID:25322056

Enhancing the performance of the light field microscope using wavefront coding.

PubMed

Cohen, Noy; Yang, Samuel; Andalman, Aaron; Broxton, Michael; Grosenick, Logan; Deisseroth, Karl; Horowitz, Mark; Levoy, Marc

2014-10-06

Light field microscopy has been proposed as a new high-speed volumetric computational imaging method that enables reconstruction of 3-D volumes from captured projections of the 4-D light field. Recently, a detailed physical optics model of the light field microscope has been derived, which led to the development of a deconvolution algorithm that reconstructs 3-D volumes with high spatial resolution. However, the spatial resolution of the reconstructions has been shown to be non-uniform across depth, with some z planes showing high resolution and others, particularly at the center of the imaged volume, showing very low resolution. In this paper, we enhance the performance of the light field microscope using wavefront coding techniques. By including phase masks in the optical path of the microscope we are able to address this non-uniform resolution limitation. We have also found that superior control over the performance of the light field microscope can be achieved by using two phase masks rather than one, placed at the objective's back focal plane and at the microscope's native image plane. We present an extended optical model for our wavefront coded light field microscope and develop a performance metric based on Fisher information, which we use to choose adequate phase masks parameters. We validate our approach using both simulated data and experimental resolution measurements of a USAF 1951 resolution target; and demonstrate the utility for biological applications with in vivo volumetric calcium imaging of larval zebrafish brain.

Design and evaluation of an imaging spectrophotometer incorporating a uniform light source.

PubMed

Noble, S D; Brown, R B; Crowe, T G

2012-03-01

Accounting for light that is diffusely scattered from a surface is one of the practical challenges in reflectance measurement. Integrating spheres are commonly used for this purpose in point measurements of reflectance and transmittance. This solution is not directly applicable to a spectral imaging application for which diffuse reflectance measurements are desired. In this paper, an imaging spectrophotometer design is presented that employs a uniform light source to provide diffuse illumination. This creates the inverse measurement geometry to the directional illumination/diffuse reflectance mode typically used for point measurements. The final system had a spectral range between 400 and 1000 nm with a 5.2 nm resolution, a field of view of approximately 0.5 m by 0.5 m, and millimeter spatial resolution. Testing results indicate illumination uniformity typically exceeding 95% and reflectance precision better than 1.7%.

In-operando synchronous time-multiplexed O K-edge x-ray absorption spectromicroscopy of functioning tantalum oxide memristors

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

Kumar, Suhas; Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305; Graves, Catherine E.

2015-07-21

Memristors are receiving keen interest because of their potential varied applications and promising large-scale information storage capabilities. Tantalum oxide is a memristive material that has shown promise for high-performance nonvolatile computer memory. The microphysics has been elusive because of the small scale and subtle physical changes that accompany conductance switching. In this study, we probed the atomic composition, local chemistry, and electronic structure of functioning tantalum oxide memristors through spatially mapped O K-edge x-ray absorption. We developed a time-multiplexed spectromicroscopy technique to enhance the weak and possibly localized oxide modifications with spatial and spectral resolutions of <30 nm and 70 meV, respectively.more » During the initial stages of conductance switching of a micrometer sized crosspoint device, the spectral changes were uniform within the spatial resolution of our technique. When the device was further driven with millions of high voltage-pulse cycles, we observed lateral motion and separation of ∼100 nm-scale agglomerates of both oxygen interstitials and vacancies. We also demonstrate a unique capability of this technique by identifying the relaxation behavior in the material during electrical stimuli by identifying electric field driven changes with varying pulse widths. In addition, we show that changes to the material can be localized to a spatial region by modifying its topography or uniformity, as against spatially uniform changes observed here during memristive switching. The goal of this report is to introduce the capability of time-multiplexed x-ray spectromicroscopy in studying weak-signal transitions in inhomogeneous media through the example of the operation and temporal evolution of a memristor.« less

Image quality and absorbed dose comparison of single- and dual-source cone-beam computed tomography.

PubMed

Miura, Hideharu; Ozawa, Shuichi; Okazue, Toshiya; Kawakubo, Atsushi; Yamada, Kiyoshi; Nagata, Yasushi

2018-05-01

Dual-source cone-beam computed tomography (DCBCT) is currently available in the Vero4DRT image-guided radiotherapy system. We evaluated the image quality and absorbed dose for DCBCT and compared the values with those for single-source CBCT (SCBCT). Image uniformity, Hounsfield unit (HU) linearity, image contrast, and spatial resolution were evaluated using a Catphan phantom. The rotation angle for acquiring SCBCT and DCBCT images is 215° and 115°, respectively. The image uniformity was calculated using measurements obtained at the center and four peripheral positions. The HUs of seven materials inserted into the phantom were measured to evaluate HU linearity and image contrast. The Catphan phantom was scanned with a conventional CT scanner to measure the reference HU for each material. The spatial resolution was calculated using high-resolution pattern modules. Image quality was analyzed using ImageJ software ver. 1.49. The absorbed dose was measured using a 0.6-cm 3 ionization chamber with a 16-cm-diameter cylindrical phantom, at the center and four peripheral positions of the phantom, and calculated using weighted cone-beam CT dose index (CBCTDI w ). Compared with that of SCBCT, the image uniformity of DCBCT was slightly reduced. A strong linear correlation existed between the measured HU for DCBCT and the reference HU, although the linear regression slope was different from that of the reference HU. DCBCT had poorer image contrast than did SCBCT, particularly with a high-contrast material. There was no significant difference between the spatial resolutions of SCBCT and DCBCT. The absorbed dose for DCBCT was higher than that for SCBCT, because in DCBCT, the two x-ray projections overlap between 45° and 70°. We found that the image quality was poorer and the absorbed dose was higher for DCBCT than for SCBCT in the Vero4DRT. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Sub-millimetre DOI detector based on monolithic LYSO and digital SiPM for a dedicated small-animal PET system.

PubMed

Marcinkowski, Radosław; Mollet, Pieter; Van Holen, Roel; Vandenberghe, Stefaan

2016-03-07

The mouse model is widely used in a vast range of biomedical and preclinical studies. Thanks to the ability to detect and quantify biological processes at the molecular level in vivo, PET has become a well-established tool in these investigations. However, the need to visualize and quantify radiopharmaceuticals in anatomic structures of millimetre or less requires good spatial resolution and sensitivity from small-animal PET imaging systems.In previous work we have presented a proof-of-concept of a dedicated high-resolution small-animal PET scanner based on thin monolithic scintillator crystals and Digital Photon Counter photosensor. The combination of thin monolithic crystals and MLE positioning algorithm resulted in an excellent spatial resolution of 0.7 mm uniform in the entire field of view (FOV). However, the limitation of the scanner was its low sensitivity due to small thickness of the lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals (2 mm).Here we present an improved detector design for a small-animal PET system that simultaneously achieves higher sensitivity and sustains a sub-millimetre spatial resolution. The proposed detector consists of a 5 mm thick monolithic LYSO crystal optically coupled to a Digital Photon Counter. Mean nearest neighbour (MNN) positioning combined with depth of interaction (DOI) decoding was employed to achieve sub-millimetre spatial resolution. To evaluate detector performance the intrinsic spatial resolution, energy resolution and coincidence resolving time (CRT) were measured. The average intrinsic spatial resolution of the detector was 0.60 mm full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM). A DOI resolution of 1.66 mm was achieved. The energy resolution was 23% FWHM at 511 keV and CRT of 529 ps were measured. The improved detector design overcomes the sensitivity limitation of the previous design by increasing the nominal sensitivity of the detector block and retains an excellent intrinsic spatial resolution.

Spatiotemporal Filtering Using Principal Component Analysis and Karhunen-Loeve Expansion Approaches for Regional GPS Network Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dong, D.; Fang, P.; Bock, F.; Webb, F.; Prawirondirdjo, L.; Kedar, S.; Jamason, P.

2006-01-01

Spatial filtering is an effective way to improve the precision of coordinate time series for regional GPS networks by reducing so-called common mode errors, thereby providing better resolution for detecting weak or transient deformation signals. The commonly used approach to regional filtering assumes that the common mode error is spatially uniform, which is a good approximation for networks of hundreds of kilometers extent, but breaks down as the spatial extent increases. A more rigorous approach should remove the assumption of spatially uniform distribution and let the data themselves reveal the spatial distribution of the common mode error. The principal component analysis (PCA) and the Karhunen-Loeve expansion (KLE) both decompose network time series into a set of temporally varying modes and their spatial responses. Therefore they provide a mathematical framework to perform spatiotemporal filtering.We apply the combination of PCA and KLE to daily station coordinate time series of the Southern California Integrated GPS Network (SCIGN) for the period 2000 to 2004. We demonstrate that spatially and temporally correlated common mode errors are the dominant error source in daily GPS solutions. The spatial characteristics of the common mode errors are close to uniform for all east, north, and vertical components, which implies a very long wavelength source for the common mode errors, compared to the spatial extent of the GPS network in southern California. Furthermore, the common mode errors exhibit temporally nonrandom patterns.

Blind identification of full-field vibration modes of output-only structures from uniformly-sampled, possibly temporally-aliased (sub-Nyquist), video measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yongchao; Dorn, Charles; Mancini, Tyler; Talken, Zachary; Nagarajaiah, Satish; Kenyon, Garrett; Farrar, Charles; Mascareñas, David

2017-03-01

Enhancing the spatial and temporal resolution of vibration measurements and modal analysis could significantly benefit dynamic modelling, analysis, and health monitoring of structures. For example, spatially high-density mode shapes are critical for accurate vibration-based damage localization. In experimental or operational modal analysis, higher (frequency) modes, which may be outside the frequency range of the measurement, contain local structural features that can improve damage localization as well as the construction and updating of the modal-based dynamic model of the structure. In general, the resolution of vibration measurements can be increased by enhanced hardware. Traditional vibration measurement sensors such as accelerometers have high-frequency sampling capacity; however, they are discrete point-wise sensors only providing sparse, low spatial sensing resolution measurements, while dense deployment to achieve high spatial resolution is expensive and results in the mass-loading effect and modification of structure's surface. Non-contact measurement methods such as scanning laser vibrometers provide high spatial and temporal resolution sensing capacity; however, they make measurements sequentially that requires considerable acquisition time. As an alternative non-contact method, digital video cameras are relatively low-cost, agile, and provide high spatial resolution, simultaneous, measurements. Combined with vision based algorithms (e.g., image correlation or template matching, optical flow, etc.), video camera based measurements have been successfully used for experimental and operational vibration measurement and subsequent modal analysis. However, the sampling frequency of most affordable digital cameras is limited to 30-60 Hz, while high-speed cameras for higher frequency vibration measurements are extremely costly. This work develops a computational algorithm capable of performing vibration measurement at a uniform sampling frequency lower than what is required by the Shannon-Nyquist sampling theorem for output-only modal analysis. In particular, the spatio-temporal uncoupling property of the modal expansion of structural vibration responses enables a direct modal decoupling of the temporally-aliased vibration measurements by existing output-only modal analysis methods, yielding (full-field) mode shapes estimation directly. Then the signal aliasing properties in modal analysis is exploited to estimate the modal frequencies and damping ratios. The proposed method is validated by laboratory experiments where output-only modal identification is conducted on temporally-aliased acceleration responses and particularly the temporally-aliased video measurements of bench-scale structures, including a three-story building structure and a cantilever beam.

Ultrasonic backscatter imaging by shear-wave-induced echo phase encoding of target locations.

PubMed

McAleavey, Stephen

2011-01-01

We present a novel method for ultrasound backscatter image formation wherein lateral resolution of the target is obtained by using traveling shear waves to encode the lateral position of targets in the phase of the received echo. We demonstrate that the phase modulation as a function of shear wavenumber can be expressed in terms of a Fourier transform of the lateral component of the target echogenicity. The inverse transform, obtained by measurements of the phase modulation over a range of shear wave spatial frequencies, yields the lateral scatterer distribution. Range data are recovered from time of flight as in conventional ultrasound, yielding a B-mode-like image. In contrast to conventional ultrasound imaging, where mechanical or electronic focusing is used and lateral resolution is determined by aperture size and wavelength, we demonstrate that lateral resolution using the proposed method is independent of the properties of the aperture. Lateral resolution of the target is achieved using a stationary, unfocused, single-element transducer. We present simulated images of targets of uniform and non-uniform shear modulus. Compounding for speckle reduction is demonstrated. Finally, we demonstrate image formation with an unfocused transducer in gelatin phantoms of uniform shear modulus.

A dual cone-beam CT system for image guided radiotherapy: initial performance characterization.

PubMed

Li, Hao; Giles, William; Bowsher, James; Yin, Fang-Fang

2013-02-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of a recently developed benchtop dual cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system with two orthogonally placed tube∕detector sets. The benchtop dual CBCT system consists of two orthogonally placed 40 × 30 cm flat-panel detectors and two conventional x-ray tubes with two individual high-voltage generators sharing the same rotational axis. The x-ray source to detector distance is 150 cm and x-ray source to rotational axis distance is 100 cm for both subsystems. The objects are scanned through 200° of rotation. The dual CBCT system utilized 110° of projection data from one detector and 90° from the other while the two individual single CBCTs utilized 200° data from each detector. The system performance was characterized in terms of uniformity, contrast, spatial resolution, noise power spectrum, and CT number linearity. The uniformities, within the axial slice and along the longitudinal direction, and noise power spectrum were assessed by scanning a water bucket; the contrast and CT number linearity were measured using the Catphan phantom; and the spatial resolution was evaluated using a tungsten wire phantom. A skull phantom and a ham were also scanned to provide qualitative evaluation of high- and low-contrast resolution. Each measurement was compared between dual and single CBCT systems. Compared to single CBCT, the dual CBCT presented: (1) a decrease in uniformity by 1.9% in axial view and 1.1% in the longitudinal view, as averaged for four energies (80, 100, 125, and 150 kVp); (2) comparable or slightly better contrast (0∼25 HU) for low-contrast objects and comparable contrast for high-contrast objects; (3) comparable spatial resolution; (4) comparable CT number linearity with R(2) ≥ 0.99 for all four tested energies; (5) lower noise power spectrum in magnitude. Dual CBCT images of the skull phantom and the ham demonstrated both high-contrast resolution and good soft-tissue contrast. The performance of a benchtop dual CBCT imaging system has been characterized and is comparable to that of a single CBCT.

Measuring Te inclusion uniformity over large areas for CdTe/CZT imaging and spectrometry sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolke, Joe; O'Brien, Kathryn; Wall, Peter; Spicer, Mike; Gélinas, Guillaume; Beaudry, Jean-Nicolas; Alexander, W. Brock

2017-09-01

CdTe and CZT materials are technologies for gamma and x-ray imaging for applications in industry, homeland security, defense, space, medical, and astrophysics. There remain challenges in uniformity over large detector areas (50 75 mm) due to a combination of material purity, handling, growth process, grown in defects, doping/compensation, and metal contacts/surface states. The influence of these various factors has yet to be explored at the large substrate level required for devices with higher resolution both spatially and spectroscopically. In this study, we looked at how the crystal growth processes affect the size and density distributions of microscopic Te inclusion defects. We were able to grow single crystals as large as 75 mm in diameter and spatially characterize three-dimensional defects and map the uniformity using IR microscopy. We report on the pattern of observed defects within wafers and its relation to instabilities at the crystal growth interface.

Nanoscale NMR spectroscopy and imaging of multiple nuclear species.

PubMed

DeVience, Stephen J; Pham, Linh M; Lovchinsky, Igor; Sushkov, Alexander O; Bar-Gill, Nir; Belthangady, Chinmay; Casola, Francesco; Corbett, Madeleine; Zhang, Huiliang; Lukin, Mikhail; Park, Hongkun; Yacoby, Amir; Walsworth, Ronald L

2015-02-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide non-invasive information about multiple nuclear species in bulk matter, with wide-ranging applications from basic physics and chemistry to biomedical imaging. However, the spatial resolution of conventional NMR and MRI is limited to several micrometres even at large magnetic fields (>1 T), which is inadequate for many frontier scientific applications such as single-molecule NMR spectroscopy and in vivo MRI of individual biological cells. A promising approach for nanoscale NMR and MRI exploits optical measurements of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colour centres in diamond, which provide a combination of magnetic field sensitivity and nanoscale spatial resolution unmatched by any existing technology, while operating under ambient conditions in a robust, solid-state system. Recently, single, shallow NV centres were used to demonstrate NMR of nanoscale ensembles of proton spins, consisting of a statistical polarization equivalent to ∼100-1,000 spins in uniform samples covering the surface of a bulk diamond chip. Here, we realize nanoscale NMR spectroscopy and MRI of multiple nuclear species ((1)H, (19)F, (31)P) in non-uniform (spatially structured) samples under ambient conditions and at moderate magnetic fields (∼20 mT) using two complementary sensor modalities.

Commissioning of a new wide-bore MRI scanner for radiotherapy planning of head and neck cancer

PubMed Central

Liney, G P; Owen, S C; Beaumont, A K E; Lazar, V R; Manton, D J

2013-01-01

Objective: A combination of CT and MRI is recommended for radiotherapy planning of head and neck cancers, and optimal spatial co-registration is achieved by imaging in the treatment position using the necessary immobilisation devices on both occasions, something which requires wide-bore scanners. Quality assurance experiments were carried out to commission a newly installed 1.5-T wide-bore MRI scanner and a dedicated, flexible six-channel phased array head and neck coil. Methods: Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spatial signal uniformity were quantified using a homogeneous aqueous phantom, and geometric distortion was quantified using a phantom with water-filled fiducials in a grid pattern. Volunteer scans were also used to determine the in vivo image quality. Clinically relevant T1 weighted and T2 weighted fat-suppressed sequences were assessed in multiple scan planes (both sequences fast spin echo based). The performance of two online signal uniformity correction schemes, one utilising low-resolution reference scans and the other not utilising low-resolution reference scans, was compared. Results: Geometric distortions, for a ±35-kHz bandwidth, were <1 mm for locations within 10 cm of the isocentre rising to 1.8 mm at 18 cm away. SNR was above 50, and uniformity in the axial plane was 71% and 95% before and after uniformity correction, respectively. Conclusion: The combined performance of the wide-bore scanner and the dedicated coil was adjudged adequate, although superior–inferior spatial coverage was slightly limited in the lower neck. Advances in knowledge: These results will be of interest to the increasing number of oncology centres that are seeking to incorporate MRI into planning practice using dedicated equipment. PMID:23690434

Super-resolution mapping using multi-viewing CHRIS/PROBA data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwivedi, Manish; Kumar, Vinay

2016-04-01

High-spatial resolution Remote Sensing (RS) data provides detailed information which ensures high-definition visual image analysis of earth surface features. These data sets also support improved information extraction capabilities at a fine scale. In order to improve the spatial resolution of coarser resolution RS data, the Super Resolution Reconstruction (SRR) technique has become widely acknowledged which focused on multi-angular image sequences. In this study multi-angle CHRIS/PROBA data of Kutch area is used for SR image reconstruction to enhance the spatial resolution from 18 m to 6m in the hope to obtain a better land cover classification. Various SR approaches like Projection onto Convex Sets (POCS), Robust, Iterative Back Projection (IBP), Non-Uniform Interpolation and Structure-Adaptive Normalized Convolution (SANC) chosen for this study. Subjective assessment through visual interpretation shows substantial improvement in land cover details. Quantitative measures including peak signal to noise ratio and structural similarity are used for the evaluation of the image quality. It was observed that SANC SR technique using Vandewalle algorithm for the low resolution image registration outperformed the other techniques. After that SVM based classifier is used for the classification of SRR and data resampled to 6m spatial resolution using bi-cubic interpolation. A comparative analysis is carried out between classified data of bicubic interpolated and SR derived images of CHRIS/PROBA and SR derived classified data have shown a significant improvement of 10-12% in the overall accuracy. The results demonstrated that SR methods is able to improve spatial detail of multi-angle images as well as the classification accuracy.

Transmission type flat-panel X-ray source using ZnO nanowire field emitters

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

Chen, Daokun; Song, Xiaomeng; Zhang, Zhipeng

2015-12-14

A transmission type flat-panel X-ray source in diode structure was fabricated. Large-scale patterned ZnO nanowires grown on a glass substrate by thermal oxidation were utilized as field emitters, and tungsten thin film coated on silica glass was used as the transmission anode. Uniform distribution of X-ray generation was achieved, which benefited from the uniform electron emission from ZnO nanowires. Self-ballasting effect induced by the intrinsic resistance of ZnO nanowire and decreasing of screening effect caused by patterned emitters account for the uniform emission. Characteristic X-ray peaks of W-L lines and bremsstrahlung X-rays have been observed under anode voltages at amore » range of 18–20 kV, the latter of which were the dominant X-ray signals. High-resolution X-ray images with spatial resolution less than 25 μm were obtained by the flat-panel X-ray source. The high resolution was attributed to the small divergence angle of the emitted X-rays from the transmission X-ray source.« less

Assessing the resolution-dependent utility of tomograms for geostatistics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Day-Lewis, F. D.; Lane, J.W.

2004-01-01

Geophysical tomograms are used increasingly as auxiliary data for geostatistical modeling of aquifer and reservoir properties. The correlation between tomographic estimates and hydrogeologic properties is commonly based on laboratory measurements, co-located measurements at boreholes, or petrophysical models. The inferred correlation is assumed uniform throughout the interwell region; however, tomographic resolution varies spatially due to acquisition geometry, regularization, data error, and the physics underlying the geophysical measurements. Blurring and inversion artifacts are expected in regions traversed by few or only low-angle raypaths. In the context of radar traveltime tomography, we derive analytical models for (1) the variance of tomographic estimates, (2) the spatially variable correlation with a hydrologic parameter of interest, and (3) the spatial covariance of tomographic estimates. Synthetic examples demonstrate that tomograms of qualitative value may have limited utility for geostatistics; moreover, the imprint of regularization may preclude inference of meaningful spatial statistics from tomograms.

Performance Evaluation and Quantitative Accuracy of Multipinhole NanoSPECT/CT Scanner for Theranostic Lu-177 Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Arun; Kim, Kyeong Yun; Hwang, Donghwi; Lee, Min Sun; Lee, Dong Soo; Lee, Jae Sung

2018-06-01

SPECT plays important role in peptide receptor targeted radionuclide therapy using theranostic radionuclides such as Lu-177 for the treatment of various cancers. However, SPECT studies must be quantitatively accurate because the reliable assessment of tumor uptake and tumor-to-normal tissue ratios can only be performed using quantitatively accurate images. Hence, it is important to evaluate performance parameters and quantitative accuracy of preclinical SPECT systems for therapeutic radioisotopes before conducting pre- and post-therapy SPECT imaging or dosimetry studies. In this study, we evaluated system performance and quantitative accuracy of NanoSPECT/CT scanner for Lu-177 imaging using point source and uniform phantom studies. We measured recovery coefficient, uniformity, spatial resolution, system sensitivity and calibration factor for mouse whole body standard aperture. We also performed the experiments using Tc-99m to compare the results with that of Lu-177. We found that the recovery coefficient of more than 70% for Lu-177 at the optimum noise level when nine iterations were used. The spatial resolutions of Lu-177 with and without adding uniform background was comparable to that of Tc-99m in axial, radial and tangential directions. System sensitivity measured for Lu-177 was almost three times less than that of Tc-99m.

Application of a newly developed software program for image quality assessment in cone-beam computed tomography.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Marcus Vinicius Linhares; Santos, António Carvalho; Paulo, Graciano; Campos, Paulo Sergio Flores; Santos, Joana

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to apply a newly developed free software program, at low cost and with minimal time, to evaluate the quality of dental and maxillofacial cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. A polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) phantom, CQP-IFBA, was scanned in 3 CBCT units with 7 protocols. A macro program was developed, using the free software ImageJ, to automatically evaluate the image quality parameters. The image quality evaluation was based on 8 parameters: uniformity, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), noise, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), spatial resolution, the artifact index, geometric accuracy, and low-contrast resolution. The image uniformity and noise depended on the protocol that was applied. Regarding the CNR, high-density structures were more sensitive to the effect of scanning parameters. There were no significant differences between SNR and CNR in centered and peripheral objects. The geometric accuracy assessment showed that all the distance measurements were lower than the real values. Low-contrast resolution was influenced by the scanning parameters, and the 1-mm rod present in the phantom was not depicted in any of the 3 CBCT units. Smaller voxel sizes presented higher spatial resolution. There were no significant differences among the protocols regarding artifact presence. This software package provided a fast, low-cost, and feasible method for the evaluation of image quality parameters in CBCT.

A thin wideband high-spatial-resolution focusing metasurface for near-field passive millimeter-wave imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Hongjun; Qi, Jiaran; Xiao, Shanshan; Qiu, Jinghui

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present a flat transmission-type focusing metasurface for the near-field passive millimeter-wave (PMMW) imaging systems. Considering the non-uniform wavefront of the actual feeding horn, the metasurface is configured by unit cells consisting of coaxial annular apertures and is optimized to achieve broadband, high spatial resolution, and polarization insensitive properties important for PMMW imaging applications in the frequency range from 33 GHz to 37 GHz, with the focal spot as small as 0.43λ0 (@35 GHz). A prototype of the proposed metasurface is fabricated, and the measurement results fairly agree with the simulation ones. Furthermore, an experimental single-sensor PMMW imaging system is constructed based on the metasurface and a Ka-band direct detection radiometer. The experimental results show that the azimuth resolution of the system can reach approximately 4 mm (≈0.47λ0). It is shown that the proposed metasurface can potentially replace the bulky dielectric-lens or reflector antenna to achieve possibly more compact PMMW imaging systems with high spatial resolution approaching the diffraction-limit.

Calibration of a spatial light modulator containing dual frequency liquid crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Dong-Feng; Winker, Bruce; Wen, Bing; Taber, Don; Brackley, Andrew; Wirth, Allan; Albanese, Marc; Landers, Frank

2005-08-01

Characterization and calibration process for a liquid crystal (LC) spatial light modulator (SLM) containing dual frequency liquid crystal is described. Special care was taken when dealing with LC cell gap non-uniformity and defect pixels. The calibration results were fed into a closed loop control algorithm to demonstrate correction of wavefront distortions. The performance characteristics of the device were reported. Substantial improvements were made in speed (bandwidth), resolution, power consumption and system weight/volume.

The uniformity and imaging properties of some new ceramic scintillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chac, George T. L.; Miller, Brian W.; Shah, Kanai; Baldoni, Gary; Domanik, Kenneth J.; Bora, Vaibhav; Cherepy, Nerine J.; Seeley, Zachary; Barber, H. Bradford

2012-10-01

Results are presented of investigations into the composition, uniformity and gamma-ray imaging performance of new ceramic scintillators with synthetic garnet structure. The ceramic scintillators were produced by a process that uses flame pyrolysis to make nanoparticles which are sintered into a ceramic and then compacted by hot isostatic compression into a transparent material. There is concern that the resulting ceramic scintillator might not have the uniformity of composition necessary for use in gamma-ray spectroscopy and gamma-ray imaging. The compositional uniformity of four samples of three ceramic scintillator types (GYGAG:Ce, GLuGAG:Ce and LuAG:Pr) was tested using an electron microprobe. It was found that all samples were uniform in elemental composition to the limit of sensitivity of the microprobe (few tenths of a percent atomic) over distance scales from ~ 1 cm to ~ 1 um. The light yield and energy resolution of all ceramic scintillator samples were mapped with a highly collimated 57Co source (122 keV) and performance was uniform at mapping scale of 0.25 mm. Good imaging performance with single gamma-ray photon detection was demonstrated for all samples using a BazookaSPECT system, and the imaging spatial resolution, measured as the FWHM of a LSF was 150 um.

Performance characteristics of dedicated molecular breast imaging systems at low doses

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

Long, Zaiyang; Conners, Amy L.; Hunt, Katie N.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the system performance characteristics and lesion detection capability of two molecular breast imaging (MBI) systems: a multicrystal sodium iodide (NaI)-based single-head system and a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT)-based dual-head system at low administered doses (150–300 MBq) of Tc-99m sestamibi. Methods: System performance characteristics including count sensitivity, uniformity, energy resolution, and spatial resolution were measured using standard NEMA methods, or a modified version thereof in cases where the standard NEMA protocol could not be applied. A contrast-detail phantom with 48 lesions at varying depths from the collimator surface was used to assessmore » lesion contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) using background count densities comparable to those observed in patient studies performed with administered doses of 150 MBq Tc-99m sestamibi. Lesions with CNR >3 were deemed to be detectable. Thirty patients undergoing MBI examinations with administered doses of 150–300 MBq were scanned for an additional view on the pixelated NaI system. CNR was calculated for lesions observed on patient images. Background count densities of patient images were measured and compared between the two systems. Results: Over the central field of view, integral and differential uniformity were 6.1% and 4.2%, respectively, for the pixelated NaI system, and 3.8% and 2.7%, respectively, for the CZT system. Count sensitivity was 10.8 kcts/min/MBq for the NaI system and 32.9 kcts/min/MBq for the CZT system. Energy resolution was 13.5% on the pixelated NaI system and 4.5% on the CZT system. Spatial resolution (full-width at half-maximum) for the pixelated NaI detector was 4.2 mm at a distance of 1.2 cm from the collimator and 5.2 mm at 3.1 cm. Spatial resolution of a single CZT detector was 2.9 mm at a distance of 1.2 cm from the collimator and 4.7 mm at 3.1 cm. Effective spatial resolution obtained with dual-head CZT was below 4.7 mm throughout a simulated breast thickness of 6 cm. From contrast-detail phantom images of lesions at distances of 1.5–4.5 cm from the collimator face, the CZT system detected 124 of 144 (86%) of lesions compared to 97 of 144 (67%) with the NaI system. In patient studies, from comparison of the same view with both systems, a total of 7 breast lesions were identified on CZT system in seven patients, and 4 of 7 (57%) were detected on NaI system. Patient image background count densities on the CZT system were on average 3.4 times higher than those on the NaI system. Conclusions: The CZT system demonstrated better uniformity, count sensitivity, spatial resolution, energy resolution, and lesion detection in phantom and patient studies compared to the NaI system. At administered doses of 150–300 MBq Tc-99m sestamibi, patient results obtained with CZT systems may not be directly translatable to NaI systems.« less

Multi-resolution analysis for region of interest extraction in thermographic nondestructive evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Jaramillo, B.; Fandiño Toro, H. A.; Benitez-Restrepo, H. D.; Orjuela-Vargas, S. A.; Castellanos-Domínguez, G.; Philips, W.

2012-03-01

Infrared Non-Destructive Testing (INDT) is known as an effective and rapid method for nondestructive inspection. It can detect a broad range of near-surface structuring flaws in metallic and composite components. Those flaws are modeled as a smooth contour centered at peaks of stored thermal energy, termed Regions of Interest (ROI). Dedicated methodologies must detect the presence of those ROIs. In this paper, we present a methodology for ROI extraction in INDT tasks. The methodology deals with the difficulties due to the non-uniform heating. The non-uniform heating affects low spatial/frequencies and hinders the detection of relevant points in the image. In this paper, a methodology for ROI extraction in INDT using multi-resolution analysis is proposed, which is robust to ROI low contrast and non-uniform heating. The former methodology includes local correlation, Gaussian scale analysis and local edge detection. In this methodology local correlation between image and Gaussian window provides interest points related to ROIs. We use a Gaussian window because thermal behavior is well modeled by Gaussian smooth contours. Also, the Gaussian scale is used to analyze details in the image using multi-resolution analysis avoiding low contrast, non-uniform heating and selection of the Gaussian window size. Finally, local edge detection is used to provide a good estimation of the boundaries in the ROI. Thus, we provide a methodology for ROI extraction based on multi-resolution analysis that is better or equal compared with the other dedicate algorithms proposed in the state of art.

Cone Beam CT vs. Fan Beam CT: A Comparison of Image Quality and Dose Delivered Between Two Differing CT Imaging Modalities.

PubMed

Lechuga, Lawrence; Weidlich, Georg A

2016-09-12

A comparison of image quality and dose delivered between two differing computed tomography (CT) imaging modalities-fan beam and cone beam-was performed. A literature review of quantitative analyses for various image quality aspects such as uniformity, signal-to-noise ratio, artifact presence, spatial resolution, modulation transfer function (MTF), and low contrast resolution was generated. With these aspects quantified, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) shows a superior spatial resolution to that of fan beam, while fan beam shows a greater ability to produce clear and anatomically correct images with better soft tissue differentiation. The results indicate that fan beam CT produces superior images to that of on-board imaging (OBI) cone beam CT systems, while providing a considerably less dose to the patient.

Cone Beam CT vs. Fan Beam CT: A Comparison of Image Quality and Dose Delivered Between Two Differing CT Imaging Modalities

PubMed Central

Weidlich, Georg A.

2016-01-01

A comparison of image quality and dose delivered between two differing computed tomography (CT) imaging modalities—fan beam and cone beam—was performed. A literature review of quantitative analyses for various image quality aspects such as uniformity, signal-to-noise ratio, artifact presence, spatial resolution, modulation transfer function (MTF), and low contrast resolution was generated. With these aspects quantified, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) shows a superior spatial resolution to that of fan beam, while fan beam shows a greater ability to produce clear and anatomically correct images with better soft tissue differentiation. The results indicate that fan beam CT produces superior images to that of on-board imaging (OBI) cone beam CT systems, while providing a considerably less dose to the patient. PMID:27752404

Spatial resolution limits for the isotropic-3D PET detector X’tal cube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Eiji; Tashima, Hideaki; Hirano, Yoshiyuki; Inadama, Naoko; Nishikido, Fumihiko; Murayama, Hideo; Yamaya, Taiga

2013-11-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) has become a popular imaging method in metabolism, neuroscience, and molecular imaging. For dedicated human brain and small animal PET scanners, high spatial resolution is needed to visualize small objects. To improve the spatial resolution, we are developing the X’tal cube, which is our new PET detector to achieve isotropic 3D positioning detectability. We have shown that the X’tal cube can achieve 1 mm3 uniform crystal identification performance with the Anger-type calculation even at the block edges. We plan to develop the X’tal cube with even smaller 3D grids for sub-millimeter crystal identification. In this work, we investigate spatial resolution of a PET scanner based on the X’tal cube using Monte Carlo simulations for predicting resolution performance in smaller 3D grids. For spatial resolution evaluation, a point source emitting 511 keV photons was simulated by GATE for all physical processes involved in emission and interaction of positrons. We simulated two types of animal PET scanners. The first PET scanner had a detector ring 14.6 cm in diameter composed of 18 detectors. The second PET scanner had a detector ring 7.8 cm in diameter composed of 12 detectors. After the GATE simulations, we converted the interacting 3D position information to digitalized positions for realistic segmented crystals. We simulated several X’tal cubes with cubic crystals from (0.5 mm)3 to (2 mm)3 in size. Also, for evaluating the effect of DOI resolution, we simulated several X’tal cubes with crystal thickness from (0.5 mm)3 to (9 mm)3. We showed that sub-millimeter spatial resolution was possible using cubic crystals smaller than (1.0 mm)3 even with the assumed physical processes. Also, the weighted average spatial resolutions of both PET scanners with (0.5 mm)3 cubic crystals were 0.53 mm (14.6 cm ring diameter) and 0.48 mm (7.8 cm ring diameter). For the 7.8 cm ring diameter, spatial resolution with 0.5×0.5×1.0 mm3 crystals was improved 39% relative to the (1 mm)3 cubic crystals. On the other hand, spatial resolution with (0.5 mm)3 cubic crystals was improved 47% relative to the (1 mm)3 cubic crystals. The X’tal cube promises better spatial resolution for the 3D crystal block with isotropic resolution.

Spatial resolution recovery utilizing multi-ray tracing and graphic processing unit in PET image reconstruction.

PubMed

Liang, Yicheng; Peng, Hao

2015-02-07

Depth-of-interaction (DOI) poses a major challenge for a PET system to achieve uniform spatial resolution across the field-of-view, particularly for small animal and organ-dedicated PET systems. In this work, we implemented an analytical method to model system matrix for resolution recovery, which was then incorporated in PET image reconstruction on a graphical processing unit platform, due to its parallel processing capacity. The method utilizes the concepts of virtual DOI layers and multi-ray tracing to calculate the coincidence detection response function for a given line-of-response. The accuracy of the proposed method was validated for a small-bore PET insert to be used for simultaneous PET/MR breast imaging. In addition, the performance comparisons were studied among the following three cases: 1) no physical DOI and no resolution modeling; 2) two physical DOI layers and no resolution modeling; and 3) no physical DOI design but with a different number of virtual DOI layers. The image quality was quantitatively evaluated in terms of spatial resolution (full-width-half-maximum and position offset), contrast recovery coefficient and noise. The results indicate that the proposed method has the potential to be used as an alternative to other physical DOI designs and achieve comparable imaging performances, while reducing detector/system design cost and complexity.

Blind identification of full-field vibration modes of output-only structures from uniformly-sampled, possibly temporally-aliased (sub-Nyquist), video measurements

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

Yang, Yongchao; Dorn, Charles; Mancini, Tyler

Enhancing the spatial and temporal resolution of vibration measurements and modal analysis could significantly benefit dynamic modelling, analysis, and health monitoring of structures. For example, spatially high-density mode shapes are critical for accurate vibration-based damage localization. In experimental or operational modal analysis, higher (frequency) modes, which may be outside the frequency range of the measurement, contain local structural features that can improve damage localization as well as the construction and updating of the modal-based dynamic model of the structure. In general, the resolution of vibration measurements can be increased by enhanced hardware. Traditional vibration measurement sensors such as accelerometers havemore » high-frequency sampling capacity; however, they are discrete point-wise sensors only providing sparse, low spatial sensing resolution measurements, while dense deployment to achieve high spatial resolution is expensive and results in the mass-loading effect and modification of structure's surface. Non-contact measurement methods such as scanning laser vibrometers provide high spatial and temporal resolution sensing capacity; however, they make measurements sequentially that requires considerable acquisition time. As an alternative non-contact method, digital video cameras are relatively low-cost, agile, and provide high spatial resolution, simultaneous, measurements. Combined with vision based algorithms (e.g., image correlation or template matching, optical flow, etc.), video camera based measurements have been successfully used for experimental and operational vibration measurement and subsequent modal analysis. However, the sampling frequency of most affordable digital cameras is limited to 30–60 Hz, while high-speed cameras for higher frequency vibration measurements are extremely costly. This work develops a computational algorithm capable of performing vibration measurement at a uniform sampling frequency lower than what is required by the Shannon-Nyquist sampling theorem for output-only modal analysis. In particular, the spatio-temporal uncoupling property of the modal expansion of structural vibration responses enables a direct modal decoupling of the temporally-aliased vibration measurements by existing output-only modal analysis methods, yielding (full-field) mode shapes estimation directly. Then the signal aliasing properties in modal analysis is exploited to estimate the modal frequencies and damping ratios. Furthermore, the proposed method is validated by laboratory experiments where output-only modal identification is conducted on temporally-aliased acceleration responses and particularly the temporally-aliased video measurements of bench-scale structures, including a three-story building structure and a cantilever beam.« less

Blind identification of full-field vibration modes of output-only structures from uniformly-sampled, possibly temporally-aliased (sub-Nyquist), video measurements

DOE PAGES

Yang, Yongchao; Dorn, Charles; Mancini, Tyler; ...

2016-12-05

Enhancing the spatial and temporal resolution of vibration measurements and modal analysis could significantly benefit dynamic modelling, analysis, and health monitoring of structures. For example, spatially high-density mode shapes are critical for accurate vibration-based damage localization. In experimental or operational modal analysis, higher (frequency) modes, which may be outside the frequency range of the measurement, contain local structural features that can improve damage localization as well as the construction and updating of the modal-based dynamic model of the structure. In general, the resolution of vibration measurements can be increased by enhanced hardware. Traditional vibration measurement sensors such as accelerometers havemore » high-frequency sampling capacity; however, they are discrete point-wise sensors only providing sparse, low spatial sensing resolution measurements, while dense deployment to achieve high spatial resolution is expensive and results in the mass-loading effect and modification of structure's surface. Non-contact measurement methods such as scanning laser vibrometers provide high spatial and temporal resolution sensing capacity; however, they make measurements sequentially that requires considerable acquisition time. As an alternative non-contact method, digital video cameras are relatively low-cost, agile, and provide high spatial resolution, simultaneous, measurements. Combined with vision based algorithms (e.g., image correlation or template matching, optical flow, etc.), video camera based measurements have been successfully used for experimental and operational vibration measurement and subsequent modal analysis. However, the sampling frequency of most affordable digital cameras is limited to 30–60 Hz, while high-speed cameras for higher frequency vibration measurements are extremely costly. This work develops a computational algorithm capable of performing vibration measurement at a uniform sampling frequency lower than what is required by the Shannon-Nyquist sampling theorem for output-only modal analysis. In particular, the spatio-temporal uncoupling property of the modal expansion of structural vibration responses enables a direct modal decoupling of the temporally-aliased vibration measurements by existing output-only modal analysis methods, yielding (full-field) mode shapes estimation directly. Then the signal aliasing properties in modal analysis is exploited to estimate the modal frequencies and damping ratios. Furthermore, the proposed method is validated by laboratory experiments where output-only modal identification is conducted on temporally-aliased acceleration responses and particularly the temporally-aliased video measurements of bench-scale structures, including a three-story building structure and a cantilever beam.« less

A single-shot spatial chirp method for measuring initial AC conductivity evolution of femtosecond laser pulse excited warm dense matter

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

Chen, Z.; Hering, P.; Brown, S. B.

To study the rapid evolution of AC conductivity from ultrafast laser excited warm dense matter (WDM), a spatial chirp single-shot method is developed utilizing a crossing angle pump-probe configuration. The pump beam is shaped individually in two spatial dimensions so that it can provide both sufficient laser intensity to excite the material to warm dense matter state and a uniform time window of up to 1 ps with sub-100 fs FWHM temporal resolution. Here, temporal evolution of AC conductivity in laser excited warm dense gold was also measured.

A single-shot spatial chirp method for measuring initial AC conductivity evolution of femtosecond laser pulse excited warm dense matter

DOE PAGES

Chen, Z.; Hering, P.; Brown, S. B.; ...

2016-09-19

To study the rapid evolution of AC conductivity from ultrafast laser excited warm dense matter (WDM), a spatial chirp single-shot method is developed utilizing a crossing angle pump-probe configuration. The pump beam is shaped individually in two spatial dimensions so that it can provide both sufficient laser intensity to excite the material to warm dense matter state and a uniform time window of up to 1 ps with sub-100 fs FWHM temporal resolution. Here, temporal evolution of AC conductivity in laser excited warm dense gold was also measured.

Direction-of-arrival estimation for a uniform circular acoustic vector-sensor array mounted around a cylindrical baffle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, DeSen; Zhu, ZhongRui

2012-12-01

This work investigates the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation for a uniform circular acoustic Vector-Sensor Array (UCAVSA) mounted around a cylindrical baffle. The total pressure field and the total particle velocity field near the surface of the cylindrical baffle are analyzed theoretically by applying the method of spatial Fourier transform. Then the so-called modal vector-sensor array signal processing algorithm, which is based on the decomposed wavefield representations, for the UCAVSA mounted around the cylindrical baffle is proposed. Simulation and experimental results show that the UCAVSA mounted around the cylindrical baffle has distinct advantages over the same manifold of traditional uniform circular pressure-sensor array (UCPSA). It is pointed out that the acoustic Vector-Sensor (AVS) could be used under the condition of the cylindrical baffle and that the UCAVSA mounted around the cylindrical baffle could also combine the anti-noise performance of the AVS with spatial resolution performance of array system by means of modal vector-sensor array signal processing algorithms.

Effect of Local TOF Kernel Miscalibrations on Contrast-Noise in TOF PET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clementel, Enrico; Mollet, Pieter; Vandenberghe, Stefaan

2013-06-01

TOF PET imaging requires specific calibrations: accurate characterization of the system timing resolution and timing offset is required to achieve the full potential image quality. Current system models used in image reconstruction assume a spatially uniform timing resolution kernel. Furthermore, although the timing offset errors are often pre-corrected, this correction becomes less accurate with the time since, especially in older scanners, the timing offsets are often calibrated only during the installation, as the procedure is time-consuming. In this study, we investigate and compare the effects of local mismatch of timing resolution when a uniform kernel is applied to systems with local variations in timing resolution and the effects of uncorrected time offset errors on image quality. A ring-like phantom was acquired on a Philips Gemini TF scanner and timing histograms were obtained from coincidence events to measure timing resolution along all sets of LORs crossing the scanner center. In addition, multiple acquisitions of a cylindrical phantom, 20 cm in diameter with spherical inserts, and a point source were simulated. A location-dependent timing resolution was simulated, with a median value of 500 ps and increasingly large local variations, and timing offset errors ranging from 0 to 350 ps were also simulated. Images were reconstructed with TOF MLEM with a uniform kernel corresponding to the effective timing resolution of the data, as well as with purposefully mismatched kernels. To CRC vs noise curves were measured over the simulated cylinder realizations, while the simulated point source was processed to generate timing histograms of the data. Results show that timing resolution is not uniform over the FOV of the considered scanner. The simulated phantom data indicate that CRC is moderately reduced in data sets with locally varying timing resolution reconstructed with a uniform kernel, while still performing better than non-TOF reconstruction. On the other hand, uncorrected offset errors in our setup have a larger potential for decreasing image quality and can lead to a reduction of CRC of up to 15% and an increase in the measured timing resolution kernel up to 40%. However, in realistic conditions in frequently calibrated systems, using a larger effective timing kernel in image reconstruction can compensate uncorrected offset errors.

Wavelet-based Adaptive Mesh Refinement Method for Global Atmospheric Chemical Transport Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rastigejev, Y.

2011-12-01

Numerical modeling of global atmospheric chemical transport presents enormous computational difficulties, associated with simulating a wide range of time and spatial scales. The described difficulties are exacerbated by the fact that hundreds of chemical species and thousands of chemical reactions typically are used for chemical kinetic mechanism description. These computational requirements very often forces researches to use relatively crude quasi-uniform numerical grids with inadequate spatial resolution that introduces significant numerical diffusion into the system. It was shown that this spurious diffusion significantly distorts the pollutant mixing and transport dynamics for typically used grid resolution. The described numerical difficulties have to be systematically addressed considering that the demand for fast, high-resolution chemical transport models will be exacerbated over the next decade by the need to interpret satellite observations of tropospheric ozone and related species. In this study we offer dynamically adaptive multilevel Wavelet-based Adaptive Mesh Refinement (WAMR) method for numerical modeling of atmospheric chemical evolution equations. The adaptive mesh refinement is performed by adding and removing finer levels of resolution in the locations of fine scale development and in the locations of smooth solution behavior accordingly. The algorithm is based on the mathematically well established wavelet theory. This allows us to provide error estimates of the solution that are used in conjunction with an appropriate threshold criteria to adapt the non-uniform grid. Other essential features of the numerical algorithm include: an efficient wavelet spatial discretization that allows to minimize the number of degrees of freedom for a prescribed accuracy, a fast algorithm for computing wavelet amplitudes, and efficient and accurate derivative approximations on an irregular grid. The method has been tested for a variety of benchmark problems including numerical simulation of transpacific traveling pollution plumes. The generated pollution plumes are diluted due to turbulent mixing as they are advected downwind. Despite this dilution, it was recently discovered that pollution plumes in the remote troposphere can preserve their identity as well-defined structures for two weeks or more as they circle the globe. Present Global Chemical Transport Models (CTMs) implemented for quasi-uniform grids are completely incapable of reproducing these layered structures due to high numerical plume dilution caused by numerical diffusion combined with non-uniformity of atmospheric flow. It is shown that WAMR algorithm solutions of comparable accuracy as conventional numerical techniques are obtained with more than an order of magnitude reduction in number of grid points, therefore the adaptive algorithm is capable to produce accurate results at a relatively low computational cost. The numerical simulations demonstrate that WAMR algorithm applied the traveling plume problem accurately reproduces the plume dynamics unlike conventional numerical methods that utilizes quasi-uniform numerical grids.

An optical systems analysis approach to image resampling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.

1997-01-01

All types of image registration require some type of resampling, either during the registration or as a final step in the registration process. Thus the image(s) must be regridded into a spatially uniform, or angularly uniform, coordinate system with some pre-defined resolution. Frequently the ending resolution is not the resolution at which the data was observed with. The registration algorithm designer and end product user are presented with a multitude of possible resampling methods each of which modify the spatial frequency content of the data in some way. The purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to show how an imaging system modifies the scene from an end to end optical systems analysis approach, (2) to develop a generalized resampling model, and (3) empirically apply the model to simulated radiometric scene data and tabulate the results. A Hanning windowed sinc interpolator method will be developed based upon the optical characterization of the system. It will be discussed in terms of the effects and limitations of sampling, aliasing, spectral leakage, and computational complexity. Simulated radiometric scene data will be used to demonstrate each of the algorithms. A high resolution scene will be "grown" using a fractal growth algorithm based on mid-point recursion techniques. The result scene data will be convolved with a point spread function representing the optical response. The resultant scene will be convolved with the detection systems response and subsampled to the desired resolution. The resultant data product will be subsequently resampled to the correct grid using the Hanning windowed sinc interpolator and the results and errors tabulated and discussed.

Performance measurement of PSF modeling reconstruction (True X) on Siemens Biograph TruePoint TrueV PET/CT.

PubMed

Lee, Young Sub; Kim, Jin Su; Kim, Kyeong Min; Kang, Joo Hyun; Lim, Sang Moo; Kim, Hee-Joung

2014-05-01

The Siemens Biograph TruePoint TrueV (B-TPTV) positron emission tomography (PET) scanner performs 3D PET reconstruction using a system matrix with point spread function (PSF) modeling (called the True X reconstruction). PET resolution was dramatically improved with the True X method. In this study, we assessed the spatial resolution and image quality on a B-TPTV PET scanner. In addition, we assessed the feasibility of animal imaging with a B-TPTV PET and compared it with a microPET R4 scanner. Spatial resolution was measured at center and at 8 cm offset from the center in transverse plane with warm background activity. True X, ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) without PSF modeling, and filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction methods were used. Percent contrast (% contrast) and percent background variability (% BV) were assessed according to NEMA NU2-2007. The recovery coefficient (RC), non-uniformity, spill-over ratio (SOR), and PET imaging of the Micro Deluxe Phantom were assessed to compare image quality of B-TPTV PET with that of the microPET R4. When True X reconstruction was used, spatial resolution was <3.65 mm with warm background activity. % contrast and % BV with True X reconstruction were higher than those with the OSEM reconstruction algorithm without PSF modeling. In addition, the RC with True X reconstruction was higher than that with the FBP method and the OSEM without PSF modeling method on the microPET R4. The non-uniformity with True X reconstruction was higher than that with FBP and OSEM without PSF modeling on microPET R4. SOR with True X reconstruction was better than that with FBP or OSEM without PSF modeling on the microPET R4. This study assessed the performance of the True X reconstruction. Spatial resolution with True X reconstruction was improved by 45 % and its % contrast was significantly improved compared to those with the conventional OSEM without PSF modeling reconstruction algorithm. The noise level was higher than that with the other reconstruction algorithm. Therefore, True X reconstruction should be used with caution when quantifying PET data.

Development of ultrahigh resolution alpha particle imaging detector using 1 mm channel size Si-PM array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Kawaguchi, Wataru

2018-06-01

For precise distribution measurements of alpha particles, a high-resolution alpha particle imaging detector is required. Although combining a thin scintillator with a silicon photomultiplier (Si-PM) array is a promising method for achieving high resolution, the spatial resolution is limited. Reducing the size of the Si-PM array is a possible approach to improving the spatial resolution of the alpha particle imaging detector. Consequently, we employed a 1 mm channel size Si-PM array combined with a thin ZnS(Ag) sheet to form an alpha particle imaging detector and evaluated the performance. For the developed alpha particle imaging detector, an Si-PM array with 1 mm x 1 mm channel size arranged 8 x 8 was optically coupled to a ZnS(Ag) sheet with a 1-mm-thick light guide between them. The size of the alpha particle imaging detector was 9.5 mm x 9.5 mm. The spatial resolution of the developed alpha particle imaging detector was 0.14 mm FWHM, and the energy resolution was 74% FWHM for 5.5 MeV alpha particles. The uniformity of the imaging detector at the central part of the field of view (FOV) was ±4.7%. The background count rate was 0.06 counts/min. We obtained various high-resolution phantom images for alpha particles with the developed system. We conclude that the developed imaging detector is promising for high-resolution distribution measurements of alpha particles.

Radiometric infrared focal plane array imaging system for thermographic applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esposito, B. J.; Mccafferty, N.; Brown, R.; Tower, J. R.; Kosonocky, W. F.

1992-01-01

This document describes research performed under the Radiometric Infrared Focal Plane Array Imaging System for Thermographic Applications contract. This research investigated the feasibility of using platinum silicide (PtSi) Schottky-barrier infrared focal plane arrays (IR FPAs) for NASA Langley's specific radiometric thermal imaging requirements. The initial goal of this design was to develop a high spatial resolution radiometer with an NETD of 1 percent of the temperature reading over the range of 0 to 250 C. The proposed camera design developed during this study and described in this report provides: (1) high spatial resolution (full-TV resolution); (2) high thermal dynamic range (0 to 250 C); (3) the ability to image rapid, large thermal transients utilizing electronic exposure control (commandable dynamic range of 2,500,000:1 with exposure control latency of 33 ms); (4) high uniformity (0.5 percent nonuniformity after correction); and (5) high thermal resolution (0.1 C at 25 C background and 0.5 C at 250 C background).

Radiometric infrared focal plane array imaging system for thermographic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, B. J.; McCafferty, N.; Brown, R.; Tower, J. R.; Kosonocky, W. F.

1992-11-01

This document describes research performed under the Radiometric Infrared Focal Plane Array Imaging System for Thermographic Applications contract. This research investigated the feasibility of using platinum silicide (PtSi) Schottky-barrier infrared focal plane arrays (IR FPAs) for NASA Langley's specific radiometric thermal imaging requirements. The initial goal of this design was to develop a high spatial resolution radiometer with an NETD of 1 percent of the temperature reading over the range of 0 to 250 C. The proposed camera design developed during this study and described in this report provides: (1) high spatial resolution (full-TV resolution); (2) high thermal dynamic range (0 to 250 C); (3) the ability to image rapid, large thermal transients utilizing electronic exposure control (commandable dynamic range of 2,500,000:1 with exposure control latency of 33 ms); (4) high uniformity (0.5 percent nonuniformity after correction); and (5) high thermal resolution (0.1 C at 25 C background and 0.5 C at 250 C background).

SAPHIRE (scintillator avalanche photoconductor with high resolution emitter readout) for low dose x-ray imaging: Spatial resolution

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

Li Dan; Zhao Wei

2008-07-15

An indirect flat panel imager (FPI) with programmable avalanche gain and field emitter array (FEA) readout is being investigated for low-dose and high resolution x-ray imaging. It is made by optically coupling a structured x-ray scintillator, e.g., thallium (Tl) doped cesium iodide (CsI), to an amorphous selenium (a-Se) avalanche photoconductor called high-gain avalanche rushing amorphous photoconductor (HARP). The charge image created by the scintillator/HARP (SHARP) combination is read out by the electron beams emitted from the FEA. The proposed detector is called scintillator avalanche photoconductor with high resolution emitter readout (SAPHIRE). The programmable avalanche gain of HARP can improve themore » low dose performance of indirect FPI while the FEA can be made with pixel sizes down to 50 {mu}m. Because of the avalanche gain, a high resolution type of CsI (Tl), which has not been widely used in indirect FPI due to its lower light output, can be used to improve the high spatial frequency performance. The purpose of the present article is to investigate the factors affecting the spatial resolution of SAPHIRE. Since the resolution performance of the SHARP combination has been well studied, the focus of the present work is on the inherent resolution of the FEA readout method. The lateral spread of the electron beam emitted from a 50 {mu}mx50 {mu}m pixel FEA was investigated with two different electron-optical designs: mesh-electrode-only and electrostatic focusing. Our results showed that electrostatic focusing can limit the lateral spread of electron beams to within the pixel size of down to 50 {mu}m. Since electrostatic focusing is essentially independent of signal intensity, it will provide excellent spatial uniformity.« less

Iterative Image Reconstruction for PROPELLER-MRI using the NonUniform Fast Fourier Transform

PubMed Central

Tamhane, Ashish A.; Anastasio, Mark A.; Gui, Minzhi; Arfanakis, Konstantinos

2013-01-01

Purpose To investigate an iterative image reconstruction algorithm using the non-uniform fast Fourier transform (NUFFT) for PROPELLER (Periodically Rotated Overlapping parallEL Lines with Enhanced Reconstruction) MRI. Materials and Methods Numerical simulations, as well as experiments on a phantom and a healthy human subject were used to evaluate the performance of the iterative image reconstruction algorithm for PROPELLER, and compare it to that of conventional gridding. The trade-off between spatial resolution, signal to noise ratio, and image artifacts, was investigated for different values of the regularization parameter. The performance of the iterative image reconstruction algorithm in the presence of motion was also evaluated. Results It was demonstrated that, for a certain range of values of the regularization parameter, iterative reconstruction produced images with significantly increased SNR, reduced artifacts, for similar spatial resolution, compared to gridding. Furthermore, the ability to reduce the effects of motion in PROPELLER-MRI was maintained when using the iterative reconstruction approach. Conclusion An iterative image reconstruction technique based on the NUFFT was investigated for PROPELLER MRI. For a certain range of values of the regularization parameter the new reconstruction technique may provide PROPELLER images with improved image quality compared to conventional gridding. PMID:20578028

Testing the quality of images for permanent magnet desktop MRI systems using specially designed phantoms.

PubMed

Qiu, Jianfeng; Wang, Guozhu; Min, Jiao; Wang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Pengcheng

2013-12-21

Our aim was to measure the performance of desktop magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems using specially designed phantoms, by testing imaging parameters and analysing the imaging quality. We designed multifunction phantoms with diameters of 18 and 60 mm for desktop MRI scanners in accordance with the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) report no. 28. We scanned the phantoms with three permanent magnet 0.5 T desktop MRI systems, measured the MRI image parameters, and analysed imaging quality by comparing the data with the AAPM criteria and Chinese national standards. Image parameters included: resonance frequency, high contrast spatial resolution, low contrast object detectability, slice thickness, geometrical distortion, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and image uniformity. The image parameters of three desktop MRI machines could be measured using our specially designed phantoms, and most parameters were in line with MRI quality control criterion, including: resonance frequency, high contrast spatial resolution, low contrast object detectability, slice thickness, geometrical distortion, image uniformity and slice position accuracy. However, SNR was significantly lower than in some references. The imaging test and quality control are necessary for desktop MRI systems, and should be performed with the applicable phantom and corresponding standards.

Non-invasive measurement of frog skin reflectivity in high spatial resolution using a dual hyperspectral approach.

PubMed

Pinto, Francisco; Mielewczik, Michael; Liebisch, Frank; Walter, Achim; Greven, Hartmut; Rascher, Uwe

2013-01-01

Most spectral data for the amphibian integument are limited to the visible spectrum of light and have been collected using point measurements with low spatial resolution. In the present study a dual camera setup consisting of two push broom hyperspectral imaging systems was employed, which produces reflectance images between 400 and 2500 nm with high spectral and spatial resolution and a high dynamic range. We briefly introduce the system and document the high efficiency of this technique analyzing exemplarily the spectral reflectivity of the integument of three arboreal anuran species (Litoria caerulea, Agalychnis callidryas and Hyla arborea), all of which appear green to the human eye. The imaging setup generates a high number of spectral bands within seconds and allows non-invasive characterization of spectral characteristics with relatively high working distance. Despite the comparatively uniform coloration, spectral reflectivity between 700 and 1100 nm differed markedly among the species. In contrast to H. arborea, L. caerulea and A. callidryas showed reflection in this range. For all three species, reflectivity above 1100 nm is primarily defined by water absorption. Furthermore, the high resolution allowed examining even small structures such as fingers and toes, which in A. callidryas showed an increased reflectivity in the near infrared part of the spectrum. Hyperspectral imaging was found to be a very useful alternative technique combining the spectral resolution of spectrometric measurements with a higher spatial resolution. In addition, we used Digital Infrared/Red-Edge Photography as new simple method to roughly determine the near infrared reflectivity of frog specimens in field, where hyperspectral imaging is typically difficult.

Measurement of the spatial distribution of atmospheric turbulence with SCINDAR on a mosaic of urban surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, K.-L.; Robert, C.; Conan, J.-M.; Mugnier, L. M.; Cohard, J.-M.; Irvine, M.; Lagouarde, J.-P.

2017-09-01

Two experiments of urban scintillometry were performed recently. Their objective was to study the SCINDAR Cn² profiler performance on a composite urbanforest ground. The SCINDAR provides horizontal Cn² profiles with a few hundred meter profile resolution. Several improvements in data processing are reported: the choice of the spatial resolution of the profile and the hyper-parameters adjustment for Cn² regularization. The distributed Cn² values along the optical path are estimated every minute with small error bars. Their non-uniformity is shown to be consistent with the differences of the line of sight to ground and the coverage of the terrain. The SCINDAR data are also in the same order of magnitude with the three scintillometer data that were simultaneously recorded.

Analysis and improvements of Adaptive Particle Refinement (APR) through CPU time, accuracy and robustness considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiron, L.; Oger, G.; de Leffe, M.; Le Touzé, D.

2018-02-01

While smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations are usually performed using uniform particle distributions, local particle refinement techniques have been developed to concentrate fine spatial resolutions in identified areas of interest. Although the formalism of this method is relatively easy to implement, its robustness at coarse/fine interfaces can be problematic. Analysis performed in [16] shows that the radius of refined particles should be greater than half the radius of unrefined particles to ensure robustness. In this article, the basics of an Adaptive Particle Refinement (APR) technique, inspired by AMR in mesh-based methods, are presented. This approach ensures robustness with alleviated constraints. Simulations applying the new formalism proposed achieve accuracy comparable to fully refined spatial resolutions, together with robustness, low CPU times and maintained parallel efficiency.

Study of Image Qualities From 6D Robot-Based CBCT Imaging System of Small Animal Irradiator.

PubMed

Sharma, Sunil; Narayanasamy, Ganesh; Clarkson, Richard; Chao, Ming; Moros, Eduardo G; Zhang, Xin; Yan, Yulong; Boerma, Marjan; Paudel, Nava; Morrill, Steven; Corry, Peter; Griffin, Robert J

2017-01-01

To assess the quality of cone beam computed tomography images obtained by a robotic arm-based and image-guided small animal conformal radiation therapy device. The small animal conformal radiation therapy device is equipped with a 40 to 225 kV X-ray tube mounted on a custom made gantry, a 1024 × 1024 pixels flat panel detector (200 μm resolution), a programmable 6 degrees of freedom robot for cone beam computed tomography imaging and conformal delivery of radiation doses. A series of 2-dimensional radiographic projection images were recorded in cone beam mode by placing and rotating microcomputed tomography phantoms on the "palm' of the robotic arm. Reconstructed images were studied for image quality (spatial resolution, image uniformity, computed tomography number linearity, voxel noise, and artifacts). Geometric accuracy was measured to be 2% corresponding to 0.7 mm accuracy on a Shelley microcomputed tomography QA phantom. Qualitative resolution of reconstructed axial computed tomography slices using the resolution coils was within 200 μm. Quantitative spatial resolution was found to be 3.16 lp/mm. Uniformity of the system was measured within 34 Hounsfield unit on a QRM microcomputed tomography water phantom. Computed tomography numbers measured using the linearity plate were linear with material density ( R 2 > 0.995). Cone beam computed tomography images of the QRM multidisk phantom had minimal artifacts. Results showed that the small animal conformal radiation therapy device is capable of producing high-quality cone beam computed tomography images for precise and conformal small animal dose delivery. With its high-caliber imaging capabilities, the small animal conformal radiation therapy device is a powerful tool for small animal research.

SU-F-I-55: Performance Evaluation of Digital PET/CT: Medical Physics Basis for the Clinical Applications

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

Zhang, J; Knopp, MV; Miller, M

2016-06-15

Purpose: Replacement of conventional PMT-based detector with next generation digital photon counting (DPC) detector is a technology leap for PET imaging. This study evaluated the performance and characteristics of the DPC system and its stability within a 1 year time window following its installation focusing on the medical physics basis for clinical applications. Methods: A digital PET/CT scanner using 1:1 coupling of 23,040 crystal: detector elements was introduced and became operational at OSU. We tested and evaluated system performance and characteristics using NEMA NU2-2012. System stabilities in timing resolution, energy resolution, detector temperature and humidity (T&H) were monitored over 1-yr.more » Timing, energy and spatial resolution were characterized across clinically relevant count rate range. CQIE uniformity PET and NEMA IEC-Body PET with hot spheres varying with sizes and contrasts were performed. PET reconstructed in standard(4mm), High(2mm) and Ultra-High(1mm) definitions were evaluated. Results: NEMA results showed PET spatial resolution (mm-FWHM) from 4.01&4.14 at 1cm to 5.82&6.17 at 20cm in transverse & axial. 322±3ps timing and 11.0% energy resolution were measured. 5.7kcps/MBq system sensitivity with 24kcps/MBq effective sensitivity was obtained. The peak-NECR was ∼171kcps with the effective peak-NECR >650kcps@50kBq/mL. Scatter fraction was ∼30%, and the maximum trues was >900kcps. NEMA IQ demonstrated hot sphere contrast ranging from ∼62%±2%(10mm) to ∼88%±2%(22mm), cold sphere contrast of ∼86%±2%(28mm) and ∼89%±3%(37mm) and excellent uniformity. Monitoring 1-yr stability, it revealed ∼1% change in timing, ±0.4% change in energy resolution, and <10% variations in T&H. CQIE PET gave <3% SUV variances in axial. 60%–100% recovery coefficients across sphere sizes and contrast levels were achieved. Conclusion: Characteristics and stability of the next generation DPC PET detector system over an 1-yr time window was excellent and better than prior experiences. It demonstrated improved and robust system characteristics and performance in spatial resolution, sensitivity, timing and energy resolution, count rate and image quality. Michael Miller is an employee of Philips Healthcare.« less

Approach to simultaneously denoise and invert backscatter and extinction from photon-limited atmospheric lidar observations.

PubMed

Marais, Willem J; Holz, Robert E; Hu, Yu Hen; Kuehn, Ralph E; Eloranta, Edwin E; Willett, Rebecca M

2016-10-10

Atmospheric lidar observations provide a unique capability to directly observe the vertical column of cloud and aerosol scattering properties. Detector and solar-background noise, however, hinder the ability of lidar systems to provide reliable backscatter and extinction cross-section estimates. Standard methods for solving this inverse problem are most effective with high signal-to-noise ratio observations that are only available at low resolution in uniform scenes. This paper describes a novel method for solving the inverse problem with high-resolution, lower signal-to-noise ratio observations that are effective in non-uniform scenes. The novelty is twofold. First, the inferences of the backscatter and extinction are applied to images, whereas current lidar algorithms only use the information content of single profiles. Hence, the latent spatial and temporal information in noisy images are utilized to infer the cross-sections. Second, the noise associated with photon-counting lidar observations can be modeled using a Poisson distribution, and state-of-the-art tools for solving Poisson inverse problems are adapted to the atmospheric lidar problem. It is demonstrated through photon-counting high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) simulations that the proposed algorithm yields inverted backscatter and extinction cross-sections (per unit volume) with smaller mean squared error values at higher spatial and temporal resolutions, compared to the standard approach. Two case studies of real experimental data are also provided where the proposed algorithm is applied on HSRL observations and the inverted backscatter and extinction cross-sections are compared against the standard approach.

An investigation into factors affecting the precision of CT radiation dose profile width measurements using radiochromic films

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

Li, Baojun, E-mail: Baojunli@bu.edu; Behrman, Richard H.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of x-ray beam energy, exposure intensity, and flat-bed scanner uniformity and spatial resolution on the precision of computed tomography (CT) beam width measurements using Gafchromic XR-QA2 film and an off-the-shelf document scanner. Methods: Small strips of Gafchromic film were placed at isocenter in a CT scanner and exposed at various x-ray beam energies (80–140 kVp), exposure levels (50–400 mA s), and nominal beam widths (1.25, 5, and 10 mm). The films were scanned in reflection mode on a Ricoh MP3501 flat-bed document scanner using several spatial resolution settings (100 to 400 dpi) and at differentmore » locations on the scanner bed. Reflection measurements were captured in digital image files and radiation dose profiles generated by converting the image pixel values to air kerma through film calibration. Beam widths were characterized by full width at half maximum (FWHM) and full width at tenth maximum (FWTM) of dose profiles. Dependences of these parameters on the above factors were quantified in percentage change from the baselines. Results: The uncertainties in both FWHM and FWTM caused by varying beam energy, exposure level, and scanner uniformity were all within 4.5% and 7.6%, respectively. Increasing scanner spatial resolution significantly increased the uncertainty in both FWHM and FWTM, with FWTM affected by almost 8 times more than FWHM (48.7% vs 6.5%). When uncalibrated dose profiles were used, FWHM and FWTM were over-estimated by 11.6% and 7.6%, respectively. Narrower beam width appeared more sensitive to the film calibration than the wider ones (R{sup 2} = 0.68 and 0.85 for FWHM and FWTM, respectively). The global and maximum local background variations of the document scanner were 1.2%. The intrinsic film nonuniformity for an unexposed film was 0.3%. Conclusions: Measurement of CT beam widths using Gafchromic XR-QA2 films is robust against x-ray energy, exposure level, and scanner uniformity. With proper film calibration and scanner resolution setting, it can provide adequate precision for meeting ACR and manufacturer’s tolerances for the measurement of CT dose profiles.« less

An assessment of the performance and quality control procedures of PACS workstation monitors used in Irish radiology departments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wade, Cherrie; Brennan, Patrick C.; Mc Entee, Mark F.

2005-04-01

Diagnostic efficacy in soft-copy reporting relies heavily on the quality of workstation monitors and an investigation performed in 2002 demonstrated that CRT monitors in Dublin imaging departments were not operating at optimal levels. The current work examines the performance of CRTs being used in Dublin and other parts of Ireland to establish if problems reported in the earlier work have been rectified. All hospitals performing soft-copy reporting for general radiology using CRTs were included in the work. Examination of ambient lighting, calibration of monitors and analysis of CRT performance using the SMPTE test pattern and a selection of the AAPM test images was performed. Maximum luminance, spatial uniformity of luminance, temporal luminance stability, gamma, geometry, sharpness, veiling glare and spatial resolution of each monitor was evaluated. Ambient lighting in all reporting areas was within recommended levels. All the monitors were calibrated appropriately and were performing at acceptable levels for maximum luminance and temporal stability and only one of the thirty-three investigated failed to reach the standard for spatial uniformity. In contrast a number of the CRTs investigated showed poor adherence to acceptable levels for geometrical distortions, veiling glare and spatial resolution all of which are important influencers of image quality. Gamma values also appeared to be low for a number of monitors but this interpretation is provisional and subject to the establishment of ratified guideline values. The results demonstrate that although some improvement on the previous situation is evident, greater adherence to acceptable levels is required for certain parameters.

Use of high-granularity CdZnTe pixelated detectors to correct response non-uniformities caused by defects in crystals

DOE PAGES

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.; Cui, Y.; ...

2015-09-06

Following our successful demonstration of the position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, we investigated the feasibility of using high-granularity position sensing to correct response non-uniformities caused by the crystal defects in CdZnTe (CZT) pixelated detectors. The development of high-granularity detectors able to correct response non-uniformities on a scale comparable to the size of electron clouds opens the opportunity of using unselected off-the-shelf CZT material, whilst still assuring high spectral resolution for the majority of the detectors fabricated from an ingot. Here, we present the results from testing 3D position-sensitive 15×15×10 mm 3 pixelated detectors, fabricated with conventional pixel patterns with progressively smallermore » pixel sizes: 1.4, 0.8, and 0.5 mm. We employed the readout system based on the H3D front-end multi-channel ASIC developed by BNL's Instrumentation Division in collaboration with the University of Michigan. We use the sharing of electron clouds among several adjacent pixels to measure locations of interaction points with sub-pixel resolution. By using the detectors with small-pixel sizes and a high probability of the charge-sharing events, we were able to improve their spectral resolutions in comparison to the baseline levels, measured for the 1.4-mm pixel size detectors with small fractions of charge-sharing events. These results demonstrate that further enhancement of the performance of CZT pixelated detectors and reduction of costs are possible by using high spatial-resolution position information of interaction points to correct the small-scale response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects present in most devices.« less

SU-G-TeP2-11: Initial Evaluation of a Novel Split-Filter Dual-Energy CT for Use in Radiation Oncology

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

Miller, J; Huang, J; Szczykutowicz, T

2016-06-15

Purpose: To perform an initial evaluation of a novel split-filter dual-energy CT (DECT) system with the goal of understanding the clinical utility and limitations of the system for radiation therapy. Methods: Several phantoms were imaged using the split-filter DECT technique on the Siemens Edge CT scanner using a range of clinically-relevant doses. The optimum-contrast reconstruction, the mixed reconstruction, and the monoenergetic reconstructions (ranging from 40 keV to 190 keV) were evaluated. Each image was analyzed for CT number accuracy, uniformity, noise, low-contrast visibility (LCV), spatial resolution and geometric distortion. For comparison purposes, all parameters were evaluated on 120 kVp single-energymore » CT (SECT) scans used for treatment planning, as well as, a sequential-scan DECT technique for corresponding doses. Results: For all DECT reconstructions no observable geometric distortion was found. Both the optimal-contrast and mixed images demonstrated slight improvements in LCV and noise when compared to the SECT, and slight reductions in CT number accuracy and spatial resolution. The CT numbers trended as expected for the monoenergetic reconstructions, with CT number accuracy within 50 HU for materials of density <2 g/cm3. Spatial resolution increased with energy, and for monoenergetic reconstructions >70 keV the spatial resolution exceeded that of the SECT. The noise in the monoenergetic reconstructions increased with decreasing energy. Thus, the image uniformity, signal-to-noise ratio and LCV were diminished at lower energies (70 keV). Applying iterative reconstruction techniques to the low-energy images reduced noise and improved LCV. The signal-to-noise ratio was stable for energies >100 keV. Conclusion: The initial commissioning of the novel split-filter DECT technology demonstrated favorable results for clinical implementation. The mixed reconstruction showed potential as a replacement for the treatment planning SECT. The image parameters for the monoenergetic reconstructions varied appropriately with energy. This work provides an initial understanding of the limitations and potential applications for monoenergetic imaging.« less

A custom-built PET phantom design for quantitative imaging of printed distributions.

PubMed

Markiewicz, P J; Angelis, G I; Kotasidis, F; Green, M; Lionheart, W R; Reader, A J; Matthews, J C

2011-11-07

This note presents a practical approach to a custom-made design of PET phantoms enabling the use of digital radioactive distributions with high quantitative accuracy and spatial resolution. The phantom design allows planar sources of any radioactivity distribution to be imaged in transaxial and axial (sagittal or coronal) planes. Although the design presented here is specially adapted to the high-resolution research tomograph (HRRT), the presented methods can be adapted to almost any PET scanner. Although the presented phantom design has many advantages, a number of practical issues had to be overcome such as positioning of the printed source, calibration, uniformity and reproducibility of printing. A well counter (WC) was used in the calibration procedure to find the nonlinear relationship between digital voxel intensities and the actual measured radioactive concentrations. Repeated printing together with WC measurements and computed radiography (CR) using phosphor imaging plates (IP) were used to evaluate the reproducibility and uniformity of such printing. Results show satisfactory printing uniformity and reproducibility; however, calibration is dependent on the printing mode and the physical state of the cartridge. As a demonstration of the utility of using printed phantoms, the image resolution and quantitative accuracy of reconstructed HRRT images are assessed. There is very good quantitative agreement in the calibration procedure between HRRT, CR and WC measurements. However, the high resolution of CR and its quantitative accuracy supported by WC measurements made it possible to show the degraded resolution of HRRT brain images caused by the partial-volume effect and the limits of iterative image reconstruction.

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.

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

Adams, B.W.; et al.

The Large Area Picosecond PhotoDetector (LAPPD) Collaboration was formed in 2009 to develop large-area photodetectors capable of time resolutions measured in pico-seconds, with accompanying sub-millimeter spatial resolution. During the next three and one-half years the Collaboration developed the LAPPD design of 20 x 20 cm modules with gains greater thanmore » $10^7$ and non-uniformity less than $$15\\%$$, time resolution less than 50 psec for single photons and spatial resolution of 700~microns in both lateral dimensions. We describe the R\\&D performed to develop large-area micro-channel plate glass substrates, resistive and secondary-emitting coatings, large-area bialkali photocathodes, and RF-capable hermetic packaging. In addition, the Collaboration developed the necessary electronics for large systems capable of precise timing, built up from a custom low-power 15-GigaSample/sec waveform sampling 6-channel integrated circuit and supported by a two-level modular data acquisition system based on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays for local control, data-sparcification, and triggering. We discuss the formation, organization, and technical successes and short-comings of the Collaboration. The Collaboration ended in December 2012 with a transition from R\\&D to commercialization.« less

Performance evaluation of a high resolution dedicated breast PET scanner

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

García Hernández, Trinitat, E-mail: mtrinitat@eresa.com; Vicedo González, Aurora; Brualla González, Luis

2016-05-15

Purpose: Early stage breast cancers may not be visible on a whole-body PET scan. To overcome whole-body PET limitations, several dedicated breast positron emission tomography (DbPET) systems have emerged nowadays aiming to improve spatial resolution. In this work the authors evaluate the performance of a high resolution dedicated breast PET scanner (Mammi-PET, Oncovision). Methods: Global status, uniformity, sensitivity, energy, and spatial resolution were measured. Spheres of different sizes (2.5, 4, 5, and 6 mm diameter) and various 18 fluorodeoxyglucose ({sup 18}F-FDG) activity concentrations were randomly inserted in a gelatine breast phantom developed at our institution. Several lesion-to-background ratios (LBR) weremore » simulated, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1, 30:1, and 50:1. Images were reconstructed using different voxel sizes. The ability of experienced reporters to detect spheres was tested as a function of acquisition time, LBR, sphere size, and matrix reconstruction voxel size. For comparison, phantoms were scanned in the DbPET camera and in a whole body PET (WB-PET). Two patients who just underwent WB-PET/CT exams were imaged with the DbPET system and the images were compared. Results: The measured absolute peak sensitivity was 2.0%. The energy resolution was 24.0% ± 1%. The integral and differential uniformity were 10% and 6% in the total field of view (FOV) and 9% and 5% in the central FOV, respectively. The measured spatial resolution was 2.0, 1.9, and 1.7 mm in the radial, tangential, and axial directions. The system exhibited very good detectability for spheres ≥4 mm and LBR ≥10 with a sphere detection of 100% when acquisition time was set >3 min/bed. For LBR = 5 and acquisition time of 7 min the detectability was 100% for spheres of 6 mm and 75% for spheres of 5, 4, and 2.5 mm. Lesion WB-PET detectability was only comparable to the DbPET camera for lesion sizes ≥5 mm when acquisition time was >3 min and LBR > 10. Conclusions: The DbPET has a good performance for its clinical use and shows an improved resolution and lesion detectability of small lesions compared to WB-PET.« less

A New High-Resolution N2O Emission Inventory for China in 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Z.; Zhou, F.; Ciais, P.; Tao, S.; Piao, S.; Raymond, P. A.; He, C.; Li, B.; Wang, R.; Wang, X.; Peng, S.; Zeng, Z.; Chen, H.; Ying, N.; Hou, X.; Xu, P.

2014-12-01

The amount and geographic distribution of N2O emissions over China remain largely uncertain. Most of existing emission inventories use uniform emission factors (EFs) and the associated parameters and apply spatial proxies to downscale national or provincial data, resulting in the introduction of spatial bias. In this study, county-level and 0.1° × 0.1° gridded anthropogenic N2O emission inventories for China (PKU-N2O) in 2008 are developed based on high-resolution activity data and regional EFs and parameters. These new estimates are compared with estimates from EDGAR v4.2, GAINS-China, National Development and Reform Commission of China (NDRC), and with two sensitivity tests: one that uses high-resolution activity data but the default IPCC methodology (S1) and the other that uses regional EFs and parameters but starts from coarser-resolution activity data. The total N2O emissions are 2150 GgN2O/yr (interquartile range from 1174 to 2787 GgN2O/yr). Agriculture contributes 64% of the total, followed by energy (17%), indirect emissions (12%), wastes (5%), industry (2.8%), and wildfires (0.2%). Our national emission total is 17% greater than that of the EDGAR v4.2 global product sampled over China and is also greater than the GAINS-China, NDRC, and S1 estimates by 10%, 50%, and 17%, respectively. We also found that using uniform EFs and parameters or starting from national/provincial data causes systematic spatial biases compared to PKU-N2O. In addition, the considerable differences between the relative contributions of the six sectors across the six Agro-Climate Zones primarily reflect the different distributions of industrial activities and land use. Eastern China (8.7% area of China) is the largest contributor of N2O emissions and accounts for nearly 25% of the total. Spatial analysis also shows nonlinear relationships between N2O emission intensities and urbanization. Per-capita and per-GDP N2O emissions increase gradually with an increase in the urban population fraction from 0.3 to 0.9 among 2884 counties, and N2O emission density increases with urban expansion. Moreover, additional experiments and the use of a reliable data-driven approach or process-based models can improve the spatial resolution and reduce the uncertainties in PKU-N2O, especially from agricultural soils and manure management.

Integrated sensor with frame memory and programmable resolution for light adaptive imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Zhimin (Inventor); Fossum, Eric R. (Inventor); Pain, Bedabrata (Inventor)

2004-01-01

An image sensor operable to vary the output spatial resolution according to a received light level while maintaining a desired signal-to-noise ratio. Signals from neighboring pixels in a pixel patch with an adjustable size are added to increase both the image brightness and signal-to-noise ratio. One embodiment comprises a sensor array for receiving input signals, a frame memory array for temporarily storing a full frame, and an array of self-calibration column integrators for uniform column-parallel signal summation. The column integrators are capable of substantially canceling fixed pattern noise.

Resolution requirements for aero-optical simulations

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

Mani, Ali; Wang Meng; Moin, Parviz

2008-11-10

Analytical criteria are developed to estimate the error of aero-optical computations due to inadequate spatial resolution of refractive index fields in high Reynolds number flow simulations. The unresolved turbulence structures are assumed to be locally isotropic and at low turbulent Mach number. Based on the Kolmogorov spectrum for the unresolved structures, the computational error of the optical path length is estimated and linked to the resulting error in the computed far-field optical irradiance. It is shown that in the high Reynolds number limit, for a given geometry and Mach number, the spatial resolution required to capture aero-optics within a pre-specifiedmore » error margin does not scale with Reynolds number. In typical aero-optical applications this resolution requirement is much lower than the resolution required for direct numerical simulation, and therefore, a typical large-eddy simulation can capture the aero-optical effects. The analysis is extended to complex turbulent flow simulations in which non-uniform grid spacings are used to better resolve the local turbulence structures. As a demonstration, the analysis is used to estimate the error of aero-optical computation for an optical beam passing through turbulent wake of flow over a cylinder.« less

Non-Invasive Measurement of Frog Skin Reflectivity in High Spatial Resolution Using a Dual Hyperspectral Approach

PubMed Central

Liebisch, Frank; Walter, Achim; Greven, Hartmut; Rascher, Uwe

2013-01-01

Background Most spectral data for the amphibian integument are limited to the visible spectrum of light and have been collected using point measurements with low spatial resolution. In the present study a dual camera setup consisting of two push broom hyperspectral imaging systems was employed, which produces reflectance images between 400 and 2500 nm with high spectral and spatial resolution and a high dynamic range. Methodology/Principal Findings We briefly introduce the system and document the high efficiency of this technique analyzing exemplarily the spectral reflectivity of the integument of three arboreal anuran species (Litoria caerulea, Agalychnis callidryas and Hyla arborea), all of which appear green to the human eye. The imaging setup generates a high number of spectral bands within seconds and allows non-invasive characterization of spectral characteristics with relatively high working distance. Despite the comparatively uniform coloration, spectral reflectivity between 700 and 1100 nm differed markedly among the species. In contrast to H. arborea, L. caerulea and A. callidryas showed reflection in this range. For all three species, reflectivity above 1100 nm is primarily defined by water absorption. Furthermore, the high resolution allowed examining even small structures such as fingers and toes, which in A. callidryas showed an increased reflectivity in the near infrared part of the spectrum. Conclusion/Significance Hyperspectral imaging was found to be a very useful alternative technique combining the spectral resolution of spectrometric measurements with a higher spatial resolution. In addition, we used Digital Infrared/Red-Edge Photography as new simple method to roughly determine the near infrared reflectivity of frog specimens in field, where hyperspectral imaging is typically difficult. PMID:24058464

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.

Design and Construction of an Optical Computed Tomography Scanner for Polymer Gel Dosimetry Application

PubMed Central

Zakariaee, Seyed Salman; Mesbahi, Asghar; Keshtkar, Ahmad; Azimirad, Vahid

2014-01-01

Polymer gel dosimeter is the only accurate three dimensional (3D) dosimeter that can measure the absorbed dose distribution in a perfect 3D setting. Gel dosimetry by using optical computed tomography (OCT) has been promoted by several researches. In the current study, we designed and constructed a prototype OCT system for gel dosimetry. First, the electrical system for optical scanning of the gel container using a Helium-Neon laser and a photocell was designed and constructed. Then, the mechanical part for two rotational and translational motions was designed and step motors were assembled to it. The data coming from photocell was grabbed by the home-built interface and sent to a personal computer. Data processing was carried out using MATLAB software. To calibrate the system and tune up the functionality of it, different objects was designed and scanned. Furthermore, the spatial and contrast resolution of the system was determined. The system was able to scan the gel dosimeter container with a diameter up to 11 cm inside the water phantom. The standard deviation of the pixels within water flask image was considered as the criteria for image uniformity. The uniformity of the system was about ±0.05%. The spatial resolution of the system was approximately 1 mm and contrast resolution was about 0.2%. Our primary results showed that this system is able to obtain two-dimensional, cross-sectional images from polymer gel samples. PMID:24761377

Depth resolved hyperspectral imaging spectrometer based on structured light illumination and Fourier transform interferometry

PubMed Central

Choi, Heejin; Wadduwage, Dushan; Matsudaira, Paul T.; So, Peter T.C.

2014-01-01

A depth resolved hyperspectral imaging spectrometer can provide depth resolved imaging both in the spatial and the spectral domain. Images acquired through a standard imaging Fourier transform spectrometer do not have the depth-resolution. By post processing the spectral cubes (x, y, λ) obtained through a Sagnac interferometer under uniform illumination and structured illumination, spectrally resolved images with depth resolution can be recovered using structured light illumination algorithms such as the HiLo method. The proposed scheme is validated with in vitro specimens including fluorescent solution and fluorescent beads with known spectra. The system is further demonstrated in quantifying spectra from 3D resolved features in biological specimens. The system has demonstrated depth resolution of 1.8 μm and spectral resolution of 7 nm respectively. PMID:25360367

Imaging performance of a LaBr3-based PET scanner

PubMed Central

Daube-Witherspoon, M E; Surti, S; Perkins, A; Kyba, C C M; Wiener, R; Werner, M E; Kulp, R; Karp, J S

2010-01-01

A prototype time-of-flight (TOF) PET scanner based on cerium-doped lanthanum bromide [LaBr3 (5% Ce)] has been developed. LaBr3 has high light output, excellent energy resolution, and fast timing properties that have been predicted to lead to good image quality. Intrinsic performance measurements of spatial resolution, sensitivity, and scatter fraction demonstrate good conventional PET performance; the results agree with previous simulation studies. Phantom measurements show the excellent image quality achievable with the prototype system. Phantom measurements and corresponding simulations show a faster and more uniform convergence rate, as well as more uniform quantification, for TOF reconstruction of the data, which have 375-ps intrinsic timing resolution, compared to non-TOF images. Measurements and simulations of a hot and cold sphere phantom show that the 7% energy resolution helps to mitigate residual errors in the scatter estimate because a high energy threshold (>480 keV) can be used to restrict the amount of scatter accepted without a loss of true events. Preliminary results with incorporation of a model of detector blurring in the iterative reconstruction algorithm show improved contrast recovery but also point out the importance of an accurate resolution model of the tails of LaBr3’s point spread function. The LaBr3 TOF-PET scanner has demonstrated the impact of superior timing and energy resolutions on image quality. PMID:19949259

High resolution CsI(Tl)/Si-PIN detector development for breast imaging

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

Patt, B.E.; Iwanczyk, J.S.; Tull, C.R.

High resolution multi-element (8x8) imaging arrays with collimators, size matched to discrete CsI(Tl) scintillator arrays and Si-PIN photodetector arrays (PDA`s) were developed as prototypes for larger arrays for breast imaging. Photodetector pixels were each 1.5 {times} 1.5 mm{sup 2} with 0.25 mm gaps. A 16-element quadrant of the detector was evaluated with a segmented CsI(Tl) scintillator array coupled to the silicon array. The scintillator thickness of 6 mm corresponds to >85% total gamma efficiency at 140 keV. Pixel energy resolution of <8% FWHM was obtained for Tc-99m. Electronic noise was 41 e{sup {minus}} RMS corresponding to a 3% FWHM contributionmore » to the 140 keV photopeak. Detection efficiency uniformity measured with a Tc-99m flood source was 4.3% for an {approximately}10% energy photopeak window. Spatial resolution was 1.53 mm FWHM and pitch was 1.75 mm as measured from the Co-57 (122 keV) line spread function. Signal to background was 34 and contrast was 0.94. The energy resolution and spatial characteristics of the new imaging detector exceed those of other scintillator based imaging detectors. A camera based on this technology will allow: (1) Improved Compton scatter rejection; (2) Detector positioning in close proximity to the breast to increase signal to noise; (3) Improved spatial resolution; and (4) Improved efficiency compared to high resolution collimated gamma cameras for the anticipated compressed breast geometries.« less

Image characterization metrics for muon tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Weidong; Lehovich, Andre; Anashkin, Edward; Bai, Chuanyong; Kindem, Joel; Sossong, Michael; Steiger, Matt

2014-05-01

Muon tomography uses naturally occurring cosmic rays to detect nuclear threats in containers. Currently there are no systematic image characterization metrics for muon tomography. We propose a set of image characterization methods to quantify the imaging performance of muon tomography. These methods include tests of spatial resolution, uniformity, contrast, signal to noise ratio (SNR) and vertical smearing. Simulated phantom data and analysis methods were developed to evaluate metric applicability. Spatial resolution was determined as the FWHM of the point spread functions in X, Y and Z axis for 2.5cm tungsten cubes. Uniformity was measured by drawing a volume of interest (VOI) within a large water phantom and defined as the standard deviation of voxel values divided by the mean voxel value. Contrast was defined as the peak signals of a set of tungsten cubes divided by the mean voxel value of the water background. SNR was defined as the peak signals of cubes divided by the standard deviation (noise) of the water background. Vertical smearing, i.e. vertical thickness blurring along the zenith axis for a set of 2 cm thick tungsten plates, was defined as the FWHM of vertical spread function for the plate. These image metrics provided a useful tool to quantify the basic imaging properties for muon tomography.

Arctic storms simulated in atmospheric general circulation models under uniform high, uniform low, and variable resolutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roesler, E. L.; Bosler, P. A.; Taylor, M.

2016-12-01

The impact of strong extratropical storms on coastal communities is large, and the extent to which storms will change with a warming Arctic is unknown. Understanding storms in reanalysis and in climate models is important for future predictions. We know that the number of detected Arctic storms in reanalysis is sensitive to grid resolution. To understand Arctic storm sensitivity to resolution in climate models, we describe simulations designed to identify and compare Arctic storms at uniform low resolution (1 degree), at uniform high resolution (1/8 degree), and at variable resolution (1 degree to 1/8 degree). High-resolution simulations resolve more fine-scale structure and extremes, such as storms, in the atmosphere than a uniform low-resolution simulation. However, the computational cost of running a globally uniform high-resolution simulation is often prohibitive. The variable resolution tool in atmospheric general circulation models permits regional high-resolution solutions at a fraction of the computational cost. The storms are identified using the open-source search algorithm, Stride Search. The uniform high-resolution simulation has over 50% more storms than the uniform low-resolution and over 25% more storms than the variable resolution simulations. Storm statistics from each of the simulations is presented and compared with reanalysis. We propose variable resolution as a cost-effective means of investigating physics/dynamics coupling in the Arctic environment. Future work will include comparisons with observed storms to investigate tuning parameters for high resolution models. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND2016-7402 A

Spatially-resolved HPGe Gamma-ray Spectroscopy of Swipe Samples

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

McDonald, Benjamin S.; VanDevender, Brent A.; Wood, Lynn S.

Measurement of swipe samples is a critical element of the National Technical Nuclear Forensics (NTNF) mission. A unique, portable, germanium gamma imager (GeGI-s) from PHDS Co may provide complementary information to current techniques for swipe sample screening. The GeGI-s is a modified version of the commercial GeGI-4, a planar HPGe detector, capable of several million counts per second across the whole detector. The GeGI-s detector is a prototype of a commercial off-the-shelf high rate GeGI. The high rate capability allows high-activity samples be placed directly on the face of the detector. Utilizing the high energy resolution and pixelization of themore » detector, the GeGI-s can generate isotope specific spatial maps of the materials on the swipe sample. To prove this technology is viable for such mapping, the GeGI-s detector response to spatially distributed events must be well characterized. The detection efficiency as a function of location has been characterized to understand the non-uniformities presented as a collimated photon beam was rastered vertically and horizontally across the face of the detector. The detection efficiency as a function of location has been characterized to understand the non-uniformities presented as a collimated photon beam was rastered vertically and horizontally across the face of the detector. The response was found to be primarily uniform and symmetric, however two causes of non-uniformity were found. Both of these causes can ultimately be corrected for in off-line data analysis.« less

Image correlation microscopy for uniform illumination.

PubMed

Gaborski, T R; Sealander, M N; Ehrenberg, M; Waugh, R E; McGrath, J L

2010-01-01

Image cross-correlation microscopy is a technique that quantifies the motion of fluorescent features in an image by measuring the temporal autocorrelation function decay in a time-lapse image sequence. Image cross-correlation microscopy has traditionally employed laser-scanning microscopes because the technique emerged as an extension of laser-based fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. In this work, we show that image correlation can also be used to measure fluorescence dynamics in uniform illumination or wide-field imaging systems and we call our new approach uniform illumination image correlation microscopy. Wide-field microscopy is not only a simpler, less expensive imaging modality, but it offers the capability of greater temporal resolution over laser-scanning systems. In traditional laser-scanning image cross-correlation microscopy, lateral mobility is calculated from the temporal de-correlation of an image, where the characteristic length is the illuminating laser beam width. In wide-field microscopy, the diffusion length is defined by the feature size using the spatial autocorrelation function. Correlation function decay in time occurs as an object diffuses from its original position. We show that theoretical and simulated comparisons between Gaussian and uniform features indicate the temporal autocorrelation function depends strongly on particle size and not particle shape. In this report, we establish the relationships between the spatial autocorrelation function feature size, temporal autocorrelation function characteristic time and the diffusion coefficient for uniform illumination image correlation microscopy using analytical, Monte Carlo and experimental validation with particle tracking algorithms. Additionally, we demonstrate uniform illumination image correlation microscopy analysis of adhesion molecule domain aggregation and diffusion on the surface of human neutrophils.

Desertification in the south Junggar Basin, 2000-2009: Part I. Spatial analysis and indicator retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Miao; Lin, Yi

2018-07-01

Desertification is a serious environmental problem that threatens ecological balance and society sustainability, and pursuit of efficient techniques for its monitoring is always highlighted. Compared to in-situ investigation, remote sensing (RS) has proved to be an efficient solution plan, particularly for large covers, whereas previous RS-based studies mostly focused on proposal and validation of various indicators for different scenarios. To comprehensively reflect desertification and project its trend, this study attempted to develop a new comprehensive RS information model, with the scenario for test deployed at the south Junggar Basin, China in the last decade (2000-2009). The premise of establishing such a model, however, is not simple, involving selection of RS images with appropriate spatial resolutions and uniform retrievals of indicators with high accuracies. To handle these fundamental problems, this Part I compared the merits and faults of MODIS and TM images in desertification characterization, by making spatial analyses including land cover patch- and pixel-scale analyses and land attribute semi-variance and scale-agreement analyses. After the MODIS images with the resolution of 250 m were identified to be the appropriate choice, multiple representative indicators including NDVI, fraction of vegetation cover, land surface temperature, albedo and soil moisture that relate to different aspects of desertification processes were uniformly retrieved by using their individual effective algorithms and downscaling. Tests showed the spatial analyses did help in ensuring the premise of the whole study and the retrievals of indicators were reliable. The contributions are of fundamental implications for improving RS-based desertification analysis and have created a firm foundation for developing a RS information model in Part II.

Prototype pre-clinical PET scanner with depth-of-interaction measurements using single-layer crystal array and single-ended readout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Min Sun; Kim, Kyeong Yun; Ko, Guen Bae; Lee, Jae Sung

2017-05-01

In this study, we developed a proof-of-concept prototype PET system using a pair of depth-of-interaction (DOI) PET detectors based on the proposed DOI-encoding method and digital silicon photomultiplier (dSiPM). Our novel cost-effective DOI measurement method is based on a triangular-shaped reflector that requires only a single-layer pixelated crystal and single-ended signal readout. The DOI detector consisted of an 18  ×  18 array of unpolished LYSO crystal (1.47  ×  1.47  ×  15 mm3) wrapped with triangular-shaped reflectors. The DOI information was encoded by depth-dependent light distribution tailored by the reflector geometry and DOI correction was performed using four-step depth calibration data and maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation. The detector pair and the object were placed on two motorized rotation stages to demonstrate 12-block ring PET geometry with 11.15 cm diameter. Spatial resolution was measured and phantom and animal imaging studies were performed to investigate imaging performance. All images were reconstructed with and without the DOI correction to examine the impact of our DOI measurement. The pair of dSiPM-based DOI PET detectors showed good physical performances respectively: 2.82 and 3.09 peak-to-valley ratios, 14.30% and 18.95% energy resolution, and 4.28 and 4.24 mm DOI resolution averaged over all crystals and all depths. A sub-millimeter spatial resolution was achieved at the center of the field of view (FOV). After applying ML-based DOI correction, maximum 36.92% improvement was achieved in the radial spatial resolution and a uniform resolution was observed within 5 cm of transverse PET FOV. We successfully acquired phantom and animal images with improved spatial resolution and contrast by using the DOI measurement. The proposed DOI-encoding method was successfully demonstrated in the system level and exhibited good performance, showing its feasibility for animal PET applications with high spatial resolution and sensitivity.

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.

Complex Greenland outlet glacier flow captured

PubMed Central

Aschwanden, Andy; Fahnestock, Mark A.; Truffer, Martin

2016-01-01

The Greenland Ice Sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate due to increased surface melt and flow acceleration in outlet glaciers. Quantifying future dynamic contributions to sea level requires accurate portrayal of outlet glaciers in ice sheet simulations, but to date poor knowledge of subglacial topography and limited model resolution have prevented reproduction of complex spatial patterns of outlet flow. Here we combine a high-resolution ice-sheet model coupled to uniformly applied models of subglacial hydrology and basal sliding, and a new subglacial topography data set to simulate the flow of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Flow patterns of many outlet glaciers are well captured, illustrating fundamental commonalities in outlet glacier flow and highlighting the importance of efforts to map subglacial topography. Success in reproducing present day flow patterns shows the potential for prognostic modelling of ice sheets without the need for spatially varying parameters with uncertain time evolution. PMID:26830316

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

Bolotnikov, A. E.; Camarda, G. S.; Cui, Y.

Following our successful demonstration of the position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, we investigated the feasibility of using high-granularity position sensing to correct response non-uniformities caused by the crystal defects in CdZnTe (CZT) pixelated detectors. The development of high-granularity detectors able to correct response non-uniformities on a scale comparable to the size of electron clouds opens the opportunity of using unselected off-the-shelf CZT material, whilst still assuring high spectral resolution for the majority of the detectors fabricated from an ingot. Here, we present the results from testing 3D position-sensitive 15×15×10 mm 3 pixelated detectors, fabricated with conventional pixel patterns with progressively smallermore » pixel sizes: 1.4, 0.8, and 0.5 mm. We employed the readout system based on the H3D front-end multi-channel ASIC developed by BNL's Instrumentation Division in collaboration with the University of Michigan. We use the sharing of electron clouds among several adjacent pixels to measure locations of interaction points with sub-pixel resolution. By using the detectors with small-pixel sizes and a high probability of the charge-sharing events, we were able to improve their spectral resolutions in comparison to the baseline levels, measured for the 1.4-mm pixel size detectors with small fractions of charge-sharing events. These results demonstrate that further enhancement of the performance of CZT pixelated detectors and reduction of costs are possible by using high spatial-resolution position information of interaction points to correct the small-scale response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects present in most devices.« less

Investigation of active regions at high resolution by balloon flights of the Solar Optical Universal Polarimeter (SOUP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarbell, T.; Frank, Z.; Gilbreth, C.; Shine, R.; Title, A.; Topka, K.; Wolfson, J.

1989-01-01

SOUP is a versatile, visible-light solar observatory, built for space or balloon flight. It is designed to study magnetic and velocity fields in the solar atmosphere with high spatial resolution and temporal uniformity, which cannot be achieved from the surface of the earth. The SOUP investigation is carried out by the Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, under contract to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Co-investigators include staff members at a dozen observatories and universities in the U.S. and Europe. The primary objectives of the SOUP experiment are: to measure vector magnetic and velocity fields in the solar atmosphere with much better spatial resolution than can be achieved from the ground; to study the physical processes that store magnetic energy in active regions and the conditions that trigger its release; and to understand how magnetic flux emerges, evolves, combines, and disappears on spatial scales of 400 to 100,000 km. SOUP is designed to study intensity, magnetic, and velocity fields in the photosphere and low chromosphere with 0.5 arcsec resolution, free of atmospheric disturbances. The instrument includes: a 30 cm Cassegrain telescope; an active mirror for image stabilization; broadband film and TV cameras; a birefringent filter, tunable over 5100 to 6600 A with 0.05 A bandpass; a 35 mm film camera and a digital CCD camera behind the filter; and a high-speed digital image processor.

Investigation of active regions at high resolution by balloon flights of the Solar Optical Universal Polarimeter (SOUP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarbell, T.; Frank, Z.; Gilbreth, C.; Shine, R.; Title, A.; Topka, K.; Wolfson, J.

SOUP is a versatile, visible-light solar observatory, built for space or balloon flight. It is designed to study magnetic and velocity fields in the solar atmosphere with high spatial resolution and temporal uniformity, which cannot be achieved from the surface of the earth. The SOUP investigation is carried out by the Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, under contract to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Co-investigators include staff members at a dozen observatories and universities in the U.S. and Europe. The primary objectives of the SOUP experiment are: to measure vector magnetic and velocity fields in the solar atmosphere with much better spatial resolution than can be achieved from the ground; to study the physical processes that store magnetic energy in active regions and the conditions that trigger its release; and to understand how magnetic flux emerges, evolves, combines, and disappears on spatial scales of 400 to 100,000 km. SOUP is designed to study intensity, magnetic, and velocity fields in the photosphere and low chromosphere with 0.5 arcsec resolution, free of atmospheric disturbances. The instrument includes: a 30 cm Cassegrain telescope; an active mirror for image stabilization; broadband film and TV cameras; a birefringent filter, tunable over 5100 to 6600 A with 0.05 A bandpass; a 35 mm film camera and a digital CCD camera behind the filter; and a high-speed digital image processor.

Simulation of semi-arid hydrological processes at different spatial resolutions using the AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, T. R.; Erksine, R. H.; David, O.; Ascough, J. C., II; Kipka, H.; Lloyd, W. J.; McMaster, G. S.

2015-12-01

Water movement and storage within a watershed may be simulated at different spatial resolutions of land areas or hydrological response units (HRUs). Here, effects of HRU size on simulated soil water and surface runoff are tested using the AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) model with three different resolutions of HRUs. We studied a 56-ha agricultural watershed in northern Colorado, USA farmed primarily under a wheat-fallow rotation. The delineation algorithm was based upon topography (surface flow paths), land use (crop management strips and native grass), and mapped soil units (three types), which produced HRUs that follow the land use and soil boundaries. AgES-W model parameters that control surface and subsurface hydrology were calibrated using simulated daily soil moisture at different landscape positions and depths where soil moisture was measured hourly and averaged up to daily values. Parameter sets were both uniform and spatially variable with depth and across the watershed (5 different calibration approaches). Although forward simulations were computationally efficient (less than 1 minute each), each calibration required thousands of model runs. Execution of such large jobs was facilitated by using the Object Modeling System with the Cloud Services Innovation Platform to manage four virtual machines on a commercial web service configured with a total of 64 computational cores and 120 GB of memory. Results show how spatially distributed and averaged soil moisture and runoff at the outlet vary with different HRU delineations. The results will help guide HRU delineation, spatial resolution and parameter estimation methods for improved hydrological simulations in this and other semi-arid agricultural watersheds.

Strain measurement in a concrete beam by use of the Brillouin-scattering-based distributed fiber sensor with single-mode fibers embedded in glass fiber reinforced polymer rods and bonded to steel reinforcing bars.

PubMed

Zeng, Xiaodong; Bao, Xiaoyi; Chhoa, Chia Yee; Bremner, Theodore W; Brown, Anthony W; DeMerchant, Michael D; Ferrier, Graham; Kalamkarov, Alexander L; Georgiades, Anastasis V

2002-08-20

The strain measurement of a 1.65-m reinforced concrete beam by use of a distributed fiber strain sensor with a 50-cm spatial resolution and 5-cm readout resolution is reported. The strain-measurement accuracy is +/-15 microepsilon (microm/m) according to the system calibration in the laboratory environment with non-uniform-distributed strain and +/-5 microepsilon with uniform strain distribution. The strain distribution has been measured for one-point and two-point loading patterns for optical fibers embedded in pultruded glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) rods and those bonded to steel reinforcing bars. In the one-point loading case, the strain deviations are +/-7 and +/-15 microepsilon for fibers embedded in the GFRP rods and fibers bonded to steel reinforcing bars, respectively, whereas the strain deviation is +/-20 microepsilon for the two-point loading case.

Measurement of refractive index of photopolymer for holographic gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Eriko; Mizuno, Jun; Fujikawa, Chiemi; Kodate, Kashiko

2007-02-01

We have made attempts to measure directly the small-scale variation of optical path lengths in photopolymer samples. For those with uniform thickness, the measured quantity is supposed to be proportional to the refractive index of the photopolymer. The system is based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer using phase-locking technique and measures the change in optical path length during the sample is scanned across the optical axis. The spatial resolution is estimated to be 2μm, which is limited by the sample thickness. The path length resolution is estimated to be 6nm, which corresponds to the change in refractive index less than 10 -3 for the sample of 10μm thick. The measurement results showed clearly that the refractive index of photopolymer is not simply proportional to the exposure energy, contrary to the conventional photosensitive materials such as silver halide emulsion and dichromated gelatine. They also revealed the refractive index fluctuation in uniformly exposed photopolymer sample, which explains the milky appearance that sometimes observed in thick samples.

Intrinsic spatial resolution evaluation of the X'tal cube PET detector based on a 3D crystal block segmented by laser processing.

PubMed

Yoshida, Eiji; Tashima, Hideaki; Inadama, Naoko; Nishikido, Fumihiko; Moriya, Takahiro; Omura, Tomohide; Watanabe, Mitsuo; Murayama, Hideo; Yamaya, Taiga

2013-01-01

The X'tal cube is a depth-of-interaction (DOI)-PET detector which is aimed at obtaining isotropic resolution by effective readout of scintillation photons from the six sides of a crystal block. The X'tal cube is composed of the 3D crystal block with isotropic resolution and arrays of multi-pixel photon counters (MPPCs). In this study, to fabricate the 3D crystal block efficiently and precisely, we applied a sub-surface laser engraving (SSLE) technique to a monolithic crystal block instead of gluing segmented small crystals. The SSLE technique provided micro-crack walls which carve a groove into a monolithic scintillator block. Using the fabricated X'tal cube, we evaluated its intrinsic spatial resolution to show a proof of concept of isotropic resolution. The 3D grids of 2 mm pitch were fabricated into an 18 × 18 × 18 mm(3) monolithic lutetium yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO) crystal by the SSLE technique. 4 × 4 MPPCs were optically coupled to each surface of the crystal block. The X'tal cube was uniformly irradiated by (22)Na gamma rays, and all of the 3D grids on the 3D position histogram were separated clearly by an Anger-type calculation from the 96-channel MPPC signals. Response functions of the X'tal cube were measured by scanning with a (22)Na point source. The gamma-ray beam with a 1.0 mm slit was scanned in 0.25 mm steps by positioning of the X'tal cube at vertical and 45° incident angles. The average FWHM resolution at both incident angles was 2.1 mm. Therefore, we confirmed the isotropic spatial resolution performance of the X'tal cube.

Development and calibration of a new gamma camera detector using large square Photomultiplier Tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeraatkar, N.; Sajedi, S.; Teimourian Fard, B.; Kaviani, S.; Akbarzadeh, A.; Farahani, M. H.; Sarkar, S.; Ay, M. R.

2017-09-01

Large area scintillation detectors applied in gamma cameras as well as Single Photon Computed Tomography (SPECT) systems, have a major role in in-vivo functional imaging. Most of the gamma detectors utilize hexagonal arrangement of Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs). In this work we applied large square-shaped PMTs with row/column arrangement and positioning. The Use of large square PMTs reduces dead zones in the detector surface. However, the conventional center of gravity method for positioning may not introduce an acceptable result. Hence, the digital correlated signal enhancement (CSE) algorithm was optimized to obtain better linearity and spatial resolution in the developed detector. The performance of the developed detector was evaluated based on NEMA-NU1-2007 standard. The acquired images using this method showed acceptable uniformity and linearity comparing to three commercial gamma cameras. Also the intrinsic and extrinsic spatial resolutions with low-energy high-resolution (LEHR) collimator at 10 cm from surface of the detector were 3.7 mm and 7.5 mm, respectively. The energy resolution of the camera was measured 9.5%. The performance evaluation demonstrated that the developed detector maintains image quality with a reduced number of used PMTs relative to the detection area.

Comparison of Different EO Sensors for Mapping Tree Species- A Case Study in Southwest Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enßle, Fabian; Kattenborn, Teja; Koch, Barbara

2014-11-01

The variety of different remote sensing sensors and thus the types of data specifications which are available is increasing continuously. Especially the differences in geometric, radiometric and temporal resolutions of different platforms affect their ability for the mapping of forests. These differences hinder the comparability and application of uniform methods of different remotely sensed data across the same region of interest. The quality and quantity of retrieved forest parameters is directly dependent on the data source, and therefore the objective of this project is to analyse the relationship between the data source and its derived parameters. A comparison of different optical EO-data (e.g. spatial resolution and spectral resolution of specific bands) will help to define the optimum data sets to produce a reproducible method to provide additional inputs to the Dragon cooperative project, specifically to method development for woody biomass estimation and biodiversity assessment services. This poster presents the first results on tree species mapping in a mixed temperate forest by satellite imagery taken from four different sensors. Tree species addressed in this pilot study are Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and red oak (Quercus rubra). The spatial resolution varies from 2m to 30m and the spectral resolutions range from 8bands up to 155bands.

Comparison of Different EO Sensors for Mapping Tree Species- A Case Study in Southwest Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enβle, Fabian; Kattenborn, Teja; Koch, Barbara

2014-11-01

The variety of different remote sensing sensors and thus the types of data specifications which are available is increasing continuously. Especially the differences in geometric, radiometric and temporal resolutions of different platforms affect their ability for the mapping of forests. These differences hinder the comparability and application of uniform methods of different remotely sensed data across the same region of interest. The quality and quantity of retrieved forest parameters is directly dependent on the data source, and therefore the objective of this project is to analyse the relationship between the data source and its derived parameters. A comparison of different optical EO-data (e.g. spatial resolution and spectral resolution of specific bands) will help to define the optimum data sets to produce a reproducible method to provide additional inputs to the Dragon cooperative project, specifically to method development for woody biomass estimation and biodiversity assessment services. This poster presents the first results on tree species mapping in a mixed temperate forest by satellite imagery taken from four different sensors. Tree species addressed in this pilot study are: Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and red oak (Quercus rubra). The spatial resolution varies from 2m to 30m and the spectral resolutions range from 8bands up to 155bands.

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.

Quantitative PET and SPECT performance characteristics of the Albira Trimodal pre-clinical tomograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spinks, T. J.; Karia, D.; Leach, M. O.; Flux, G.

2014-02-01

The Albira Trimodal pre-clinical scanner comprises PET, SPECT and CT sub-systems and thus provides a range of pre-clinical imaging options. The PET component consists of three rings of single-crystal LYSO detectors with axial/transverse fields-of-view (FOVs) of 148/80 mm. The SPECT component has two opposing CsI detectors (100 × 100 mm2) with single-pinhole (SPH) or multi(9)-pinhole (MPH) collimators; the detectors rotate in 6° increments and their spacing can be adjusted to provide different FOVs (25 to 120 mm). The CT sub-system provides ‘low’ (200 µA, 35 kVp) or ‘high’ (400 µA, 45 kVp) power x-rays onto a flat-panel CsI detector. This study examines the performance characteristics and quantitative accuracy of the PET and SPECT components. Using the NEMA NU 4-2008 specifications (22Na point source), the PET spatial resolution is 1.5 + 0.1 mm on axis and sensitivity 6.3% (axial centre) and 4.6% (central 70 mm). The usable activity range is ≤ 10 MBq (18F) over which good linearity (within 5%) is obtained for a uniform cylinder spanning the axial FOV; increasing deviation from linearity with activity is, however, observed for the NEMA (mouse) line source phantom. Image uniformity axially is within 5%. Spatial resolution (SPH/MPH) for the minimum SPECT FOV used for mouse imaging (50 mm) is 1.5/1.7 mm and point source sensitivity 69/750 cps MBq-1. Axial uniformity of SPECT images (%CV of regions-of-interest counts along the axis) is mostly within 8% although there is a range of 30-40% for the largest FOV. The variation is significantly smaller within the central 40 mm. Instances of count rate nonlinearity (PET) and axial non-uniformity (SPECT) were found to be reproducible and thus amenable to empirical correction.

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

Kassianov, Evgueni I.; Riley, Erin A.; Kleiss, Jessica

Cloud amount is an essential and extensively used macrophysical parameter of cumulus clouds. It is commonly defined as a cloud fraction (CF) from zenith-pointing ground-based active and passive remote sensing. However, conventional retrievals of CF from the remote sensing data with very narrow field-of-view (FOV) may not be representative of the surrounding area. Here we assess its representativeness using an integrated dataset collected at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program's Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma, USA. For our assessment with focus on selected days with single-layer cumulus clouds (2005-2016), we include the narrow-FOVmore » ARM Active Remotely Sensed Clouds Locations (ARSCL) and large-FOV Total Sky Imager (TSI) cloud products, the 915-MHz Radar Wind Profiler (RWP) measurements of wind speed and direction, and also high-resolution satellite images from Landsat and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We demonstrate that a root-mean-square difference (RMSD) between the 15-min averaged ARSCL cloud fraction (CF) and the 15-min averaged TSI fractional sky cover (FSC) is large (up to 0.3). We also discuss how the horizontal distribution of clouds can modify the obtained large RMSD using a new uniformity metric. The latter utilizes the spatial distribution of the FSC over the 100° FOV TSI images obtained with high temporal resolution (30 sec sampling). We demonstrate that cases with more uniform spatial distribution of FSC show better agreement between the narrow-FOV CF and large-FOV FSC, reducing the RMSD by up to a factor of 2.« less

Analysis of a commercial small unmanned airborne system (sUAS) in support of the Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS) at Railroad Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czapla-Myers, Jeffrey S.; Anderson, Nikolaus J.

2017-09-01

The Radiometric Calibration Test Site (RadCaTS) is an automated facility developed by the Remote Sensing Group (RSG) at the University of Arizona to provide radiometric calibration data for airborne and satellite sensors. RadCaTS uses stationary ground-viewing radiometers (GVRs) to spatially sample the surface reflectance of the site. The number and location of the GVRs is based on previous spatial, spectral, and temporal analyses of Railroad Valley. With the increase in high-resolution satellite sensors, there is renewed interest in examining the spatial uniformity the 1-km2 RadCaTS area at scales smaller than a typical 30-m sensor. RadCaTS is one of the four instrumented sites currently in the CEOS WGCV Radiometric Calibration Network (RadCalNet), which aims to harmonize the post-launch radiometric calibration of satellite sensors through the use of a global network of automated calibration sites. A better understanding of the RadCaTS spatial uniformity as a function of pixel size will also benefit the RadCalNet work. RSG has recently acquired a commercially-available small unmanned airborne system (sUAS) system, with which preliminary spatial homogeneity measurements of the 1-km2 RadCaTS area were made. This work describes an initial assessment of the airborne platform and integrated camera for spatial studies of RadCaTS using data that were collected in 2016 and 2017.

MRI of perfluorocarbon emulsion kinetics in rodent mammary tumours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Xiaobing; River, Jonathan N.; Muresan, Adrian S.; Popescu, Carmen; Zamora, Marta; Culp, Rita M.; Karczmar, Gregory S.

2006-01-01

Perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions can be imaged directly by fluorine-19 MRI. We developed an optimized protocol for preparing PFC droplets of uniform size, evaluated use of the resulting droplets as blood pool contrast agents, studied their uptake by tumours and determined the spatial resolution with which they can be imaged at 4.7 T. Perfluorocarbon droplets of three different average sizes (324, 293 and 225 nm) were prepared using a microemulsifier. Images of PFC droplets with good signal-to-noise ratio were acquired with 625 µm in-plane resolution, 3 mm slice thickness and acquisition time of ~4.5 min per image. Kinetics of washout were determined using a simple mathematical model. The maximum uptake of the PFC droplets was three times greater at the tumour rim than in muscle, but the washout rate was two to three times slower in the tumour. The results are consistent with leakage of the droplets into the tumour extravascular space due to the hyper-permeability of tumour capillaries. PFC droplets may allow practical and quantitative measurements of blood volume and capillary permeability in tumours with reasonable spatial resolution.

Imaging of spatially extended hot spots with coded apertures for intra-operative nuclear medicine applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaissas, I.; Papadimitropoulos, C.; Potiriadis, C.; Karafasoulis, K.; Loukas, D.; Lambropoulos, C. P.

2017-01-01

Coded aperture imaging transcends planar imaging with conventional collimators in efficiency and Field of View (FOV). We present experimental results for the detection of 141 keV and 122 keV γ-photons emitted by uniformly extended 99mTc and 57Co hot-spots along with simulations of uniformly and normally extended 99mTc hot-spots. These results prove that the method can be used for intra-operative imaging of radio-traced sentinel nodes and thyroid remnants. The study is performed using a setup of two gamma cameras, each consisting of a coded-aperture (or mask) of Modified Uniformly Redundant Array (MURA) of rank 19 positioned on top of a CdTe detector. The detector pixel pitch is 350 μm and its active area is 4.4 × 4.4 cm2, while the mask element size is 1.7 mm. The detectable photon energy ranges from 15 keV up to 200 keV with an energy resolution of 3-4 keV FWHM. Triangulation is exploited to estimate the 3D spatial coordinates of the radioactive spots within the system FOV. Two extended sources, with uniform distributed activity (11 and 24 mm in diameter, respectively), positioned at 16 cm from the system and with 3 cm distance between their centers, can be resolved and localized with accuracy better than 5%. The results indicate that the estimated positions of spatially extended sources lay within their volume size and that neighboring sources, even with a low level of radioactivity, such as 30 MBq, can be clearly distinguished with an acquisition time about 3 seconds.

A comparison of foveated acquisition and tracking performance relative to uniform resolution approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubuque, Shaun; Coffman, Thayne; McCarley, Paul; Bovik, A. C.; Thomas, C. William

2009-05-01

Foveated imaging has been explored for compression and tele-presence, but gaps exist in the study of foveated imaging applied to acquisition and tracking systems. Results are presented from two sets of experiments comparing simple foveated and uniform resolution targeting (acquisition and tracking) algorithms. The first experiments measure acquisition performance when locating Gabor wavelet targets in noise, with fovea placement driven by a mutual information measure. The foveated approach is shown to have lower detection delay than a notional uniform resolution approach when using video that consumes equivalent bandwidth. The second experiments compare the accuracy of target position estimates from foveated and uniform resolution tracking algorithms. A technique is developed to select foveation parameters that minimize error in Kalman filter state estimates. Foveated tracking is shown to consistently outperform uniform resolution tracking on an abstract multiple target task when using video that consumes equivalent bandwidth. Performance is also compared to uniform resolution processing without bandwidth limitations. In both experiments, superior performance is achieved at a given bandwidth by foveated processing because limited resources are allocated intelligently to maximize operational performance. These findings indicate the potential for operational performance improvements over uniform resolution systems in both acquisition and tracking tasks.

Performance Evaluation of a PEM Scanner Using the NEMA NU 4—2008 Small Animal PET Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Weidong; Anashkin, Edward; Matthews, Christopher G.

2010-02-01

The recently published NEMA NU 4-2008 Standards has been specially designed for evaluating the performance of small animal PET scanners used in preclinical applications. In this paper, we report on the NU 4 performance of a clinical positron emission mammography (PEM) system. Since there are no PEM specific performance test protocols available, and the NU 2 protocol (intended for whole-body PET scanners) cannot be applied without modification due to the compact design of the PEM scanner, we decided to evaluate the NU 4 Standards as an alternative. We obtained the following results: Trans-axial spatial resolution 1.8 mm FWHM for high resolution reconstruction mode and 2.4 mm FWHM for standard resolution reconstruction mode with no significant variation within the field of view. The total system sensitivity was 0.16 cps/Bq. In image quality testing, the uniformity was found to be 3.9% STD at the standard resolution mode and 5.6% at the high resolution mode when measured with a 34 mm paddle separation. The NEMA NU 4-2008 Standards were found to be a practicable tool to evaluate the performance of the PEM scanner after some modifications to address the specifics of its detector configuration. Furthermore, the PEM scanner's in-plane spatial resolution was comparable to other small animal PET scanners with good image quality.

Visualizing nanoscale 3D compositional fluctuation of lithium in advanced lithium-ion battery cathodes

DOE PAGES

Devaraj, Arun; Gu, Meng; Colby, Robert J.; ...

2015-08-14

The distribution and concentration of lithium in Li-ion battery cathodes at different stages of cycling is a pivotal factor in determining battery performance. Non-uniform distribution of the transition metal cations has been shown to affect cathode performance; however, the Li is notoriously challenging to characterize with typical high-spatial-resolution imaging techniques. Here, for the first time, laser–assisted atom probe tomography is applied to two advanced Li-ion battery oxide cathode materials—layered Li 1.2Ni 0.2Mn 0.6O 2 and spinel LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O 4—to unambiguously map the three dimensional (3D) distribution of Li at sub-nanometer spatial resolution and correlate it with the distribution ofmore » the transition metal cations (M) and the oxygen. The as-fabricated layered Li 1.2Ni 0.2Mn 0.6O 2 is shown to have Li-rich Li 2MO 3 phase regions and Li-depleted Li(Ni 0.5Mn 0.5)O 2 regions while in the cycled layered Li 1.2Ni 0.2Mn 0.6O 2 an overall loss of Li and presence of Ni rich regions, Mn rich regions and Li rich regions are shown in addition to providing the first direct evidence for Li loss on cycling of layered LNMO cathodes. The spinel LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O 4 cathode is shown to have a uniform distribution of all cations. These results were additionally validated by correlating with energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping of these nanoparticles in a scanning transmission electron microscope. Thus, we have opened the door for probing the nanoscale compositional fluctuations in crucial Li-ion battery cathode materials at an unprecedented spatial resolution of sub-nanometer scale in 3D which can provide critical information for understanding capacity decay mechanisms in these advanced cathode materials.« less

Effects of reflector and crystal surface on the performance of a depth-encoding PET detector with dual-ended readout

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

Ren, Silin; Yang, Yongfeng, E-mail: yfyang@ucdavis.edu; Cherry, Simon R.

Purpose: Depth encoding detectors are required to improve the spatial resolution and spatial resolution uniformity of small animal positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, as well as dedicated breast and brain scanners. Depth of interaction (DOI) can be measured by using dual-ended readout of lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) scintillator arrays with position-sensitive avalanche photodiodes. Inter-crystal reflectors and crystal surface treatments play important roles in determining the performance of dual-ended detectors. In this paper, the authors evaluated five LSO arrays made with three different intercrystal reflectors and with either polished or unpolished crystal surfaces. Methods: The crystal size in all arrays was 1.5more » mm, which is typical of the detector size used in small animal and dedicated breast scanners. The LSO arrays were measured with dual-ended readout and were compared in terms of flood histogram, energy resolution, and DOI resolution performance. Results: The four arrays using enhanced specular reflector (ESR) and Toray reflector provided similar quality flood histograms and the array using Crystal Wrap reflector gave the worst flood histogram. The two arrays using ESR reflector provided the best energy resolution and the array using Crystal Wrap reflector yielded the worst energy resolution. All arrays except the polished ESR array provided good DOI resolution ranging from 1.9 mm to 2.9 mm. DOI resolution improved as the gradient in light collection efficiency with depth (GLCED) increased. The geometric mean energies were also calculated for these dual-ended readout detectors as an alternative to the conventional summed total energy. It was shown that the geometric mean energy is advantageous in that it provides more uniform photopeak amplitude at different depths for arrays with high GLCED, and is beneficial in event selection by allowing a fixed energy window independent of depth. A new method of DOI calculation that improved the linearity of DOI ratio vs depth and simplifies the DOI calibration procedure also was developed and tested. Conclusions: The results of these studies provide useful guidance in selecting the proper reflectors and crystal surface treatments when LSO arrays are used for high-resolution PET applications in small animal scanners or dedicated breast and brain scanners.« less

Distributed drift chamber design for rare particle detection in relativistic heavy ion collisions

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

Bellwied, R.; Bennett, M.J.; Bernardo, V.

2001-10-02

This report describes a multi-plane drift chamber that was designed and constructed to function as a topological detector for the BNL AGSE896 rare particle experiment. The chamber was optimized for good spatial resolution, two track separation, and a high uniform efficiency while operating in a 1.6 Tesla magnetic field and subjected to long term exposure from a 11.6 GeV/nucleon beam of 10**6 Au ions per second.

Gate simulation of Compton Ar-Xe gamma-camera for radionuclide imaging in nuclear medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubov, L. Yu; Belyaev, V. N.; Berdnikova, A. K.; Bolozdynia, A. I.; Akmalova, Yu A.; Shtotsky, Yu V.

2017-01-01

Computer simulations of cylindrical Compton Ar-Xe gamma camera are described in the current report. Detection efficiency of cylindrical Ar-Xe Compton camera with internal diameter of 40 cm is estimated as1-3%that is 10-100 times higher than collimated Anger’s camera. It is shown that cylindrical Compton camera can image Tc-99m radiotracer distribution with uniform spatial resolution of 20 mm through the whole field of view.

Note: Tandem Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope with sixteen channels for high-resolution laser-plasma diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Shengzhen; Zhang, Zhe; Huang, Qiushi; Zhang, Zhong; Wang, Zhanshan; Wei, Lai; Liu, Dongxiao; Cao, Leifeng; Gu, Yuqiu

2018-03-01

Multi-channel Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) microscopes, which have better resolution and collection efficiency than pinhole cameras, have been widely used in laser inertial confinement fusion to diagnose time evolution of the target implosion. In this study, a tandem multi-channel KB microscope was developed to have sixteen imaging channels with the precise control of spatial resolution and image intervals. This precise control was created using a coarse assembly of mirror pairs with high-accuracy optical prisms, followed by precise adjustment in real-time x-ray imaging experiments. The multilayers coated on the KB mirrors were designed to have substantially the same reflectivity to obtain a uniform brightness of different images for laser-plasma temperature analysis. The study provides a practicable method to achieve the optimum performance of the microscope for future high-resolution applications in inertial confinement fusion experiments.

A quality assurance phantom for the performance evaluation of volumetric micro-CT systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Louise Y.; Umoh, Joseph; Nikolov, Hristo N.; Pollmann, Steven I.; Lee, Ting-Yim; Holdsworth, David W.

2007-12-01

Small-animal imaging has recently become an area of increased interest because more human diseases can be modeled in transgenic and knockout rodents. As a result, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) systems are becoming more common in research laboratories, due to their ability to achieve spatial resolution as high as 10 µm, giving highly detailed anatomical information. Most recently, a volumetric cone-beam micro-CT system using a flat-panel detector (eXplore Ultra, GE Healthcare, London, ON) has been developed that combines the high resolution of micro-CT and the fast scanning speed of clinical CT, so that dynamic perfusion imaging can be performed in mice and rats, providing functional physiological information in addition to anatomical information. This and other commercially available micro-CT systems all promise to deliver precise and accurate high-resolution measurements in small animals. However, no comprehensive quality assurance phantom has been developed to evaluate the performance of these micro-CT systems on a routine basis. We have designed and fabricated a single comprehensive device for the purpose of performance evaluation of micro-CT systems. This quality assurance phantom was applied to assess multiple image-quality parameters of a current flat-panel cone-beam micro-CT system accurately and quantitatively, in terms of spatial resolution, geometric accuracy, CT number accuracy, linearity, noise and image uniformity. Our investigations show that 3D images can be obtained with a limiting spatial resolution of 2.5 mm-1 and noise of ±35 HU, using an acquisition interval of 8 s at an entrance dose of 6.4 cGy.

Recent Developments in PET Instrumentation

PubMed Central

Peng, Hao; Levin, Craig S.

2013-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) is used in the clinic and in vivo small animal research to study molecular processes associated with diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders, and to guide the discovery and development of new treatments. This paper reviews current challenges of advancing PET technology and some of newly developed PET detectors and systems. The paper focuses on four aspects of PET instrumentation: high photon detection sensitivity; improved spatial resolution; depth-of-interaction (DOI) resolution and time-of-flight (TOF). Improved system geometry, novel non-scintillator based detectors, and tapered scintillation crystal arrays are able to enhance the photon detection sensitivity of a PET system. Several challenges for achieving high resolution with standard scintillator-based PET detectors are discussed. Novel detectors with 3-D positioning capability have great potential to be deployed in PET for achieving spatial resolution better than 1 mm, such as cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) and position-sensitive avalanche photodiodes (PSAPDs). DOI capability enables a PET system to mitigate parallax error and achieve uniform spatial resolution across the field-of-view (FOV). Six common DOI designs, as well as advantages and limitations of each design, are discussed. The availability of fast scintillation crystals such as LaBr3, and the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) greatly advances TOF-PET development. Recent instrumentation and initial results of clinical trials are briefly presented. If successful, these technology advances, together with new probe molecules, will substantially enhance the molecular sensitivity of PET and thus increase its role in preclinical and clinical research as well as evaluating and managing disease in the clinic. PMID:20497121

Characterization of the onboard imaging unit for the first clinical magnetic resonance image guided radiation therapy system

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

Hu, Yanle, E-mail: Hu.Yanle@mayo.edu; Rankine, Leith; Green, Olga L.

Purpose: To characterize the performance of the onboard imaging unit for the first clinical magnetic resonance image guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) system. Methods: The imaging performance characterization included four components: ACR (the American College of Radiology) phantom test, spatial integrity, coil signal to noise ratio (SNR) and uniformity, and magnetic field homogeneity. The ACR phantom test was performed in accordance with the ACR phantom test guidance. The spatial integrity test was evaluated using a 40.8 × 40.8 × 40.8 cm{sup 3} spatial integrity phantom. MR and computed tomography (CT) images of the phantom were acquired and coregistered. Objects were identifiedmore » around the surfaces of 20 and 35 cm diameters of spherical volume (DSVs) on both the MR and CT images. Geometric distortion was quantified using deviation in object location between the MR and CT images. The coil SNR test was performed according to the national electrical manufacturers association (NEMA) standards MS-1 and MS-9. The magnetic field homogeneity test was measured using field camera and spectral peak methods. Results: For the ACR tests, the slice position error was less than 0.10 cm, the slice thickness error was less than 0.05 cm, the resolved high-contrast spatial resolution was 0.09 cm, the resolved low-contrast spokes were more than 25, the image intensity uniformity was above 93%, and the percentage ghosting was less than 0.22%. All were within the ACR recommended specifications. The maximum geometric distortions within the 20 and 35 cm DSVs were 0.10 and 0.18 cm for high spatial resolution three-dimensional images and 0.08 and 0.20 cm for high temporal resolution two dimensional cine images based on the distance-to-phantom-center method. The average SNR was 12.0 for the body coil, 42.9 for the combined torso coil, and 44.0 for the combined head and neck coil. Magnetic field homogeneities at gantry angles of 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120° were 23.55, 20.43, 18.76, 19.11, and 22.22 ppm, respectively, using the field camera method over the 45 cm DSV. Conclusions: The onboard imaging unit of the first commercial MR-IGRT system meets ACR, NEMA, and vendor specifications.« less

Characterization of the onboard imaging unit for the first clinical magnetic resonance image guided radiation therapy system.

PubMed

Hu, Yanle; Rankine, Leith; Green, Olga L; Kashani, Rojano; Li, H Harold; Li, Hua; Nana, Roger; Rodriguez, Vivian; Santanam, Lakshmi; Shvartsman, Shmaryu; Victoria, James; Wooten, H Omar; Dempsey, James F; Mutic, Sasa

2015-10-01

To characterize the performance of the onboard imaging unit for the first clinical magnetic resonance image guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) system. The imaging performance characterization included four components: ACR (the American College of Radiology) phantom test, spatial integrity, coil signal to noise ratio (SNR) and uniformity, and magnetic field homogeneity. The ACR phantom test was performed in accordance with the ACR phantom test guidance. The spatial integrity test was evaluated using a 40.8 × 40.8 × 40.8 cm(3) spatial integrity phantom. MR and computed tomography (CT) images of the phantom were acquired and coregistered. Objects were identified around the surfaces of 20 and 35 cm diameters of spherical volume (DSVs) on both the MR and CT images. Geometric distortion was quantified using deviation in object location between the MR and CT images. The coil SNR test was performed according to the national electrical manufacturers association (NEMA) standards MS-1 and MS-9. The magnetic field homogeneity test was measured using field camera and spectral peak methods. For the ACR tests, the slice position error was less than 0.10 cm, the slice thickness error was less than 0.05 cm, the resolved high-contrast spatial resolution was 0.09 cm, the resolved low-contrast spokes were more than 25, the image intensity uniformity was above 93%, and the percentage ghosting was less than 0.22%. All were within the ACR recommended specifications. The maximum geometric distortions within the 20 and 35 cm DSVs were 0.10 and 0.18 cm for high spatial resolution three-dimensional images and 0.08 and 0.20 cm for high temporal resolution two dimensional cine images based on the distance-to-phantom-center method. The average SNR was 12.0 for the body coil, 42.9 for the combined torso coil, and 44.0 for the combined head and neck coil. Magnetic field homogeneities at gantry angles of 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120° were 23.55, 20.43, 18.76, 19.11, and 22.22 ppm, respectively, using the field camera method over the 45 cm DSV. The onboard imaging unit of the first commercial MR-IGRT system meets ACR, NEMA, and vendor specifications.

Temporal rainfall disaggregation using a multiplicative cascade model for spatial application in urban hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, H.; Haberlandt, U.

2018-01-01

Rainfall time series of high temporal resolution and spatial density are crucial for urban hydrology. The multiplicative random cascade model can be used for temporal rainfall disaggregation of daily data to generate such time series. Here, the uniform splitting approach with a branching number of 3 in the first disaggregation step is applied. To achieve a final resolution of 5 min, subsequent steps after disaggregation are necessary. Three modifications at different disaggregation levels are tested in this investigation (uniform splitting at Δt = 15 min, linear interpolation at Δt = 7.5 min and Δt = 3.75 min). Results are compared both with observations and an often used approach, based on the assumption that a time steps with Δt = 5.625 min, as resulting if a branching number of 2 is applied throughout, can be replaced with Δt = 5 min (called the 1280 min approach). Spatial consistence is implemented in the disaggregated time series using a resampling algorithm. In total, 24 recording stations in Lower Saxony, Northern Germany with a 5 min resolution have been used for the validation of the disaggregation procedure. The urban-hydrological suitability is tested with an artificial combined sewer system of about 170 hectares. The results show that all three variations outperform the 1280 min approach regarding reproduction of wet spell duration, average intensity, fraction of dry intervals and lag-1 autocorrelation. Extreme values with durations of 5 min are also better represented. For durations of 1 h, all approaches show only slight deviations from the observed extremes. The applied resampling algorithm is capable to achieve sufficient spatial consistence. The effects on the urban hydrological simulations are significant. Without spatial consistence, flood volumes of manholes and combined sewer overflow are strongly underestimated. After resampling, results using disaggregated time series as input are in the range of those using observed time series. Best overall performance regarding rainfall statistics are obtained by the method in which the disaggregation process ends at time steps with 7.5 min duration, deriving the 5 min time steps by linear interpolation. With subsequent resampling this method leads to a good representation of manhole flooding and combined sewer overflow volume in terms of hydrological simulations and outperforms the 1280 min approach.

Terahertz near-field imaging using subwavelength plasmonic apertures and a quantum cascade laser source.

PubMed

Baragwanath, Adam J; Freeman, Joshua R; Gallant, Andrew J; Zeitler, J Axel; Beere, Harvey E; Ritchie, David A; Chamberlain, J Martyn

2011-07-01

The first demonstration, to our knowledge, of near-field imaging using subwavelength plasmonic apertures with a terahertz quantum cascade laser source is presented. "Bull's-eye" apertures, featuring subwavelength circular apertures flanked by periodic annular corrugations were created using a novel fabrication method. A fivefold increase in intensity was observed for plasmonic apertures over plain apertures of the same diameter. Detailed studies of the transmitted beam profiles were undertaken for apertures with both planarized and corrugated exit facets, with the former producing spatially uniform intensity profiles and subwavelength spatial resolution. Finally, a proof-of-concept imaging experiment is presented, where an inhomogeneous pharmaceutical drug coating is investigated.

Monte Carlo design of optimal wire mesh collimator for breast tumor imaging process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saad, W. H. M.; Roslan, R. E.; Mahdi, M. A.; Choong, W.-S.; Saion, E.; Saripan, M. I.

2011-08-01

This paper presents the modeling of breast tumor imaging process using wire mesh collimator gamma camera. Previous studies showed that the wire mesh collimator has a potential to improve the sensitivity of the tumor detection. In this paper, we extend our research significantly, to find an optimal configuration of the wire mesh collimator specifically for semi-compressed breast tumor detection, by looking into four major factors: weight, sensitivity, spatial resolution and tumor contrast. The numbers of layers in the wire mesh collimator is varied to optimize the collimator design. The statistical variations of the results are studied by simulating multiple realizations for each experiment using different starting random numbers. All the simulation environments are modeled using Monte Carlo N-Particle Code (MCNP). The quality of the detection is measured directly by comparing the sensitivity, spatial resolution and tumor contrast of the images produced by the wire mesh collimator and benchmarked that with a standard multihole collimator. The proposed optimal configuration of the wire mesh collimator is optimized by selecting the number of layers in wire mesh collimator, where the tumor contrast shows a relatively comparable value to the multihole collimator, when it is tested with uniformly semi-compressed breast phantom. The wire mesh collimator showed higher number of sensitivity because of its loose arrangement while the spatial resolution of wire mesh collimator does not shows much different compared to the multihole collimator. With a relatively good tumor contrast and spatial resolution, and increased in sensitivity, a new proposed wire mesh collimator gives a significant improvement in the wire mesh collimator design for breast cancer imaging process. The proposed collimator configuration is reduced to 44.09% from the total multihole collimator weight.

Aplanatic and quasi-aplanatic diffraction gratings

DOEpatents

Hettrick, M.C.

1987-09-14

A reflection diffraction grating having a series of transverse minute grooves of progressively varying spacing along a concave surface enables use of such gratings for x-ray or longer wavelength imaging of objects. The variable groove spacing establishes aplanatism or substantially uniform magnetification across the optical aperture. The grating may be sued, for example, in x-ray microscopes or telescopes of the imaging type and in x-ray microprobed. Increased spatial resolution and field of view may be realized in x-ray imaging. 5 figs.

SDSS-IV MaNGA IFS GALAXY SURVEY—SURVEY DESIGN, EXECUTION, AND INITIAL DATA QUALITY

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

Yan, Renbin; Zhang, Kai; Bundy, Kevin

The MaNGA Survey (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory) is one of three core programs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV. It is obtaining integral field spectroscopy for 10,000 nearby galaxies at a spectral resolution of R  ∼ 2000 from 3622 to 10354 Å. The design of the survey is driven by a set of science requirements on the precision of estimates of the following properties: star formation rate surface density, gas metallicity, stellar population age, metallicity, and abundance ratio, and their gradients; stellar and gas kinematics; and enclosed gravitational mass as a function of radius. We describe how thesemore » science requirements set the depth of the observations and dictate sample selection. The majority of targeted galaxies are selected to ensure uniform spatial coverage in units of effective radius (R{sub e}) while maximizing spatial resolution. About two-thirds of the sample is covered out to 1.5 R{sub e} (Primary sample), and one-third of the sample is covered to 2.5 R{sub e} (Secondary sample). We describe the survey execution with details that would be useful in the design of similar future surveys. We also present statistics on the achieved data quality, specifically the point-spread function, sampling uniformity, spectral resolution, sky subtraction, and flux calibration. For our Primary sample, the median r -band signal-to-noise ratio is ∼70 per 1.4 Å pixel for spectra stacked between 1 R{sub e} and 1.5 R{sub e}. Measurements of various galaxy properties from the first-year data show that we are meeting or exceeding the defined requirements for the majority of our science goals.« less

SDSS-IV MaNGA IFS Galaxy Survey—Survey Design, Execution, and Initial Data Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Renbin; Bundy, Kevin; Law, David R.; Bershady, Matthew A.; Andrews, Brett; Cherinka, Brian; Diamond-Stanic, Aleksandar M.; Drory, Niv; MacDonald, Nicholas; Sánchez-Gallego, José R.; Thomas, Daniel; Wake, David A.; Weijmans, Anne-Marie; Westfall, Kyle B.; Zhang, Kai; Aragón-Salamanca, Alfonso; Belfiore, Francesco; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Blanc, Guillermo A.; Blanton, Michael R.; Brownstein, Joel; Cappellari, Michele; D'Souza, Richard; Emsellem, Eric; Fu, Hai; Gaulme, Patrick; Graham, Mark T.; Goddard, Daniel; Gunn, James E.; Harding, Paul; Jones, Amy; Kinemuchi, Karen; Li, Cheng; Li, Hongyu; Maiolino, Roberto; Mao, Shude; Maraston, Claudia; Masters, Karen; Merrifield, Michael R.; Oravetz, Daniel; Pan, Kaike; Parejko, John K.; Sanchez, Sebastian F.; Schlegel, David; Simmons, Audrey; Thanjavur, Karun; Tinker, Jeremy; Tremonti, Christy; van den Bosch, Remco; Zheng, Zheng

2016-12-01

The MaNGA Survey (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory) is one of three core programs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV. It is obtaining integral field spectroscopy for 10,000 nearby galaxies at a spectral resolution of R ˜ 2000 from 3622 to 10354 Å. The design of the survey is driven by a set of science requirements on the precision of estimates of the following properties: star formation rate surface density, gas metallicity, stellar population age, metallicity, and abundance ratio, and their gradients; stellar and gas kinematics; and enclosed gravitational mass as a function of radius. We describe how these science requirements set the depth of the observations and dictate sample selection. The majority of targeted galaxies are selected to ensure uniform spatial coverage in units of effective radius (R e ) while maximizing spatial resolution. About two-thirds of the sample is covered out to 1.5R e (Primary sample), and one-third of the sample is covered to 2.5R e (Secondary sample). We describe the survey execution with details that would be useful in the design of similar future surveys. We also present statistics on the achieved data quality, specifically the point-spread function, sampling uniformity, spectral resolution, sky subtraction, and flux calibration. For our Primary sample, the median r-band signal-to-noise ratio is ˜70 per 1.4 Å pixel for spectra stacked between 1R e and 1.5R e . Measurements of various galaxy properties from the first-year data show that we are meeting or exceeding the defined requirements for the majority of our science goals.

Ultralow dose computed tomography attenuation correction for pediatric PET CT using adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction

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

Brady, Samuel L., E-mail: samuel.brady@stjude.org; Shulkin, Barry L.

2015-02-15

Purpose: To develop ultralow dose computed tomography (CT) attenuation correction (CTAC) acquisition protocols for pediatric positron emission tomography CT (PET CT). Methods: A GE Discovery 690 PET CT hybrid scanner was used to investigate the change to quantitative PET and CT measurements when operated at ultralow doses (10–35 mA s). CT quantitation: noise, low-contrast resolution, and CT numbers for 11 tissue substitutes were analyzed in-phantom. CT quantitation was analyzed to a reduction of 90% volume computed tomography dose index (0.39/3.64; mGy) from baseline. To minimize noise infiltration, 100% adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR) was used for CT reconstruction. PET imagesmore » were reconstructed with the lower-dose CTAC iterations and analyzed for: maximum body weight standardized uptake value (SUV{sub bw}) of various diameter targets (range 8–37 mm), background uniformity, and spatial resolution. Radiation dose and CTAC noise magnitude were compared for 140 patient examinations (76 post-ASiR implementation) to determine relative dose reduction and noise control. Results: CT numbers were constant to within 10% from the nondose reduced CTAC image for 90% dose reduction. No change in SUV{sub bw}, background percent uniformity, or spatial resolution for PET images reconstructed with CTAC protocols was found down to 90% dose reduction. Patient population effective dose analysis demonstrated relative CTAC dose reductions between 62% and 86% (3.2/8.3–0.9/6.2). Noise magnitude in dose-reduced patient images increased but was not statistically different from predose-reduced patient images. Conclusions: Using ASiR allowed for aggressive reduction in CT dose with no change in PET reconstructed images while maintaining sufficient image quality for colocalization of hybrid CT anatomy and PET radioisotope uptake.« less

Spatial statistical analysis of tree deaths using airborne digital imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ya-Mei; Baddeley, Adrian; Wallace, Jeremy; Canci, Michael

2013-04-01

High resolution digital airborne imagery offers unprecedented opportunities for observation and monitoring of vegetation, providing the potential to identify, locate and track individual vegetation objects over time. Analytical tools are required to quantify relevant information. In this paper, locations of trees over a large area of native woodland vegetation were identified using morphological image analysis techniques. Methods of spatial point process statistics were then applied to estimate the spatially-varying tree death risk, and to show that it is significantly non-uniform. [Tree deaths over the area were detected in our previous work (Wallace et al., 2008).] The study area is a major source of ground water for the city of Perth, and the work was motivated by the need to understand and quantify vegetation changes in the context of water extraction and drying climate. The influence of hydrological variables on tree death risk was investigated using spatial statistics (graphical exploratory methods, spatial point pattern modelling and diagnostics).

Development and characterization of a round hand-held silicon photomultiplier based gamma camera for intraoperative imaging

PubMed Central

Popovic, Kosta; McKisson, Jack E.; Kross, Brian; Lee, Seungjoon; McKisson, John; Weisenberger, Andrew G.; Proffitt, James; Stolin, Alexander; Majewski, Stan; Williams, Mark B.

2017-01-01

This paper describes the development of a hand-held gamma camera for intraoperative surgical guidance that is based on silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology. The camera incorporates a cerium doped lanthanum bromide (LaBr3:Ce) plate scintillator, an array of 80 SiPM photodetectors and a two-layer parallel-hole collimator. The field of view is circular with a 60 mm diameter. The disk-shaped camera housing is 75 mm in diameter, approximately 40.5 mm thick and has a mass of only 1.4 kg, permitting either hand-held or arm-mounted use. All camera components are integrated on a mobile cart that allows easy transport. The camera was developed for use in surgical procedures including determination of the location and extent of primary carcinomas, detection of secondary lesions and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Here we describe the camera design and its principal operating characteristics, including spatial resolution, energy resolution, sensitivity uniformity, and geometric linearity. The gamma camera has an intrinsic spatial resolution of 4.2 mm FWHM, an energy resolution of 21.1 % FWHM at 140 keV, and a sensitivity of 481 and 73 cps/MBq when using the single- and double-layer collimators, respectively. PMID:28286345

Thin-filament pyrometry with a digital still camera.

PubMed

Maun, Jignesh D; Sunderland, Peter B; Urban, David L

2007-02-01

A novel thin-filament pyrometer is presented. It involves a consumer-grade color digital still camera with 6 megapixels and 12 bits per color plane. SiC fibers were used and scanning-electron microscopy found them to be uniform with diameters of 13.9 micro m. Measurements were performed in a methane-air coflowing laminar jet diffusion flame with a luminosity length of 72 mm. Calibration of the pyrometer was accomplished with B-type thermocouples. The pyrometry measurements yielded gas temperatures in the range of 1400-2200 K with an estimated uncertainty of +/-60 K, a relative temperature resolution of +/-0.215 K, a spatial resolution of 42 mum, and a temporal resolution of 0.66 ms. Fiber aging for 10 min had no effect on the results. Soot deposition was less problematic for the pyrometer than for the thermocouple.

Image construction from the IRAS survey and data fusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bontekoe, Tj. R.

1990-01-01

The IRAS survey data can be used successfully to produce images of extended objects. The major difficulty, viz. non-uniform sampling, different response functions for each detector, and varying signal-to-noise levels for each detector for each scan, were resolved. The results of three different image construction techniques are compared: co-addition, constrained least squares, and maximum entropy. The maximum entropy result is superior. An image of the galaxy M51 with an average spatial resolution of 45 arc seconds, is presented using 60 micron survey data. This exceeds the telescope diffraction limit of 1 minute of arc, at this wavelength. Data fusion is a proposed method for combining data from different instruments, with different spatial resolutions, at different wavelengths. Direct estimates of the physical parameters, temperature, density and composition, can be made from the data without prior images (re-)construction. An increase in the accuracy of these parameters is expected as the result of this more systematic approach.

Optimization of the excitation light sheet in selective plane illumination microscopy

PubMed Central

Gao, Liang

2015-01-01

Selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) allows rapid 3D live fluorescence imaging on biological specimens with high 3D spatial resolution, good optical sectioning capability and minimal photobleaching and phototoxic effect. SPIM gains its advantage by confining the excitation light near the detection focal plane, and its performance is determined by the ability to create a thin, large and uniform excitation light sheet. Several methods have been developed to create such an excitation light sheet for SPIM. However, each method has its own strengths and weaknesses, and tradeoffs must be made among different aspects in SPIM imaging. In this work, we present a strategy to select the excitation light sheet among the latest SPIM techniques, and to optimize its geometry based on spatial resolution, field of view, optical sectioning capability, and the sample to be imaged. Besides the light sheets discussed in this work, the proposed strategy is also applicable to estimate the SPIM performance using other excitation light sheets. PMID:25798312

High spatial resolution mass spectrometry imaging reveals the genetically programmed, developmental modification of the distribution of thylakoid membrane lipids among individual cells of maize leaf

DOE PAGES

Duenas, Maria Emilia; Klein, Adam T.; Alexander, Liza E.; ...

2016-11-17

Metabolism in plants is compartmentalized among different tissues, cells and subcellular organelles. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) has recently advanced to allow for the visualization of metabolites at single-cell resolution. Here we applied 5- and 10 μm high spatial resolution MALDI-MSI to the asymmetric Kranz anatomy of Zea mays (maize) leaves to study the differential localization of two major anionic lipids in thylakoid membranes, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols (SQDG) and phosphatidylglycerols (PG). The quantification and localization of SQDG and PG molecular species, among mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells, are compared across the leaf developmental gradient frommore » four maize genotypes (the inbreds B73 and Mo17, and the reciprocal hybrids B73 × Mo17 and Mo17 × B73). SQDG species are uniformly distributed in both photosynthetic cell types, regardless of leaf development or genotype; however, PG shows photosynthetic cell-specific differential localization depending on the genotype and the fatty acyl chain constituent. Overall, 16:1-containing PGs primarily contribute to the thylakoid membranes of M cells, whereas BS chloroplasts are mostly composed of 16:0-containing PGs. Furthermore, PG 32:0 shows genotype-specific differences in cellular distribution, with preferential localization in BS cells for B73, but more uniform distribution between BS and M cells in Mo17. Maternal inheritance is exhibited within the hybrids, such that the localization of PG 32:0 in B73 × Mo17 is similar to the distribution in the B73 parental inbred, whereas that of Mo17 × B73 resembles the Mo17 parent. As a result, this study demonstrates the power of MALDI-MSI to reveal unprecedented insights on metabolic outcomes in multicellular organisms at single-cell resolution.« less

Fisheye camera method for spatial non-uniformity corrections in luminous flux measurements with integrating spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokka, Alexander; Pulli, Tomi; Poikonen, Tuomas; Askola, Janne; Ikonen, Erkki

2017-08-01

This paper presents a fisheye camera method for determining spatial non-uniformity corrections in luminous flux measurements with integrating spheres. Using a fisheye camera installed into a port of an integrating sphere, the relative angular intensity distribution of the lamp under test is determined. This angular distribution is used for calculating the spatial non-uniformity correction for the lamp when combined with the spatial responsivity data of the sphere. The method was validated by comparing it to a traditional goniophotometric approach when determining spatial correction factors for 13 LED lamps with different angular spreads. The deviations between the spatial correction factors obtained using the two methods ranged from -0.15 % to 0.15%. The mean magnitude of the deviations was 0.06%. For a typical LED lamp, the expanded uncertainty (k = 2 ) for the spatial non-uniformity correction factor was evaluated to be 0.28%. The fisheye camera method removes the need for goniophotometric measurements in determining spatial non-uniformity corrections, thus resulting in considerable system simplification. Generally, no permanent modifications to existing integrating spheres are required.

Design of sparse Halbach magnet arrays for portable MRI using a genetic algorithm.

PubMed

Cooley, Clarissa Zimmerman; Haskell, Melissa W; Cauley, Stephen F; Sappo, Charlotte; Lapierre, Cristen D; Ha, Christopher G; Stockmann, Jason P; Wald, Lawrence L

2018-01-01

Permanent magnet arrays offer several attributes attractive for the development of a low-cost portable MRI scanner for brain imaging. They offer the potential for a relatively lightweight, low to mid-field system with no cryogenics, a small fringe field, and no electrical power requirements or heat dissipation needs. The cylindrical Halbach array, however, requires external shimming or mechanical adjustments to produce B 0 fields with standard MRI homogeneity levels (e.g., 0.1 ppm over FOV), particularly when constrained or truncated geometries are needed, such as a head-only magnet where the magnet length is constrained by the shoulders. For portable scanners using rotation of the magnet for spatial encoding with generalized projections, the spatial pattern of the field is important since it acts as the encoding field. In either a static or rotating magnet, it will be important to be able to optimize the field pattern of cylindrical Halbach arrays in a way that retains construction simplicity. To achieve this, we present a method for designing an optimized cylindrical Halbach magnet using the genetic algorithm to achieve either homogeneity (for standard MRI applications) or a favorable spatial encoding field pattern (for rotational spatial encoding applications). We compare the chosen designs against a standard, fully populated sparse Halbach design, and evaluate optimized spatial encoding fields using point-spread-function and image simulations. We validate the calculations by comparing to the measured field of a constructed magnet. The experimentally implemented design produced fields in good agreement with the predicted fields, and the genetic algorithm was successful in improving the chosen metrics. For the uniform target field, an order of magnitude homogeneity improvement was achieved compared to the un-optimized, fully populated design. For the rotational encoding design the resolution uniformity is improved by 95% compared to a uniformly populated design.

[Optimum design of imaging spectrometer based on toroidal uniform-line-spaced (TULS) spectrometer].

PubMed

Xue, Qing-Sheng; Wang, Shu-Rong

2013-05-01

Based on the geometrical aberration theory, a optimum-design method for designing an imaging spectrometer based on toroidal uniform grating spectrometer is proposed. To obtain the best optical parameters, twice optimization is carried out using genetic algorithm(GA) and optical design software ZEMAX A far-ultraviolet(FUV) imaging spectrometer is designed using this method. The working waveband is 110-180 nm, the slit size is 50 microm x 5 mm, and the numerical aperture is 0.1. Using ZEMAX software, the design result is analyzed and evaluated. The results indicate that the MTF for different wavelengths is higher than 0.7 at Nyquist frequency 10 lp x mm(-1), and the RMS spot radius is less than 14 microm. The good imaging quality is achieved over the whole working waveband, the design requirements of spatial resolution 0.5 mrad and spectral resolution 0.6 nm are satisfied. It is certificated that the optimum-design method proposed in this paper is feasible. This method can be applied in other waveband, and is an instruction method for designing grating-dispersion imaging spectrometers.

A scintillator geometry suitable for very small PET gantries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, A. J.; Gonzalez-Montoro, A.; Aguilar, A.; Cañizares, G.; Martí, R.; Iranzo, S.; Lamprou, E.; Sanchez, S.; Sanchez, F.; Benlloch, J. M.

2017-12-01

In this work we are describing a novel approach to the scintillator crystal configuration as used in nuclear medicine imaging. Our design is related to the coupling in one PET module of the two separate crystal configurations used so far there: monolithic and crystal arrays. The particular design we have studied is based on a two-layer scintillator approach (hybrid) composed of a monolithic LYSO crystal (5-6 mm thickness) and a LYSO crystal array with 4-5 mm height (0.8 and 1 mm pixels). We show here the detector block performance, in terms of spatial, energy and DOI information, to be used as a module in the design of PET scanners. The design we propose allows one to achieve accurate three-dimensional spatial resolution (including DOI information) while assuring high detection efficiency at reasonable cost. Moreover, the proposed design improves the spatial response uniformity across the whole detector module, and especially at the edge region. The crystal arrays are mounted in the front and were well resolved. The monolithic crystal inserted between crystal array and the photosensor, provided measured FWHM resolution as good as 1.5-1.7 mm including the 1 mm source size. The monolithic block achieved a DOI resolution (FWHM) nearing 3 mm. We compared these results with an approach in which we use a single monolithic block with total volume equals to the hybrid approach. In general, comparable performances were obtained.

High-resolution x-ray imaging using a structured scintillator.

PubMed

Hormozan, Yashar; Sychugov, Ilya; Linnros, Jan

2016-02-01

In this study, the authors introduce a new generation of finely structured scintillators with a very high spatial resolution (a few micrometers) compared to conventional scintillators, yet maintaining a thick absorbing layer for improved detectivity. Their concept is based on a 2D array of high aspect ratio pores which are fabricated by ICP etching, with spacings (pitches) of a few micrometers, on silicon and oxidation of the pore walls. The pores were subsequently filled by melting of powdered CsI(Tl), as the scintillating agent. In order to couple the secondary emitted photons of the back of the scintillator array to a CCD device, having a larger pixel size than the pore pitch, an open optical microscope with adjustable magnification was designed and implemented. By imaging a sharp edge, the authors were able to calculate the modulation transfer function (MTF) of this finely structured scintillator. The x-ray images of individually resolved pores suggest that they have been almost uniformly filled, and the MTF measurements show the feasibility of a few microns spatial resolution imaging, as set by the scintillator pore size. Compared to existing techniques utilizing CsI needles as a structured scintillator, their results imply an almost sevenfold improvement in resolution. Finally, high resolution images, taken by their detector, are presented. The presented work successfully shows the functionality of their detector concept for high resolution imaging and further fabrication developments are most likely to result in higher quantum efficiencies.

High-resolution x-ray imaging using a structured scintillator

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

Hormozan, Yashar, E-mail: hormozan@kth.se; Sychugov, Ilya; Linnros, Jan

2016-02-15

Purpose: In this study, the authors introduce a new generation of finely structured scintillators with a very high spatial resolution (a few micrometers) compared to conventional scintillators, yet maintaining a thick absorbing layer for improved detectivity. Methods: Their concept is based on a 2D array of high aspect ratio pores which are fabricated by ICP etching, with spacings (pitches) of a few micrometers, on silicon and oxidation of the pore walls. The pores were subsequently filled by melting of powdered CsI(Tl), as the scintillating agent. In order to couple the secondary emitted photons of the back of the scintillator arraymore » to a CCD device, having a larger pixel size than the pore pitch, an open optical microscope with adjustable magnification was designed and implemented. By imaging a sharp edge, the authors were able to calculate the modulation transfer function (MTF) of this finely structured scintillator. Results: The x-ray images of individually resolved pores suggest that they have been almost uniformly filled, and the MTF measurements show the feasibility of a few microns spatial resolution imaging, as set by the scintillator pore size. Compared to existing techniques utilizing CsI needles as a structured scintillator, their results imply an almost sevenfold improvement in resolution. Finally, high resolution images, taken by their detector, are presented. Conclusions: The presented work successfully shows the functionality of their detector concept for high resolution imaging and further fabrication developments are most likely to result in higher quantum efficiencies.« less

NEMA NU-4 performance evaluation of PETbox4, a high sensitivity dedicated PET preclinical tomograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Z.; Taschereau, R.; Vu, N. T.; Wang, H.; Prout, D. L.; Silverman, R. W.; Bai, B.; Stout, D. B.; Phelps, M. E.; Chatziioannou, A. F.

2013-06-01

PETbox4 is a new, fully tomographic bench top PET scanner dedicated to high sensitivity and high resolution imaging of mice. This manuscript characterizes the performance of the prototype system using the National Electrical Manufacturers Association NU 4-2008 standards, including studies of sensitivity, spatial resolution, energy resolution, scatter fraction, count-rate performance and image quality. The PETbox4 performance is also compared with the performance of PETbox, a previous generation limited angle tomography system. PETbox4 consists of four opposing flat-panel type detectors arranged in a box-like geometry. Each panel is made by a 24 × 50 pixelated array of 1.82 × 1.82 × 7 mm bismuth germanate scintillation crystals with a crystal pitch of 1.90 mm. Each of these scintillation arrays is coupled to two Hamamatsu H8500 photomultiplier tubes via a glass light guide. Volumetric images for a 45 × 45 × 95 mm field of view (FOV) are reconstructed with a maximum likelihood expectation maximization algorithm incorporating a system model based on a parameterized detector response. With an energy window of 150-650 keV, the peak absolute sensitivity is approximately 18% at the center of FOV. The measured crystal energy resolution ranges from 13.5% to 48.3% full width at half maximum (FWHM), with a mean of 18.0%. The intrinsic detector spatial resolution is 1.5 mm FWHM in both transverse and axial directions. The reconstructed image spatial resolution for different locations in the FOV ranges from 1.32 to 1.93 mm, with an average of 1.46 mm. The peak noise equivalent count rate for the mouse-sized phantom is 35 kcps for a total activity of 1.5 MBq (40 µCi) and the scatter fraction is 28%. The standard deviation in the uniform region of the image quality phantom is 5.7%. The recovery coefficients range from 0.10 to 0.93. In comparison to the first generation two panel PETbox system, PETbox4 achieves substantial improvements on sensitivity and spatial resolution. The overall performance demonstrates that the PETbox4 scanner is suitable for producing high quality images for molecular imaging based biomedical research.

Uniform competency-based local feature extraction for remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedaghat, Amin; Mohammadi, Nazila

2018-01-01

Local feature detectors are widely used in many photogrammetry and remote sensing applications. The quantity and distribution of the local features play a critical role in the quality of the image matching process, particularly for multi-sensor high resolution remote sensing image registration. However, conventional local feature detectors cannot extract desirable matched features either in terms of the number of correct matches or the spatial and scale distribution in multi-sensor remote sensing images. To address this problem, this paper proposes a novel method for uniform and robust local feature extraction for remote sensing images, which is based on a novel competency criterion and scale and location distribution constraints. The proposed method, called uniform competency (UC) local feature extraction, can be easily applied to any local feature detector for various kinds of applications. The proposed competency criterion is based on a weighted ranking process using three quality measures, including robustness, spatial saliency and scale parameters, which is performed in a multi-layer gridding schema. For evaluation, five state-of-the-art local feature detector approaches, namely, scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT), speeded up robust features (SURF), scale-invariant feature operator (SFOP), maximally stable extremal region (MSER) and hessian-affine, are used. The proposed UC-based feature extraction algorithms were successfully applied to match various synthetic and real satellite image pairs, and the results demonstrate its capability to increase matching performance and to improve the spatial distribution. The code to carry out the UC feature extraction is available from href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317956777_UC-Feature_Extraction.

Physical effects of mechanical design parameters on photon sensitivity and spatial resolution performance of a breast-dedicated PET system.

PubMed

Spanoudaki, V C; Lau, F W Y; Vandenbroucke, A; Levin, C S

2010-11-01

This study aims to address design considerations of a high resolution, high sensitivity positron emission tomography scanner dedicated to breast imaging. The methodology uses a detailed Monte Carlo model of the system structures to obtain a quantitative evaluation of several performance parameters. Special focus was given to the effect of dense mechanical structures designed to provide mechanical robustness and thermal regulation to the minuscule and temperature sensitive detectors. For the energies of interest around the photopeak (450-700 keV energy window), the simulation results predict a 6.5% reduction in the single photon detection efficiency and a 12.5% reduction in the coincidence photon detection efficiency in the case that the mechanical structures are interspersed between the detectors. However for lower energies, a substantial increase in the number of detected events (approximately 14% and 7% for singles at a 100-200 keV energy window and coincidences at a lower energy threshold of 100 keV, respectively) was observed with the presence of these structures due to backscatter. The number of photon events that involve multiple interactions in various crystal elements is also affected by the presence of the structures. For photon events involving multiple interactions among various crystal elements, the coincidence photon sensitivity is reduced by as much as 20% for a point source at the center of the field of view. There is no observable effect on the intrinsic and the reconstructed spatial resolution and spatial resolution uniformity. Mechanical structures can have a considerable effect on system sensitivity, especially for systems processing multi-interaction photon events. This effect, however, does not impact the spatial resolution. Various mechanical structure designs are currently under evaluation in order to achieve optimum trade-off between temperature stability, accurate detector positioning, and minimum influence on system performance.

Physical effects of mechanical design parameters on photon sensitivity and spatial resolution performance of a breast-dedicated PET system

PubMed Central

Spanoudaki, V. C.; Lau, F. W. Y.; Vandenbroucke, A.; Levin, C. S.

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to address design considerations of a high resolution, high sensitivity positron emission tomography scanner dedicated to breast imaging. Methods: The methodology uses a detailed Monte Carlo model of the system structures to obtain a quantitative evaluation of several performance parameters. Special focus was given to the effect of dense mechanical structures designed to provide mechanical robustness and thermal regulation to the minuscule and temperature sensitive detectors. Results: For the energies of interest around the photopeak (450–700 keV energy window), the simulation results predict a 6.5% reduction in the single photon detection efficiency and a 12.5% reduction in the coincidence photon detection efficiency in the case that the mechanical structures are interspersed between the detectors. However for lower energies, a substantial increase in the number of detected events (approximately 14% and 7% for singles at a 100–200 keV energy window and coincidences at a lower energy threshold of 100 keV, respectively) was observed with the presence of these structures due to backscatter. The number of photon events that involve multiple interactions in various crystal elements is also affected by the presence of the structures. For photon events involving multiple interactions among various crystal elements, the coincidence photon sensitivity is reduced by as much as 20% for a point source at the center of the field of view. There is no observable effect on the intrinsic and the reconstructed spatial resolution and spatial resolution uniformity. Conclusions: Mechanical structures can have a considerable effect on system sensitivity, especially for systems processing multi-interaction photon events. This effect, however, does not impact the spatial resolution. Various mechanical structure designs are currently under evaluation in order to achieve optimum trade-off between temperature stability, accurate detector positioning, and minimum influence on system performance. PMID:21158296

Denoising Sparse Images from GRAPPA using the Nullspace Method (DESIGN)

PubMed Central

Weller, Daniel S.; Polimeni, Jonathan R.; Grady, Leo; Wald, Lawrence L.; Adalsteinsson, Elfar; Goyal, Vivek K

2011-01-01

To accelerate magnetic resonance imaging using uniformly undersampled (nonrandom) parallel imaging beyond what is achievable with GRAPPA alone, the Denoising of Sparse Images from GRAPPA using the Nullspace method (DESIGN) is developed. The trade-off between denoising and smoothing the GRAPPA solution is studied for different levels of acceleration. Several brain images reconstructed from uniformly undersampled k-space data using DESIGN are compared against reconstructions using existing methods in terms of difference images (a qualitative measure), PSNR, and noise amplification (g-factors) as measured using the pseudo-multiple replica method. Effects of smoothing, including contrast loss, are studied in synthetic phantom data. In the experiments presented, the contrast loss and spatial resolution are competitive with existing methods. Results for several brain images demonstrate significant improvements over GRAPPA at high acceleration factors in denoising performance with limited blurring or smoothing artifacts. In addition, the measured g-factors suggest that DESIGN mitigates noise amplification better than both GRAPPA and L1 SPIR-iT (the latter limited here by uniform undersampling). PMID:22213069

Design study of a high-resolution breast-dedicated PET system built from cadmium zinc telluride detectors

PubMed Central

Peng, Hao; Levin, Craig S

2013-01-01

We studied the performance of a dual-panel positron emission tomography (PET) camera dedicated to breast cancer imaging using Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed system consists of two 4 cm thick 12 × 15 cm2 area cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) panels with adjustable separation, which can be put in close proximity to the breast and/or axillary nodes. Unique characteristics distinguishing the proposed system from previous efforts in breast-dedicated PET instrumentation are the deployment of CZT detectors with superior spatial and energy resolution, using a cross-strip electrode readout scheme to enable 3D positioning of individual photon interaction coordinates in the CZT, which includes directly measured photon depth-of-interaction (DOI), and arranging the detector slabs edge-on with respect to incoming 511 keV photons for high photon sensitivity. The simulation results show that the proposed CZT dual-panel PET system is able to achieve superior performance in terms of photon sensitivity, noise equivalent count rate, spatial resolution and lesion visualization. The proposed system is expected to achieve ~32% photon sensitivity for a point source at the center and a 4 cm panel separation. For a simplified breast phantom adjacent to heart and torso compartments, the peak noise equivalent count (NEC) rate is predicted to be ~94.2 kcts s−1 (breast volume: 720 cm3 and activity concentration: 3.7 kBq cm−3) for a ~10% energy window around 511 keV and ~8 ns coincidence time window. The system achieves 1 mm intrinsic spatial resolution anywhere between the two panels with a 4 cm panel separation if the detectors have DOI resolution less than 2 mm. For a 3 mm DOI resolution, the system exhibits excellent sphere resolution uniformity (σrms/mean) ≤ 10%) across a 4 cm width FOV. Simulation results indicate that the system exhibits superior hot sphere visualization and is expected to visualize 2 mm diameter spheres with a 5:1 activity concentration ratio within roughly 7 min imaging time. Furthermore, we observe that the degree of spatial resolution degradation along the direction orthogonal to the two panels that is typical of a limited angle tomography configuration is mitigated by having high-resolution DOI capabilities that enable more accurate positioning of oblique response lines. PMID:20400807

Simultaneous dual-color fluorescence microscope: a characterization study.

PubMed

Li, Zheng; Chen, Xiaodong; Ren, Liqiang; Song, Jie; Li, Yuhua; Zheng, Bin; Liu, Hong

2013-01-01

High spatial resolution and geometric accuracy is crucial for chromosomal analysis of clinical cytogenetic applications. High resolution and rapid simultaneous acquisition of multiple fluorescent wavelengths can be achieved by utilizing concurrent imaging with multiple detectors. However, such class of microscopic systems functions differently from traditional fluorescence microscopes. To develop a practical characterization framework to assess and optimize the performance of a high resolution and dual-color fluorescence microscope designed for clinical chromosomal analysis. A dual-band microscopic imaging system utilizes a dichroic mirror, two sets of specially selected optical filters, and two detectors to simultaneously acquire two fluorescent wavelengths. The system's geometric distortion, linearity, the modulation transfer function, and the dual detectors' alignment were characterized. Experiment results show that the geometric distortion at lens periphery is less than 1%. Both fluorescent channels show linear signal responses, but there exists discrepancy between the two due to the detectors' non-uniform response ratio to different wavelengths. In terms of the spatial resolution, the two contrast transfer function curves trend agreeably with the spatial frequency. The alignment measurement allows quantitatively assessing the cameras' alignment. A result image of adjusted alignment is demonstrated to show the reduced discrepancy by using the alignment measurement method. In this paper, we present a system characterization study and its methods for a specially designed imaging system for clinical cytogenetic applications. The presented characterization methods are not only unique to this dual-color imaging system but also applicable to evaluation and optimization of other similar multi-color microscopic image systems for improving their clinical utilities for future cytogenetic applications.

Image quality assessment of a pre-clinical flat-panel volumetric micro-CT scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Louise Y.; Lee, Ting-Yim; Holdsworth, David W.

2006-03-01

Small animal imaging has recently become an area of increased interest because more human diseases can be modeled in transgenic and knockout rodents. Current micro-CT systems are capable of achieving spatial resolution on the order of 10 μm, giving highly detailed anatomical information. However, the speed of data acquisition of these systems is relatively slow, when compared with clinical CT systems. Dynamic CT perfusion imaging has proven to be a powerful tool clinically in detecting and diagnosing cancer, stroke, pulmonary and ischemic heart diseases. In order to perform this technique in mice and rats, quantitative CT images must be acquired at a rate of at least 1 Hz. Recently, a research pre-clinical CT scanner (eXplore Ultra, GE Healthcare) has been designed specifically for dynamic perfusion imaging in small animals. Using an amorphous silicon flat-panel detector and a clinical slip-ring gantry, this system is capable of acquiring volumetric image data at a rate of 1 Hz, with in-plane resolution of 150 μm, while covering the entire thoracic region of a mouse or whole organs of a rat. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the principal imaging performance of the micro-CT system, in terms of spatial resolution, image uniformity, linearity, dose and voxel noise for the feasibility of imaging mice and rats. Our investigations show that 3D images can be obtained with a limiting spatial resolution of 2.7 line pairs per mm and noise of 42 HU, using an acquisition interval of 8 seconds at an entrance dose of 6.4 cGy.

Great Lakes Region Morphology and Impacts of March 17, 2015 SED Geomagnetic Storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heine, T.; Moldwin, M.; Zou, S.

2015-12-01

Under quiet geomagnetic conditions, the mid-latitude ionosphere is relatively uniform with little spatial variation in electron density. However, during intense geomagnetic storms, density gradients associated with Storm Enhanced Density (SED) plumes and Sub-auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) can move across the dayside mid-latitude ionosphere producing small spatial scale density structure that may be connected to ionospheric scintillation. The evolution of the SED plume during the March 17, 2015 "St. Patrick's Day Storm" is investigated using aggregated data from high resolution GPS receivers at the University of Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes region. Structural density features in the SED gradient can be observed and compared to GPS scintillation measurements—providing insight into the physical mechanisms behind ionospheric scintillation.

SU-E-J-50: An Evaluation of the Stability of Image Quality Parameters of the Elekta XVI and IView Imaging Systems

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

Stanley, D; Papanikolaou, N; Gutierrez, A

2015-06-15

Introduction Quality assurance of the image quality for image guided localization systems is crucial to ensure accurate visualization and localization of target volumes. In this study, the long term stability of selected image parameters was assessed and evaluated for CBCT mode, planar radiographic kV mode and MV mode. Methods and Materials: The CATPHAN, QckV-1 and QC-3 phantoms were used to evaluate the image quality parameters. The planar radiographic images were analyzed in PIPSpro™ with spatial resolution (f30, f40, f50) being recorded. For XVI CBCT, Head and Neck Small20 (S20) and Pelvis Medium20 (M20) standard acquisition modes were evaluated for Uniformity,more » Noise, Spatial Resolution and HU constancy. Dose and kVp for the XVI were recorded using the Unfors RaySafe Xi system with the R/F Low Detector for the kV planar radiographic mode. Results A total of 20 and 10 measurements were acquired for the planar radiographic and CBCT systems respectively over a two month period. Values were normalized to the mean and the standard deviations (STD) were recorded. For the planar radiographic spatial resolution, the STD for f30, f40, f50 were 0.004, 0.002, 0.002 and 0.005, 0.007, 0.008 for the kV and MV, respectively. The average recorded dose for kV was 38.7±2.7 μGy. The STD of the evaluated metrics for the S20 acquisition were: 0.444(f30), 0.067(f40), 0.062(f50), 0.018(Water/poly-HU constancy), 0.028(uniformity) and 0.106(noise). The standard deviations for the M20 acquisition were: 0.108(f30), 0.073(f40), 0.091(f50), 0.008(Water/poly-HU constancy), 0.005(uniformity) and 0.005(noise). Using these, tolerances can be reported as a warning and action threshold of 1σ and 2σ. Conclusion A study was performed to assess the stability of the basic image quality parameters recommended by TG-142 for the Elekta XVI and iView imaging systems. Consistent imaging and dosimetric properties over the evaluated time frame were noted. This work was funded in part by the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas Pre doctoral fellowship training grant (RP140105) to Dennis N. Stanley M.Sc.« less

An evaluation of the stability of image quality parameters of Elekta X-ray volume imager and iViewGT imaging systems.

PubMed

Stanley, Dennis N; Rasmussen, Karl; Kirby, Neil; Papanikolaou, Nikos; Gutiérrez, Alonso N

2018-05-01

A robust image quality assurance and analysis methodology for image-guided localization systems is crucial to ensure the accurate localization and visualization of target tumors. In this study, the long-term stability of selected image parameters was assessed and evaluated for the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) mode, planar radiographic kV mode, and the radiographic MV mode of an Elekta VersaHD. The CATPHAN, QckV-1, and QC-3 phantoms were used to evaluate the image quality parameters. The planar radiographic images were analyzed in PIPSpro™ with spatial resolution (f30, f40, f50), contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and noise being recorded. For XVI CBCT, Head and Neck Small20 (S20) and Pelvis Medium20 (M20) standard acquisition modes were evaluated for uniformity, noise, spatial resolution, and HU constancy. Dose and kVp for the XVI were recorded using the Unfors RaySafe Xi system with the R/F low detector for the kV planar radiographic mode. For each metric, values were normalized to the mean and the standard deviations were recorded. A total of 30 measurements were performed on a single Elekta VersaHD linear accelerator over an 18-month period without significant adjustment or recalibration to the XVI or iViewGT systems during the evaluated time frame. For the planar radiographic spatial resolution, the normalized standard deviation values of the f30, f40, and f50 were 0.004, 0.003, and 0.003 and 0.015, 0.009, and 0.017 for kV and MV, respectively. The average recorded dose for kV was 67.96 μGy. The standard deviations of the evaluated metrics for the S20 acquisition were 0.083(f30), 0.058(f40), 0.056(f50), 0.021(Water/poly-HU constancy), 0.029(uniformity) and 0.028(noise). The standard deviations for the M20 acquisition were 0.093(f30), 0.043(f40), 0.037(f50), 0.016(Water/poly-HU constancy), 0.010(uniformity) and 0.011(Noise). A study was performed to assess the stability of the basic image quality parameters recommended by TG-142 for the Elekta XVI and iViewGT imaging systems. The two systems show consistent imaging and dosimetric properties over the evaluated time frame. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

The Effects of Fine-scale Soil Moisture and Canopy Heterogeneities on Energy and Soil Water Fluxes in a Temperate Mixed Deciduous Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, L.; Ivanov, V. Y.; Bohrer, G.; Maurer, K.; Vogel, C. S.; Moghaddam, M.

2011-12-01

Vegetation is heterogeneous at different scales, influencing spatially variable energy and water exchanges between land-surface and atmosphere. Current land surface parameterizations of large-scale models consider spatial variability at a scale of a few kilometers and treat vegetation cover as aggregated patches with uniform properties. However, the coupling mechanisms between fine-scale soil moisture, vegetation, and energy fluxes such as evapotranspiration are strongly nonlinear; the aggregation of surface variations may produce biased energy fluxes. This study aims to improve the understanding of the scale impact in atmosphere-biosphere-hydrosphere interactions, which affects predictive capabilities of land surface models. The study uses a high-resolution, physically-based ecohydrological model tRIBS + VEGGIE as a data integration tool to upscale the heterogeneity of canopy distribution resolved at a few meters to the watershed scale. The study was carried out for a spatially heterogeneous, temperate mixed forest environment of Northern Michigan located near the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS). Energy and soil water dynamics were simulated at the tree-canopy resolution in the horizontal plane for a small domain (~2 sq. km) located within a footprint of the AmeriFlux tower. A variety of observational data were used to constrain and confirm the model, including a 3-m profile continuous soil moisture dataset and energy flux data (measured at the AmeriFlux tower footprint). A scenario with a spatially uniform canopy, corresponding to the commonly used 'big-leaf' scheme in land surface parameterizations was used to infer the effects of coarse-scale averaging. To gain insights on how heterogeneous canopy and soil moisture interact and contribute to the domain-averaged transpiration, several scenarios of tree-scale leaf area and soil moisture spatial variability were designed. Specifically, for the same mean states, the scenarios of variability of canopy biomass account for the spatial distribution of photosynthesis (and thus the stomatal resistance), the aerodynamic and leaf boundary layer resistances as well as the differential radiation forcing due to tall tree exposure and lateral shading of short trees. The numerical experiments show that by transpiring spatially varying amounts of water, heterogeneous canopies adjust the spatial soil water state to the scaled inverse of the canopy biomass regardless of the initial moisture state. Such a spatial distribution can be further wiped out because of the differential water stress. The aggregation of canopy-scale atmosphere-biosphere-hydrosphere interactions demonstrates non-linear relationship between soil moisture and evapotranspiration, influencing domain-averaged energy fluxes.

Brain single-photon emission CT physics principles.

PubMed

Accorsi, R

2008-08-01

The basic principles of scintigraphy are reviewed and extended to 3D imaging. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a sensitive and specific 3D technique to monitor in vivo functional processes in both clinical and preclinical studies. SPECT/CT systems are becoming increasingly common and can provide accurately registered anatomic information as well. In general, SPECT is affected by low photon-collection efficiency, but in brain imaging, not all of the large FOV of clinical gamma cameras is needed: The use of fan- and cone-beam collimation trades off the unused FOV for increased sensitivity and resolution. The design of dedicated cameras aims at increased angular coverage and resolution by minimizing the distance from the patient. The corrections needed for quantitative imaging are challenging but can take advantage of the relative spatial uniformity of attenuation and scatter. Preclinical systems can provide submillimeter resolution in small animal brain imaging with workable sensitivity.

Performance improvements of wavelength-shifting-fiber neutron detectors using high-resolution positioning algorithms

DOE PAGES

Wang, C. L.

2016-05-17

On the basis of FluoroBancroft linear-algebraic method [S.B. Andersson, Opt. Exp. 16, 18714 (2008)] three highly-resolved positioning methods were proposed for wavelength-shifting fiber (WLSF) neutron detectors. Using a Gaussian or exponential-decay light-response function (LRF), the non-linear relation of photon-number profiles vs. x-pixels was linearized and neutron positions were determined. The proposed algorithms give an average 0.03-0.08 pixel position error, much smaller than that (0.29 pixel) from a traditional maximum photon algorithm (MPA). The new algorithms result in better detector uniformity, less position misassignment (ghosting), better spatial resolution, and an equivalent or better instrument resolution in powder diffraction than the MPA.more » Moreover, these characters will facilitate broader applications of WLSF detectors at time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction beamlines, including single-crystal diffraction and texture analysis.« less

Compton scatter tomography in TOF-PET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemmati, Hamidreza; Kamali-Asl, Alireza; Ay, Mohammadreza; Ghafarian, Pardis

2017-10-01

Scatter coincidences contain hidden information about the activity distribution on the positron emission tomography (PET) imaging system. However, in conventional reconstruction, the scattered data cause the blurring of images and thus are estimated and subtracted from detected coincidences. List mode format provides a new aspect to use time of flight (TOF) and energy information of each coincidence in the reconstruction process. In this study, a novel approach is proposed to reconstruct activity distribution using the scattered data in the PET system. For each single scattering coincidence, a scattering angle can be determined by the recorded energy of the detected photons, and then possible locations of scattering can be calculated based on the scattering angle. Geometry equations show that these sites lie on two arcs in 2D mode or the surface of a prolate spheroid in 3D mode, passing through the pair of detector elements. The proposed method uses a novel and flexible technique to estimate source origin locations from the possible scattering locations, using the TOF information. Evaluations were based on a Monte-Carlo simulation of uniform and non-uniform phantoms at different resolutions of time and detector energy. The results show that although the energy uncertainties deteriorate the image spatial resolution in the proposed method, the time resolution has more impact on image quality than the energy resolution. With progress of the TOF system, the reconstruction using the scattered data can be used in a complementary manner, or to improve image quality in the next generation of PET systems.

CD control with defect inspection: you can teach an old dog a new trick

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utzny, Clemens; Ullrich, Albrecht; Heumann, Jan; Mohn, Elias; Meusemann, Stefan; Seltmann, Rolf

2012-11-01

Achieving the required critical dimensions (CD) with the best possible uniformity (CDU) on photo-masks has always played a pivotal role in enabling chip technology. Current control strategies are based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) based measurements implying a sparse spatial resolution on the order of ~ 10-2 m to 10-1 m. A higher spatial resolution could be reached with an adequate measurement sampling, however the increase in the number of measurements makes this approach in the context of a productive environment unfeasible. With the advent of more powerful defect inspection tools a significantly higher spatial resolution of 10-4 m can be achieved by measuring also CD during the regular defect inspection. This method is not limited to the measurement of specific measurement features thus paving the way to a CD assessment of all electrically relevant mask patterns. Enabling such a CD measurement gives way to new realms of CD control. Deterministic short range CD effects which were previously interpreted as noise can be resolved and addressed by CD compensation methods. This in can lead to substantial improvements of the CD uniformity. Thus the defect inspection mediated CD control closes a substantial gap in the mask manufacturing process by allowing the control of short range CD effects which were up till now beyond the reach of regular CD SEM based control strategies. This increase in spatial resolution also counters the decrease in measurement precision due to the usage of an optical system. In this paper we present detailed results on a) the CD data generated during the inspection process, b) the analytical tools needed for relating this data to CD SEM measurement and c) how the CD inspection process enables new dimension of CD compensation within the mask manufacturing process. We find that the inspection based CD measurement generates typically around 500000 measurements with a homogeneous covering of the active mask area. In comparing the CD inspection results with CD SEM measurement on a single measurement point base we find that optical limitations of the inspection tool play a substantial role within the photon based inspection process. Once these shift are characterized and removed a correlation coefficient of 0.9 between these two CD measurement techniques is found. This finding agrees well with a signature based matching approach. Based on these findings we set up a dedicated pooling algorithm which performs on outlier removal for all CD inspections together with a data clustering according to feature specific tool induced shifts. This way tool induced shift effects can be removed and CD signature computation is enabled. A statistical model of the CD signatures which relates the mask design parameters on the relevant length scales to CD effects thus enabling the computation CD compensation maps. The compensation maps address the CD effects on various distinct length scales and we show that long and short range contributions to the CD variation are decreased. We find that the CD uniformity is improved by 25% using this novel CD compensation strategy.

Applications of the line-of-response probability density function resolution model in PET list mode reconstruction.

PubMed

Jian, Y; Yao, R; Mulnix, T; Jin, X; Carson, R E

2015-01-07

Resolution degradation in PET image reconstruction can be caused by inaccurate modeling of the physical factors in the acquisition process. Resolution modeling (RM) is a common technique that takes into account the resolution degrading factors in the system matrix. Our previous work has introduced a probability density function (PDF) method of deriving the resolution kernels from Monte Carlo simulation and parameterizing the LORs to reduce the number of kernels needed for image reconstruction. In addition, LOR-PDF allows different PDFs to be applied to LORs from different crystal layer pairs of the HRRT. In this study, a thorough test was performed with this new model (LOR-PDF) applied to two PET scanners-the HRRT and Focus-220. A more uniform resolution distribution was observed in point source reconstructions by replacing the spatially-invariant kernels with the spatially-variant LOR-PDF. Specifically, from the center to the edge of radial field of view (FOV) of the HRRT, the measured in-plane FWHMs of point sources in a warm background varied slightly from 1.7 mm to 1.9 mm in LOR-PDF reconstructions. In Minihot and contrast phantom reconstructions, LOR-PDF resulted in up to 9% higher contrast at any given noise level than image-space resolution model. LOR-PDF also has the advantage in performing crystal-layer-dependent resolution modeling. The contrast improvement by using LOR-PDF was verified statistically by replicate reconstructions. In addition, [(11)C]AFM rats imaged on the HRRT and [(11)C]PHNO rats imaged on the Focus-220 were utilized to demonstrated the advantage of the new model. Higher contrast between high-uptake regions of only a few millimeter diameter and the background was observed in LOR-PDF reconstruction than in other methods.

Effects of Drake Passage on a strongly eddying global ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viebahn, Jan; von der Heydt, Anna S.; Dijkstra, Henk A.

2015-04-01

During the past 65 Million (Ma) years, Earth's climate has undergone a major change from warm 'greenhouse' to colder 'icehouse' conditions with extensive ice sheets in the polar regions of both hemispheres. The Eocene-Oligocene (~34 Ma) and Oligocene-Miocene (~23 Ma) boundaries reflect major transitions in Cenozoic global climate change. Proposed mechanisms of these transitions include reorganization of ocean circulation due to critical gateway opening/deepening, changes in atmospheric CO2-concentration, and feedback mechanisms related to land-ice formation. Drake Passage (DP) is an intensively studied gateway because it plays a central role in closing the transport pathways of heat and chemicals in the ocean. The climate response to a closed DP has been explored with a variety of general circulation models, however, all of these models employ low model-grid resolutions such that the effects of subgrid-scale fluctuations ('eddies') are parameterized. We present results of the first high-resolution (0.1° horizontally) realistic global ocean model simulation with a closed DP in which the eddy field is largely resolved. The simulation extends over more than 200 years such that the strong transient adjustment process is passed and a near-equilibrium ocean state is reached. The effects of DP are diagnosed by comparing with both an open DP high-resolution control simulation (of same length) and corresponding low-resolution simulations. By focussing on the heat/tracer transports we demonstrate that the results are twofold: Considering spatially integrated transports the overall response to a closed DP is well captured by low-resolution simulations. However, looking at the actual spatial distributions drastic differences appear between far-scattered high-resolution and laminar-uniform low-resolution fields. We conclude that sparse and highly localized tracer proxy observations have to be interpreted carefully with the help of high-resolution model simulations.

Applications of the line-of-response probability density function resolution model in PET list mode reconstruction

PubMed Central

Jian, Y; Yao, R; Mulnix, T; Jin, X; Carson, R E

2016-01-01

Resolution degradation in PET image reconstruction can be caused by inaccurate modeling of the physical factors in the acquisition process. Resolution modeling (RM) is a common technique that takes into account the resolution degrading factors in the system matrix. Our previous work has introduced a probability density function (PDF) method of deriving the resolution kernels from Monte Carlo simulation and parameterizing the LORs to reduce the number of kernels needed for image reconstruction. In addition, LOR-PDF allows different PDFs to be applied to LORs from different crystal layer pairs of the HRRT. In this study, a thorough test was performed with this new model (LOR-PDF) applied to two PET scanners - the HRRT and Focus-220. A more uniform resolution distribution was observed in point source reconstructions by replacing the spatially-invariant kernels with the spatially-variant LOR-PDF. Specifically, from the center to the edge of radial field of view (FOV) of the HRRT, the measured in-plane FWHMs of point sources in a warm background varied slightly from 1.7 mm to 1.9 mm in LOR-PDF reconstructions. In Minihot and contrast phantom reconstructions, LOR-PDF resulted in up to 9% higher contrast at any given noise level than image-space resolution model. LOR-PDF also has the advantage in performing crystal-layer-dependent resolution modeling. The contrast improvement by using LOR-PDF was verified statistically by replicate reconstructions. In addition, [11C]AFM rats imaged on the HRRT and [11C]PHNO rats imaged on the Focus-220 were utilized to demonstrated the advantage of the new model. Higher contrast between high-uptake regions of only a few millimeter diameter and the background was observed in LOR-PDF reconstruction than in other methods. PMID:25490063

Modeling of non-uniform spatial arrangement of fibers in a ceramic matrix composite

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

Yang, S.; Tewari, A.; Gokhale, A.M.

In the unidirectional fiber reinforced composites, the spatial agreement of fibers is often non-uniform. These non-uniformities are linked to the processing conditions, and they affect the properties of the composite. In this contribution, a recently developed digital image analysis technique is used to quantify the non-uniform spatial arrangement of Nicalon fibers in a ceramic matrix composite (CMC). These quantitative data are utilized to develop a six parameter computer simulated microstructure model that is statistically equivalent to the non-uniform microstructure of the CMC. The simulated microstructure can be utilized as a RVE for the micro-mechanical modeling studies.

Microsphere-Based Seamless Scaffolds Containing Macroscopic Gradients of Encapsulated Factors for Tissue Engineering

PubMed Central

Singh, Milind; Morris, Casey P.; Ellis, Ryan J.; Detamore, Michael S.

2008-01-01

Spatial and temporal control of bioactive signals in three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineering scaffolds is greatly desired. Coupled together, these attributes may mimic and maintain complex signal patterns, such as those observed during axonal regeneration or neovascularization. Seamless polymer constructs may provide a route to achieve spatial control of signal distribution. In this study, a novel microparticle-based scaffold fabrication technique is introduced as a method to create 3D scaffolds with spatial control over model dyes using uniform poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres. Uniform microspheres were produced using the Precision Particle Fabrication technique. Scaffolds were assembled by flowing microsphere suspensions into a cylindrical glass mold, and then microspheres were physically attached to form a continuous scaffold using ethanol treatment. An ethanol soak of 1 h was found to be optimum for improved mechanical characteristics. Morphological and physical characterization of the scaffolds revealed that microsphere matrices were porous (41.1 ± 2.1%) and well connected, and their compressive stiffness ranged from 142 to 306 kPa. Culturing chondrocytes on the scaffolds revealed the compatibility of these substrates with cell attachment and viability. In addition, bilayered, multilayered, and gradient scaffolds were fabricated, exhibiting excellent spatial control and resolution. Such novel scaffolds can serve as sustained delivery devices of heterogeneous signals in a continuous and seamless manner, and may be particularly useful in future interfacial tissue engineering investigations. PMID:18795865

Ellipsometric surface analysis of wear tracks produced by different lubricants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lauer, J. L.; Marxer, N.; Jones, W. R., Jr.

1985-01-01

A scanning ellipsometer with high spatial resolution was used to analyze wear tracks generated on M-50 surfaces operated in several lubricant formulations. These formulations included a pure ester base stock of trimethyol propane triheptanoate with additives of either benzotriazole (BTZ), dioctyldiphenylamine (DODPA), or tricresylphosphate (TCP). Results indicated that BTZ and TCP produced patchy oxide surface films consisting mainly of Fe304. DOPDA produced a much more uniform oxide film. These findings may explain the tendency of lubricant formulations containing TCP to scuff more readily than those containing only antioxidants.

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.

Neurologic 3D MR Spectroscopic Imaging with Low-Power Adiabatic Pulses and Fast Spiral Acquisition

PubMed Central

Gagoski, Borjan A.; Sorensen, A. Gregory

2012-01-01

Purpose: To improve clinical three-dimensional (3D) MR spectroscopic imaging with more accurate localization and faster acquisition schemes. Materials and Methods: Institutional review board approval and patient informed consent were obtained. Data were acquired with a 3-T MR imager and a 32-channel head coil in phantoms, five healthy volunteers, and five patients with glioblastoma. Excitation was performed with localized adiabatic spin-echo refocusing (LASER) by using adiabatic gradient-offset independent adiabaticity wideband uniform rate and smooth truncation (GOIA-W[16,4]) pulses with 3.5-msec duration, 20-kHz bandwidth, 0.81-kHz amplitude, and 45-msec echo time. Interleaved constant-density spirals simultaneously encoded one frequency and two spatial dimensions. Conventional phase encoding (PE) (1-cm3 voxels) was performed after LASER excitation and was the reference standard. Spectra acquired with spiral encoding at similar and higher spatial resolution and with shorter imaging time were compared with those acquired with PE. Metabolite levels were fitted with software, and Bland-Altman analysis was performed. Results: Clinical 3D MR spectroscopic images were acquired four times faster with spiral protocols than with the elliptical PE protocol at low spatial resolution (1 cm3). Higher-spatial-resolution images (0.39 cm3) were acquired twice as fast with spiral protocols compared with the low-spatial-resolution elliptical PE protocol. A minimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 5 was obtained with spiral protocols under these conditions and was considered clinically adequate to reliably distinguish metabolites from noise. The apparent SNR loss was not linear with decreasing voxel sizes because of longer local T2* times. Improvement of spectral line width from 4.8 Hz to 3.5 Hz was observed at high spatial resolution. The Bland-Altman agreement between spiral and PE data is characterized by narrow 95% confidence intervals for their differences (0.12, 0.18 of their means). GOIA-W(16,4) pulses minimize chemical-shift displacement error to 2.1%, reduce nonuniformity of excitation to 5%, and eliminate the need for outer volume suppression. Conclusion: The proposed adiabatic spiral 3D MR spectroscopic imaging sequence can be performed in a standard clinical MR environment. Improvements in image quality and imaging time could enable more routine acquisition of spectroscopic data than is possible with current pulse sequences. © RSNA, 2011 PMID:22187628

Development of a Si-PM based alpha camera for plutonium detection in nuclear fuel facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morishita, Yuki; Yamamoto, Seiichi; Izaki, Kenji; Kaneko, Junichi H.; Toi, Kohei; Tsubota, Youichi

2014-05-01

Alpha particles are monitored for detecting nuclear fuel material (i.e., plutonium and uranium) at nuclear fuel facilities. Currently, for monitoring the airborne contamination of nuclear fuel, only energy information measured by Si-semiconductor detectors is used to distinguish nuclear fuel material from radon daughters. In some cases, however, such distinguishing is difficult when the radon concentration is high. In addition, a Si-semiconductor detector is generally sensitive to noise. In this study, we developed a new alpha-particle imaging system by combining a Si-PM array, which is insensitive to noise, with a Ce-doped Gd3Al2Ga3O12(GAGG) scintillator, and evaluated our developed system's fundamental performance. The scintillator was 0.1-mm thick, and the light guide was 3.0 mm thick. An 241Am source was used for all the measurements. We evaluated the spatial resolution by taking an image of a resolution chart. A 1.6 lp/mm slit was clearly resolved, and the spatial resolution was estimated to be less than 0.6-mm FWHM. The energy resolution was 13% FWHM. A slight distortion was observed in the image, and the uniformity near its center was within ±24%. We conclude that our developed alpha-particle imaging system is promising for plutonium detection at nuclear fuel facilities.

Performance Evaluation of a Bedside Cardiac SPECT System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Studenski, Matthew T.; Gilland, David R.; Parker, Jason G.; Hammond, B.; Majewski, Stan; Weisenberger, Andrew G.; Popov, Vladimir

2009-06-01

This paper reports on the initial performance evaluation of a bedside cardiac PET/SPECT system. The system was designed to move within a hospital to image critically-ill patients, for example, those in intensive care unit (ICU) or emergency room settings, who cannot easily be transported to a conventional SPECT or PET facility. The system uses two compact (25 cm times 25 cm) detectors with pixilated NaI crystals and position sensitive PMTs. The performance is evaluated for both 140 keV (Tc-99m) and 511 keV (F-18) emitters with the system operating in single photon counting (SPECT) mode. The imaging performance metrics for both 140 keV and 511 keV included intrinsic energy resolution, spatial resolution (intrinsic, system, and reconstructed SPECT), detection sensitivity, count rate capability, and uniformity. Results demonstrated an intrinsic energy resolution of 31% at 140 keV and 23% at 511 keV, a planar intrinsic spatial resolution of 5.6 mm full width half-maximum (FWHM) at 140 keV and 6.3 mm FWHM at 511 keV, and a sensitivity of 4.15 countsmiddotmuCi-1 ldr s-1 at 140 keV and 0.67 counts ldr muCi-1 ldr s-1 at 511 keV. To further the study, a SPECT acquisition using a dynamic cardiac phantom was performed, and the resulting reconstructed images are presented.

Performance Evaluation of a Bedside Cardiac SPECT System

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

M.T. Studenski, D.R. Gilland, J.G. Parker, B. Hammond, S. Majewski, A.G. Weisenberger, V. Popov

This paper reports on the initial performance evaluation of a bedside cardiac PET/SPECT system. The system was designed to move within a hospital to image critically-ill patients, for example, those in intensive care unit (ICU) or emergency room settings, who cannot easily be transported to a conventional SPECT or PET facility. The system uses two compact (25 cm times 25 cm) detectors with pixilated NaI crystals and position sensitive PMTs. The performance is evaluated for both 140 keV (Tc-99m) and 511 keV (F-18) emitters with the system operating in single photon counting (SPECT) mode. The imaging performance metrics for bothmore » 140 keV and 511 keV included intrinsic energy resolution, spatial resolution (intrinsic, system, and reconstructed SPECT), detection sensitivity, count rate capability, and uniformity. Results demonstrated an intrinsic energy resolution of 31% at 140 keV and 23% at 511 keV, a planar intrinsic spatial resolution of 5.6 mm full width half-maximum (FWHM) at 140 keV and 6.3 mm FWHM at 511 keV, and a sensitivity of 4.15 countsmiddotmuCi-1 ldr s-1 at 140 keV and 0.67 counts ldr muCi-1 ldr s-1 at 511 keV. To further the study, a SPECT acquisition using a dynamic cardiac phantom was performed, and the resulting reconstructed images are presented.« less

Improved Simulation of Electrodiffusion in the Node of Ranvier by Mesh Adaptation.

PubMed

Dione, Ibrahima; Deteix, Jean; Briffard, Thomas; Chamberland, Eric; Doyon, Nicolas

2016-01-01

In neural structures with complex geometries, numerical resolution of the Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations is necessary to accurately model electrodiffusion. This formalism allows one to describe ionic concentrations and the electric field (even away from the membrane) with arbitrary spatial and temporal resolution which is impossible to achieve with models relying on cable theory. However, solving the PNP equations on complex geometries involves handling intricate numerical difficulties related either to the spatial discretization, temporal discretization or the resolution of the linearized systems, often requiring large computational resources which have limited the use of this approach. In the present paper, we investigate the best ways to use the finite elements method (FEM) to solve the PNP equations on domains with discontinuous properties (such as occur at the membrane-cytoplasm interface). 1) Using a simple 2D geometry to allow comparison with analytical solution, we show that mesh adaptation is a very (if not the most) efficient way to obtain accurate solutions while limiting the computational efforts, 2) We use mesh adaptation in a 3D model of a node of Ranvier to reveal details of the solution which are nearly impossible to resolve with other modelling techniques. For instance, we exhibit a non linear distribution of the electric potential within the membrane due to the non uniform width of the myelin and investigate its impact on the spatial profile of the electric field in the Debye layer.

Estimation of Global 1km-grid Terrestrial Carbon Exchange Part I: Developing Inputs and Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasai, T.; Murakami, K.; Kato, S.; Matsunaga, T.; Saigusa, N.; Hiraki, K.

2015-12-01

Global terrestrial carbon cycle largely depends on a spatial pattern in land cover type, which is heterogeneously-distributed over regional and global scales. However, most studies, which aimed at the estimation of carbon exchanges between ecosystem and atmosphere, remained within several tens of kilometers grid spatial resolution, and the results have not been enough to understand the detailed pattern of carbon exchanges based on ecological community. Improving the sophistication of spatial resolution is obviously necessary to enhance the accuracy of carbon exchanges. Moreover, the improvement may contribute to global warming awareness, policy makers and other social activities. In this study, we show global terrestrial carbon exchanges (net ecosystem production, net primary production, and gross primary production) with 1km-grid resolution. As methodology for computing the exchanges, we 1) developed a global 1km-grid climate and satellite dataset based on the approach in Setoyama and Sasai (2013); 2) used the satellite-driven biosphere model (Biosphere model integrating Eco-physiological And Mechanistic approaches using Satellite data: BEAMS) (Sasai et al., 2005, 2007, 2011); 3) simulated the carbon exchanges by using the new dataset and BEAMS by the use of a supercomputer that includes 1280 CPU and 320 GPGPU cores (GOSAT RCF of NIES). As a result, we could develop a global uniform system for realistically estimating terrestrial carbon exchange, and evaluate net ecosystem production in each community level; leading to obtain highly detailed understanding of terrestrial carbon exchanges.

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

Herrnstein, Aaron R.

An ocean model with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) capability is presented for simulating ocean circulation on decade time scales. The model closely resembles the LLNL ocean general circulation model with some components incorporated from other well known ocean models when appropriate. Spatial components are discretized using finite differences on a staggered grid where tracer and pressure variables are defined at cell centers and velocities at cell vertices (B-grid). Horizontal motion is modeled explicitly with leapfrog and Euler forward-backward time integration, and vertical motion is modeled semi-implicitly. New AMR strategies are presented for horizontal refinement on a B-grid, leapfrog time integration,more » and time integration of coupled systems with unequal time steps. These AMR capabilities are added to the LLNL software package SAMRAI (Structured Adaptive Mesh Refinement Application Infrastructure) and validated with standard benchmark tests. The ocean model is built on top of the amended SAMRAI library. The resulting model has the capability to dynamically increase resolution in localized areas of the domain. Limited basin tests are conducted using various refinement criteria and produce convergence trends in the model solution as refinement is increased. Carbon sequestration simulations are performed on decade time scales in domains the size of the North Atlantic and the global ocean. A suggestion is given for refinement criteria in such simulations. AMR predicts maximum pH changes and increases in CO 2 concentration near the injection sites that are virtually unattainable with a uniform high resolution due to extremely long run times. Fine scale details near the injection sites are achieved by AMR with shorter run times than the finest uniform resolution tested despite the need for enhanced parallel performance. The North Atlantic simulations show a reduction in passive tracer errors when AMR is applied instead of a uniform coarse resolution. No dramatic or persistent signs of error growth in the passive tracer outgassing or the ocean circulation are observed to result from AMR.« less

Tailored pump compensation for Brillouin optical time-domain analysis with distributed Brillouin amplification.

PubMed

Kim, Young Hoon; Song, Kwang Yong

2017-06-26

A Brillouin optical time domain analysis (BOTDA) system utilizing tailored compensation for the propagation loss of the pump pulse is demonstrated for long-range and high-resolution distributed sensing. A continuous pump wave for distributed Brillouin amplification (DBA pump) of the pump pulse co-propagates with the probe wave, where gradual variation of the spectral width is additionally introduced to the DBA pump to obtain a uniform Brillouin gain along the position. In the experimental confirmation, a distributed strain measurement along a 51.2 km fiber under test is presented with a spatial resolution of 20 cm, in which the measurement error (σ) of less than 1.45 MHz and the near-constant Brillouin gain of the probe wave are maintained throughout the fiber.

The assessment of spatial distribution of soil salinity risk using neural network.

PubMed

Akramkhanov, Akmal; Vlek, Paul L G

2012-04-01

Soil salinity in the Aral Sea Basin is one of the major limiting factors of sustainable crop production. Leaching of the salts before planting season is usually a prerequisite for crop establishment and predetermined water amounts are applied uniformly to fields often without discerning salinity levels. The use of predetermined water amounts for leaching perhaps partly emanate from the inability of conventional soil salinity surveys (based on collection of soil samples, laboratory analyses) to generate timely and high-resolution salinity maps. This paper has an objective to estimate the spatial distribution of soil salinity based on readily or cheaply obtainable environmental parameters (terrain indices, remote sensing data, distance to drains, and long-term groundwater observation data) using a neural network model. The farm-scale (∼15 km(2)) results were used to upscale soil salinity to a district area (∼300 km(2)). The use of environmental attributes and soil salinity relationships to upscale the spatial distribution of soil salinity from farm to district scale resulted in the estimation of essentially similar average soil salinity values (estimated 0.94 vs. 1.04 dS m(-1)). Visual comparison of the maps suggests that the estimated map had soil salinity that was uniform in distribution. The upscaling proved to be satisfactory; depending on critical salinity threshold values, around 70-90% of locations were correctly estimated.

Canceling the momentum in a phase-shifting algorithm to eliminate spatially uniform errors.

PubMed

Hibino, Kenichi; Kim, Yangjin

2016-08-10

In phase-shifting interferometry, phase modulation nonlinearity causes both spatially uniform and nonuniform errors in the measured phase. Conventional linear-detuning error-compensating algorithms only eliminate the spatially variable error component. The uniform error is proportional to the inertial momentum of the data-sampling weight of a phase-shifting algorithm. This paper proposes a design approach to cancel the momentum by using characteristic polynomials in the Z-transform space and shows that an arbitrary M-frame algorithm can be modified to a new (M+2)-frame algorithm that acquires new symmetry to eliminate the uniform error.

Lithium indium diselenide: A new scintillator for neutron imaging

DOE PAGES

Lukosi, Eric; Herrera, Elan; Hamm, Daniel; ...

2016-05-20

Lithium indium diselenide, 6LiInSe 2 or LISe, is a newly developed neutron detection material that shows both semiconducting and scintillating properties. The 24% atomic density of 6Li yields a thermal neutron mean free path of only 920 μm. This paper reports on the performance of LISe crystals in scintillation mode for its potential use as a converter screen for thermal/cold neutron imaging. The spatial resolution of LISe, determined using a 10% value of the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), was found to not scale linearly with thickness. Crystals having a thickness of 450 μm or larger resulted in an average spatialmore » resolution of 67 μm, and the thinner crystals exhibited an increase in spatial resolution down to the Nyquist frequency of the CCD. The highest measured spatial resolution of 198 μm thick LISe (27 μm) outperforms a commercial 50 μm thick ZnS(Cu): 6LiF scintillation screen (100 μm) by more than a factor of three. For the thicknesses considered in this study, it has been found that the light yield of LISe did not scale with its thickness, suggesting the need for optimizing the synthesis to enhance the scintillation mechanism. Absorption measurements indicate that the 6Li concentration is uniform throughout the samples and its absorption efficiency as a function of thickness follows general nuclear theory, indicating that the variation in apparent brightness is likely due to a combination of particle escape, light transport, and activation of the scintillation mechanisms. As a result, the presence of 115In and its long-lived 116In activation product did not result in ghosting (memory of past neutron exposure), demonstrating potential for using LISe for imaging transient systems.« less

A micro-hydrology computation ordering algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croley, Thomas E.

1980-11-01

Discrete-distributed-parameter models are essential for watershed modelling where practical consideration of spatial variations in watershed properties and inputs is desired. Such modelling is necessary for analysis of detailed hydrologic impacts from management strategies and land-use effects. Trade-offs between model validity and model complexity exist in resolution of the watershed. Once these are determined, the watershed is then broken into sub-areas which each have essentially spatially-uniform properties. Lumped-parameter (micro-hydrology) models are applied to these sub-areas and their outputs are combined through the use of a computation ordering technique, as illustrated by many discrete-distributed-parameter hydrology models. Manual ordering of these computations requires fore-thought, and is tedious, error prone, sometimes storage intensive and least adaptable to changes in watershed resolution. A programmable algorithm for ordering micro-hydrology computations is presented that enables automatic ordering of computations within the computer via an easily understood and easily implemented "node" definition, numbering and coding scheme. This scheme and the algorithm are detailed in logic flow-charts and an example application is presented. Extensions and modifications of the algorithm are easily made for complex geometries or differing microhydrology models. The algorithm is shown to be superior to manual ordering techniques and has potential use in high-resolution studies.

Comparison of spatio-temporal resolution of different flow measurement techniques for marine renewable energy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyon, Vincent; Wosnik, Martin

2013-11-01

Marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy conversion devices are subject to a wide range of turbulent scales, either due to upstream bathymetry, obstacles and waves, or from wakes of upstream devices in array configurations. The commonly used, robust Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) are well suited for long term flow measurements in the marine environment, but are limited to low sampling rates due to their operational principle. The resulting temporal and spatial resolution is insufficient to measure all turbulence scales of interest to the device, e.g., ``blade-scale turbulence.'' The present study systematically characterizes the spatial and temporal resolution of ADCP, Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry (ADV), and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Measurements were conducted in a large cross section tow tank (3.7m × 2.4m) for several benchmark cases, including low and high turbulence intensity uniform flow as well as in the wake of a cylinder, to quantitatively investigate the flow scales which each of the instruments can resolve. The purpose of the study is to supply data for mathematical modeling to improve predictions from ADCP measurements, which can help lead to higher-fidelity energy resource assessment and more accurate device evaluation, including wake measurements. Supported by NSF-CBET grant 1150797.

The Nike Laser Facility and its Capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serlin, V.; Aglitskiy, Y.; Chan, L. Y.; Karasik, M.; Kehne, D. M.; Oh, J.; Obenschain, S. P.; Weaver, J. L.

2013-10-01

The Nike laser is a 56-beam krypton fluoride (KrF) system that provides 3 to 4 kJ of laser energy on target. The laser uses induced spatial incoherence to achieve highly uniform focal distributions. 44 beams are overlapped onto target with peak intensities up to 1016 W/cm2. The effective time-averaged illumination nonuniformity is < 0 . 2 %. Nike produces highly uniform ablation pressures on target allowing well-controlled experiments at pressures up to 20 Mbar. The other 12 laser beams are used to generate diagnostic x-rays radiographing the primary laser-illuminated target. The facility includes a front end that generates the desired temporal and spatial laser profiles, two electron-beam pumped KrF amplifiers, a computer-controlled optical system, and a vacuum target chamber for experiments. Nike is used to study the physics and technology issues of direct-drive laser fusion, such as, hydrodynamic and laser-plasma instabilities, studies of the response of materials to extreme pressures, and generation of X rays from laser-heated targets. Nike features a computer-controlled data acquisition system, high-speed, high-resolution x-ray and visible imaging systems, x-ray and visible spectrometers, and cryogenic target capability. Work supported by DOE/NNSA.

Binary pseudo-random patterned structures for modulation transfer function calibration and resolution characterization of a full-field transmission soft x-ray microscope

DOE PAGES

Yashchuk, V. V.; Fischer, P. J.; Chan, E. R.; ...

2015-12-09

We present a modulation transfer function (MTF) calibration method based on binary pseudo-random (BPR) one-dimensional sequences and two-dimensional arrays as an effective method for spectral characterization in the spatial frequency domain of a broad variety of metrology instrumentation, including interferometric microscopes, scatterometers, phase shifting Fizeau interferometers, scanning and transmission electron microscopes, and at this time, x-ray microscopes. The inherent power spectral density of BPR gratings and arrays, which has a deterministic white-noise-like character, allows a direct determination of the MTF with a uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range and field of view of an instrument. We demonstrate themore » MTF calibration and resolution characterization over the full field of a transmission soft x-ray microscope using a BPR multilayer (ML) test sample with 2.8 nm fundamental layer thickness. We show that beyond providing a direct measurement of the microscope's MTF, tests with the BPRML sample can be used to fine tune the instrument's focal distance. Finally, our results confirm the universality of the method that makes it applicable to a large variety of metrology instrumentation with spatial wavelength bandwidths from a few nanometers to hundreds of millimeters.« less

A Prototype High-Resolution Small-Animal PET Scanner Dedicated to Mouse Brain Imaging.

PubMed

Yang, Yongfeng; Bec, Julien; Zhou, Jian; Zhang, Mengxi; Judenhofer, Martin S; Bai, Xiaowei; Di, Kun; Wu, Yibao; Rodriguez, Mercedes; Dokhale, Purushottam; Shah, Kanai S; Farrell, Richard; Qi, Jinyi; Cherry, Simon R

2016-07-01

We developed a prototype small-animal PET scanner based on depth-encoding detectors using dual-ended readout of small scintillator elements to produce high and uniform spatial resolution suitable for imaging the mouse brain. The scanner consists of 16 tapered dual-ended-readout detectors arranged in a 61-mm-diameter ring. The axial field of view (FOV) is 7 mm, and the transaxial FOV is 30 mm. The scintillator arrays consist of 14 × 14 lutetium oxyorthosilicate elements, with a crystal size of 0.43 × 0.43 mm at the front end and 0.80 × 0.43 mm at the back end, and the crystal elements are 13 mm long. The arrays are read out by 8 × 8 mm and 13 × 8 mm position-sensitive avalanche photodiodes (PSAPDs) placed at opposite ends of the array. Standard nuclear-instrumentation-module electronics and a custom-designed multiplexer are used for signal processing. The detector performance was measured, and all but the crystals at the very edge could be clearly resolved. The average intrinsic spatial resolution in the axial direction was 0.61 mm. A depth-of-interaction resolution of 1.7 mm was achieved. The sensitivity of the scanner at the center of the FOV was 1.02% for a lower energy threshold of 150 keV and 0.68% for a lower energy threshold of 250 keV. The spatial resolution within a FOV that can accommodate the entire mouse brain was approximately 0.6 mm using a 3-dimensional maximum-likelihood expectation maximization reconstruction. Images of a hot-rod microphantom showed that rods with a diameter of as low as 0.5 mm could be resolved. The first in vivo studies were performed using (18)F-fluoride and confirmed that a 0.6-mm resolution can be achieved in the mouse head in vivo. Brain imaging studies with (18)F-FDG were also performed. We developed a prototype PET scanner that can achieve a spatial resolution approaching the physical limits of a small-bore PET scanner set by positron range and detector interaction. We plan to add more detector rings to extend the axial FOV of the scanner and increase sensitivity. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Un-collimated single-photon imaging system for high-sensitivity small animal and plant imaging.

PubMed

Walker, Katherine L; Judenhofer, Martin S; Cherry, Simon R; Mitchell, Gregory S

2015-01-07

In preclinical single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system development the primary objective has been to improve spatial resolution by using novel parallel-hole or multi-pinhole collimator geometries. However, such high-resolution systems have relatively poor sensitivity (typically 0.01-0.1%). In contrast, a system that does not use collimators can achieve very high-sensitivity. Here we present a high-sensitivity un-collimated detector single-photon imaging (UCD-SPI) system for the imaging of both small animals and plants. This scanner consists of two thin, closely spaced, pixelated scintillator detectors that use NaI(Tl), CsI(Na), or BGO. The performance of the system has been characterized by measuring sensitivity, spatial resolution, linearity, detection limits, and uniformity. With (99m)Tc (140 keV) at the center of the field of view (20 mm scintillator separation), the sensitivity was measured to be 31.8% using the NaI(Tl) detectors and 40.2% with CsI(Na). The best spatial resolution (FWHM when the image formed as the geometric mean of the two detector heads, 20 mm scintillator separation) was 19.0 mm for NaI(Tl) and 11.9 mm for CsI(Na) at 140 keV, and 19.5 mm for BGO at 1116 keV, which is somewhat degraded compared to the cm-scale resolution obtained with only one detector head and a close source. The quantitative accuracy of the system's linearity is better than 2% with detection down to activity levels of 100 nCi. Two in vivo animal studies (a renal scan using (99m)Tc MAG-3 and a thyroid scan with (123)I) and one plant study (a (99m)TcO4(-) xylem transport study) highlight the unique capabilities of this UCD-SPI system. From the renal scan, we observe approximately a one thousand-fold increase in sensitivity compared to the Siemens Inveon SPECT/CT scanner. UCD-SPI is useful for many imaging tasks that do not require excellent spatial resolution, such as high-throughput screening applications, simple radiotracer uptake studies in tumor xenografts, dynamic studies where very good temporal resolution is critical, or in planta imaging of radioisotopes at low concentrations.

Un-collimated single-photon imaging system for high-sensitivity small animal and plant imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Katherine L.; Judenhofer, Martin S.; Cherry, Simon R.; Mitchell, Gregory S.

2015-01-01

In preclinical single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system development the primary objective has been to improve spatial resolution by using novel parallel-hole or multi-pinhole collimator geometries. However, such high-resolution systems have relatively poor sensitivity (typically 0.01-0.1%). In contrast, a system that does not use collimators can achieve very high-sensitivity. Here we present a high-sensitivity un-collimated detector single-photon imaging (UCD-SPI) system for the imaging of both small animals and plants. This scanner consists of two thin, closely spaced, pixelated scintillator detectors that use NaI(Tl), CsI(Na), or BGO. The performance of the system has been characterized by measuring sensitivity, spatial resolution, linearity, detection limits, and uniformity. With 99mTc (140 keV) at the center of the field of view (20 mm scintillator separation), the sensitivity was measured to be 31.8% using the NaI(Tl) detectors and 40.2% with CsI(Na). The best spatial resolution (FWHM when the image formed as the geometric mean of the two detector heads, 20 mm scintillator separation) was 19.0 mm for NaI(Tl) and 11.9 mm for CsI(Na) at 140 keV, and 19.5 mm for BGO at 1116 keV, which is somewhat degraded compared to the cm-scale resolution obtained with only one detector head and a close source. The quantitative accuracy of the system’s linearity is better than 2% with detection down to activity levels of 100 nCi. Two in vivo animal studies (a renal scan using 99mTc MAG-3 and a thyroid scan with 123I) and one plant study (a 99mTcO4- xylem transport study) highlight the unique capabilities of this UCD-SPI system. From the renal scan, we observe approximately a one thousand-fold increase in sensitivity compared to the Siemens Inveon SPECT/CT scanner. UCD-SPI is useful for many imaging tasks that do not require excellent spatial resolution, such as high-throughput screening applications, simple radiotracer uptake studies in tumor xenografts, dynamic studies where very good temporal resolution is critical, or in planta imaging of radioisotopes at low concentrations.

A high resolution prototype small-animal PET scanner dedicated to mouse brain imaging

PubMed Central

Yang, Yongfeng; Bec, Julien; Zhou, Jian; Zhang, Mengxi; Judenhofer, Martin S; Bai, Xiaowei; Di, Kun; Wu, Yibao; Rodriguez, Mercedes; Dokhale, Purushottam; Shah, Kanai S.; Farrell, Richard; Qi, Jinyi; Cherry, Simon R.

2017-01-01

A prototype small-animal PET scanner was developed based on depth-encoding detectors using dual-ended readout of very small scintillator elements to produce high and uniform spatial resolution suitable for imaging the mouse brain. Methods The scanner consists of 16 tapered dual-ended readout detectors arranged in a ring of diameter 61 mm. The axial field of view is 7 mm and the transaxial field of view is 30 mm. The scintillator arrays consist of 14×14 lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) elements, with a crystal size of 0.43×0.43 mm2 at the front end and 0.80×0.43 mm2 at the back end, and the crystal elements are 13 mm long. The arrays are read out by 8×8 mm2 and a 13×8 mm2 position-sensitive avalanche photodiodes (PSAPDs) placed at opposite ends of the array. Standard nuclear instrumentation module (NIM) electronics and a custom designed multiplexer are used for signal processing. Results The detector performance was measured and all except the very edge crystals could be clearly resolved. The average detector intrinsic spatial resolution in the axial direction was 0.61 mm. A depth of interaction resolution of 1.7 mm was achieved. The sensitivity of the scanner at center of the field of view was 1.02% for a lower energy threshold of 150 keV and 0.68% for a lower energy threshold of 250 keV. The spatial resolution within a field of view that can accommodate the entire mouse brain was ~0.6 mm using a 3D Maximum Likelihood-Expectation Maximization (ML-EM) reconstruction algorithm. Images of a micro hot-rod phantom showed that rods with diameter down to 0.5 mm could be resolved. First in vivo studies were obtained using 18F-fluoride and confirmed that 0.6 mm resolution can be achieved in the mouse head in vivo. Brain imaging studies with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose were also acquired. Conclusion A prototype PET scanner achieving a spatial resolution approaching the physical limits for a small-bore PET scanner set by positron range and acolinearity was developed. Future plans are to add more detector rings to extend the axial field of view of the scanner and increase sensitivity. PMID:27013696

A high-resolution, confocal laser-scanning microscope and flash photolysis system for physiological studies.

PubMed

Parker, I; Callamaras, N; Wier, W G

1997-06-01

We describe the construction of a high-resolution confocal laser-scanning microscope, and illustrate its use for studying elementary Ca2+ signalling events in cells. An avalanche photodiode module and simple optical path provide a high efficiency system for detection of fluorescence signals, allowing use of a small confocal aperture giving near diffraction-limited spatial resolution (< 300 nm lateral and < 400 nm axial). When operated in line-scan mode, the maximum temporal resolution is 1 ms, and the associated computer software allows complete flexibility to record line-scans continuously for long (minutes) periods or to obtain any desired pixel resolution in x-y scans. An independent UV irradiation system permits simultaneous photolysis of caged compounds over either a uniform, wide field (arc lamp source) or at a tightly focussed spot (frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser). The microscope thus provides a versatile tool for optical studies of dynamic cellular processes, as well as excellent resolution for morphological studies. The confocal scanner can be added to virtually any inverted microscope for a component cost that is only a small fraction of that of comparable commercial instruments, yet offers better performance and greater versatility.

Design, simulation and evaluation of uniform magnetic field systems for head-free eye movement recordings with scleral search coils.

PubMed

Eibenberger, Karin; Eibenberger, Bernhard; Rucci, Michele

2016-08-01

The precise measurement of eye movements is important for investigating vision, oculomotor control and vestibular function. The magnetic scleral search coil technique is one of the most precise measurement techniques for recording eye movements with very high spatial (≈ 1 arcmin) and temporal (>kHz) resolution. The technique is based on measuring voltage induced in a search coil through a large magnetic field. This search coil is embedded in a contact lens worn by a human subject. The measured voltage is in direct relationship to the orientation of the eye in space. This requires a magnetic field with a high homogeneity in the center, since otherwise the field inhomogeneity would give the false impression of a rotation of the eye due to a translational movement of the head. To circumvent this problem, a bite bar typically restricts head movement to a minimum. However, the need often emerges to precisely record eye movements under natural viewing conditions. To this end, one needs a uniform magnetic field that is uniform over a large area. In this paper, we present the numerical and finite element simulations of the magnetic flux density of different coil geometries that could be used for search coil recordings. Based on the results, we built a 2.2 × 2.2 × 2.2 meter coil frame with a set of 3 × 4 coils to generate a 3D magnetic field and compared the measured flux density with our simulation results. In agreement with simulation results, the system yields a highly uniform field enabling high-resolution recordings of eye movements.

High axial resolution imaging system for large volume tissues using combination of inclined selective plane illumination and mechanical sectioning

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qi; Yang, Xiong; Hu, Qinglei; Bai, Ke; Yin, Fangfang; Li, Ning; Gang, Yadong; Wang, Xiaojun; Zeng, Shaoqun

2017-01-01

To resolve fine structures of biological systems like neurons, it is required to realize microscopic imaging with sufficient spatial resolution in three dimensional systems. With regular optical imaging systems, high lateral resolution is accessible while high axial resolution is hard to achieve in a large volume. We introduce an imaging system for high 3D resolution fluorescence imaging of large volume tissues. Selective plane illumination was adopted to provide high axial resolution. A scientific CMOS working in sub-array mode kept the imaging area in the sample surface, which restrained the adverse effect of aberrations caused by inclined illumination. Plastic embedding and precise mechanical sectioning extended the axial range and eliminated distortion during the whole imaging process. The combination of these techniques enabled 3D high resolution imaging of large tissues. Fluorescent bead imaging showed resolutions of 0.59 μm, 0.47μm, and 0.59 μm in the x, y, and z directions, respectively. Data acquired from the volume sample of brain tissue demonstrated the applicability of this imaging system. Imaging of different depths showed uniform performance where details could be recognized in either the near-soma area or terminal area, and fine structures of neurons could be seen in both the xy and xz sections. PMID:29296503

Dispersion of aerosol particles undergoing Brownian motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso, Manuel; Endo, Yoshiyuki

2001-12-01

The variance of the position distribution for a Brownian particle is derived in the general case where the particle is suspended in a flowing medium and, at the same time, is acted upon by an external field of force. It is shown that, for uniform force and flow fields, the variance is equal to that for a free particle. When the force field is not uniform but depends on spatial location, the variance can be larger or smaller than that for a free particle depending on whether the average motion of the particles takes place toward, respectively, increasing or decreasing absolute values of the field strength. A few examples concerning aerosol particles are discussed, with especial attention paid to the mobility classification of charged aerosols by a non-uniform electric field. As a practical application of these ideas, a new design of particle-size electrostatic classifier differential mobility analyser (DMA) is proposed in which the aerosol particles migrate between the electrodes in a direction opposite to that for a conventional DMA, thereby improving the resolution power of the instrument.

SU-E-I-20: Comprehensive Quality Assurance Test of Second Generation Toshiba Aquilion Large Bore CT Simulator Based On AAPM TG-66 Recommendations

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

Zhang, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: AAPM radiation therapy committee task group No. 66 (TG-66) published a report which described a general approach to CT simulator QA. The report outlines the testing procedures and specifications for the evaluation of patient dose, radiation safety, electromechanical components, and image quality for a CT simulator. The purpose of this study is to thoroughly evaluate the performance of a second generation Toshiba Aquilion Large Bore CT simulator with 90 cm bore size (Toshiba, Nasu, JP) based on the TG-66 criteria. The testing procedures and results from this study provide baselines for a routine QA program. Methods: Different measurements andmore » analysis were performed including CTDIvol measurements, alignment and orientation of gantry lasers, orientation of the tabletop with respect to the imaging plane, table movement and indexing accuracy, Scanogram location accuracy, high contrast spatial resolution, low contrast resolution, field uniformity, CT number accuracy, mA linearity and mA reproducibility using a number of different phantoms and measuring devices, such as CTDI phantom, ACR image quality phantom, TG-66 laser QA phantom, pencil ion chamber (Fluke Victoreen) and electrometer (RTI Solidose 400). Results: The CTDI measurements were within 20% of the console displayed values. The alignment and orientation for both gantry laser and tabletop, as well as the table movement and indexing and scanogram location accuracy were within 2mm as specified in TG66. The spatial resolution, low contrast resolution, field uniformity and CT number accuracy were all within ACR’s recommended limits. The mA linearity and reproducibility were both well below the TG66 threshold. Conclusion: The 90 cm bore size second generation Toshiba Aquilion Large Bore CT simulator that comes with 70 cm true FOV can consistently meet various clinical needs. The results demonstrated that this simulator complies with the TG-66 protocol in all aspects including electromechanical component, radiation safety component, and image quality component. Employee of Toshiba America Medical Systems.« less

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

Brady, S; Shulkin, B

Purpose: To develop ultra-low dose computed tomography (CT) attenuation correction (CTAC) acquisition protocols for pediatric positron emission tomography CT (PET CT). Methods: A GE Discovery 690 PET CT hybrid scanner was used to investigate the change to quantitative PET and CT measurements when operated at ultra-low doses (10–35 mAs). CT quantitation: noise, low-contrast resolution, and CT numbers for eleven tissue substitutes were analyzed in-phantom. CT quantitation was analyzed to a reduction of 90% CTDIvol (0.39/3.64; mGy) radiation dose from baseline. To minimize noise infiltration, 100% adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR) was used for CT reconstruction. PET images were reconstructed withmore » the lower-dose CTAC iterations and analyzed for: maximum body weight standardized uptake value (SUVbw) of various diameter targets (range 8–37 mm), background uniformity, and spatial resolution. Radiation organ dose, as derived from patient exam size specific dose estimate (SSDE), was converted to effective dose using the standard ICRP report 103 method. Effective dose and CTAC noise magnitude were compared for 140 patient examinations (76 post-ASiR implementation) to determine relative patient population dose reduction and noise control. Results: CT numbers were constant to within 10% from the non-dose reduced CTAC image down to 90% dose reduction. No change in SUVbw, background percent uniformity, or spatial resolution for PET images reconstructed with CTAC protocols reconstructed with ASiR and down to 90% dose reduction. Patient population effective dose analysis demonstrated relative CTAC dose reductions between 62%–86% (3.2/8.3−0.9/6.2; mSv). Noise magnitude in dose-reduced patient images increased but was not statistically different from pre dose-reduced patient images. Conclusion: Using ASiR allowed for aggressive reduction in CTAC dose with no change in PET reconstructed images while maintaining sufficient image quality for co-localization of hybrid CT anatomy and PET radioisotope uptake.« less

The impact of model prediction error in designing geodetic networks for crustal deformation applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, J. R.

2017-12-01

Earth surface displacements measured at Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sites record crustal deformation due, for example, to slip on faults underground. A primary objective in designing geodetic networks to study crustal deformation is to maximize the ability to recover parameters of interest like fault slip. Given Green's functions (GFs) relating observed displacement to motion on buried dislocations representing a fault, one can use various methods to estimate spatially variable slip. However, assumptions embodied in the GFs, e.g., use of a simplified elastic structure, introduce spatially correlated model prediction errors (MPE) not reflected in measurement uncertainties (Duputel et al., 2014). In theory, selection algorithms should incorporate inter-site correlations to identify measurement locations that give unique information. I assess the impact of MPE on site selection by expanding existing methods (Klein et al., 2017; Reeves and Zhe, 1999) to incorporate this effect. Reeves and Zhe's algorithm sequentially adds or removes a predetermined number of data according to a criterion that minimizes the sum of squared errors (SSE) on parameter estimates. Adapting this method to GNSS network design, Klein et al. select new sites that maximize model resolution, using trade-off curves to determine when additional resolution gain is small. Their analysis uses uncorrelated data errors and GFs for a uniform elastic half space. I compare results using GFs for spatially variable strike slip on a discretized dislocation in a uniform elastic half space, a layered elastic half space, and a layered half space with inclusion of MPE. I define an objective criterion to terminate the algorithm once the next site removal would increase SSE more than the expected incremental SSE increase if all sites had equal impact. Using a grid of candidate sites with 8 km spacing, I find the relative value of the selected sites (defined by the percent increase in SSE that further removal of each site would cause) is more uniform when MPE is included. However, the number and distribution of selected sites depends primarily on site location relative to the fault. For this test case, inclusion of MPE has minimal practical impact; I will investigate whether these findings hold for more densely spaced candidate grids and dipping faults.

Evaluation of the OSC-TV iterative reconstruction algorithm for cone-beam optical CT

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

Matenine, Dmitri, E-mail: dmitri.matenine.1@ulaval.ca; Mascolo-Fortin, Julia, E-mail: julia.mascolo-fortin.1@ulaval.ca; Goussard, Yves, E-mail: yves.goussard@polymtl.ca

Purpose: The present work evaluates an iterative reconstruction approach, namely, the ordered subsets convex (OSC) algorithm with regularization via total variation (TV) minimization in the field of cone-beam optical computed tomography (optical CT). One of the uses of optical CT is gel-based 3D dosimetry for radiation therapy, where it is employed to map dose distributions in radiosensitive gels. Model-based iterative reconstruction may improve optical CT image quality and contribute to a wider use of optical CT in clinical gel dosimetry. Methods: This algorithm was evaluated using experimental data acquired by a cone-beam optical CT system, as well as complementary numericalmore » simulations. A fast GPU implementation of OSC-TV was used to achieve reconstruction times comparable to those of conventional filtered backprojection. Images obtained via OSC-TV were compared with the corresponding filtered backprojections. Spatial resolution and uniformity phantoms were scanned and respective reconstructions were subject to evaluation of the modulation transfer function, image uniformity, and accuracy. The artifacts due to refraction and total signal loss from opaque objects were also studied. Results: The cone-beam optical CT data reconstructions showed that OSC-TV outperforms filtered backprojection in terms of image quality, thanks to a model-based simulation of the photon attenuation process. It was shown to significantly improve the image spatial resolution and reduce image noise. The accuracy of the estimation of linear attenuation coefficients remained similar to that obtained via filtered backprojection. Certain image artifacts due to opaque objects were reduced. Nevertheless, the common artifact due to the gel container walls could not be eliminated. Conclusions: The use of iterative reconstruction improves cone-beam optical CT image quality in many ways. The comparisons between OSC-TV and filtered backprojection presented in this paper demonstrate that OSC-TV can potentially improve the rendering of spatial features and reduce cone-beam optical CT artifacts.« less

Evaluation of the OSC-TV iterative reconstruction algorithm for cone-beam optical CT.

PubMed

Matenine, Dmitri; Mascolo-Fortin, Julia; Goussard, Yves; Després, Philippe

2015-11-01

The present work evaluates an iterative reconstruction approach, namely, the ordered subsets convex (OSC) algorithm with regularization via total variation (TV) minimization in the field of cone-beam optical computed tomography (optical CT). One of the uses of optical CT is gel-based 3D dosimetry for radiation therapy, where it is employed to map dose distributions in radiosensitive gels. Model-based iterative reconstruction may improve optical CT image quality and contribute to a wider use of optical CT in clinical gel dosimetry. This algorithm was evaluated using experimental data acquired by a cone-beam optical CT system, as well as complementary numerical simulations. A fast GPU implementation of OSC-TV was used to achieve reconstruction times comparable to those of conventional filtered backprojection. Images obtained via OSC-TV were compared with the corresponding filtered backprojections. Spatial resolution and uniformity phantoms were scanned and respective reconstructions were subject to evaluation of the modulation transfer function, image uniformity, and accuracy. The artifacts due to refraction and total signal loss from opaque objects were also studied. The cone-beam optical CT data reconstructions showed that OSC-TV outperforms filtered backprojection in terms of image quality, thanks to a model-based simulation of the photon attenuation process. It was shown to significantly improve the image spatial resolution and reduce image noise. The accuracy of the estimation of linear attenuation coefficients remained similar to that obtained via filtered backprojection. Certain image artifacts due to opaque objects were reduced. Nevertheless, the common artifact due to the gel container walls could not be eliminated. The use of iterative reconstruction improves cone-beam optical CT image quality in many ways. The comparisons between OSC-TV and filtered backprojection presented in this paper demonstrate that OSC-TV can potentially improve the rendering of spatial features and reduce cone-beam optical CT artifacts.

Use of radiochromic film as a high-spatial resolution dosimeter by Raman spectroscopy

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

Mirza, Jamal Ahmad; Park, Hyeonsuk

Purpose: Due to increasing demand for high-spatial resolution dosimetry, radiochromic films have been investigated as potential candidates but are often limited by the scanning system, e.g., flatbed optical scanner. In this study, Raman spectroscopy in conjunction with a microscope was selected as an alternative method for high-spatial resolution dosimetry of radiochromic film. Methods: Unlaminated Gafchromic™ EBT3 films were irradiated with doses between 0 and 50 Gy using 6 MV x-rays of a clinical linear accelerator. Depth profiling from the surface of unlaminated film was performed to acquire the maximum Raman intensity peaks of C≡C and C=C stretching bands of diacetylenemore » polymer. The Raman mapping technique for a region of interest (200 × 200, 30 × 30 μm{sup 2}) was developed to reduce a large variation in a Raman spectrum produced with a sampling resolution of a few μm. The preprocessing of Raman spectra was carried out to determine a dosimetric relationship with the amount of diacetylene polymerization. Results: Due to partial diacetylene polymerization upon irradiation, two Raman peaks of C=C and C≡C stretching bands were observed around 1447 and 2060 cm{sup −1}, respectively. The maximum intensities of the two peaks were obtained by positioning a focused laser spot on the surface of unlaminated film. For the dose range of 0–50 Gy, the band heights of both C≡C and C=C peaks increase asymptotically with increasing doses and can be fit with an exponential function of two components. The relative standard deviation in Raman mapping was found to be less than ±5%. By using this technique, dose uniformity was found to be within ±2%. Conclusions: The Raman intensity for C=C and C≡C peaks increases with an increase in the amount of diacetylene polymerization due to an increase in dose. This study shows the potential of Raman spectroscopy as an alternative for absolute dosimetry verifications with a high-spatial resolution of a few μm, but these findings need to be further validated for the purpose of microdosimetry.« less

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

Walker, Katherine L.; Judenhofer, Martin S.; Cherry, Simon R.

In preclinical single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system development the primary objective has been to improve spatial resolution by using novel parallel-hole or multi-pinhole collimator geometries. Furthermore, such high-resolution systems have relatively poor sensitivity (typically 0.01% to 0.1%). In contrast, a system that does not use collimators can achieve very high-sensitivity. Here we present a high-sensitivity un-collimated detector single-photon imaging (UCD-SPI) system for the imaging of both small animals and plants. This scanner consists of two thin, closely spaced, pixelated scintillator detectors that use NaI(Tl), CsI(Na), or BGO. The performance of the system has been characterized by measuring sensitivity, spatialmore » resolution, linearity, detection limits, and uniformity. With 99mTc (140 keV) at the center of the field of view (20 mm scintillator separation), the sensitivity was measured to be 31.8% using the NaI(Tl) detectors and 40.2% with CsI(Na). The best spatial resolution (FWHM when the image formed as the geometric mean of the two detector heads, 20 mm scintillator separation) was 19.0 mm for NaI(Tl) and 11.9 mm for CsI(Na) at 140 keV, and 19.5 mm for BGO at 1116 keV, which is somewhat degraded compared to the cm-scale resolution obtained with only one detector head and a close source. The quantitative accuracy of the system’s linearity is better than 2% with detection down to activity levels of 100 nCi. Two in vivo animal studies (a renal scan using 99mTc MAG-3 and a thyroid scan with 123I) and one plant study (a 99mTcO 4- xylem transport study) highlight the unique capabilities of this UCD-SPI system. From the renal scan, we observe approximately a one thousand-fold increase in sensitivity compared to the Siemens Inveon SPECT/CT scanner. In conclusion, UCD-SPI is useful for many imaging tasks that do not require excellent spatial resolution, such as high-throughput screening applications, simple radiotracer uptake studies in tumor xenografts, dynamic studies where very good temporal resolution is critical, or in planta imaging of radioisotopes at low concentrations.« less

X-ray fluorescence imaging system for fast mapping of pigment distributions in cultural heritage paintings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zielińska, A.; Dąbrowski, W.; Fiutowski, T.; Mindur, B.; Wiącek, P.; Wróbel, P.

2013-10-01

Conventional X-ray fluorescence imaging technique uses a focused X-ray beam to scan through the sample and an X-ray detector with high energy resolution but no spatial resolution. The spatial resolution of the image is then determined by the size of the exciting beam, which can be obtained either from a synchrotron source or from an X-ray tube with a micro-capillary lens. Such a technique based on a pixel-by-pixel measurement is very slow and not suitable for imaging large area samples. The goal of this work is to develop a system capable of simultaneous imaging of large area samples by using a wide field uniform excitation X-ray beam and a position sensitive and energy dispersive detector. The development is driven by possible application of such a system to imaging of distributions of hidden pigments containing specific elements in cultural heritage paintings, which is of great interest for the cultural heritage research. The fluorescence radiation from the area of 10 × 10 cm2 is projected through a pinhole camera on the Gas Electron Multiplier detector of the same area. The detector is equipped with two sets of orthogonal readout strips. The strips are read out by the GEMROC Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC)s, which deliver time and amplitude information for each hit. This ASIC architecture combined with a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based readout system allows us to reconstruct the position and the total energy of each detected photon for high count rates up to 5 × 106 cps. Energy resolution better than 20% FWHM for the 5.9 keV line and spatial resolution of 1 mm FWHM have been achieved for the prototype system. Although the energy resolution of the Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector is, by principle, not competitive with that of specialised high energy resolution semiconductor detectors, it is sufficient for a number of applications. Compared to conventional micro-XRF techniques the developed system allows shortening of the measurement time by 2-3 orders of magnitude.

Canopy reflectance, photosynthesis, and transpiration. III - A reanalysis using improved leaf models and a new canopy integration scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, P. J.; Berry, J. A.; Collatz, G. J.; Field, C. B.; Hall, F. G.

1992-01-01

The theoretical analyses of Sellers (1985, 1987), which linked canopy spectral reflectance properties to (unstressed) photosynthetic rates and conductances, are critically reviewed and significant shortcomings are identified. These are addressed in this article principally through the incorporation of a more sophisticated and realistic treatment of leaf physiological processes within a new canopy integration scheme. The results indicate that area-averaged spectral vegetation indices, as obtained from coarse resolution satellite sensors, may give good estimates of the area-integrals of photosynthesis and conductance even for spatially heterogenous (though physiologically uniform) vegetation covers.

Different atmospheric effects in remote sensing of uniform and nonuniform surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, Y. J.; Fraser, R. S.

1982-01-01

The atmospheric effect on the radiance of sunlight scattered from the earth-atmosphere system is greatly dependent on the surface reflectance pattern, the contrast between adjacent fields, and the optical properties of the atmosphere. In addition, the atmospheric effect is described by the range and magnitude of the adjacency effects, the atmospheric modulation transfer function, and the apparent spatial resolution of remotely sensed imagery. This paper discusses the atmospheric effect on classification of surface features and shows that surface nonuniformity can be used for developing procedures to remove the atmospheric effect from the satellite imagery.

Sludge accumulation and distribution impact the hydraulic performance in waste stabilisation ponds.

PubMed

Coggins, Liah X; Ghisalberti, Marco; Ghadouani, Anas

2017-03-01

Waste stabilisation ponds (WSPs) are used worldwide for wastewater treatment, and throughout their operation require periodic sludge surveys. Sludge accumulation in WSPs can impact performance by reducing the effective volume of the pond, and altering the pond hydraulics and wastewater treatment efficiency. Traditionally, sludge heights, and thus sludge volume, have been measured using low-resolution and labour intensive methods such as 'sludge judge' and the 'white towel test'. A sonar device, a readily available technology, fitted to a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was shown to improve the spatial resolution and accuracy of sludge height measurements, as well as reduce labour and safety requirements. Coupled with a dedicated software package, the profiling of several WSPs has shown that the ROV with autonomous sonar device is capable of providing sludge bathymetry with greatly increased spatial resolution in a greatly reduced profiling time, leading to a better understanding of the role played by sludge accumulation in hydraulic performance of WSPs. The high-resolution bathymetry collected was used to support a much more detailed hydrodynamic assessment of systems with low, medium and high accumulations of sludge. The results of the modelling show that hydraulic performance is not only influenced by the sludge accumulation, but also that the spatial distribution of sludge plays a critical role in reducing the treatment capacity of these systems. In a range of ponds modelled, the reduction in residence time ranged from 33% in a pond with a uniform sludge distribution to a reduction of up to 60% in a pond with highly channelized flow. The combination of high-resolution measurement of sludge accumulation and hydrodynamic modelling will help in the development of frameworks for wastewater sludge management, including the development of more reliable computer models, and could potentially have wider application in the monitoring of other small to medium water bodies, such as channels, recreational water bodies, and commercial ports. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial downscaling of soil prediction models based on weighted generalized additive models in smallholder farm settings.

PubMed

Xu, Yiming; Smith, Scot E; Grunwald, Sabine; Abd-Elrahman, Amr; Wani, Suhas P; Nair, Vimala D

2017-09-11

Digital soil mapping (DSM) is gaining momentum as a technique to help smallholder farmers secure soil security and food security in developing regions. However, communications of the digital soil mapping information between diverse audiences become problematic due to the inconsistent scale of DSM information. Spatial downscaling can make use of accessible soil information at relatively coarse spatial resolution to provide valuable soil information at relatively fine spatial resolution. The objective of this research was to disaggregate the coarse spatial resolution soil exchangeable potassium (K ex ) and soil total nitrogen (TN) base map into fine spatial resolution soil downscaled map using weighted generalized additive models (GAMs) in two smallholder villages in South India. By incorporating fine spatial resolution spectral indices in the downscaling process, the soil downscaled maps not only conserve the spatial information of coarse spatial resolution soil maps but also depict the spatial details of soil properties at fine spatial resolution. The results of this study demonstrated difference between the fine spatial resolution downscaled maps and fine spatial resolution base maps is smaller than the difference between coarse spatial resolution base maps and fine spatial resolution base maps. The appropriate and economical strategy to promote the DSM technique in smallholder farms is to develop the relatively coarse spatial resolution soil prediction maps or utilize available coarse spatial resolution soil maps at the regional scale and to disaggregate these maps to the fine spatial resolution downscaled soil maps at farm scale.

Spatial and temporal distribution of trunk-injected imidacloprid in apple tree canopies.

PubMed

Aćimović, Srđan G; VanWoerkom, Anthony H; Reeb, Pablo D; Vandervoort, Christine; Garavaglia, Thomas; Cregg, Bert M; Wise, John C

2014-11-01

Pesticide use in orchards creates drift-driven pesticide losses which contaminate the environment. Trunk injection of pesticides as a target-precise delivery system could greatly reduce pesticide losses. However, pesticide efficiency after trunk injection is associated with the underinvestigated spatial and temporal distribution of the pesticide within the tree crown. This study quantified the spatial and temporal distribution of trunk-injected imidacloprid within apple crowns after trunk injection using one, two, four or eight injection ports per tree. The spatial uniformity of imidacloprid distribution in apple crowns significantly increased with more injection ports. Four ports allowed uniform spatial distribution of imidacloprid in the crown. Uniform and non-uniform spatial distributions were established early and lasted throughout the experiment. The temporal distribution of imidacloprid was significantly non-uniform. Upper and lower crown positions did not significantly differ in compound concentration. Crown concentration patterns indicated that imidacloprid transport in the trunk occurred through radial diffusion and vertical uptake with a spiral pattern. By showing where and when a trunk-injected compound is distributed in the apple tree canopy, this study addresses a key knowledge gap in terms of explaining the efficiency of the compound in the crown. These findings allow the improvement of target-precise pesticide delivery for more sustainable tree-based agriculture. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Stable and efficient retrospective 4D-MRI using non-uniformly distributed quasi-random numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breuer, Kathrin; Meyer, Cord B.; Breuer, Felix A.; Richter, Anne; Exner, Florian; Weng, Andreas M.; Ströhle, Serge; Polat, Bülent; Jakob, Peter M.; Sauer, Otto A.; Flentje, Michael; Weick, Stefan

2018-04-01

The purpose of this work is the development of a robust and reliable three-dimensional (3D) Cartesian imaging technique for fast and flexible retrospective 4D abdominal MRI during free breathing. To this end, a non-uniform quasi random (NU-QR) reordering of the phase encoding (k y –k z ) lines was incorporated into 3D Cartesian acquisition. The proposed sampling scheme allocates more phase encoding points near the k-space origin while reducing the sampling density in the outer part of the k-space. Respiratory self-gating in combination with SPIRiT-reconstruction is used for the reconstruction of abdominal data sets in different respiratory phases (4D-MRI). Six volunteers and three patients were examined at 1.5 T during free breathing. Additionally, data sets with conventional two-dimensional (2D) linear and 2D quasi random phase encoding order were acquired for the volunteers for comparison. A quantitative evaluation of image quality versus scan times (from 70 s to 626 s) for the given sampling schemes was obtained by calculating the normalized mutual information (NMI) for all volunteers. Motion estimation was accomplished by calculating the maximum derivative of a signal intensity profile of a transition (e.g. tumor or diaphragm). The 2D non-uniform quasi-random distribution of phase encoding lines in Cartesian 3D MRI yields more efficient undersampling patterns for parallel imaging compared to conventional uniform quasi-random and linear sampling. Median NMI values of NU-QR sampling are the highest for all scan times. Therefore, within the same scan time 4D imaging could be performed with improved image quality. The proposed method allows for the reconstruction of motion artifact reduced 4D data sets with isotropic spatial resolution of 2.1  ×  2.1  ×  2.1 mm3 in a short scan time, e.g. 10 respiratory phases in only 3 min. Cranio-caudal tumor displacements between 23 and 46 mm could be observed. NU-QR sampling enables for stable 4D-MRI with high temporal and spatial resolution within short scan time for visualization of organ or tumor motion during free breathing. Further studies, e.g. the application of the method for radiotherapy planning are needed to investigate the clinical applicability and diagnostic value of the approach.

Characterization of a high-purity germanium detector for small-animal SPECT

PubMed Central

Johnson, Lindsay C; Campbell, Desmond L; Hull, Ethan L; Peterson, Todd E

2011-01-01

We present an initial evaluation of a mechanically-cooled, high-purity germanium double-sided strip detector as a potential gamma camera for small-animal SPECT. It is 90 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick with two sets of 16 orthogonal strips that have a 4.5 mm width with a 5 mm pitch. We found an energy resolution of 0.96% at 140 keV, an intrinsic efficiency of 43.3% at 122 keV and a FWHM spatial resolution of approximately 1.5 mm. We demonstrated depth-of-interaction estimation capability through comparison of pinhole acquisitions with a point source on and off axis. Finally, a flood-corrected-flood image exhibited a strip-level uniformity of less than 1%. This high-purity germanium offers many desirable properties for small-animal SPECT. PMID:21852723

Response of the Lattice across the Filling-Controlled Mott Metal-Insulator Transition of a Rare Earth Titanate

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

Kim, Honggyu; Marshall, Patrick B.; Ahadi, Kaveh

The lattice response of a prototype Mott insulator, SmTiO 3, to hole doping is investigated with atomic-scale spatial resolution. SmTiO 3 films are doped with Sr on the Sm site with concentrations that span the insulating and metallic sides of the filling-controlled Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT). The GdFeO 3-type distortions are investigated using an atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy technique that can resolve small lattice distortions with picometer precision. We show that these distortions are gradually and uniformly reduced as the Sr concentration is increased without any phase separation. Significant distortions persist into the metallic state. In conclusion, themore » results present a new picture of the physics of this prototype filling-controlled MIT, which is discussed.« less

Response of the Lattice across the Filling-Controlled Mott Metal-Insulator Transition of a Rare Earth Titanate

DOE PAGES

Kim, Honggyu; Marshall, Patrick B.; Ahadi, Kaveh; ...

2017-11-02

The lattice response of a prototype Mott insulator, SmTiO 3, to hole doping is investigated with atomic-scale spatial resolution. SmTiO 3 films are doped with Sr on the Sm site with concentrations that span the insulating and metallic sides of the filling-controlled Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT). The GdFeO 3-type distortions are investigated using an atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy technique that can resolve small lattice distortions with picometer precision. We show that these distortions are gradually and uniformly reduced as the Sr concentration is increased without any phase separation. Significant distortions persist into the metallic state. In conclusion, themore » results present a new picture of the physics of this prototype filling-controlled MIT, which is discussed.« less

Characterization of a high-purity germanium detector for small-animal SPECT.

PubMed

Johnson, Lindsay C; Campbell, Desmond L; Hull, Ethan L; Peterson, Todd E

2011-09-21

We present an initial evaluation of a mechanically cooled, high-purity germanium double-sided strip detector as a potential gamma camera for small-animal SPECT. It is 90 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick with two sets of 16 orthogonal strips that have a 4.5 mm width with a 5 mm pitch. We found an energy resolution of 0.96% at 140 keV, an intrinsic efficiency of 43.3% at 122 keV and a FWHM spatial resolution of approximately 1.5 mm. We demonstrated depth-of-interaction estimation capability through comparison of pinhole acquisitions with a point source on and off axes. Finally, a flood-corrected flood image exhibited a strip-level uniformity of less than 1%. This high-purity germanium offers many desirable properties for small-animal SPECT.

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging of the Spatial Distribution of Free Radicals in PMR-15 Polyimide Resins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahn, Myong K.; Eaton, Sandra S.; Eaton, Gareth R.; Meador, Mary Ann B.

1997-01-01

Prior studies have shown that free radicals generated by heating polyimides above 300 C are stable at room temperature and are involved in thermo-oxidative degradation in the presence of oxygen gas. Electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) is a technique to determine the spatial distribution of free radicals. X-band (9.5 GHz) EPR images of PMR-15 polyimide were obtained with a spatial resolution of approximately 0.18 mm along a 2-mm dimension of the sample. In a polyimide sample that was not thermocycled, the radical distribution was uniform along the 2-mm dimension of the sample. For a polyimide sample that was exposed to thermocycling in air for 300 1-h cycles at 335 C, one-dimensional EPRI showed a higher concentration of free radicals in the surface layers than in the bulk sample. A spectral-spatial two-dimensional image showed that the EPR lineshape of the surface layer remained the same as that of the bulk. These EPRI results suggest that the thermo-oxidative degradation of PMR-15 resin involves free radicals present in the oxygen-rich surface layer.

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging of the Spatial Distribution of Free Radicals in PMR-15 Polyimide Resins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahn, Myong K.; Eaton, Sandra S.; Eaton, Gareth R.; Meador, Mary Ann B.

1997-01-01

Prior studies have shown that free radicals generated by heating polyimides above 300 C are stable at room temperature and are involved in thermo-oxidative degradation in the presence of oxygen gas. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging (EPRI) is a technique to determine the spatial distribution of free radicals. X-band (9.5 GHz) EPR images of PMR-15 polyimide were obtained with a spatial resolution of about 0.18 mm along a 2 mm dimension of the sample. In a polyimide sample that was not thermocycled, the radical distribution was uniform along the 2 mm dimension of the sample. For a polyimide sample that was exposed to thermocycling in air for 300 one-hour cycles at 335 C, one-dimensional EPRI showed a higher concentration of free radicals in the surface layers than in the bulk sample. A spectral-spatial two-dimensional image showed that the EPR lineshape of the surface layer remained the same as that of the bulk. These EPRI results suggest that the thermo-oxidative degradation of PMR-15 resin involves free radicals present in the oxygen-rich surface layer.

STEM connections to the GOES-R Satellite Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mooney, M. E.; Schmit, T.

2015-12-01

GOES-R, a new Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) is scheduled to be launched in October of 2016. Its role is to continue western hemisphere satellite coverage while the existing GOES series winds down its 20-year operation. However, instruments on the next generation GOES-R satellite series will provide major improvements to the current GOES, both in the frequency of images acquired and the spectral and spatial resolution of the images, providing a perfect conduit for STEM education. Most of these improvements will be provided by the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). ABI will provide three times more spectral information, four times the spatial resolution, and more than five times faster temporal coverage than the current GOES. Another exciting addition to the GOES-R satellite series will be the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). The all new GLM on GOES-R will measure total lightning activity continuously over the Americas and adjacent ocean regions with near uniform spatial resolution of approximately 10 km! Due to ABI, GLM and improved spacecraft calibration and navigation, the next generation GOES-R satellite series will usher in an exciting era of satellite applications and opportunities for STEM education. This session will present and demonstrate exciting next-gen imagery advancements and new HTML5 WebApps that demonstrate STEM connections to these improvements. Participants will also be invited to join the GOES-R Education Proving Ground, a national network of educators who will receive stipends to attend 4 webinars during the spring of 2016, pilot a STEM lesson plan, and organize a school-wide launch awareness event.

Millimeter spatial resolution in vivo sodium MRI of the human eye at 7 T using a dedicated radiofrequency transceiver array.

PubMed

Wenz, Daniel; Kuehne, Andre; Huelnhagen, Till; Nagel, Armin M; Waiczies, Helmar; Weinberger, Oliver; Oezerdem, Celal; Stachs, Oliver; Langner, Soenke; Seeliger, Erdmann; Flemming, Bert; Hodge, Russell; Niendorf, Thoralf

2018-08-01

The aim of this study was to achieve millimeter spatial resolution sodium in vivo MRI of the human eye at 7 T using a dedicated six-channel transceiver array. We present a detailed description of the radiofrequency coil design, along with electromagnetic field and specific absorption ratio simulations, data validation, and in vivo application. Electromagnetic field and specific absorption ratio simulations were performed. Transmit field uniformity was optimized by using a multi-objective genetic algorithm. Transmit field mapping was conducted using a phase-sensitive method. An in vivo feasibility study was carried out with 3-dimensional density-adapted projection reconstruction imaging technique. Measured transmit field distribution agrees well with the one obtained from simulations. The specific absorption ratio simulations confirm that the radiofrequency coil is safe for clinical use. Our radiofrequency coil is light and conforms to an average human head. High spatial resolution (nominal 1.4 and 1.0 mm isotropic) sodium in vivo images of the human eye were acquired within scan times suitable for clinical applications (∼ 10 min). Three most important eye compartments in the context of sodium physiology were clearly delineated in all of the images: the vitreous humor, the aqueous humor, and the lens. Our results provide encouragement for further clinical studies. The implications for research into eye diseases including ocular melanoma, cataract, and glaucoma are discussed. Magn Reson Med 80:672-684, 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

High-resolution spatiotemporal strain mapping reveals non-uniform deformation in micropatterned elastomers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aksoy, B.; Rehman, A.; Bayraktar, H.; Alaca, B. E.

2017-04-01

Micropatterns are generated on a vast selection of polymeric substrates for various applications ranging from stretchable electronics to cellular mechanobiological systems. When these patterned substrates are exposed to external loading, strain field is primarily affected by the presence of microfabricated structures and similarly by fabrication-related defects. The capturing of such nonhomogeneous strain fields is of utmost importance in cases where study of the mechanical behavior with a high spatial resolution is necessary. Image-based non-contact strain measurement techniques are favorable and have recently been extended to scanning tunneling microscope and scanning electron microscope images for the characterization of mechanical properties of metallic materials, e.g. steel and aluminum, at the microscale. A similar real-time analysis of strain heterogeneity in elastomers is yet to be achieved during the entire loading sequence. The available measurement methods for polymeric materials mostly depend on cross-head displacement or precalibrated strain values. Thus, they suffer either from the lack of any real-time analysis, spatiotemporal distribution or high resolution in addition to a combination of these factors. In this work, these challenges are addressed by integrating a tensile stretcher with an inverted optical microscope and developing a subpixel particle tracking algorithm. As a proof of concept, the patterns with a critical dimension of 200 µm are generated on polydimethylsiloxane substrates and strain distribution in the vicinity of the patterns is captured with a high spatiotemporal resolution. In the field of strain measurement, there is always a tradeoff between minimum measurable strain value and spatial resolution. Current noncontact techniques on elastomers can deliver a strain resolution of 0.001% over a minimum length of 5 cm. More importantly, inhomogeneities within this quite large region cannot be captured. The proposed technique can overcome this challenge and provides a displacement measurement resolution of 116 nm and a strain resolution of 0.04% over a gage length of 300 µm. Similarly, the ability to capture inhomogeneities is demonstrated by mapping strain around a thru-hole. The robustness of the technique is also evaluated, where no appreciable change in strain measurement is observed despite the significant variations imposed on the measurement mesh. The proposed approach introduces critical improvements for the determination of displacement and strain gradients in elastomers regarding the real-time nature of strain mapping with a microscale spatial resolution.

A quality assurance framework for the fully automated and objective evaluation of image quality in cone-beam computed tomography.

PubMed

Steiding, Christian; Kolditz, Daniel; Kalender, Willi A

2014-03-01

Thousands of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanners for vascular, maxillofacial, neurological, and body imaging are in clinical use today, but there is no consensus on uniform acceptance and constancy testing for image quality (IQ) and dose yet. The authors developed a quality assurance (QA) framework for fully automated and time-efficient performance evaluation of these systems. In addition, the dependence of objective Fourier-based IQ metrics on direction and position in 3D volumes was investigated for CBCT. The authors designed a dedicated QA phantom 10 cm in length consisting of five compartments, each with a diameter of 10 cm, and an optional extension ring 16 cm in diameter. A homogeneous section of water-equivalent material allows measuring CT value accuracy, image noise and uniformity, and multidimensional global and local noise power spectra (NPS). For the quantitative determination of 3D high-contrast spatial resolution, the modulation transfer function (MTF) of centrally and peripherally positioned aluminum spheres was computed from edge profiles. Additional in-plane and axial resolution patterns were used to assess resolution qualitatively. The characterization of low-contrast detectability as well as CT value linearity and artifact behavior was tested by utilizing sections with soft-tissue-equivalent and metallic inserts. For an automated QA procedure, a phantom detection algorithm was implemented. All tests used in the dedicated QA program were initially verified in simulation studies and experimentally confirmed on a clinical dental CBCT system. The automated IQ evaluation of volume data sets of the dental CBCT system was achieved with the proposed phantom requiring only one scan for the determination of all desired parameters. Typically, less than 5 min were needed for phantom set-up, scanning, and data analysis. Quantitative evaluation of system performance over time by comparison to previous examinations was also verified. The maximum percentage interscan variation of repeated measurements was less than 4% and 1.7% on average for all investigated quality criteria. The NPS-based image noise differed by less than 5% from the conventional standard deviation approach and spatially selective 10% MTF values were well comparable to subjective results obtained with 3D resolution pattern. Determining only transverse spatial resolution and global noise behavior in the central field of measurement turned out to be insufficient. The proposed framework transfers QA routines employed in conventional CT in an advanced version to CBCT for fully automated and time-efficient evaluation of technical equipment. With the modular phantom design, a routine as well as an expert version for assessing IQ is provided. The QA program can be used for arbitrary CT units to evaluate 3D imaging characteristics automatically.

A quality assurance framework for the fully automated and objective evaluation of image quality in cone-beam computed tomography

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

Steiding, Christian; Kolditz, Daniel; Kalender, Willi A., E-mail: willi.kalender@imp.uni-erlangen.de

Purpose: Thousands of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanners for vascular, maxillofacial, neurological, and body imaging are in clinical use today, but there is no consensus on uniform acceptance and constancy testing for image quality (IQ) and dose yet. The authors developed a quality assurance (QA) framework for fully automated and time-efficient performance evaluation of these systems. In addition, the dependence of objective Fourier-based IQ metrics on direction and position in 3D volumes was investigated for CBCT. Methods: The authors designed a dedicated QA phantom 10 cm in length consisting of five compartments, each with a diameter of 10 cm, andmore » an optional extension ring 16 cm in diameter. A homogeneous section of water-equivalent material allows measuring CT value accuracy, image noise and uniformity, and multidimensional global and local noise power spectra (NPS). For the quantitative determination of 3D high-contrast spatial resolution, the modulation transfer function (MTF) of centrally and peripherally positioned aluminum spheres was computed from edge profiles. Additional in-plane and axial resolution patterns were used to assess resolution qualitatively. The characterization of low-contrast detectability as well as CT value linearity and artifact behavior was tested by utilizing sections with soft-tissue-equivalent and metallic inserts. For an automated QA procedure, a phantom detection algorithm was implemented. All tests used in the dedicated QA program were initially verified in simulation studies and experimentally confirmed on a clinical dental CBCT system. Results: The automated IQ evaluation of volume data sets of the dental CBCT system was achieved with the proposed phantom requiring only one scan for the determination of all desired parameters. Typically, less than 5 min were needed for phantom set-up, scanning, and data analysis. Quantitative evaluation of system performance over time by comparison to previous examinations was also verified. The maximum percentage interscan variation of repeated measurements was less than 4% and 1.7% on average for all investigated quality criteria. The NPS-based image noise differed by less than 5% from the conventional standard deviation approach and spatially selective 10% MTF values were well comparable to subjective results obtained with 3D resolution pattern. Determining only transverse spatial resolution and global noise behavior in the central field of measurement turned out to be insufficient. Conclusions: The proposed framework transfers QA routines employed in conventional CT in an advanced version to CBCT for fully automated and time-efficient evaluation of technical equipment. With the modular phantom design, a routine as well as an expert version for assessing IQ is provided. The QA program can be used for arbitrary CT units to evaluate 3D imaging characteristics automatically.« less

Resolution Enhancement in PET Reconstruction Using Collimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzler, Scott D.; Matej, Samuel; Karp, Joel S.

2013-02-01

Collimation can improve both the spatial resolution and sampling properties compared to the same scanner without collimation. Spatial resolution improves because each original crystal can be conceptually split into two (i.e., doubling the number of in-plane crystals) by masking half the crystal with a high-density attenuator (e.g., tungsten); this reduces coincidence efficiency by 4× since both crystals comprising the line of response (LOR) are masked, but yields 4× as many resolution-enhanced (RE) LORs. All the new RE LORs can be measured by scanning with the collimator in different configurations.In this simulation study, the collimator was assumed to be ideal, neither allowing gamma penetration nor truncating the field of view. Comparisons were made in 2D between an uncollimated small-animal system with 2-mm crystals that were assumed to be perfectly absorbing and the same system with collimation that narrowed the effective crystal size to 1 mm. Digital phantoms included a hot-rod and a single-hot-spot, both in a uniform background with activity ratio of 4:1. In addition to the collimated and uncollimated configurations, angular and spatial wobbling acquisitions of the 2-mm case were also simulated. Similarly, configurations with different combinations of the RE LORs were considered including (i) all LORs, (ii) only those parallel to the 2-mm LORs; and (iii) only cross pairs that are not parallel to the 2-mm LORs. Lastly, quantitative studies were conducted for collimated and uncollimated data using contrast recovery coefficient and mean-squared error (MSE) as metrics. The reconstructions show that for most noise levels there is a substantial improvement in image quality (i.e., visual quality, resolution, and a reduction in artifacts) by using collimation even when there are 4 fewer counts or-in some cases-comparing with the noiseless uncollimated reconstruction. By comparing various configurations of sampling, the results show that it is the matched combination of both improved spatial resolution of each LOR and the increase in the number of LORs that yields improved reconstructions. Further, the quantitative studies show that for low-count scans, the collimated data give better MSE for small lesions and the uncollimated data give better MSE for larger lesions; for highcount studies, the collimated data yield better quantitative values for the entire range of lesion sizes that were evaluated.

Spatial probabilistic pulsatility model for enhancing photoplethysmographic imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amelard, Robert; Clausi, David A.; Wong, Alexander

2016-11-01

Photoplethysmographic imaging (PPGI) is a widefield noncontact biophotonic technology able to remotely monitor cardiovascular function over anatomical areas. Although spatial context can provide insight into physiologically relevant sampling locations, existing PPGI systems rely on coarse spatial averaging with no anatomical priors for assessing arterial pulsatility. Here, we developed a continuous probabilistic pulsatility model for importance-weighted blood pulse waveform extraction. Using a data-driven approach, the model was constructed using a 23 participant sample with a large demographic variability (11/12 female/male, age 11 to 60 years, BMI 16.4 to 35.1 kg·m-2). Using time-synchronized ground-truth blood pulse waveforms, spatial correlation priors were computed and projected into a coaligned importance-weighted Cartesian space. A modified Parzen-Rosenblatt kernel density estimation method was used to compute the continuous resolution-agnostic probabilistic pulsatility model. The model identified locations that consistently exhibited pulsatility across the sample. Blood pulse waveform signals extracted with the model exhibited significantly stronger temporal correlation (W=35,p<0.01) and spectral SNR (W=31,p<0.01) compared to uniform spatial averaging. Heart rate estimation was in strong agreement with true heart rate [r2=0.9619, error (μ,σ)=(0.52,1.69) bpm].

Sample-Based Surface Coloring

PubMed Central

Bürger, Kai; Krüger, Jens; Westermann, Rüdiger

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present a sample-based approach for surface coloring, which is independent of the original surface resolution and representation. To achieve this, we introduce the Orthogonal Fragment Buffer (OFB)—an extension of the Layered Depth Cube—as a high-resolution view-independent surface representation. The OFB is a data structure that stores surface samples at a nearly uniform distribution over the surface, and it is specifically designed to support efficient random read/write access to these samples. The data access operations have a complexity that is logarithmic in the depth complexity of the surface. Thus, compared to data access operations in tree data structures like octrees, data-dependent memory access patterns are greatly reduced. Due to the particular sampling strategy that is employed to generate an OFB, it also maintains sample coherence, and thus, exhibits very good spatial access locality. Therefore, OFB-based surface coloring performs significantly faster than sample-based approaches using tree structures. In addition, since in an OFB, the surface samples are internally stored in uniform 2D grids, OFB-based surface coloring can efficiently be realized on the GPU to enable interactive coloring of high-resolution surfaces. On the OFB, we introduce novel algorithms for color painting using volumetric and surface-aligned brushes, and we present new approaches for particle-based color advection along surfaces in real time. Due to the intermediate surface representation we choose, our method can be used to color polygonal surfaces as well as any other type of surface that can be sampled. PMID:20616392

Nanoscale Spatial Organization of Prokaryotic Cells Studied by Super-Resolution Optical Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEvoy, Andrea Lynn

All cells spatially organize their interiors, and this arrangement is necessary for cell viability. Until recently, it was believed that only eukaryotic cells spatially segregate their components. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that bacteria also assemble their proteins into complex patterns. In eukaryotic cells, spatial organization arises from membrane bound organelles as well as motor transport proteins which can move cargos within the cell. To date, there are no known motor transport proteins in bacteria and most microbes lack membrane bound organelles, so it remains a mystery how bacterial spatial organization emerges. In hind-sight it is not surprising that bacteria also exhibit complex spatial organization considering much of what we have learned about the basic processes that take place in all cells, such as transcription and translation was first discovered in prokaryotic cells. Perhaps the fundamental principles that govern spatial organization in prokaryotic cells may be applicable in eukaryotic cells as well. In addition, bacteria are attractive model organism for spatial organization studies because they are genetically tractable, grow quickly and much biochemical and structural data is known about them. A powerful tool for observing spatial organization in cells is the fluorescence microscope. By specifically tagging a protein of interest with a fluorescent probe, it is possible to examine how proteins organize and dynamically assemble inside cells. A significant disadvantage of this technology is its spatial resolution (approximately 250 nm laterally and 500 nm axially). This limitation on resolution causes closely spaced proteins to look blurred making it difficult to observe the fine structure within the complexes. This resolution limit is especially problematic within small cells such as bacteria. With the recent invention of new optical microscopies, we now can surpass the existing limits of fluorescence imaging. In some cases, we can now see individual proteins inside of large complexes or observe structures with ten times the resolution of conventional imaging. These techniques are known as super-resolution microscopes. In this dissertation, I use super-resolution microscopes to understand how a model microbe, Escherichia coli, assembles complex protein structures. I focus on two spatially organized systems, the chemotaxis network and the cell division machinery. These assembly mechanisms could be general mechanisms for protein assembly in all organisms. I also characterize new fluorescent probes for use in multiple super-resolution imaging modalities and discuss the practicalities of using different super-resolution microscopes. The chemotaxis network in E. coli is the best understood signal transduction network in biology. Chemotaxis receptors cluster into complexes of thousands of proteins located at the cell poles and are used to move bacteria towards favorable stimuli in the environment. In these dense clusters, the receptors can bind each other and communicate to filter out noise and amplify weak signals. It is surprising that chemotaxis receptors are spatially segregated and the mechanism for polar localization of these complexes remains unclear. Using data from PALM images, we develop a model to understand how bacteria organize their receptors into large clusters. The model, stochastic cluster nucleation, is surprising in that is generates micron-scale periodic patterns without the need for accessory proteins to provide scaffolding or active transport. This model may be a general mechanism that cells utilize to organize small and large complexes of proteins. During cell division, E. coli must elongate, replicate its DNA and position its components properly prior to binary fission. Prior to septum formation, a ubiquitous protein called FtsZ, assembles into a ring at mid-cell (Z-ring) which constricts during cell division and recruits the remaining proteins necessary for cytokinesis. Though many details have been revealed about FtsZ, the detailed in vivo structure of the Z-ring is not well understood, and many questions remain about how ring constriction occurs. Using multiple super-resolution imaging modalities, in combination with conventional time-lapse fluorescence imaging, we show that the Z-ring does not form a long uniform filament around the circumference of the bacterium. We detail how this structure changes during division and how removal of proteins that help to position FtsZ affects the Z-ring as it proceeds through cytokinesis. Ultimately we present a simple model for Z-ring constriction during division.

Characterization of a commercialized SERS-active substrate and its application to the identification of intact Bacillus endospores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Troy A.; Le, Dianna M.

2007-06-01

Surface-enhanced-Raman-spectroscopy (SERS) can be made an attractive approach for the identification of Raman-active compounds and biological materials (i.e., toxins, viruses, or intact bacterial cells or spores) through development of reproducible, spatially uniform SERS-active substrates. Recently, reproducible (from substrate to substrate), spatially homogeneous (over large areas) SERS-active substrates have been commercialized and are now available in the marketplace. Scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution, tapping-mode atomic force microscopy have been used to analyze these novel plasmonic surfaces for topographical consistency. Additionally, we have assessed, by wavelength-tunable microreflectance spectrometry, the spatial distribution of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) across a single substrate surface as well as the LSPR λMAX variance from substrate to substrate. These analyses reveal that these surfaces are topologically uniform with small LSPR variance from substrate to substrate. Further, we have utilized these patterned surfaces to acquire SERS spectral signatures of four intact, genetically distinct Bacillus spore species cultivated under identical growth conditions. Salient spectral signature features make it possible to discriminate among these genetically distinct spores. Additionally, partial least squares, a multivariate calibration method, has been used to develop personal-computer-borne algorithms useful for classification of unknown spore samples based solely on SERS spectral signatures. To our knowledge, this is the first report detailing application of these commercially available SERS-active substrates to identification of intact Bacillus spores.

A method based on IHS cylindrical transform model for quality assessment of image fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiaokun; Jia, Yonghong

2005-10-01

Image fusion technique has been widely applied to remote sensing image analysis and processing, and methods for quality assessment of image fusion in remote sensing have also become the research issues at home and abroad. Traditional assessment methods combine calculation of quantitative indexes and visual interpretation to compare fused images quantificationally and qualitatively. However, in the existing assessment methods, there are two defects: on one hand, most imdexes lack the theoretic support to compare different fusion methods. On the hand, there is not a uniform preference for most of the quantitative assessment indexes when they are applied to estimate the fusion effects. That is, the spatial resolution and spectral feature could not be analyzed synchronously by these indexes and there is not a general method to unify the spatial and spectral feature assessment. So in this paper, on the basis of the approximate general model of four traditional fusion methods, including Intensity Hue Saturation(IHS) triangle transform fusion, High Pass Filter(HPF) fusion, Principal Component Analysis(PCA) fusion, Wavelet Transform(WT) fusion, a correlation coefficient assessment method based on IHS cylindrical transform is proposed. By experiments, this method can not only get the evaluation results of spatial and spectral features on the basis of uniform preference, but also can acquire the comparison between fusion image sources and fused images, and acquire differences among fusion methods. Compared with the traditional assessment methods, the new methods is more intuitionistic, and in accord with subjective estimation.

High-Resolution Genuinely Multidimensional Solution of Conservation Laws by the Space-Time Conservation Element and Solution Element Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Himansu, Ananda; Chang, Sin-Chung; Yu, Sheng-Tao; Wang, Xiao-Yen; Loh, Ching-Yuen; Jorgenson, Philip C. E.

1999-01-01

In this overview paper, we review the basic principles of the method of space-time conservation element and solution element for solving the conservation laws in one and two spatial dimensions. The present method is developed on the basis of local and global flux conservation in a space-time domain, in which space and time are treated in a unified manner. In contrast to the modern upwind schemes, the approach here does not use the Riemann solver and the reconstruction procedure as the building blocks. The drawbacks of the upwind approach, such as the difficulty of rationally extending the 1D scalar approach to systems of equations and particularly to multiple dimensions is here contrasted with the uniformity and ease of generalization of the Conservation Element and Solution Element (CE/SE) 1D scalar schemes to systems of equations and to multiple spatial dimensions. The assured compatibility with the simplest type of unstructured meshes, and the uniquely simple nonreflecting boundary conditions of the present method are also discussed. The present approach has yielded high-resolution shocks, rarefaction waves, acoustic waves, vortices, ZND detonation waves, and shock/acoustic waves/vortices interactions. Moreover, since no directional splitting is employed, numerical resolution of two-dimensional calculations is comparable to that of the one-dimensional calculations. Some sample applications displaying the strengths and broad applicability of the CE/SE method are reviewed.

Simultaneous in vivo positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Catana, Ciprian; Procissi, Daniel; Wu, Yibao; Judenhofer, Martin S; Qi, Jinyi; Pichler, Bernd J; Jacobs, Russell E; Cherry, Simon R

2008-03-11

Positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are widely used in vivo imaging technologies with both clinical and biomedical research applications. The strengths of MRI include high-resolution, high-contrast morphologic imaging of soft tissues; the ability to image physiologic parameters such as diffusion and changes in oxygenation level resulting from neuronal stimulation; and the measurement of metabolites using chemical shift imaging. PET images the distribution of biologically targeted radiotracers with high sensitivity, but images generally lack anatomic context and are of lower spatial resolution. Integration of these technologies permits the acquisition of temporally correlated data showing the distribution of PET radiotracers and MRI contrast agents or MR-detectable metabolites, with registration to the underlying anatomy. An MRI-compatible PET scanner has been built for biomedical research applications that allows data from both modalities to be acquired simultaneously. Experiments demonstrate no effect of the MRI system on the spatial resolution of the PET system and <10% reduction in the fraction of radioactive decay events detected by the PET scanner inside the MRI. The signal-to-noise ratio and uniformity of the MR images, with the exception of one particular pulse sequence, were little affected by the presence of the PET scanner. In vivo simultaneous PET and MRI studies were performed in mice. Proof-of-principle in vivo MR spectroscopy and functional MRI experiments were also demonstrated with the combined scanner.

Performance evaluation of the small-animal PET scanner ClairvivoPET using NEMA NU 4-2008 Standards.

PubMed

Sato, K; Shidahara, M; Watabe, H; Watanuki, S; Ishikawa, Y; Arakawa, Y; Nai, Y H; Furumoto, S; Tashiro, M; Shoji, T; Yanai, K; Gonda, K

2016-01-21

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of ClairvivoPET using NEMA NU4 standards. The ClairvivoPET incorporates a LYSO dual depth-of-interaction detector system with 151 mm axial field of view (FOV). Spatial resolution, sensitivity, counting rate capabilities, and image quality were evaluated using NEMA NU4-2008 standards. Normal mouse imaging was also performed for 10 min after intravenous injection of (18)F(-)-NaF. Data were compared with 19 other preclinical PET scanners. Spatial resolution measured using full width at half maximum on FBP-ramp reconstructed images was 2.16 mm at radial offset 5 mm of the axial centre FOV. The maximum absolute sensitivity for a point source at the FOV centre was 8.72%. Peak noise equivalent counting rate (NECR) was 415 kcps at 14.6 MBq ml(-1). The uniformity with the image-quality phantom was 4.62%. Spillover ratios in the images of air and water filled chambers were 0.19 and 0.06, respectively. Our results were comparable with the 19 other preclinical PET scanners based on NEMA NU4 standards, with excellent sensitivity because of the large FOV. The ClairvivoPET with iterative reconstruction algorithm also provided sufficient visualization of the mouse spine. The high sensitivity and resolution of the ClairvivoPET scanner provided high quality images for preclinical studies.

Performance evaluation of the small-animal PET scanner ClairvivoPET using NEMA NU 4-2008 Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, K.; Shidahara, M.; Watabe, H.; Watanuki, S.; Ishikawa, Y.; Arakawa, Y.; Nai, YH; Furumoto, S.; Tashiro, M.; Shoji, T.; Yanai, K.; Gonda, K.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of ClairvivoPET using NEMA NU4 standards. The ClairvivoPET incorporates a LYSO dual depth-of-interaction detector system with 151 mm axial field of view (FOV). Spatial resolution, sensitivity, counting rate capabilities, and image quality were evaluated using NEMA NU4-2008 standards. Normal mouse imaging was also performed for 10min after intravenous injection of 18F(-)-NaF. Data were compared with 19 other preclinical PET scanners. Spatial resolution measured using full width at half maximum on FBP-ramp reconstructed images was 2.16 mm at radial offset 5 mm of the axial centre FOV. The maximum absolute sensitivity for a point source at the FOV centre was 8.72%. Peak noise equivalent counting rate (NECR) was 415kcps at 14.6MBq ml-1. The uniformity with the image-quality phantom was 4.62%. Spillover ratios in the images of air and water filled chambers were 0.19 and 0.06, respectively. Our results were comparable with the 19 other preclinical PET scanners based on NEMA NU4 standards, with excellent sensitivity because of the large FOV. The ClairvivoPET with iterative reconstruction algorithm also provided sufficient visualization of the mouse spine. The high sensitivity and resolution of the ClairvivoPET scanner provided high quality images for preclinical studies.

Simultaneous imaging electron- and ion-feature Thomson scattering measurements of radiatively heated Xe.

PubMed

Pollock, B B; Meinecke, J; Kuschel, S; Ross, J S; Shaw, J L; Stoafer, C; Divol, L; Tynan, G R; Glenzer, S H

2012-10-01

Uniform density and temperature Xe plasmas have been produced over >4 mm scale-lengths using x-rays generated in a cylindrical Pb cavity. The cavity is 750 μm in depth and diameter, and is heated by a 300 J, 2 ns square, 1054 nm laser pulse focused to a spot size of 200 μm at the cavity entrance. The plasma is characterized by simultaneous imaging Thomson scattering measurements from both the electron and ion scattering features. The electron feature measurement determines the spatial electron density and temperature profile, and using these parameters as constraints in the ion feature analysis allows an accurate determination of the charge state of the Xe ions. The Thomson scattering probe beam is 40 J, 200 ps, and 527 nm, and is focused to a 100 μm spot size at the entrance of the Pb cavity. Each system has a spatial resolution of 25 μm, a temporal resolution of 200 ps (as determined by the probe duration), and a spectral resolution of 2 nm for the electron feature system and 0.025 nm for the ion feature system. The experiment is performed in a Xe filled target chamber at a neutral pressure of 3-10 Torr, and the x-rays produced in the Pb ionize and heat the Xe to a charge state of 20±4 at up to 200 eV electron temperatures.

Cerebral TOF Angiography at 7T: Impact of B1+ Shimming with a 16-Channel Transceiver Array

PubMed Central

Schmitter, Sebastian; Wu, Xiaoping; Adriany, Gregor; Auerbach, Edward J.; Uğurbil, Kâmil; Van de Moortele, Pierre-François

2014-01-01

Purpose Time-of-flight (TOF) MR imaging is clinically among the most common cerebral non-contrast enhanced MR angiography techniques allowing for high spatial resolution. As shown by several groups TOF contrast significantly improves at ultra-high field (UHF) of B0=7T, however, spatially varying transmit B1 (B1+) fields at 7T reduce TOF contrast uniformity, typically resulting in sub-optimal contrast and reduced vessel conspicuity in the brain periphery. Methods Using a 16-channel B1+ shimming system we compare different dynamically applied B1+ phase shimming approaches on the RF excitation to improve contrast homogeneity for a (0.5 mm)3 resolution multi-slab TOF acquisition. In addition, B1+ shimming applied on the venous saturation pulse was investigated to improve venous suppression, subcutaneous fat signal reduction and enhanced background suppression originating from MT effect. Results B1+ excitation homogeneity was improved by a factor 2.2 to 2.6 on average depending on the shimming approach, compared to a standard CP-like phase setting, leading to improved vessel conspicuity particularly in the periphery. Stronger saturation, higher fat suppression and improved background suppression were observed when dynamically applying B1+ shimming on the venous saturation pulse. Conclusion B1+ shimming can significantly improve high resolution TOF vascular investigations at UHF, holding strong promise for non contrast-enhanced clinical applications. PMID:23640915

Inferring Discharge at River Mouths from Water Surface Height Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branch, R.; Horner-Devine, A.; Chickadel, C. C.

2016-02-01

Numerical model results suggest that a relationship exists between river discharge and surface height anomalies near the mouth of rivers, which presents an opportunity to use satellite elevation data to measure discharge remotely. Here we investigate whether such a relationship can be observed in the field using airborne lidar data at the mouth of the Columbia River. Airborne Lidar data were used because current NASA altimeter data does not have high enough spatial resolution to image surface elevation along a river. NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography, SWOT, sensor is planned to have a spatial resolution of less than 100 m and maximum height precision of 1 cm. The magnitude and temporal duration of the elevation signal found in the lidar data will be used to determine if SWOT will have the resolution and precision capabilities to measure discharge from space. Lidar data were acquired during a range of tidal conditions and discharge rates from May through September of 2013. Our results suggest that there is a measurable surface height anomaly at the river mouth during part of the tidal cycle. A 0.7 m surface depression was found during ebb tide and a uniform surface tilt was found at slack tide. The variation of the anomaly over the tidal period presents a challenge for decoupling the tidal component from that due to the discharge.

Sensitivity of a Bayesian atmospheric-transport inversion model to spatio-temporal sensor resolution applied to the 2006 North Korean nuclear test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundquist, K. A.; Jensen, D. D.; Lucas, D. D.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric source reconstruction allows for the probabilistic estimate of source characteristics of an atmospheric release using observations of the release. Performance of the inversion depends partially on the temporal frequency and spatial scale of the observations. The objective of this study is to quantify the sensitivity of the source reconstruction method to sparse spatial and temporal observations. To this end, simulations of atmospheric transport of noble gasses are created for the 2006 nuclear test at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. Synthetic observations are collected from the simulation, and are taken as "ground truth". Data denial techniques are used to progressively coarsen the temporal and spatial resolution of the synthetic observations, while the source reconstruction model seeks to recover the true input parameters from the synthetic observations. Reconstructed parameters considered here are source location, source timing and source quantity. Reconstruction is achieved by running an ensemble of thousands of dispersion model runs that sample from a uniform distribution of the input parameters. Machine learning is used to train a computationally-efficient surrogate model from the ensemble simulations. Monte Carlo sampling and Bayesian inversion are then used in conjunction with the surrogate model to quantify the posterior probability density functions of source input parameters. This research seeks to inform decision makers of the tradeoffs between more expensive, high frequency observations and less expensive, low frequency observations.

3D tomographic imaging with the γ-eye planar scintigraphic gamma camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tunnicliffe, H.; Georgiou, M.; Loudos, G. K.; Simcox, A.; Tsoumpas, C.

2017-11-01

γ-eye is a desktop planar scintigraphic gamma camera (100 mm × 50 mm field of view) designed by BET Solutions as an affordable tool for dynamic, whole body, small-animal imaging. This investigation tests the viability of using γ-eye for the collection of tomographic data for 3D SPECT reconstruction. Two software packages, QSPECT and STIR (software for tomographic image reconstruction), have been compared. Reconstructions have been performed using QSPECT’s implementation of the OSEM algorithm and STIR’s OSMAPOSL (Ordered Subset Maximum A Posteriori One Step Late) and OSSPS (Ordered Subsets Separable Paraboloidal Surrogate) algorithms. Reconstructed images of phantom and mouse data have been assessed in terms of spatial resolution, sensitivity to varying activity levels and uniformity. The effect of varying the number of iterations, the voxel size (1.25 mm default voxel size reduced to 0.625 mm and 0.3125 mm), the point spread function correction and the weight of prior terms were explored. While QSPECT demonstrated faster reconstructions, STIR outperformed it in terms of resolution (as low as 1 mm versus 3 mm), particularly when smaller voxel sizes were used, and in terms of uniformity, particularly when prior terms were used. Little difference in terms of sensitivity was seen throughout.

On neutral metacommunity patterns of river basins at different scales of aggregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Convertino, Matteo; Muneepeerakul, Rachata; Azaele, Sandro; Bertuzzo, Enrico; Rinaldo, Andrea; Rodriguez-Iturbe, Ignacio

2009-08-01

Neutral metacommunity models for spatial biodiversity patterns are implemented on river networks acting as ecological corridors at different resolution. Coarse-graining elevation fields (under the constraint of preserving the basin mean elevation) produce a set of reconfigured drainage networks. The hydrologic assumption made implies uniform runoff production such that each link has the same habitat capacity. Despite the universal scaling properties shown by river basins regardless of size, climate, vegetation, or exposed lithology, we find that species richness at local and regional scales exhibits resolution-dependent behavior. In addition, we investigate species-area relationships and rank-abundance patterns. The slopes of the species-area relationships, which are consistent over coarse-graining resolutions, match those found in real landscapes in the case of long-distance dispersal. The rank-abundance patterns are independent of the resolution over a broad range of dispersal length. Our results confirm that strong interactions occur between network structure and the dispersal of species and that under the assumption of neutral dynamics, these interactions produce resolution-dependent biodiversity patterns that diverge from expectations following from universal geomorphic scaling laws. Both in theoretical and in applied ecology studying how patterns change in resolution is relevant for understanding how ecological dynamics work in fragmented landscape and for sampling and biodiversity management campaigns, especially in consideration of climate change.

Spatial Structure of a Braided River: Metric Resolution Hydrodynamic Modeling Reveals What SWOT Might See

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, J.; Sanders, B. F.; Andreadis, K.

2013-12-01

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, currently under study by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales), is designed to provide global spatial measurements of surface water properties at resolutions better than 10 m and with centimetric accuracy. The data produced by SWOT will include irregularly spaced point clouds of the water surface height, with point spacings from roughly 2-50 m depending on a point's location within SWOT's swath. This could offer unprecedented insight into the spatial structure of rivers. Features that may be resolved include backwater profiles behind dams, drawdown profiles, uniform flow sections, critical flow sections, and even riffle-pool flow structures. In the event that SWOT scans a river during a major flood, it becomes possible to delineate the limits of the flood as well as the spatial structure of the water surface elevation, yielding insight into the dynamic interaction of channels and flood plains. The Platte River in Nebraska, USA, is a braided river with a width and slope of approximately 100 m and 100 cm/km, respectively. A 1 m resolution Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the river basin, based on airborne lidar collected during low-flow conditions, was used to parameterize a two-dimensional, variable resolution, unstructured grid, hydrodynamic model that uses 3 m resolution triangles in low flow channels and 10 m resolution triangles in the floodplain. Use of a fine resolution mesh guarantees that local variability in topography is resolved, and after applying the hydrodynamic model, the effects of topographic variability are expressed as variability in the water surface height, depth-averaged velocity and flow depth. Flow is modeled over a reach length of 10 km for multi-day durations to capture both frequent (diurnal variations associated with regulated flow) and infrequent (extreme flooding) flow phenomena. Model outputs reveal a number of interesting features, including a high degree of variability in the water depth and velocity and lesser variability in the free-surface profile and river discharge. Hydraulic control sections are also revealed, and shown to depend on flow stage. Reach-averaging of model output is applied to study the macro-scale balance of forces in this system, and the scales at which such a force balance is appropriate. We find that the reach-average slope exhibits a declining reach-length dependence with increasing reach length, up to reach lengths of 1 km. Hence, 1 km appears to be the minimum appropriate length for reach-averaging, and at this scale, a diffusive-wave momentum balance is a reasonable approximation suitable for emerging models of discharge estimation that rely only on SWOT-observable river properties (width, height, slope, etc.).

Multi-Image Registration for an Enhanced Vision System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Glenn; Rahman, Zia-Ur; Jobson, Daniel; Woodell, Glenn

2002-01-01

An Enhanced Vision System (EVS) utilizing multi-sensor image fusion is currently under development at the NASA Langley Research Center. The EVS will provide enhanced images of the flight environment to assist pilots in poor visibility conditions. Multi-spectral images obtained from a short wave infrared (SWIR), a long wave infrared (LWIR), and a color visible band CCD camera, are enhanced and fused using the Retinex algorithm. The images from the different sensors do not have a uniform data structure: the three sensors not only operate at different wavelengths, but they also have different spatial resolutions, optical fields of view (FOV), and bore-sighting inaccuracies. Thus, in order to perform image fusion, the images must first be co-registered. Image registration is the task of aligning images taken at different times, from different sensors, or from different viewpoints, so that all corresponding points in the images match. In this paper, we present two methods for registering multiple multi-spectral images. The first method performs registration using sensor specifications to match the FOVs and resolutions directly through image resampling. In the second method, registration is obtained through geometric correction based on a spatial transformation defined by user selected control points and regression analysis.

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.

Observation of superconducting vortex clusters in S/F hybrids

DOE PAGES

Di Giorgio, C.; Bobba, F.; Cucolo, A. M.; ...

2016-12-09

While Abrikosov vortices repel each other and form a uniform vortex lattice in bulk type-II superconductors, strong confinement potential profoundly affects their spatial distribution eventually leading to vortex cluster formation. The confinement could be induced by the geometric boundaries in mesoscopic-size superconductors or by the spatial modulation of the magnetic field in superconductor/ ferromagnet (S/F) hybrids. Here we study the vortex confinement in S/F thin film heterostructures and we observe that vortex clusters appear near magnetization inhomogeneities in the ferromagnet, called bifurcations. We use magnetic force microscopy to image magnetic bifurcations and superconducting vortices, while high resolution scanning tunneling microscopymore » is used to obtain detailed information of the local electronic density of states outside and inside the vortex cluster. We find an intervortex spacing at the bifurcation shorter than the one predicted for the same superconductor in a uniform magnetic field equal to the thermodynamical upper critical field H c2. This result is due to a local enhanced stray field and a competition between vortex-vortex repulsion and Lorentz force. Here, our findings suggest that special magnetic topologies could result in S/F hybrids that support superconductivity even when locally the vortex density exceeds the thermodynamic critical threshold value beyond which the superconductivity is destroyed.« less

Observation of superconducting vortex clusters in S/F hybrids.

PubMed

Di Giorgio, C; Bobba, F; Cucolo, A M; Scarfato, A; Moore, S A; Karapetrov, G; D'Agostino, D; Novosad, V; Yefremenko, V; Iavarone, M

2016-12-09

While Abrikosov vortices repel each other and form a uniform vortex lattice in bulk type-II superconductors, strong confinement potential profoundly affects their spatial distribution eventually leading to vortex cluster formation. The confinement could be induced by the geometric boundaries in mesoscopic-size superconductors or by the spatial modulation of the magnetic field in superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) hybrids. Here we study the vortex confinement in S/F thin film heterostructures and we observe that vortex clusters appear near magnetization inhomogeneities in the ferromagnet, called bifurcations. We use magnetic force microscopy to image magnetic bifurcations and superconducting vortices, while high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy is used to obtain detailed information of the local electronic density of states outside and inside the vortex cluster. We find an intervortex spacing at the bifurcation shorter than the one predicted for the same superconductor in a uniform magnetic field equal to the thermodynamical upper critical field H c2 . This result is due to a local enhanced stray field and a competition between vortex-vortex repulsion and Lorentz force. Our findings suggest that special magnetic topologies could result in S/F hybrids that support superconductivity even when locally the vortex density exceeds the thermodynamic critical threshold value beyond which the superconductivity is destroyed.

Observation of superconducting vortex clusters in S/F hybrids

PubMed Central

Di Giorgio, C.; Bobba, F.; Cucolo, A. M.; Scarfato, A.; Moore, S. A.; Karapetrov, G.; D’Agostino, D.; Novosad, V.; Yefremenko, V.; Iavarone, M.

2016-01-01

While Abrikosov vortices repel each other and form a uniform vortex lattice in bulk type-II superconductors, strong confinement potential profoundly affects their spatial distribution eventually leading to vortex cluster formation. The confinement could be induced by the geometric boundaries in mesoscopic-size superconductors or by the spatial modulation of the magnetic field in superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) hybrids. Here we study the vortex confinement in S/F thin film heterostructures and we observe that vortex clusters appear near magnetization inhomogeneities in the ferromagnet, called bifurcations. We use magnetic force microscopy to image magnetic bifurcations and superconducting vortices, while high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy is used to obtain detailed information of the local electronic density of states outside and inside the vortex cluster. We find an intervortex spacing at the bifurcation shorter than the one predicted for the same superconductor in a uniform magnetic field equal to the thermodynamical upper critical field Hc2. This result is due to a local enhanced stray field and a competition between vortex-vortex repulsion and Lorentz force. Our findings suggest that special magnetic topologies could result in S/F hybrids that support superconductivity even when locally the vortex density exceeds the thermodynamic critical threshold value beyond which the superconductivity is destroyed. PMID:27934898

Enhancing Spatial Resolution of Remotely Sensed Imagery Using Deep Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck, J. M.; Bridges, S.; Collins, C.; Rushing, J.; Graves, S. J.

2017-12-01

Researchers at the Information Technology and Systems Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville are using Deep Learning with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to develop a method for enhancing the spatial resolutions of moderate resolution (10-60m) multispectral satellite imagery. This enhancement will effectively match the resolutions of imagery from multiple sensors to provide increased global temporal-spatial coverage for a variety of Earth science products. Our research is centered on using Deep Learning for automatically generating transformations for increasing the spatial resolution of remotely sensed images with different spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions. One of the most important steps in using images from multiple sensors is to transform the different image layers into the same spatial resolution, preferably the highest spatial resolution, without compromising the spectral information. Recent advances in Deep Learning have shown that CNNs can be used to effectively and efficiently upscale or enhance the spatial resolution of multispectral images with the use of an auxiliary data source such as a high spatial resolution panchromatic image. In contrast, we are using both the spatial and spectral details inherent in low spatial resolution multispectral images for image enhancement without the use of a panchromatic image. This presentation will discuss how this technology will benefit many Earth Science applications that use remotely sensed images with moderate spatial resolutions.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of sleep spindles depend on cortical location.

PubMed

Piantoni, Giovanni; Halgren, Eric; Cash, Sydney S

2017-02-01

Since their discovery almost one century ago, sleep spindles, 0.5-2s long bursts of oscillatory activity at 9-16Hz during NREM sleep, have been thought to be global and relatively uniform throughout the cortex. Recent work, however, has brought this concept into question but it remains unclear to what degree spindles are global or local and if their properties are uniform or location-dependent. We addressed this question by recording sleep in eight patients undergoing evaluation for epilepsy with intracranial electrocorticography, which combines high spatial resolution with extensive cortical coverage. We find that spindle characteristics are not uniform but are strongly influenced by the underlying cortical regions, particularly for spindle density and fundamental frequency. We observe both highly isolated and spatially distributed spindles, but in highly skewed proportions: while most spindles are restricted to one or very few recording channels at any given time, there are spindles that occur over widespread areas, often involving lateral prefrontal cortices and superior temporal gyri. Their co-occurrence is affected by a subtle but significant propagation of spindles from the superior prefrontal regions and the temporal cortices towards the orbitofrontal cortex. This work provides a brain-wide characterization of sleep spindles as mostly local graphoelements with heterogeneous characteristics that depend on the underlying cortical area. We propose that the combination of local characteristics and global organization reflects the dual properties of the thalamo-cortical generators and provides a flexible framework to support the many functions ascribed to sleep in general and spindles specifically. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality controls for gamma cameras and PET cameras: development of a free open-source ImageJ program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlier, Thomas; Ferrer, Ludovic; Berruchon, Jean B.; Cuissard, Regis; Martineau, Adeline; Loonis, Pierre; Couturier, Olivier

2005-04-01

Acquisition data and treatments for quality controls of gamma cameras and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) cameras are commonly performed with dedicated program packages, which are running only on manufactured computers and differ from each other, depending on camera company and program versions. The aim of this work was to develop a free open-source program (written in JAVA language) to analyze data for quality control of gamma cameras and PET cameras. The program is based on the free application software ImageJ and can be easily loaded on any computer operating system (OS) and thus on any type of computer in every nuclear medicine department. Based on standard parameters of quality control, this program includes 1) for gamma camera: a rotation center control (extracted from the American Association of Physics in Medicine, AAPM, norms) and two uniformity controls (extracted from the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, IPEM, and National Electronic Manufacturers Association, NEMA, norms). 2) For PET systems, three quality controls recently defined by the French Medical Physicist Society (SFPM), i.e. spatial resolution and uniformity in a reconstructed slice and scatter fraction, are included. The determination of spatial resolution (thanks to the Point Spread Function, PSF, acquisition) allows to compute the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) in both modalities of cameras. All the control functions are included in a tool box which is a free ImageJ plugin and could be soon downloaded from Internet. Besides, this program offers the possibility to save on HTML format the uniformity quality control results and a warning can be set to automatically inform users in case of abnormal results. The architecture of the program allows users to easily add any other specific quality control program. Finally, this toolkit is an easy and robust tool to perform quality control on gamma cameras and PET cameras based on standard computation parameters, is free, run on any type of computer and will soon be downloadable from the net (http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/plugins or http://nucleartoolkit.free.fr).

Comparison of Two Grid Refinement Approaches for High Resolution Regional Climate Modeling: MPAS vs WRF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, L.; Hagos, S. M.; Rauscher, S.; Ringler, T.

2012-12-01

This study compares two grid refinement approaches using global variable resolution model and nesting for high-resolution regional climate modeling. The global variable resolution model, Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS), and the limited area model, Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, are compared in an idealized aqua-planet context with a focus on the spatial and temporal characteristics of tropical precipitation simulated by the models using the same physics package from the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM4). For MPAS, simulations have been performed with a quasi-uniform resolution global domain at coarse (1 degree) and high (0.25 degree) resolution, and a variable resolution domain with a high-resolution region at 0.25 degree configured inside a coarse resolution global domain at 1 degree resolution. Similarly, WRF has been configured to run on a coarse (1 degree) and high (0.25 degree) resolution tropical channel domain as well as a nested domain with a high-resolution region at 0.25 degree nested two-way inside the coarse resolution (1 degree) tropical channel. The variable resolution or nested simulations are compared against the high-resolution simulations that serve as virtual reality. Both MPAS and WRF simulate 20-day Kelvin waves propagating through the high-resolution domains fairly unaffected by the change in resolution. In addition, both models respond to increased resolution with enhanced precipitation. Grid refinement induces zonal asymmetry in precipitation (heating), accompanied by zonal anomalous Walker like circulations and standing Rossby wave signals. However, there are important differences between the anomalous patterns in MPAS and WRF due to differences in the grid refinement approaches and sensitivity of model physics to grid resolution. This study highlights the need for "scale aware" parameterizations in variable resolution and nested regional models.

Ultrafast Bilateral DCE-MRI of the Breast with Conventional Fourier Sampling: Preliminary Evaluation of Semi-quantitative Analysis.

PubMed

Pineda, Federico D; Medved, Milica; Wang, Shiyang; Fan, Xiaobing; Schacht, David V; Sennett, Charlene; Oto, Aytekin; Newstead, Gillian M; Abe, Hiroyuki; Karczmar, Gregory S

2016-09-01

The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and advantages of a combined high temporal and high spatial resolution protocol for dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the breast. Twenty-three patients with enhancing lesions were imaged at 3T. The acquisition protocol consisted of a series of bilateral, fat-suppressed "ultrafast" acquisitions, with 6.9- to 9.9-second temporal resolution for the first minute following contrast injection, followed by four high spatial resolution acquisitions with 60- to 79.5-second temporal resolution. All images were acquired with standard uniform Fourier sampling. A filtering method was developed to reduce noise and detect significant enhancement in the high temporal resolution images. Time of arrival (TOA) was defined as the time at which each voxel first satisfied all the filter conditions, relative to the time of initial arterial enhancement. Ultrafast images improved visualization of the vasculature feeding and draining lesions. A small percentage of the entire field of view (<6%) enhanced significantly in the 30 seconds following contrast injection. Lesion conspicuity was highest in early ultrafast images, especially in cases with marked parenchymal enhancement. Although the sample size was relatively small, the average TOA for malignant lesions was significantly shorter than the TOA for benign lesions. Significant differences were also measured in other parameters descriptive of early contrast media uptake kinetics (P < 0.05). Ultrafast imaging in the first minute of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the breast has the potential to add valuable information on early contrast dynamics. Ultrafast imaging could allow radiologists to confidently identify lesions in the presence of marked background parenchymal enhancement. Copyright © 2016 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the effects of patient arm attenuation in SPECT cardiac perfusion imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Dershan; King, M. A.; Pan, Tin-Su; Xia, Weishi

1996-12-01

It was hypothesized that the use of attenuation correction could compensate for degradation in the uniformity of apparent localization of imaging agents seen in cardiac walls when patients are imaged with arms at their sides. Noise-free simulations of the digital MCAT phantom were employed to investigate this hypothesis. Four variations in camera size and collimation scheme were investigated. We observed that: 1) without attenuation correction, the arms had little additional influences on the uniformity of the heart for 180/spl deg/ reconstructions and caused a small increase in nonuniformity for 360/spl deg/ reconstructions, where the impact of both arms was included; 2) change in patient size had more of an impact on count uniformity than the presence of the arms, either with or without attenuation correction; 3) for a low number of iterations and large patient size, slightly better uniformity was obtained from parallel emission data than from fan-beam emission data, independent of whether parallel or fan-beam transmission data was used to reconstruct the attenuation maps; and 4) for all camera configurations, uniformity was improved with attenuation correction and, given sufficient number of iterations, it was compatible among different imaging geometry combinations. Thus, iterative algorithms can compensate for the additional attenuation imposed by larger patients or having the arms on the sides. When the arms are at the sides of the patient, however, a larger radius of rotation may be required, resulting in decreased spatial resolution.

Evaluation of the effects of patient arm attenuation in SPECT cardiac perfusion imaging

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

Luo, D.; King, M.A.; Pan, T.S.

1996-12-01

It was hypothesized that the use of attenuation correction could compensate for degradation in the uniformity of apparent localization of imaging agents seen in cardiac walls when patients are imaged with arms at their sides. Noise-free simulations of the digital MCAT phantom were employed to investigate this hypothesis. Four variations in camera size and collimation scheme were investigated. The authors observed that: (1) without attenuation correction, the arms had little additional influences on the uniformity of the heart for 180{degree} reconstructions and caused a small increase in nonuniformity for 360{degree} reconstructions, where the impact of both arms was included; (2)more » change in patient size had more of an impact on count uniformity than the presence of the arms, either with or without attenuation correction; (3) for a low number of iterations and large patient size, slightly better uniformity was obtained from parallel emission data than from fan-beam emission data, independent of whether parallel or fan-beam transmission data was used to reconstruct the attenuation maps; and (4) for all camera configurations, uniformity was improved with attenuation correction and, given sufficient number of iterations, it was compatible among different imaging geometry combinations. Thus, iterative algorithms can compensate for the additional attenuation imposed by larger patients or having the arms on the sides. When the arms are at the sides of the patient, however, a larger radius of rotation may be required, resulting in decreased spatial resolution.« less

On the resolution of shallow mantle viscosity structure using post-earthquake relaxation data: Application to the 1999 Hector Mine, California, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pollitz, Fred F.; Thatcher, Wayne R.

2010-01-01

Most models of lower crust/mantle viscosity inferred from postearthquake relaxation assume one or two uniform-viscosity layers. A few existing models possess apparently significant radially variable viscosity structure in the shallow mantle (e.g., the upper 200 km), but the resolution of such variations is not clear. We use a geophysical inverse procedure to address the resolving power of inferred shallow mantle viscosity structure using postearthquake relaxation data. We apply this methodology to 9 years of GPS-constrained crustal motions after the 16 October 1999 M = 7.1 Hector Mine earthquake. After application of a differencing method to isolate the postearthquake signal from the “background” crustal velocity field, we find that surface velocities diminish from ∼20 mm/yr in the first few months to ≲2 mm/yr after 2 years. Viscoelastic relaxation of the mantle, with a time-dependent effective viscosity prescribed by a Burgers body, provides a good explanation for the postseismic crustal deformation, capturing both the spatial and temporal pattern. In the context of the Burgers body model (which involves a transient viscosity and steady state viscosity), a resolution analysis based on the singular value decomposition reveals that at most, two constraints on depth-dependent steady state mantle viscosity are provided by the present data set. Uppermost mantle viscosity (depth ≲ 60 km) is moderately resolved, but deeper viscosity structure is poorly resolved. The simplest model that explains the data better than that of uniform steady state mantle viscosity involves a linear gradient in logarithmic viscosity with depth, with a small increase from the Moho to 220 km depth. However, the viscosity increase is not statistically significant. This suggests that the depth-dependent steady state viscosity is not resolvably different from uniformity in the uppermost mantle.

H2O absorption tomography in a diesel aftertreatment system using a polymer film for optical access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ze; Sanders, Scott T.; Backhaus, Jacob A.; Munnannur, Achuth; Schmidt, Niklas M.

2017-12-01

Film-optical-access H2O absorption tomography is, for the first time, applied to a practical diesel aftertreatment system. A single rotation stage and a single translation stage are used to move a single laser beam to obtain each of the 3480 line-of-sight measurements used in the tomographic reconstruction. It takes 1 h to acquire one image in a 60-view-angle measurement. H2O images are acquired in a 292.4-mm-diameter selective catalytic reduction (SCR) can with a 5-mm spatial resolution at temperatures in the 158-185 °C range. When no liquid H2O is injected into the gas, the L1 norm-based uniformity index is 0.994, and the average mole fraction error is - 6% based on a separate FTIR measurement. When liquid water is injected through the reductant dosing system designed to inject diesel exhaust fluid, nonuniformity is observed, as evidenced by measured uniformity indices for H2O in the 0.977-0.986 range. A mixing plate installed into the system is able to improve the uniformity of the H2O mole fraction.

Image reconstruction of IRAS survey scans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bontekoe, Tj. Romke

1990-01-01

The IRAS survey data can be used successfully to produce images of extended objects. The major difficulties, viz. non-uniform sampling, different response functions for each detector, and varying signal-to-noise levels for each detector for each scan, were resolved. The results of three different image construction techniques are compared: co-addition, constrained least squares, and maximum entropy. The maximum entropy result is superior. An image of the galaxy M51 with an average spatial resolution of 45 arc seconds is presented, using 60 micron survey data. This exceeds the telescope diffraction limit of 1 minute of arc, at this wavelength. Data fusion is a proposed method for combining data from different instruments, with different spacial resolutions, at different wavelengths. Data estimates of the physical parameters, temperature, density and composition, can be made from the data without prior image (re-)construction. An increase in the accuracy of these parameters is expected as the result of this more systematic approach.

Wavelet/scalar quantization compression standard for fingerprint images

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

Brislawn, C.M.

1996-06-12

US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently formulated a national standard for digitization and compression of gray-scale fingerprint images. Fingerprints are scanned at a spatial resolution of 500 dots per inch, with 8 bits of gray-scale resolution. The compression algorithm for the resulting digital images is based on adaptive uniform scalar quantization of a discrete wavelet transform subband decomposition (wavelet/scalar quantization method). The FBI standard produces archival-quality images at compression ratios of around 15 to 1 and will allow the current database of paper fingerprint cards to be replaced by digital imagery. The compression standard specifies a class ofmore » potential encoders and a universal decoder with sufficient generality to reconstruct compressed images produced by any compliant encoder, allowing flexibility for future improvements in encoder technology. A compliance testing program is also being implemented to ensure high standards of image quality and interchangeability of data between different implementations.« less

Capacitive sensing of droplets for microfluidic devices based on thermocapillary actuation.

PubMed

Chen, Jian Z; Darhuber, Anton A; Troian, Sandra M; Wagner, Sigurd

2004-10-01

The design and performance of a miniaturized coplanar capacitive sensor is presented whose electrode arrays can also function as resistive microheaters for thermocapillary actuation of liquid films and droplets. Optimal compromise between large capacitive signal and high spatial resolution is obtained for electrode widths comparable to the liquid film thickness measured, in agreement with supporting numerical simulations which include mutual capacitance effects. An interdigitated, variable width design, allowing for wider central electrodes, increases the capacitive signal for liquid structures with non-uniform height profiles. The capacitive resolution and time response of the current design is approximately 0.03 pF and 10 ms, respectively, which makes possible a number of sensing functions for nanoliter droplets. These include detection of droplet position, size, composition or percentage water uptake for hygroscopic liquids. Its rapid response time allows measurements of the rate of mass loss in evaporating droplets.

Performance evaluation of a LYSO-based PET scanner for monitoring of dose delivery in hadrontherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabbiani, E.; Belcari, N.; Camarlinghi, N.; Del Guerra, A.; Ferretti, S.; Kraan, A.; Panetta, D.; Sportelli, G.; Rosso, V.

2015-12-01

The DoPET scanner is a compact positron emission tomography (PET) device. It has been developed for monitoring the range of charged particles during therapy with hadron beams. Previous works have focused on the development and upgrade of the device and on data analysis. In this paper, a full performance characterization of the DoPET system in terms of the energy resolution, spatial resolution, sensitivity, uniformity, and noise equivalent count rate is reported. All measurements refer to an adapted version of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU 4 - 2008 protocol, which was written originally for small animal PET systems. Since DoPET is a dual head planar system, it requires a modified characterisation procedure with respect to those described for ring geometries as in the NEMA NU 4 - 2008 protocol. The presented procedure may be of interest for any other PET system with a similar geometry as DoPET.

Surface Engineering and Patterning Using Parylene for Biological Applications

PubMed Central

Tan, Christine P.; Craighead, Harold G.

2010-01-01

Parylene is a family of chemically vapour deposited polymer with material properties that are attractive for biomedicine and nanobiotechnology. Chemically inert parylene “peel-off” stencils have been demonstrated for micropatterning biomolecular arrays with high uniformity, precise spatial control down to nanoscale resolution. Such micropatterned surfaces are beneficial in engineering biosensors and biological microenvironments. A variety of substituted precursors enables direct coating of functionalised parylenes onto biomedical implants and microfluidics, providing a convenient method for designing biocompatible and bioactive surfaces. This article will review the emerging role and applications of parylene as a biomaterial for surface chemical modification and provide a future outlook.

An adaptive multiblock high-order finite-volume method for solving the shallow-water equations on the sphere

DOE PAGES

McCorquodale, Peter; Ullrich, Paul; Johansen, Hans; ...

2015-09-04

We present a high-order finite-volume approach for solving the shallow-water equations on the sphere, using multiblock grids on the cubed-sphere. This approach combines a Runge--Kutta time discretization with a fourth-order accurate spatial discretization, and includes adaptive mesh refinement and refinement in time. Results of tests show fourth-order convergence for the shallow-water equations as well as for advection in a highly deformational flow. Hierarchical adaptive mesh refinement allows solution error to be achieved that is comparable to that obtained with uniform resolution of the most refined level of the hierarchy, but with many fewer operations.

Reflective ghost imaging through turbulence

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

Hardy, Nicholas D.; Shapiro, Jeffrey H.

2011-12-15

Recent work has indicated that ghost imaging may have applications in standoff sensing. However, most theoretical work has addressed transmission-based ghost imaging. To be a viable remote-sensing system, the ghost imager needs to image rough-surfaced targets in reflection through long, turbulent optical paths. We develop, within a Gaussian-state framework, expressions for the spatial resolution, image contrast, and signal-to-noise ratio of such a system. We consider rough-surfaced targets that create fully developed speckle in their returns and Kolmogorov-spectrum turbulence that is uniformly distributed along all propagation paths. We address both classical and nonclassical optical sources, as well as a computational ghostmore » imager.« less

Low temperature laser scanning microscopy of a superconducting radio-frequency cavity

DOE PAGES

Ciovati, G.; Anlage, Steven M.; Baldwin, C.; ...

2012-03-16

An apparatus was created to obtain, for the first time, 2D maps of the surface resistance of the inner surface of an operating superconducting radio-frequency niobium cavity by a low-temperature laser scanning microscopy technique. This allows identifying non-uniformities of the surface resistance with a spatial resolution of about one order of magnitude better than with earlier methods. A signal-to-noise ratio of about 10 dB was obtained with 240 mW laser power and 1 Hz modulation frequency. The various components of the apparatus, the experimental procedure and results are discussed in details in this contribution.

High-resolution imaging of the large non-human primate brain using microPET: a feasibility study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naidoo-Variawa, S.; Hey-Cunningham, A. J.; Lehnert, W.; Kench, P. L.; Kassiou, M.; Banati, R.; Meikle, S. R.

2007-11-01

The neuroanatomy and physiology of the baboon brain closely resembles that of the human brain and is well suited for evaluating promising new radioligands in non-human primates by PET and SPECT prior to their use in humans. These studies are commonly performed on clinical scanners with 5 mm spatial resolution at best, resulting in sub-optimal images for quantitative analysis. This study assessed the feasibility of using a microPET animal scanner to image the brains of large non-human primates, i.e. papio hamadryas (baboon) at high resolution. Factors affecting image accuracy, including scatter, attenuation and spatial resolution, were measured under conditions approximating a baboon brain and using different reconstruction strategies. Scatter fraction measured 32% at the centre of a 10 cm diameter phantom. Scatter correction increased image contrast by up to 21% but reduced the signal-to-noise ratio. Volume resolution was superior and more uniform using maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstructed images (3.2-3.6 mm3 FWHM from centre to 4 cm offset) compared to both 3D ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) (5.6-8.3 mm3) and 3D reprojection (3DRP) (5.9-9.1 mm3). A pilot 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose ([18F]FDG) scan was performed on a healthy female adult baboon. The pilot study demonstrated the ability to adequately resolve cortical and sub-cortical grey matter structures in the baboon brain and improved contrast when images were corrected for attenuation and scatter and reconstructed by MAP. We conclude that high resolution imaging of the baboon brain with microPET is feasible with appropriate choices of reconstruction strategy and corrections for degrading physical effects. Further work to develop suitable correction algorithms for high-resolution large primate imaging is warranted.

Laser-induced incandescence calibration via gravimetric sampling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, M. Y.; Vander Wal, R. L.; Zhou, Z.

1996-01-01

Absolute calibration of laser-induced incandescence (LII) is demonstrated via comparison of LII signal intensities with gravimetrically determined soot volume fractions. This calibration technique does not rely upon calculated or measured optical characteristics of soot. The variation of the LII signal with gravimetrically measured soot volume fractions ranging from 0.078 to 1.1 ppm established the linearly of the calibration. With the high spatial and temporal resolution capabilities of laser-induced incandescence (LII), the spatial and temporal fluctuations of the soot field within a gravimetric chimney were characterized. Radial uniformity of the soot volume fraction, f(sub v) was demonstrated with sufficient averaging of the single laser-shot LII images of the soot field thus confirming the validity of the calibration method for imaging applications. As illustration, instantaneous soot volume fractions within a Re = 5000 ethylene/air diffusion flame measured via planar LII were established quantitatively with this calibration.

Characterization of the new neutron imaging and materials science facility IMAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minniti, Triestino; Watanabe, Kenichi; Burca, Genoveva; Pooley, Daniel E.; Kockelmann, Winfried

2018-04-01

IMAT is a new cold neutron imaging and diffraction instrument located at the second target station of the pulsed neutron spallation source ISIS, UK. A broad range of materials science and materials testing areas will be covered by IMAT. We present the characterization of the imaging part, including the energy-selective and energy-dispersive imaging options, and provide the basic parameters of the radiography and tomography instrument. In particular, detailed studies on mono and bi-dimensional neutron beam flux profiles, neutron flux as a function of the neutron wavelength, spatial and energy dependent neutron beam uniformities, guide artifacts, divergence and spatial resolution, and neutron pulse widths are provided. An accurate characterization of the neutron beam at the sample position, located 56 m from the source, is required to optimize collection of radiographic and tomographic data sets and for performing energy-dispersive neutron imaging via time-of-flight methods in particular.

Regional-Scale High-Latitude Extreme Geoelectric Fields Pertaining to Geomagnetically Induced Currents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pulkkinen, Antti; Bernabeu, Emanuel; Eichner, Jan; Viljanen, Ari; Ngwira, Chigomezyo

2015-01-01

Motivated by the needs of the high-voltage power transmission industry, we use data from the high-latitude IMAGE magnetometer array to study characteristics of extreme geoelectric fields at regional scales. We use 10-s resolution data for years 1993-2013, and the fields are characterized using average horizontal geoelectric field amplitudes taken over station groups that span about 500-km distance. We show that geoelectric field structures associated with localized extremes at single stations can be greatly different from structures associated with regionally uniform geoelectric fields, which are well represented by spatial averages over single stations. Visual extrapolation and rigorous extreme value analysis of spatially averaged fields indicate that the expected range for 1-in-100-year extreme events are 3-8 V/km and 3.4-7.1 V/km, respectively. The Quebec reference ground model is used in the calculations.

Phase sensitive distributed vibration sensing based on ultraweak fiber Bragg grating array using double-pulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tao; Wang, Feng; Zhang, Xuping; Zhang, Lin; Yuan, Quan; Liu, Yu; Yan, Zhijun

2017-08-01

A distributed vibration sensing technique using double-optical-pulse based on phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (ϕ-OTDR) and an ultraweak fiber Bragg grating (UWFBG) array is proposed for the first time. The single-mode sensing fiber is integrated with the UWFBG array that has uniform spatial interval and ultraweak reflectivity. The relatively high reflectivity of the UWFBG, compared with the Rayleigh scattering, gains a high signal-to-noise ratio for the signal, which can make the system achieve the maximum detectable frequency limited by the round-trip time of the probe pulse in fiber. A corresponding experimental ϕ-OTDR system with a 4.5 km sensing fiber integrated with the UWFBG array was setup for the evaluation of the system performance. Distributed vibration sensing is successfully realized with spatial resolution of 50 m. The sensing range of the vibration frequency can cover from 3 Hz to 9 kHz.

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.

River Discharge and Bathymetry Estimation from Hydraulic Inversion of Surface Currents and Water Surface Elevation Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simeonov, J.; Holland, K. T.

2015-12-01

We developed an inversion model for river bathymetry and discharge estimation based on measurements of surface currents, water surface elevation and shoreline coordinates. The model uses a simplification of the 2D depth-averaged steady shallow water equations based on a streamline following system of coordinates and assumes spatially uniform bed friction coefficient and eddy viscosity. The spatial resolution of the predicted bathymetry is related to the resolution of the surface currents measurements. The discharge is determined by minimizing the difference between the predicted and the measured streamwise variation of the total head. The inversion model was tested using in situ and remote sensing measurements of the Kootenai River east of Bonners Ferry, ID. The measurements were obtained in August 2010 when the discharge was about 223 m3/s and the maximum river depth was about 6.5 m. Surface currents covering a 10 km reach with 8 m spatial resolution were estimated from airborne infrared video and were converted to depth-averaged currents using acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements along eight cross-stream transects. The streamwise profile of the water surface elevation was measured using real-time kinematic GPS from a drifting platform. The value of the friction coefficient was obtained from forward calibration simulations that minimized the difference between the predicted and measured velocity and water level along the river thalweg. The predicted along/cross-channel water depth variation was compared to the depth measured with a multibeam echo sounder. The rms error between the measured and predicted depth along the thalweg was found to be about 60cm and the estimated discharge was 5% smaller than the discharge measured by the ADCP.

Ecosystem services of boreal forests - Carbon budget mapping at high resolution.

PubMed

Akujärvi, Anu; Lehtonen, Aleksi; Liski, Jari

2016-10-01

The carbon (C) cycle of forests produces ecosystem services (ES) such as climate regulation and timber production. Mapping these ES using simple land cover -based proxies might add remarkable inaccuracy to the estimates. A framework to map the current status of the C budget of boreal forested landscapes was developed. The C stocks of biomass and soil and the annual change in these stocks were quantified in a 20 × 20 m resolution at the regional level on mineral soils in southern Finland. The fine-scale variation of the estimates was analyzed geo-statistically. The reliability of the estimates was evaluated by comparing them to measurements from the national multi-source forest inventory. The C stocks of forests increased slightly from the south coast to inland whereas the changes in these stocks were more uniform. The spatial patches of C stocks were larger than those of C stock changes. The patch size of the C stocks reflected the spatial variation in the environmental conditions, and that of the C stock changes the typical area of forest management compartments. The simulated estimates agreed well with the measurements indicating a good mapping framework performance. The mapping framework is the basis for evaluating the effects of forest management alternatives on C budget at high resolution across large spatial scales. It will be coupled with the assessment of other ES and biodiversity to study their relationships. The framework integrated a wide suite of simulation models and extensive inventory data. It provided reliable estimates of the human influence on C cycle in forested landscapes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How Well Can a Footpoint Tracking Method Estimate the Magnetic Helicity Influx during Flux Emergence?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choe, Gwangson; Kim, Sunjung; Kim, Kap-Sung; No, Jincheol

2015-08-01

As shown by Démoulin and Berger (2003), the magnetic helicity flux through the solar surface into the solar atmosphere can be exactly calculated if we can trace the motion of footpoints with infinite temporal and spatial resolutions. When there is a magnetic flux transport across the solar surface, the horizontal velocity of footpoints becomes infinite at the polarity inversion line, although the surface integral yielding the helicity flux does not diverge. In practical application, a finite temporal and spatial resolution causes an underestimate of the magnetic helicity flux when a magnetic flux emerges from below the surface, because there is an observational blackout area near a polarity inversion line whether it is pre-existing or newly formed. In this paper, we consider emergence of simple magnetic flux ropes and calculate the supremum of the magnitude of the helicity influx that can be estimated from footpoint tracking. The results depend on the ratio of the resolvable length scale and the flux rope diameter. For a Gold-Hoyle flux rope, in which all field lines are uniformly twisted, the observationally estimated helicity influx would be about 90% of the real influx when the flux rope diameter is one hundred times the spatial resolution (for a large flux rope), and about 45% when it is ten times (for a small flux rope). For Lundquist flux ropes, the errors incurred by observational estimation are smaller than the case of the Gold-Hoyle flux rope, but could be as large as 30% of the real influx. Our calculation suggests that the error in the helicity influx estimate is at least half of the real influx or even larger when small scale magnetic structures (less than 10,000 km) emerge into the solar atmosphere.

Solution pH change in non-uniform alternating current electric fields at frequencies above the electrode charging frequency

PubMed Central

An, Ran; Massa, Katherine

2014-01-01

AC Faradaic reactions have been reported as a mechanism inducing non-ideal phenomena such as flow reversal and cell deformation in electrokinetic microfluidic systems. Prior published work described experiments in parallel electrode arrays below the electrode charging frequency (fc), the frequency for electrical double layer charging at the electrode. However, 2D spatially non-uniform AC electric fields are required for applications such as in plane AC electroosmosis, AC electrothermal pumps, and dielectrophoresis. Many microscale experimental applications utilize AC frequencies around or above fc. In this work, a pH sensitive fluorescein sodium salt dye was used to detect [H+] as an indicator of Faradaic reactions in aqueous solutions within non-uniform AC electric fields. Comparison experiments with (a) parallel (2D uniform fields) electrodes and (b) organic media were employed to deduce the electrode charging mechanism at 5 kHz (1.5fc). Time dependency analysis illustrated that Faradaic reactions exist above the theoretically predicted electrode charging frequency. Spatial analysis showed [H+] varied spatially due to electric field non-uniformities and local pH changed at length scales greater than 50 μm away from the electrode surface. Thus, non-uniform AC fields yielded spatially varied pH gradients as a direct consequence of ion path length differences while uniform fields did not yield pH gradients; the latter is consistent with prior published data. Frequency dependence was examined from 5 kHz to 12 kHz at 5.5 Vpp potential, and voltage dependency was explored from 3.5 to 7.5 Vpp at 5 kHz. Results suggest that Faradaic reactions can still proceed within electrochemical systems in the absence of well-established electrical double layers. This work also illustrates that in microfluidic systems, spatial medium variations must be considered as a function of experiment time, initial medium conditions, electric signal potential, frequency, and spatial position. PMID:25553200

Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves from remote sensing datasets: direct comparison of weather radar and CMORPH over the Eastern Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morin, Efrat; Marra, Francesco; Peleg, Nadav; Mei, Yiwen; Anagnostou, Emmanouil N.

2017-04-01

Rainfall frequency analysis is used to quantify the probability of occurrence of extreme rainfall and is traditionally based on rain gauge records. The limited spatial coverage of rain gauges is insufficient to sample the spatiotemporal variability of extreme rainfall and to provide the areal information required by management and design applications. Conversely, remote sensing instruments, even if quantitative uncertain, offer coverage and spatiotemporal detail that allow overcoming these issues. In recent years, remote sensing datasets began to be used for frequency analyses, taking advantage of increased record lengths and quantitative adjustments of the data. However, the studies so far made use of concepts and techniques developed for rain gauge (i.e. point or multiple-point) data and have been validated by comparison with gauge-derived analyses. These procedures add further sources of uncertainty and prevent from isolating between data and methodological uncertainties and from fully exploiting the available information. In this study, we step out of the gauge-centered concept presenting a direct comparison between at-site Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves derived from different remote sensing datasets on corresponding spatial scales, temporal resolutions and records. We analyzed 16 years of homogeneously corrected and gauge-adjusted C-Band weather radar estimates, high-resolution CMORPH and gauge-adjusted high-resolution CMORPH over the Eastern Mediterranean. Results of this study include: (a) good spatial correlation between radar and satellite IDFs ( 0.7 for 2-5 years return period); (b) consistent correlation and dispersion in the raw and gauge adjusted CMORPH; (c) bias is almost uniform with return period for 12-24 h durations; (d) radar identifies thicker tail distributions than CMORPH and the tail of the distributions depends on the spatial and temporal scales. These results demonstrate the potential of remote sensing datasets for rainfall frequency analysis for management (e.g. warning and early-warning systems) and design (e.g. sewer design, large scale drainage planning)

Un-collimated single-photon imaging system for high-sensitivity small animal and plant imaging

DOE PAGES

Walker, Katherine L.; Judenhofer, Martin S.; Cherry, Simon R.; ...

2014-12-12

In preclinical single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system development the primary objective has been to improve spatial resolution by using novel parallel-hole or multi-pinhole collimator geometries. Furthermore, such high-resolution systems have relatively poor sensitivity (typically 0.01% to 0.1%). In contrast, a system that does not use collimators can achieve very high-sensitivity. Here we present a high-sensitivity un-collimated detector single-photon imaging (UCD-SPI) system for the imaging of both small animals and plants. This scanner consists of two thin, closely spaced, pixelated scintillator detectors that use NaI(Tl), CsI(Na), or BGO. The performance of the system has been characterized by measuring sensitivity, spatialmore » resolution, linearity, detection limits, and uniformity. With 99mTc (140 keV) at the center of the field of view (20 mm scintillator separation), the sensitivity was measured to be 31.8% using the NaI(Tl) detectors and 40.2% with CsI(Na). The best spatial resolution (FWHM when the image formed as the geometric mean of the two detector heads, 20 mm scintillator separation) was 19.0 mm for NaI(Tl) and 11.9 mm for CsI(Na) at 140 keV, and 19.5 mm for BGO at 1116 keV, which is somewhat degraded compared to the cm-scale resolution obtained with only one detector head and a close source. The quantitative accuracy of the system’s linearity is better than 2% with detection down to activity levels of 100 nCi. Two in vivo animal studies (a renal scan using 99mTc MAG-3 and a thyroid scan with 123I) and one plant study (a 99mTcO 4- xylem transport study) highlight the unique capabilities of this UCD-SPI system. From the renal scan, we observe approximately a one thousand-fold increase in sensitivity compared to the Siemens Inveon SPECT/CT scanner. In conclusion, UCD-SPI is useful for many imaging tasks that do not require excellent spatial resolution, such as high-throughput screening applications, simple radiotracer uptake studies in tumor xenografts, dynamic studies where very good temporal resolution is critical, or in planta imaging of radioisotopes at low concentrations.« less

Evaluation of Satellite Remote Sensing Albedo Retrievals over the Ablation Area of the Southwestern Greenland Ice Sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moustafa, Samiah E.; Rennermalm, Asa K.; Roman, Miguel O.; Wang, Zhuosen; Schaaf, Crystal B.; Smith, Laurence C.; Koenig, Lora S.; Erb, Angela

2017-01-01

MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo products have been validated over spatially uniform, snow-covered areas of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) using the so-called single 'point-to-pixel' method. This study expands on this methodology by applying a 'multiple-point-to-pixel' method and examination of spatial autocorrelation (here using semivariogram analysis) by using in situ observations, high-resolution World- View-2 (WV-2) surface reflectances, and MODIS Collection V006 daily blue-sky albedo over a spatially heterogeneous surfaces in the lower ablation zone in southwest Greenland. Our results using 232 ground-based samples within two MODIS pixels, one being more spatial heterogeneous than the other, show little difference in accuracy among narrow and broad band albedos (except for Band 2). Within the more homogenous pixel area, in situ and MODIS albedos were very close (error varied from -4% to +7%) and within the range of ASD standard errors. The semivariogram analysis revealed that the minimum observational footprint needed for a spatially representative sample is 30 m. In contrast, over the more spatially heterogeneous surface pixel, a minimum footprint size was not quantifiable due to spatial autocorrelation, and far exceeds the effective resolution of the MODIS retrievals. Over the high spatial heterogeneity surface pixel, MODIS is lower than ground measurements by 4-7%, partly due to a known in situ undersampling of darker surfaces that often are impassable by foot (e.g., meltwater features and shadowing effects over crevasses). Despite the sampling issue, our analysis errors are very close to the stated general accuracy of the MODIS product of 5%. Thus, our study suggests that the MODIS albedo product performs well in a very heterogeneous, low-albedo, area of the ice sheet ablation zone. Furthermore, we demonstrate that single 'point-to-pixel' methods alone are insufficient in characterizing and validating the variation of surface albedo displayed in the lower ablation area. This is true because the distribution of in situ data deviations from MODIS albedo show a substantial range, with the average values for the 10th and 90th percentiles being -0.30 and 0.43 across all bands. Thus, if only single point is taken for ground validation, and is randomly selected from either distribution tails, the error would appear to be considerable. Given the need for multiple in-situ points, concurrent albedo measurements derived from existing AWSs, (low-flying vehicles (airborne or unmanned) and high-resolution imagery (WV-2)) are needed to resolve high sub-pixel variability in the ablation zone, and thus, further improve our characterization of Greenland's surface albedo.

Biopsy system guided by positron emission tomography in real-time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moliner, L.; Álamo, J.; Hellingman, D.; Peris, J. L.; Gomez, J.; Tattersall, P.; Carrilero, V.; Orero, A.; Correcher, C.; Benlloch, J. M.

2016-03-01

In this work we present the MAMMOCARE prototype, a biopsy guided system based on PET. The system is composed by an examination table where the patient is situated in prone position, a PET detector and a biopsy device. The PET detector is composed by two rings. These rings can be separated mechanically in order to allow the needle insertion. The first acquisition is performed with the closed ring configuration in order to obtain a high quality image to locate the lesion. Then, the software calculates the optimum path for the biopsy and moves the biopsy and PET systems to the desired position. At this point, two compression pallets are used to hold the breast. Then, the PET system opens and the biopsy procedure starts. The images are obtained at several steps to ensure the correct location of the needle during the procedure. The performance of the system is evaluated measuring the spatial resolution and sensitivity according the NEMA standard. The uniformity of the reconstructed images is also estimated. The radial resolution is 1.62mm in the center of the FOV and 3.45mm at 50mm off the center in the radial direction using the closed configuration. In the open configuration the resolution reaches 1.85mm at center and 3.65mm at 50mm. The sensitivity using an energy window of 250keV-750keV is 3.6% for the closed configuration and 2.5% for the open configuration. The uniformity measured in the center of the FOV is 14% and 18% for the closed and open configurations respectively.

Absorber Materials for Transition-Edge Sensor X-ray Microcalorimeters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Ari-David; Bandler, Simon; Brekosky, Regis; Chervenak, James; Figueroa-Feliciano, Enectali; Finkbeiner, Fred; Sadleir, Jack; Iyomoto, Naoko; Kelley, Richard; Kilbourne, Caroline;

High resolution Cerenkov and range detectors for balloon-borne cosmic-ray experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahlen, S. P.; Cartwright, B. G.; Tarle, G.

1975-01-01

A combination of an active Cerenkov detector and passive range detectors is proposed for the high resolution measurement of isotopic composition in the neighborhood of iron in the galactic cosmic rays. A large area (4,300 sq cm) Cerenkov counter and passive range detectors were tested. Tests with heavy ions (2.1 GeV/amu C-12, 289 MeV/amu Ar-40, and 594 MeV/amu Ne-20) revealed the spatial uniformity of response of the Cerenkov counter to be better than 1% peak-to-peak. Light collection efficiency is independent of projectile energy and incidence angle to within at least 0.5%. Passive Lexan track recorders to measure range in the presence of the nuclear interaction background which results from stopping particles through 0.9 interaction lengths of matter were also tested. It was found that nuclear interactions produce an effective range straggling distribution only approximately 75% wider than that expected from range straggling alone. The combination of these tested techniques makes possible high mass resolution in the neighborhood of iron.

WE-AB-204-10: Evaluation of a Novel Dedicated Breast PET System (Mammi-PET)

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

Long, Z; Swanson, T; O’Connor, M

2015-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate the performance characteristics of a novel dedicated breast PET system (Mammi-PET, Oncovision). The system has 2 detector rings giving axial/transaxial field of view of 8/17 cm. Each ring consists of 12 monolithic LYSO modules coupled to PSPMTs. Methods: Uniformity, sensitivity, energy and spatial resolution were measured according to NEMA standards. Count rate performance was investigated using a source of F-18 (1384uCi) decayed over 5 half-lives. A prototype PET phantom was imaged for 20 min to evaluate image quality, recovery coefficients and partial volume effects. Under an IRB-approved protocol, 11 patients who just underwent whole body PET/CT examsmore » were imaged prone with the breast pendulant at 5–10 minutes/breast. Image quality was assessed with and without scatter/attenuation correction and using different reconstruction algorithms. Results: Integral/differential uniformity were 9.8%/6.0% respectively. System sensitivity was 2.3% on axis, 2.2% and 2.8% at 3.8 cm and 7.8 cm off-axis. Mean energy resolution of all modules was 23.3%. Spatial resolution (FWHM) was 1.82 mm and 2.90 mm on axis and 5.8 cm off axis. Three cylinders (14 mm diameter) in the PET phantom were filled with activity concentration ratios of 4:1, 3:1, and 2:1 relative to the background. Measured cylinder to background ratios were 2.6, 1.8 and 1.5 (without corrections) and 3.6, 2.3 and 1.5 (with attenuation/scatter correction). Five cylinders (14, 10, 6, 4 and 2 mm diameter) each with an activity ratio of 4:1 were measured and showed recovery coefficients of 1, 0.66, 0.45, 0.18 and 0.18 (without corrections), and 1, 0.53, 0.30, 0.13 and 0 (with attenuation/scatter correction). Optimal phantom image quality was obtained with 3D MLEM algorithm, >20 iterations and without attenuation/scatter correction. Conclusion: The MAMMI system demonstrated good performance characteristics. Further work is needed to determine the optimal reconstruction parameters for qualitative and quantitative applications.« less

Global hydrodynamic modelling of flood inundation in continental rivers: How can we achieve it?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazaki, D.

2016-12-01

Global-scale modelling of river hydrodynamics is essential for understanding global hydrological cycle, and is also required in interdisciplinary research fields . Global river models have been developed continuously for more than two decades, but modelling river flow at a global scale is still a challenging topic because surface water movement in continental rivers is a multi-spatial-scale phenomena. We have to consider the basin-wide water balance (>1000km scale), while hydrodynamics in river channels and floodplains is regulated by much smaller-scale topography (<100m scale). For example, heavy precipitation in upstream regions may later cause flooding in farthest downstream reaches. In order to realistically simulate the timing and amplitude of flood wave propagation for a long distance, consideration of detailed local topography is unavoidable. I have developed the global hydrodynamic model CaMa-Flood to overcome this scale-discrepancy of continental river flow. The CaMa-Flood divides river basins into multiple "unit-catchments", and assumes the water level is uniform within each unit-catchment. One unit-catchment is assigned to each grid-box defined at the typical spatial resolution of global climate models (10 100 km scale). Adopting a uniform water level in a >10km river segment seems to be a big assumption, but it is actually a good approximation for hydrodynamic modelling of continental rivers. The number of grid points required for global hydrodynamic simulations is largely reduced by this "unit-catchment assumption". Alternative to calculating 2-dimensional floodplain flows as in regional flood models, the CaMa-Flood treats floodplain inundation in a unit-catchment as a sub-grid physics. The water level and inundated area in each unit-catchment are diagnosed from water volume using topography parameters derived from high-resolution digital elevation models. Thus, the CaMa-Flood is at least 1000 times computationally more efficient compared to regional flood inundation models while the reality of simulated flood dynamics is kept. I will explain in detail how the CaMa-Flood model has been constructed from high-resolution topography datasets, and how the model can be used for various interdisciplinary applications.

Simulation of space-based (GRACE) gravity variations caused by storage changes in large confined and unconfined aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pool, D. R.; Scanlon, B. R.

2017-12-01

There is uncertainty of how storage change in confined and unconfined aquifers would register from space-based platforms, such as the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites. To address this concern, superposition groundwater models (MODFLOW) of equivalent storage change in simplified confined and unconfined aquifers of extent, 500 km2 or approximately 5X5 degrees at mid-latitudes, and uniform transmissivity were constructed. Gravity change resulting from the spatial distribution of aquifer storage change for each aquifer type was calculated at the initial GRACE satellite altitude ( 500 km). To approximate real-world conditions, the confined aquifer includes a small region of unconfined conditions at one margin. A uniform storage coefficient (specific yield) was distributed across the unconfined aquifer. For both cases, storage change was produced by 1 year of groundwater withdrawal from identical aquifer-centered well distributions followed by decades of no withdrawal and redistribution of the initial storage loss toward a new steady-state condition. The transient simulated storage loss includes equivalent volumes for both conceptualizations, but spatial distributions differ because of the contrasting aquifer diffusivity (Transmissivity/Storativity). Much higher diffusivity in the confined aquifer results in more rapid storage redistribution across a much larger area than for the unconfined aquifer. After the 1 year of withdrawals, the two simulated storage loss distributions are primarily limited to small regions within the model extent. Gravity change after 1 year observed at the satellite altitude is similar for both aquifers including maximum gravity reductions that are coincident with the aquifer center. With time, the maximum gravity reduction for the confined aquifer case shifts toward the aquifer margin as much as 200 km because of increased storage loss in the unconfined region. Results of the exercise indicate that GRACE observations are largely insensitive to confined or unconfined conditions for most aquifers. Lateral shifts in storage change with time in confined aquifers could be resolved by space-based gravity missions with durations of decades and improved spatial resolution, 1 degree or less ( 100 km), over the GRACE resolution of 3 degrees ( 300 km).

Description and properties of a resistive network applied to emission tomography detector readouts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boisson, F.; Bekaert, V.; Sahr, J.; Brasse, D.

2017-11-01

Over the last twenty years, PET systems have used discrete crystal detector modules coupled to multi-channel photodetectors, mostly to improve the spatial resolution. Although reading each readout channels individually would be of great interest, costs associated with the electronics would, in most cases, be too expensive. It is therefore essential to propose lower-cost solutions that do not degrade the overall system's performance. One possible solution to reduce the development costs of a PET system without degrading performance is the use of a resistive network which reduces the total number of readout channels. In this study, we present a symmetric charge division resistive network and associated software methods to assess the performance of a PET detector. Our approach consists in keeping the n lines and n columns information provided by a symmetric charge division circuit (SCD). We provided equations relative to output currents of the network, which enable estimation of the charge. We propose a novel approach to reconstruct the charge distribution from the lines and columns projection using a maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) approach which takes the non-uniformity of the photodetector channel gains into account. We also introduce a mathematical proof of the relation between the sigma of the reconstructed charge distribution and the Ratio between the line of interest (maximum value) and the background signal charges. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting these equations. Preliminary results obtained with a resistive network used in readout of a monolithic 50 × 50 × 8mm3 LYSO crystal coupled to a H9500 PMT validated the effectiveness of the reconstructed charge distribution to optimize both the x and y spatial resolution and the energy resolution. We obtained a mean x and y spatial resolution of 1.10 mm FWHM and a 14.7% energy resolution by calculating the integral of the reconstructed charge distribution. Finally, the relation between the ratio and the sigma of the reconstructed charge distribution may provide new opportunities in terms of Depth-of-Interaction estimation when using a monolithic crystal coupled to a multi-channel photodetector.

Generic Sensor Modeling Using Pulse Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helder, Dennis L.; Choi, Taeyoung

2005-01-01

Recent development of high spatial resolution satellites such as IKONOS, Quickbird and Orbview enable observation of the Earth's surface with sub-meter resolution. Compared to the 30 meter resolution of Landsat 5 TM, the amount of information in the output image was dramatically increased. In this era of high spatial resolution, the estimation of spatial quality of images is gaining attention. Historically, the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) concept has been used to estimate an imaging system's spatial quality. Sometimes classified by target shapes, various methods were developed in laboratory environment utilizing sinusoidal inputs, periodic bar patterns and narrow slits. On-orbit sensor MTF estimation was performed on 30-meter GSD Landsat4 Thematic Mapper (TM) data from the bridge pulse target as a pulse input . Because of a high resolution sensor s small Ground Sampling Distance (GSD), reasonably sized man-made edge, pulse, and impulse targets can be deployed on a uniform grassy area with accurate control of ground targets using tarps and convex mirrors. All the previous work cited calculated MTF without testing the MTF estimator's performance. In previous report, a numerical generic sensor model had been developed to simulate and improve the performance of on-orbit MTF estimating techniques. Results from the previous sensor modeling report that have been incorporated into standard MTF estimation work include Fermi edge detection and the newly developed 4th order modified Savitzky-Golay (MSG) interpolation technique. Noise sensitivity had been studied by performing simulations on known noise sources and a sensor model. Extensive investigation was done to characterize multi-resolution ground noise. Finally, angle simulation was tested by using synthetic pulse targets with angles from 2 to 15 degrees, several brightness levels, and different noise levels from both ground targets and imaging system. As a continuing research activity using the developed sensor model, this report was dedicated to MTF estimation via pulse input method characterization using the Fermi edge detection and 4th order MSG interpolation method. The relationship between pulse width and MTF value at Nyquist was studied including error detection and correction schemes. Pulse target angle sensitivity was studied by using synthetic targets angled from 2 to 12 degrees. In this report, from the ground and system noise simulation, a minimum SNR value was suggested for a stable MTF value at Nyquist for the pulse method. Target width error detection and adjustment technique based on a smooth transition of MTF profile is presented, which is specifically applicable only to the pulse method with 3 pixel wide targets.

Simultaneous imaging electron- and ion-feature Thomson scattering measurements of radiatively heated Xe

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

Pollock, B. B.; University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093; Meinecke, J.

2012-10-15

Uniform density and temperature Xe plasmas have been produced over >4 mm scale-lengths using x-rays generated in a cylindrical Pb cavity. The cavity is 750 {mu}m in depth and diameter, and is heated by a 300 J, 2 ns square, 1054 nm laser pulse focused to a spot size of 200 {mu}m at the cavity entrance. The plasma is characterized by simultaneous imaging Thomson scattering measurements from both the electron and ion scattering features. The electron feature measurement determines the spatial electron density and temperature profile, and using these parameters as constraints in the ion feature analysis allows an accuratemore » determination of the charge state of the Xe ions. The Thomson scattering probe beam is 40 J, 200 ps, and 527 nm, and is focused to a 100 {mu}m spot size at the entrance of the Pb cavity. Each system has a spatial resolution of 25 {mu}m, a temporal resolution of 200 ps (as determined by the probe duration), and a spectral resolution of 2 nm for the electron feature system and 0.025 nm for the ion feature system. The experiment is performed in a Xe filled target chamber at a neutral pressure of 3-10 Torr, and the x-rays produced in the Pb ionize and heat the Xe to a charge state of 20{+-}4 at up to 200 eV electron temperatures.« less

Spatial effect of conical angle on optical-thermal distribution for circumferential photocoagulation

PubMed Central

Truong, Van Gia; Park, Suhyun; Tran, Van Nam; Kang, Hyun Wook

2017-01-01

A uniformly diffusing applicator can be advantageous for laser treatment of tubular tissue. The current study investigated various conical angles for diffuser tips as a critical factor for achieving radially uniform light emission. A customized goniometer was employed to characterize the spatial uniformity of the light propagation. An ex vivo model was developed to quantitatively compare the temperature development and irreversible tissue coagulation. The 10-mm diffuser tip with angle at 25° achieved a uniform longitudinal intensity profile (i.e., 0.90 ± 0.07) as well as a consistent thermal denaturation on the tissue. The proposed conical angle can be instrumental in determining the uniformity of light distribution for the photothermal treatment of tubular tissue. PMID:29296495

From SED HI concept to Pleiades FM detection unit measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renard, Christophe; Dantes, Didier; Neveu, Claude; Lamard, Jean-Luc; Oudinot, Matthieu; Materne, Alex

2017-11-01

The first flight model PLEIADES high resolution instrument under Thales Alenia Space development, on behalf of CNES, is currently in integration and test phases. Based on the SED HI detection unit concept, PLEIADES detection unit has been fully qualified before the integration at telescope level. The main radiometric performances have been measured on engineering and first flight models. This paper presents the results of performances obtained on the both models. After a recall of the SED HI concept, the design and performances of the main elements (charge coupled detectors, focal plane and video processing unit), detection unit radiometric performances are presented and compared to the instrument specifications for the panchromatic and multispectral bands. The performances treated are the following: - video signal characteristics, - dark signal level and dark signal non uniformity, - photo-response non uniformity, - non linearity and differential non linearity, - temporal and spatial noises regarding system definitions PLEIADES detection unit allows tuning of different functions: reference and sampling time positioning, anti-blooming level, gain value, TDI line number. These parameters are presented with their associated criteria of optimisation to achieve system radiometric performances and their sensitivities on radiometric performances. All the results of the measurements performed by Thales Alenia Space on the PLEIADES detection units demonstrate the high potential of the SED HI concept for Earth high resolution observation system allowing optimised performances at instrument and satellite levels.

Synthesis and quality control of fluorodeoxyglucose and performance assessment of Siemens MicroFocus 220 small animal PET scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phaterpekar, Siddhesh Nitin

The scope of this article is to cover the synthesis and quality control procedures involved in production of Fludeoxyglucose (18F--FDG). The article also describes the cyclotron production of 18F radioisotope and gives a brief overview on operations and working of a fixed energy medical cyclotron. The quality control procedures for FDG involve radiochemical and radionuclidic purity tests, pH tests, chemical purity tests, sterility tests, endotoxin tests. Each of these procedures were carried out for multiple batches of FDG with a passing rate of 95% among 20 batches. The article also covers the quality assurance steps for the Siemens MicroPET Focus 220 Scanner using a Jaszczak phantom. We have carried out spatial resolution tests on the scanner, with an average transaxial resolution of 1.775mm with 2-3mm offset. Tests involved detector efficiency, blank scan sinograms and transmission sinograms. A series of radioactivity distribution tests are also carried out on a uniform phantom, denoting the variations in radioactivity and uniformity by using cylindrical ROIs in the transverse region of the final image. The purpose of these quality control tests is to make sure the manufactured FDG is biocompatible with the human body. Quality assurance tests are carried on PET scanners for efficient performance, and to make sure the quality of images acquired is according to the radioactivity distribution in the subject of interest.

Household wireless electroencephalogram hat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szu, Harold; Hsu, Charles; Moon, Gyu; Yamakawa, Takeshi; Tran, Binh

2012-06-01

We applied Compressive Sensing to design an affordable, convenient Brain Machine Interface (BMI) measuring the high spatial density, and real-time process of Electroencephalogram (EEG) brainwaves by a Smartphone. It is useful for therapeutic and mental health monitoring, learning disability biofeedback, handicap interfaces, and war gaming. Its spec is adequate for a biomedical laboratory, without the cables hanging over the head and tethered to a fixed computer terminal. Our improved the intrinsic signal to noise ratio (SNR) by using the non-uniform placement of the measuring electrodes to create the proximity of measurement to the source effect. We computing a spatiotemporal average the larger magnitude of EEG data centers in 0.3 second taking on tethered laboratory data, using fuzzy logic, and computing the inside brainwave sources, by Independent Component Analysis (ICA). Consequently, we can overlay them together by non-uniform electrode distribution enhancing the signal noise ratio and therefore the degree of sparseness by threshold. We overcame the conflicting requirements between a high spatial electrode density and precise temporal resolution (beyond Event Related Potential (ERP) P300 brainwave at 0.3 sec), and Smartphone wireless bottleneck of spatiotemporal throughput rate. Our main contribution in this paper is the quality and the speed of iterative compressed image recovery algorithm based on a Block Sparse Code (Baranuick et al, IEEE/IT 2008). As a result, we achieved real-time wireless dynamic measurement of EEG brainwaves, matching well with traditionally tethered high density EEG.

Characterizing bio-optical and ecological features of algal bloom waters for detection and tracking from space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, S.; Amin, R.; Gladkova, I.; Gilerson, A.; Grossberg, M.; Hlaing, S.; Shariar, F.; Alabi, P.

2010-04-01

The detection and monitoring of harmful algal blooms using in-situ field measurements is both labor intensive and is practically limited on achievable temporal and spatial resolutions, since field measurements are typically carried out at a series of discrete points and at discrete times, with practical limitations on temporal continuity. The planning and preparation of remedial measures to reduce health risks, etc., requires detection approaches which can effectively cover larger areas with contiguous spatial resolutions, and at the same time offer a more comprehensive and contemporaneous snapshot of entire blooms as they occur. This is beyond capabilities of in-situ measurements and it is in this context that satellite Ocean Color sensors offer potential advantages for bloom detection and monitoring. In this paper we examine the applications and limitations of an approach we have recently developed for the detection of K. brevis blooms from satellite Ocean Color Sensors measurements, the Red Band Difference Technique, and compare it to other detection algorithm approaches, including a new statistical based approach also proposed here. To achieve more uniform standards of comparisons, the performance of different techniques for detection are applied to the same specific verified blooms occurring off the West Florida Shelf (WFS) that have been verified by in-situ measurements.

Time-resolved wide-field optically sectioned fluorescence microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuis, Guillaume; Benabdallah, Nadia; Chopinaud, Aurélien; Mayet, Céline; Lévêque-Fort, Sandrine

2013-02-01

We present the implementation of a fast wide-field optical sectioning technique called HiLo microscopy on a fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope. HiLo microscopy is based on the fusion of two images, one with structured illumination and another with uniform illumination. Optically sectioned images are then digitally generated thanks to a fusion algorithm. HiLo images are comparable in quality with confocal images but they can be acquired faster over larger fields of view. We obtain 4D imaging by combining HiLo optical sectioning, time-gated detection, and z-displacement. We characterize the performances of this set-up in terms of 3D spatial resolution and time-resolved capabilities in both fixed- and live-cell imaging modes.

SU-E-J-26: Analysis of Image Quality in CBCT QA Using a Treatment Planning System

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

Xu, M

2014-06-01

Purpose: The objective of this study is to propose an alternative QA technique that analyzes imaging quality(IQ) in CBCT-QA processing. Methods: A catphan phantom was used to take CT imaging data set that were imported into a treatment planning system - Eclipse. The image quality was analyzed in terms of in-slice geometry resolution, Hounsfield numbers(HU) accuracy, mean-slice thickness, edge-to-center uniformity, low contrast resolution, and high contrast spatial resolution in Eclipse workstation. The CBCT-QA was also analyzed by OBI-workstation and a commercial software. Comparison was made to evaluation feasibility in a TPS environment. Results: The analysis of IQ was conducted inmore » Eclipse v10.0 TPS. In-slice geometric resolution was measured between 2-rods in section CTP404 and repeated for all 4 rods with the difference between expected and measured values less than +/−0.1 cm. For HU, the difference between expected and measured values in HU was found much less than +/−40. Mean slice thickness measured by a distance on the wire proportional to scanner increment multiplying by a factor of 0.42. After repeating measurements to 4 wires, the average difference between expected and measured values was less +/−0.124 mm in slice thickness. HU uniformity was measured in section CTP486 with the tolerance less than +/−40 HU. Low contrast resolution in section CTP515 and high contrast resolution in section CTP528 were found to be 7 disks in diameter of 4 mm and 6 lp/cm, respectively. Eclipse TPS results indicated a good agreement to those obtained in OBI workstation and ImagePro software for major parameters. Conclusion: An analysis of IQ was proposed as an alternative CBCT QA processing. Based upon measured data assessment, proposed method was accurate and consistent to IQ evaluation and TG142 guideline. The approach was to utilize TPS resource, which can be valuable to re-planning, verification, and delivery in adaptive therapy.« less

First Human Brain Imaging by the jPET-D4 Prototype With a Pre-Computed System Matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaya, Taiga; Yoshida, Eiji; Obi, Takashi; Ito, Hiroshi; Yoshikawa, Kyosan; Murayama, Hideo

2008-10-01

The jPET-D4 is a novel brain PET scanner which aims to achieve not only high spatial resolution but also high scanner sensitivity by using 4-layer depth-of-interaction (DOI) information. The dimensions of a system matrix for the jPET-D4 are 3.3 billion (lines-of-response) times 5 million (image elements) when a standard field-of-view (FOV) of 25 cm diameter is sampled with a (1.5 mm)3 voxel . The size of the system matrix is estimated as 117 petabytes (PB) with the accuracy of 8 bytes per element. An on-the-fly calculation is usually used to deal with such a huge system matrix. However we cannot avoid extension of the calculation time when we improve the accuracy of system modeling. In this work, we implemented an alternative approach based on pre-calculation of the system matrix. A histogram-based 3D OS-EM algorithm was implemented on a desktop workstation with 32 GB memory installed. The 117 PB system matrix was compressed under the limited amount of computer memory by (1) eliminating zero elements, (2) applying the DOI compression (DOIC) method and (3) applying rotational symmetry and an axial shift property of the crystal arrangement. Spanning, which degrades axial resolution, was not applied. The system modeling and the DOIC method, which had been validated in 2D image reconstruction, were expanded into 3D implementation. In particular, a new system model including the DOIC transformation was introduced to suppress resolution loss caused by the DOIC method. Experimental results showed that the jPET-D4 has almost uniform spatial resolution of better than 3 mm over the FOV. Finally the first human brain images were obtained with the jPET-D4.

Data-Driven Multiresolution Camera Using the Foveal Adaptive Pyramid

PubMed Central

González, Martin; Sánchez-Pedraza, Antonio; Marfil, Rebeca; Rodríguez, Juan A.; Bandera, Antonio

2016-01-01

There exist image processing applications, such as tracking or pattern recognition, that are not necessarily precise enough to maintain the same resolution across the whole image sensor. In fact, they must only keep it as high as possible in a relatively small region, but covering a wide field of view. This is the aim of foveal vision systems. Briefly, they propose to sense a large field of view at a spatially-variant resolution: one relatively small region, the fovea, is mapped at a high resolution, while the rest of the image is captured at a lower resolution. In these systems, this fovea must be moved, from one region of interest to another one, to scan a visual scene. It is interesting that the part of the scene that is covered by the fovea should not be merely spatial, but closely related to perceptual objects. Segmentation and attention are then intimately tied together: while the segmentation process is responsible for extracting perceptively-coherent entities from the scene (proto-objects), attention can guide segmentation. From this loop, the concept of foveal attention arises. This work proposes a hardware system for mapping a uniformly-sampled sensor to a space-variant one. Furthermore, this mapping is tied with a software-based, foveal attention mechanism that takes as input the stream of generated foveal images. The whole hardware/software architecture has been designed to be embedded within an all programmable system on chip (AP SoC). Our results show the flexibility of the data port for exchanging information between the mapping and attention parts of the architecture and the good performance rates of the mapping procedure. Experimental evaluation also demonstrates that the segmentation method and the attention model provide results comparable to other more computationally-expensive algorithms. PMID:27898029

Data-Driven Multiresolution Camera Using the Foveal Adaptive Pyramid.

PubMed

González, Martin; Sánchez-Pedraza, Antonio; Marfil, Rebeca; Rodríguez, Juan A; Bandera, Antonio

2016-11-26

There exist image processing applications, such as tracking or pattern recognition, that are not necessarily precise enough to maintain the same resolution across the whole image sensor. In fact, they must only keep it as high as possible in a relatively small region, but covering a wide field of view. This is the aim of foveal vision systems. Briefly, they propose to sense a large field of view at a spatially-variant resolution: one relatively small region, the fovea, is mapped at a high resolution, while the rest of the image is captured at a lower resolution. In these systems, this fovea must be moved, from one region of interest to another one, to scan a visual scene. It is interesting that the part of the scene that is covered by the fovea should not be merely spatial, but closely related to perceptual objects. Segmentation and attention are then intimately tied together: while the segmentation process is responsible for extracting perceptively-coherent entities from the scene (proto-objects), attention can guide segmentation. From this loop, the concept of foveal attention arises. This work proposes a hardware system for mapping a uniformly-sampled sensor to a space-variant one. Furthermore, this mapping is tied with a software-based, foveal attention mechanism that takes as input the stream of generated foveal images. The whole hardware/software architecture has been designed to be embedded within an all programmable system on chip (AP SoC). Our results show the flexibility of the data port for exchanging information between the mapping and attention parts of the architecture and the good performance rates of the mapping procedure. Experimental evaluation also demonstrates that the segmentation method and the attention model provide results comparable to other more computationally-expensive algorithms.

47 CFR 27.50 - Power limits and duty cycle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... density for the station of 2000/60 = 33.3 watts EIRP per 100 kHz bandwidth. If a non-uniform emission were.... unfiltered QPSK), the power measured within any 100 kHz resolution bandwidth within the 6 MHz channel occupied by the non-uniform emission cannot exceed the power permitted within any 100 kHz resolution...

47 CFR 27.50 - Power limits and duty cycle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... density for the station of 2000/60 = 33.3 watts EIRP per 100 kHz bandwidth. If a non-uniform emission were.... unfiltered QPSK), the power measured within any 100 kHz resolution bandwidth within the 6 MHz channel occupied by the non-uniform emission cannot exceed the power permitted within any 100 kHz resolution...

Spatial distribution of enzyme activities along the root and in the rhizosphere of different plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razavi, Bahar S.; Zarebanadkouki, Mohsen; Blagodatskaya, Evgenia; Kuzyakov, Yakov

2015-04-01

Extracellular enzymes are important for decomposition of many biological macromolecules abundant in soil such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and proteins. Activities of enzymes produced by both plant roots and microbes are the primary biological drivers of organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. So far acquisition of in situ data about local activity of different enzymes in soil has been challenged. That is why there is an urgent need in spatially explicit methods such as 2-D zymography to determine the variation of enzymes along the roots in different plants. Here, we developed further the zymography technique in order to quantitatively visualize the enzyme activities (Spohn and Kuzyakov, 2013), with a better spatial resolution We grew Maize (Zea mays L.) and Lentil (Lens culinaris) in rhizoboxes under optimum conditions for 21 days to study spatial distribution of enzyme activity in soil and along roots. We visualized the 2D distribution of the activity of three enzymes:β-glucosidase, leucine amino peptidase and phosphatase, using fluorogenically labelled substrates. Spatial resolution of fluorescent images was improved by direct application of a substrate saturated membrane to the soil-root system. The newly-developed direct zymography shows different pattern of spatial distribution of enzyme activity along roots and soil of different plants. We observed a uniform distribution of enzyme activities along the root system of Lentil. However, root system of Maize demonstrated inhomogeneity of enzyme activities. The apical part of an individual root (root tip) in maize showed the highest activity. The activity of all enzymes was the highest at vicinity of the roots and it decreased towards the bulk soil. Spatial patterns of enzyme activities as a function of distance from the root surface were enzyme specific, with highest extension for phosphatase. We conclude that improved zymography is promising in situ technique to analyze, visualize and quantify spatial distribution of enzyme activities in the rhizosphere hotspots. References Spohn, M., Kuzyakov, Y., 2013. Phosphorus mineralization can be driven by microbial need for carbon. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 61: 69-75

Performance Evaluation of a New Dedicated Breast PET Scanner Using NEMA NU4-2008 Standards.

PubMed

Miyake, Kanae K; Matsumoto, Keiichi; Inoue, Mika; Nakamoto, Yuji; Kanao, Shotaro; Oishi, Tae; Kawase, Shigeto; Kitamura, Keishi; Yamakawa, Yoshiyuki; Akazawa, Ayako; Kobayashi, Tetsuya; Ohi, Junichi; Togashi, Kaori

2014-07-01

The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance characteristics of a newly developed dedicated breast PET scanner, according to National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU 4-2008 standards. The dedicated breast PET scanner consists of 4 layers of a 32 × 32 lutetium oxyorthosilicate-based crystal array, a light guide, and a 64-channel position-sensitive photomultiplier tube. The size of a crystal element is 1.44 × 1.44 × 4.5 mm. The detector ring has a large solid angle with a 185-mm aperture and an axial coverage of 155.5 mm. The energy windows at depth of interaction for the first and second layers are 400-800 keV, and those at the third and fourth layers are 100-800 keV. A fixed timing window of 4.5 ns was used for all acquisitions. Spatial resolution, sensitivity, counting rate capabilities, and image quality were evaluated in accordance with NEMA NU 4-2008 standards. Human imaging was performed in addition to the evaluation. Radial, tangential, and axial spatial resolution measured as minimal full width at half maximum approached 1.6, 1.7, and 2.0 mm, respectively, for filtered backprojection reconstruction and 0.8, 0.8, and 0.8 mm, respectively, for dynamic row-action maximum-likelihood algorithm reconstruction. The peak absolute sensitivity of the system was 11.2%. Scatter fraction at the same acquisition settings was 30.1% for the rat-sized phantom. Peak noise-equivalent counting rate and peak true rate for the ratlike phantom was 374 kcps at 25 MBq and 603 kcps at 31 MBq, respectively. In the image-quality phantom study, recovery coefficients and uniformity were 0.04-0.82 and 1.9%, respectively, for standard reconstruction mode and 0.09-0.97 and 4.5%, respectively, for enhanced-resolution mode. Human imaging provided high-contrast images with restricted background noise for standard reconstruction mode and high-resolution images for enhanced-resolution mode. The dedicated breast PET scanner has excellent spatial resolution and high sensitivity. The performance of the dedicated breast PET scanner is considered to be reasonable enough to support its use in breast cancer imaging. © 2014 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Cyberinfrastructure for the digital brain: spatial standards for integrating rodent brain atlases

PubMed Central

Zaslavsky, Ilya; Baldock, Richard A.; Boline, Jyl

2014-01-01

Biomedical research entails capture and analysis of massive data volumes and new discoveries arise from data-integration and mining. This is only possible if data can be mapped onto a common framework such as the genome for genomic data. In neuroscience, the framework is intrinsically spatial and based on a number of paper atlases. This cannot meet today's data-intensive analysis and integration challenges. A scalable and extensible software infrastructure that is standards based but open for novel data and resources, is required for integrating information such as signal distributions, gene-expression, neuronal connectivity, electrophysiology, anatomy, and developmental processes. Therefore, the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) initiated the development of a spatial framework for neuroscience data integration with an associated Digital Atlasing Infrastructure (DAI). A prototype implementation of this infrastructure for the rodent brain is reported here. The infrastructure is based on a collection of reference spaces to which data is mapped at the required resolution, such as the Waxholm Space (WHS), a 3D reconstruction of the brain generated using high-resolution, multi-channel microMRI. The core standards of the digital atlasing service-oriented infrastructure include Waxholm Markup Language (WaxML): XML schema expressing a uniform information model for key elements such as coordinate systems, transformations, points of interest (POI)s, labels, and annotations; and Atlas Web Services: interfaces for querying and updating atlas data. The services return WaxML-encoded documents with information about capabilities, spatial reference systems (SRSs) and structures, and execute coordinate transformations and POI-based requests. Key elements of INCF-DAI cyberinfrastructure have been prototyped for both mouse and rat brain atlas sources, including the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas, UCSD Cell-Centered Database, and Edinburgh Mouse Atlas Project. PMID:25309417

Cyberinfrastructure for the digital brain: spatial standards for integrating rodent brain atlases.

PubMed

Zaslavsky, Ilya; Baldock, Richard A; Boline, Jyl

2014-01-01

Biomedical research entails capture and analysis of massive data volumes and new discoveries arise from data-integration and mining. This is only possible if data can be mapped onto a common framework such as the genome for genomic data. In neuroscience, the framework is intrinsically spatial and based on a number of paper atlases. This cannot meet today's data-intensive analysis and integration challenges. A scalable and extensible software infrastructure that is standards based but open for novel data and resources, is required for integrating information such as signal distributions, gene-expression, neuronal connectivity, electrophysiology, anatomy, and developmental processes. Therefore, the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) initiated the development of a spatial framework for neuroscience data integration with an associated Digital Atlasing Infrastructure (DAI). A prototype implementation of this infrastructure for the rodent brain is reported here. The infrastructure is based on a collection of reference spaces to which data is mapped at the required resolution, such as the Waxholm Space (WHS), a 3D reconstruction of the brain generated using high-resolution, multi-channel microMRI. The core standards of the digital atlasing service-oriented infrastructure include Waxholm Markup Language (WaxML): XML schema expressing a uniform information model for key elements such as coordinate systems, transformations, points of interest (POI)s, labels, and annotations; and Atlas Web Services: interfaces for querying and updating atlas data. The services return WaxML-encoded documents with information about capabilities, spatial reference systems (SRSs) and structures, and execute coordinate transformations and POI-based requests. Key elements of INCF-DAI cyberinfrastructure have been prototyped for both mouse and rat brain atlas sources, including the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas, UCSD Cell-Centered Database, and Edinburgh Mouse Atlas Project.

Restoring the spatial resolution of refocus images on 4D light field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, JaeGuyn; Park, ByungKwan; Kang, JooYoung; Lee, SeongDeok

2010-01-01

This paper presents the method for generating a refocus image with restored spatial resolution on a plenoptic camera, which functions controlling the depth of field after capturing one image unlike a traditional camera. It is generally known that the camera captures 4D light field (angular and spatial information of light) within a limited 2D sensor and results in reducing 2D spatial resolution due to inevitable 2D angular data. That's the reason why a refocus image is composed of a low spatial resolution compared with 2D sensor. However, it has recently been known that angular data contain sub-pixel spatial information such that the spatial resolution of 4D light field can be increased. We exploit the fact for improving the spatial resolution of a refocus image. We have experimentally scrutinized that the spatial information is different according to the depth of objects from a camera. So, from the selection of refocused regions (corresponding depth), we use corresponding pre-estimated sub-pixel spatial information for reconstructing spatial resolution of the regions. Meanwhile other regions maintain out-of-focus. Our experimental results show the effect of this proposed method compared to existing method.

The Spatially Uniform Spectrum of the Fermi Bubbles: The Leptonic Active Galactic Nucleus Jet Scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, H.-Y. K.; Ruszkowski, M.

2017-11-01

The Fermi bubbles are among the most important findings of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope; however, their origin is still elusive. One of the unique features of the bubbles is that their gamma-ray spectrum, including a high-energy cutoff at ˜110 GeV and the overall shape of the spectrum, is nearly spatially uniform. The high-energy spectral cutoff is suggestive of a leptonic origin due to synchrotron and inverse-Compton cooling of cosmic-ray (CR) electrons; however, even for a leptonic model, it is not obvious why the spectrum should be spatially uniform. In this work, we investigate the bubble formation in the leptonic active galactic nucleus (AGN) jet scenario using a new CRSPEC module in FLASH that allows us to track the evolution of a CR spectrum during the simulations. We show that the high-energy cutoff is caused by fast electron cooling near the Galactic center (GC) when the jets were launched. Afterwards, the dynamical timescale becomes the shortest among all relevant timescales, and therefore the spectrum is essentially advected with only mild cooling losses. This could explain why the bubble spectrum is nearly spatially uniform: the CRs from different parts of the bubbles as seen today all share the same origin near the GC at an early stage of the bubble expansion. We find that the predicted CR spatial and spectral distribution can simultaneously match the normalization, spectral shape, and high-energy cutoff of the observed gamma-ray spectrum and their spatial uniformity, suggesting that past AGN jet activity is a likely mechanism for the formation of the Fermi bubbles.

Image quality of conventional images of dual-layer SPECTRAL CT: A phantom study.

PubMed

van Ommen, Fasco; Bennink, Edwin; Vlassenbroek, Alain; Dankbaar, Jan Willem; Schilham, Arnold M R; Viergever, Max A; de Jong, Hugo W A M

2018-05-10

Spectral CT using a dual layer detector offers the possibility of retrospectively introducing spectral information to conventional CT images. In theory, the dual-layer technology should not come with a dose or image quality penalty for conventional images. In this study, we evaluate the influence of a dual-layer detector (IQon Spectral CT, Philips Healthcare) on the image quality of conventional CT images, by comparing these images with those of a conventional but otherwise technically comparable single-layer CT scanner (Brilliance iCT, Philips Healthcare), by means of phantom experiments. For both CT scanners, conventional CT images were acquired using four adult scanning protocols: (a) body helical, (b) body axial, (c) head helical, and (d) head axial. A CATPHAN 600 phantom was scanned to conduct an assessment of image quality metrics at equivalent (CTDI) dose levels. Noise was characterized by means of noise power spectra (NPS) and standard deviation (SD) of a uniform region, and spatial resolution was evaluated with modulation transfer functions (MTF) of a tungsten wire. In addition, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), image uniformity, CT number linearity, slice thickness, slice spacing, and spatial linearity were measured and evaluated. Additional measurements of CNR, resolution and noise were performed in two larger phantoms. The resolution levels at 50%, 10%, and 5% MTF of the iCT and IQon showed small, but significant differences up to 0.25 lp/cm for body scans, and up to 0.2 lp/cm for head scans in favor of the IQon. The iCT and IQon showed perfect CT linearity for body scans, but for head scans both scanners showed an underestimation of the CT numbers of materials with a high opacity. Slice thickness was slightly overestimated for both scanners. Slice spacing was comparable and reconstructed correctly. In addition, spatial linearity was excellent for both scanners, with a maximum error of 0.11 mm. CNR was higher on the IQon compared to the iCT for both normal and larger phantoms with differences up to 0.51. Spatial resolution did not change with phantom size, but noise levels increased significantly. For head scans, IQon had a noise level that was significantly lower than the iCT, on the other hand IQon showed noise levels significantly higher than the iCT for body scans. Still, these differences were well within the specified range of performance of iCT scanners. At equivalent dose levels, this study showed similar quality of conventional images acquired on iCT and IQon for medium-sized phantoms and slightly degraded image quality for (very) large phantoms at lower tube voltages on the IQon. Accordingly, it may be concluded that the introduction of a dual-layer detector neither compromises image quality of conventional images nor increases radiation dose for normal-sized patients, and slightly degrades dose efficiency for large patients at 120 kVp and lower tube voltages. © 2018 The Authors. Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

High Spatial Resolution Commercial Satellite Imaging Product Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Robert E.; Pagnutti, Mary; Blonski, Slawomir; Ross, Kenton W.; Stnaley, Thomas

2005-01-01

NASA Stennis Space Center's Remote Sensing group has been characterizing privately owned high spatial resolution multispectral imaging systems, such as IKONOS, QuickBird, and OrbView-3. Natural and man made targets were used for spatial resolution, radiometric, and geopositional characterizations. Higher spatial resolution also presents significant adjacency effects for accurate reliable radiometry.

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.

Thematic and spatial resolutions affect model-based predictions of tree species distribution.

PubMed

Liang, Yu; He, Hong S; Fraser, Jacob S; Wu, ZhiWei

2013-01-01

Subjective decisions of thematic and spatial resolutions in characterizing environmental heterogeneity may affect the characterizations of spatial pattern and the simulation of occurrence and rate of ecological processes, and in turn, model-based tree species distribution. Thus, this study quantified the importance of thematic and spatial resolutions, and their interaction in predictions of tree species distribution (quantified by species abundance). We investigated how model-predicted species abundances changed and whether tree species with different ecological traits (e.g., seed dispersal distance, competitive capacity) had different responses to varying thematic and spatial resolutions. We used the LANDIS forest landscape model to predict tree species distribution at the landscape scale and designed a series of scenarios with different thematic (different numbers of land types) and spatial resolutions combinations, and then statistically examined the differences of species abundance among these scenarios. Results showed that both thematic and spatial resolutions affected model-based predictions of species distribution, but thematic resolution had a greater effect. Species ecological traits affected the predictions. For species with moderate dispersal distance and relatively abundant seed sources, predicted abundance increased as thematic resolution increased. However, for species with long seeding distance or high shade tolerance, thematic resolution had an inverse effect on predicted abundance. When seed sources and dispersal distance were not limiting, the predicted species abundance increased with spatial resolution and vice versa. Results from this study may provide insights into the choice of thematic and spatial resolutions for model-based predictions of tree species distribution.

Thematic and Spatial Resolutions Affect Model-Based Predictions of Tree Species Distribution

PubMed Central

Liang, Yu; He, Hong S.; Fraser, Jacob S.; Wu, ZhiWei

2013-01-01

Subjective decisions of thematic and spatial resolutions in characterizing environmental heterogeneity may affect the characterizations of spatial pattern and the simulation of occurrence and rate of ecological processes, and in turn, model-based tree species distribution. Thus, this study quantified the importance of thematic and spatial resolutions, and their interaction in predictions of tree species distribution (quantified by species abundance). We investigated how model-predicted species abundances changed and whether tree species with different ecological traits (e.g., seed dispersal distance, competitive capacity) had different responses to varying thematic and spatial resolutions. We used the LANDIS forest landscape model to predict tree species distribution at the landscape scale and designed a series of scenarios with different thematic (different numbers of land types) and spatial resolutions combinations, and then statistically examined the differences of species abundance among these scenarios. Results showed that both thematic and spatial resolutions affected model-based predictions of species distribution, but thematic resolution had a greater effect. Species ecological traits affected the predictions. For species with moderate dispersal distance and relatively abundant seed sources, predicted abundance increased as thematic resolution increased. However, for species with long seeding distance or high shade tolerance, thematic resolution had an inverse effect on predicted abundance. When seed sources and dispersal distance were not limiting, the predicted species abundance increased with spatial resolution and vice versa. Results from this study may provide insights into the choice of thematic and spatial resolutions for model-based predictions of tree species distribution. PMID:23861828

Spatial aspects of tree mortality strongly differ between young and old-growth forests.

PubMed

Larson, Andrew J; Lutz, James A; Donato, Daniel C; Freund, James A; Swanson, Mark E; HilleRisLambers, Janneke; Sprugel, Douglas G; Franklin, Jerry F

2015-11-01

Rates and spatial patterns of tree mortality are predicted to change during forest structural development. In young forests, mortality should be primarily density dependent due to competition for light, leading to an increasingly spatially uniform pattern of surviving trees. In contrast, mortality in old-growth forests should be primarily caused by contagious and spatially autocorrelated agents (e.g., insects, wind), causing spatial aggregation of surviving trees to increase through time. We tested these predictions by contrasting a three-decade record of tree mortality from replicated mapped permanent plots located in young (< 60-year-old) and old-growth (> 300-year-old) Abies amabilis forests. Trees in young forests died at a rate of 4.42% per year, whereas trees in old-growth forests died at 0.60% per year. Tree mortality in young forests was significantly aggregated, strongly density dependent, and caused live tree patterns to become more uniform through time. Mortality in old-growth forests was spatially aggregated, but was density independent and did not change the spatial pattern of surviving trees. These results extend current theory by demonstrating that density-dependent competitive mortality leading to increasingly uniform tree spacing in young forests ultimately transitions late in succession to a more diverse tree mortality regime that maintains spatial heterogeneity through time.

Observational Signatures of Transverse Magnetohydrodynamic Waves and Associated Dynamic Instabilities in Coronal Flux Tubes

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

Antolin, P.; Moortel, I. De; Doorsselaere, T. Van

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves permeate the solar atmosphere and constitute potential coronal heating agents. Yet, the waves detected so far may be but a small subset of the true existing wave power. Detection is limited by instrumental constraints but also by wave processes that localize the wave power in undetectable spatial scales. In this study, we conduct 3D MHD simulations and forward modeling of standing transverse MHD waves in coronal loops with uniform and non-uniform temperature variation in the perpendicular cross-section. The observed signatures are largely dominated by the combination of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI), resonant absorption, and phase mixing. Inmore » the presence of a cross-loop temperature gradient, we find that emission lines sensitive to the loop core catch different signatures compared to those that are more sensitive to the loop boundary and the surrounding corona, leading to an out-of-phase intensity and Doppler velocity modulation produced by KHI mixing. In all of the considered models, common signatures include an intensity and loop width modulation at half the kink period, a fine strand-like structure, a characteristic arrow-shaped structure in the Doppler maps, and overall line broadening in time but particularly at the loop edges. For our model, most of these features can be captured with a spatial resolution of 0.″33 and a spectral resolution of 25 km s{sup −1}, although we do obtain severe over-estimation of the line width. Resonant absorption leads to a significant decrease of the observed kinetic energy from Doppler motions over time, which is not recovered by a corresponding increase in the line width from phase mixing and KHI motions. We estimate this hidden wave energy to be a factor of 5–10 of the observed value.« less

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

Duenas, Maria Emilia; Klein, Adam T.; Alexander, Liza E.

Metabolism in plants is compartmentalized among different tissues, cells and subcellular organelles. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) has recently advanced to allow for the visualization of metabolites at single-cell resolution. Here we applied 5- and 10 μm high spatial resolution MALDI-MSI to the asymmetric Kranz anatomy of Zea mays (maize) leaves to study the differential localization of two major anionic lipids in thylakoid membranes, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols (SQDG) and phosphatidylglycerols (PG). The quantification and localization of SQDG and PG molecular species, among mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells, are compared across the leaf developmental gradient frommore » four maize genotypes (the inbreds B73 and Mo17, and the reciprocal hybrids B73 × Mo17 and Mo17 × B73). SQDG species are uniformly distributed in both photosynthetic cell types, regardless of leaf development or genotype; however, PG shows photosynthetic cell-specific differential localization depending on the genotype and the fatty acyl chain constituent. Overall, 16:1-containing PGs primarily contribute to the thylakoid membranes of M cells, whereas BS chloroplasts are mostly composed of 16:0-containing PGs. Furthermore, PG 32:0 shows genotype-specific differences in cellular distribution, with preferential localization in BS cells for B73, but more uniform distribution between BS and M cells in Mo17. Maternal inheritance is exhibited within the hybrids, such that the localization of PG 32:0 in B73 × Mo17 is similar to the distribution in the B73 parental inbred, whereas that of Mo17 × B73 resembles the Mo17 parent. As a result, this study demonstrates the power of MALDI-MSI to reveal unprecedented insights on metabolic outcomes in multicellular organisms at single-cell resolution.« less

Land surface modeling in convection permitting simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Heerwaarden, Chiel; Benedict, Imme

2017-04-01

The next generation of weather and climate models permits convection, albeit at a grid spacing that is not sufficient to resolve all details of the clouds. Whereas much attention is being devoted to the correct simulation of convective clouds and associated precipitation, the role of the land surface has received far less interest. In our view, convective permitting simulations pose a set of problems that need to be solved before accurate weather and climate prediction is possible. The heart of the problem lies at the direct runoff and at the nonlinearity of the surface stress as a function of soil moisture. In coarse resolution simulations, where convection is not permitted, precipitation that reaches the land surface is uniformly distributed over the grid cell. Subsequently, a fraction of this precipitation is intercepted by vegetation or leaves the grid cell via direct runoff, whereas the remainder infiltrates into the soil. As soon as we move to convection permitting simulations, this precipitation falls often locally in large amounts. If the same land-surface model is used as in simulations with parameterized convection, this leads to an increase in direct runoff. Furthermore, spatially non-uniform infiltration leads to a very different surface stress, when scaled up to the course resolution of simulations without convection. Based on large-eddy simulation of realistic convection events at a large domain, this study presents a quantification of the errors made at the land surface in convection permitting simulation. It compares the magnitude of the errors to those made in the convection itself due to the coarse resolution of the simulation. We find that, convection permitting simulations have less evaporation than simulations with parameterized convection, resulting in a non-realistic drying of the atmosphere. We present solutions to resolve this problem.

Retrieved Products from Simulated Hyperspectral Observations of a Hurricane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Susskind, Joel; Kouvaris, Louis; Iredell, Lena; Blaisdell, John

2015-01-01

Demonstrate via Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) the potential utility of flying high spatial resolution AIRS class IR sounders on future LEO and GEO missions.The study simulates and analyzes radiances for 3 sounders with AIRS spectral and radiometric properties on different orbits with different spatial resolutions: 1) Control run 13 kilometers AIRS spatial resolution at nadir on LEO in Aqua orbit; 2) 2 kilometer spatial resolution LEO sounder at nadir ARIES; 3) 5 kilometers spatial resolution sounder on a GEO orbit, radiances simulated every 72 minutes.

Elliptical storm cell modeling of digital radar data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Altman, F. J.

1972-01-01

A model for spatial distributions of reflectivity in storm cells was fitted to digital radar data. The data were taken with a modified WSR-57 weather radar with 2.6-km resolution. The data consisted of modified B-scan records on magnetic tape of storm cells tracked at 0 deg elevation for several hours. The MIT L-band radar with 0.8-km resolution produced cross-section data on several cells at 1/2 deg elevation intervals. The model developed uses ellipses for contours of constant effective-reflectivity factor Z with constant orientation and eccentricity within a horizontal cell cross section at a given time and elevation. The centers of the ellipses are assumed to be uniformly spaced on a straight line, with areas linearly related to log Z. All cross sections are similar at different heights (except for cell tops, bottoms, and splitting cells), especially for the highest reflectivities; wind shear causes some translation and rotation between levels. Goodness-of-fit measures and parameters of interest for 204 ellipses are considered.

Comparative study of numerical schemes of TVD3, UNO3-ACM and optimized compact scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Duck-Joo; Hwang, Chang-Jeon; Ko, Duck-Kon; Kim, Jae-Wook

1995-01-01

Three different schemes are employed to solve the benchmark problem. The first one is a conventional TVD-MUSCL (Monotone Upwind Schemes for Conservation Laws) scheme. The second scheme is a UNO3-ACM (Uniformly Non-Oscillatory Artificial Compression Method) scheme. The third scheme is an optimized compact finite difference scheme modified by us: the 4th order Runge Kutta time stepping, the 4th order pentadiagonal compact spatial discretization with the maximum resolution characteristics. The problems of category 1 are solved by using the second (UNO3-ACM) and third (Optimized Compact) schemes. The problems of category 2 are solved by using the first (TVD3) and second (UNO3-ACM) schemes. The problem of category 5 is solved by using the first (TVD3) scheme. It can be concluded from the present calculations that the Optimized Compact scheme and the UN03-ACM show good resolutions for category 1 and category 2 respectively.

Ultrafast spintronics roadmap: from femtosecond spin current pulses to terahertz non-uniform spin dynamics via nano-confined spin transfer torques (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnikov, Alexey; Razdolski, Ilya; Alekhin, Alexandr; Ilin, Nikita; Meyburg, Jan; Diesing, Detlef; Roddatis, Vladimir; Rungger, Ivan; Stamenova, Maria; Sanvito, Stefano; Bovensiepen, Uwe

2016-10-01

Further development of spintronics requires miniaturization and reduction of characteristic timescales of spin dynamics combining the nanometer spatial and femtosecond temporal ranges. These demands shift the focus of interest towards the fundamental open question of the interaction of femtosecond spin current (SC) pulses with a ferromagnet (FM). The spatio-temporal properties of the spin transfer torque (STT) exerted by ultrashort SC pulses on the FM open the time domain for studying STT fingerprint on spatially non-uniform magnetization dynamics. Using the sensitivity of magneto-induced second harmonic generation to SC, we develop technique for SC monitoring. With 20 fs resolution, we demonstrate the generation of 250 fs-long SC pulses in Fe/Au/Fe/MgO(001) structures. Their temporal profile indicates (i) nearly-ballistic hot electron transport in Au and (ii) that the pulse duration is primarily determined by the thermalization time of laser-excited hot carriers in Fe. Together with strongly spin-dependent Fe/Au interface transmission calculated for these carriers, this suggests the non-thermal spin-dependent Seebeck effect dominating the generation of ultrashort SC pulses. The analysis of SC transmission/reflection at the Au/Fe interface shows that hot electron spins orthogonal to the Fe magnetization rotate gaining huge parallel (anti-parallel) projection in transmitted (reflected) SC. This is accompanied by a STT-induced perturbation of the magnetization localized at the interface, which excites the inhomogeneous high-frequency spin dynamics in the FM. Time-resolved magneto-optical studies reveal the excitation of several standing spin wave modes in the Fe film with their spectrum extending up to 0.6 THz and indicating the STT spatial confinement to 2 nm.

Changing Pattern of Indian Monsoon Extremes: Global and Local Factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Subimal; Shastri, Hiteshri; Pathak, Amey; Paul, Supantha

2017-04-01

Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) extremes have remained a major topic of discussion in the field of global change and hydro-climatology over the last decade. This attributes to multiple conclusions on changing pattern of extremes along with poor understanding of multiple processes at global and local scales associated with monsoon extremes. At a spatially aggregate scale, when number of extremes in the grids are summed over, a statistically significant increasing trend is observed for both Central India (Goswami et al., 2006) and all India (Rajeevan et al., 2008). However, such a result over Central India does not satisfy flied significance test of increase and no decrease (Krishnamurthy et al., 2009). Statistically rigorous extreme value analysis that deals with the tail of the distribution reveals a spatially non-uniform trend of extremes over India (Ghosh et al., 2012). This results into statistically significant increasing trend of spatial variability. Such an increase of spatial variability points to the importance of local factors such as deforestation and urbanization. We hypothesize that increase of spatial average of extremes is associated with the increase of events occurring over large region, while increase in spatial variability attributes to local factors. A Lagrangian approach based dynamic recycling model reveals that the major contributor of moisture to wide spread extremes is Western Indian Ocean, while land surface also contributes around 25-30% of moisture during the extremes in Central India. We further test the impacts of local urbanization on extremes and find the impacts are more visible over West central, Southern and North East India. Regional atmospheric simulations coupled with Urban Canopy Model (UCM) shows that urbanization intensifies extremes in city areas, but not uniformly all over the city. The intensification occurs over specific pockets of the urban region, resulting an increase in spatial variability even within the city. This also points to the need of setting up multiple weather stations over the city at a finer resolution for better understanding of urban extremes. We conclude that the conventional method of considering large scale factors is not sufficient for analysing the monsoon extremes and characterization of the same needs a blending of both global and local factors. Ghosh, S., Das, D., Kao, S-C. & Ganguly, A. R. Lack of uniform trends but increasing spatial variability in observed Indian rainfall extremes. Nature Clim. Change 2, 86-91 (2012) Goswami, B. N., Venugopal, V., Sengupta, D., Madhusoodanan, M. S. & Xavier, P. K. Increasing trend of extreme rain events over India in a warming environment. Science 314, 1442-1445 (2006). Krishnamurthy, C. K. B., Lall, U. & Kwon, H-H. Changing frequency and intensity of rainfall extremes over India from 1951 to 2003. J. Clim. 22, 4737-4746 (2009). Rajeevan, M., Bhate, J. & Jaswal, A. K. Analysis of variability and trends of extreme rainfall events over India using 104 years of gridded daily rainfall data. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, L18707 (2008).

Objective grading of facial paralysis using Local Binary Patterns in video processing.

PubMed

He, Shu; Soraghan, John J; O'Reilly, Brian F

2008-01-01

This paper presents a novel framework for objective measurement of facial paralysis in biomedial videos. The motion information in the horizontal and vertical directions and the appearance features on the apex frames are extracted based on the Local Binary Patterns (LBP) on the temporal-spatial domain in each facial region. These features are temporally and spatially enhanced by the application of block schemes. A multi-resolution extension of uniform LBP is proposed to efficiently combine the micro-patterns and large-scale patterns into a feature vector, which increases the algorithmic robustness and reduces noise effects while still retaining computational simplicity. The symmetry of facial movements is measured by the Resistor-Average Distance (RAD) between LBP features extracted from the two sides of the face. Support Vector Machine (SVM) is applied to provide quantitative evaluation of facial paralysis based on the House-Brackmann (H-B) Scale. The proposed method is validated by experiments with 197 subject videos, which demonstrates its accuracy and efficiency.

Compact SPAD-Based Pixel Architectures for Time-Resolved Image Sensors

PubMed Central

Perenzoni, Matteo; Pancheri, Lucio; Stoppa, David

2016-01-01

This paper reviews the state of the art of single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) image sensors for time-resolved imaging. The focus of the paper is on pixel architectures featuring small pixel size (<25 μm) and high fill factor (>20%) as a key enabling technology for the successful implementation of high spatial resolution SPAD-based image sensors. A summary of the main CMOS SPAD implementations, their characteristics and integration challenges, is provided from the perspective of targeting large pixel arrays, where one of the key drivers is the spatial uniformity. The main analog techniques aimed at time-gated photon counting and photon timestamping suitable for compact and low-power pixels are critically discussed. The main features of these solutions are the adoption of analog counting techniques and time-to-analog conversion, in NMOS-only pixels. Reliable quantum-limited single-photon counting, self-referenced analog-to-digital conversion, time gating down to 0.75 ns and timestamping with 368 ps jitter are achieved. PMID:27223284

Characterization of Thermal Refugia and Biogeochemical Hotspots at Sleepers River Watershed, VT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, K.; Chandler, D. G.; Kelleher, C.; Shanley, J. B.; Shaw, S. B.

2017-12-01

During low flow, changes in the extent of the channel network in headwater catchments depend on groundwater-surface water interactions, and dictate thermal and biogeochemical heterogeneities. Channel reaches with low temperature may act as refugia for valued species such as brook trout, and warmer reaches with high dissolved organic matter may act as biogeochemical hotspots. Prior studies have found uniform scaling of hydrologic and biogeochemical processes above certain spatial thresholds but sizable heterogeneities in these processes below the threshold. We utilize high resolution measurements of water quality parameters including stream temperature, conductivity and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM) at tributaries in two catchments of Sleepers River Watershed, Vermont to investigate seasonal and spatial variation of water quality and scaling of stream chemistry within the intensive study area and the larger Sleepers River Watershed. This study leverages findings from various small scale regional studies to identify differences in headwater channel reach behavior in a similar climate across some dissimilar geomorphic units, to inform the identification of thermal refugia and biogeochemical hotspots.

Using Ultrasonic Speckle Velocimetry to Detect Fluid Instabilities in a Surfactant Solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bice, Jason E.

Rheometry is a leading technology used to define material properties of multi-phase viscoelastic fluid-like materials, such as the shear modulus and viscosity. However, traditional rheometry relies on a mechanical response from a rotating or oscillating rotor of various geometries which does not allow for any spatial or temporal quantification of the material characteristics. Further, the setup operates under the assumption of a uniform and homogeneous flow. Thus, only qualitative deductions can be realized when a complex fluid displays inhomogeneous behavior, such as wall slip or shear banding. Due to this lack of capability, non-intrusive imaging is required to define and quantify behavior that occurs in a complex fluid under shear conditions. This thesis outlines the design, fabrication, and experimental examples of an adapted ultrasonic speckle velocimetry device, which enables spatial and temporal resolution of inhomogeneous fluid behavior using ultrasound acoustics. For the experimental example, a commercial surfactant mixture (hair shampoo) was tested to show the utility and precision that ultrasonic speckle velocimetry possesses.

Spatial Patterning of Newly-Inserted Material during Bacterial Cell Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ursell, Tristan

2012-02-01

In the life cycle of a bacterium, rudimentary microscopy demonstrates that cell growth and elongation are essential characteristics of cellular reproduction. The peptidoglycan cell wall is the main load-bearing structure that determines both cell shape and overall size. However, simple imaging of cellular growth gives no indication of the spatial patterning nor mechanism by which material is being incorporated into the pre-existing cell wall. We employ a combination of high-resolution pulse-chase fluorescence microscopy, 3D computational microscopy, and detailed mechanistic simulations to explore how spatial patterning results in uniform growth and maintenance of cell shape. We show that growth is happening in discrete bursts randomly distributed over the cell surface, with a well-defined mean size and average rate. We further use these techniques to explore the effects of division and cell wall disrupting antibiotics, like cephalexin and A22, respectively, on the patterning of cell wall growth in E. coli. Finally, we explore the spatial correlation between presence of the bacterial actin-like cytoskeletal protein, MreB, and local cell wall growth. Together these techniques form a powerful method for exploring the detailed dynamics and involvement of antibiotics and cell wall-associated proteins in bacterial cell growth.[4pt] In collaboration with Kerwyn Huang, Stanford University.

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.

Dual Etalon Cross Tilt Order Sorted Spectrometer (DECTOSS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumer, John B.; Rairden, Richard L.; Mitchell, Keith E.; Roche, Aidan E.; Mergenthaler, John L.

2002-11-01

The Dual Etalon Cross Tilt Order Sorted Spectrometer (DECTOSS) uses relatively inexpensive off the shelf components in a small and simple package to provide ultra high spectral resolution over a limited spectral range. For example, the modest first try laboratory test setup DECTOSS we describe in this presentation achieves resolving power ~ 105 on a spectral range of about 1 nm centered near 760 nm. This ultra high spectral resolution facilitates some important atmospheric remote sensing applications including profiling cirrus and/or aerosol above bright reflective surfaces in the O2 A-band and the column measurements of CO and CO2 utilizing solar reflectance spectra. We show details of the how the use of ultra high spectral resolution in the O2 A-band improves the profiling of cirrus and aerosol. The DECTOSS utilizes a Narrow Band Spectral Filter (NBSF), a Low Resolution Etalon (LRE) and a High Resolution Etalon (HRE). Light passing through these elements is focused on to a 2 Dimensional Array Detector (2DAD). Off the shelf, solid etalons with airgap or solid spacer gap are used in this application. In its simplest application this setup utilizes a spatially uniform extended source so that spatial and spectral structure are not confused. In this presentation we'll show 2D spectral data obtained in a desktop test configuration, and in the first try laboratory test setup. These were obtained by illuminating a Lambertian screen with (1) monochromatic light, and (2) with atmospheric absorption spectra in the oxygen (O2) A-band. Extracting the 1D spectra from these data is a work in progress and we show preliminary results compared with (1) solar absorption data obtained with a large Echelle grating spectrometer, and (2) theoretical spectra. We point out areas for improvement in our laboratory test setup, and general improvements in spectral range and sensitivity that are planned for our next generation field test setup.

CAIPIRINHA accelerated SPACE enables 10-min isotropic 3D TSE MRI of the ankle for optimized visualization of curved and oblique ligaments and tendons.

PubMed

Kalia, Vivek; Fritz, Benjamin; Johnson, Rory; Gilson, Wesley D; Raithel, Esther; Fritz, Jan

2017-09-01

To test the hypothesis that a fourfold CAIPIRINHA accelerated, 10-min, high-resolution, isotropic 3D TSE MRI prototype protocol of the ankle derives equal or better quality than a 20-min 2D TSE standard protocol. Following internal review board approval and informed consent, 3-Tesla MRI of the ankle was obtained in 24 asymptomatic subjects including 10-min 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE TSE prototype and 20-min 2D TSE standard protocols. Outcome variables included image quality and visibility of anatomical structures using 5-point Likert scales. Non-parametric statistical testing was used. P values ≤0.001 were considered significant. Edge sharpness, contrast resolution, uniformity, noise, fat suppression and magic angle effects were without statistical difference on 2D and 3D TSE images (p > 0.035). Fluid was mildly brighter on intermediate-weighted 2D images (p < 0.001), whereas 3D images had substantially less partial volume, chemical shift and no pulsatile-flow artifacts (p < 0.001). Oblique and curved planar 3D images resulted in mildly-to-substantially improved visualization of joints, spring, bifurcate, syndesmotic, collateral and sinus tarsi ligaments, and tendons (p < 0.001, respectively). 3D TSE MRI with CAIPIRINHA acceleration enables high-spatial resolution oblique and curved planar MRI of the ankle and visualization of ligaments, tendons and joints equally well or better than a more time-consuming anisotropic 2D TSE MRI. • High-resolution 3D TSE MRI improves visualization of ankle structures. • Limitations of current 3D TSE MRI include long scan times. • 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE allows now a fourfold-accelerated data acquisition. • 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE enables high-spatial-resolution ankle MRI within 10 min. • 10-min 3D CAIPIRINHA SPACE produces equal-or-better quality than 20-min 2D TSE.

Development of a novel depth of interaction PET detector using highly multiplexed G-APD cross-strip encoding

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

Kolb, A., E-mail: armin.kolb@med.uni-tuebingen.de; Parl, C.; Liu, C. C.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a prototype PET detector module for a combined small animal positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) system. The most important factor for small animal imaging applications is the detection sensitivity of the PET camera, which can be optimized by utilizing longer scintillation crystals. At the same time, small animal PET systems must yield a high spatial resolution. The measured object is very close to the PET detector because the bore diameter of a high field animal MR scanner is limited. When used in combination with long scintillation crystals, thesemore » small-bore PET systems generate parallax errors that ultimately lead to a decreased spatial resolution. Thus, we developed a depth of interaction (DoI) encoding PET detector module that has a uniform spatial resolution across the whole field of view (FOV), high detection sensitivity, compactness, and insensitivity to magnetic fields. Methods: The approach was based on Geiger mode avalanche photodiode (G-APD) detectors with cross-strip encoding. The number of readout channels was reduced by a factor of 36 for the chosen block elements. Two 12 × 2 G-APD strip arrays (25μm cells) were placed perpendicular on each face of a 12 × 12 lutetium oxyorthosilicate crystal block with a crystal size of 1.55 × 1.55 × 20 mm. The strip arrays were multiplexed into two channels and used to calculate the x, y coordinates for each array and the deposited energy. The DoI was measured in step sizes of 1.8 mm by a collimated {sup 18}F source. The coincident resolved time (CRT) was analyzed at all DoI positions by acquiring the waveform for each event and applying a digital leading edge discriminator. Results: All 144 crystals were well resolved in the crystal flood map. The average full width half maximum (FWHM) energy resolution of the detector was 12.8% ± 1.5% with a FWHM CRT of 1.14 ± 0.02 ns. The average FWHM DoI resolution over 12 crystals was 2.90 ± 0.15 mm. Conclusions: The novel DoI PET detector, which is based on strip G-APD arrays, yielded a DoI resolution of 2.9 mm and excellent timing and energy resolution. Its high multiplexing factor reduces the number of electronic channels. Thus, this cross-strip approach enables low-cost, high-performance PET detectors for dedicated small animal PET and PET/MRI and potentially clinical PET/MRI systems.« less

The Effect of Remote Sensor Spatial Resolution in Monitoring U.S. Army Training Maneuver Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-01

THE EFFECT OF REMOTE SENSOR SPATIAL RESOLUTION IN MONITORING U.S. ARMY...Multispectral Scanner with 6.5 meter spatial resolution provided the most effective digital data set for enhancing tank trails. However, this Airborne Scanner...primary objective of this research was to determine the capabilities and limitations of remote sensor systems having different spatial resolutions to

Spatial response of synthetic microDiamond and diode detectors measured with kilovoltage synchrotron radiation.

PubMed

Butler, Duncan J; Beveridge, Toby; Lehmann, Joerg; Oliver, Christopher P; Stevenson, Andrew W; Livingstone, Jayde

2018-02-01

To map the spatial response of four solid-state radiation detectors of types commonly used for radiotherapy dosimetry. PTW model 60016 Diode P, 60017 Diode E, 60018 Diode SRS, and 60019 microDiamond detectors were radiographed using a high resolution conventional X-ray system. Their spatial response was then investigated using a 0.1 mm diameter beam of 95 keV average energy photons generated by a synchrotron. The detectors were scanned through the beam while their signal was recorded as a function of position, to map the response. These 2D response maps were created in both the end-on and side-on orientations. The results show the location and size of the active region. End-on, the active area was determined to be centrally located and within 0.2 mm of the manufacturer's specified diameter. The active areas of the 60016 Diode P, 60017 Diode E, 60018 Diode SRS detectors are uniform to within approximately 5%. The 60019 microDiamond showed local variations up to 30%. The extra-cameral signal in the microDiamond was calculated from the side-on scan to be approximately 8% of the signal from the active element. The spatial response of four solid-state detectors has been measured. The technique yielded information about the location and uniformity of the active area, and the extra-cameral signal, for the beam quality used. © 2017 Commonwealth of Australia. Medical Physics © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be directed in the first instance to John Wiley & Sons Ltd of The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex P019 8SQ UNITED KINGDOM; alternatively to ARPANSA.

Regional Community Climate Simulations with variable resolution meshes in the Community Earth System Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarzycki, C. M.; Gettelman, A.; Callaghan, P.

2017-12-01

Accurately predicting weather extremes such as precipitation (floods and droughts) and temperature (heat waves) requires high resolution to resolve mesoscale dynamics and topography at horizontal scales of 10-30km. Simulating such resolutions globally for climate scales (years to decades) remains computationally impractical. Simulating only a small region of the planet is more tractable at these scales for climate applications. This work describes global simulations using variable-resolution static meshes with multiple dynamical cores that target the continental United States using developmental versions of the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2). CESM2 is tested in idealized, aquaplanet and full physics configurations to evaluate variable mesh simulations against uniform high and uniform low resolution simulations at resolutions down to 15km. Different physical parameterization suites are also evaluated to gauge their sensitivity to resolution. Idealized variable-resolution mesh cases compare well to high resolution tests. More recent versions of the atmospheric physics, including cloud schemes for CESM2, are more stable with respect to changes in horizontal resolution. Most of the sensitivity is due to sensitivity to timestep and interactions between deep convection and large scale condensation, expected from the closure methods. The resulting full physics model produces a comparable climate to the global low resolution mesh and similar high frequency statistics in the high resolution region. Some biases are reduced (orographic precipitation in the western United States), but biases do not necessarily go away at high resolution (e.g. summertime JJA surface Temp). The simulations are able to reproduce uniform high resolution results, making them an effective tool for regional climate studies and are available in CESM2.

The effects of transient attention on spatial resolution and the size of the attentional cue.

PubMed

Yeshurun, Yaffa; Carrasco, Marisa

2008-01-01

It has been shown that transient attention enhances spatial resolution, but is the effect of transient attention on spatial resolution modulated by the size of the attentional cue? Would a gradual increase in the size of the cue lead to a gradual decrement in spatial resolution? To test these hypotheses, we used a texture segmentation task in which performance depends on spatial resolution, and systematically manipulated the size of the attentional cue: A bar of different lengths (Experiment 1) or a frame of different sizes (Experiments 2-3) indicated the target region in a texture segmentation display. Observers indicated whether a target patch region (oriented line elements in a background of an orthogonal orientation), appearing at a range of eccentricities, was present in the first or the second interval. We replicated the attentional enhancement of spatial resolution found with small cues; attention improved performance at peripheral locations but impaired performance at central locations. However, there was no evidence of gradual resolution decrement with large cues. Transient attention enhanced spatial resolution at the attended location when it was attracted to that location by a small cue but did not affect resolution when it was attracted by a large cue. These results indicate that transient attention cannot adapt its operation on spatial resolution on the basis of the size of the attentional cue.

Business innovation symposium ‘At what price? IP-related thoughts on new business models for space information’

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Lesley Jane

2011-09-01

Spatial data and imagery generators are set to become tomorrow's key players in the information society. This is why satellite owners and operators are examining new revenue-producing models for developing space-related products and services. The use and availability of broadband internet width and satellite data-based services will continue to increase in the future. With the capacity to deliver real time precision downstream data, space agencies and the satellite industry can respond to the demand for high resolution digital space information which, with the appropriate technology, can be integrated into a variety of web-based applications. At a time when the traditional roles of space agencies are becoming more hybrid, largely as a result of the greater drive towards commercial markets, new value-added markets for space-related information products are continuing to attract attention. This paper discusses whether traditional data policies on space data access and IP licensing schemes stand to remain the feasible prototype for distributing and marketing space data, and how this growth market might benefit from looking at an 'up and running' global IP management system already operating to manage end user digital demand. PrefaceThe terminology describing the various types of spatial data and space-based information is not uniformly used within the various principles, laws and policies that govern space data. For convenience only this paper refers to primary or raw data gathered by the space-based industry as spatial or raw data, and the data as processed and sold on or distributed by ground-based companies as space information products and services. In practise, spatial data range from generic to specific data sets, digital topography, through to pictures and imagery services at various resolutions, with 3-D perspectives underway. The paper addresses general IP considerations relating to spatial data, with some reference to remote sensing itself. Exact IP details will depend at all times on the final product and service in question.

Milky Way Kinematics. II. A Uniform Inner Galaxy H I Terminal Velocity Curve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClure-Griffiths, N. M.; Dickey, John M.

2016-11-01

Using atomic hydrogen (H I) data from the VLA Galactic Plane Survey, we measure the H I terminal velocity as a function of longitude for the first quadrant of the Milky Way. We use these data, together with our previous work on the fourth Galactic quadrant, to produce a densely sampled, uniformly measured, rotation curve of the northern and southern Milky Way between 3 {kpc}\\lt R\\lt 8 {kpc}. We determine a new joint rotation curve fit for the first and fourth quadrants, which is consistent with the fit we published in McClure-Griffiths & Dickey and can be used for estimating kinematic distances interior to the solar circle. Structure in the rotation curves is now exquisitely well defined, showing significant velocity structure on lengths of ˜200 pc, which is much greater than the spatial resolution of the rotation curve. Furthermore, the shape of the rotation curves for the first and fourth quadrants, even after subtraction of a circular rotation fit shows a surprising degree of correlation with a roughly sinusoidal pattern between 4.2\\lt R\\lt 7 kpc.

Selecting a spatial resolution for estimation of per-field green leaf area index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curran, Paul J.; Williamson, H. Dawn

1988-01-01

For any application of multispectral scanner (MSS) data, a user is faced with a number of choices concerning the characteristics of the data; one of these is their spatial resolution. A pilot study was undertaken to determine the spatial resolution that would be optimal for the per-field estimation of green leaf area index (GLAI) in grassland. By reference to empirically-derived data from three areas of grassland, the suitable spatial resolution was hypothesized to lie in the lower portion of a 2-18 m range. To estimate per-field GLAI, airborne MSS data were collected at spatial resolutions of 2 m, 5 m and 10 m. The highest accuracies of per-field GLAI estimation were achieved using MSS data with spatial resolutions of 2 m and 5 m.

Performance evaluation of a novel high performance pinhole array detector module using NEMA NU-4 image quality phantom for four head SPECT Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Tasneem; Tahtali, Murat; Pickering, Mark R.

2015-03-01

Radiolabeled tracer distribution imaging of gamma rays using pinhole collimation is considered promising for small animal imaging. The recent availability of various radiolabeled tracers has enhanced the field of diagnostic study and is simultaneously creating demand for high resolution imaging devices. This paper presents analyses to represent the optimized parameters of a high performance pinhole array detector module using two different characteristics phantoms. Monte Carlo simulations using the Geant4 application for tomographic emission (GATE) were executed to assess the performance of a four head SPECT system incorporated with pinhole array collimators. The system is based on a pixelated array of NaI(Tl) crystals coupled to an array of position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMTs). The detector module was simulated to have 48 mm by 48 mm active area along with different pinhole apertures on a tungsten plate. The performance of this system has been evaluated using a uniform shape cylindrical water phantom along with NEMA NU-4 image quality (IQ) phantom filled with 99mTc labeled radiotracers. SPECT images were reconstructed where activity distribution is expected to be well visualized. This system offers the combination of an excellent intrinsic spatial resolution, good sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio along with high detection efficiency over an energy range between 20-160 keV. Increasing number of heads in a stationary system configuration offers increased sensitivity at a spatial resolution similar to that obtained with the current SPECT system design with four heads.

Characterization of Hall effect thruster propellant distributors with flame visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langendorf, S.; Walker, M. L. R.

2013-01-01

A novel method for the characterization and qualification of Hall effect thruster propellant distributors is presented. A quantitative measurement of the azimuthal number density uniformity, a metric which impacts propellant utilization, is obtained from photographs of a premixed flame anchored on the exit plane of the propellant distributor. The technique is demonstrated for three propellant distributors using a propane-air mixture at reservoir pressure of 40 psi (gauge) (377 kPa) exhausting to atmosphere, with volumetric flow rates ranging from 15-145 cfh (7.2-68 l/min) with equivalence ratios from 1.2 to 2.1. The visualization is compared with in-vacuum pressure measurements 1 mm downstream of the distributor exit plane (chamber pressure held below 2.7 × 10-5 Torr-Xe at all flow rates). Both methods indicate a non-uniformity in line with the propellant inlet, supporting the validity of the technique of flow visualization with flame luminosity for propellant distributor characterization. The technique is applied to a propellant distributor with a manufacturing defect in a known location and is able to identify the defect and characterize its impact. The technique is also applied to a distributor with numerous small orifices at the exit plane and is able to resolve the resulting non-uniformity. Luminosity data are collected with a spatial resolution of 48.2-76.1 μm (pixel width). The azimuthal uniformity is characterized in the form of standard deviation of azimuthal luminosities, normalized by the mean azimuthal luminosity. The distributors investigated achieve standard deviations of 0.346 ± 0.0212, 0.108 ± 0.0178, and 0.708 ± 0.0230 mean-normalized luminosity units respectively, where a value of 0 corresponds to perfect uniformity and a value of 1 represents a standard deviation equivalent to the mean.

Chemical imaging of latent fingerprints by mass spectrometry based on laser activated electron tunneling.

PubMed

Tang, Xuemei; Huang, Lulu; Zhang, Wenyang; Zhong, Hongying

2015-03-03

Identification of endogenous and exogenous chemicals contained in latent fingerprints is important for forensic science in order to acquire evidence of criminal identities and contacts with specific chemicals. Mass spectrometry has emerged as a powerful technique for such applications without any derivatization or fluorescent tags. Among these techniques, MALDI (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization) provides small beam size but has interferences with MALDI matrix materials, which cause ion suppressions as well as limited spatial resolution resulting from uneven distribution of MALDI matrix crystals with different sizes. LAET (Laser Activated Electron Tunneling) described in this work offers capabilities for chemical imaging through electron-directed soft ionization. A special film of semiconductors has been designed for collection of fingerprints. Nanoparticles of bismuth cobalt zinc oxide were compressed on a conductive metal substrate (Al or Cu sticky tape) under 10 MPa pressure. Resultant uniform thin films provide tight and shining surfaces on which fingers are impressed. Irradiation of ultraviolet laser pulses (355 nm) on the thin film instantly generates photoelectrons that can be captured by adsorbed organic molecules and subsequently cause electron-directed ionization and fragmentation. Imaging of latent fingerprints is achieved by visualization of the spatial distribution of these molecular ions and structural information-rich fragment ions. Atomic electron emission together with finely tuned laser beam size improve spatial resolution. With the LAET technique, imaging analysis not only can identify physical shapes but also reveal endogenous metabolites present in females and males, detect contacts with prohibited substances, and resolve overlapped latent fingerprints.

Forest Classification Accuracy as Influenced by Multispectral Scanner Spatial Resolution. [Sam Houston National Forest, Texas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nalepka, R. F. (Principal Investigator); Sadowski, F. E.; Sarno, J. E.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. A supervised classification within two separate ground areas of the Sam Houston National Forest was carried out for two sq meters spatial resolution MSS data. Data were progressively coarsened to simulate five additional cases of spatial resolution ranging up to 64 sq meters. Similar processing and analysis of all spatial resolutions enabled evaluations of the effect of spatial resolution on classification accuracy for various levels of detail and the effects on area proportion estimation for very general forest features. For very coarse resolutions, a subset of spectral channels which simulated the proposed thematic mapper channels was used to study classification accuracy.

Comparison of the performance of intraoral X-ray sensors using objective image quality assessment.

PubMed

Hellén-Halme, Kristina; Johansson, Curt; Nilsson, Mats

2016-05-01

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of 10 individual sensors of the same make, using objective measures of key image quality parameters. A further aim was to compare 8 brands of sensors. Ten new sensors of 8 different models from 6 manufacturers (i.e., 80 sensors) were included in the study. All sensors were exposed in a standardized way using an X-ray tube voltage of 60 kVp and different exposure times. Sensor response, noise, low-contrast resolution, spatial resolution and uniformity were measured. Individual differences between sensors of the same brand were surprisingly large in some cases. There were clear differences in the characteristics of the different brands of sensors. The largest variations were found for individual sensor response for some of the brands studied. Also, noise level and low contrast resolution showed large variations between brands. Sensors, even of the same brand, vary significantly in their quality. It is thus valuable to establish action levels for the acceptance of newly delivered sensors and to use objective image quality control for commissioning purposes and periodic checks to ensure high performance of individual digital sensors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigating Water Movement Within and Near Wells Using Active Point Heating and Fiber Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing

PubMed Central

Selker, Frank; Selker, John S.

2018-01-01

There are few methods to provide high-resolution in-situ characterization of flow in aquifers and reservoirs. We present a method that has the potential to quantify lateral and vertical (magnitude and direction) components of flow with spatial resolution of about one meter and temporal resolution of about one day. A fiber optic distributed temperature sensor is used with a novel heating system. Temperatures before heating may be used to evaluate background geothermal gradient and vertical profile of thermal diffusivity. The innovation presented is the use of variable energy application along the well, in this case concentrated heating at equally-spaced (2 m) localized areas (0.5 m). Relative to uniform warming this offers greater opportunity to estimate water movement, reduces required heating power, and increases practical length that can be heated. Numerical simulations are presented which illustrate expected behaviors. We estimate relative advection rates near the well using the times at which various locations diverge from a heating trajectory expected for pure conduction in the absence of advection. The concept is demonstrated in a grouted 600 m borehole with 300 heated patches, though evidence of vertical water movement was not seen. PMID:29596339

Investigating Water Movement Within and Near Wells Using Active Point Heating and Fiber Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing.

PubMed

Selker, Frank; Selker, John S

2018-03-29

There are few methods to provide high-resolution in-situ characterization of flow in aquifers and reservoirs. We present a method that has the potential to quantify lateral and vertical (magnitude and direction) components of flow with spatial resolution of about one meter and temporal resolution of about one day. A fiber optic distributed temperature sensor is used with a novel heating system. Temperatures before heating may be used to evaluate background geothermal gradient and vertical profile of thermal diffusivity. The innovation presented is the use of variable energy application along the well, in this case concentrated heating at equally-spaced (2 m) localized areas (0.5 m). Relative to uniform warming this offers greater opportunity to estimate water movement, reduces required heating power, and increases practical length that can be heated. Numerical simulations are presented which illustrate expected behaviors. We estimate relative advection rates near the well using the times at which various locations diverge from a heating trajectory expected for pure conduction in the absence of advection. The concept is demonstrated in a grouted 600 m borehole with 300 heated patches, though evidence of vertical water movement was not seen.

High Resolution Mesoscale Weather Data Improvement to Spatial Effects for Dose-Rate Contour Plot Predictions

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

time. This is a very powerful tool in determining fine spatial resolution , as boundary conditions are not only updated at every timestep, but the ...HIGH RESOLUTION MESOSCALE WEATHER DATA IMPROVEMENT TO SPATIAL EFFECTS FOR DOSE-RATE CONTOUR PLOT PREDICTIONS THESIS Christopher P...11 1 HIGH RESOLUTION MESOSCALE WEATHER DATA IMPROVEMENT TO SPATIAL EFFECTS FOR DOSE-RATE CONTOUR PLOT

Optimized algorithm for the spatial nonuniformity correction of an imaging system based on a charge-coupled device color camera.

PubMed

de Lasarte, Marta; Pujol, Jaume; Arjona, Montserrat; Vilaseca, Meritxell

2007-01-10

We present an optimized linear algorithm for the spatial nonuniformity correction of a CCD color camera's imaging system and the experimental methodology developed for its implementation. We assess the influence of the algorithm's variables on the quality of the correction, that is, the dark image, the base correction image, and the reference level, and the range of application of the correction using a uniform radiance field provided by an integrator cube. The best spatial nonuniformity correction is achieved by having a nonzero dark image, by using an image with a mean digital level placed in the linear response range of the camera as the base correction image and taking the mean digital level of the image as the reference digital level. The response of the CCD color camera's imaging system to the uniform radiance field shows a high level of spatial uniformity after the optimized algorithm has been applied, which also allows us to achieve a high-quality spatial nonuniformity correction of captured images under different exposure conditions.

Variability of the raindrop size distribution at small spatial scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berne, A.; Jaffrain, J.

2010-12-01

Because of the interactions between atmospheric turbulence and cloud microphysics, the raindrop size distribution (DSD) is strongly variable in space and time. The spatial variability of the DSD at small spatial scales (below a few km) is not well documented and not well understood, mainly because of a lack of adequate measurements at the appropriate resolutions. A network of 16 disdrometers (Parsivels) has been designed and set up over EPFL campus in Lausanne, Switzerland. This network covers a typical operational weather radar pixel of 1x1 km2. The question of the significance of the variability of the DSD at such small scales is relevant for radar remote sensing of rainfall because the DSD is often assumed to be uniform within a radar sample volume and because the Z-R relationships used to convert the measured radar reflectivity Z into rain rate R are usually derived from point measurements. Thanks to the number of disdrometers, it was possible to quantify the spatial variability of the DSD at the radar pixel scale and to show that it can be significant. In this contribution, we show that the variability of the total drop concentration, of the median volume diameter and of the rain rate are significant, taking into account the sampling uncertainty associated with disdrometer measurements. The influence of this variability on the Z-R relationship can be non-negligible. Finally, the spatial structure of the DSD is quantified using a geostatistical tool, the variogram, and indicates high spatial correlation within a radar pixel.

Characteristic performance evaluation of a photon counting Si strip detector for low dose spectral breast CT imaging

PubMed Central

Cho, Hyo-Min; Barber, William C.; Ding, Huanjun; Iwanczyk, Jan S.; Molloi, Sabee

2014-01-01

Purpose: The possible clinical applications which can be performed using a newly developed detector depend on the detector's characteristic performance in a number of metrics including the dynamic range, resolution, uniformity, and stability. The authors have evaluated a prototype energy resolved fast photon counting x-ray detector based on a silicon (Si) strip sensor used in an edge-on geometry with an application specific integrated circuit to record the number of x-rays and their energies at high flux and fast frame rates. The investigated detector was integrated with a dedicated breast spectral computed tomography (CT) system to make use of the detector's high spatial and energy resolution and low noise performance under conditions suitable for clinical breast imaging. The aim of this article is to investigate the intrinsic characteristics of the detector, in terms of maximum output count rate, spatial and energy resolution, and noise performance of the imaging system. Methods: The maximum output count rate was obtained with a 50 W x-ray tube with a maximum continuous output of 50 kVp at 1.0 mA. A109Cd source, with a characteristic x-ray peak at 22 keV from Ag, was used to measure the energy resolution of the detector. The axial plane modulation transfer function (MTF) was measured using a 67 μm diameter tungsten wire. The two-dimensional (2D) noise power spectrum (NPS) was measured using flat field images and noise equivalent quanta (NEQ) were calculated using the MTF and NPS results. The image quality parameters were studied as a function of various radiation doses and reconstruction filters. The one-dimensional (1D) NPS was used to investigate the effect of electronic noise elimination by varying the minimum energy threshold. Results: A maximum output count rate of 100 million counts per second per square millimeter (cps/mm2) has been obtained (1 million cps per 100 × 100 μm pixel). The electrical noise floor was less than 4 keV. The energy resolution measured with the 22 keV photons from a 109Cd source was less than 9%. A reduction of image noise was shown in all the spatial frequencies in 1D NPS as a result of the elimination of the electronic noise. The spatial resolution was measured just above 5 line pairs per mm (lp/mm) where 10% of MTF corresponded to 5.4 mm−1. The 2D NPS and NEQ shows a low noise floor and a linear dependence on dose. The reconstruction filter choice affected both of the MTF and NPS results, but had a weak effect on the NEQ. Conclusions: The prototype energy resolved photon counting Si strip detector can offer superior imaging performance for dedicated breast CT as compared to a conventional energy-integrating detector due to its high output count rate, high spatial and energy resolution, and low noise characteristics, which are essential characteristics for spectral breast CT imaging. PMID:25186390

Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR Microscopy: Functional Imaging in Preclinical Models of Cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subashi, Ergys

Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI has been widely used as a quantitative imaging method for monitoring tumor response to therapy. The pharmacokinetic parameters derived from this technique have been used in more than 100 phase I trials and investigator led studies. The simultaneous challenges of increasing the temporal and spatial resolution, in a setting where the signal from the much smaller voxel is weaker, have made this MR technique difficult to implement in small-animal imaging.Existing preclinical DCE-MRI protocols acquire a limited number of slices resulting in potentially lost information in the third dimension. Furthermore, drug efficacy studies measuring the effect of an anti-angiogenic treatment, often compare the derived biomarkers on manually selected tumor regions or over the entire volume. These measurements include domains where the interpretation of the biomarkers may be unclear (such as in necrotic areas). This dissertation describes and compares a family of four-dimensional (3D spatial + time), projection acquisition, keyhole-sampling strategies that support high spatial and temporal resolution. An interleaved 3D radial trajectory with a quasi-uniform distribution of points in k-space was used for sampling temporally resolved datasets. These volumes were reconstructed with three different k-space filters encompassing a range of possible keyhole strategies. The effect of k-space filtering on spatial and temporal resolution was studied in phantoms and in vivo. The statistical variation of the DCE-MRI measurement is analyzed by considering the fundamental sources of error in the MR signal intensity acquired with the spoiled gradient-echo (SPGR) pulse sequence. Finally, the technique was applied for measuring the extent of the opening of the blood-brain barrier in a mouse model of pediatric glioma and for identifying regions of therapeutic effect in a model of colorectal adenocarcinoma. It is shown that 4D radial keyhole imaging does not degrade the system spatial and temporal resolution at a cost of 20-40% decrease in SNR. The time-dependent concentration of the contrast agent measured in vivo is within the theoretically predicted limits. The uncertainty in measuring the pharmacokinetic parameters with the sequences is of the same order, but always higher than, the uncertainty in measuring the pre-injection longitudinal relaxation time. The histogram of the time-to-peak provides useful knowledge about the spatial distribution of Ktrans and microvascular density. Two regions with distinct kinetic parameters were identified when the TTP map from DCE-MRM was thresholded at 1000 sec. The effect of bevacizumab, as measured by a decrease in Ktrans, was confined to one of these regions. DCE-MRI studies may contribute unique insights into the response of the tumor microenvironment to therapy.

Impact of the spatial resolution of satellite remote sensing sensors in the quantification of total suspended sediment concentration: A case study in turbid waters of Northern Western Australia.

PubMed

Dorji, Passang; Fearns, Peter

2017-01-01

The impact of anthropogenic activities on coastal waters is a cause of concern because such activities add to the total suspended sediment (TSS) budget of the coastal waters, which have negative impacts on the coastal ecosystem. Satellite remote sensing provides a powerful tool in monitoring TSS concentration at high spatiotemporal resolution, but coastal managers should be mindful that the satellite-derived TSS concentrations are dependent on the satellite sensor's radiometric properties, atmospheric correction approaches, the spatial resolution and the limitations of specific TSS algorithms. In this study, we investigated the impact of different spatial resolutions of satellite sensor on the quantification of TSS concentration in coastal waters of northern Western Australia. We quantified the TSS product derived from MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-Aqua, Landsat-8 Operational Land Image (OLI), and WorldView-2 (WV2) at native spatial resolutions of 250 m, 30 m and 2 m respectively and coarser spatial resolution (resampled up to 5 km) to quantify the impact of spatial resolution on the derived TSS product in different turbidity conditions. The results from the study show that in the waters of high turbidity and high spatial variability, the high spatial resolution WV2 sensor reported TSS concentration as high as 160 mg L-1 while the low spatial resolution MODIS-Aqua reported a maximum TSS concentration of 23.6 mg L-1. Degrading the spatial resolution of each satellite sensor for highly spatially variable turbid waters led to variability in the TSS concentrations of 114.46%, 304.68% and 38.2% for WV2, Landsat-8 OLI and MODIS-Aqua respectively. The implications of this work are particularly relevant in the situation of compliance monitoring where operations may be required to restrict TSS concentrations to a pre-defined limit.

Impact of the spatial resolution of satellite remote sensing sensors in the quantification of total suspended sediment concentration: A case study in turbid waters of Northern Western Australia

PubMed Central

Fearns, Peter

2017-01-01

The impact of anthropogenic activities on coastal waters is a cause of concern because such activities add to the total suspended sediment (TSS) budget of the coastal waters, which have negative impacts on the coastal ecosystem. Satellite remote sensing provides a powerful tool in monitoring TSS concentration at high spatiotemporal resolution, but coastal managers should be mindful that the satellite-derived TSS concentrations are dependent on the satellite sensor’s radiometric properties, atmospheric correction approaches, the spatial resolution and the limitations of specific TSS algorithms. In this study, we investigated the impact of different spatial resolutions of satellite sensor on the quantification of TSS concentration in coastal waters of northern Western Australia. We quantified the TSS product derived from MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-Aqua, Landsat-8 Operational Land Image (OLI), and WorldView-2 (WV2) at native spatial resolutions of 250 m, 30 m and 2 m respectively and coarser spatial resolution (resampled up to 5 km) to quantify the impact of spatial resolution on the derived TSS product in different turbidity conditions. The results from the study show that in the waters of high turbidity and high spatial variability, the high spatial resolution WV2 sensor reported TSS concentration as high as 160 mg L-1 while the low spatial resolution MODIS-Aqua reported a maximum TSS concentration of 23.6 mg L-1. Degrading the spatial resolution of each satellite sensor for highly spatially variable turbid waters led to variability in the TSS concentrations of 114.46%, 304.68% and 38.2% for WV2, Landsat-8 OLI and MODIS-Aqua respectively. The implications of this work are particularly relevant in the situation of compliance monitoring where operations may be required to restrict TSS concentrations to a pre-defined limit. PMID:28380059

Attention Modifies Spatial Resolution According to Task Demands.

PubMed

Barbot, Antoine; Carrasco, Marisa

2017-03-01

How does visual attention affect spatial resolution? In texture-segmentation tasks, exogenous (involuntary) attention automatically increases resolution at the attended location, which improves performance where resolution is too low (at the periphery) but impairs performance where resolution is already too high (at central locations). Conversely, endogenous (voluntary) attention improves performance at all eccentricities, which suggests a more flexible mechanism. Here, using selective adaptation to spatial frequency, we investigated the mechanism by which endogenous attention benefits performance in resolution tasks. Participants detected a texture target that could appear at several eccentricities. Adapting to high or low spatial frequencies selectively affected performance in a manner consistent with changes in resolution. Moreover, adapting to high, but not low, frequencies mitigated the attentional benefit at central locations where resolution was too high; this shows that attention can improve performance by decreasing resolution. Altogether, our results indicate that endogenous attention benefits performance by modulating the contribution of high-frequency information in order to flexibly adjust spatial resolution according to task demands.

Attention Modifies Spatial Resolution According to Task Demands

PubMed Central

Barbot, Antoine; Carrasco, Marisa

2017-01-01

How does visual attention affect spatial resolution? In texture-segmentation tasks, exogenous (involuntary) attention automatically increases resolution at the attended location, which improves performance where resolution is too low (at the periphery) but impairs performance where resolution is already too high (at central locations). Conversely, endogenous (voluntary) attention improves performance at all eccentricities, which suggests a more flexible mechanism. Here, using selective adaptation to spatial frequency, we investigated the mechanism by which endogenous attention benefits performance in resolution tasks. Participants detected a texture target that could appear at several eccentricities. Adapting to high or low spatial frequencies selectively affected performance in a manner consistent with changes in resolution. Moreover, adapting to high, but not low, frequencies mitigated the attentional benefit at central locations where resolution was too high; this shows that attention can improve performance by decreasing resolution. Altogether, our results indicate that endogenous attention benefits performance by modulating the contribution of high-frequency information in order to flexibly adjust spatial resolution according to task demands. PMID:28118103

Effects of spatial resolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abrams, M.

1982-01-01

Studies of the effects of spatial resolution on extraction of geologic information are woefully lacking but spatial resolution effects can be examined as they influence two general categories: detection of spatial features per se; and the effects of IFOV on the definition of spectral signatures and on general mapping abilities.

The Chandra Source Catalog: X-ray Aperture Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashyap, Vinay; Primini, F. A.; Glotfelty, K. J.; Anderson, C. S.; Bonaventura, N. R.; Chen, J. C.; Davis, J. E.; Doe, S. M.; Evans, I. N.; Evans, J. D.; Fabbiano, G.; Galle, E. C.; Gibbs, D. G., II; Grier, J. D.; Hain, R.; Hall, D. M.; Harbo, P. N.; He, X.; Houck, J. C.; Karovska, M.; Lauer, J.; McCollough, M. L.; McDowell, J. C.; Miller, J. B.; Mitschang, A. W.; Morgan, D. L.; Nichols, J. S.; Nowak, M. A.; Plummer, D. A.; Refsdal, B. L.; Rots, A. H.; Siemiginowska, A. L.; Sundheim, B. A.; Tibbetts, M. S.; van Stone, D. W.; Winkelman, S. L.; Zografou, P.

2009-09-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) represents a reanalysis of the entire ACIS and HRC imaging observations over the 9-year Chandra mission. We describe here the method by which fluxes are measured for detected sources. Source detection is carried out on a uniform basis, using the CIAO tool wavdetect. Source fluxes are estimated post-facto using a Bayesian method that accounts for background, spatial resolution effects, and contamination from nearby sources. We use gamma-function prior distributions, which could be either non-informative, or in case there exist previous observations of the same source, strongly informative. The current implementation is however limited to non-informative priors. The resulting posterior probability density functions allow us to report the flux and a robust credible range on it.

Flat panel detector-based cone beam computed tomography with a circle-plus-two-arcs data acquisition orbit: preliminary phantom study.

PubMed

Ning, Ruola; Tang, Xiangyang; Conover, David; Yu, Rongfeng

2003-07-01

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been investigated in the past two decades due to its potential advantages over a fan beam CT. These advantages include (a) great improvement in data acquisition efficiency, spatial resolution, and spatial resolution uniformity, (b) substantially better utilization of x-ray photons generated by the x-ray tube compared to a fan beam CT, and (c) significant advancement in clinical three-dimensional (3D) CT applications. However, most studies of CBCT in the past are focused on cone beam data acquisition theories and reconstruction algorithms. The recent development of x-ray flat panel detectors (FPD) has made CBCT imaging feasible and practical. This paper reports a newly built flat panel detector-based CBCT prototype scanner and presents the results of the preliminary evaluation of the prototype through a phantom study. The prototype consisted of an x-ray tube, a flat panel detector, a GE 8800 CT gantry, a patient table and a computer system. The prototype was constructed by modifying a GE 8800 CT gantry such that both a single-circle cone beam acquisition orbit and a circle-plus-two-arcs orbit can be achieved. With a circle-plus-two-arcs orbit, a complete set of cone beam projection data can be obtained, consisting of a set of circle projections and a set of arc projections. Using the prototype scanner, the set of circle projections were acquired by rotating the x-ray tube and the FPD together on the gantry, and the set of arc projections were obtained by tilting the gantry while the x-ray tube and detector were at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions, respectively. A filtered backprojection exact cone beam reconstruction algorithm based on a circle-plus-two-arcs orbit was used for cone beam reconstruction from both the circle and arc projections. The system was first characterized in terms of the linearity and dynamic range of the detector. Then the uniformity, spatial resolution and low contrast resolution were assessed using different phantoms mainly in the central plane of the cone beam reconstruction. Finally, the reconstruction accuracy of using the circle-plus-two-arcs orbit and its related filtered backprojection cone beam volume CT reconstruction algorithm was evaluated with a specially designed disk phantom. The results obtained using the new cone beam acquisition orbit and the related reconstruction algorithm were compared to those obtained using a single-circle cone beam geometry and Feldkamp's algorithm in terms of reconstruction accuracy. The results of the study demonstrate that the circle-plus-two-arcs cone beam orbit is achievable in practice. Also, the reconstruction accuracy of cone beam reconstruction is significantly improved with the circle-plus-two-arcs orbit and its related exact CB-FPB algorithm, as compared to using a single circle cone beam orbit and Feldkamp's algorithm.

Correcting Spatial Variance of RCM for GEO SAR Imaging Based on Time-Frequency Scaling.

PubMed

Yu, Ze; Lin, Peng; Xiao, Peng; Kang, Lihong; Li, Chunsheng

2016-07-14

Compared with low-Earth orbit synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a geosynchronous (GEO) SAR can have a shorter revisit period and vaster coverage. However, relative motion between this SAR and targets is more complicated, which makes range cell migration (RCM) spatially variant along both range and azimuth. As a result, efficient and precise imaging becomes difficult. This paper analyzes and models spatial variance for GEO SAR in the time and frequency domains. A novel algorithm for GEO SAR imaging with a resolution of 2 m in both the ground cross-range and range directions is proposed, which is composed of five steps. The first is to eliminate linear azimuth variance through the first azimuth time scaling. The second is to achieve RCM correction and range compression. The third is to correct residual azimuth variance by the second azimuth time-frequency scaling. The fourth and final steps are to accomplish azimuth focusing and correct geometric distortion. The most important innovation of this algorithm is implementation of the time-frequency scaling to correct high-order azimuth variance. As demonstrated by simulation results, this algorithm can accomplish GEO SAR imaging with good and uniform imaging quality over the entire swath.

Correcting Spatial Variance of RCM for GEO SAR Imaging Based on Time-Frequency Scaling

PubMed Central

Yu, Ze; Lin, Peng; Xiao, Peng; Kang, Lihong; Li, Chunsheng

2016-01-01

Compared with low-Earth orbit synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a geosynchronous (GEO) SAR can have a shorter revisit period and vaster coverage. However, relative motion between this SAR and targets is more complicated, which makes range cell migration (RCM) spatially variant along both range and azimuth. As a result, efficient and precise imaging becomes difficult. This paper analyzes and models spatial variance for GEO SAR in the time and frequency domains. A novel algorithm for GEO SAR imaging with a resolution of 2 m in both the ground cross-range and range directions is proposed, which is composed of five steps. The first is to eliminate linear azimuth variance through the first azimuth time scaling. The second is to achieve RCM correction and range compression. The third is to correct residual azimuth variance by the second azimuth time-frequency scaling. The fourth and final steps are to accomplish azimuth focusing and correct geometric distortion. The most important innovation of this algorithm is implementation of the time-frequency scaling to correct high-order azimuth variance. As demonstrated by simulation results, this algorithm can accomplish GEO SAR imaging with good and uniform imaging quality over the entire swath. PMID:27428974

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

Yashchuk, V. V.; Fischer, P. J.; Chan, E. R.

We present a modulation transfer function (MTF) calibration method based on binary pseudo-random (BPR) one-dimensional sequences and two-dimensional arrays as an effective method for spectral characterization in the spatial frequency domain of a broad variety of metrology instrumentation, including interferometric microscopes, scatterometers, phase shifting Fizeau interferometers, scanning and transmission electron microscopes, and at this time, x-ray microscopes. The inherent power spectral density of BPR gratings and arrays, which has a deterministic white-noise-like character, allows a direct determination of the MTF with a uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range and field of view of an instrument. We demonstrate themore » MTF calibration and resolution characterization over the full field of a transmission soft x-ray microscope using a BPR multilayer (ML) test sample with 2.8 nm fundamental layer thickness. We show that beyond providing a direct measurement of the microscope's MTF, tests with the BPRML sample can be used to fine tune the instrument's focal distance. Finally, our results confirm the universality of the method that makes it applicable to a large variety of metrology instrumentation with spatial wavelength bandwidths from a few nanometers to hundreds of millimeters.« less

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

Yashchuk, V. V., E-mail: VVYashchuk@lbl.gov; Chan, E. R.; Lacey, I.

We present a modulation transfer function (MTF) calibration method based on binary pseudo-random (BPR) one-dimensional sequences and two-dimensional arrays as an effective method for spectral characterization in the spatial frequency domain of a broad variety of metrology instrumentation, including interferometric microscopes, scatterometers, phase shifting Fizeau interferometers, scanning and transmission electron microscopes, and at this time, x-ray microscopes. The inherent power spectral density of BPR gratings and arrays, which has a deterministic white-noise-like character, allows a direct determination of the MTF with a uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range and field of view of an instrument. We demonstrate themore » MTF calibration and resolution characterization over the full field of a transmission soft x-ray microscope using a BPR multilayer (ML) test sample with 2.8 nm fundamental layer thickness. We show that beyond providing a direct measurement of the microscope’s MTF, tests with the BPRML sample can be used to fine tune the instrument’s focal distance. Our results confirm the universality of the method that makes it applicable to a large variety of metrology instrumentation with spatial wavelength bandwidths from a few nanometers to hundreds of millimeters.« less

Spatial analysis of relative humidity during ungauged periods in a mountainous region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Um, Myoung-Jin; Kim, Yeonjoo

2017-08-01

Although atmospheric humidity influences environmental and agricultural conditions, thereby influencing plant growth, human health, and air pollution, efforts to develop spatial maps of atmospheric humidity using statistical approaches have thus far been limited. This study therefore aims to develop statistical approaches for inferring the spatial distribution of relative humidity (RH) for a mountainous island, for which data are not uniformly available across the region. A multiple regression analysis based on various mathematical models was used to identify the optimal model for estimating monthly RH by incorporating not only temperature but also location and elevation. Based on the regression analysis, we extended the monthly RH data from weather stations to cover the ungauged periods when no RH observations were available. Then, two different types of station-based data, the observational data and the data extended via the regression model, were used to form grid-based data with a resolution of 100 m. The grid-based data that used the extended station-based data captured the increasing RH trend along an elevation gradient. Furthermore, annual RH values averaged over the regions were examined. Decreasing temporal trends were found in most cases, with magnitudes varying based on the season and region.

A Kinetics Model for KrF Laser Amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giuliani, J. L.; Kepple, P.; Lehmberg, R.; Obenschain, S. P.; Petrov, G.

1999-11-01

A computer kinetics code has been developed to model the temporal and spatial behavior of an e-beam pumped KrF laser amplifier. The deposition of the primary beam electrons is assumed to be spatially uniform and the energy distribution function of the nascent electron population is calculated to be near Maxwellian below 10 eV. For an initial Kr/Ar/F2 composition, the code calculates the densities of 24 species subject to over 100 reactions with 1-D spatial resolution (typically 16 zones) along the longitudinal lasing axis. Enthalpy accounting for each process is performed to partition the energy into internal, thermal, and radiative components. The electron as well as the heavy particle temperatures are followed for energy conservation and excitation rates. Transport of the lasing photons is performed along the axis on a dense subgrid using the method of characteristics. Amplified spontaneous emission is calculated using a discrete ordinates approach and includes contributions to the local intensity from the whole amplifier volume. Specular reflection off side walls and the rear mirror are included. Results of the model will be compared with data from the NRL NIKE laser and other published results.

Sensitivity of Offshore Surface Fluxes and Sea Breezes to the Spatial Distribution of Sea-Surface Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombardo, Kelly; Sinsky, Eric; Edson, James; Whitney, Michael M.; Jia, Yan

2018-03-01

A series of numerical sensitivity experiments is performed to quantify the impact of sea-surface temperature (SST) distribution on offshore surface fluxes and simulated sea-breeze dynamics. The SST simulations of two mid-latitude sea-breeze events over coastal New England are performed using a spatially-uniform SST, as well as spatially-varying SST datasets of 32- and 1-km horizontal resolutions. Offshore surface heat and buoyancy fluxes vary in response to the SST distribution. Local sea-breeze circulations are relatively insensitive, with minimal differences in vertical structure and propagation speed among the experiments. The largest thermal perturbations are confined to the lowest 10% of the sea-breeze column due to the relatively high stability of the mid-Atlantic marine atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) suppressing vertical mixing, resulting in the depth of the marine layer remaining unchanged. Minimal impacts on the column-averaged virtual potential temperature and sea-breeze depth translates to small changes in sea-breeze propagation speed. This indicates that the use of datasets with a fine-scale SST may not produce more accurate sea-breeze simulations in highly stable marine ABL regimes, though may prove more beneficial in less stable sub-tropical environments.

Reevaluation of Stratospheric Ozone Trends From SAGE II Data Using a Simultaneous Temporal and Spatial Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Damadeo, R. P.; Zawodny, J. M.; Thomason, L. W.

2014-01-01

This paper details a new method of regression for sparsely sampled data sets for use with time-series analysis, in particular the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II ozone data set. Non-uniform spatial, temporal, and diurnal sampling present in the data set result in biased values for the long-term trend if not accounted for. This new method is performed close to the native resolution of measurements and is a simultaneous temporal and spatial analysis that accounts for potential diurnal ozone variation. Results show biases, introduced by the way data is prepared for use with traditional methods, can be as high as 10%. Derived long-term changes show declines in ozone similar to other studies but very different trends in the presumed recovery period, with differences up to 2% per decade. The regression model allows for a variable turnaround time and reveals a hemispheric asymmetry in derived trends in the middle to upper stratosphere. Similar methodology is also applied to SAGE II aerosol optical depth data to create a new volcanic proxy that covers the SAGE II mission period. Ultimately this technique may be extensible towards the inclusion of multiple data sets without the need for homogenization.

Spatial, Temporal and Spectral Satellite Image Fusion via Sparse Representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Huihui

Remote sensing provides good measurements for monitoring and further analyzing the climate change, dynamics of ecosystem, and human activities in global or regional scales. Over the past two decades, the number of launched satellite sensors has been increasing with the development of aerospace technologies and the growing requirements on remote sensing data in a vast amount of application fields. However, a key technological challenge confronting these sensors is that they tradeoff between spatial resolution and other properties, including temporal resolution, spectral resolution, swath width, etc., due to the limitations of hardware technology and budget constraints. To increase the spatial resolution of data with other good properties, one possible cost-effective solution is to explore data integration methods that can fuse multi-resolution data from multiple sensors, thereby enhancing the application capabilities of available remote sensing data. In this thesis, we propose to fuse the spatial resolution with temporal resolution and spectral resolution, respectively, based on sparse representation theory. Taking the study case of Landsat ETM+ (with spatial resolution of 30m and temporal resolution of 16 days) and MODIS (with spatial resolution of 250m ~ 1km and daily temporal resolution) reflectance, we propose two spatial-temporal fusion methods to combine the fine spatial information of Landsat image and the daily temporal resolution of MODIS image. Motivated by that the images from these two sensors are comparable on corresponding bands, we propose to link their spatial information on available Landsat- MODIS image pair (captured on prior date) and then predict the Landsat image from the MODIS counterpart on prediction date. To well-learn the spatial details from the prior images, we use a redundant dictionary to extract the basic representation atoms for both Landsat and MODIS images based on sparse representation. Under the scenario of two prior Landsat-MODIS image pairs, we build the corresponding relationship between the difference images of MODIS and ETM+ by training a low- and high-resolution dictionary pair from the given prior image pairs. In the second scenario, i.e., only one Landsat- MODIS image pair being available, we directly correlate MODIS and ETM+ data through an image degradation model. Then, the fusion stage is achieved by super-resolving the MODIS image combining the high-pass modulation in a two-layer fusion framework. Remarkably, the proposed spatial-temporal fusion methods form a unified framework for blending remote sensing images with phenology change or land-cover-type change. Based on the proposed spatial-temporal fusion models, we propose to monitor the land use/land cover changes in Shenzhen, China. As a fast-growing city, Shenzhen faces the problem of detecting the rapid changes for both rational city planning and sustainable development. However, the cloudy and rainy weather in region Shenzhen located makes the capturing circle of high-quality satellite images longer than their normal revisit periods. Spatial-temporal fusion methods are capable to tackle this problem by improving the spatial resolution of images with coarse spatial resolution but frequent temporal coverage, thereby making the detection of rapid changes possible. On two Landsat-MODIS datasets with annual and monthly changes, respectively, we apply the proposed spatial-temporal fusion methods to the task of multiple change detection. Afterward, we propose a novel spatial and spectral fusion method for satellite multispectral and hyperspectral (or high-spectral) images based on dictionary-pair learning and sparse non-negative matrix factorization. By combining the spectral information from hyperspectral image, which is characterized by low spatial resolution but high spectral resolution and abbreviated as LSHS, and the spatial information from multispectral image, which is featured by high spatial resolution but low spectral resolution and abbreviated as HSLS, this method aims to generate the fused data with both high spatial and high spectral resolutions. Motivated by the observation that each hyperspectral pixel can be represented by a linear combination of a few endmembers, this method first extracts the spectral bases of LSHS and HSLS images by making full use of the rich spectral information in LSHS data. The spectral bases of these two categories data then formulate a dictionary-pair due to their correspondence in representing each pixel spectra of LSHS data and HSLS data, respectively. Subsequently, the LSHS image is spatially unmixed by representing the HSLS image with respect to the corresponding learned dictionary to derive its representation coefficients. Combining the spectral bases of LSHS data and the representation coefficients of HSLS data, we finally derive the fused data characterized by the spectral resolution of LSHS data and the spatial resolution of HSLS data.

Scoping a field experiment: error diagnostics of TRMM precipitation radar estimates in complex terrain as a basis for IPHEx2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Y.; Wilson, A. M.; Barros, A. P.

2014-10-01

A diagnostic analysis of the space-time structure of error in Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPE) from the Precipitation Radar (PR) on the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite is presented here in preparation for the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx) in 2014. IPHEx is the first NASA ground-validation field campaign after the launch of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite. In anticipation of GPM, a science-grade high-density raingauge network was deployed at mid to high elevations in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA since 2007. This network allows for direct comparison between ground-based measurements from raingauges and satellite-based QPE (specifically, PR 2A25 V7 using 5 years of data 2008-2013). Case studies were conducted to characterize the vertical profiles of reflectivity and rain rate retrievals associated with large discrepancies with respect to ground measurements. The spatial and temporal distribution of detection errors (false alarm, FA, and missed detection, MD) and magnitude errors (underestimation, UND, and overestimation, OVR) for stratiform and convective precipitation are examined in detail toward elucidating the physical basis of retrieval error. The diagnostic error analysis reveals that detection errors are linked to persistent stratiform light rainfall in the Southern Appalachians, which explains the high occurrence of FAs throughout the year, as well as the diurnal MD maximum at midday in the cold season (fall and winter), and especially in the inner region. Although UND dominates the magnitude error budget, underestimation of heavy rainfall conditions accounts for less than 20% of the total consistent with regional hydrometeorology. The 2A25 V7 product underestimates low level orographic enhancement of rainfall associated with fog, cap clouds and cloud to cloud feeder-seeder interactions over ridges, and overestimates light rainfall in the valleys by large amounts, though this behavior is strongly conditioned by the coarse spatial resolution (5 km) of the terrain topography mask used to remove ground clutter effects. Precipitation associated with small-scale systems (< 25 km2) and isolated deep convection tends to be underestimated, which we attribute to non-uniform beam-filling effects due to spatial averaging of reflectivity at the PR resolution. Mixed precipitation events (i.e., cold fronts and snow showers) fall into OVR or FA categories, but these are also the types of events for which observations from standard ground-based raingauge networks are more likely subject to measurement uncertainty, that is raingauge underestimation errors due to under-catch and precipitation phase. Overall, the space-time structure of the errors shows strong links among precipitation, envelope orography, landform (ridge-valley contrasts), and local hydrometeorological regime that is strongly modulated by the diurnal cycle, pointing to three major error causes that are inter-related: (1) representation of concurrent vertically and horizontally varying microphysics; (2) non uniform beam filling (NUBF) effects and ambiguity in the detection of bright band position; and (3) spatial resolution and ground clutter correction.

Scoping a field experiment: error diagnostics of TRMM precipitation radar estimates in complex terrain as a basis for IPHEx2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Y.; Wilson, A. M.; Barros, A. P.

2015-03-01

A diagnostic analysis of the space-time structure of error in quantitative precipitation estimates (QPEs) from the precipitation radar (PR) on the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite is presented here in preparation for the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx) in 2014. IPHEx is the first NASA ground-validation field campaign after the launch of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite. In anticipation of GPM, a science-grade high-density raingauge network was deployed at mid to high elevations in the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA, since 2007. This network allows for direct comparison between ground-based measurements from raingauges and satellite-based QPE (specifically, PR 2A25 Version 7 using 5 years of data 2008-2013). Case studies were conducted to characterize the vertical profiles of reflectivity and rain rate retrievals associated with large discrepancies with respect to ground measurements. The spatial and temporal distribution of detection errors (false alarm, FA; missed detection, MD) and magnitude errors (underestimation, UND; overestimation, OVR) for stratiform and convective precipitation are examined in detail toward elucidating the physical basis of retrieval error. The diagnostic error analysis reveals that detection errors are linked to persistent stratiform light rainfall in the southern Appalachians, which explains the high occurrence of FAs throughout the year, as well as the diurnal MD maximum at midday in the cold season (fall and winter) and especially in the inner region. Although UND dominates the error budget, underestimation of heavy rainfall conditions accounts for less than 20% of the total, consistent with regional hydrometeorology. The 2A25 V7 product underestimates low-level orographic enhancement of rainfall associated with fog, cap clouds and cloud to cloud feeder-seeder interactions over ridges, and overestimates light rainfall in the valleys by large amounts, though this behavior is strongly conditioned by the coarse spatial resolution (5 km) of the topography mask used to remove ground-clutter effects. Precipitation associated with small-scale systems (< 25 km2) and isolated deep convection tends to be underestimated, which we attribute to non-uniform beam-filling effects due to spatial averaging of reflectivity at the PR resolution. Mixed precipitation events (i.e., cold fronts and snow showers) fall into OVR or FA categories, but these are also the types of events for which observations from standard ground-based raingauge networks are more likely subject to measurement uncertainty, that is raingauge underestimation errors due to undercatch and precipitation phase. Overall, the space-time structure of the errors shows strong links among precipitation, envelope orography, landform (ridge-valley contrasts), and a local hydrometeorological regime that is strongly modulated by the diurnal cycle, pointing to three major error causes that are inter-related: (1) representation of concurrent vertically and horizontally varying microphysics; (2) non-uniform beam filling (NUBF) effects and ambiguity in the detection of bright band position; and (3) spatial resolution and ground-clutter correction.

Quantifying high resolution transitional breaks in plant and mammal distributions at regional extent and their association with climate, topography and geology.

PubMed

Di Virgilio, Giovanni; Laffan, Shawn W; Ebach, Malte C

2013-01-01

We quantify spatial turnover in communities of 1939 plant and 59 mammal species at 2.5 km resolution across a topographically heterogeneous region in south-eastern Australia to identify distributional breaks and low turnover zones where multiple species distributions overlap. Environmental turnover is measured to determine how climate, topography and geology influence biotic turnover differently across a variety of biogeographic breaks and overlaps. We identify the genera driving turnover and confirm the versatility of this approach across spatial scales and locations. Directional moving window analyses, rotated through 360°, were used to measure spatial turnover variation in different directions between gridded cells containing georeferenced plant and mammal occurrences and environmental variables. Generalised linear models were used to compare taxic turnover results with equivalent analyses for geology, regolith weathering, elevation, slope, solar radiation, annual precipitation and annual mean temperature, both uniformly across the entire study area and by stratifying it into zones of high and low turnover. Identified breaks and transitions were compared to a conservation bioregionalisation framework widely used in Australia. Detailed delineations of plant and mammal turnover zones with gradational boundaries denoted subtle variation in species assemblages. Turnover patterns often diverged from bioregion boundaries, though plant turnover adhered most closely. A prominent break zone contained either comparable or greater numbers of unique genera than adjacent overlaps, but these were concentrated in a small subsection relatively under-protected by conservation reserves. The environmental correlates of biotic turnover varied for different turnover zones in different subsections of the study area. Topography and temperature showed much stronger relationships with plant turnover in a topographically complex overlap, relative to a lowland overlap where weathering was most predictive. This method can quantify transitional turnover patterns from small to broad extents, at different resolutions for any location, and complements broad-scale bioregionalisation schemes in conservation planning.

Performance evaluation of the Trans-PET® BioCaliburn® LH system: a large FOV small-animal PET system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Luyao; Zhu, Jun; Liang, Xiao; Niu, Ming; Wu, Xiaoke; Kao, Chien-Min; Kim, Heejong; Xie, Qingguo

2015-01-01

The Trans-PET® BioCaliburn® LH is a commercial positron emission tomography (PET) system for animal imaging. The system offers a large transaxial field-of-view (FOV) of 13.0 cm to allow imaging of multiple rodents or larger animals. This paper evaluates and reports the performance characteristics of this system. Methods: in this paper, the system was evaluated for its spatial resolutions, sensitivity, scatter fraction, count rate performance and image quality in accordance with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU-4 2008 specification with modifications. Phantoms and animals not specified in the NEMA specification were also scanned to provide further demonstration of its imaging capability. Results: the spatial resolution is 1.0 mm at the center. When using a 350-650 keV energy window and a 5 ns coincidence time window, the sensitivity at the center is 2.04%. The noise equivalent count-rate curve reaches a peak value of 62 kcps at 28 MBq for the mouse-sized phantom and a peak value of 25 kcps at 31 MBq for the rat-sized phantom. The scatter fractions are 8.4% and 17.7% for the mouse- and rat-sized phantoms, respectively. The uniformity and recovery coefficients measured by using the NEMA image-quality phantom both indicate good imaging performance, even though the reconstruction algorithm provided by the vendor does not implement all desired corrections. The Derenzo-phantom images show that the system can resolve 1.0 mm diameter rods. Animal studies demonstrate the capabilities of the system in dynamic imaging and to image multiple rodents. Conclusion: the Trans-PET® BioCaliburn® LH system offers high spatial resolution, a large transaixal FOV and adequate sensitivity. It produces animal images of good quality and supports dynamic imaging. The system is an attractive imaging technology for preclinical research.

Toward MRI microimaging of single biological cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seeber, Derek Allan

There is a great advantage in signal to noise ratio (SNR) that can be obtained in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on very small samples (having spatial dimensions ˜100 mum or less) if one employs NMR "microcoils" that are of similarly small dimensions. These gains in SNR could enable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) microscopy with spatial resolutions of ˜1--2 mum, much better than currently available. We report the design and testing of a NMR microcoil receiver apparatus, employing solenoidal microcoils of dimensions of tens to hundreds of microns, using an applied field of 9 Tesla (proton frequency 383 MHz). For the smallest receiver coils we attain sensitivity sufficient to observe proton NMR with SNR one in a single scan applied to ˜10 mum3 (10 fl) water sample, containing 7 x 1011 total proton spins. In addition to the NMR applications, microcoils have been applied to MRI producing images with spatial resolutions as low as 2 mum x 3.5 mum x 14.8 mum on phantom images of rods and beads. This resolution can be further improved. MRI imaging of small sample volumes requires significant hardware modifications and improvements, all of which are discussed. Specifically, MRI microscopy requires very strong (>10 T/m), rapidly switchable triaxial magnetic field gradients. We report the design and construction of such a triaxial gradient system, producing gradient substantially greater than 15 T/m in all three directions, x, y, and z (as high as 50 T/m for the x direction). The gradients are power by a custom designed power supply capable of providing currents in excess of 200 amps and switching times of less than 5 mus corresponding to slew rates of greater that 107 T/m/s. The gradients are adequately uniform (within 5% over a volume of 600 mum3) and sufficient for microcoil MRI of small samples.

Evaluation of Improved Engine Compartment Overheat Detection Techniques.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-08-01

radiation properties (emissivity and reflectivity) of the surface. The first task of the numerical procedure is to investigate the radiosity (radiative heat...and radiosity are spatially uniform within each zone. 0 Radiative properties are spatially uniform and independent of direction. 0 The enclosure is...variation in the radiosity will be nonuniform in distribution in that region. The zone analysis method assumes the : . ,. temperature and radiation

Design and performance of a multi-pinhole collimation device for small animal imaging with clinical SPECT and SPECT-CT scanners

PubMed Central

DiFilippo, Frank P.

2008-01-01

A multi-pinhole collimation device is developed that uses the gamma camera detectors of a clinical SPECT or SPECT-CT scanner to produce high resolution SPECT images. The device consists of a rotating cylindrical collimator having 22 tungsten pinholes with 0.9 mm diameter apertures and an animal bed inside the collimator that moves linearly to provide helical or ordered-subsets axial sampling. CT images also may be acquired on a SPECT-CT scanner for purposes of image co-registration and SPECT attenuation correction. The device is placed on the patient table of the scanner without attaching to the detectors or scanner gantry. The system geometry is calibrated in-place from point source data and is then used during image reconstruction. The SPECT imaging performance of the device is evaluated with test phantom scans. Spatial resolution from reconstructed point source images is measured to be 0.6 mm full width at half maximum or better. Micro-Derenzo phantom images demonstrate the ability to resolve 0.7 mm diameter rod patterns. The axial slabs of a Micro-Defrise phantom are visualized well. Collimator efficiency exceeds 0.05% at the center of the field of view, and images of a uniform phantom show acceptable uniformity and minimal artifact. The overall simplicity and relatively good imaging performance of the device make it an interesting low-cost alternative to dedicated small animal scanners. PMID:18635899

Design and performance of a multi-pinhole collimation device for small animal imaging with clinical SPECT and SPECT CT scanners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Filippo, Frank P.

2008-08-01

A multi-pinhole collimation device is developed that uses the gamma camera detectors of a clinical SPECT or SPECT-CT scanner to produce high-resolution SPECT images. The device consists of a rotating cylindrical collimator having 22 tungsten pinholes with 0.9 mm diameter apertures and an animal bed inside the collimator that moves linearly to provide helical or ordered-subsets axial sampling. CT images also may be acquired on a SPECT-CT scanner for purposes of image co-registration and SPECT attenuation correction. The device is placed on the patient table of the scanner without attaching to the detectors or scanner gantry. The system geometry is calibrated in-place from point source data and is then used during image reconstruction. The SPECT imaging performance of the device is evaluated with test phantom scans. Spatial resolution from reconstructed point source images is measured to be 0.6 mm full width at half maximum or better. Micro-Derenzo phantom images demonstrate the ability to resolve 0.7 mm diameter rod patterns. The axial slabs of a Micro-Defrise phantom are visualized well. Collimator efficiency exceeds 0.05% at the center of the field of view, and images of a uniform phantom show acceptable uniformity and minimal artifact. The overall simplicity and relatively good imaging performance of the device make it an interesting low-cost alternative to dedicated small animal scanners.

Optimization of return electrodes in neurostimulating arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Thomas; Goetz, Georges; Lei, Xin; Palanker, Daniel

2016-06-01

Objective. High resolution visual prostheses require dense stimulating arrays with localized inputs of individual electrodes. We study the electric field produced by multielectrode arrays in electrolyte to determine an optimal configuration of return electrodes and activation sequence. Approach. To determine the boundary conditions for computation of the electric field in electrolyte, we assessed current dynamics using an equivalent circuit of a multielectrode array with interleaved return electrodes. The electric field modeled with two different boundary conditions derived from the equivalent circuit was then compared to measurements of electric potential in electrolyte. To assess the effect of return electrode configuration on retinal stimulation, we transformed the computed electric fields into retinal response using a model of neural network-mediated stimulation. Main results. Electric currents at the capacitive electrode-electrolyte interface redistribute over time, so that boundary conditions transition from equipotential surfaces at the beginning of the pulse to uniform current density in steady state. Experimental measurements confirmed that, in steady state, the boundary condition corresponds to a uniform current density on electrode surfaces. Arrays with local return electrodes exhibit improved field confinement and can elicit stronger network-mediated retinal response compared to those with a common remote return. Connecting local return electrodes enhances the field penetration depth and allows reducing the return electrode area. Sequential activation of the pixels in large monopolar arrays reduces electrical cross-talk and improves the contrast in pattern stimulation. Significance. Accurate modeling of multielectrode arrays helps optimize the electrode configuration to maximize the spatial resolution, contrast and dynamic range of retinal prostheses.

Results of the spatial resolution simulation for multispectral data (resolution brochures)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The variable information content of Earth Resource products at different levels of spatial resolution and in different spectral bands is addressed. A low-cost brochure that scientists and laymen could use to visualize the effects of increasing the spatial resolution of multispectral scanner images was produced.

Tomographic diagnostic of the hydrogen beam from a negative ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agostini, M.; Brombin, M.; Serianni, G.; Pasqualotto, R.

2011-10-01

In this paper the tomographic diagnostic developed to characterize the 2D density distribution of a particle beam from a negative ion source is described. In particular, the reliability of this diagnostic has been tested by considering the geometry of the source for the production of ions of deuterium extracted from an rf plasma (SPIDER). SPIDER is a low energy prototype negative ion source for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) neutral beam injector, aimed at demonstrating the capability to create and extract a current of D- (H-) ions up to 50 A (60 A) accelerated at 100 kV. The ions are extracted over a wide surface (1.52×0.56m2) with a uniform plasma density which is prescribed to remain within 10% of the mean value. The main target of the tomographic diagnostic is the measurement of the beam uniformity with sufficient spatial resolution and of its evolution throughout the pulse duration. To reach this target, a tomographic algorithm based on the simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique is developed and the geometry of the lines of sight is optimized so as to cover the whole area of the beam. Phantoms that reproduce different experimental beam configurations are simulated and reconstructed, and the role of the noise in the signals is studied. The simulated phantoms are correctly reconstructed and their two-dimensional spatial nonuniformity is correctly estimated, up to a noise level of 10% with respect to the signal.

Image sharpening for mixed spatial and spectral resolution satellite systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hallada, W. A.; Cox, S.

1983-01-01

Two methods of image sharpening (reconstruction) are compared. The first, a spatial filtering technique, extrapolates edge information from a high spatial resolution panchromatic band at 10 meters and adds it to the low spatial resolution narrow spectral bands. The second method, a color normalizing technique, is based on the ability to separate image hue and brightness components in spectral data. Using both techniques, multispectral images are sharpened from 30, 50, 70, and 90 meter resolutions. Error rates are calculated for the two methods and all sharpened resolutions. The results indicate that the color normalizing method is superior to the spatial filtering technique.

Achieving pattern uniformity in plasmonic lithography by spatial frequency selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Gaofeng; Chen, Xi; Zhao, Qing; Guo, L. Jay

2018-01-01

The effects of the surface roughness of thin films and defects on photomasks are investigated in two representative plasmonic lithography systems: thin silver film-based superlens and multilayer-based hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM). Superlens can replicate arbitrary patterns because of its broad evanescent wave passband, which also makes it inherently vulnerable to the roughness of the thin film and imperfections of the mask. On the other hand, the HMM system has spatial frequency filtering characteristics and its pattern formation is based on interference, producing uniform and stable periodic patterns. In this work, we show that the HMM system is more immune to such imperfections due to its function of spatial frequency selection. The analyses are further verified by an interference lithography system incorporating the photoresist layer as an optical waveguide to improve the aspect ratio of the pattern. It is concluded that a system capable of spatial frequency selection is a powerful method to produce deep-subwavelength periodic patterns with high degree of uniformity and fidelity.

National Electrical Manufacturers Association NU-4 performance evaluation of the PET component of the NanoPET/CT preclinical PET/CT scanner.

PubMed

Szanda, Istvan; Mackewn, Jane; Patay, Gergely; Major, Peter; Sunassee, Kavitha; Mullen, Gregory E; Nemeth, Gabor; Haemisch, York; Blower, Philip J; Marsden, Paul K

2011-11-01

The NanoPET/CT represents the latest generation of commercial preclinical PET/CT systems. This article presents a performance evaluation of the PET component of the system according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU-4 2008 standard. The NanoPET/CT consists of 12 lutetium yttrium orthosilicate:cerium modular detectors forming 1 ring, with 9.5-cm axial coverage and a 16-cm animal port. Each detector crystal is 1.12 × 1.12 × 13 mm, and 1 module contains 81 × 39 of these crystals. An optical light guide transmits the scintillation light to the flat-panel multianode position-sensitive photomultiplier tubes. Analog-to-digital converter cards and a field-programmable gate array-based data-collecting card provide the readout. Spatial resolution, sensitivity, counting rate capabilities, and image quality were evaluated in accordance with the NEMA NU-4 standard. Energy and temporal resolution measurements and a mouse imaging study were performed in addition to the standard. Energy resolution was 19% at 511 keV. The spatial resolution, measured as full width at half maximum on single-slice rebinning/filtered backprojection-reconstructed images, approached 1 mm on the axis and remained below 2.5 mm in the central 5-cm transaxial region both in the axial center and at one-quarter field of view. The maximum absolute sensitivity for a point source at the center of the field of view was 7.7%. The maximum noise equivalent counting rates were 430 kcps at 36 MBq and 130 kcps at 27 MBq for the mouse- and rat-sized phantoms, respectively. The uniformity and recovery coefficients were measured with the image-quality phantom, giving good-quality images. In a mouse study with an (18)F-labeled thyroid-specific tracer, the 2 lobes of the thyroid were clearly distinguishable, despite the small size of this organ. The flexible readout system allowed experiments to be performed in an efficient manner, and the system remained stable throughout. The large number of detector crystals, arranged with a fine pitch, results in excellent spatial resolution, which is the best reported for currently available commercial systems. The absolute sensitivity is high over the field of view. Combined with the excellent image quality, these features make the NanoPET/CT a powerful tool for preclinical research.

Spatial Resolution Requirements for Accurate Identification of Drivers of Atrial Fibrillation

PubMed Central

Roney, Caroline H.; Cantwell, Chris D.; Bayer, Jason D.; Qureshi, Norman A.; Lim, Phang Boon; Tweedy, Jennifer H.; Kanagaratnam, Prapa; Vigmond, Edward J.; Ng, Fu Siong

2017-01-01

Background— Recent studies have demonstrated conflicting mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation (AF), with the spatial resolution of data often cited as a potential reason for the disagreement. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the variation in spatial resolution of mapping may lead to misinterpretation of the underlying mechanism in persistent AF. Methods and Results— Simulations of rotors and focal sources were performed to estimate the minimum number of recording points required to correctly identify the underlying AF mechanism. The effects of different data types (action potentials and unipolar or bipolar electrograms) and rotor stability on resolution requirements were investigated. We also determined the ability of clinically used endocardial catheters to identify AF mechanisms using clinically recorded and simulated data. The spatial resolution required for correct identification of rotors and focal sources is a linear function of spatial wavelength (the distance between wavefronts) of the arrhythmia. Rotor localization errors are larger for electrogram data than for action potential data. Stationary rotors are more reliably identified compared with meandering trajectories, for any given spatial resolution. All clinical high-resolution multipolar catheters are of sufficient resolution to accurately detect and track rotors when placed over the rotor core although the low-resolution basket catheter is prone to false detections and may incorrectly identify rotors that are not present. Conclusions— The spatial resolution of AF data can significantly affect the interpretation of the underlying AF mechanism. Therefore, the interpretation of human AF data must be taken in the context of the spatial resolution of the recordings. PMID:28500175

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

Kirtley, John R., E-mail: jkirtley@stanford.edu; Rosenberg, Aaron J.; Palmstrom, Johanna C.

Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) microscopy has excellent magnetic field sensitivity, but suffers from modest spatial resolution when compared with other scanning probes. This spatial resolution is determined by both the size of the field sensitive area and the spacing between this area and the sample surface. In this paper we describe scanning SQUID susceptometers that achieve sub-micron spatial resolution while retaining a white noise floor flux sensitivity of ≈2μΦ{sub 0}/Hz{sup 1/2}. This high spatial resolution is accomplished by deep sub-micron feature sizes, well shielded pickup loops fabricated using a planarized process, and a deep etch step that minimizes themore » spacing between the sample surface and the SQUID pickup loop. We describe the design, modeling, fabrication, and testing of these sensors. Although sub-micron spatial resolution has been achieved previously in scanning SQUID sensors, our sensors not only achieve high spatial resolution but also have integrated modulation coils for flux feedback, integrated field coils for susceptibility measurements, and batch processing. They are therefore a generally applicable tool for imaging sample magnetization, currents, and susceptibilities with higher spatial resolution than previous susceptometers.« less

Chromatic and Achromatic Spatial Resolution of Local Field Potentials in Awake Cortex

PubMed Central

Jansen, Michael; Li, Xiaobing; Lashgari, Reza; Kremkow, Jens; Bereshpolova, Yulia; Swadlow, Harvey A.; Zaidi, Qasim; Alonso, Jose-Manuel

2015-01-01

Local field potentials (LFPs) have become an important measure of neuronal population activity in the brain and could provide robust signals to guide the implant of visual cortical prosthesis in the future. However, it remains unclear whether LFPs can detect weak cortical responses (e.g., cortical responses to equiluminant color) and whether they have enough visual spatial resolution to distinguish different chromatic and achromatic stimulus patterns. By recording from awake behaving macaques in primary visual cortex, here we demonstrate that LFPs respond robustly to pure chromatic stimuli and exhibit ∼2.5 times lower spatial resolution for chromatic than achromatic stimulus patterns, a value that resembles the ratio of achromatic/chromatic resolution measured with psychophysical experiments in humans. We also show that, although the spatial resolution of LFP decays with visual eccentricity as is also the case for single neurons, LFPs have higher spatial resolution and show weaker response suppression to low spatial frequencies than spiking multiunit activity. These results indicate that LFP recordings are an excellent approach to measure spatial resolution from local populations of neurons in visual cortex including those responsive to color. PMID:25416722

Calculation of the spatial resolution in two-photon absorption spectroscopy applied to plasma diagnosis

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

Garcia-Lechuga, M.; Laser Processing Group, Instituto de Óptica “Daza de Valdés,” CSIC, 28006-Madrid; Fuentes, L. M.

2014-10-07

We report a detailed characterization of the spatial resolution provided by two-photon absorption spectroscopy suited for plasma diagnosis via the 1S-2S transition of atomic hydrogen for optogalvanic detection and laser induced fluorescence (LIF). A precise knowledge of the spatial resolution is crucial for a correct interpretation of measurements, if the plasma parameters to be analysed undergo strong spatial variations. The present study is based on a novel approach which provides a reliable and realistic determination of the spatial resolution. Measured irradiance distribution of laser beam waists in the overlap volume, provided by a high resolution UV camera, are employed tomore » resolve coupled rate equations accounting for two-photon excitation, fluorescence decay and ionization. The resulting three-dimensional yield distributions reveal in detail the spatial resolution for optogalvanic and LIF detection and related saturation due to depletion. Two-photon absorption profiles broader than the Fourier transform-limited laser bandwidth are also incorporated in the calculations. The approach allows an accurate analysis of the spatial resolution present in recent and future measurements.« less

[An effective method for improving the imaging spatial resolution of terahertz time domain spectroscopy system].

PubMed

Zhang, Zeng-yan; Ji, Te; Zhu, Zhi-yong; Zhao, Hong-wei; Chen, Min; Xiao, Ti-qiao; Guo, Zhi

2015-01-01

Terahertz radiation is an electromagnetic radiation in the range between millimeter waves and far infrared. Due to its low energy and non-ionizing characters, THz pulse imaging emerges as a novel tool in many fields, such as material, chemical, biological medicine, and food safety. Limited spatial resolution is a significant restricting factor of terahertz imaging technology. Near field imaging method was proposed to improve the spatial resolution of terahertz system. Submillimeter scale's spauial resolution can be achieved if the income source size is smaller than the wawelength of the incoming source and the source is very close to the sample. But many changes were needed to the traditional terahertz time domain spectroscopy system, and it's very complex to analyze sample's physical parameters through the terahertz signal. A method of inserting a pinhole upstream to the sample was first proposed in this article to improve the spatial resolution of traditional terahertz time domain spectroscopy system. The measured spatial resolution of terahertz time domain spectroscopy system by knife edge method can achieve spatial resolution curves. The moving stage distance between 10 % and 90 Yo of the maximum signals respectively was defined as the, spatial resolution of the system. Imaging spatial resolution of traditional terahertz time domain spectroscopy system was improved dramatically after inserted a pinhole with diameter 0. 5 mm, 2 mm upstream to the sample. Experimental results show that the spatial resolution has been improved from 1. 276 mm to 0. 774 mm, with the increment about 39 %. Though this simple method, the spatial resolution of traditional terahertz time domain spectroscopy system was increased from millimeter scale to submillimeter scale. A pinhole with diameter 1 mm on a polyethylene plate was taken as sample, to terahertz imaging study. The traditional terahertz time domain spectroscopy system and pinhole inserted terahertz time domain spectroscopy system were applied in the imaging experiment respectively. The relative THz-power loss imaging of samples were use in this article. This method generally delivers the best signal to noise ratio in loss images, dispersion effects are cancelled. Terahertz imaging results show that the sample's boundary was more distinct after inserting the pinhole in front of, sample. The results also conform that inserting pinhole in front of sample can improve the imaging spatial resolution effectively. The theoretical analyses of the method which improve the spatial resolution by inserting a pinhole in front of sample were given in this article. The analyses also indicate that the smaller the pinhole size, the longer spatial coherence length of the system, the better spatial resolution of the system. At the same time the terahertz signal will be reduced accordingly. All the experimental results and theoretical analyses indicate that the method of inserting a pinhole in front of sample can improve the spatial resolution of traditional terahertz time domain spectroscopy system effectively, and it will further expand the application of terahertz imaging technology.

Spatial uniformity inspection apparatus for solar cells using a projection display.

PubMed

Yoo, Jae-Keun; Kim, Seung Kwan; Lee, Dong-Hoon; Park, Seung-Nam

2012-07-10

We demonstrate a measurement apparatus to inspect spatial uniformity of quantum efficiency of solar cells using a beam projector. Deviation of irradiance from the used beam projector over the area of 1.5×0.8 m on the cell plane was flattened within ±2.6% through gray scale adjustment, which was originally about 200%. Scanning a small square image with an area of 3×3 mm over a square-shaped photovoltaic cell with an area of 15.6×15.6 cm, we could identify the locations according to efficiency level and showed that the cell had quantum efficiency deviation of more than 10%. Utilizing the advantageous feature of a projection display, we also demonstrated that this apparatus can inspect the spatial uniformity of solar modules and panels consisting of multiple solar cells.

Optically sectioned fluorescence endomicroscopy with hybrid-illumination imaging through a flexible fiber bundle.

PubMed

Santos, Silvia; Chu, Kengyeh K; Lim, Daryl; Bozinovic, Nenad; Ford, Tim N; Hourtoule, Claire; Bartoo, Aaron C; Singh, Satish K; Mertz, Jerome

2009-01-01

We present an endomicroscope apparatus that exhibits out-of-focus background rejection based on wide-field illumination through a flexible imaging fiber bundle. Our technique, called HiLo microscopy, involves acquiring two images, one with grid-pattern illumination and another with standard uniform illumination. An evaluation of the image contrast with grid-pattern illumination provides an optically sectioned image with low resolution. This is complemented with high-resolution information from the uniform illumination image, leading to a full-resolution image that is optically sectioned. HiLo endomicroscope movies are presented of fluorescently labeled rat colonic mucosa.

Optically sectioned fluorescence endomicroscopy with hybrid-illumination imaging through a flexible fiber bundle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Silvia; Chu, Kengyeh K.; Lim, Daryl; Bozinovic, Nenad; Ford, Tim N.; Hourtoule, Claire; Bartoo, Aaron C.; Singh, Satish K.; Mertz, Jerome

2009-05-01

We present an endomicroscope apparatus that exhibits out-of-focus background rejection based on wide-field illumination through a flexible imaging fiber bundle. Our technique, called HiLo microscopy, involves acquiring two images, one with grid-pattern illumination and another with standard uniform illumination. An evaluation of the image contrast with grid-pattern illumination provides an optically sectioned image with low resolution. This is complemented with high-resolution information from the uniform illumination image, leading to a full-resolution image that is optically sectioned. HiLo endomicroscope movies are presented of fluorescently labeled rat colonic mucosa.

Additional studies of forest classification accuracy as influenced by multispectral scanner spatial resolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sadowski, F. E.; Sarno, J. E.

1976-01-01

First, an analysis of forest feature signatures was used to help explain the large variation in classification accuracy that can occur among individual forest features for any one case of spatial resolution and the inconsistent changes in classification accuracy that were demonstrated among features as spatial resolution was degraded. Second, the classification rejection threshold was varied in an effort to reduce the large proportion of unclassified resolution elements that previously appeared in the processing of coarse resolution data when a constant rejection threshold was used for all cases of spatial resolution. For the signature analysis, two-channel ellipse plots showing the feature signature distributions for several cases of spatial resolution indicated that the capability of signatures to correctly identify their respective features is dependent on the amount of statistical overlap among signatures. Reductions in signature variance that occur in data of degraded spatial resolution may not necessarily decrease the amount of statistical overlap among signatures having large variance and small mean separations. Features classified by such signatures may thus continue to have similar amounts of misclassified elements in coarser resolution data, and thus, not necessarily improve in classification accuracy.

Light sheet theta microscopy for rapid high-resolution imaging of large biological samples.

PubMed

Migliori, Bianca; Datta, Malika S; Dupre, Christophe; Apak, Mehmet C; Asano, Shoh; Gao, Ruixuan; Boyden, Edward S; Hermanson, Ola; Yuste, Rafael; Tomer, Raju

2018-05-29

Advances in tissue clearing and molecular labeling methods are enabling unprecedented optical access to large intact biological systems. These developments fuel the need for high-speed microscopy approaches to image large samples quantitatively and at high resolution. While light sheet microscopy (LSM), with its high planar imaging speed and low photo-bleaching, can be effective, scaling up to larger imaging volumes has been hindered by the use of orthogonal light sheet illumination. To address this fundamental limitation, we have developed light sheet theta microscopy (LSTM), which uniformly illuminates samples from the same side as the detection objective, thereby eliminating limits on lateral dimensions without sacrificing the imaging resolution, depth, and speed. We present a detailed characterization of LSTM, and demonstrate its complementary advantages over LSM for rapid high-resolution quantitative imaging of large intact samples with high uniform quality. The reported LSTM approach is a significant step for the rapid high-resolution quantitative mapping of the structure and function of very large biological systems, such as a clarified thick coronal slab of human brain and uniformly expanded tissues, and also for rapid volumetric calcium imaging of highly motile animals, such as Hydra, undergoing non-isomorphic body shape changes.

From h to p efficiently: optimal implementation strategies for explicit time-dependent problems using the spectral/hp element method

PubMed Central

Bolis, A; Cantwell, C D; Kirby, R M; Sherwin, S J

2014-01-01

We investigate the relative performance of a second-order Adams–Bashforth scheme and second-order and fourth-order Runge–Kutta schemes when time stepping a 2D linear advection problem discretised using a spectral/hp element technique for a range of different mesh sizes and polynomial orders. Numerical experiments explore the effects of short (two wavelengths) and long (32 wavelengths) time integration for sets of uniform and non-uniform meshes. The choice of time-integration scheme and discretisation together fixes a CFL limit that imposes a restriction on the maximum time step, which can be taken to ensure numerical stability. The number of steps, together with the order of the scheme, affects not only the runtime but also the accuracy of the solution. Through numerical experiments, we systematically highlight the relative effects of spatial resolution and choice of time integration on performance and provide general guidelines on how best to achieve the minimal execution time in order to obtain a prescribed solution accuracy. The significant role played by higher polynomial orders in reducing CPU time while preserving accuracy becomes more evident, especially for uniform meshes, compared with what has been typically considered when studying this type of problem.© 2014. The Authors. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:25892840

Handling Different Spatial Resolutions in Image Fusion by Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares for Incomplete Image Multisets.

PubMed

Piqueras, Sara; Bedia, Carmen; Beleites, Claudia; Krafft, Christoph; Popp, Jürgen; Maeder, Marcel; Tauler, Romà; de Juan, Anna

2018-06-05

Data fusion of different imaging techniques allows a comprehensive description of chemical and biological systems. Yet, joining images acquired with different spectroscopic platforms is complex because of the different sample orientation and image spatial resolution. Whereas matching sample orientation is often solved by performing suitable affine transformations of rotation, translation, and scaling among images, the main difficulty in image fusion is preserving the spatial detail of the highest spatial resolution image during multitechnique image analysis. In this work, a special variant of the unmixing algorithm Multivariate Curve Resolution Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) for incomplete multisets is proposed to provide a solution for this kind of problem. This algorithm allows analyzing simultaneously images collected with different spectroscopic platforms without losing spatial resolution and ensuring spatial coherence among the images treated. The incomplete multiset structure concatenates images of the two platforms at the lowest spatial resolution with the image acquired with the highest spatial resolution. As a result, the constituents of the sample analyzed are defined by a single set of distribution maps, common to all platforms used and with the highest spatial resolution, and their related extended spectral signatures, covering the signals provided by each of the fused techniques. We demonstrate the potential of the new variant of MCR-ALS for multitechnique analysis on three case studies: (i) a model example of MIR and Raman images of pharmaceutical mixture, (ii) FT-IR and Raman images of palatine tonsil tissue, and (iii) mass spectrometry and Raman images of bean tissue.

Assessing the Resolution Adaptability of the Zhang-McFarlane Cumulus Parameterization With Spatial and Temporal Averaging: RESOLUTION ADAPTABILITY OF ZM SCHEME

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

Yun, Yuxing; Fan, Jiwen; Xiao, Heng

Realistic modeling of cumulus convection at fine model resolutions (a few to a few tens of km) is problematic since it requires the cumulus scheme to adapt to higher resolution than they were originally designed for (~100 km). To solve this problem, we implement the spatial averaging method proposed in Xiao et al. (2015) and also propose a temporal averaging method for the large-scale convective available potential energy (CAPE) tendency in the Zhang-McFarlane (ZM) cumulus parameterization. The resolution adaptability of the original ZM scheme, the scheme with spatial averaging, and the scheme with both spatial and temporal averaging at 4-32more » km resolution is assessed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, by comparing with Cloud Resolving Model (CRM) results. We find that the original ZM scheme has very poor resolution adaptability, with sub-grid convective transport and precipitation increasing significantly as the resolution increases. The spatial averaging method improves the resolution adaptability of the ZM scheme and better conserves the total transport of moist static energy and total precipitation. With the temporal averaging method, the resolution adaptability of the scheme is further improved, with sub-grid convective precipitation becoming smaller than resolved precipitation for resolution higher than 8 km, which is consistent with the results from the CRM simulation. Both the spatial distribution and time series of precipitation are improved with the spatial and temporal averaging methods. The results may be helpful for developing resolution adaptability for other cumulus parameterizations that are based on quasi-equilibrium assumption.« less

Achieving high spatial resolution using a microchannel plate detector with an economic and scalable approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggins, B. B.; deSouza, Z. O.; Vadas, J.; Alexander, A.; Hudan, S.; deSouza, R. T.

2017-11-01

A second generation position-sensitive microchannel plate detector using the induced signal approach has been realized. This detector is presently capable of measuring the incident position of electrons, photons, or ions. To assess the spatial resolution, the masked detector was illuminated by electrons. The initial, measured spatial resolution of 276 μm FWHM was improved by requiring a minimum signal amplitude on the anode and by employing digital signal processing techniques. The resulting measured spatial resolution of 119 μm FWHM corresponds to an intrinsic resolution of 98 μm FWHM when the effect of the finite slit width is de-convoluted. This measurement is a substantial improvement from the last reported spatial resolution of 466 μm FWHM using the induced signal approach. To understand the factors that limit the measured resolution, the performance of the detector is simulated.

Statistical model based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) in clinical CT systems. Part II. Experimental assessment of spatial resolution performance.

PubMed

Li, Ke; Garrett, John; Ge, Yongshuai; Chen, Guang-Hong

2014-07-01

Statistical model based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) methods have been introduced to clinical CT systems and are being used in some clinical diagnostic applications. The purpose of this paper is to experimentally assess the unique spatial resolution characteristics of this nonlinear reconstruction method and identify its potential impact on the detectabilities and the associated radiation dose levels for specific imaging tasks. The thoracic section of a pediatric phantom was repeatedly scanned 50 or 100 times using a 64-slice clinical CT scanner at four different dose levels [CTDIvol =4, 8, 12, 16 (mGy)]. Both filtered backprojection (FBP) and MBIR (Veo(®), GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI) were used for image reconstruction and results were compared with one another. Eight test objects in the phantom with contrast levels ranging from 13 to 1710 HU were used to assess spatial resolution. The axial spatial resolution was quantified with the point spread function (PSF), while the z resolution was quantified with the slice sensitivity profile. Both were measured locally on the test objects and in the image domain. The dependence of spatial resolution on contrast and dose levels was studied. The study also features a systematic investigation of the potential trade-off between spatial resolution and locally defined noise and their joint impact on the overall image quality, which was quantified by the image domain-based channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) detectability index d'. (1) The axial spatial resolution of MBIR depends on both radiation dose level and image contrast level, whereas it is supposedly independent of these two factors in FBP. The axial spatial resolution of MBIR always improved with an increasing radiation dose level and/or contrast level. (2) The axial spatial resolution of MBIR became equivalent to that of FBP at some transitional contrast level, above which MBIR demonstrated superior spatial resolution than FBP (and vice versa); the value of this transitional contrast highly depended on the dose level. (3) The PSFs of MBIR could be approximated as Gaussian functions with reasonably good accuracy. (4) Thez resolution of MBIR showed similar contrast and dose dependence. (5) Noise standard deviation assessed on the edges of objects demonstrated a trade-off with spatial resolution in MBIR. (5) When both spatial resolution and image noise were considered using the CHO analysis, MBIR led to significant improvement in the overall CT image quality for both high and low contrast detection tasks at both standard and low dose levels. Due to the intrinsic nonlinearity of the MBIR method, many well-known CT spatial resolution and noise properties have been modified. In particular, dose dependence and contrast dependence have been introduced to the spatial resolution of CT images by MBIR. The method has also introduced some novel noise-resolution trade-off not seen in traditional CT images. While the benefits of MBIR regarding the overall image quality, as demonstrated in this work, are significant, the optimal use of this method in clinical practice demands a thorough understanding of its unique physical characteristics.

An optical system to transform the output beam of a quantum cascade laser to be uniform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, Jordan M.

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are a candidate for calibration sources in space-based remote sensing applications. However, the output beam from a QCL has some characteris- tics that are undesirable in a calibration source. The output beam from a QCL is polarized, both temporally and spatially coherent, and has a non-uniform bivariate Gaussian prole. These characteristics need to be mitigated before QCLs can be used as calibration sources. This study presents the design and implementation of an optical system that manipulates the output beam from a QCL so that it is spatially and angularly uniform with reduced coherence and polarization. (85 pages).

Evaluation of illumination system uniformity for wide-field biomedical hyperspectral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawyer, Travis W.; Siri Luthman, A.; E Bohndiek, Sarah

2017-04-01

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) systems collect both spatial (morphological) and spectral (chemical) information from a sample. HSI can provide sensitive analysis for biological and medical applications, for example, simultaneously measuring reflectance and fluorescence properties of a tissue, which together with structural information could improve early cancer detection and tumour characterisation. Illumination uniformity is a critical pre-condition for quantitative data extraction from an HSI system. Non-uniformity can cause glare, specular reflection and unwanted shading, which negatively impact statistical analysis procedures used to extract abundance of different chemical species. Here, we model and evaluate several illumination systems frequently used in wide-field biomedical imaging to test their potential for HSI. We use the software LightTools and FRED. The analysed systems include: a fibre ring light; a light emitting diode (LED) ring; and a diffuse scattering dome. Each system is characterised for spectral, spatial, and angular uniformity, as well as transfer efficiency. Furthermore, an approach to measure uniformity using the Kullback-Leibler divergence (KLD) is introduced. The KLD is generalisable to arbitrary illumination shapes, making it an attractive approach for characterising illumination distributions. Although the systems are quite comparable in their spatial and spectral uniformity, the most uniform angular distribution is achieved using a diffuse scattering dome, yielding a contrast of 0.503 and average deviation of 0.303 over a ±60° field of view with a 3.9% model error in the angular domain. Our results suggest that conventional illumination sources can be applied in HSI, but in the case of low light levels, bespoke illumination sources may offer improved performance.

a Spiral-Based Downscaling Method for Generating 30 M Time Series Image Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, B.; Chen, J.; Xing, H.; Wu, H.; Zhang, J.

2017-09-01

The spatial detail and updating frequency of land cover data are important factors influencing land surface dynamic monitoring applications in high spatial resolution scale. However, the fragmentized patches and seasonal variable of some land cover types (e. g. small crop field, wetland) make it labor-intensive and difficult in the generation of land cover data. Utilizing the high spatial resolution multi-temporal image data is a possible solution. Unfortunately, the spatial and temporal resolution of available remote sensing data like Landsat or MODIS datasets can hardly satisfy the minimum mapping unit and frequency of current land cover mapping / updating at the same time. The generation of high resolution time series may be a compromise to cover the shortage in land cover updating process. One of popular way is to downscale multi-temporal MODIS data with other high spatial resolution auxiliary data like Landsat. But the usual manner of downscaling pixel based on a window may lead to the underdetermined problem in heterogeneous area, result in the uncertainty of some high spatial resolution pixels. Therefore, the downscaled multi-temporal data can hardly reach high spatial resolution as Landsat data. A spiral based method was introduced to downscale low spatial and high temporal resolution image data to high spatial and high temporal resolution image data. By the way of searching the similar pixels around the adjacent region based on the spiral, the pixel set was made up in the adjacent region pixel by pixel. The underdetermined problem is prevented to a large extent from solving the linear system when adopting the pixel set constructed. With the help of ordinary least squares, the method inverted the endmember values of linear system. The high spatial resolution image was reconstructed on the basis of high spatial resolution class map and the endmember values band by band. Then, the high spatial resolution time series was formed with these high spatial resolution images image by image. Simulated experiment and remote sensing image downscaling experiment were conducted. In simulated experiment, the 30 meters class map dataset Globeland30 was adopted to investigate the effect on avoid the underdetermined problem in downscaling procedure and a comparison between spiral and window was conducted. Further, the MODIS NDVI and Landsat image data was adopted to generate the 30m time series NDVI in remote sensing image downscaling experiment. Simulated experiment results showed that the proposed method had a robust performance in downscaling pixel in heterogeneous region and indicated that it was superior to the traditional window-based methods. The high resolution time series generated may be a benefit to the mapping and updating of land cover data.

Disease spread across multiple scales in a spatial hierarchy: effect of host spatial structure and of inoculum quantity and distribution.

PubMed

Gosme, Marie; Lucas, Philippe

2009-07-01

Spatial patterns of both the host and the disease influence disease spread and crop losses. Therefore, the manipulation of these patterns might help improve control strategies. Considering disease spread across multiple scales in a spatial hierarchy allows one to capture important features of epidemics developing in space without using explicitly spatialized variables. Thus, if the system under study is composed of roots, plants, and planting hills, the effect of host spatial pattern can be studied by varying the number of plants per planting hill. A simulation model based on hierarchy theory was used to simulate the effects of large versus small planting hills, low versus high level of initial infections, and aggregated versus uniform distribution of initial infections. The results showed that aggregating the initially infected plants always resulted in slower epidemics than spreading out the initial infections uniformly. Simulation results also showed that, in most cases, disease epidemics were slower in the case of large host aggregates (100 plants/hill) than with smaller aggregates (25 plants/hill), except when the initially infected plants were both numerous and spread out uniformly. The optimal strategy for disease control depends on several factors, including initial conditions. More importantly, the model offers a framework to account for the interplay between the spatial characteristics of the system, rates of infection, and aggregation of the disease.

Chromatic and Achromatic Spatial Resolution of Local Field Potentials in Awake Cortex.

PubMed

Jansen, Michael; Li, Xiaobing; Lashgari, Reza; Kremkow, Jens; Bereshpolova, Yulia; Swadlow, Harvey A; Zaidi, Qasim; Alonso, Jose-Manuel

2015-10-01

Local field potentials (LFPs) have become an important measure of neuronal population activity in the brain and could provide robust signals to guide the implant of visual cortical prosthesis in the future. However, it remains unclear whether LFPs can detect weak cortical responses (e.g., cortical responses to equiluminant color) and whether they have enough visual spatial resolution to distinguish different chromatic and achromatic stimulus patterns. By recording from awake behaving macaques in primary visual cortex, here we demonstrate that LFPs respond robustly to pure chromatic stimuli and exhibit ∼2.5 times lower spatial resolution for chromatic than achromatic stimulus patterns, a value that resembles the ratio of achromatic/chromatic resolution measured with psychophysical experiments in humans. We also show that, although the spatial resolution of LFP decays with visual eccentricity as is also the case for single neurons, LFPs have higher spatial resolution and show weaker response suppression to low spatial frequencies than spiking multiunit activity. These results indicate that LFP recordings are an excellent approach to measure spatial resolution from local populations of neurons in visual cortex including those responsive to color. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

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.

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

Scaduto, DA; Hu, Y-H; Zhao, W

Purpose: Spatial resolution in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is affected by inherent/binned detector resolution, oblique entry of x-rays, and focal spot size/motion; the limited angular range further limits spatial resolution in the depth-direction. While DBT is being widely adopted clinically, imaging performance metrics and quality control protocols have not been standardized. AAPM Task Group 245 on Tomosynthesis Quality Control has been formed to address this deficiency. Methods: Methods of measuring spatial resolution are evaluated using two prototype quality control phantoms for DBT. Spatial resolution in the detector plane is measured in projection and reconstruction domains using edge-spread function (ESF), point-spreadmore » function (PSF) and modulation transfer function (MTF). Spatial resolution in the depth-direction and effective slice thickness are measured in the reconstruction domain using slice sensitivity profile (SSP) and artifact spread function (ASF). An oversampled PSF in the depth-direction is measured using a 50 µm angulated tungsten wire, from which the MTF is computed. Object-dependent PSF is derived and compared with ASF. Sensitivity of these measurements to phantom positioning, imaging conditions and reconstruction algorithms is evaluated. Results are compared from systems of varying acquisition geometry (9–25 projections over 15–60°). Dependence of measurements on feature size is investigated. Results: Measurements of spatial resolution using PSF and LSF are shown to depend on feature size; depth-direction spatial resolution measurements are shown to similarly depend on feature size for ASF, though deconvolution with an object function removes feature size-dependence. A slanted wire may be used to measure oversampled PSFs, from which MTFs may be computed for both in-plane and depth-direction resolution. Conclusion: Spatial resolution measured using PSF is object-independent with sufficiently small object; MTF is object-independent. Depth-direction spatial resolution may be measured directly using MTF or indirectly using ASF or SSP as surrogate measurements. While MTF is object-independent, it is invalid for nonlinear reconstructions.« less

Spatial and temporal remote sensing data fusion for vegetation monitoring

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The suite of available remote sensing instruments varies widely in terms of sensor characteristics, spatial resolution and acquisition frequency. For example, the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides daily global observations at 250m to 1km spatial resolution. While imagery...

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.

Measurement of basic characteristics and gain uniformity of a triple GEM detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patra, Rajendra Nath; Singaraju, Rama N.; Biswas, Saikat; Ahammed, Zubayer; Nayak, Tapan K.; Viyogi, Yogendra P.

2017-08-01

Large area Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors have been the preferred choice for tracking devices in major nuclear and particle physics experiments. Uniformity over surface of the detector in terms of gain, energy resolution and efficiency is crucial for the optimum performance of these detectors. In the present work, detailed performance study of a 10×10 cm2 triple GEM detector operated using Ar and CO2 gas mixtures in proportions of 70:30 and 90:10, has been made by making a voltage scan of the efficiency with 106Ru-Rh β-source and cosmic rays. The gain and energy resolution of the detector were studied using the X-ray spectrum of 55Fe source. The uniformity of the detector has been investigated by dividing the detector in 7×7 zones and measuring the gain and energy resolution at the centre of each zone. The variations of the gain and energy resolution have been found to be 8.8% and 6.7%, respectively. These studies are essential to characterise GEM detectors before their final use in the experiments.

Spatially resolved variations in reflectivity across iron oxide thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Chris S.; Thompson, Sarah M.; Gilks, Daniel; Sizeland, James; Lari, Leonardo; Lazarov, Vlado K.; Matsuzaki, Kosuke; LeFrançois, Stéphane; Cinque, Gianfelice; Dumas, Paul

2017-11-01

The spin polarising properties of the iron oxide magnetite (Fe3O4) make it attractive for use in spintronic devices, but its sensitivity to compositional and structural variations make it challenging to prepare reliably. Infrared microspectroscopy and modelling are used to determine the spatial variation in the chemical composition of three thin films of iron oxide; one prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), one by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) deposition of iron whilst simultaneously flowing oxygen into the chamber and one by flowing oxygen only once deposition is complete. The technique is easily able to distinguish between films which contain metallic iron and different iron oxide phases as well as spatial variations in composition across the films. The film grown by post-oxidising iron is spatially uniform but not fully oxidised, the film grown by simultaneously oxidising iron showed spatial variation in oxide composition while the film grown by PLD was spatially uniform magnetite.

Engine Handling.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-02-01

la sells do mosures. Lair eat aspirE & 1’extdriour do la colliule A travers un filtre & poussibres, passe doe 1e conver- gent qui d~livre un dcoulemont...system, so that the spatially nonuniform , steady flow is seen as unsteady but spatially uniform.’ A single-streatube model is used for purely...in Uniform and Nonuniform Flow." Journal of Engineering for Power, Vol. 102, October 1980, pp. 762-769. 12Fabri, J. "Rotating Stall in Axial Flow

Estimation of Orbital Neutron Detector Spatial Resolution by Systematic Shifting of Differential Topographic Masks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McClanahan, T. P.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Boynton, W. V.; Chin, G.; Livengood, T.; Starr, R. D.; Evans, L. G.; Mazarico, E.; Smith, D. E.

2012-01-01

We present a method and preliminary results related to determining the spatial resolution of orbital neutron detectors using epithermal maps and differential topographic masks. Our technique is similar to coded aperture imaging methods for optimizing photonic signals in telescopes [I]. In that approach photon masks with known spatial patterns in a telescope aperature are used to systematically restrict incoming photons which minimizes interference and enhances photon signal to noise. Three orbital neutron detector systems with different stated spatial resolutions are evaluated. The differing spatial resolutions arise due different orbital altitudes and the use of neutron collimation techniques. 1) The uncollimated Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer (LPNS) system has spatial resolution of 45km FWHM from approx. 30km altitude mission phase [2]. The Lunar Rennaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) with two detectors at 50km altitude evaluated here: 2) the collimated 10km FWHM spatial resolution detector CSETN and 3) LEND's collimated Sensor for Epithermal Neutrons (SETN). Thus providing two orbital altitudes to study factors of: uncollimated vs collimated and two average altitudes for their effect on fields-of-view.

Some effects of finite spatial resolution on skin friction measurements in turbulent boundary layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Westphal, Russell V.

1988-01-01

The effects of finite spatial resolution often cause serious errors in measurements in turbulent boundary layers, with particularly large effects for measurements of fluctuating skin friction and velocities within the sublayer. However, classical analyses of finite spatial resolution effects have generally not accounted for the substantial inhomogeneity and anisotropy of near-wall turbulence. The present study has made use of results from recent computational simulations of wall-bounded turbulent flows to examine spatial resolution effects for measurements made at a wall using both single-sensor probes and those employing two sensing volumes in a V shape. Results are presented to show the effects of finite spatial resolution on a variety of quantitites deduced from the skin friction field.

Impact of earthquake source complexity and land elevation data resolution on tsunami hazard assessment and fatality estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammad, Ario; Goda, Katsuichiro

2018-03-01

This study investigates the impact of model complexity in source characterization and digital elevation model (DEM) resolution on the accuracy of tsunami hazard assessment and fatality estimation through a case study in Padang, Indonesia. Two types of earthquake source models, i.e. complex and uniform slip models, are adopted by considering three resolutions of DEMs, i.e. 150 m, 50 m, and 10 m. For each of the three grid resolutions, 300 complex source models are generated using new statistical prediction models of earthquake source parameters developed from extensive finite-fault models of past subduction earthquakes, whilst 100 uniform slip models are constructed with variable fault geometry without slip heterogeneity. The results highlight that significant changes to tsunami hazard and fatality estimates are observed with regard to earthquake source complexity and grid resolution. Coarse resolution (i.e. 150 m) leads to inaccurate tsunami hazard prediction and fatality estimation, whilst 50-m and 10-m resolutions produce similar results. However, velocity and momentum flux are sensitive to the grid resolution and hence, at least 10-m grid resolution needs to be implemented when considering flow-based parameters for tsunami hazard and risk assessments. In addition, the results indicate that the tsunami hazard parameters and fatality number are more sensitive to the complexity of earthquake source characterization than the grid resolution. Thus, the uniform models are not recommended for probabilistic tsunami hazard and risk assessments. Finally, the findings confirm that uncertainties of tsunami hazard level and fatality in terms of depth, velocity and momentum flux can be captured and visualized through the complex source modeling approach. From tsunami risk management perspectives, this indeed creates big data, which are useful for making effective and robust decisions.

Development of depth encoding small animal PET detectors using dual-ended readout of pixelated scintillator arrays with SiPMs.

PubMed

Kuang, Zhonghua; Sang, Ziru; Wang, Xiaohui; Fu, Xin; Ren, Ning; Zhang, Xianming; Zheng, Yunfei; Yang, Qian; Hu, Zhanli; Du, Junwei; Liang, Dong; Liu, Xin; Zheng, Hairong; Yang, Yongfeng

2018-02-01

The performance of current small animal PET scanners is mainly limited by the detector performance and depth encoding detectors are required to develop PET scanner to simultaneously achieve high spatial resolution and high sensitivity. Among all depth encoding PET detector approaches, dual-ended readout detector has the advantage to achieve the highest depth of interaction (DOI) resolution and spatial resolution. Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) is believed to be the photodetector of the future for PET detector due to its excellent properties as compared to the traditional photodetectors such as photomultiplier tube (PMT) and avalanche photodiode (APD). The purpose of this work is to develop high resolution depth encoding small animal PET detector using dual-ended readout of finely pixelated scintillator arrays with SiPMs. Four lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) arrays with 11 × 11 crystals and 11.6 × 11.6 × 20 mm 3 outside dimension were made using ESR, Toray and BaSO 4 reflectors. The LYSO arrays were read out with Hamamatsu 4 × 4 SiPM arrays from both ends. The SiPM array has a pixel size of 3 × 3 mm 2 , 0.2 mm gap in between the pixels and a total active area of 12.6 × 12.6 mm 2 . The flood histograms, DOI resolution, energy resolution and timing resolution of the four detector modules were measured and compared. All crystals can be clearly resolved from the measured flood histograms of all four arrays. The BaSO 4 arrays provide the best and the ESR array provides the worst flood histograms. The DOI resolution obtained from the DOI profiles of the individual crystals of the four array is from 2.1 to 2.35 mm for events with E > 350 keV. The DOI ratio variation among crystals is bigger for the BaSO 4 arrays as compared to both the ESR and Toray arrays. The BaSO 4 arrays provide worse detector based DOI resolution. The photopeak amplitude of the Toray array had the maximum change with depth, it provides the worst energy resolution of 21.3%. The photopeak amplitude of the BaSO 4 array with 80 μm reflector almost doesn't change with depth, it provides the best energy resolution of 12.9%. A maximum timing shift of 1.37 ns to 1.61 ns among the corner and the center crystals in the four arrays was obtained due to the use of resistor network readout. A crystal based timing resolution of 0.68 ns to 0.83 ns and a detector based timing resolution of 1.26 ns to 1.45 ns were obtained for the four detector modules. Four high resolution depth encoding small animal PET detectors were developed using dual-ended readout of pixelated scintillator arrays with SiPMs. The performance results show that those detectors can be used to build a small animal PET scanner to simultaneously achieve uniform high spatial resolution and high sensitivity. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Characterization and modelling of the spatially- and spectrally-varying point-spread function in hyperspectral imaging systems for computational correction of axial optical aberrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Špiclin, Žiga; Bürmen, Miran; Pernuš, Franjo; Likar, Boštjan

2012-03-01

Spatial resolution of hyperspectral imaging systems can vary significantly due to axial optical aberrations that originate from wavelength-induced index-of-refraction variations of the imaging optics. For systems that have a broad spectral range, the spatial resolution will vary significantly both with respect to the acquisition wavelength and with respect to the spatial position within each spectral image. Variations of the spatial resolution can be effectively characterized as part of the calibration procedure by a local image-based estimation of the pointspread function (PSF) of the hyperspectral imaging system. The estimated PSF can then be used in the image deconvolution methods to improve the spatial resolution of the spectral images. We estimated the PSFs from the spectral images of a line grid geometric caliber. From individual line segments of the line grid, the PSF was obtained by a non-parametric estimation procedure that used an orthogonal series representation of the PSF. By using the non-parametric estimation procedure, the PSFs were estimated at different spatial positions and at different wavelengths. The variations of the spatial resolution were characterized by the radius and the fullwidth half-maximum of each PSF and by the modulation transfer function, computed from images of USAF1951 resolution target. The estimation and characterization of the PSFs and the image deconvolution based spatial resolution enhancement were tested on images obtained by a hyperspectral imaging system with an acousto-optic tunable filter in the visible spectral range. The results demonstrate that the spatial resolution of the acquired spectral images can be significantly improved using the estimated PSFs and image deconvolution methods.

Evaluating the Value of High Spatial Resolution in National Capacity Expansion Models using ReEDS

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

Krishnan, Venkat; Cole, Wesley

2016-11-14

Power sector capacity expansion models (CEMs) have a broad range of spatial resolutions. This paper uses the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model, a long-term national scale electric sector CEM, to evaluate the value of high spatial resolution for CEMs. ReEDS models the United States with 134 load balancing areas (BAs) and captures the variability in existing generation parameters, future technology costs, performance, and resource availability using very high spatial resolution data, especially for wind and solar modeled at 356 resource regions. In this paper we perform planning studies at three different spatial resolutions--native resolution (134 BAs), state-level, and NERCmore » region level--and evaluate how results change under different levels of spatial aggregation in terms of renewable capacity deployment and location, associated transmission builds, and system costs. The results are used to ascertain the value of high geographically resolved models in terms of their impact on relative competitiveness among renewable energy resources.« less

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.

Experimental evaluation and basis function optimization of the spatially variant image-space PSF on the Ingenuity PET/MR scanner

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

Kotasidis, Fotis A., E-mail: Fotis.Kotasidis@unige.ch; Zaidi, Habib; Geneva Neuroscience Centre, Geneva University, CH-1205 Geneva

2014-06-15

Purpose: The Ingenuity time-of-flight (TF) PET/MR is a recently developed hybrid scanner combining the molecular imaging capabilities of PET with the excellent soft tissue contrast of MRI. It is becoming common practice to characterize the system's point spread function (PSF) and understand its variation under spatial transformations to guide clinical studies and potentially use it within resolution recovery image reconstruction algorithms. Furthermore, due to the system's utilization of overlapping and spherical symmetric Kaiser-Bessel basis functions during image reconstruction, its image space PSF and reconstructed spatial resolution could be affected by the selection of the basis function parameters. Hence, a detailedmore » investigation into the multidimensional basis function parameter space is needed to evaluate the impact of these parameters on spatial resolution. Methods: Using an array of 12 × 7 printed point sources, along with a custom made phantom, and with the MR magnet on, the system's spatially variant image-based PSF was characterized in detail. Moreover, basis function parameters were systematically varied during reconstruction (list-mode TF OSEM) to evaluate their impact on the reconstructed resolution and the image space PSF. Following the spatial resolution optimization, phantom, and clinical studies were subsequently reconstructed using representative basis function parameters. Results: Based on the analysis and under standard basis function parameters, the axial and tangential components of the PSF were found to be almost invariant under spatial transformations (∼4 mm) while the radial component varied modestly from 4 to 6.7 mm. Using a systematic investigation into the basis function parameter space, the spatial resolution was found to degrade for basis functions with a large radius and small shape parameter. However, it was found that optimizing the spatial resolution in the reconstructed PET images, while having a good basis function superposition and keeping the image representation error to a minimum, is feasible, with the parameter combination range depending upon the scanner's intrinsic resolution characteristics. Conclusions: Using the printed point source array as a MR compatible methodology for experimentally measuring the scanner's PSF, the system's spatially variant resolution properties were successfully evaluated in image space. Overall the PET subsystem exhibits excellent resolution characteristics mainly due to the fact that the raw data are not under-sampled/rebinned, enabling the spatial resolution to be dictated by the scanner's intrinsic resolution and the image reconstruction parameters. Due to the impact of these parameters on the resolution properties of the reconstructed images, the image space PSF varies both under spatial transformations and due to basis function parameter selection. Nonetheless, for a range of basis function parameters, the image space PSF remains unaffected, with the range depending on the scanner's intrinsic resolution properties.« less

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.

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

The Chandra Source Catalog: X-ray Aperture Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashyap, Vinay; Primini, F. A.; Glotfelty, K. J.; Anderson, C. S.; Bonaventura, N. R.; Chen, J. C.; Davis, J. E.; Doe, S. M.; Evans, I. N.; Evans, J. D.; Fabbiano, G.; Galle, E.; Gibbs, D. G.; Grier, J. D.; Hain, R.; Hall, D. M.; Harbo, P. N.; He, X.; Houck, J. C.; Karovska, M.; Lauer, J.; McCollough, M. L.; McDowell, J. C.; Miller, J. B.; Mitschang, A. W.; Morgan, D. L.; Nichols, J. S.; Nowak, M. A.; Plummer, D. A.; Refsdal, B. L.; Rots, A. H.; Siemiginowska, A. L.; Sundheim, B. A.; Tibbetts, M. S.; Van Stone, D. W.; Winkelman, S. L.; Zografou, P.

2009-01-01

The Chandra Source Catalog represents a reanalysis of the entire ACIS and HRC imaging observations over the 9-year Chandra mission. Source detection is carried out on a uniform basis, using the CIAO tool wavdetect, and source fluxes are estimated post-facto using a Bayesian method that accounts for background, spatial resolution effects, and contamination from nearby sources. We use gamma-function prior distributions, which could be either non-informative, or in case there exist previous observations of the same source, strongly informative. The resulting posterior probability density functions allow us to report the flux and a robust credible range on it. We also determine limiting sensitivities at arbitrary locations in the field using the same formulation. This work was supported by CXC NASA contracts NAS8-39073 (VK) and NAS8-03060 (CSC).

Spectral characterisation of aperiodic normal-incidence Sb/B4C multilayer mirrors for the λ < 124 Å range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vishnyakov, E. A.; Kopylets, I. A.; Kondratenko, V. V.; Kolesnikov, A. O.; Pirozhkov, A. S.; Ragozin, E. N.; Shatokhin, A. N.

2018-03-01

Three broadband aperiodic Sb/B4C multilayer mirrors were synthesised for the purposes of soft X-ray optics and spectroscopy in the wavelength range beyond the L-edge of Si (λ < 124 Å), and their reflection spectra were measured. The multilayer structures were optimised for maximum uniform reflectivity in the ranges 100–120 Å, 95–105 Å and 90–100 Å. The reflection spectra were recorded using a laboratory laser-plasma radiation source and an electronic detector with a 2D spatial resolution (a CCD matrix with 13 × 13 μm sized pixels). The experimental spectra are compared with theoretical calculations. The effect of lower antimony and B4C layer densities on the reflection spectra is discussed.

Developing targets for radiation transport experiments at the Omega laser facility

DOE PAGES

Capelli, Deanna; Charsley-Groffman, C. A.; Randolph, Randall Blaine; ...

2017-07-13

Targets have been developed to measure supersonic radiation transport in aerogel foams using absorption spectroscopy. The target consists of an aerogel foam uniformly doped with either titanium or scandium inserted into an undoped aerogel foam package. This creates a localized doped foam region to provide spatial resolution for the measurement. Development and characterization of the foams is a key challenge in addition to machining and assembling the two foams so they mate without gaps. The foam package is inserted into a beryllium sleeve and mounted on a gold hohlraum. The target is mounted to a holder created using additive manufacturingmore » and mounted on a stalk. As a result, the manufacturing of the components, along with assembly and metrology of the target are described here.« less

Compressed sensing for ultrasound computed tomography.

PubMed

van Sloun, Ruud; Pandharipande, Ashish; Mischi, Massimo; Demi, Libertario

2015-06-01

Ultrasound computed tomography (UCT) allows the reconstruction of quantitative tissue characteristics, such as speed of sound, mass density, and attenuation. Lowering its acquisition time would be beneficial; however, this is fundamentally limited by the physical time of flight and the number of transmission events. In this letter, we propose a compressed sensing solution for UCT. The adopted measurement scheme is based on compressed acquisitions, with concurrent randomised transmissions in a circular array configuration. Reconstruction of the image is then obtained by combining the born iterative method and total variation minimization, thereby exploiting variation sparsity in the image domain. Evaluation using simulated UCT scattering measurements shows that the proposed transmission scheme performs better than uniform undersampling, and is able to reduce acquisition time by almost one order of magnitude, while maintaining high spatial resolution.

Developing targets for radiation transport experiments at the Omega laser facility

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

Capelli, Deanna; Charsley-Groffman, C. A.; Randolph, Randall Blaine

Targets have been developed to measure supersonic radiation transport in aerogel foams using absorption spectroscopy. The target consists of an aerogel foam uniformly doped with either titanium or scandium inserted into an undoped aerogel foam package. This creates a localized doped foam region to provide spatial resolution for the measurement. Development and characterization of the foams is a key challenge in addition to machining and assembling the two foams so they mate without gaps. The foam package is inserted into a beryllium sleeve and mounted on a gold hohlraum. The target is mounted to a holder created using additive manufacturingmore » and mounted on a stalk. As a result, the manufacturing of the components, along with assembly and metrology of the target are described here.« less

Diagnostics Upgrades for Investigations of HOM Effects in TESLA-type SCRF Cavities

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

Lumpkin, A. H.; Edstrom Jr., D.; Ruan, J.

We describe the upgrades to diagnostic capabilities on the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) electron linear accelerator that will allow investigations of the effects of high-order modes (HOMs) in SCRF cavities on macropulse-average beam quality. We examine the dipole modes in the first pass-band generally observed in the 1.6-1.9 GHz regime for TESLA-type SCRF cavities due to uniform transverse beam offsets of the electron beam. Such cavities are the basis of the accelerators such as the European XFEL and the proposed MaRIE XFEL facility. Preliminary HOM detector data, prototype BPM test data, and first framing camera OTR data withmore » ~20- micron spatial resolution at 250 pC per bunch will be presented.« less

Patterns of mortality in a montane mixed-conifer forest in San Diego County, California.

PubMed

Freeman, Mary Pyott; Stow, Douglas A; An, Li

2017-10-01

We examine spatial patterns of conifer tree mortality and their changes over time for the montane mixed-conifer forests of San Diego County. These forest areas have recently experienced extensive tree mortality due to multiple factors. A spatial contextual image processing approach was utilized with high spatial resolution digital airborne imagery to map dead trees for the years 1997, 2000, 2002, and 2005 for three study areas: Palomar, Volcan, and Laguna mountains. Plot-based fieldwork was conducted to further assess mortality patterns. Mean mortality remained static from 1997 to 2002 (4, 2.2, and 4.2 trees/ha for Palomar, Volcan, and Laguna) and then increased by 2005 to 10.3, 9.7, and 5.2 trees/ha, respectively. The increase in mortality between 2002 and 2005 represents the temporal pattern of a discrete disturbance event, attributable to the 2002-2003 drought. Dead trees are significantly clustered for all dates, based on spatial cluster analysis, indicating that they form distinct groups, as opposed to spatially random single dead trees. Other tests indicate no directional shift or spread of mortality over time, but rather an increase in density. While general temporal and spatial mortality processes are uniform across all study areas, the plot-based species and quantity distribution of mortality, and diameter distributions of dead vs. living trees, vary by study area. The results of this study improve our understanding of stand- to landscape-level forest structure and dynamics, particularly by examining them from the multiple perspectives of field and remotely sensed data. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Aligned metal absorbers and the ultraviolet background at the end of reionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doughty, Caitlin; Finlator, Kristian; Oppenheimer, Benjamin D.; Davé, Romeel; Zackrisson, Erik

2018-04-01

We use observations of spatially aligned C II, C IV, Si II, Si IV, and O I absorbers to probe the slope and intensity of the ultraviolet background (UVB) at z ˜ 6. We accomplish this by comparing observations with predictions from a cosmological hydrodynamic simulation using three trial UVBs applied in post-processing: a spectrally soft, fluctuating UVB calculated using multifrequency radiative transfer; a soft, spatially uniform UVB; and a hard, spatially uniform `quasars-only' model. When considering our paired high-ionization absorbers (C IV/Si IV), the observed statistics strongly prefer the hard, spatially uniform UVB. This echoes recent findings that cosmological simulations generically underproduce strong C IV absorbers at z > 5. A single low/high ionization pair (Si II/Si IV), by contrast, shows a preference for the HM12 UVB, whereas two more (C II/C IV and O I/C IV) show no preference for any of the three UVBs. Despite this, future observations of specific absorbers, particularly Si IV/C IV, with next-generation telescopes probing to lower column densities should yield tighter constraints on the UVB.

Effects of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography on spatial scaling of net primary productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J. M.; Chen, X.; Ju, W.

2013-03-01

Due to the heterogeneous nature of the land surface, spatial scaling is an inevitable issue in the development of land models coupled with low-resolution Earth system models (ESMs) for predicting land-atmosphere interactions and carbon-climate feedbacks. In this study, a simple spatial scaling algorithm is developed to correct errors in net primary productivity (NPP) estimates made at a coarse spatial resolution based on sub-pixel information of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography. An eco-hydrological model BEPS-TerrainLab, which considers both vegetation and topographical effects on the vertical and lateral water flows and the carbon cycle, is used to simulate NPP at 30 m and 1 km resolutions for a 5700 km2 watershed with an elevation range from 518 m to 3767 m in the Qinling Mountain, Shaanxi Province, China. Assuming that the NPP simulated at 30 m resolution represents the reality and that at 1 km resolution is subject to errors due to sub-pixel heterogeneity, a spatial scaling index (SSI) is developed to correct the coarse resolution NPP values pixel by pixel. The agreement between the NPP values at these two resolutions is improved considerably from R2 = 0.782 to R2 = 0.884 after the correction. The mean bias error (MBE) in NPP modeled at the 1 km resolution is reduced from 14.8 g C m-2 yr-1 to 4.8 g C m-2 yr-1 in comparison with NPP modeled at 30 m resolution, where the mean NPP is 668 g C m-2 yr-1. The range of spatial variations of NPP at 30 m resolution is larger than that at 1 km resolution. Land cover fraction is the most important vegetation factor to be considered in NPP spatial scaling, and slope is the most important topographical factor for NPP spatial scaling especially in mountainous areas, because of its influence on the lateral water redistribution, affecting water table, soil moisture and plant growth. Other factors including leaf area index (LAI), elevation and aspect have small and additive effects on improving the spatial scaling between these two resolutions.

Effects of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography on spatial scaling of net primary productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J. M.; Chen, X.; Ju, W.

2013-07-01

Due to the heterogeneous nature of the land surface, spatial scaling is an inevitable issue in the development of land models coupled with low-resolution Earth system models (ESMs) for predicting land-atmosphere interactions and carbon-climate feedbacks. In this study, a simple spatial scaling algorithm is developed to correct errors in net primary productivity (NPP) estimates made at a coarse spatial resolution based on sub-pixel information of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography. An eco-hydrological model BEPS-TerrainLab, which considers both vegetation and topographical effects on the vertical and lateral water flows and the carbon cycle, is used to simulate NPP at 30 m and 1 km resolutions for a 5700 km2 watershed with an elevation range from 518 m to 3767 m in the Qinling Mountain, Shanxi Province, China. Assuming that the NPP simulated at 30 m resolution represents the reality and that at 1 km resolution is subject to errors due to sub-pixel heterogeneity, a spatial scaling index (SSI) is developed to correct the coarse resolution NPP values pixel by pixel. The agreement between the NPP values at these two resolutions is improved considerably from R2 = 0.782 to R2 = 0.884 after the correction. The mean bias error (MBE) in NPP modelled at the 1 km resolution is reduced from 14.8 g C m-2 yr-1 to 4.8 g C m-2 yr-1 in comparison with NPP modelled at 30 m resolution, where the mean NPP is 668 g C m-2 yr-1. The range of spatial variations of NPP at 30 m resolution is larger than that at 1 km resolution. Land cover fraction is the most important vegetation factor to be considered in NPP spatial scaling, and slope is the most important topographical factor for NPP spatial scaling especially in mountainous areas, because of its influence on the lateral water redistribution, affecting water table, soil moisture and plant growth. Other factors including leaf area index (LAI) and elevation have small and additive effects on improving the spatial scaling between these two resolutions.

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

Li, Ke; Chen, Guang-Hong, E-mail: gchen7@wisc.edu; Garrett, John

Purpose: Statistical model based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) methods have been introduced to clinical CT systems and are being used in some clinical diagnostic applications. The purpose of this paper is to experimentally assess the unique spatial resolution characteristics of this nonlinear reconstruction method and identify its potential impact on the detectabilities and the associated radiation dose levels for specific imaging tasks. Methods: The thoracic section of a pediatric phantom was repeatedly scanned 50 or 100 times using a 64-slice clinical CT scanner at four different dose levels [CTDI{sub vol} =4, 8, 12, 16 (mGy)]. Both filtered backprojection (FBP) and MBIRmore » (Veo{sup ®}, GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI) were used for image reconstruction and results were compared with one another. Eight test objects in the phantom with contrast levels ranging from 13 to 1710 HU were used to assess spatial resolution. The axial spatial resolution was quantified with the point spread function (PSF), while the z resolution was quantified with the slice sensitivity profile. Both were measured locally on the test objects and in the image domain. The dependence of spatial resolution on contrast and dose levels was studied. The study also features a systematic investigation of the potential trade-off between spatial resolution and locally defined noise and their joint impact on the overall image quality, which was quantified by the image domain-based channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) detectability index d′. Results: (1) The axial spatial resolution of MBIR depends on both radiation dose level and image contrast level, whereas it is supposedly independent of these two factors in FBP. The axial spatial resolution of MBIR always improved with an increasing radiation dose level and/or contrast level. (2) The axial spatial resolution of MBIR became equivalent to that of FBP at some transitional contrast level, above which MBIR demonstrated superior spatial resolution than FBP (and vice versa); the value of this transitional contrast highly depended on the dose level. (3) The PSFs of MBIR could be approximated as Gaussian functions with reasonably good accuracy. (4) Thez resolution of MBIR showed similar contrast and dose dependence. (5) Noise standard deviation assessed on the edges of objects demonstrated a trade-off with spatial resolution in MBIR. (5) When both spatial resolution and image noise were considered using the CHO analysis, MBIR led to significant improvement in the overall CT image quality for both high and low contrast detection tasks at both standard and low dose levels. Conclusions: Due to the intrinsic nonlinearity of the MBIR method, many well-known CT spatial resolution and noise properties have been modified. In particular, dose dependence and contrast dependence have been introduced to the spatial resolution of CT images by MBIR. The method has also introduced some novel noise-resolution trade-off not seen in traditional CT images. While the benefits of MBIR regarding the overall image quality, as demonstrated in this work, are significant, the optimal use of this method in clinical practice demands a thorough understanding of its unique physical characteristics.« less

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.

Assessment of a New High-Performance Small-Animal X-Ray Tomograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaquero, J. J.; Redondo, S.; Lage, E.; Abella, M.; Sisniega, A.; Tapias, G.; Montenegro, M. L. Soto; Desco, M.

2008-06-01

We have developed a new X-ray cone-beam tomograph for in vivo small-animal imaging using a flat panel detector (CMOS technology with a microcolumnar CsI scintillator plate) and a microfocus X-ray source. The geometrical configuration was designed to achieve a spatial resolution of about 12 lpmm with a field of view appropriate for laboratory rodents. In order to achieve high performance with regard to per-animal screening time and cost, the acquisition software takes advantage of the highest frame rate of the detector and performs on-the-fly corrections on the detector raw data. These corrections include geometrical misalignments, sensor non-uniformities, and defective elements. The resulting image is then converted to attenuation values. We measured detector modulation transfer function (MTF), detector stability, system resolution, quality of the reconstructed tomographic images and radiated dose. The system resolution was measured following the standard test method ASTM E 1695 -95. For image quality evaluation, we assessed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) as a function of the radiated dose. Dose studies for different imaging protocols were performed by introducing TLD dosimeters in representative organs of euthanized laboratory rats. Noise figure, measured as standard deviation, was 50 HU for a dose of 10 cGy. Effective dose with standard research protocols is below 200 mGy, confirming that the system is appropriate for in vivo imaging. Maximum spatial resolution achieved was better than 50 micron. Our experimental results obtained with image quality phantoms as well as with in-vivo studies show that the proposed configuration based on a CMOS flat panel detector and a small micro-focus X-ray tube leads to a compact design that provides good image quality and low radiated dose, and it could be used as an add-on for existing PET or SPECT scanners.

Effect of Electric Field Gradient on Sub-nanometer Spatial Resolution of Tip-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Meng, Lingyan; Yang, Zhilin; Chen, Jianing; Sun, Mengtao

2015-01-01

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) with sub-nanometer spatial resolution has been recently demonstrated experimentally. However, the physical mechanism underlying is still under discussion. Here we theoretically investigate the electric field gradient of a coupled tip-substrate system. Our calculations suggest that the ultra-high spatial resolution of TERS can be partially attributed to the electric field gradient effect owning to its tighter spatial confinement and sensitivity to the infrared (IR)-active of molecules. Particularly, in the case of TERS of flat-lying H2TBPP molecules,we find the electric field gradient enhancement is the dominating factor for the high spatial resolution, which qualitatively coincides with previous experimental report. Our theoretical study offers a new paradigm for understanding the mechanisms of the ultra-high spatial resolution demonstrated in tip-enhanced spectroscopy which is of importance but neglected. PMID:25784161

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.

How Attention Affects Spatial Resolution

PubMed Central

Carrasco, Marisa; Barbot, Antoine

2015-01-01

We summarize and discuss a series of psychophysical studies on the effects of spatial covert attention on spatial resolution, our ability to discriminate fine patterns. Heightened resolution is beneficial in most, but not all, visual tasks. We show how endogenous attention (voluntary, goal driven) and exogenous attention (involuntary, stimulus driven) affect performance on a variety of tasks mediated by spatial resolution, such as visual search, crowding, acuity, and texture segmentation. Exogenous attention is an automatic mechanism that increases resolution regardless of whether it helps or hinders performance. In contrast, endogenous attention flexibly adjusts resolution to optimize performance according to task demands. We illustrate how psychophysical studies can reveal the underlying mechanisms of these effects and allow us to draw linking hypotheses with known neurophysiological effects of attention. PMID:25948640

SST Variation Due to Interactive Convective-Radiative Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tao, W.-K.; Shie, C.-L.; Johnson, D.; Simpson, J.; Li, X.; Sui, C.-H.

2000-01-01

The recent linking of Cloud-Resolving Models (CRMs) to Ocean-Mixed Layer (OML) models has provided a powerful new means of quantifying the role of cloud systems in ocean-atmosphere coupling. This is due to the fact that the CRM can better resolve clouds and cloud systems and allow for explicit cloud-radiation interaction. For example, Anderson (1997) applied an atmospheric forcing associated with a CRM simulated squall line to a 3-D OML model (one way or passive interaction). His results suggested that the spatial variability resulting from the squall forcing can last at least 24 hours when forced with otherwise spatially uniform fluxes. In addition, the sea surface salinity (SSS) variability continuously decreased following the forcing, while some of the SST variability remained when a diurnal mixed layer capped off the surface structure. The forcing used in the OML model, however, focused on shorter time (8 h) and smaller spatial scales (100-120 km). In this study, the 3-D Goddard Cumulus Ensemble Model (GCE; 512 x 512 x 23 cu km, 2-km horizontal resolution) is used to simulate convective active episodes occurring in the Western Pacific warm pool and Eastern Atlantic regions. The model is integrated for seven days, and the simulated results are coupled to an OML model to better understand the impact of precipitation and changes in the planetary boundary layer upon SST variation. We will specifically examine and compare the results of linking the OML model with various spatially-averaged outputs from GCE simulations (i.e., 2 km vs. 10-50 km horizontal resolutions), in order to help understand the SST sensitivity to multi-scale influences. This will allow us to assess the importance of explicitly simulated deep and shallow clouds, as well as the subgrid-scale effects (in coarse-model runs) upon SST variation. Results using both 1-D and 2-D OML models will be evaluated to assess the effects of horizontal advection.

The Highest Resolution X-ray View of the Nuclear Region of NGC 4151

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Junfeng; Fabbiano, G.; Karovska, M.; Elvis, M.; Risaliti, G.; Zezas, A.; Mundell, C. G.

2009-09-01

We report high resolution imaging of the nucleus of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151 obtained with a 50 ks Chandra HRC observation. The HRC image resolves the emission on spatial scales of 0.5 arcsec (30 pc), showing an extended X-ray morphology overall consistent with the narrow line region seen in optical line emission. Removal of the bright point-like nuclear source and image deconvolution technique both reveal X-ray enhancements that closely match the substructures seen in the HST [OIII] image and prominent knots in the radio jet. We find that most of the NLR clouds in NGC 4151 have [OIII] to soft X-ray ratio consistent with the values observed in NLRs of some Seyfert 2 galaxies, which indicates a uniform ionization parameter even at large radii and a density dependence ∝ r^{-2} as expected in the disk wind scenario. We examine various X-ray emission mechanisms of the radio jet and consider thermal emission from interaction between radio outflow and the NLR clouds the most probable origin for the X-ray emission associated with the jet.

Design and characterization of the ePix10k: a high dynamic range integrating pixel ASIC for LCLS detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caragiulo, P.; Dragone, A.; Markovic, B.; Herbst, R.; Nishimura, K.; Reese, B.; Herrmann, S.; Hart, P.; Blaj, G.; Segal, J.; Tomada, A.; Hasi, J.; Carini, G.; Kenney, C.; Haller, G.

2015-05-01

ePix10k is a variant of a novel class of integrating pixel ASICs architectures optimized for the processing of signals in second generation LINAC Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-Ray cameras. The ASIC is optimized for high dynamic range application requiring high spatial resolution and fast frame rates. ePix ASICs are based on a common platform composed of a random access analog matrix of pixel with global shutter, fast parallel column readout, and dedicated sigma-delta analog to digital converters per column. The ePix10k variant has 100um×100um pixels arranged in a 176×192 matrix, a resolution of 140e- r.m.s. and a signal range of 3.5pC (10k photons at 8keV). In its final version it will be able to sustain a frame rate of 2kHz. A first prototype has been fabricated and characterized. Performance in terms of noise, linearity, uniformity, cross-talk, together with preliminary measurements with bump bonded sensors are reported here.

Large-format 17μm high-end VOx μ-bolometer infrared detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizrahi, U.; Argaman, N.; Elkind, S.; Giladi, A.; Hirsh, Y.; Labilov, M.; Pivnik, I.; Shiloah, N.; Singer, M.; Tuito, A.; Ben-Ezra, M.; Shtrichman, I.

2013-06-01

Long range sights and targeting systems require a combination of high spatial resolution, low temporal NETD, and wide field of view. For practical electro-optical systems it is hard to support these constraints simultaneously. Moreover, achieving these needs with the relatively low-cost Uncooled μ-Bolometer technology is a major challenge in the design and implementation of both the bolometer pixel and the Readout Integrated Circuit (ROIC). In this work we present measured results from a new, large format (1024×768) detector array, with 17μm pitch. This detector meets the demands of a typical armored vehicle sight with its high resolution and large format, together with low NETD of better than 35mK (at F/1, 30Hz). We estimate a Recognition Range for a NATO target of better than 4 km at all relevant atmospheric conditions, which is better than standard 2nd generation scanning array cooled detector. A new design of the detector package enables improved stability of the Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC) to environmental temperature drifts.

Coherence and Chaos Phenomena in Josephson Oscillators for Superconducting Electronics.

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-25

represents dissipation due j+(a+/b)+ b--i(a-) to the surface resistance of the superconducting films , y is the uniform bias current normalized to the...represents series loss due series of time-dependent Fourier spatial compo- to surface resistance of the superconducting films , nents. Tis approach provides...case is that in which there is no ing films , y is the spatially uniform bias current normal- external magnetic field applied to the junction. In this

Characterization of a commercial hybrid iterative and model-based reconstruction algorithm in radiation oncology

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

Price, Ryan G.; Vance, Sean; Cattaneo, Richard

2014-08-15

Purpose: Iterative reconstruction (IR) reduces noise, thereby allowing dose reduction in computed tomography (CT) while maintaining comparable image quality to filtered back-projection (FBP). This study sought to characterize image quality metrics, delineation, dosimetric assessment, and other aspects necessary to integrate IR into treatment planning. Methods: CT images (Brilliance Big Bore v3.6, Philips Healthcare) were acquired of several phantoms using 120 kVp and 25–800 mAs. IR was applied at levels corresponding to noise reduction of 0.89–0.55 with respect to FBP. Noise power spectrum (NPS) analysis was used to characterize noise magnitude and texture. CT to electron density (CT-ED) curves were generatedmore » over all IR levels. Uniformity as well as spatial and low contrast resolution were quantified using a CATPHAN phantom. Task specific modulation transfer functions (MTF{sub task}) were developed to characterize spatial frequency across objects of varied contrast. A prospective dose reduction study was conducted for 14 patients undergoing interfraction CT scans for high-dose rate brachytherapy. Three physicians performed image quality assessment using a six-point grading scale between the normal-dose FBP (reference), low-dose FBP, and low-dose IR scans for the following metrics: image noise, detectability of the vaginal cuff/bladder interface, spatial resolution, texture, segmentation confidence, and overall image quality. Contouring differences between FBP and IR were quantified for the bladder and rectum via overlap indices (OI) and Dice similarity coefficients (DSC). Line profile and region of interest analyses quantified noise and boundary changes. For two subjects, the impact of IR on external beam dose calculation was assessed via gamma analysis and changes in digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) were quantified. Results: NPS showed large reduction in noise magnitude (50%), and a slight spatial frequency shift (∼0.1 mm{sup −1}) with application of IR at L6. No appreciable changes were observed for CT-ED curves between FBP and IR levels [maximum difference ∼13 HU for bone (∼1% difference)]. For uniformity, differences were ∼1 HU between FBP and IR. Spatial resolution was well conserved; the largest MTF{sub task} decrease between FBP and IR levels was 0.08 A.U. No notable changes in low-contrast detectability were observed and CNR increased substantially with IR. For the patient study, qualitative image grading showed low-dose IR was equivalent to or slightly worse than normal dose FBP, and is superior to low-dose FBP (p < 0.001 for noise), although these did not translate to differences in CT number, contouring ability, or dose calculation. The largest CT number discrepancy from FBP occurred at a bone/tissue interface using the most aggressive IR level [−1.2 ± 4.9 HU (range: −17.6–12.5 HU)]. No clinically significant contour differences were found between IR and FBP, with OIs and DSCs ranging from 0.85 to 0.95. Negligible changes in dose calculation were observed. DRRs preserved anatomical detail with <2% difference in intensity from FBP combined with aggressive IRL6. Conclusions: These results support integrating IR into treatment planning. While slight degradation in edges and shift in texture were observed in phantom, patient results show qualitative image grading, contouring ability, and dosimetric parameters were not adversely affected.« less

Super-resolution optical microscopy for studying membrane structure and dynamics.

PubMed

Sezgin, Erdinc

2017-07-12

Investigation of cell membrane structure and dynamics requires high spatial and temporal resolution. The spatial resolution of conventional light microscopy is limited due to the diffraction of light. However, recent developments in microscopy enabled us to access the nano-scale regime spatially, thus to elucidate the nanoscopic structures in the cellular membranes. In this review, we will explain the resolution limit, address the working principles of the most commonly used super-resolution microscopy techniques and summarise their recent applications in the biomembrane field.

Determination of in-flight AVIRIS spectral, radiometric, spatial and signal-to-noise characteristics using atmospheric and surface measurements from the vicinity of the rare-earth-bearing carbonatite at Mountain Pass, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Robert O.; Vane, Gregg; Conel, James E.

1988-01-01

An assessment of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) performance was made for a flight over Mountain Pass, California, July 30, 1987. The flight data were reduced to reflectance using an empirical algorithm which compensates for solar, atmospheric and instrument factors. AVIRIS data in conjunction with surface and atmospheric measurements acquired concurrently were used to develop an improved spectral calibration. An accurate in-flight radiometric calibration was also performed using the LOWTRAN 7 radiative transfer code together with measured surface reflectance and atmospheric optical depths. A direct comparison with coincident Thematic Mapper imagery of Mountain Pass was used to demonstrate the high spatial resolution and good geometric performance of AVIRIS. The in-flight instrument noise was independently determined with two methods which showed good agreement. A signal-to-noise ratio was calculated using data from a uniform playa. This ratio was scaled to the AVIRIS reference radiance model, which provided a basis for comparison with laboratory and other in-flight signal-to-noise determinations.

Comparison of alternative spatial resolutions in the application of a spatially distributed biogeochemical model over complex terrain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turner, D.P.; Dodson, R.; Marks, D.

1996-01-01

Spatially distributed biogeochemical models may be applied over grids at a range of spatial resolutions, however, evaluation of potential errors and loss of information at relatively coarse resolutions is rare. In this study, a georeferenced database at the 1-km spatial resolution was developed to initialize and drive a process-based model (Forest-BGC) of water and carbon balance over a gridded 54976 km2 area covering two river basins in mountainous western Oregon. Corresponding data sets were also prepared at 10-km and 50-km spatial resolutions using commonly employed aggregation schemes. Estimates were made at each grid cell for climate variables including daily solar radiation, air temperature, humidity, and precipitation. The topographic structure, water holding capacity, vegetation type and leaf area index were likewise estimated for initial conditions. The daily time series for the climatic drivers was developed from interpolations of meteorological station data for the water year 1990 (1 October 1989-30 September 1990). Model outputs at the 1-km resolution showed good agreement with observed patterns in runoff and productivity. The ranges for model inputs at the 10-km and 50-km resolutions tended to contract because of the smoothed topography. Estimates for mean evapotranspiration and runoff were relatively insensitive to changing the spatial resolution of the grid whereas estimates of mean annual net primary production varied by 11%. The designation of a vegetation type and leaf area at the 50-km resolution often subsumed significant heterogeneity in vegetation, and this factor accounted for much of the difference in the mean values for the carbon flux variables. Although area wide means for model outputs were generally similar across resolutions, difference maps often revealed large areas of disagreement. Relatively high spatial resolution analyses of biogeochemical cycling are desirable from several perspectives and may be particularly important in the study of the potential impacts of climate change.

Global Data Spatially Interrelate System for Scientific Big Data Spatial-Seamless Sharing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, J.; Wu, L.; Yang, Y.; Lei, X.; He, W.

2014-04-01

A good data sharing system with spatial-seamless services will prevent the scientists from tedious, boring, and time consuming work of spatial transformation, and hence encourage the usage of the scientific data, and increase the scientific innovation. Having been adopted as the framework of Earth datasets by Group on Earth Observation (GEO), Earth System Spatial Grid (ESSG) is potential to be the spatial reference of the Earth datasets. Based on the implementation of ESSG, SDOG-ESSG, a data sharing system named global data spatially interrelate system (GASE) was design to make the data sharing spatial-seamless. The architecture of GASE was introduced. The implementation of the two key components, V-Pools, and interrelating engine, and the prototype is presented. Any dataset is firstly resampled into SDOG-ESSG, and is divided into small blocks, and then are mapped into hierarchical system of the distributed file system in V-Pools, which together makes the data serving at a uniform spatial reference and at a high efficiency. Besides, the datasets from different data centres are interrelated by the interrelating engine at the uniform spatial reference of SDOGESSG, which enables the system to sharing the open datasets in the internet spatial-seamless.

Fixed Pattern Noise pixel-wise linear correction for crime scene imaging CMOS sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jie; Messinger, David W.; Dube, Roger R.; Ientilucci, Emmett J.

2017-05-01

Filtered multispectral imaging technique might be a potential method for crime scene documentation and evidence detection due to its abundant spectral information as well as non-contact and non-destructive nature. Low-cost and portable multispectral crime scene imaging device would be highly useful and efficient. The second generation crime scene imaging system uses CMOS imaging sensor to capture spatial scene and bandpass Interference Filters (IFs) to capture spectral information. Unfortunately CMOS sensors suffer from severe spatial non-uniformity compared to CCD sensors and the major cause is Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN). IFs suffer from "blue shift" effect and introduce spatial-spectral correlated errors. Therefore, Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN) correction is critical to enhance crime scene image quality and is also helpful for spatial-spectral noise de-correlation. In this paper, a pixel-wise linear radiance to Digital Count (DC) conversion model is constructed for crime scene imaging CMOS sensor. Pixel-wise conversion gain Gi,j and Dark Signal Non-Uniformity (DSNU) Zi,j are calculated. Also, conversion gain is divided into four components: FPN row component, FPN column component, defects component and effective photo response signal component. Conversion gain is then corrected to average FPN column and row components and defects component so that the sensor conversion gain is uniform. Based on corrected conversion gain and estimated image incident radiance from the reverse of pixel-wise linear radiance to DC model, corrected image spatial uniformity can be enhanced to 7 times as raw image, and the bigger the image DC value within its dynamic range, the better the enhancement.

Image quality and stability of image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) devices: A comparative study.

PubMed

Stock, Markus; Pasler, Marlies; Birkfellner, Wolfgang; Homolka, Peter; Poetter, Richard; Georg, Dietmar

2009-10-01

Our aim was to implement standards for quality assurance of IGRT devices used in our department and to compare their performances with that of a CT simulator. We investigated image quality parameters for three devices over a period of 16months. A multislice CT was used as a benchmark and results related to noise, spatial resolution, low contrast visibility (LCV) and uniformity were compared with a cone beam CT (CBCT) at a linac and simulator. All devices performed well in terms of LCV and, in fact, exceeded vendor specifications. MTF was comparable between CT and linac CBCT. Integral nonuniformity was, on average, 0.002 for the CT and 0.006 for the linac CBCT. Uniformity, LCV and MTF varied depending on the protocols used for the linac CBCT. Contrast-to-noise ratio was an average of 51% higher for the CT than for the linac and simulator CBCT. No significant time trend was observed and tolerance limits were implemented. Reasonable differences in image quality between CT and CBCT were observed. Further research and development are necessary to increase image quality of commercially available CBCT devices in order for them to serve the needs for adaptive and/or online planning.

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.

Nonhydrostatic simulation of hyperpycnal river plumes on sloping continental shelves: Flow structures and nonhydrostatic effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, Chien-Yung; Chou, Yi-Ju

2018-04-01

A three-dimensional nonhydrostatic coastal model SUNTANS is used to study hyperpycnal plumes on sloping continental shelves with idealized domain setup. The study aims to examine the nonhydrostatic effect of the plunging hyperpycnal plume and the associated flow structures on different shelf slopes. The unstructured triangular grid in SUNTANS allows for local refinement of the grid size for regions in which the flow varies abruptly, while retaining low-cost computation using the coarse grid resolution for regions in which the flow is more uniform. These nonhydrostatic simulations reveal detailed three-dimensional flow structures in both transient and steady states. Via comparison with the hydrostatic simulation, we show that the nonhydrostatic effect is particularly important before plunging, when the plume is subject to significant changes in both the along-shore and vertical directions. After plunging, where the plume becomes an undercurrent that is more spatially uniform, little difference is found between the hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic simulations in the present gentle- and mild-slope cases. A grid-dependence study shows that the nonhydrostatic effect can be seen only when the grid resolution is sufficiently fine that the calculation is not overly diffusive. A depth-integrated momentum budget analysis is then conducted to show that the flow convergence due to plunging is an important factor in the three-dimensional flow structures. Moreover, it shows that the nonhydrostatic effect becomes more important as the slope increases, and in the steep-slope case, neglect of transport of the vertical momentum during plunging in the hydrostatic case further leads to an erroneous prediction for the undercurrent.

Imaging characteristics of scintimammography using parallel-hole and pinhole collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsui, B. M. W.; Wessell, D. E.; Zhao, X. D.; Wang, W. T.; Lewis, D. P.; Frey, E. C.

1998-08-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the imaging characteristics of scintimammography (SM) using parallel-hole (PR) and pinhole (PN) collimators in a clinical setting. Experimental data were acquired from a phantom that models the breast with small lesions using a low energy high resolution (LEHR) PR and a PN collimator. At close distances, the PN collimator provides better spatial resolution and higher detection efficiency than the PR collimator, at the expense of a smaller field-of-view (FOV). Detection of small breast lesions can be further enhanced by noise smoothing, field uniformity correction, scatter subtraction and resolution recovery filtering. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation data were generated from the 3D MCAT phantom that realistically models the Tc-99m sestamibi uptake and attenuation distributions in an average female patient. For both PR and PN collimation, the scatter to primary ratio (S/P) decreases from the base of the breast to the nipple and is higher in the left than right breast due to scatter of photons from the heart. Results from the study add to understanding of the imaging characteristics of SM using PR and PN collimators and assist in the design of data acquisition and image processing methods to enhance the detection of breast lesions using SM.

Energy research with neutrons (ErwiN) and installation of a fast neutron powder diffraction option at the MLZ, Germany1

PubMed Central

Mühlbauer, Martin J.

2018-01-01

The need for rapid data collection and studies of small sample volumes in the range of cubic millimetres are the main driving forces for the concept of a new high-throughput monochromatic diffraction instrument at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Germany. A large region of reciprocal space will be accessed by a detector with sufficient dynamic range and microsecond time resolution, while allowing for a variety of complementary sample environments. The medium-resolution neutron powder diffraction option for ‘energy research with neutrons’ (ErwiN) at the high-flux FRM II neutron source at the MLZ is foreseen to meet future demand. ErwiN will address studies of energy-related systems and materials with respect to their structure and uniformity by means of bulk and spatially resolved neutron powder diffraction. A set of experimental options will be implemented, enabling time-resolved studies, rapid parametric measurements as a function of external parameters and studies of small samples using an adapted radial collimator. The proposed powder diffraction option ErwiN will bridge the gap in functionality between the high-resolution powder diffractometer SPODI and the time-of-flight diffractometers POWTEX and SAPHiR at the MLZ. PMID:29896055

Large-watershed flood simulation and forecasting based on different-resolution distributed hydrological model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.

2017-12-01

Large-watershed flood simulation and forecasting is very important for a distributed hydrological model in the application. There are some challenges including the model's spatial resolution effect, model performance and accuracy and so on. To cope with the challenge of the model's spatial resolution effect, different model resolution including 1000m*1000m, 600m*600m, 500m*500m, 400m*400m, 200m*200m were used to build the distributed hydrological model—Liuxihe model respectively. The purpose is to find which one is the best resolution for Liuxihe model in Large-watershed flood simulation and forecasting. This study sets up a physically based distributed hydrological model for flood forecasting of the Liujiang River basin in south China. Terrain data digital elevation model (DEM), soil type and land use type are downloaded from the website freely. The model parameters are optimized by using an improved Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO) algorithm; And parameter optimization could reduce the parameter uncertainty that exists for physically deriving model parameters. The different model resolution (200m*200m—1000m*1000m ) are proposed for modeling the Liujiang River basin flood with the Liuxihe model in this study. The best model's spatial resolution effect for flood simulation and forecasting is 200m*200m.And with the model's spatial resolution reduction, the model performance and accuracy also become worse and worse. When the model resolution is 1000m*1000m, the flood simulation and forecasting result is the worst, also the river channel divided based on this resolution is differs from the actual one. To keep the model with an acceptable performance, minimum model spatial resolution is needed. The suggested threshold model spatial resolution for modeling the Liujiang River basin flood is a 500m*500m grid cell, but the model spatial resolution with a 200m*200m grid cell is recommended in this study to keep the model at a best performance.

Analysis of the impact of spatial resolution on land/water classifications using high-resolution aerial imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Enwright, Nicholas M.; Jones, William R.; Garber, Adrienne L.; Keller, Matthew J.

2014-01-01

Long-term monitoring efforts often use remote sensing to track trends in habitat or landscape conditions over time. To most appropriately compare observations over time, long-term monitoring efforts strive for consistency in methods. Thus, advances and changes in technology over time can present a challenge. For instance, modern camera technology has led to an increasing availability of very high-resolution imagery (i.e. submetre and metre) and a shift from analogue to digital photography. While numerous studies have shown that image resolution can impact the accuracy of classifications, most of these studies have focused on the impacts of comparing spatial resolution changes greater than 2 m. Thus, a knowledge gap exists on the impacts of minor changes in spatial resolution (i.e. submetre to about 1.5 m) in very high-resolution aerial imagery (i.e. 2 m resolution or less). This study compared the impact of spatial resolution on land/water classifications of an area dominated by coastal marsh vegetation in Louisiana, USA, using 1:12,000 scale colour-infrared analogue aerial photography (AAP) scanned at four different dot-per-inch resolutions simulating ground sample distances (GSDs) of 0.33, 0.54, 1, and 2 m. Analysis of the impact of spatial resolution on land/water classifications was conducted by exploring various spatial aspects of the classifications including density of waterbodies and frequency distributions in waterbody sizes. This study found that a small-magnitude change (1–1.5 m) in spatial resolution had little to no impact on the amount of water classified (i.e. percentage mapped was less than 1.5%), but had a significant impact on the mapping of very small waterbodies (i.e. waterbodies ≤ 250 m2). These findings should interest those using temporal image classifications derived from very high-resolution aerial photography as a component of long-term monitoring programs.

Polymeric spatial resolution test patterns for mass spectrometry imaging using nano-thermal analysis with atomic force microscopy

DOE PAGES

Tai, Tamin; Kertesz, Vilmos; Lin, Ming -Wei; ...

2017-05-11

As the spatial resolution of mass spectrometry imaging technologies has begun to reach into the nanometer regime, finding readily available or easily made resolution reference materials has become particularly challenging for molecular imaging purposes. This study describes the fabrication, characterization and use of vertical line array polymeric spatial resolution test patterns for nano-thermal analysis/atomic force microscopy/mass spectrometry chemical imaging.

Polymeric spatial resolution test patterns for mass spectrometry imaging using nano-thermal analysis with atomic force microscopy

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

Tai, Tamin; Kertesz, Vilmos; Lin, Ming -Wei

As the spatial resolution of mass spectrometry imaging technologies has begun to reach into the nanometer regime, finding readily available or easily made resolution reference materials has become particularly challenging for molecular imaging purposes. This study describes the fabrication, characterization and use of vertical line array polymeric spatial resolution test patterns for nano-thermal analysis/atomic force microscopy/mass spectrometry chemical imaging.

High density event-related potential data acquisition in cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Slotnick, Scott D

2010-04-16

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is currently the standard method of evaluating brain function in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience, in part because fMRI data acquisition and analysis techniques are readily available. Because fMRI has excellent spatial resolution but poor temporal resolution, this method can only be used to identify the spatial location of brain activity associated with a given cognitive process (and reveals virtually nothing about the time course of brain activity). By contrast, event-related potential (ERP) recording, a method that is used much less frequently than fMRI, has excellent temporal resolution and thus can track rapid temporal modulations in neural activity. Unfortunately, ERPs are under utilized in Cognitive Neuroscience because data acquisition techniques are not readily available and low density ERP recording has poor spatial resolution. In an effort to foster the increased use of ERPs in Cognitive Neuroscience, the present article details key techniques involved in high density ERP data acquisition. Critically, high density ERPs offer the promise of excellent temporal resolution and good spatial resolution (or excellent spatial resolution if coupled with fMRI), which is necessary to capture the spatial-temporal dynamics of human brain function.

Hyperspectral imagery super-resolution by compressive sensing inspired dictionary learning and spatial-spectral regularization.

PubMed

Huang, Wei; Xiao, Liang; Liu, Hongyi; Wei, Zhihui

2015-01-19

Due to the instrumental and imaging optics limitations, it is difficult to acquire high spatial resolution hyperspectral imagery (HSI). Super-resolution (SR) imagery aims at inferring high quality images of a given scene from degraded versions of the same scene. This paper proposes a novel hyperspectral imagery super-resolution (HSI-SR) method via dictionary learning and spatial-spectral regularization. The main contributions of this paper are twofold. First, inspired by the compressive sensing (CS) framework, for learning the high resolution dictionary, we encourage stronger sparsity on image patches and promote smaller coherence between the learned dictionary and sensing matrix. Thus, a sparsity and incoherence restricted dictionary learning method is proposed to achieve higher efficiency sparse representation. Second, a variational regularization model combing a spatial sparsity regularization term and a new local spectral similarity preserving term is proposed to integrate the spectral and spatial-contextual information of the HSI. Experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively recover spatial information and better preserve spectral information. The high spatial resolution HSI reconstructed by the proposed method outperforms reconstructed results by other well-known methods in terms of both objective measurements and visual evaluation.

Temporal ventriloquism along the path of apparent motion: speed perception under different spatial grouping principles.

PubMed

Ogulmus, Cansu; Karacaoglu, Merve; Kafaligonul, Hulusi

2018-03-01

The coordination of intramodal perceptual grouping and crossmodal interactions plays a critical role in constructing coherent multisensory percepts. However, the basic principles underlying such coordinating mechanisms still remain unclear. By taking advantage of an illusion called temporal ventriloquism and its influences on perceived speed, we investigated how audiovisual interactions in time are modulated by the spatial grouping principles of vision. In our experiments, we manipulated the spatial grouping principles of proximity, uniform connectedness, and similarity/common fate in apparent motion displays. Observers compared the speed of apparent motions across different sound timing conditions. Our results revealed that the effects of sound timing (i.e., temporal ventriloquism effects) on perceived speed also existed in visual displays containing more than one object and were modulated by different spatial grouping principles. In particular, uniform connectedness was found to modulate these audiovisual interactions in time. The effect of sound timing on perceived speed was smaller when horizontal connecting bars were introduced along the path of apparent motion. When the objects in each apparent motion frame were not connected or connected with vertical bars, the sound timing was more influential compared to the horizontal bar conditions. Overall, our findings here suggest that the effects of sound timing on perceived speed exist in different spatial configurations and can be modulated by certain intramodal spatial grouping principles such as uniform connectedness.

Linking a one-dimensional pesticide fate model to a three-dimensional groundwater model to simulate pollution risks of shallow and deep groundwater underlying fractured till.

PubMed

Stenemo, Fredrik; Jørgensen, Peter R; Jarvis, Nicholas

2005-09-01

The one-dimensional pesticide fate model MACRO was loose-linked to the three-dimensional discrete fracture/matrix diffusion model FRAC3DVS to describe transport of the pesticide mecoprop in a fractured moraine till and local sand aquifer (5-5.5 m depth) overlying a regional limestone aquifer (16 m depth) at Havdrup, Denmark. Alternative approaches to describe the upper boundary in the groundwater model were examined. Field-scale simulations were run to compare a uniform upper boundary condition with a spatially variable upper boundary derived from Monte-Carlo simulations with MACRO. Plot-scale simulations were run to investigate the influence of the temporal resolution of the upper boundary conditions for fluxes in the groundwater model and the effects of different assumptions concerning the macropore/fracture connectivity between the two models. The influence of within-field variability of leaching on simulated mecoprop concentrations in the local aquifer was relatively small. A fully transient simulation with FRAC3DVS gave 20 times larger leaching to the regional aquifer compared to the case with steady-state water flow, assuming full connectivity with respect to macropores/fractures across the boundary between the two models. For fully transient simulations 'disconnecting' the macropores/fractures at the interface between the two models reduced leaching by a factor 24. A fully connected, transient simulation with FRAC3DVS, with spatially uniform upper boundary fluxes derived from a MACRO simulation with 'effective' parameters is therefore recommended for assessing leaching risks to the regional aquifer, at this, and similar sites.

Study on Mosaic and Uniform Color Method of Satellite Image Fusion in Large Srea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, S.; Li, H.; Wang, X.; Guo, L.; Wang, R.

2018-04-01

Due to the improvement of satellite radiometric resolution and the color difference for multi-temporal satellite remote sensing images and the large amount of satellite image data, how to complete the mosaic and uniform color process of satellite images is always an important problem in image processing. First of all using the bundle uniform color method and least squares mosaic method of GXL and the dodging function, the uniform transition of color and brightness can be realized in large area and multi-temporal satellite images. Secondly, using Color Mapping software to color mosaic images of 16bit to mosaic images of 8bit based on uniform color method with low resolution reference images. At last, qualitative and quantitative analytical methods are used respectively to analyse and evaluate satellite image after mosaic and uniformity coloring. The test reflects the correlation of mosaic images before and after coloring is higher than 95 % and image information entropy increases, texture features are enhanced which have been proved by calculation of quantitative indexes such as correlation coefficient and information entropy. Satellite image mosaic and color processing in large area has been well implemented.

Enhancing resolution and contrast in second-harmonic generation microscopy using an advanced maximum likelihood estimation restoration method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivaguru, Mayandi; Kabir, Mohammad M.; Gartia, Manas Ranjan; Biggs, David S. C.; Sivaguru, Barghav S.; Sivaguru, Vignesh A.; Berent, Zachary T.; Wagoner Johnson, Amy J.; Fried, Glenn A.; Liu, Gang Logan; Sadayappan, Sakthivel; Toussaint, Kimani C.

2017-02-01

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy is a label-free imaging technique to study collagenous materials in extracellular matrix environment with high resolution and contrast. However, like many other microscopy techniques, the actual spatial resolution achievable by SHG microscopy is reduced by out-of-focus blur and optical aberrations that degrade particularly the amplitude of the detectable higher spatial frequencies. Being a two-photon scattering process, it is challenging to define a point spread function (PSF) for the SHG imaging modality. As a result, in comparison with other two-photon imaging systems like two-photon fluorescence, it is difficult to apply any PSF-engineering techniques to enhance the experimental spatial resolution closer to the diffraction limit. Here, we present a method to improve the spatial resolution in SHG microscopy using an advanced maximum likelihood estimation (AdvMLE) algorithm to recover the otherwise degraded higher spatial frequencies in an SHG image. Through adaptation and iteration, the AdvMLE algorithm calculates an improved PSF for an SHG image and enhances the spatial resolution by decreasing the full-width-at-halfmaximum (FWHM) by 20%. Similar results are consistently observed for biological tissues with varying SHG sources, such as gold nanoparticles and collagen in porcine feet tendons. By obtaining an experimental transverse spatial resolution of 400 nm, we show that the AdvMLE algorithm brings the practical spatial resolution closer to the theoretical diffraction limit. Our approach is suitable for adaptation in micro-nano CT and MRI imaging, which has the potential to impact diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.

Spatially variant red blood cell crenation in alternating current non-uniform fields.

PubMed

An, Ran; Wipf, David O; Minerick, Adrienne R

2014-03-01

Alternating-current (AC) electrokinetics involve the movement and behaviors of particles or cells. Many applications, including dielectrophoretic manipulations, are dependent upon charge interactions between the cell or particle and the surrounding medium. Medium concentrations are traditionally treated as spatially uniform in both theoretical models and experiments. Human red blood cells (RBCs) are observed to crenate, or shrink due to changing osmotic pressure, over 10 min experiments in non-uniform AC electric fields. Cell crenation magnitude is examined as functions of frequency from 250 kHz to 1 MHz and potential from 10 Vpp to 17.5 Vpp over a 100 μm perpendicular electrode gap. Experimental results show higher peak to peak potential and lower frequency lead to greater cell volume crenation up to a maximum volume loss of 20%. A series of experiments are conducted to elucidate the physical mechanisms behind the red blood cell crenation. Non-uniform and uniform electrode systems as well as high and low ion concentration experiments are compared and illustrate that AC electroporation, system temperature, rapid temperature changes, medium pH, electrode reactions, and convection do not account for the crenation behaviors observed. AC electroosmotic was found to be negligible at these conditions and AC electrothermal fluid flows were found to reduce RBC crenation behaviors. These cell deformations were attributed to medium hypertonicity induced by ion concentration gradients in the spatially nonuniform AC electric fields.

Spatially uniform and nonuniform analyses of electroencephalographic dynamics,with application to the topography of the alpha rhythm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, S. C.; Robinson, P. A.

2004-07-01

Corticothalamic dynamics are investigated using a model in which spatial nonuniformities are incorporated via the coupling of spatial eigenmodes. Comparison of spectra generated using the nonuniform analysis with those generated using a uniform one demonstrates that, for most frequencies, local activity is only weakly dependent on activity elsewhere in the cortex; however, dispersion of low-wave-number activity ensures that distant dynamics influence local dynamics at low frequencies (below approximately 2Hz ), and at the alpha frequency (approximately 10Hz ), where propagating signals are inherently weakly damped, and wavelengths are large. When certain model parameters have similar spatial profiles, as is expected from physiology, the low-frequency discrepancies tend to cancel, and the uniform analysis with local parameter values is an adequate approximation to the full nonuniform one across the whole spectrum, at least for large-scale nonuniformities. After comparing the uniform and nonuniform analyses, we consider one possible application of the nonuniform analysis: studying the phenomenon of occipital alpha dominance, whereby the alpha frequency and power are greater at the back of the head (occipitally) than at the front. In order to infer realistic nonuniformities in the model parameters, the uniform version of the model is first fitted to data recorded from 98 normal subjects in a waking, eyes-closed state. This yields a set of parameters at each of five electrode sites along the midline. The inferred parameter nonuniformities are consistent with anatomical and physiological constraints. Introducing these spatial profiles into the full nonuniform model then quantitatively reproduces observed site-dependent variations in the alpha power and frequency. The results confirm that the frequency shift is mainly due to a decrease in the corticothalamic propagation delay, but indicate that the delay nonuniformity cannot account for the observed occipital increase in alpha power; the occipital alpha dominance is due to decreased cortical gains and increased thalamic gains in occipital regions compared to frontal ones.

Wavelet-based de-noising algorithm for images acquired with parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

PubMed

Delakis, Ioannis; Hammad, Omer; Kitney, Richard I

2007-07-07

Wavelet-based de-noising has been shown to improve image signal-to-noise ratio in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) while maintaining spatial resolution. Wavelet-based de-noising techniques typically implemented in MRI require that noise displays uniform spatial distribution. However, images acquired with parallel MRI have spatially varying noise levels. In this work, a new algorithm for filtering images with parallel MRI is presented. The proposed algorithm extracts the edges from the original image and then generates a noise map from the wavelet coefficients at finer scales. The noise map is zeroed at locations where edges have been detected and directional analysis is also used to calculate noise in regions of low-contrast edges that may not have been detected. The new methodology was applied on phantom and brain images and compared with other applicable de-noising techniques. The performance of the proposed algorithm was shown to be comparable with other techniques in central areas of the images, where noise levels are high. In addition, finer details and edges were maintained in peripheral areas, where noise levels are low. The proposed methodology is fully automated and can be applied on final reconstructed images without requiring sensitivity profiles or noise matrices of the receiver coils, therefore making it suitable for implementation in a clinical MRI setting.

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.

Demonstration of Airborne Wide Area Assessment Technologies at Pueblo Precision Bombing Ranges, Colorado. Hyperspectral Imaging, Version 2.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-27

the spatial and spectral resolution ...variety of geological and vegetation mapping efforts, the Hymap sensor offered the best available combination of spectral and spatial resolution , signal... The limitations of the technology currently relate to spatial and spectral resolution and geo- correction accuracy. Secondly, HSI datasets

The effect of spatial resolution upon cloud optical property retrievals. I - Optical thickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feind, Rand E.; Christopher, Sundar A.; Welch, Ronald M.

1992-01-01

High spectral and spatial resolution Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) imagery is used to study the effects of spatial resolution upon fair weather cumulus cloud optical thickness retrievals. As a preprocessing step, a variation of the Gao and Goetz three-band ratio technique is used to discriminate clouds from the background. The combination of the elimination of cloud shadow pixels and using the first derivative of the histogram allows for accurate cloud edge discrimination. The data are progressively degraded from 20 m to 960 m spatial resolution. The results show that retrieved cloud area increases with decreasing spatial resolution. The results also show that there is a monotonic decrease in retrieved cloud optical thickness with decreasing spatial resolution. It is also demonstrated that the use of a single, monospectral reflectance threshold is inadequate for identifying cloud pixels in fair weather cumulus scenes and presumably in any inhomogeneous cloud field. Cloud edges have a distribution of reflectance thresholds. The incorrect identification of cloud edges significantly impacts the accurate retrieval of cloud optical thickness values.

Spatial resolution of a spherical x-ray crystal spectrometer at various magnifications

DOE PAGES

Gao, Lan; Hill, K. W.; Bitter, M.; ...

2016-08-23

Here, a high spatial resolution of a few μm is often required for probing small-scale high-energy-density plasmas using high resolution x-ray imaging spectroscopy. This resolution can be achieved by adjusting system magnification to overcome the inherent limitation of the detector pixel size. Laboratory experiments on investigating the relation between spatial resolution and system magnification for a spherical crystal spectrometer are presented. Tungsten Lβ 2 rays from a tungsten-target micro-focus x-ray tube were diffracted by a Ge 440 crystal, which was spherically bent to a radius of 223 mm, and imaged onto an x-ray CCD with 13-μm pixel size. The source-to-crystalmore » (p) and crystal-to-detector (q) distances were varied to produce spatial magnifications ( M = q/p) ranging from 2 to 10. The inferred instrumental spatial width reduces with increasing system magnification M. However, the experimental measurement at each M is larger than the theoretical value of pixel size divided by M. Future work will focus on investigating possible broadening mechanisms that limit the spatial resolution.« less

Emotional cues enhance the attentional effects on spatial and temporal resolution.

PubMed

Bocanegra, Bruno R; Zeelenberg, René

2011-12-01

In the present study, we demonstrated that the emotional significance of a spatial cue enhances the effect of covert attention on spatial and temporal resolution (i.e., our ability to discriminate small spatial details and fast temporal flicker). Our results indicated that fearful face cues, as compared with neutral face cues, enhanced the attentional benefits in spatial resolution but also enhanced the attentional deficits in temporal resolution. Furthermore, we observed that the overall magnitudes of individuals' attentional effects correlated strongly with the magnitude of the emotion × attention interaction effect. Combined, these findings provide strong support for the idea that emotion enhances the strength of a cue's attentional response.

HESS Opinions: The need for process-based evaluation of large-domain hyper-resolution models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melsen, Lieke A.; Teuling, Adriaan J.; Torfs, Paul J. J. F.; Uijlenhoet, Remko; Mizukami, Naoki; Clark, Martyn P.

2016-03-01

A meta-analysis on 192 peer-reviewed articles reporting on applications of the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model in a distributed way reveals that the spatial resolution at which the model is applied has increased over the years, while the calibration and validation time interval has remained unchanged. We argue that the calibration and validation time interval should keep pace with the increase in spatial resolution in order to resolve the processes that are relevant at the applied spatial resolution. We identified six time concepts in hydrological models, which all impact the model results and conclusions. Process-based model evaluation is particularly relevant when models are applied at hyper-resolution, where stakeholders expect credible results both at a high spatial and temporal resolution.

HESS Opinions: The need for process-based evaluation of large-domain hyper-resolution models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melsen, L. A.; Teuling, A. J.; Torfs, P. J. J. F.; Uijlenhoet, R.; Mizukami, N.; Clark, M. P.

2015-12-01

A meta-analysis on 192 peer-reviewed articles reporting applications of the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model in a distributed way reveals that the spatial resolution at which the model is applied has increased over the years, while the calibration and validation time interval has remained unchanged. We argue that the calibration and validation time interval should keep pace with the increase in spatial resolution in order to resolve the processes that are relevant at the applied spatial resolution. We identified six time concepts in hydrological models, which all impact the model results and conclusions. Process-based model evaluation is particularly relevant when models are applied at hyper-resolution, where stakeholders expect credible results both at a high spatial and temporal resolution.

Effect of spatial resolution on remote sensing estimation of total evaporation in the uMngeni catchment, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoko, Cletah; Clark, David; Mengistu, Michael; Dube, Timothy; Bulcock, Hartley

2015-01-01

This study evaluated the effect of two readily available multispectral sensors: the newly launched 30 m spatial resolution Landsat 8 and the long-serving 1000 m moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) datasets in the spatial representation of total evaporation in the heterogeneous uMngeni catchment, South Africa, using the surface energy balance system model. The results showed that sensor spatial resolution plays a critical role in the accurate estimation of energy fluxes and total evaporation across a heterogeneous catchment. Landsat 8 estimates showed better spatial representation of the biophysical parameters and total evaporation for different land cover types, due to the relatively higher spatial resolution compared to the coarse spatial resolution MODIS sensor. Moreover, MODIS failed to capture the spatial variations of total evaporation estimates across the catchment. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed that MODIS-based total evaporation estimates did not show any significant differences across different land cover types (one-way ANOVA; F1.924=1.412, p=0.186). However, Landsat 8 images yielded significantly different estimates between different land cover types (one-way ANOVA; F1.993=5.185, p<0.001). The validation results showed that Landsat 8 estimates were more comparable to eddy covariance (EC) measurements than the MODIS-based total evaporation estimates. EC measurement on May 23, 2013, was 3.8 mm/day, whereas the Landsat 8 estimate on the same day was 3.6 mm/day, with MODIS showing significantly lower estimates of 2.3 mm/day. The findings of this study underscore the importance of spatial resolution in estimating spatial variations of total evaporation at the catchment scale, thus, they provide critical information on the relevance of the readily available remote sensing products in water resources management in data-scarce environments.

Multi-component time, spatial and frequency analysis of Paleoclimatic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristiano, Luigia; Stampa, Johannes; Feeser, Ingo; Dörfler, Walter; Meier, Thomas

2017-04-01

The investigation of the paleoclimatic data offers a powerful tool for understanding the impact of extreme climatic events as well as gradual climatic variations on the human development and cultural changes. The current global record of paleoclimatic data is relatively rich but is not generally uniformly structured and regionally distributed. The general characteristic of the reconstructed time series of paleoclimatic data is a not constant sampling interval and data resolution together with the presence of gaps in the record. Our database consists of pollen concentration from annually laminated lake sediments in two sites in Northern Germany. Such data characteristic offers the possibility for high-resolution palynological and sedimentological analyses on a well constrained time scale. Specifically we are interested to investigate the time dependence of proxies, and time and spatial correlation of the different observables respect each other. We present here a quantitative analysis of the pollent data in the frequency and time. In particular we are interested to understand the complexity of the system and understand the cause of sudden as well as the slow changes in the time dependence of the observables. We show as well our approach for handling the not uniform sampling interval and the broad frequency content characterizing the paleoclimatic databases. In particular we worked to the development of a robust data analysis to answer the key questions about the correlation between rapid climatic changes and changes in the human habits and quantitatively elaborate a model for the processed data. Here we present the preliminary results on synthetics as well as on real data for the data visualization for the trend identification with a smoothing procedure, for the identification of sharp changes in the data as function of time with AutoRegressive approach. In addition to that we use the cross-correlation and cross spectrum by applying the Multiple Filtering Technique(MFT) of different pollen data from same location and same pollen data from different locations to identify the short and long period terms and to quantify the similarities in time and frequency domain.

Boundary-induced pattern formation from uniform temporal oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohsokabe, Takahiro; Kaneko, Kunihiko

2018-04-01

Pattern dynamics triggered by fixing a boundary is investigated. By considering a reaction-diffusion equation that has a unique spatially uniform and limit cycle attractor under a periodic or Neumann boundary condition, and then by choosing a fixed boundary condition, we found three novel phases depending on the ratio of diffusion constants of activator to inhibitor: transformation of temporally periodic oscillation into a spatially periodic fixed pattern, travelling wave emitted from the boundary, and aperiodic spatiotemporal dynamics. The transformation into a fixed, periodic pattern is analyzed by crossing of local nullclines at each spatial point, shifted by diffusion terms, as is analyzed by using recursive equations, to obtain the spatial pattern as an attractor. The generality of the boundary-induced pattern formation as well as its relevance to biological morphogenesis is discussed.

Photospheric magnetic fields in six magnetographs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Virtanen, Ilpo; Mursula, Kalevi

2016-10-01

Photospheric magnetic field has been routinely observed since 1950s, but calibrated digital data exist only since 1970s. The longest uniform data set is measured at the Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO), covering 40 years from 1976 onwards. However, the WSO instrument operates in very low spatial resolution and suffers from saturation of strong fields. Other, higher resolution instruments like those at NSO Kitt Peak (KP) offer a more detailed view of the solar magnetic field, but several instrument updates make the data less uniform. While the different observatories show a similar large scale structure of the photospheric field, the measured magnetic field intensities differ significantly between the observatories. In this work we study the photospheric magnetic fields and, especially, the scaling of the magnetic field intensity between six independent data sets. We use synoptic maps constructed from the measurements of the photospheric magnetic field at Wilcox Solar Observatory, Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO), Kitt Peak (KP), SOLIS, SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI. We calculate the harmonic expansion of the magnetic field from all six data sets and investigate the scaling of harmonic coefficients between the observations. We investigate how scaling depends on latitude and field strength, as well as on the solar cycle phase, and what is the effect of polar field filling in KP, SOLIS and MDI. We find that scaling factors based on harmonic coefficients are in general smaller than scaling factors based on pixel-by-pixel comparison or histogram techniques. This indicates that a significant amount of total flux is contained in the high harmonics of the higher resolution observations that are beyond the resolution of WSO. We note that only scaling factors based on harmonic coefficients should be used when using the PFSS-model, since the other methods tend to lead to overestimated values of the magnetic flux. The scaling of the low order harmonic coefficients is typically different than for higher terms. The most problematic harmonic is the axial quadrupole term, which is known to be noisy and to suffer from observational limitations (e.g., the vantage point effect). We did not find significant solar cycle variation in the scaling factors.

A suite of phantom-based test methods for assessing image quality of photoacoustic tomography systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, William C.; Jia, Congxian; Wear, Keith A.; Garra, Brian S.; Pfefer, T. Joshua

2017-03-01

As Photoacoustic Tomography (PAT) matures and undergoes clinical translation, objective performance test methods are needed to facilitate device development, regulatory clearance and clinical quality assurance. For mature medical imaging modalities such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound, tissue-mimicking phantoms are frequently incorporated into consensus standards for performance testing. A well-validated set of phantom-based test methods is needed for evaluating performance characteristics of PAT systems. To this end, we have constructed phantoms using a custom tissue-mimicking material based on PVC plastisol with tunable, biologically-relevant optical and acoustic properties. Each phantom is designed to enable quantitative assessment of one or more image quality characteristics including 3D spatial resolution, spatial measurement accuracy, ultrasound/PAT co-registration, uniformity, penetration depth, geometric distortion, sensitivity, and linearity. Phantoms contained targets including high-intensity point source targets and dye-filled tubes. This suite of phantoms was used to measure the dependence of performance of a custom PAT system (equipped with four interchangeable linear array transducers of varying design) on design parameters (e.g., center frequency, bandwidth, element geometry). Phantoms also allowed comparison of image artifacts, including surface-generated clutter and bandlimited sensing artifacts. Results showed that transducer design parameters create strong variations in performance including a trade-off between resolution and penetration depth, which could be quantified with our method. This study demonstrates the utility of phantom-based image quality testing in device performance assessment, which may guide development of consensus standards for PAT systems.

Learning surface molecular structures via machine vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziatdinov, Maxim; Maksov, Artem; Kalinin, Sergei V.

2017-08-01

Recent advances in high resolution scanning transmission electron and scanning probe microscopies have allowed researchers to perform measurements of materials structural parameters and functional properties in real space with a picometre precision. In many technologically relevant atomic and/or molecular systems, however, the information of interest is distributed spatially in a non-uniform manner and may have a complex multi-dimensional nature. One of the critical issues, therefore, lies in being able to accurately identify (`read out') all the individual building blocks in different atomic/molecular architectures, as well as more complex patterns that these blocks may form, on a scale of hundreds and thousands of individual atomic/molecular units. Here we employ machine vision to read and recognize complex molecular assemblies on surfaces. Specifically, we combine Markov random field model and convolutional neural networks to classify structural and rotational states of all individual building blocks in molecular assembly on the metallic surface visualized in high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. We show how the obtained full decoding of the system allows us to directly construct a pair density function—a centerpiece in analysis of disorder-property relationship paradigm—as well as to analyze spatial correlations between multiple order parameters at the nanoscale, and elucidate reaction pathway involving molecular conformation changes. The method represents a significant shift in our way of analyzing atomic and/or molecular resolved microscopic images and can be applied to variety of other microscopic measurements of structural, electronic, and magnetic orders in different condensed matter systems.

Radioactive Quality Evaluation and Cross Validation of Data from the HJ-1A/B Satellites' CCD Sensors

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xin; Zhao, Xiang; Liu, Guodong; Kang, Qian; Wu, Donghai

2013-01-01

Data from multiple sensors are frequently used in Earth science to gain a more complete understanding of spatial information changes. Higher quality and mutual consistency are prerequisites when multiple sensors are jointly used. The HJ-1A/B satellites successfully launched on 6 September 2008. There are four charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors with uniform spatial resolutions and spectral range onboard the HJ-A/B satellites. Whether these data are keeping consistency is a major issue before they are used. This research aims to evaluate the data consistency and radioactive quality from the four CCDs. First, images of urban, desert, lake and ocean are chosen as the objects of evaluation. Second, objective evaluation variables, such as mean, variance and angular second moment, are used to identify image performance. Finally, a cross validation method are used to ensure the correlation of the data from the four HJ-1A/B CCDs and that which is gathered from the moderate resolution imaging spectro-radiometer (MODIS). The results show that the image quality of HJ-1A/B CCDs is stable, and the digital number distribution of CCD data is relatively low. In cross validation with MODIS, the root mean square errors of bands 1, 2 and 3 range from 0.055 to 0.065, and for band 4 it is 0.101. The data from HJ-1A/B CCD have better consistency. PMID:23881127

Forward modelling of global gravity fields with 3D density structures and an application to the high-resolution ( 2 km) gravity fields of the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šprlák, M.; Han, S.-C.; Featherstone, W. E.

2017-12-01

Rigorous modelling of the spherical gravitational potential spectra from the volumetric density and geometry of an attracting body is discussed. Firstly, we derive mathematical formulas for the spatial analysis of spherical harmonic coefficients. Secondly, we present a numerically efficient algorithm for rigorous forward modelling. We consider the finite-amplitude topographic modelling methods as special cases, with additional postulates on the volumetric density and geometry. Thirdly, we implement our algorithm in the form of computer programs and test their correctness with respect to the finite-amplitude topography routines. For this purpose, synthetic and realistic numerical experiments, applied to the gravitational field and geometry of the Moon, are performed. We also investigate the optimal choice of input parameters for the finite-amplitude modelling methods. Fourth, we exploit the rigorous forward modelling for the determination of the spherical gravitational potential spectra inferred by lunar crustal models with uniform, laterally variable, radially variable, and spatially (3D) variable bulk density. Also, we analyse these four different crustal models in terms of their spectral characteristics and band-limited radial gravitation. We demonstrate applicability of the rigorous forward modelling using currently available computational resources up to degree and order 2519 of the spherical harmonic expansion, which corresponds to a resolution of 2.2 km on the surface of the Moon. Computer codes, a user manual and scripts developed for the purposes of this study are publicly available to potential users.

Automated Land Cover Change Detection and Mapping from Hidden Parameter Estimates of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) Time-Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, S.; Banerjee, A.; Gupta, S. K. S.; Christensen, P. R.; Papandreou-Suppappola, A.

2017-12-01

Multitemporal observations acquired frequently by satellites with short revisit periods such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), is an important source for modeling land cover. Due to the inherent seasonality of the land cover, harmonic modeling reveals hidden state parameters characteristic to it, which is used in classifying different land cover types and in detecting changes due to natural or anthropogenic factors. In this work, we use an eight day MODIS composite to create a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time-series of ten years. Improved hidden parameter estimates of the nonlinear harmonic NDVI model are obtained using the Particle Filter (PF), a sequential Monte Carlo estimator. The nonlinear estimation based on PF is shown to improve parameter estimation for different land cover types compared to existing techniques that use the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), due to linearization of the harmonic model. As these parameters are representative of a given land cover, its applicability in near real-time detection of land cover change is also studied by formulating a metric that captures parameter deviation due to change. The detection methodology is evaluated by considering change as a rare class problem. This approach is shown to detect change with minimum delay. Additionally, the degree of change within the change perimeter is non-uniform. By clustering the deviation in parameters due to change, this spatial variation in change severity is effectively mapped and validated with high spatial resolution change maps of the given regions.

Use of earth field spin echo NMR to search for liquid minerals

DOEpatents

Stoeffl, Wolfgang

2001-01-01

An instrument for measuring the spatial, qualitative and quantitative parameters of an underground nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) active liquid mineral deposit, including oil and water. A phased array of excitation and receiver antennas on the surface and/or in a borehole excites the NMR active nuclei in the deposit, and using known techniques from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the spatial and quantitative distribution of the deposit can be measured. A surface array may utilize, for example, four large (50-500 diameter) diameter wire loops laid on the ground surface, and a weak (1.5-2.5 kHz) alternating current (AC) field applied, matching the NMR frequency of hydrogen in the rather flat and uniform earth magnetic field. For a short duration (a few seconds) an additional gradient field can be generated, superimposed to the earth field, by applying direct current (DC) to the grid (wire loops), enhancing the position sensitivity of the spin-echo and also suppressing large surface water signals by shifting them to a different frequency. The surface coil excitation can be combined with downhole receivers, which are much more radio-quiet compared to surface receivers, and this combination also enhances the position resolution of the MRI significantly. A downhole receiver module, for example, may have a 5.5 inch diameter and fit in a standard six inch borehole having a one-quarter inch thick stainless steel casing. The receiver module may include more than one receiver units for improved penetration and better position resolution.

The GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and the Global Observing System for Total Lightning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, Steven J.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Koshak, W.; Buechler, D.; Carey, L.; Chronis, T.; Mach, D.; Bateman, M.; Peterson, H.; McCaul, E. W., Jr.;

Multiple Velocity Profile Measurements in Hypersonic Flows Using Sequentially-Imaged Fluorescence Tagging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bathel, Brett F.; Danehy, Paul M.; Inman, Jennifer A.; Jones, Stephen B.; Ivey,Christopher b.; Goyne, Christopher P.

2010-01-01

Nitric-oxide planar laser-induced fluorescence (NO PLIF) was used to perform velocity measurements in hypersonic flows by generating multiple tagged lines which fluoresce as they convect downstream. For each laser pulse, a single interline, progressive scan intensified CCD (charge-coupled device) camera was used to obtain two sequential images of the NO molecules that had been tagged by the laser. The CCD configuration allowed for sub-microsecond acquisition of both images, resulting in sub-microsecond temporal resolution as well as sub-mm spatial resolution (0.5-mm horizontal, 0.7-mm vertical). Determination of axial velocity was made by application of a cross-correlation analysis of the horizontal shift of individual tagged lines. A numerical study of measured velocity error due to a uniform and linearly-varying collisional rate distribution was performed. Quantification of systematic errors, the contribution of gating/exposure duration errors, and the influence of collision rate on temporal uncertainty were made. Quantification of the spatial uncertainty depended upon the signal-to-noise ratio of the acquired profiles. This velocity measurement technique has been demonstrated for two hypersonic flow experiments: (1) a reaction control system (RCS) jet on an Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) wind tunnel model and (2) a 10-degree half-angle wedge containing a 2-mm tall, 4-mm wide cylindrical boundary layer trip. The experiments were performed at the NASA Langley Research Center's 31-Inch Mach 10 Air Tunnel.

Radioactive quality evaluation and cross validation of data from the HJ-1A/B satellites' CCD sensors.

PubMed

Zhang, Xin; Zhao, Xiang; Liu, Guodong; Kang, Qian; Wu, Donghai

2013-07-05

Data from multiple sensors are frequently used in Earth science to gain a more complete understanding of spatial information changes. Higher quality and mutual consistency are prerequisites when multiple sensors are jointly used. The HJ-1A/B satellites successfully launched on 6 September 2008. There are four charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors with uniform spatial resolutions and spectral range onboard the HJ-A/B satellites. Whether these data are keeping consistency is a major issue before they are used. This research aims to evaluate the data consistency and radioactive quality from the four CCDs. First, images of urban, desert, lake and ocean are chosen as the objects of evaluation. Second, objective evaluation variables, such as mean, variance and angular second moment, are used to identify image performance. Finally, a cross validation method are used to ensure the correlation of the data from the four HJ-1A/B CCDs and that which is gathered from the moderate resolution imaging spectro-radiometer (MODIS). The results show that the image quality of HJ-1A/B CCDs is stable, and the digital number distribution of CCD data is relatively low. In cross validation with MODIS, the root mean square errors of bands 1, 2 and 3 range from 0.055 to 0.065, and for band 4 it is 0.101. The data from HJ-1A/B CCD have better consistency.

Fibonacci Grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swinbank, Richard; Purser, James

2006-01-01

Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in a variety of non-standard computational grids for global numerical prediction. The motivation has been to reduce problems associated with the converging meridians and the polar singularities of conventional regular latitude-longitude grids. A further impetus has come from the adoption of massively parallel computers, for which it is necessary to distribute work equitably across the processors; this is more practicable for some non-standard grids. Desirable attributes of a grid for high-order spatial finite differencing are: (i) geometrical regularity; (ii) a homogeneous and approximately isotropic spatial resolution; (iii) a low proportion of the grid points where the numerical procedures require special customization (such as near coordinate singularities or grid edges). One family of grid arrangements which, to our knowledge, has never before been applied to numerical weather prediction, but which appears to offer several technical advantages, are what we shall refer to as "Fibonacci grids". They can be thought of as mathematically ideal generalizations of the patterns occurring naturally in the spiral arrangements of seeds and fruit found in sunflower heads and pineapples (to give two of the many botanical examples). These grids possess virtually uniform and highly isotropic resolution, with an equal area for each grid point. There are only two compact singular regions on a sphere that require customized numerics. We demonstrate the practicality of these grids in shallow water simulations, and discuss the prospects for efficiently using these frameworks in three-dimensional semi-implicit and semi-Lagrangian weather prediction or climate models.

Creating a water depth map from Earth Observation-derived flood extent and topography data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matgen, Patrick; Giustarini, Laura; Chini, Marco; Hostache, Renaud; Pelich, Ramona; Schlaffer, Stefan

2017-04-01

Enhanced methods for monitoring temporal and spatial variations of water depth in rivers and floodplains are very important in operational water management. Currently, variations of water elevation can be estimated indirectly at the land-water interface using sequences of satellite EO imagery in combination with topographic data. In recent years high-resolution digital elevation models (DEM) and satellite EO data have become more readily available at global scale. This study introduces an approach for efficiently converting remote sensing-derived flood extent maps into water depth maps using a floodplain's topography information. For this we make the assumption of uniform flow, that is the depth of flow with respect to the drainage network is considered to be the same at every section of the floodplain. In other words, the depth of water above the nearest drainage is expected to be constant for a given river reach. To determine this value we first need the Height Above Nearest Drainage (HAND) raster obtained by using the area of interest's DEM as source topography and a shapefile of the river network. The HAND model normalizes the topography with respect to the drainage network. Next, the HAND raster is thresholded in order to generate a binary mask that optimally fits, over the entire region of study, the flood extent map obtained from SAR or any other remote sensing product, including aerial photographs. The optimal threshold value corresponds to the height of the water line above the nearest drainage, termed HANDWATER, and is considered constant for a given subreach. Once the HANDWATER has been optimized, a water depth map can be generated by subtracting the value of the HAND raster at the each location from this parameter value. These developments enable large scale and near real-time applications and only require readily available EO data, a DEM and the river network as input data. The approach is based on a hierarchical split-based approach that subdivides a drainage network into segments of variable length with evidence of uniform flow. The method has been tested with remote sensing data and DEM data that differ in terms of spatial resolution and accuracy. A comprehensive evaluation of the obtained water depth maps with hydrodynamic modelling results and in situ measured water level recordings was carried out on a reach of the river Severn located in the United Kingdom. First results show that the obtained root mean squared difference is 10 cm when using high resolution high precision data sets (i.e. aerial photographs of flood extent and a LiDAR-derived DEM) and amount to 50 cm when using as inputs moderate resolution SAR imagery from ENVISAT and a SRTM-derived DEM.

Evaluating the Impact of Spatial Resolution of Landsat Predictors on the Accuracy of Biomass Models for Large-area Estimation Across the Eastern USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deo, R. K.; Domke, G. M.; Russell, M.; Woodall, C. W.

2017-12-01

Landsat data have been widely used to support strategic forest inventory and management decisions despite the limited success of passive optical remote sensing for accurate estimation of aboveground biomass (AGB). The archive of publicly available Landsat data, available at 30-m spatial resolutions since 1984, has been a valuable resource for cost-effective large-area estimation of AGB to inform national requirements such as for the US national greenhouse gas inventory (NGHGI). In addition, other optical satellite data such as MODIS imagery of wider spatial coverage and higher temporal resolution are enriching the domain of spatial predictors for regional scale mapping of AGB. Because NGHGIs require national scale AGB information and there are tradeoffs in the prediction accuracy versus operational efficiency of Landsat, this study evaluated the impact of various resolutions of Landsat predictors on the accuracy of regional AGB models across three different sites in the eastern USA: Maine, Pennsylvania-New Jersey, and South Carolina. We used recent national forest inventory (NFI) data with numerous Landsat-derived predictors at ten different spatial resolutions ranging from 30 to 1000 m to understand the optimal spatial resolution of the optical data for enhanced spatial inventory of AGB for NGHGI reporting. Ten generic spatial models at different spatial resolutions were developed for all sites and large-area estimates were evaluated (i) at the county-level against the independent designed-based estimates via the US NFI Evalidator tool and (ii) within a large number of strips ( 1 km wide) predicted via LiDAR metrics at a high spatial resolution. The county-level estimates by the Evalidator and Landsat models were statistically equivalent and produced coefficients of determination (R2) above 0.85 that varied with sites and resolution of predictors. The mean and standard deviation of county-level estimates followed increasing and decreasing trends, respectively, with models of decreasing resolutions. The Landsat-based total AGB estimates within the strips against the total AGB obtained using LiDAR metrics did not differ significantly and were within ±15 Mg/ha for each of the sites. We conclude that the optical satellite data at resolutions up to 1000 m provide acceptable accuracy for the US' NGHGI.

Spatial resolution limitation of liquid crystal spatial light modulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xinghua; Wang, Bin; McManamon, Paul F., III; Pouch, John J.; Miranda, Felix A.; Anderson, James E.; Bos, Philip J.

2004-10-01

The effect of fringing electric fields in a liquid crystal (LC) Optical Phased Array (OPA), also referred to as a spatial light modulator (SLM), is a governing factor that determines the diffraction efficiency (DE) of the LC OPA for high resolution spatial phase modulation. In this article, the fringing field effect in a high resolution LC OPA is studied by accurate modeling the DE of the LC blazed gratings by LC director simulation and Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulation. Influence factors that contribute significantly to the DE are discussed. Such results provide fundamental understanding for high resolution LC devices.

Impacts of spatial resolution and representation of flow connectivity on large-scale simulation of floods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mateo, Cherry May R.; Yamazaki, Dai; Kim, Hyungjun; Champathong, Adisorn; Vaze, Jai; Oki, Taikan

2017-10-01

Global-scale river models (GRMs) are core tools for providing consistent estimates of global flood hazard, especially in data-scarce regions. Due to former limitations in computational power and input datasets, most GRMs have been developed to use simplified representations of flow physics and run at coarse spatial resolutions. With increasing computational power and improved datasets, the application of GRMs to finer resolutions is becoming a reality. To support development in this direction, the suitability of GRMs for application to finer resolutions needs to be assessed. This study investigates the impacts of spatial resolution and flow connectivity representation on the predictive capability of a GRM, CaMa-Flood, in simulating the 2011 extreme flood in Thailand. Analyses show that when single downstream connectivity (SDC) is assumed, simulation results deteriorate with finer spatial resolution; Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficients decreased by more than 50 % between simulation results at 10 km resolution and 1 km resolution. When multiple downstream connectivity (MDC) is represented, simulation results slightly improve with finer spatial resolution. The SDC simulations result in excessive backflows on very flat floodplains due to the restrictive flow directions at finer resolutions. MDC channels attenuated these effects by maintaining flow connectivity and flow capacity between floodplains in varying spatial resolutions. While a regional-scale flood was chosen as a test case, these findings should be universal and may have significant impacts on large- to global-scale simulations, especially in regions where mega deltas exist.These results demonstrate that a GRM can be used for higher resolution simulations of large-scale floods, provided that MDC in rivers and floodplains is adequately represented in the model structure.

Design and evaluation of a SiPM-based large-area detector module for positron emission imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alva-Sánchez, H.; Murrieta-Rodríguez, T.; Calva-Coraza, E.; Martínez-Dávalos, A.; Rodríguez-Villafuerte, M.

2018-03-01

The design and evaluation of a large-area detector module for positron emission imaging applications, is presented. The module features a SensL ArrayC-60035-64P-PCB solid state detector (8×8 array of tileable silicon photomultipliers by SensL, 7.2 mm pitch) covering a total area of 57.4×57.4 mm2. The detector module was formed using a pixelated array of 40×40 lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) scintillator crystal elements with 1.43 mm pitch. A 7 mm thick coupling light guide was used to allow light sharing between adjacent SiPM. A 16-channel symmetric charge division (SCD) readout board was designed to multiplex the number of signals from 64 to 16 (8 columns and 8 rows) and a center-of-gravity algorithm to identify the position. Data acquisition and digitization was accomplished using a custom-made system based on FPGAs boards. Crystal maps were obtained using 18F-positron sources and Voronoi diagrams were used to correct for geometric distortions and to generate a non-uniformity correction matrix. All measurements were taken at a controlled room temperature of 22oC. The crystal maps showed minor distortion, 90% of the 1600 total crystal elements could be identified, a mean peak-to-valley ratio of 4.3 was obtained and a 10.8% mean energy resolution for 511 keV annihilation photons was determined. The performance of the detector using our own readout board was compared to that using two different commercially readout boards using the same detector module arrangement. We show that these large-area SiPM arrays, combined with a 16-channel SCD readout board, can offer high spatial resolution, excellent energy resolution and detector uniformity and thus, can be used for positron emission imaging applications.

A technique for enhancing and matching the resolution of microwave measurements from the SSM/I instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Wayne D.; Kummerrow, Christian; Olson, William S.

1992-01-01

A correction technique is presented for matching the resolution of all the frequencies of the satelliteborne Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) to the about-25-km spatial resolution of the 37-GHz channel. This entails, on the one hand, the enhancement of the spatial resolution of the 19- and 22-GHz channels, and on the other, the degrading of that of the 85-GHz channel. The Backus and Gilbert (1970) approach is found to yield sufficient spatial resolution to render such a correction worthwhile.

High spatial resolution distributed optical fiber dynamic strain sensor with enhanced frequency and strain resolution.

PubMed

Masoudi, Ali; Newson, Trevor P

2017-01-15

A distributed optical fiber dynamic strain sensor with high spatial and frequency resolution is demonstrated. The sensor, which uses the ϕ-OTDR interrogation technique, exhibited a higher sensitivity thanks to an improved optical arrangement and a new signal processing procedure. The proposed sensing system is capable of fully quantifying multiple dynamic perturbations along a 5 km long sensing fiber with a frequency and spatial resolution of 5 Hz and 50 cm, respectively. The strain resolution of the sensor was measured to be 40 nε.

MO-FG-CAMPUS-TeP1-05: Rapid and Efficient 3D Dosimetry for End-To-End Patient-Specific QA of Rotational SBRT Deliveries Using a High-Resolution EPID

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

Yang, Y M; Han, B; Xing, L

2016-06-15

Purpose: EPID-based patient-specific quality assurance provides verification of the planning setup and delivery process that phantomless QA and log-file based virtual dosimetry methods cannot achieve. We present a method for EPID-based QA utilizing spatially-variant EPID response kernels that allows for direct calculation of the entrance fluence and 3D phantom dose. Methods: An EPID dosimetry system was utilized for 3D dose reconstruction in a cylindrical phantom for the purposes of end-to-end QA. Monte Carlo (MC) methods were used to generate pixel-specific point-spread functions (PSFs) characterizing the spatially non-uniform EPID portal response in the presence of phantom scatter. The spatially-variant PSFs weremore » decomposed into spatially-invariant basis PSFs with the symmetric central-axis kernel as the primary basis kernel and off-axis representing orthogonal perturbations in pixel-space. This compact and accurate characterization enables the use of a modified Richardson-Lucy deconvolution algorithm to directly reconstruct entrance fluence from EPID images without iterative scatter subtraction. High-resolution phantom dose kernels were cogenerated in MC with the PSFs enabling direct recalculation of the resulting phantom dose by rapid forward convolution once the entrance fluence was calculated. A Delta4 QA phantom was used to validate the dose reconstructed in this approach. Results: The spatially-invariant representation of the EPID response accurately reproduced the entrance fluence with >99.5% fidelity with a simultaneous reduction of >60% in computational overhead. 3D dose for 10{sub 6} voxels was reconstructed for the entire phantom geometry. A 3D global gamma analysis demonstrated a >95% pass rate at 3%/3mm. Conclusion: Our approach demonstrates the capabilities of an EPID-based end-to-end QA methodology that is more efficient than traditional EPID dosimetry methods. Displacing the point of measurement external to the QA phantom reduces the necessary complexity of the phantom itself while offering a method that is highly scalable and inherently generalizable to rotational and trajectory based deliveries. This research was partially supported by Varian.« less

Development of patient-controlled respiratory gating system based on visual guidance for magnetic-resonance image-guided radiation therapy.

PubMed

Kim, Jung-In; Lee, Hanyoung; Wu, Hong-Gyun; Chie, Eui Kyu; Kang, Hyun-Cheol; Park, Jong Min

2017-09-01

The aim of this study is to develop a visual guidance patient-controlled (VG-PC) respiratory gating system for respiratory-gated magnetic-resonance image-guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) and to evaluate the performance of the developed system. The near-real-time cine planar MR image of a patient acquired during treatment was transmitted to a beam projector in the treatment room through an optical fiber cable. The beam projector projected the cine MR images inside the bore of the ViewRay system in order to be visible to a patient during treatment. With this visual information, patients voluntarily controlled their respiration to put the target volume into the gating boundary (gating window). The effect of the presence of the beam projector in the treatment room on the image quality of the MRI was investigated by evaluating the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity, low-contrast detectability, high-contrast spatial resolution, and spatial integrity with the VG-PC gating system. To evaluate the performance of the developed system, we applied the VG-PC gating system to a total of seven patients; six patients received stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and one patient received conventional fractionated radiation therapy. The projected cine MR images were visible even when the room light was on. No image data loss or additional time delay during delivery of image data were observed. Every indicator representing MRI quality, including SNR, uniformity, low-contrast detectability, high-contrast spatial resolution, and spatial integrity exhibited values higher than the tolerance levels of the manufacturer with the VG-PC gating system; therefore, the presence of the VG-PC gating system in the treatment room did not degrade the MR image quality. The average beam-off times due to respiratory gating with and without the VG-PC gating system were 830.3 ± 278.2 s and 1264.2 ± 302.1 s respectively (P = 0.005). Consequently, the total treatment times excluding the time for patient setup with and without the VG-PC gating system were 1453.3 ± 297.3 s and 1887.2 ± 469.6 s, respectively, on average (P = 0.005). The average number of beam-off events during whole treatment session was reduced from 457 ± 154 times to 195 ± 90 times by using the VG-PC gating system (P < 0.001). The developed system could improve treatment efficiency when performing respiratory-gated MR-IGRT. The VG-PC gating system could be applied to any kind of bore-type radiotherapy machine. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

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.

SU-F-J-153: ACR MRI Phantom Test On a 1.5T MR-Simulator with Flexible Coils Setting and Performance Comparison to Volumetric Head Coil Setting

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

Yuan, J; Wong, O; Cheung, K

Purpose: To accommodate head-and-neck (HN) RT simulation scan with immobilization, sub-optimized flexible radiofrequency coils have to be used on an MR-sim rather than a volumetric head coil for diagnostic radiological (DR) applications. In this study, we present and compare ACR MRI phantom test with flexible coils setting (RT-setting) and volumetric head coil setting (DR-setting). Methods: Two 8-channel array coils were wrapped close to an ACR MRI phantom placed on a flat couch-top in RT-setting for acquisition. ACR MRI phantom tests were conducted 10 times for each setting on a 1.5T MR-sim. Sagittal localizer (TE/TR=20/200ms), axial T1 (TE/TR=20/500ms) and T2 scansmore » (2TEs/TR=20,80/2000ms) were acquired (NEX=1). Acqusition and image analysis were conducted following ACR guidelines. Extra 10 RT-setting acquisitions were obtained by enabling prescan normalization. Results: For RT-setting without prescan normalization, all tests passed the ACR recommended criteria but image intensity uniformity. Geometric accuracy was 147.8±0.3mm and 191.0±0.4mm. Spatial resolution was 0.9mm. Slice thickness was 5.2mm±0.1mm (T1) and 5.1±0.1mm (T2). Slice position accuracy was 1.4±0.6mm, −2.2±0.3mm (T1), and 1.5±0.2mm, −2.2±0.2mm (T2). Image uniformity was 80.6%±2.6% (T1) and 80.2%±3.1% (T2) (criteria: ≥87.5% for 1.5T). Ghosting ratio was 0.0006±0.0004. Low contrast detectability was 30.7±1.7 (T1) and 22.6±3.0 (T2). Image uniformity (91.4%±4.2% and 91.8%±4.3%) and low contrast detectability (36.5±1.4 and 31.6±2.2) of DR-setting were better than RT-setting. Prescan normalization substantially improved image uniformity to 93.4%±0.2% and 93.4%±0.3%, but slightly compromised ghosting (0.0033±0.0004) and spatial resolution (0.9mm or 1.0mm) for RT-setting. Conclusion: Flexible coils setting for HN-RT simulation scan could successfully pass ACR criteria (prescan normalization enabled) and generally achieve comparable performance to volumetric coil setting, although compromise on low contrast detectability was observed probably due to the lower signal-to-noise ratio of the flexible coils. Our results could also serve as a reference baseline of high-field MR-sim QA performance under ACR guideline.« less

SU-F-I-16: Short Breast MRI with High-Resolution T2-Weighted and Dynamic Contrast Enhanced T1-Weighted Images

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

Ma, J; Son, J; Arun, B

Purpose: To develop and demonstrate a short breast (sb) MRI protocol that acquires both T2-weighted and dynamic contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images in approximately ten minutes. Methods: The sb-MRI protocol consists of two novel pulse sequences. The first is a flexible fast spin-echo triple-echo Dixon (FTED) sequence for high-resolution fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging, and the second is a 3D fast dual-echo spoiled gradient sequence (FLEX) for volumetric fat-suppressed T1-weighted imaging before and post contrast agent injection. The flexible FTED sequence replaces each single readout during every echo-spacing period of FSE with three fast-switching bipolar readouts to produce three raw images in a singlemore » acquisition. These three raw images are then post-processed using a Dixon algorithm to generate separate water-only and fat-only images. The FLEX sequence acquires two echoes using dual-echo readout after each RF excitation and the corresponding images are post-processed using a similar Dixon algorithm to yield water-only and fat-only images. The sb-MRI protocol was implemented on a 3T MRI scanner and used for patients who had undergone concurrent clinical MRI for breast cancer screening. Results: With the same scan parameters (eg, spatial coverage, field of view, spatial and temporal resolution) as the clinical protocol, the total scan-time of the sb-MRI protocol (including the localizer, bilateral T2-weighted, and dynamic contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images) was 11 minutes. In comparison, the clinical breast MRI protocol took 43 minutes. Uniform fat suppression and high image quality were consistently achieved by sb-MRI. Conclusion: We demonstrated a sb-MRI protocol comprising both T2-weighted and dynamic contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images can be performed in approximately ten minutes. The spatial and temporal resolution of the images easily satisfies the current breast MRI accreditation guidelines by the American College of Radiology. The protocol has the potential of making breast MRI more widely accessible to and more tolerable by the patients. JMA is the inventor of United States patents that are owned by the University of Texas Board of Regents and currently licensed to GE Healthcare and Siemens Gmbh.« less

Employing temporal self-similarity across the entire time domain in computed tomography reconstruction

PubMed Central

Kazantsev, D.; Van Eyndhoven, G.; Lionheart, W. R. B.; Withers, P. J.; Dobson, K. J.; McDonald, S. A.; Atwood, R.; Lee, P. D.

2015-01-01

There are many cases where one needs to limit the X-ray dose, or the number of projections, or both, for high frame rate (fast) imaging. Normally, it improves temporal resolution but reduces the spatial resolution of the reconstructed data. Fortunately, the redundancy of information in the temporal domain can be employed to improve spatial resolution. In this paper, we propose a novel regularizer for iterative reconstruction of time-lapse computed tomography. The non-local penalty term is driven by the available prior information and employs all available temporal data to improve the spatial resolution of each individual time frame. A high-resolution prior image from the same or a different imaging modality is used to enhance edges which remain stationary throughout the acquisition time while dynamic features tend to be regularized spatially. Effective computational performance together with robust improvement in spatial and temporal resolution makes the proposed method a competitive tool to state-of-the-art techniques. PMID:25939621

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

Sakaguchi, Koichi; Leung, Lai-Yung R.; Zhao, Chun

This study presents a diagnosis of a multi-resolution approach using the Model for Prediction Across Scales - Atmosphere (MPAS-A) for simulating regional climate. Four AMIP experiments are conducted for 1999-2009. In the first two experiments, MPAS-A is configured using global quasi-uniform grids at 120 km and 30 km grid spacing. In the other two experiments, MPAS-A is configured using variable-resolution (VR) mesh with local refinement at 30 km over North America and South America embedded inside a quasi-uniform domain at 120 km elsewhere. Precipitation and related fields in the four simulations are examined to determine how well the VR simulationsmore » reproduce the features simulated by the globally high-resolution model in the refined domain. In previous analyses of idealized aqua-planet simulations, the characteristics of the global high-resolution simulation in moist processes only developed near the boundary of the refined region. In contrast, the AMIP simulations with VR grids are able to reproduce the high-resolution characteristics across the refined domain, particularly in South America. This indicates the importance of finely resolved lower-boundary forcing such as topography and surface heterogeneity for the regional climate, and demonstrates the ability of the MPAS-A VR to replicate the large-scale moisture transport as simulated in the quasi-uniform high-resolution model. Outside of the refined domain, some upscale effects are detected through large-scale circulation but the overall climatic signals are not significant at regional scales. Our results provide support for the multi-resolution approach as a computationally efficient and physically consistent method for modeling regional climate.« less

The Moon Mineralogy (M3) Imaging Spectrometer: Early Assessment of the Spectral, Radiometric, Spatial and Uniformity Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Robert O.; Pieters, C. M.; Boardman, J.; Barr, D.; Bruce, C.; Bousman, J.; Chatterjee, A.; Eastwood, M.; Essandoh, V.; Geier, S.;

Homogeneous Atomic Fermi Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Biswaroop; Yan, Zhenjie; Patel, Parth B.; Hadzibabic, Zoran; Yefsah, Tarik; Struck, Julian; Zwierlein, Martin W.

2017-03-01

We report on the creation of homogeneous Fermi gases of ultracold atoms in a uniform potential. In the momentum distribution of a spin-polarized gas, we observe the emergence of the Fermi surface and the saturated occupation of one particle per momentum state: the striking consequence of Pauli blocking in momentum space for a degenerate gas. Cooling a spin-balanced Fermi gas at unitarity, we create homogeneous superfluids and observe spatially uniform pair condensates. For thermodynamic measurements, we introduce a hybrid potential that is harmonic in one dimension and uniform in the other two. The spatially resolved compressibility reveals the superfluid transition in a spin-balanced Fermi gas, saturation in a fully polarized Fermi gas, and strong attraction in the polaronic regime of a partially polarized Fermi gas.

Change of spatial information under rescaling: A case study using multi-resolution image series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Weirong; Henebry, Geoffrey M.

Spatial structure in imagery depends on a complicated interaction between the observational regime and the types and arrangements of entities within the scene that the image portrays. Although block averaging of pixels has commonly been used to simulate coarser resolution imagery, relatively little attention has been focused on the effects of simple rescaling on spatial structure and the explanation and a possible solution to the problem. Yet, if there are significant differences in spatial variance between rescaled and observed images, it may affect the reliability of retrieved biogeophysical quantities. To investigate these issues, a nested series of high spatial resolution digital imagery was collected at a research site in eastern Nebraska in 2001. An airborne Kodak DCS420IR camera acquired imagery at three altitudes, yielding nominal spatial resolutions ranging from 0.187 m to 1 m. The red and near infrared (NIR) bands of the co-registered image series were normalized using pseudo-invariant features, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated. Plots of grain sorghum planted in orthogonal crop row orientations were extracted from the image series. The finest spatial resolution data were then rescaled by averaging blocks of pixels to produce a rescaled image series that closely matched the spatial resolution of the observed image series. Spatial structures of the observed and rescaled image series were characterized using semivariogram analysis. Results for NDVI and its component bands show, as expected, that decreasing spatial resolution leads to decreasing spatial variability and increasing spatial dependence. However, compared to the observed data, the rescaled images contain more persistent spatial structure that exhibits limited variation in both spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity. Rescaling via simple block averaging fails to consider the effect of scene object shape and extent on spatial information. As the features portrayed by pixels are equally weighted regardless of the shape and extent of the underlying scene objects, the rescaled image retains more of the original spatial information than would occur through direct observation at a coarser sensor spatial resolution. In contrast, for the observed images, due to the effect of the modulation transfer function (MTF) of the imaging system, high frequency features like edges are blurred or lost as the pixel size increases, resulting in greater variation in spatial structure. Successive applications of a low-pass spatial convolution filter are shown to mimic a MTF. Accordingly, it is recommended that such a procedure be applied prior to rescaling by simple block averaging, if insufficient image metadata exist to replicate the net MTF of the imaging system, as might be expected in land cover change analysis studies using historical imagery.

The Influence of Conflict Resolution Programs on Student Conduct Violations in Middle Schools with a School Uniform Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breitenbach, Edward C.

2010-01-01

School safety is a very important issue for school staff, parents, and students. When school safety is lacking, students suffer in emotional, academic, and social areas. One recent intervention middle schools are examining is the student uniform policy. In some cases, school uniforms have been shown to have a profound effect on school safety,…

Satellite image fusion based on principal component analysis and high-pass filtering.

PubMed

Metwalli, Mohamed R; Nasr, Ayman H; Allah, Osama S Farag; El-Rabaie, S; Abd El-Samie, Fathi E

2010-06-01

This paper presents an integrated method for the fusion of satellite images. Several commercial earth observation satellites carry dual-resolution sensors, which provide high spatial resolution or simply high-resolution (HR) panchromatic (pan) images and low-resolution (LR) multi-spectral (MS) images. Image fusion methods are therefore required to integrate a high-spectral-resolution MS image with a high-spatial-resolution pan image to produce a pan-sharpened image with high spectral and spatial resolutions. Some image fusion methods such as the intensity, hue, and saturation (IHS) method, the principal component analysis (PCA) method, and the Brovey transform (BT) method provide HR MS images, but with low spectral quality. Another family of image fusion methods, such as the high-pass-filtering (HPF) method, operates on the basis of the injection of high frequency components from the HR pan image into the MS image. This family of methods provides less spectral distortion. In this paper, we propose the integration of the PCA method and the HPF method to provide a pan-sharpened MS image with superior spatial resolution and less spectral distortion. The experimental results show that the proposed fusion method retains the spectral characteristics of the MS image and, at the same time, improves the spatial resolution of the pan-sharpened image.

High-Spatial and High-Mass Resolution Imaging of Surface Metabolites of Arabidopsis thaliana by Laser Desorption-Ionization Mass Spectrometry Using Colloidal Silver

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

Jun, Ji Hyun; Song, Zhihong; Liu, Zhenjiu

High-spatial resolution and high-mass resolution techniques are developed and adopted for the mass spectrometric imaging of epicuticular lipids on the surface of Arabidopsis thaliana. Single cell level spatial resolution of {approx}12 {micro}m was achieved by reducing the laser beam size by using an optical fiber with 25 {micro}m core diameter in a vacuum matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-linear ion trap (vMALDI-LTQ) mass spectrometer and improved matrix application using an oscillating capillary nebulizer. Fine chemical images of a whole flower were visualized in this high spatial resolution showing substructure of an anther and single pollen grains at the stigma and anthers. Themore » LTQ-Orbitrap with a MALDI ion source was adopted to achieve MS imaging in high mass resolution. Specifically, isobaric silver ion adducts of C29 alkane (m/z 515.3741) and C28 aldehyde (m/z 515.3377), indistinguishable in low-resolution LTQ, can now be clearly distinguished and their chemical images could be separately constructed. In the application to roots, the high spatial resolution allowed molecular MS imaging of secondary roots and the high mass resolution allowed direct identification of lipid metabolites on root surfaces.« less

The spatial resolution of a rotating gamma camera tomographic facility.

PubMed

Webb, S; Flower, M A; Ott, R J; Leach, M O; Inamdar, R

1983-12-01

An important feature determining the spatial resolution in transverse sections reconstructed by convolution and back-projection is the frequency filter corresponding to the convolution kernel. Equations have been derived giving the theoretical spatial resolution, for a perfect detector and noise-free data, using four filter functions. Experiments have shown that physical constraints will always limit the resolution that can be achieved with a given system. The experiments indicate that the region of the frequency spectrum between KN/2 and KN where KN is the Nyquist frequency does not contribute significantly to resolution. In order to investigate the physical effect of these filter functions, the spatial resolution of reconstructed images obtained with a GE 400T rotating gamma camera has been measured. The results obtained serve as an aid to choosing appropriate reconstruction filters for use with a rotating gamma camera system.

A high time and spatial resolution MRPC designed for muon tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, L.; Wang, Y.; Huang, X.; Wang, X.; Zhu, W.; Li, Y.; Cheng, J.

2014-12-01

A prototype of cosmic muon scattering tomography system has been set up in Tsinghua University in Beijing. Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chamber (MRPC) is used in the system to get the muon tracks. Compared with other detectors, MRPC can not only provide the track but also the Time of Flight (ToF) between two detectors which can estimate the energy of particles. To get a more accurate track and higher efficiency of the tomography system, a new type of high time and two-dimensional spatial resolution MRPC has been developed. A series of experiments have been done to measure the efficiency, time resolution and spatial resolution. The results show that the efficiency can reach 95% and its time resolution is around 65 ps. The cluster size is around 4 and the spatial resolution can reach 200 μ m.

150-μm Spatial Resolution Using Photon-Counting Detector Computed Tomography Technology: Technical Performance and First Patient Images.

PubMed

Leng, Shuai; Rajendran, Kishore; Gong, Hao; Zhou, Wei; Halaweish, Ahmed F; Henning, Andre; Kappler, Steffen; Baer, Matthias; Fletcher, Joel G; McCollough, Cynthia H

2018-05-28

The aims of this study were to quantitatively assess two new scan modes on a photon-counting detector computed tomography system, each designed to maximize spatial resolution, and to qualitatively demonstrate potential clinical impact using patient data. This Health Insurance Portability Act-compliant study was approved by our institutional review board. Two high-spatial-resolution scan modes (Sharp and UHR) were evaluated using phantoms to quantify spatial resolution and image noise, and results were compared with the standard mode (Macro). Patients were scanned using a conventional energy-integrating detector scanner and the photon-counting detector scanner using the same radiation dose. In first patient images, anatomic details were qualitatively evaluated to demonstrate potential clinical impact. Sharp and UHR modes had a 69% and 87% improvement in in-plane spatial resolution, respectively, compared with Macro mode (10% modulation-translation-function values of 16.05, 17.69, and 9.48 lp/cm, respectively). The cutoff spatial frequency of the UHR mode (32.4 lp/cm) corresponded to a limiting spatial resolution of 150 μm. The full-width-at-half-maximum values of the section sensitivity profiles were 0.41, 0.44, and 0.67 mm for the thinnest image thickness for each mode (0.25, 0.25, and 0.5 mm, respectively). At the same in-plane spatial resolution, Sharp and UHR images had up to 15% lower noise than Macro images. Patient images acquired in Sharp mode demonstrated better delineation of fine anatomic structures compared with Macro mode images. Phantom studies demonstrated superior resolution and noise properties for the Sharp and UHR modes relative to the standard Macro mode and patient images demonstrated the potential benefit of these scan modes for clinical practice.

The Analytical Limits of Modeling Short Diffusion Timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradshaw, R. W.; Kent, A. J.

2016-12-01

Chemical and isotopic zoning in minerals is widely used to constrain the timescales of magmatic processes such as magma mixing and crystal residence, etc. via diffusion modeling. Forward modeling of diffusion relies on fitting diffusion profiles to measured compositional gradients. However, an individual measurement is essentially an average composition for a segment of the gradient defined by the spatial resolution of the analysis. Thus there is the potential for the analytical spatial resolution to limit the timescales that can be determined for an element of given diffusivity, particularly where the scale of the gradient approaches that of the measurement. Here we use a probabilistic modeling approach to investigate the effect of analytical spatial resolution on estimated timescales from diffusion modeling. Our method investigates how accurately the age of a synthetic diffusion profile can be obtained by modeling an "unknown" profile derived from discrete sampling of the synthetic compositional gradient at a given spatial resolution. We also include the effects of analytical uncertainty and the position of measurements relative to the diffusion gradient. We apply this method to the spatial resolutions of common microanalytical techniques (LA-ICP-MS, SIMS, EMP, NanoSIMS). Our results confirm that for a given diffusivity, higher spatial resolution gives access to shorter timescales, and that each analytical spacing has a minimum timescale, below which it overestimates the timescale. For example, for Ba diffusion in plagioclase at 750 °C timescales are accurate (within 20%) above 10, 100, 2,600, and 71,000 years at 0.3, 1, 5, and 25 mm spatial resolution, respectively. For Sr diffusion in plagioclase at 750 °C, timescales are accurate above 0.02, 0.2, 4, and 120 years at the same spatial resolutions. Our results highlight the importance of selecting appropriate analytical techniques to estimate accurate diffusion-based timescales.

Spatial and Angular Resolution Enhancement of Light Fields Using Convolutional Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gul, M. Shahzeb Khan; Gunturk, Bahadir K.

2018-05-01

Light field imaging extends the traditional photography by capturing both spatial and angular distribution of light, which enables new capabilities, including post-capture refocusing, post-capture aperture control, and depth estimation from a single shot. Micro-lens array (MLA) based light field cameras offer a cost-effective approach to capture light field. A major drawback of MLA based light field cameras is low spatial resolution, which is due to the fact that a single image sensor is shared to capture both spatial and angular information. In this paper, we present a learning based light field enhancement approach. Both spatial and angular resolution of captured light field is enhanced using convolutional neural networks. The proposed method is tested with real light field data captured with a Lytro light field camera, clearly demonstrating spatial and angular resolution improvement.

Spatial and Angular Resolution Enhancement of Light Fields Using Convolutional Neural Networks.

PubMed

Gul, M Shahzeb Khan; Gunturk, Bahadir K

2018-05-01

Light field imaging extends the traditional photography by capturing both spatial and angular distribution of light, which enables new capabilities, including post-capture refocusing, post-capture aperture control, and depth estimation from a single shot. Micro-lens array (MLA) based light field cameras offer a cost-effective approach to capture light field. A major drawback of MLA based light field cameras is low spatial resolution, which is due to the fact that a single image sensor is shared to capture both spatial and angular information. In this paper, we present a learning based light field enhancement approach. Both spatial and angular resolution of captured light field is enhanced using convolutional neural networks. The proposed method is tested with real light field data captured with a Lytro light field camera, clearly demonstrating spatial and angular resolution improvement.

Multi-Resolution Analysis of MODIS and ASTER Satellite Data for Water Classification

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

spectral bands, but also with different pixel resolutions . The overall goal... the total water surface. Due to the constraint that high spatial resolution satellite images are low temporal resolution , one needs a reliable method...at 15 m resolution , were processed. We used MODIS reflectance data from MOD02 Level 1B data. Even the spatial resolution of the 1240 nm

Definition of the Spatial Resolution of X-Ray Microanalysis in Thin Foils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, D. B.; Michael, J. R.; Goldstein, J. I.; Romig, A. D., Jr.

1992-01-01

The spatial resolution of X-ray microanalysis in thin foils is defined in terms of the incident electron beam diameter and the average beam broadening. The beam diameter is defined as the full width tenth maximum of a Gaussian intensity distribution. The spatial resolution is calculated by a convolution of the beam diameter and the average beam broadening. This definition of the spatial resolution can be related simply to experimental measurements of composition profiles across interphase interfaces. Monte Carlo calculations using a high-speed parallel supercomputer show good agreement with this definition of the spatial resolution and calculations based on this definition. The agreement is good over a range of specimen thicknesses and atomic number, but is poor when excessive beam tailing distorts the assumed Gaussian electron intensity distributions. Beam tailing occurs in low-Z materials because of fast secondary electrons and in high-Z materials because of plural scattering.

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

Krishnan, Venkat; Cole, Wesley

Power sector capacity expansion models (CEMs) have a broad range of spatial resolutions. This paper uses the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model, a long-term national scale electric sector CEM, to evaluate the value of high spatial resolution for CEMs. ReEDS models the United States with 134 load balancing areas (BAs) and captures the variability in existing generation parameters, future technology costs, performance, and resource availability using very high spatial resolution data, especially for wind and solar modeled at 356 resource regions. In this paper we perform planning studies at three different spatial resolutions--native resolution (134 BAs), state-level, and NERCmore » region level--and evaluate how results change under different levels of spatial aggregation in terms of renewable capacity deployment and location, associated transmission builds, and system costs. The results are used to ascertain the value of high geographically resolved models in terms of their impact on relative competitiveness among renewable energy resources.« less

Century-scale simulations of the response of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to a warming climate

DOE PAGES

Cornford, S. L.; Martin, D. F.; Payne, A. J.; ...

2015-03-23

We use the BISICLES adaptive mesh ice sheet model to carry out one, two, and three century simulations of the fast-flowing ice streams of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Each of the simulations begins with a geometry and velocity close to present day observations, and evolves according to variation in meteoric ice accumulation, ice shelf melting, and mesh resolution. Future changes in accumulation and melt rates range from no change, through anomalies computed by atmosphere and ocean models driven by the E1 and A1B emissions scenarios, to spatially uniform melt rates anomalies that remove most of the ice shelves overmore » a few centuries. We find that variation in the resulting ice dynamics is dominated by the choice of initial conditions, ice shelf melt rate and mesh resolution, although ice accumulation affects the net change in volume above flotation to a similar degree. Given sufficient melt rates, we compute grounding line retreat over hundreds of kilometers in every major ice stream, but the ocean models do not predict such melt rates outside of the Amundsen Sea Embayment until after 2100. Sensitivity to mesh resolution is spurious, and we find that sub-kilometer resolution is needed along most regions of the grounding line to avoid systematic under-estimates of the retreat rate, although resolution requirements are more stringent in some regions – for example the Amundsen Sea Embayment – than others – such as the Möller and Institute ice streams.« less

Constraining earthquake source inversions with GPS data: 1. Resolution-based removal of artifacts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Page, M.T.; Custodio, S.; Archuleta, R.J.; Carlson, J.M.

2009-01-01

We present a resolution analysis of an inversion of GPS data from the 2004 Mw 6.0 Parkfield earthquake. This earthquake was recorded at thirteen 1-Hz GPS receivers, which provides for a truly coseismic data set that can be used to infer the static slip field. We find that the resolution of our inverted slip model is poor at depth and near the edges of the modeled fault plane that are far from GPS receivers. The spatial heterogeneity of the model resolution in the static field inversion leads to artifacts in poorly resolved areas of the fault plane. These artifacts look qualitatively similar to asperities commonly seen in the final slip models of earthquake source inversions, but in this inversion they are caused by a surplus of free parameters. The location of the artifacts depends on the station geometry and the assumed velocity structure. We demonstrate that a nonuniform gridding of model parameters on the fault can remove these artifacts from the inversion. We generate a nonuniform grid with a grid spacing that matches the local resolution length on the fault and show that it outperforms uniform grids, which either generate spurious structure in poorly resolved regions or lose recoverable information in well-resolved areas of the fault. In a synthetic test, the nonuniform grid correctly averages slip in poorly resolved areas of the fault while recovering small-scale structure near the surface. Finally, we present an inversion of the Parkfield GPS data set on the nonuniform grid and analyze the errors in the final model. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

An improved non-uniformity correction algorithm and its GPU parallel implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Kuanhong; Zhou, Huixin; Qin, Hanlin; Zhao, Dong; Qian, Kun; Rong, Shenghui

2018-05-01

The performance of SLP-THP based non-uniformity correction algorithm is seriously affected by the result of SLP filter, which always leads to image blurring and ghosting artifacts. To address this problem, an improved SLP-THP based non-uniformity correction method with curvature constraint was proposed. Here we put forward a new way to estimate spatial low frequency component. First, the details and contours of input image were obtained respectively by minimizing local Gaussian curvature and mean curvature of image surface. Then, the guided filter was utilized to combine these two parts together to get the estimate of spatial low frequency component. Finally, we brought this SLP component into SLP-THP method to achieve non-uniformity correction. The performance of proposed algorithm was verified by several real and simulated infrared image sequences. The experimental results indicated that the proposed algorithm can reduce the non-uniformity without detail losing. After that, a GPU based parallel implementation that runs 150 times faster than CPU was presented, which showed the proposed algorithm has great potential for real time application.