Dynamic radionuclide determination of regional left ventricular wall motion using a new digital imaging device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steele, P.; Kirch, D.

1975-01-01

In 47 men with arteriographically defined coronary artery disease comparative studies of left ventricular ejection fraction and segmental wall motion were made with radionuclide data obtained from the image intensifier camera computer system and with contrast cineventriculography. The radionuclide data was digitized and the images corresponding to left ventricular end-diastole and end-systole were identified from the left ventricular time-activity curve. The left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic images were subtracted to form a silhouette difference image which described wall motion of the anterior and inferior left ventricular segments. The image intensifier camera allows manipulation of dynamically acquired radionuclide data because of the high count rate and consequently improved resolution of the left ventricular image.

Imaging of polysaccharides in the tomato cell wall with Raman microspectroscopy

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The primary cell wall of fruits and vegetables is a structure mainly composed of polysaccharides (pectins, hemicelluloses, cellulose). Polysaccharides are assembled into a network and linked together. It is thought that the percentage of components and of plant cell wall has an important influence on mechanical properties of fruits and vegetables. Results In this study the Raman microspectroscopy technique was introduced to the visualization of the distribution of polysaccharides in cell wall of fruit. The methodology of the sample preparation, the measurement using Raman microscope and multivariate image analysis are discussed. Single band imaging (for preliminary analysis) and multivariate image analysis methods (principal component analysis and multivariate curve resolution) were used for the identification and localization of the components in the primary cell wall. Conclusions Raman microspectroscopy supported by multivariate image analysis methods is useful in distinguishing cellulose and pectins in the cell wall in tomatoes. It presents how the localization of biopolymers was possible with minimally prepared samples. PMID:24917885

Detection of increased vasa vasorum in artery walls: improving CT number accuracy using image deconvolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajendran, Kishore; Leng, Shuai; Jorgensen, Steven M.; Abdurakhimova, Dilbar; Ritman, Erik L.; McCollough, Cynthia H.

2017-03-01

Changes in arterial wall perfusion are an indicator of early atherosclerosis. This is characterized by an increased spatial density of vasa vasorum (VV), the micro-vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the arterial wall. Detection of increased VV during contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) imaging is limited due to contamination from blooming effect from the contrast-enhanced lumen. We report the application of an image deconvolution technique using a measured system point-spread function, on CT data obtained from a photon-counting CT system to reduce blooming and to improve the CT number accuracy of arterial wall, which enhances detection of increased VV. A phantom study was performed to assess the accuracy of the deconvolution technique. A porcine model was created with enhanced VV in one carotid artery; the other carotid artery served as a control. CT images at an energy range of 25-120 keV were reconstructed. CT numbers were measured for multiple locations in the carotid walls and for multiple time points, pre and post contrast injection. The mean CT number in the carotid wall was compared between the left (increased VV) and right (control) carotid arteries. Prior to deconvolution, results showed similar mean CT numbers in the left and right carotid wall due to the contamination from blooming effect, limiting the detection of increased VV in the left carotid artery. After deconvolution, the mean CT number difference between the left and right carotid arteries was substantially increased at all the time points, enabling detection of the increased VV in the artery wall.

Scanning gate imaging of two coupled quantum dots in single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Zhou, Xin; Hedberg, James; Miyahara, Yoichi; Grutter, Peter; Ishibashi, Koji

2014-12-12

Two coupled single wall carbon nanotube quantum dots in a multiple quantum dot system were characterized by using a low temperature scanning gate microscopy (SGM) technique, at a temperature of 170 mK. The locations of single wall carbon nanotube quantum dots were identified by taking the conductance images of a single wall carbon nanotube contacted by two metallic electrodes. The single electron transport through single wall carbon nanotube multiple quantum dots has been observed by varying either the position or voltage bias of a conductive atomic force microscopy tip. Clear hexagonal patterns were observed in the region of the conductance images where only two sets of overlapping conductance rings are visible. The values of coupling capacitance over the total capacitance of the two dots, C(m)/C(1(2)) have been extracted to be 0.21 ∼ 0.27 and 0.23 ∼ 0.28, respectively. In addition, the interdot coupling (conductance peak splitting) has also been confirmed in both conductance image measurement and current-voltage curves. The results show that a SGM technique enables spectroscopic investigation of coupled quantum dots even in the presence of unexpected multiple quantum dots.

High resolution imaging of objects located within a wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greneker, Eugene F.; Showman, Gregory A.; Trostel, John M.; Sylvester, Vincent

2006-05-01

Researchers at Georgia Tech Research Institute have developed a high resolution imaging radar technique that allows large sections of a test wall to be scanned in X and Y dimensions. The resulting images that can be obtained provide information on what is inside the wall, if anything. The scanning homodyne radar operates at a frequency of 24.1 GHz at with an output power level of approximately 10 milliwatts. An imaging technique that has been developed is currently being used to study the detection of toxic mold on the back surface of wallboard using radar as a sensor. The moisture that is associated with the mold can easily be detected. In addition to mold, the technique will image objects as small as a 4 millimeter sphere on the front or rear of the wallboard and will penetrate both sides of a wall made of studs and wallboard. Signal processing is performed on the resulting data to further sharpen the image. Photos of the scanner and images produced by the scanner are presented. A discussion of the signal processing and technical challenges are also discussed.

Imaging of congenital chest wall deformities

PubMed Central

Bhaludin, Basrull N; Naaseri, Sahar; Di Chiara, Francesco; Jordan, Simon; Padley, Simon

2016-01-01

To identify the anatomy and pathology of chest wall malformations presenting for consideration for corrective surgery or as a possible chest wall “mass”, and to review the common corrective surgical procedures. Congenital chest wall deformities are caused by anomalies of chest wall growth, leading to sternal depression or protrusion, or are related to failure of normal spine or rib development. Cross-sectional imaging allows appreciation not only of the involved structures but also assessment of the degree of displacement or deformity of adjacent but otherwise normal structures and differentiation between anatomical deformity and neoplasia. In some cases, CT is also useful for surgical planning. The use of three-dimensional reconstructions, utilizing a low-dose technique, provides important information for the surgeon to discuss the nature of anatomical abnormalities and planned corrections with the patient and often with their parents. In this pictorial essay, we discuss the radiological features of the commonest congenital chest wall deformities and illustrate pre- and post-surgical appearances for those undergoing surgical correction. PMID:26916279

Single-Side Two-Location Spotlight Imaging for Building Based on MIMO Through-Wall-Radar.

PubMed

Jia, Yong; Zhong, Xiaoling; Liu, Jiangang; Guo, Yong

2016-09-07

Through-wall-radar imaging is of interest for mapping the wall layout of buildings and for the detection of stationary targets within buildings. In this paper, we present an easy single-side two-location spotlight imaging method for both wall layout mapping and stationary target detection by utilizing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) through-wall-radar. Rather than imaging for building walls directly, the images of all building corners are generated to speculate wall layout indirectly by successively deploying the MIMO through-wall-radar at two appropriate locations on only one side of the building and then carrying out spotlight imaging with two different squint-views. In addition to the ease of implementation, the single-side two-location squint-view detection also has two other advantages for stationary target imaging. The first one is the fewer multi-path ghosts, and the second one is the smaller region of side-lobe interferences from the corner images in comparison to the wall images. Based on Computer Simulation Technology (CST) electromagnetic simulation software, we provide multiple sets of validation results where multiple binary panorama images with clear images of all corners and stationary targets are obtained by combining two single-location images with the use of incoherent additive fusion and two-dimensional cell-averaging constant-false-alarm-rate (2D CA-CFAR) detection.

High-speed OH* chemiluminescence imaging of ignition through a shock tube end-wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troutman, V. A.; Strand, C. L.; Campbell, M. F.; Tulgestke, A. M.; Miller, V. A.; Davidson, D. F.; Hanson, R. K.

2016-03-01

A high-speed OH* chemiluminescence imaging diagnostic was developed to image the structure and homogeneity of combustion events behind reflected shock waves in the Stanford Constrained Reaction Volume Shock Tube. An intensified high-repetition-rate imaging system was used to acquire images of OH* chemiluminescence (near 308 nm) through a fused quartz shock tube end-wall window at 10-33 kHz during the combustion of n-heptane (21 % O2/Ar, φ = 0.5). In general, the imaging technique enabled observation of the main ignition event in the core of the shock tube that corresponded to typical markers of ignition (e.g., pressure rise), as well as localized ignition near the wall that preceded the main core ignition event for some conditions. Case studies were performed to illustrate the utility of this novel imaging diagnostic. First, by comparing localized wall ignition events to the core ignition event, the temperature homogeneity of the post-reflected shock gas near the end-wall was estimated to be within 0.5 % for the test condition presented (T=1159 hbox {K}, P=0.25 hbox {MPa}). Second, the effect of a recession in the shock tube wall, created by an observation window, on the combustion event was visualized. Localized ignition was observed near the window, but this disturbance did not propagate to the core of the shock tube before the main ignition event. Third, the effect of shock tube cleanliness was investigated by conducting tests in which the shock tube was not cleaned for multiple consecutive runs. For tests after no cleaning was performed, ignition events were concentrated in the lower half of the shock tube. In contrast, when the shock tube was cleaned, the ignition event was distributed around the entire circumference of the shock tube; validating the cleaning procedure.

Thermographic Imaging of Material Loss in Boiler Water-Wall Tubing by Application of Scanning Line Source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cramer, K. Elliott; Winfree, William P.

2000-01-01

Localized wall thinning due to corrosion in utility boiler water-wall tubing is a significant inspection concern for boiler operators. Historically, conventional ultrasonics has been used for inspection of these tubes. This technique has proven to be very manpower and time intensive. This has resulted in a spot check approach to inspections, documenting thickness measurements over a relatively small percentage of the total boiler wall area. NASA Langley Research Center has developed a thermal NDE technique designed to image and quantitatively characterize the amount of material thinning present in steel tubing. The technique involves the movement of a thermal line source across the outer surface of the tubing followed by an infrared imager at a fixed distance behind the line source. Quantitative images of the material loss due to corrosion are reconstructed from measurements of the induced surface temperature variations. This paper will present a discussion of the development of the thermal imaging system as well as the techniques used to reconstruct images of flaws. The application of the thermal line source coupled with the analysis technique represents a significant improvement in the inspection speed for large structures such as boiler water-walls. A theoretical basis for the technique will be presented which explains the quantitative nature of the technique. Further, a dynamic calibration system will be presented for the technique that allows the extraction of thickness information from the temperature data. Additionally, the results of applying this technology to actual water-wall tubing samples and in situ inspections will be presented.

Acoustic and optical borehole-wall imaging for fractured-rock aquifer studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, J.H.; Johnson, C.D.

2004-01-01

Imaging with acoustic and optical televiewers results in continuous and oriented 360?? views of the borehole wall from which the character, relation, and orientation of lithologic and structural planar features can be defined for studies of fractured-rock aquifers. Fractures are more clearly defined under a wider range of conditions on acoustic images than on optical images including dark-colored rocks, cloudy borehole water, and coated borehole walls. However, optical images allow for the direct viewing of the character of and relation between lithology, fractures, foliation, and bedding. The most powerful approach is the combined application of acoustic and optical imaging with integrated interpretation. Imaging of the borehole wall provides information useful for the collection and interpretation of flowmeter and other geophysical logs, core samples, and hydraulic and water-quality data from packer testing and monitoring. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automatic lumen and outer wall segmentation of the carotid artery using deformable three-dimensional models in MR angiography and vessel wall images.

PubMed

van 't Klooster, Ronald; de Koning, Patrick J H; Dehnavi, Reza Alizadeh; Tamsma, Jouke T; de Roos, Albert; Reiber, Johan H C; van der Geest, Rob J

2012-01-01

To develop and validate an automated segmentation technique for the detection of the lumen and outer wall boundaries in MR vessel wall studies of the common carotid artery. A new segmentation method was developed using a three-dimensional (3D) deformable vessel model requiring only one single user interaction by combining 3D MR angiography (MRA) and 2D vessel wall images. This vessel model is a 3D cylindrical Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) surface which can be deformed to fit the underlying image data. Image data of 45 subjects was used to validate the method by comparing manual and automatic segmentations. Vessel wall thickness and volume measurements obtained by both methods were compared. Substantial agreement was observed between manual and automatic segmentation; over 85% of the vessel wall contours were segmented successfully. The interclass correlation was 0.690 for the vessel wall thickness and 0.793 for the vessel wall volume. Compared with manual image analysis, the automated method demonstrated improved interobserver agreement and inter-scan reproducibility. Additionally, the proposed automated image analysis approach was substantially faster. This new automated method can reduce analysis time and enhance reproducibility of the quantification of vessel wall dimensions in clinical studies. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sub-hectare crop area mapped wall-to-wall in Tigray Ethiopia with HEC processing of WorldView sub-meter panchromatic image texture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neigh, C. S. R.; Carroll, M.; Wooten, M.; McCarty, J. L.; Powell, B.; Husak, G. J.; Enenkel, M.; Hain, C.

2017-12-01

Global food production in the developing world occurs within sub-hectare fields that are difficult to identify with moderate resolution satellite imagery. Knowledge about the distribution of these fields is critical in food security programs. We developed a semi-automated image segmentation approach using wall-to-wall sub-meter imagery with high-end computing (HEC) to map crop area (CA) throughout Tigray, Ethiopia that encompasses over 41,000 km2. Our approach tested multiple HEC processing streams to reduce processing time and minimize mapping error. We applied multiple resolution smoothing kernels to capture differences in land surface texture associated to CA. Typically, very-small fields (mean < 2 ha) have a smooth image roughness compared to natural scrub/shrub woody vegetation at the 1 m scale and these features can be segmented in panchromatic imagery with multi-level histogram thresholding. We found multi-temporal very-high resolution (VHR) panchromatic imagery with multi-spectral VHR and moderate resolution imagery are sufficient in extracting critical CA information needed in food security programs. We produced a 2011 ‒ 2015 CA map using over 3,000 WorldView-1 panchromatic images wall-to-wall in 1/2° mosaics for Tigray, Ethiopia in 1 week. We evaluated CA estimates with nearly 3,000 WorldView-2 2 m multispectral 250 × 250 m image subsets, with seven expert interpretations, and with in-situ global positioning system (GPS) photography. Our CA estimates ranged from 32 to 41% in sub-regions of Tigray with median maximum per bin commission and omission errors of 11% and 1% respectively, with most of the error occurring in bins less than 15%. This empirical, simple, and low direct cost approach via U.S. government license agreement and HEC could be a viable big-data methodology to extract wall-to-wall CA for other regions of the world that have very-small agriculture fields with similar image texture.

Visualization of the aneurysm wall: a 7.0-tesla magnetic resonance imaging study.

PubMed

Kleinloog, Rachel; Korkmaz, Emine; Zwanenburg, Jaco J M; Kuijf, Hugo J; Visser, Fredy; Blankena, Roos; Post, Jan A; Ruigrok, Ynte M; Luijten, Peter R; Regli, Luca; Rinkel, Gabriel J E; Verweij, Bon H

2014-12-01

Risk prediction of rupture of intracranial aneurysms is poor and is based mainly on lumen characteristics. However, characteristics of the aneurysm wall may be more informative predictors. The limited resolution of currently available imaging techniques and the thin aneurysm wall make imaging of wall thickness challenging. To introduce a novel protocol for imaging wall thickness variation using ultra--high-resolution 7.0-Tesla (7.0-T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We studied 33 unruptured intracranial aneurysms in 24 patients with a T1-weighted 3-dimensional magnetization-prepared inversion-recovery turbo-spin-echo whole-brain sequence with a resolution of 0.8 × 0.8 × 0.8 mm. We performed a validation study with a wedge phantom and with 2 aneurysm wall biopsies obtained during aneurysm treatment using ex vivo MRI and histological examination and correlating variations in MRI signal intensity with variations in actual thickness of the aneurysm wall. In vivo, the aneurysm wall was visible in 28 of the 33 aneurysms. Variation in signal intensity was observed in all visible aneurysm walls. Ex vivo MRI showed variation in signal intensity across the wall of the biopsies, similar to that observed on the in vivo images. Signal intensity and actual thickness in both biopsies had a linear correlation, with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.85 and 0.86. Unruptured intracranial aneurysm wall and its variation in thickness can be visualized with 7.0-T MRI. Aneurysm wall thickness variation can now be further studied as a risk factor for rupture in prospective studies.

Gadolinium Enhanced MR Coronary Vessel Wall Imaging at 3.0 Tesla.

PubMed

Kelle, Sebastian; Schlendorf, Kelly; Hirsch, Glenn A; Gerstenblith, Gary; Fleck, Eckart; Weiss, Robert G; Stuber, Matthias

2010-10-11

Purpose. We evaluated the influence of the time between low-dose gadolinium (Gd) contrast administration and coronary vessel wall enhancement (LGE) detected by 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in healthy subjects and patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials and Methods. Four healthy subjects (4 men, mean age 29 ± 3 years and eleven CAD patients (6 women, mean age 61 ± 10 years) were studied on a commercial 3.0 Tesla (T) whole-body MR imaging system (Achieva 3.0 T; Philips, Best, The Netherlands). T1-weighted inversion-recovery coronary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was repeated up to 75 minutes after administration of low-dose Gadolinium (Gd) (0.1 mmol/kg Gd-DTPA). Results. LGE was seen in none of the healthy subjects, however in all of the CAD patients. In CAD patients, fifty-six of 62 (90.3%) segments showed LGE of the coronary artery vessel wall at time-interval 1 after contrast. At time-interval 2, 34 of 42 (81.0%) and at time-interval 3, 29 of 39 evaluable segments (74.4%) were enhanced. Conclusion. In this work, we demonstrate LGE of the coronary artery vessel wall using 3.0 T MRI after a single, low-dose Gd contrast injection in CAD patients but not in healthy subjects. In the majority of the evaluated coronary segments in CAD patients, LGE of the coronary vessel wall was already detectable 30-45 minutes after administration of the contrast agent.

Influence of the internal wall thickness of electrical capacitance tomography sensors on image quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Shiguo; Ye, Jiamin; Wang, Haigang; Wu, Meng; Yang, Wuqiang

2018-03-01

In the design of electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) sensors, the internal wall thickness can vary with specific applications, and it is a key factor that influences the sensitivity distribution and image quality. This paper will discuss the effect of the wall thickness of ECT sensors on image quality. Three flow patterns are simulated for wall thicknesses of 2.5 mm to 15 mm on eight-electrode ECT sensors. The sensitivity distributions and potential distributions are compared for different wall thicknesses. Linear back-projection and Landweber iteration algorithms are used for image reconstruction. Relative image error and correlation coefficients are used for image evaluation using both simulation and experimental data.

Particle image velocimetry of a flow at a vaulted wall.

PubMed

Kertzscher, U; Berthe, A; Goubergrits, L; Affeld, K

2008-05-01

The assessment of flow along a vaulted wall (with two main finite radii of curvature) is of general interest; in biofluid mechanics, it is of special interest. Unlike the geometry of flows in engineering, flow geometry in nature is often determined by vaulted walls. Specifically the flow adjacent to the wall of blood vessels is particularly interesting since this is where either thrombi are formed or atherosclerosis develops. Current measurement methods have problems assessing the flow along vaulted walls. In contrast with conventional particle image velocimetry (PIV), this new method, called wall PIV, allows the investigation of a flow adjacent to transparent flexible surfaces with two finite radii of curvature. Using an optical method which allows the observation of particles up to a predefined depth enables the visualization solely of the boundary layer flow. This is accomplished by adding a specific dye to the fluid which absorbs the monochromatic light used to illuminate the region of observation. The obtained images can be analysed with the methods of conventional PIV and result in a vector field of the velocities along the wall. With wall PIV, the steady flow adjacent to the vaulted wall of a blood pump was investigated and the resulting velocity field as well as the velocity fluctuations were assessed.

Three-dimensional imaging of the aortic vessel wall using an elastin-specific magnetic resonance contrast agent.

PubMed

Makowski, Marcus R; Preissel, Anne; von Bary, Christian; Warley, Alice; Schachoff, Sylvia; Keithan, Alexandra; Cesati, Richard R; Onthank, David C; Schwaiger, Markus; Robinson, Simon P; Botnar, René M

2012-07-01

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of high-resolution 3-dimensional aortic vessel wall imaging using a novel elastin-specific magnetic resonance contrast agent (ESMA) in a large animal model. The thoracic aortic vessel wall of 6 Landrace pigs was imaged using a novel ESMA and a nonspecific control agent. On day 1, imaging was performed before and after the administration of a nonspecific control agent, gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA; Bayer Schering AG, Berlin, Germany). On day 3, identical scans were repeated before and after the administration of a novel ESMA (Lantheus Medical Imaging, North Billerica, Massachusetts). Three-dimensional inversion recovery gradient echo delayed-enhancement imaging and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the thoracic aortic vessel wall were performed on a 1.5-T MR scanner (Achieva; Philips Medical Systems, the Netherlands). The signal-to-noise ratio and the contrast-to-noise ratio of arterial wall enhancement, including the time course of enhancement, were assessed for ESMA and Gd-DTPA. After the completion of imaging sessions, histology, electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy were performed to localize and quantify the gadolinium bound to the arterial vessel wall. Administration of ESMA resulted in a strong enhancement of the aortic vessel wall on delayed-enhancement imaging, whereas no significant enhancement could be measured with Gd-DTPA. Ninety to 100 minutes after the administration of ESMA, significantly higher signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio could be measured compared with the administration of Gd-DTPA (45.7 ± 9.6 vs 13.2 ± 3.5, P < 0.05 and 41.9 ± 9.1 vs 5.2 ± 2.0, P < 0.05). A significant correlation (0.96; P < 0.01) between area measurements derived from ESMA scans and aortic MR angiography scans could be found. Electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy confirmed the colocalization of ESMA with

Enhanced Imaging of Building Interior for Portable MIMO Through-the-wall Radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yongping; Zhu, Jiahua; Hu, Jun; Jin, Tian; Zhou, Zhimin

2018-01-01

Portable multi-input multi-output (MIMO) radar system is able to imaging the building interior through aperture synthesis. However, significant grating lobes are invoked in the directly imaging results, which may deteriorate the imaging quality of other targets and influence the detail information extraction of imaging scene. In this paper, a two-stage coherence factor (CF) weighting method is proposed to enhance the imaging quality. After obtaining the sub-imaging results of each spatial sampling position using conventional CF approach, a window function is employed to calculate the proposed “enhanced CF” adaptive to the spatial variety effect behind the wall for the combination of these sub-images. The real data experiment illustrates the better performance of proposed method on grating lobes suppression and imaging quality enhancement compare to the traditional radar imaging approach.

Don't Forget the Abdominal Wall: Imaging Spectrum of Abdominal Wall Injuries after Nonpenetrating Trauma.

PubMed

Matalon, Shanna A; Askari, Reza; Gates, Jonathan D; Patel, Ketan; Sodickson, Aaron D; Khurana, Bharti

2017-01-01

Abdominal wall injuries occur in nearly one of 10 patients coming to the emergency department after nonpenetrating trauma. Injuries range from minor, such as abdominal wall contusion, to severe, such as abdominal wall rupture with evisceration of abdominal contents. Examples of specific injuries that can be detected at cross-sectional imaging include abdominal muscle strain, tear, or hematoma, including rectus sheath hematoma (RSH); traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH); and Morel-Lavallée lesion (MLL) (closed degloving injury). These injuries are often overlooked clinically because of (a) a lack of findings at physical examination or (b) distraction by more-severe associated injuries. However, these injuries are important to detect because they are highly associated with potentially grave visceral and vascular injuries, such as aortic injury, and because their detection can lead to the diagnosis of these more clinically important grave traumatic injuries. Failure to make a timely diagnosis can result in delayed complications, such as bowel hernia with potential for obstruction or strangulation, or misdiagnosis of an abdominal wall neoplasm. Groin injuries, such as athletic pubalgia, and inferior costochondral injuries should also be considered in patients with abdominal pain after nonpenetrating trauma, because these conditions may manifest with referred abdominal pain and are often included within the field of view at cross-sectional abdominal imaging. Radiologists must recognize and report acute abdominal wall injuries and their associated intra-abdominal pathologic conditions to allow appropriate and timely treatment. © RSNA, 2017.

High resolution through-the-wall radar image based on beamspace eigenstructure subspace methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Yeo-Sun; Amin, Moeness G.

2008-04-01

Through-the-wall imaging (TWI) is a challenging problem, even if the wall parameters and characteristics are known to the system operator. Proper target classification and correct imaging interpretation require the application of high resolution techniques using limited array size. In inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR), signal subspace methods such as Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) are used to obtain high resolution imaging. In this paper, we adopt signal subspace methods and apply them to the 2-D spectrum obtained from the delay-andsum beamforming image. This is in contrast to ISAR, where raw data, in frequency and angle, is directly used to form the estimate of the covariance matrix and array response vector. Using beams rather than raw data has two main advantages, namely, it improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and can correctly image typical indoor extended targets, such as tables and cabinets, as well as point targets. The paper presents both simulated and experimental results using synthesized and real data. It compares the performance of beam-space MUSIC and Capon beamformer. The experimental data is collected at the test facility in the Radar Imaging Laboratory, Villanova University.

An Abdominal Aorta Wall Extraction for Liver Cirrhosis Classification Using Ultrasonic Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Takaya; Fujita, Yusuke; Mitani, Yoshihiro; Hamamoto, Yoshihiko; Segawa, Makoto; Terai, Shuji; Sakaida, Isao

2011-06-01

We propose a method to extract an abdominal aorta wall from an M-mode image. Furthermore, we propose the use of a Gaussian filter in order to improve image quality. The experimental results show that the Gaussian filter is effective in the abdominal aorta wall extraction.

Handheld microwave bomb-detecting imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorwara, Ashok; Molchanov, Pavlo

2017-05-01

Proposed novel imaging technique will provide all weather high-resolution imaging and recognition capability for RF/Microwave signals with good penetration through highly scattered media: fog, snow, dust, smoke, even foliage, camouflage, walls and ground. Image resolution in proposed imaging system is not limited by diffraction and will be determined by processor and sampling frequency. Proposed imaging system can simultaneously cover wide field of view, detect multiple targets and can be multi-frequency, multi-function. Directional antennas in imaging system can be close positioned and installed in cell phone size handheld device, on small aircraft or distributed around protected border or object. Non-scanning monopulse system allows dramatically decrease in transmitting power and at the same time provides increased imaging range by integrating 2-3 orders more signals than regular scanning imaging systems.

Oedema of gallbladder wall: correlation with chronic hepatitis B on MR imaging.

PubMed

Shu, Jian; Zhao, Jian Nong; Han, Fu Gang; Tang, Guang Cai; Luo, Yin Deng; Chen, Xin; Luo, Li

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to characterise gallbladder wall oedema and correlate it with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Sixty-seven patients who were clinically and histologically diagnosed with CHB and 18 healthy individuals without any history of liver disease underwent abdominal MR imaging. Hepatic inflammation (grade 0-4) and fibrosis (stage 0-4) for patients were assessed histologically. Gallbladder wall oedema was noted. Twelve patients showed gallbladder wall oedema on MR imaging, including six with grade 3 and six with grade 4 disease. There was a statistically significant difference for the presence of gallbladder wall oedema among groups with grade 0-4 (p=0.000), but not between groups with grades 3 and 4 (p=0.729). Gallbladder wall oedema was related to moderate-severe inflammatory activity (p<0.05), alanine transaminase (ALT) (p=0.012) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (p=0.027) levels but not to fibrosis or other laboratory data, including serum quantitative DNA for hepatitis B virus (HBV), with the p=0.105-0.846. Sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of hepatic moderate-severe inflammation using gallbladder wall oedema were 33.33% and 100%, respectively. Gallbladder wall oedema for patients with CHB can be specifically demonstrated on MR imaging and is correlated with hepatic moderate-severe inflammatory activity, elevated ALT and AST levels but not with fibrosis or other laboratory data, including viremia.

Virtual wall-based haptic-guided teleoperated surgical robotic system for single-port brain tumor removal surgery.

PubMed

Seung, Sungmin; Choi, Hongseok; Jang, Jongseong; Kim, Young Soo; Park, Jong-Oh; Park, Sukho; Ko, Seong Young

2017-01-01

This article presents a haptic-guided teleoperation for a tumor removal surgical robotic system, so-called a SIROMAN system. The system was developed in our previous work to make it possible to access tumor tissue, even those that seat deeply inside the brain, and to remove the tissue with full maneuverability. For a safe and accurate operation to remove only tumor tissue completely while minimizing damage to the normal tissue, a virtual wall-based haptic guidance together with a medical image-guided control is proposed and developed. The virtual wall is extracted from preoperative medical images, and the robot is controlled to restrict its motion within the virtual wall using haptic feedback. Coordinate transformation between sub-systems, a collision detection algorithm, and a haptic-guided teleoperation using a virtual wall are described in the context of using SIROMAN. A series of experiments using a simplified virtual wall are performed to evaluate the performance of virtual wall-based haptic-guided teleoperation. With haptic guidance, the accuracy of the robotic manipulator's trajectory is improved by 57% compared to one without. The tissue removal performance is also improved by 21% ( p < 0.05). The experiments show that virtual wall-based haptic guidance provides safer and more accurate tissue removal for single-port brain surgery.

Anterior Chest Wall in Axial Spondyloarthritis: Imaging, Interpretation, and Differential Diagnosis.

PubMed

Rennie, Winston J; Jans, Lennart; Jurik, Anne Grethe; Sudoł-Szopińska, Iwona; Schueller-Weidekamm, Claudia; Eshed, Iris

2018-04-01

Anterior chest wall (ACW) inflammation is not an uncommon finding in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) and reportedly occurs in 26% of these patients. Radiologists may only be familiar with spinal and peripheral joint imaging, possibly due to the inherent challenges of ACW imaging on some cross-sectional imaging modalities. Knowledge of relevant joint anatomy and the location of sites of inflammation allows the interpreting radiologist to better plan appropriate imaging tests and imaging planes. Accurate assessment of disease burden, sometimes in the absence of clinical findings, may alert the treating rheumatologist, allowing a better estimation of disease burden, increased accuracy of potential imaging scoring systems, and optimize assessment and response to treatment. This article reviews salient anatomy and various imaging modalities to optimize diagnosis, important differential diagnoses, and the interpretation of ACW imaging findings in ax-SpA. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Fluorescent Nano-Probes to Image Plant Cell Walls by Super-Resolution STED Microscopy

PubMed Central

Paës, Gabriel; Habrant, Anouck; Terryn, Christine

2018-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass is a complex network of polymers making up the cell walls of plants. It represents a feedstock of sustainable resources to be converted into fuels, chemicals, and materials. Because of its complex architecture, lignocellulose is a recalcitrant material that requires some pretreatments and several types of catalysts to be transformed efficiently. Gaining more knowledge in the architecture of plant cell walls is therefore important to understand and optimize transformation processes. For the first time, super-resolution imaging of poplar wood samples has been performed using the Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) technique. In comparison to standard confocal images, STED reveals new details in cell wall structure, allowing the identification of secondary walls and middle lamella with fine details, while keeping open the possibility to perform topochemistry by the use of relevant fluorescent nano-probes. In particular, the deconvolution of STED images increases the signal-to-noise ratio so that images become very well defined. The obtained results show that the STED super-resolution technique can be easily implemented by using cheap commercial fluorescent rhodamine-PEG nano-probes which outline the architecture of plant cell walls due to their interaction with lignin. Moreover, the sample preparation only requires easily-prepared plant sections of a few tens of micrometers, in addition to an easily-implemented post-treatment of images. Overall, the STED super-resolution technique in combination with a variety of nano-probes can provide a new vision of plant cell wall imaging by filling in the gap between classical photon microscopy and electron microscopy. PMID:29415498

Fluorescent Nano-Probes to Image Plant Cell Walls by Super-Resolution STED Microscopy.

PubMed

Paës, Gabriel; Habrant, Anouck; Terryn, Christine

2018-02-06

Lignocellulosic biomass is a complex network of polymers making up the cell walls of plants. It represents a feedstock of sustainable resources to be converted into fuels, chemicals, and materials. Because of its complex architecture, lignocellulose is a recalcitrant material that requires some pretreatments and several types of catalysts to be transformed efficiently. Gaining more knowledge in the architecture of plant cell walls is therefore important to understand and optimize transformation processes. For the first time, super-resolution imaging of poplar wood samples has been performed using the Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) technique. In comparison to standard confocal images, STED reveals new details in cell wall structure, allowing the identification of secondary walls and middle lamella with fine details, while keeping open the possibility to perform topochemistry by the use of relevant fluorescent nano-probes. In particular, the deconvolution of STED images increases the signal-to-noise ratio so that images become very well defined. The obtained results show that the STED super-resolution technique can be easily implemented by using cheap commercial fluorescent rhodamine-PEG nano-probes which outline the architecture of plant cell walls due to their interaction with lignin. Moreover, the sample preparation only requires easily-prepared plant sections of a few tens of micrometers, in addition to an easily-implemented post-treatment of images. Overall, the STED super-resolution technique in combination with a variety of nano-probes can provide a new vision of plant cell wall imaging by filling in the gap between classical photon microscopy and electron microscopy.

Evaluation of a MMW active through-the-wall surveillance system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Currie, Nicholas C.; Stiefvater, Kenneth

2002-08-01

This paper discusses the TWS data collected with a state-of- the-art 100 GHz radar imager developed for law enforcement use by Millivision, PPC. The system collects a cube of data consisting of 16 azimuth elements by 16 elevation elements by 256 range elements. The cube represents 11 degrees by 11 degrees by 25 m of coverage. The relatively narrow field-of- view (fov) was extended by physically moving the antenna in 11 degree segments and collecting data which is stitched together into larger images, e.g. a 3X3 stitched image represents 33 degrees by 33 degrees by 26 m of coverage. Unfortunately, this stitching process required up to 5 minutes to collect a single (3X3) stitched image. Thus, motion had to be simulated. The paper will discuss the phenomenology of the MMW radar return from various objects including walls, wall-corners, desks and other furniture, and persons simulating walking. Successive frames from a simulated move of a man and woman walking will be presented, and the actual movie shown at the presentation. Comments will be offered as to the practicality of active MMW imaging for TWS application.

Rock classification based on resistivity patterns in electrical borehole wall images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linek, Margarete; Jungmann, Matthias; Berlage, Thomas; Pechnig, Renate; Clauser, Christoph

2007-06-01

Electrical borehole wall images represent grey-level-coded micro-resistivity measurements at the borehole wall. Different scientific methods have been implemented to transform image data into quantitative log curves. We introduce a pattern recognition technique applying texture analysis, which uses second-order statistics based on studying the occurrence of pixel pairs. We calculate so-called Haralick texture features such as contrast, energy, entropy and homogeneity. The supervised classification method is used for assigning characteristic texture features to different rock classes and assessing the discriminative power of these image features. We use classifiers obtained from training intervals to characterize the entire image data set recovered in ODP hole 1203A. This yields a synthetic lithology profile based on computed texture data. We show that Haralick features accurately classify 89.9% of the training intervals. We obtained misclassification for vesicular basaltic rocks. Hence, further image analysis tools are used to improve the classification reliability. We decompose the 2D image signal by the application of wavelet transformation in order to enhance image objects horizontally, diagonally and vertically. The resulting filtered images are used for further texture analysis. This combined classification based on Haralick features and wavelet transformation improved our classification up to a level of 98%. The application of wavelet transformation increases the consistency between standard logging profiles and texture-derived lithology. Texture analysis of borehole wall images offers the potential to facilitate objective analysis of multiple boreholes with the same lithology.

Raman Imaging of Plant Cell Walls in Sections of Cucumis sativus.

PubMed

Zeise, Ingrid; Heiner, Zsuzsanna; Holz, Sabine; Joester, Maike; Büttner, Carmen; Kneipp, Janina

2018-01-25

Raman microspectra combine information on chemical composition of plant tissues with spatial information. The contributions from the building blocks of the cell walls in the Raman spectra of plant tissues can vary in the microscopic sub-structures of the tissue. Here, we discuss the analysis of 55 Raman maps of root, stem, and leaf tissues of Cucumis sativus , using different spectral contributions from cellulose and lignin in both univariate and multivariate imaging methods. Imaging based on hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) indicates different substructures in the xylem cell walls of the different tissues. Using specific signals from the cell wall spectra, analysis of the whole set of different tissue sections based on the Raman images reveals differences in xylem tissue morphology. Due to the specifics of excitation of the Raman spectra in the visible wavelength range (532 nm), which is, e.g., in resonance with carotenoid species, effects of photobleaching and the possibility of exploiting depletion difference spectra for molecular characterization in Raman imaging of plants are discussed. The reported results provide both, specific information on the molecular composition of cucumber tissue Raman spectra, and general directions for future imaging studies in plant tissues.

Highly efficient nonrigid motion‐corrected 3D whole‐heart coronary vessel wall imaging

PubMed Central

Atkinson, David; Henningsson, Markus; Botnar, Rene M.; Prieto, Claudia

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a respiratory motion correction framework to accelerate free‐breathing three‐dimensional (3D) whole‐heart coronary lumen and coronary vessel wall MRI. Methods We developed a 3D flow‐independent approach for vessel wall imaging based on the subtraction of data with and without T2‐preparation prepulses acquired interleaved with image navigators. The proposed method corrects both datasets to the same respiratory position using beat‐to‐beat translation and bin‐to‐bin nonrigid corrections, producing coregistered, motion‐corrected coronary lumen and coronary vessel wall images. The proposed method was studied in 10 healthy subjects and was compared with beat‐to‐beat translational correction (TC) and no motion correction for the left and right coronary arteries. Additionally, the coronary lumen images were compared with a 6‐mm diaphragmatic navigator gated and tracked scan. Results No significant differences (P > 0.01) were found between the proposed method and the gated and tracked scan for coronary lumen, despite an average improvement in scan efficiency to 96% from 59%. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were found in right coronary artery vessel wall thickness, right coronary artery vessel wall sharpness, and vessel wall visual score between the proposed method and TC. Conclusion The feasibility of a highly efficient motion correction framework for simultaneous whole‐heart coronary lumen and vessel wall has been demonstrated. Magn Reson Med 77:1894–1908, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine PMID:27221073

A protection system for the JET ITER-like wall based on imaging diagnostics.

PubMed

Arnoux, G; Devaux, S; Alves, D; Balboa, I; Balorin, C; Balshaw, N; Beldishevski, M; Carvalho, P; Clever, M; Cramp, S; de Pablos, J-L; de la Cal, E; Falie, D; Garcia-Sanchez, P; Felton, R; Gervaise, V; Goodyear, A; Horton, A; Jachmich, S; Huber, A; Jouve, M; Kinna, D; Kruezi, U; Manzanares, A; Martin, V; McCullen, P; Moncada, V; Obrejan, K; Patel, K; Lomas, P J; Neto, A; Rimini, F; Ruset, C; Schweer, B; Sergienko, G; Sieglin, B; Soleto, A; Stamp, M; Stephen, A; Thomas, P D; Valcárcel, D F; Williams, J; Wilson, J; Zastrow, K-D

2012-10-01

The new JET ITER-like wall (made of beryllium and tungsten) is more fragile than the former carbon fiber composite wall and requires active protection to prevent excessive heat loads on the plasma facing components (PFC). Analog CCD cameras operating in the near infrared wavelength are used to measure surface temperature of the PFCs. Region of interest (ROI) analysis is performed in real time and the maximum temperature measured in each ROI is sent to the vessel thermal map. The protection of the ITER-like wall system started in October 2011 and has already successfully led to a safe landing of the plasma when hot spots were observed on the Be main chamber PFCs. Divertor protection is more of a challenge due to dust deposits that often generate false hot spots. In this contribution we describe the camera, data capture and real time processing systems. We discuss the calibration strategy for the temperature measurements with cross validation with thermal IR cameras and bi-color pyrometers. Most importantly, we demonstrate that a protection system based on CCD cameras can work and show examples of hot spot detections that stop the plasma pulse. The limits of such a design and the associated constraints on the operations are also presented.

A protection system for the JET ITER-like wall based on imaging diagnosticsa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnoux, G.; Devaux, S.; Alves, D.; Balboa, I.; Balorin, C.; Balshaw, N.; Beldishevski, M.; Carvalho, P.; Clever, M.; Cramp, S.; de Pablos, J.-L.; de la Cal, E.; Falie, D.; Garcia-Sanchez, P.; Felton, R.; Gervaise, V.; Goodyear, A.; Horton, A.; Jachmich, S.; Huber, A.; Jouve, M.; Kinna, D.; Kruezi, U.; Manzanares, A.; Martin, V.; McCullen, P.; Moncada, V.; Obrejan, K.; Patel, K.; Lomas, P. J.; Neto, A.; Rimini, F.; Ruset, C.; Schweer, B.; Sergienko, G.; Sieglin, B.; Soleto, A.; Stamp, M.; Stephen, A.; Thomas, P. D.; Valcárcel, D. F.; Williams, J.; Wilson, J.; Zastrow, K.-D.; JET-EFDA Contributors

2012-10-01

The new JET ITER-like wall (made of beryllium and tungsten) is more fragile than the former carbon fiber composite wall and requires active protection to prevent excessive heat loads on the plasma facing components (PFC). Analog CCD cameras operating in the near infrared wavelength are used to measure surface temperature of the PFCs. Region of interest (ROI) analysis is performed in real time and the maximum temperature measured in each ROI is sent to the vessel thermal map. The protection of the ITER-like wall system started in October 2011 and has already successfully led to a safe landing of the plasma when hot spots were observed on the Be main chamber PFCs. Divertor protection is more of a challenge due to dust deposits that often generate false hot spots. In this contribution we describe the camera, data capture and real time processing systems. We discuss the calibration strategy for the temperature measurements with cross validation with thermal IR cameras and bi-color pyrometers. Most importantly, we demonstrate that a protection system based on CCD cameras can work and show examples of hot spot detections that stop the plasma pulse. The limits of such a design and the associated constraints on the operations are also presented.

Radio-frequency coil selection for MR imaging of the carotid vessel wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mat Isa, S.; Shuaib, I. L.; Bauk, S.

2014-11-01

This aim of this study was to identify the radiofrequency coil that will produce optimum image quality for scanning the carotid vessel wall using magnetic resonance imaging. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted using 10 volunteers. Each volunteer was scanned three times using a 1.5T Signa HDxt machine equipped with one of three different coils: a neurovascular array (NV) coil, an 8-channel CTL spine array coil, and a 3-inch surface coil. A qualitative image quality rating was assigned to each image. The images were also evaluated by measuring the signal to noise ratio (SNR) using Osirix 4.2.3 software. The noise was estimated from the mean intensities of the region of interest in the background of the images and the signal was measured in the muscle adjacent to the vessel wall. The SNRs of the three coils were compared using one-way ANOVA, with 104 images used for the data analysis. The mean image quality scores for the NV head coil, CTL coil, and 3-inch coil were 3.4, 3.33, and 1.67, respectively. In addition, the SNRs differed significantly (p < 0.05). The mean SNR for the 3-inch coil was significantly higher (56.21 ± 25.06) than those for the NV head coil (27.34 ± 15.47) and CTL coil (21.77 ± 13.14). The Bonferroni post-hoc test revealed that there was no significant difference between the NV head coil and the CTL coil (p = 0.21). The optimum SNR value was 20-27. These results indicate that the NV head coil and CTL coil can be used to evaluate the carotid arterial wall with optimum image quality and higher resolution. These coil can deliver fast and robust data to image the carotid vessel wall in vivo.

Respiratory kinematics by optoelectronic analysis of chest-wall motion and ultrasonic imaging of the diaphragm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aliverti, Andrea; Pedotti, Antonio; Ferrigno, Giancarlo; Macklem, P. T.

1998-07-01

Although from a respiratory point of view, compartmental volume change or lack of it is the most crucial variable, it has not been possible to measure the volume of chest wall compartments directly. Recently we developed a new method based on a optoelectronic motion analyzer that can give the three-dimensional location of many markers with the temporal and spatial accuracy required for respiratory measurements. Marker's configuration has been designed specifically to measure the volume of three chest wall compartments, the pulmonary and abdominal rib cage compartments and the abdomen, directly. However, it can not track the exact border between the two rib cage compartments (pulmonary and abdominal) which is determined by the cephalic extremity of the area of apposition of the diaphragm to the inner surface of the rib cage, and which can change systematically as a result of disease processes. The diaphragm displacement can be detected by ultrasonography. In the present study, we propose an integrated system able to investigate the relationships between external (chest wall) and internal (diaphragm) movements of the different respiratory structures by simultaneous external imaging with the optoelectronic system combined with internal kinematic imaging using ultrasounds. 2D digitized points belonging to the lower lung margin, taken from ultrasonographic views, are mapped into the 3D space, where chest wall markers are acquired. Results are shown in terms of accuracy of 3D probe location, relative movement between the probe and the body landmarks, dynamic relationships between chest wall volume and position of the diaphragm during quiet breathing, slow inspirations, relaxations and exercise.

Raman Imaging of Plant Cell Walls in Sections of Cucumis sativus

PubMed Central

Zeise, Ingrid; Heiner, Zsuzsanna; Holz, Sabine; Joester, Maike; Büttner, Carmen

2018-01-01

Raman microspectra combine information on chemical composition of plant tissues with spatial information. The contributions from the building blocks of the cell walls in the Raman spectra of plant tissues can vary in the microscopic sub-structures of the tissue. Here, we discuss the analysis of 55 Raman maps of root, stem, and leaf tissues of Cucumis sativus, using different spectral contributions from cellulose and lignin in both univariate and multivariate imaging methods. Imaging based on hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) indicates different substructures in the xylem cell walls of the different tissues. Using specific signals from the cell wall spectra, analysis of the whole set of different tissue sections based on the Raman images reveals differences in xylem tissue morphology. Due to the specifics of excitation of the Raman spectra in the visible wavelength range (532 nm), which is, e.g., in resonance with carotenoid species, effects of photobleaching and the possibility of exploiting depletion difference spectra for molecular characterization in Raman imaging of plants are discussed. The reported results provide both, specific information on the molecular composition of cucumber tissue Raman spectra, and general directions for future imaging studies in plant tissues. PMID:29370089

Intracranial Vascular Disease Evaluation With Combined Vessel Wall Imaging And Patient Specific Hemodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samson, Kurt; Mossa-Basha, Mahmud; Yuan, Chun; Canton, Maria De Gador; Aliseda, Alberto

2017-11-01

Intracranial vascular pathologies are evaluated with angiography, conventional digital subtraction angiography or non-invasive (MRI, CT). Current techniques present limitations on the resolution with which the vessel wall characteristics can be measured, presenting a major challenge to differential diagnostic of cerebral vasculopathies. A new combined approach is presented that incorporates patient-specific image-based CFD models with intracranial vessel-wall MRI (VWMRI). Comparisons of the VWMRI measurements, evaluated for the presence of wall enhancement and thin-walled regions, against CFD metrics such as wall shear stress (WSS), and oscillatory shear index (OSI) are used to understand how the new imaging technique developed can predict the influence of hemodynamics on the deterioration of the aneurysmal wall, leading to rupture. Additionally, histology of each resected aneurysm, evaluated for inflammatory infiltration and wall thickness features, is used to validate the analysis from VWMRI and CFD. This data presents a solid foundation on which to build a new framework for combined VWMRI-CFD to predict unstable wall changes in unruptured intracranial aneurysms, and support clinical monitoring and intervention decisions.

Quantification of common carotid artery and descending aorta vessel wall thickness from MR vessel wall imaging using a fully automated processing pipeline.

PubMed

Gao, Shan; van 't Klooster, Ronald; Brandts, Anne; Roes, Stijntje D; Alizadeh Dehnavi, Reza; de Roos, Albert; Westenberg, Jos J M; van der Geest, Rob J

2017-01-01

To develop and evaluate a method that can fully automatically identify the vessel wall boundaries and quantify the wall thickness for both common carotid artery (CCA) and descending aorta (DAO) from axial magnetic resonance (MR) images. 3T MRI data acquired with T 1 -weighted gradient-echo black-blood imaging sequence from carotid (39 subjects) and aorta (39 subjects) were used to develop and test the algorithm. The vessel wall segmentation was achieved by respectively fitting a 3D cylindrical B-spline surface to the boundaries of lumen and outer wall. The tube-fitting was based on the edge detection performed on the signal intensity (SI) profile along the surface normal. To achieve a fully automated process, Hough Transform (HT) was developed to estimate the lumen centerline and radii for the target vessel. Using the outputs of HT, a tube model for lumen segmentation was initialized and deformed to fit the image data. Finally, lumen segmentation was dilated to initiate the adaptation procedure of outer wall tube. The algorithm was validated by determining: 1) its performance against manual tracing; 2) its interscan reproducibility in quantifying vessel wall thickness (VWT); 3) its capability of detecting VWT difference in hypertensive patients compared with healthy controls. Statistical analysis including Bland-Altman analysis, t-test, and sample size calculation were performed for the purpose of algorithm evaluation. The mean distance between the manual and automatically detected lumen/outer wall contours was 0.00 ± 0.23/0.09 ± 0.21 mm for CCA and 0.12 ± 0.24/0.14 ± 0.35 mm for DAO. No significant difference was observed between the interscan VWT assessment using automated segmentation for both CCA (P = 0.19) and DAO (P = 0.94). Both manual and automated segmentation detected significantly higher carotid (P = 0.016 and P = 0.005) and aortic (P < 0.001 and P = 0.021) wall thickness in the hypertensive patients. A reliable and reproducible pipeline for fully

Intraoperative CT in the assessment of posterior wall acetabular fracture stability.

PubMed

Cunningham, Brian; Jackson, Kelly; Ortega, Gil

2014-04-01

Posterior wall acetabular fractures that involve 10% to 40% of the posterior wall may or may not require an open reduction and internal fixation. Dynamic stress examination of the acetabular fracture under fluoroscopy has been used as an intraoperative method to assess joint stability. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the value of intraoperative ISO computed tomography (CT) examination using the Siemens ISO-C imaging system (Siemens Corp, Malvern, Pennsylvania) in the assessment of posterior wall acetabular fracture stability during stress examination under anesthesia. In 5 posterior wall acetabular fractures, standard fluoroscopic images (including anteroposterior pelvis and Judet radiographs) with dynamic stress examinations were compared with the ISO-C CT imaging system to assess posterior wall fracture stability during stress examination. After review of standard intraoperative fluoroscopic images under dynamic stress examination, all 5 cases appeared to demonstrate posterior wall stability; however, when the intraoperative images from the ISO-C CT imaging system demonstrated that 1 case showed fracture instability of the posterior wall segment during stress examination, open reduction and internal fixation was performed. The use of intraoperative ISO CT imaging has shown an initial improvement in the surgeon's ability to assess the intraoperative stability of posterior wall acetabular fractures during stress examination when compared with standard fluoroscopic images. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Molecular magnetic resonance imaging of atherosclerotic vessel wall disease.

PubMed

Nörenberg, Dominik; Ebersberger, Hans U; Diederichs, Gerd; Hamm, Bernd; Botnar, René M; Makowski, Marcus R

2016-03-01

Molecular imaging aims to improve the identification and characterization of pathological processes in vivo by visualizing the underlying biological mechanisms. Molecular imaging techniques are increasingly used to assess vascular inflammation, remodeling, cell migration, angioneogenesis and apoptosis. In cardiovascular diseases, molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers new insights into the in vivo biology of pathological vessel wall processes of the coronary and carotid arteries and the aorta. This includes detection of early vascular changes preceding plaque development, visualization of unstable plaques and assessment of response to therapy. The current review focuses on recent developments in the field of molecular MRI to characterise different stages of atherosclerotic vessel wall disease. A variety of molecular MR-probes have been developed to improve the non-invasive detection and characterization of atherosclerotic plaques. Specifically targeted molecular probes allow for the visualization of key biological steps in the cascade leading to the development of arterial vessel wall lesions. Early detection of processes which lead to the development of atherosclerosis and the identification of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques may enable the early assessment of response to therapy, improve therapy planning, foster the prevention of cardiovascular events and may open the door for the development of patient-specific treatment strategies. Targeted MR-probes allow the characterization of atherosclerosis on a molecular level. Molecular MRI can identify in vivo markers for the differentiation of stable and unstable plaques. Visualization of early molecular changes has the potential to improve patient-individualized risk-assessment.

Through-the-wall high-resolution imaging of a human and experimental characterization of the transmission of wall materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsson, S.; Jänis, A.; Gustafsson, M.; Kjellgren, J.; Sume, Ain

2008-10-01

This paper describes the research efforts made at the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) concerning through-the-wall imaging radar, as well as fundamental characterization of various wall materials. These activities are a part of two FOI-projects concerning security sensors in the aspects of Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) and Homeland Defence. Through-the-wall high resolution imaging of a human between 28-40 GHz has been performed at FOI. The UWB radar that was used is normally a member of the instrumentation of the FOI outdoor RCS test range Lilla Gåra. The armed test person was standing behind different kinds of walls. The radar images were generated by stepping the turntable in azimuth and elevation. The angular resolution in the near-field was improved by refocusing the parabolic antennas, which in combination with the large bandwidth (12 GHz) gave extremely high resolution radar images. A 3D visualization of the person even exposed the handgun tucked into one hip pocket. A qualitative comparison between the experimental results and simulation results (physical optics-based method) will also be presented. The second part of this paper describes results from activities at FOI concerning material characterization in the 2-110 GHz region. The transmission of building, packing and clothing materials has been experimentally determined. The wide-band measurements in free space were carried out with a scalar network analyzer. In this paper results from these characterizations will be presented. Furthermore, an experimental investigation will be reported of how the transmission properties for some moisted materials change as a function of water content and frequency. We will also show experimental results of how the transmission properties of a pine panel are affected when the surface is coated with a thin surface layer of water.

[Study on Hollow Brick Wall's Surface Temperature with Infrared Thermal Imaging Method].

PubMed

Tang, Ming-fang; Yin, Yi-hua

2015-05-01

To address the characteristic of uneven surface temperature of hollow brick wall, the present research adopts soft wares of both ThermaCAM P20 and ThermaCAM Reporter to test the application of infrared thermal image technique in measuring surface temperature of hollow brick wall, and further analyzes the thermal characteristics of hollow brick wall, and building material's impact on surface temperature distribution including hollow brick, masonry mortar, and so on. The research selects the construction site of a three-story-high residential, carries out the heat transfer experiment, and further examines the exterior wall constructed by 3 different hollow bricks including sintering shale hollow brick, masonry mortar and brick masonry. Infrared thermal image maps are collected, including 3 kinds of sintering shale hollow brick walls under indoor heating in winter; and temperature data of wall surface, and uniformity and frequency distribution are also collected for comparative analysis between 2 hollow bricks and 2 kinds of mortar masonry. The results show that improving heat preservation of hollow brick aid masonry mortar can effectively improve inner wall surface temperature and indoor thermal environment; non-uniformity of surface temperature decreases from 0. 6 to 0. 4 °C , and surface temperature frequency distribution changes from the asymmetric distribution into a normal distribution under the condition that energy-saving sintering shale hollow brick wall is constructed by thermal mortar replacing cement mortar masonry; frequency of average temperature increases as uniformity of surface temperature increases. This research provides a certain basis for promotion and optimization of hollow brick wall's thermal function.

Through-wall image enhancement using fuzzy and QR decomposition.

PubMed

Riaz, Muhammad Mohsin; Ghafoor, Abdul

2014-01-01

QR decomposition and fuzzy logic based scheme is proposed for through-wall image enhancement. QR decomposition is less complex compared to singular value decomposition. Fuzzy inference engine assigns weights to different overlapping subspaces. Quantitative measures and visual inspection are used to analyze existing and proposed techniques.

General Approach for Rock Classification Based on Digital Image Analysis of Electrical Borehole Wall Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linek, M.; Jungmann, M.; Berlage, T.; Clauser, C.

2005-12-01

Within the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP), image logging tools have been routinely deployed such as the Formation MicroScanner (FMS) or the Resistivity-At-Bit (RAB) tools. Both logging methods are based on resistivity measurements at the borehole wall and therefore are sensitive to conductivity contrasts, which are mapped in color scale images. These images are commonly used to study the structure of the sedimentary rocks and the oceanic crust (petrologic fabric, fractures, veins, etc.). So far, mapping of lithology from electrical images is purely based on visual inspection and subjective interpretation. We apply digital image analysis on electrical borehole wall images in order to develop a method, which augments objective rock identification. We focus on supervised textural pattern recognition which studies the spatial gray level distribution with respect to certain rock types. FMS image intervals of rock classes known from core data are taken in order to train textural characteristics for each class. A so-called gray level co-occurrence matrix is computed by counting the occurrence of a pair of gray levels that are a certain distant apart. Once the matrix for an image interval is computed, we calculate the image contrast, homogeneity, energy, and entropy. We assign characteristic textural features to different rock types by reducing the image information into a small set of descriptive features. Once a discriminating set of texture features for each rock type is found, we are able to discriminate the entire FMS images regarding the trained rock type classification. A rock classification based on texture features enables quantitative lithology mapping and is characterized by a high repeatability, in contrast to a purely visual subjective image interpretation. We show examples for the rock classification between breccias, pillows, massive units, and horizontally bedded tuffs based on ODP image data.

Inverting Images of the 40s: The Berlin Wall and Collective Amnesia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loshitzky, Yosefa

1995-01-01

Examines images of World War II invoked in two live, international music concerts (one rock, one classical) celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. Argues that Western television's choice of imagery represented the Wall's demise as a marker of the end of the Cold War rather than a vanishing monument of Germany's conflicted struggle with Holocaust…

Illustrated review of new imaging techniques in the diagnosis of abdominal wall hernias.

PubMed

Toms, A P; Dixon, A K; Murphy, J M; Jamieson, N V

1999-10-01

The assessment of abdominal wall hernias has long been a clinical skill that only occasionally required the supplementary radiological assistance of herniography. However, with the advent of cross-sectional imaging, a new range of diagnostic tools is now available to help the clinician in difficult cases. This review explores the ability of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate many of the hernias encountered in the anterior abdominal wall. Also discussed is the role of imaging techniques in the management of a variety of hernias. Cross-sectional imaging techniques are being employed with increasing frequency for the assessment of hernias. Although the anatomical detail can usually be delineated clearly, the accuracy of the various methods and their place in the clinical management of hernias has yet to be fully determined.

Multiparameter spatio-thermochemical probing of flame–wall interactions advanced with coherent Raman imaging

DOE PAGES

Bohlin, Gustav Alexis; Jainski, Christopher; Patterson, Brian D.; ...

2016-08-10

Ultrabroadband coherent anti-Stokes Ra man spectroscopy (CARS) has been developed for one -dimensional imaging of temperature and major species distributions simultaneously in the near-wall region of a methane/air flame supported on a side-wall-quenching (SWQ) burner. Automatic temporal and spatial overlap of the ~7 femtosecond pump and Stokes pulses is achieved utilizing a two-beam CARS phase-matching scheme, and the crossed ~75 picosecond probe beam provide s excellent spatial sectioning of the probed location. Concurrent detection of N 2, O 2, H 2, CO, CO 2, and CH 4 is demonstrated while high-fidelity flame thermometry is assessed from the N 2 puremore » rotational S-branch in a one-dimensional -CARS imaging configuration. A methane/air premixed flame at lean, stoichiometric, and rich conditions ( Φ = 0.83, 1.0 , and 1.2) and Reynolds number = 5,000 is probed as it quenches against a cooled steel side- wall parallel to the flow providing a persistent flame-wall interaction. Here, an imaging resolution of better than 40 μm is achieved across the field -of-view, thus allowing thermochemical states (temperature and major species) of the thermal boundary layer to be resolved to within ~30 μm of the interface.« less

Multiparameter spatio-thermochemical probing of flame–wall interactions advanced with coherent Raman imaging

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

Bohlin, Gustav Alexis; Jainski, Christopher; Patterson, Brian D.

Ultrabroadband coherent anti-Stokes Ra man spectroscopy (CARS) has been developed for one -dimensional imaging of temperature and major species distributions simultaneously in the near-wall region of a methane/air flame supported on a side-wall-quenching (SWQ) burner. Automatic temporal and spatial overlap of the ~7 femtosecond pump and Stokes pulses is achieved utilizing a two-beam CARS phase-matching scheme, and the crossed ~75 picosecond probe beam provide s excellent spatial sectioning of the probed location. Concurrent detection of N 2, O 2, H 2, CO, CO 2, and CH 4 is demonstrated while high-fidelity flame thermometry is assessed from the N 2 puremore » rotational S-branch in a one-dimensional -CARS imaging configuration. A methane/air premixed flame at lean, stoichiometric, and rich conditions ( Φ = 0.83, 1.0 , and 1.2) and Reynolds number = 5,000 is probed as it quenches against a cooled steel side- wall parallel to the flow providing a persistent flame-wall interaction. Here, an imaging resolution of better than 40 μm is achieved across the field -of-view, thus allowing thermochemical states (temperature and major species) of the thermal boundary layer to be resolved to within ~30 μm of the interface.« less

Real-time, intraoperative detection of residual breast cancer in lumpectomy cavity walls using a novel cathepsin-activated fluorescent imaging system.

PubMed

Smith, Barbara L; Gadd, Michele A; Lanahan, Conor R; Rai, Upahvan; Tang, Rong; Rice-Stitt, Travis; Merrill, Andrea L; Strasfeld, David B; Ferrer, Jorge M; Brachtel, Elena F; Specht, Michelle C

2018-06-09

Obtaining tumor-free surgical margins is critical to prevent recurrence in breast-conserving surgery but it remains challenging. We assessed the LUM Imaging System for real-time, intraoperative detection of residual tumor. Lumpectomy cavity walls and excised specimens of breast cancer lumpectomy patients were assessed with the LUM Imaging System (Lumicell, Inc., Wellesley MA) with and without intravenous LUM015, a cathepsin-activatable fluorescent agent. Fluorescence at potential sites of residual tumor was evaluated with a sterile hand-held probe, displayed on a monitor and correlated with histopathology. Background autofluorescence was assessed in excised specimens from 9 patients who did not receive LUM015. In vivo lumpectomy cavities and excised specimens were then imaged in 15 women undergoing breast cancer surgery who received no LUM015, 0.5, or 1 mg/kg LUM015 (5 women per dose). Among these, 11 patients had invasive carcinoma with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and 4 had only DCIS. Image acquisition took 1 s for each 2.6-cm-diameter surface. No significant background normal breast fluorescence was identified. Elevated fluorescent signal was seen from invasive cancers and DCIS. Mean tumor-to-normal signal ratios were 4.70 ± 1.23 at 0.5 mg/kg and 4.22 ± 0.9 at 1.0 mg/kg (p = 0.54). Tumor was distinguished from normal tissue in pre-and postmenopausal women and readings were not affected by breast density. Some benign tissues produced fluorescent signal with LUM015. The LUM Imaging System allows rapid identification of residual tumor in the lumpectomy cavity of breast cancer patients and may reduce rates of positive margins.

Spatial organization of cellulose microfibrils and matrix polysaccharides in primary plant cell walls as imaged by multichannel atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Zhang, Tian; Zheng, Yunzhen; Cosgrove, Daniel J

2016-01-01

We used atomic force microscopy (AFM), complemented with electron microscopy, to characterize the nanoscale and mesoscale structure of the outer (periclinal) cell wall of onion scale epidermis - a model system for relating wall structure to cell wall mechanics. The epidermal wall contains ~100 lamellae, each ~40 nm thick, containing 3.5-nm wide cellulose microfibrils oriented in a common direction within a lamella but varying by ~30 to 90° between adjacent lamellae. The wall thus has a crossed polylamellate, not helicoidal, wall structure. Montages of high-resolution AFM images of the newly deposited wall surface showed that single microfibrils merge into and out of short regions of microfibril bundles, thereby forming a reticulated network. Microfibril direction within a lamella did not change gradually or abruptly across the whole face of the cell, indicating continuity of the lamella across the outer wall. A layer of pectin at the wall surface obscured the underlying cellulose microfibrils when imaged by FESEM, but not by AFM. The AFM thus preferentially detects cellulose microfibrils by probing through the soft matrix in these hydrated walls. AFM-based nanomechanical maps revealed significant heterogeneity in cell wall stiffness and adhesiveness at the nm scale. By color coding and merging these maps, the spatial distribution of soft and rigid matrix polymers could be visualized in the context of the stiffer microfibrils. Without chemical extraction and dehydration, our results provide multiscale structural details of the primary cell wall in its near-native state, with implications for microfibrils motions in different lamellae during uniaxial and biaxial extensions. © 2015 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A wall interference assessment/correction system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lo, Ching F.; Overby, Glenn; Qian, Cathy X.; Sickles, W. L.; Ulbrich, N.

1992-01-01

A Wall Signature method originally developed by Hackett has been selected to be adapted for the Ames 12-ft Wind Tunnel WIAC system in the project. This method uses limited measurements of the static pressure at the wall, in conjunction with the solid wall boundary condition, to determine the strength and distribution of singularities representing the test article. The singularities are used in turn for estimating blockage wall interference. The lifting interference will be treated separately by representing in a horseshoe vortex system for the model's lifting effects. The development and implementation of a working prototype will be completed, delivered and documented with a software manual. The WIAC code will be validated by conducting numerically simulated experiments rather than actual wind tunnel experiments. The simulations will be used to generate both free-air and confined wind-tunnel flow fields for each of the test articles over a range of test configurations. Specifically, the pressure signature at the test section wall will be computed for the tunnel case to provide the simulated 'measured' data. These data will serve as the input for the WIAC method--Wall Signature method. The performance of the WIAC method then may be evaluated by comparing the corrected data with those of the free-air simulation.

Multiparametric Imaging of Organ System Interfaces

PubMed Central

Vandoorne, Katrien; Nahrendorf, Matthias

2017-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases are a consequence of genetic and environmental risk factors that together generate arterial wall and cardiac pathologies. Blood vessels connect multiple systems throughout the entire body and allow organs to interact via circulating messengers. These same interactions facilitate nervous and metabolic system influence on cardiovascular health. Multiparametric imaging offers the opportunity to study these interfacing systems’ distinct processes, to quantify their interactions and to explore how these contribute to cardiovascular disease. Noninvasive multiparametric imaging techniques are emerging tools that can further our understanding of this complex and dynamic interplay. PET/MRI and multichannel optical imaging are particularly promising because they can simultaneously sample multiple biomarkers. Preclinical multiparametric diagnostics could help discover clinically relevant biomarker combinations pivotal for understanding cardiovascular disease. Interfacing systems important to cardiovascular disease include the immune, nervous and hematopoietic systems. These systems connect with ‘classical’ cardiovascular organs, like the heart and vasculature, and with the brain. The dynamic interplay between these systems and organs enables processes such as hemostasis, inflammation, angiogenesis, matrix remodeling, metabolism and fibrosis. As the opportunities provided by imaging expand, mapping interconnected systems will help us decipher the complexity of cardiovascular disease and monitor novel therapeutic strategies. PMID:28360260

3D GeoWall Analysis System for Shuttle External Tank Foreign Object Debris Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Richard; Navard, Andrew; Spruce, Joseph

2010-01-01

An analytical, advanced imaging method has been developed for the initial monitoring and identification of foam debris and similar anomalies that occur post-launch in reference to the space shuttle s external tank (ET). Remote sensing technologies have been used to perform image enhancement and analysis on high-resolution, true-color images collected with the DCS 760 Kodak digital camera located in the right umbilical well of the space shuttle. Improvements to the camera, using filters, have added sharpness/definition to the image sets; however, image review/analysis of the ET has been limited by the fact that the images acquired by umbilical cameras during launch are two-dimensional, and are usually nonreferenceable between frames due to rotation translation of the ET as it falls away from the space shuttle. Use of stereo pairs of these images can enable strong visual indicators that can immediately portray depth perception of damaged areas or movement of fragments between frames is not perceivable in two-dimensional images. A stereoscopic image visualization system has been developed to allow 3D depth perception of stereo-aligned image pairs taken from in-flight umbilical and handheld digital shuttle cameras. This new system has been developed to augment and optimize existing 2D monitoring capabilities. Using this system, candidate sequential image pairs are identified for transformation into stereo viewing pairs. Image orientation is corrected using control points (similar points) between frames to place the two images in proper X-Y viewing perspective. The images are then imported into the WallView stereo viewing software package. The collected control points are used to generate a transformation equation that is used to re-project one image and effectively co-register it to the other image. The co-registered, oriented image pairs are imported into a WallView image set and are used as a 3D stereo analysis slide show. Multiple sequential image pairs can be used

Coronary artery wall imaging in mice using osmium tetroxide and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT)

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

Pai, Vinay M.; Kozlowski, Megan; Donahue, Danielle

2012-05-10

The high spatial resolution of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is ideal for 3D imaging of coronary arteries in intact mouse heart specimens. Previously, micro-CT of mouse heart specimens utilized intravascular contrast agents that hardened within the vessel lumen and allowed a vascular cast to be made. However, for mouse coronary artery disease models, it is highly desirable to image coronary artery walls and highlight plaques. For this purpose, we describe an ex vivo contrast-enhanced micro-CT imaging technique based on tissue staining with osmium tetroxide (OsO{sub 4}) solution. As a tissue-staining contrast agent, OsO{sub 4} is retained in the vessel wall andmore » surrounding tissue during the fixation process and cleared from the vessel lumens. Its high X-ray attenuation makes the artery wall visible in CT. Additionally, since OsO{sub 4} preferentially binds to lipids, it highlights lipid deposition in the artery wall. We performed micro-CT of heart specimens of 5- to 25-week-old C57BL/6 wild-type mice and 5- to 13-week-old apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE{sup -/-}) mice at 10 {mu}m resolution. The results show that walls of coronary arteries as small as 45 {mu}m in diameter are visible using a table-top micro-CT scanner. Similar image clarity was achieved with 1/2000th the scan time using a synchrotron CT scanner. In 13-week-old apoE mice, lipid-rich plaques are visible in the aorta. Our study shows that the combination of OsO{sub 4} and micro-CT permits the visualization of the coronary artery wall in intact mouse hearts.« less

Low-cost sustainable wall construction system

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

Vohra, A.; Rosenfeld, A.H.

1998-07-01

Houses with no wall cavities, such as those made of adobe, stone, brick, or block, have poor thermal properties but are rarely insulated because of the cost and difficulty of providing wall insulation. A simple, low-cost technique using loose-fill indigenous materials has been demonstrated for the construction of highly insulated walls or the retrofit of existing walls in such buildings. Locally available pumice, in sandbags stacked along the exterior wall of an adobe house in New Mexico, added a thermal resistance (R) of 16 F{sm{underscore}bullet}ft{sup 2}{sm{underscore}bullet}h/Btu (2.8 m{sup 2}{sm{underscore}bullet}K/W). The total cost of the sandbag insulation wall retrofit wasmore » $3.76 per square foot ($$40.50/m{sup 2}). Computer simulations of the adobe house using DOE 2.1E show savings of $$275 per year, corresponding to 50% reduction in heating energy consumption. The savings-to-investment ratio ranges from 1.1 to 3.2, so the cost of conserved energy is lower than the price of propane, natural gas and electric heat, making the system cost-effective. Prototype stand-alone walls were also constructed using fly ash and sawdust blown into continuous polypropylene tubing, which was folded between corner posts as it was filled to form the shape of the wall. Other materials could also be used. The inexpensive technique solves the problem of insulating solid-wall hours and constructing new houses without specialized equipment and skills, thereby saving energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving comfort for people in many countries. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has filed patent applications on this technology, which is part of a DOE initiative on sustainable building envelope materials and systems.« less

Non-invasive imaging of cellulose microfibril orientation within plant cell walls by polarized Raman microspectroscopy.

PubMed

Sun, Lan; Singh, Seema; Joo, Michael; Vega-Sanchez, Miguel; Ronald, Pamela; Simmons, Blake A; Adams, Paul; Auer, Manfred

2016-01-01

Cellulose microfibrils represent the major scaffold of plant cell walls. Different packing and orientation of the microfibrils at the microscopic scale determines the macroscopic properties of cell walls and thus affect their functions with a profound effect on plant survival. We developed a polarized Raman microspectroscopic method to determine cellulose microfibril orientation within rice plant cell walls. Employing an array of point measurements as well as area imaging and subsequent Matlab-assisted data processing, we were able to characterize the distribution of cellulose microfibril orientation in terms of director angle and anisotropy magnitude. Using this approach we detected differences between wild type rice plants and the rice brittle culm mutant, which shows a more disordered cellulose microfibril arrangement, and differences between different tissues of a wild type rice plant. This novel non-invasive Raman imaging approach allows for quantitative assessment of cellulose fiber orientation in cell walls of herbaceous plants, an important advancement in cell wall characterization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

When Closure Fails: What the Radiologist Needs to Know About the Embryology, Anatomy, and Prenatal Imaging of Ventral Body Wall Defects.

PubMed

Torres, Ulysses S; Portela-Oliveira, Eduardo; Braga, Fernanda Del Campo Braojos; Werner, Heron; Daltro, Pedro Augusto Nascimento; Souza, Antônio Soares

2015-12-01

Ventral body wall defects (VBWDs) are one of the main categories of human congenital malformations, representing a wide and heterogeneous group of defects sharing a common feature, that is, herniation of one or more viscera through a defect in the anterior body wall. Gastroschisis and omphalocele are the 2 most common congenital VBWDs. Other uncommon anomalies include ectopia cordis and pentalogy of Cantrell, limb-body wall complex, and bladder and cloacal exstrophy. Although VBWDs are associated with multiple abnormalities with distinct embryological origins and that may affect virtually any system organs, at least in relation to anterior body wall defects, they are thought (except for omphalocele) to share a common embryologic mechanism, that is, a failure involving the lateral body wall folds responsible for closing the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic portions of the ventral body wall during the fourth week of development. Additionally, many of the principles of diagnosis and management are similar for these conditions. Fetal ultrasound (US) in prenatal care allows the diagnosis of most of such defects with subsequent opportunities for parental counseling and optimal perinatal management. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging may be an adjunct to US, providing global and detailed anatomical information, assessing the extent of defects, and also helping to confirm the diagnosis in equivocal cases. Prenatal imaging features of VBWDs may be complex and challenging, often requiring from the radiologist a high level of suspicion and familiarity with the imaging patterns. Because an appropriate management is dependent on an accurate diagnosis and assessment of defects, radiologists should be able to recognize and distinguish between the different VBWDs and their associated anomalies. In this article, we review the relevant embryology of VBWDs to facilitate understanding of the pathologic anatomy and diagnostic imaging approach. Features will be illustrated with prenatal US

Improved black-blood imaging using DANTE-SPACE for simultaneous carotid and intracranial vessel wall evaluation

PubMed Central

Xie, Yibin; Yang, Qi; Xie, Guoxi; Pang, Jianing; Fan, Zhaoyang; Li, Debiao

2015-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this work is to develop a 3D black-blood imaging method for simultaneously evaluating carotid and intracranial arterial vessel wall with high spatial resolution and excellent blood suppression with and without contrast enhancement. Methods DANTE preparation module was incorporated into SPACE sequence to improve blood signal suppression. Simulations and phantom studies were performed to quantify image contrast variations induced by DANTE. DANTE-SPACE, SPACE and 2D TSE were compared for apparent SNR, CNR and morphometric measurements in fourteen healthy subjects. Preliminary clinical validation was performed in six symptomatic patients. Results Apparent residual luminal blood was observed in 5 (pre-CE) and 9 (post-CE) subjects with SPACE, and only 2 (post-CE) subjects with DANTE-SPACE. DANTE-SPACE showed 31% (pre-CE) and 100% (post-CE) improvement in wall-to-blood CNR over SPACE. Vessel wall area measured from SPACE was significantly larger than that from DANTE-SPACE due to possible residual blood signal contamination. In patients DANTE-SPACE showed the potential to detect vessel wall dissection and identify plaque components. Conclusion DANTE-SPACE significantly improved arterial and venous blood suppression compared with SPACE. Simultaneous high-resolution carotid and intracranial vessel wall imaging to potentially identify plaque components was feasible with scan time under 6 minutes. PMID:26152900

In situ label-free imaging of hemicellulose in plant cell walls using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

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

Zeng, Yining; Yarbrough, John M.; Mittal, Ashutosh

Plant hemicellulose (largely xylan) is an excellent feedstock for renewable energy production and second only to cellulose in abundance. Beyond a source of fermentable sugars, xylan constitutes a critical polymer in the plant cell wall, where its precise role in wall assembly, maturation, and deconstruction remains primarily hypothetical. Effective detection of xylan, particularly by in situ imaging of xylan in the presence of other biopolymers, would provide critical information for tackling the challenges of understanding the assembly and enhancing the liberation of xylan from plant materials. Raman-based imaging techniques, especially the highly sensitive stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, have provenmore » to be valuable tools for label-free imaging. However, due to the complex nature of plant materials, especially those same chemical groups shared between xylan and cellulose, the utility of specific Raman vibrational modes that are unique to xylan have been debated. Here, we report a novel approach based on combining spectroscopic analysis and chemical/enzymatic xylan removal from corn stover cell walls, to make progress in meeting this analytical challenge. We have identified several Raman peaks associated with xylan content in cell walls for label-free in situ imaging xylan in plant cell wall. We demonstrated that xylan can be resolved from cellulose and lignin in situ using enzymatic digestion and label-free SRS microscopy in both 2D and 3D. As a result, we believe that this novel approach can be used to map xylan in plant cell walls and that this ability will enhance our understanding of the role played by xylan in cell wall biosynthesis and deconstruction.« less

In situ label-free imaging of hemicellulose in plant cell walls using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

DOE PAGES

Zeng, Yining; Yarbrough, John M.; Mittal, Ashutosh; ...

2016-11-22

Plant hemicellulose (largely xylan) is an excellent feedstock for renewable energy production and second only to cellulose in abundance. Beyond a source of fermentable sugars, xylan constitutes a critical polymer in the plant cell wall, where its precise role in wall assembly, maturation, and deconstruction remains primarily hypothetical. Effective detection of xylan, particularly by in situ imaging of xylan in the presence of other biopolymers, would provide critical information for tackling the challenges of understanding the assembly and enhancing the liberation of xylan from plant materials. Raman-based imaging techniques, especially the highly sensitive stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, have provenmore » to be valuable tools for label-free imaging. However, due to the complex nature of plant materials, especially those same chemical groups shared between xylan and cellulose, the utility of specific Raman vibrational modes that are unique to xylan have been debated. Here, we report a novel approach based on combining spectroscopic analysis and chemical/enzymatic xylan removal from corn stover cell walls, to make progress in meeting this analytical challenge. We have identified several Raman peaks associated with xylan content in cell walls for label-free in situ imaging xylan in plant cell wall. We demonstrated that xylan can be resolved from cellulose and lignin in situ using enzymatic digestion and label-free SRS microscopy in both 2D and 3D. As a result, we believe that this novel approach can be used to map xylan in plant cell walls and that this ability will enhance our understanding of the role played by xylan in cell wall biosynthesis and deconstruction.« less

Coronary artery wall imaging in mice using osmium tetroxide and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT).

PubMed

Pai, Vinay M; Kozlowski, Megan; Donahue, Danielle; Miller, Elishiah; Xiao, Xianghui; Chen, Marcus Y; Yu, Zu-Xi; Connelly, Patricia; Jeffries, Kenneth; Wen, Han

2012-05-01

The high spatial resolution of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is ideal for 3D imaging of coronary arteries in intact mouse heart specimens. Previously, micro-CT of mouse heart specimens utilized intravascular contrast agents that hardened within the vessel lumen and allowed a vascular cast to be made. However, for mouse coronary artery disease models, it is highly desirable to image coronary artery walls and highlight plaques. For this purpose, we describe an ex vivo contrast-enhanced micro-CT imaging technique based on tissue staining with osmium tetroxide (OsO(4) ) solution. As a tissue-staining contrast agent, OsO(4) is retained in the vessel wall and surrounding tissue during the fixation process and cleared from the vessel lumens. Its high X-ray attenuation makes the artery wall visible in CT. Additionally, since OsO(4) preferentially binds to lipids, it highlights lipid deposition in the artery wall. We performed micro-CT of heart specimens of 5- to 25-week-old C57BL/6 wild-type mice and 5- to 13-week-old apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE(-/-) ) mice at 10 μm resolution. The results show that walls of coronary arteries as small as 45 μm in diameter are visible using a table-top micro-CT scanner. Similar image clarity was achieved with 1/2000th the scan time using a synchrotron CT scanner. In 13-week-old apoE mice, lipid-rich plaques are visible in the aorta. Our study shows that the combination of OsO(4) and micro-CT permits the visualization of the coronary artery wall in intact mouse hearts. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Journal of Anatomy © 2012 Anatomical Society.

'Stucco' Walls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This projected mosaic image, taken by the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity 's instrument deployment device, or 'arm,' shows the partial clotting or cement-like properties of the sand-sized grains within the trench wall. The area in this image measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) wide and 5 centimeters (2 inches) tall.(This image also appears as an inset on a separate image from the rover's navigation camera, showing the location of this particular spot within the trench wall.)

Systems and synthetic biology approaches to alter plant cell walls and reduce biomass recalcitrance

DOE PAGES

Kalluri, Udaya C.; Yin, Hengfu; Yang, Xiaohan; ...

2014-11-03

Fine-tuning plant cell wall properties to render plant biomass more amenable to biofuel conversion is a colossal challenge. A deep knowledge of the biosynthesis and regulation of plant cell wall and a high-precision genome engineering toolset are the two essential pillars of efforts to alter plant cell walls and reduce biomass recalcitrance. The past decade has seen a meteoric rise in use of transcriptomics and high-resolution imaging methods resulting in fresh insights into composition, structure, formation and deconstruction of plant cell walls. Subsequent gene manipulation approaches, however, commonly include ubiquitous mis-expression of a single candidate gene in a host thatmore » carries an intact copy of the native gene. The challenges posed by pleiotropic and unintended changes resulting from such an approach are moving the field towards synthetic biology approaches. Finally, synthetic biology builds on a systems biology knowledge base and leverages high-precision tools for high-throughput assembly of multigene constructs and pathways, precision genome editing and site-specific gene stacking, silencing and/or removal. Here, we summarize the recent breakthroughs in biosynthesis and remodelling of major secondary cell wall components, assess the impediments in obtaining a systems-level understanding and explore the potential opportunities in leveraging synthetic biology approaches to reduce biomass recalcitrance.« less

Systems and synthetic biology approaches to alter plant cell walls and reduce biomass recalcitrance

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

Kalluri, Udaya C.; Yin, Hengfu; Yang, Xiaohan

Fine-tuning plant cell wall properties to render plant biomass more amenable to biofuel conversion is a colossal challenge. A deep knowledge of the biosynthesis and regulation of plant cell wall and a high-precision genome engineering toolset are the two essential pillars of efforts to alter plant cell walls and reduce biomass recalcitrance. The past decade has seen a meteoric rise in use of transcriptomics and high-resolution imaging methods resulting in fresh insights into composition, structure, formation and deconstruction of plant cell walls. Subsequent gene manipulation approaches, however, commonly include ubiquitous mis-expression of a single candidate gene in a host thatmore » carries an intact copy of the native gene. The challenges posed by pleiotropic and unintended changes resulting from such an approach are moving the field towards synthetic biology approaches. Finally, synthetic biology builds on a systems biology knowledge base and leverages high-precision tools for high-throughput assembly of multigene constructs and pathways, precision genome editing and site-specific gene stacking, silencing and/or removal. Here, we summarize the recent breakthroughs in biosynthesis and remodelling of major secondary cell wall components, assess the impediments in obtaining a systems-level understanding and explore the potential opportunities in leveraging synthetic biology approaches to reduce biomass recalcitrance.« less

Comparison of Maximal Wall Thickness in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Differs Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Transthoracic Echocardiography.

PubMed

Bois, John P; Geske, Jeffrey B; Foley, Thomas A; Ommen, Steve R; Pellikka, Patricia A

2017-02-15

Left ventricular (LV) wall thickness is a prognostic marker in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC). LV wall thickness ≥30 mm (massive hypertrophy) is independently associated with sudden cardiac death. Presence of massive hypertrophy is used to guide decision making for cardiac defibrillator implantation. We sought to determine whether measurements of maximal LV wall thickness differ between cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Consecutive patients were studied who had HC without previous septal ablation or myectomy and underwent both cardiac MRI and TTE at a single tertiary referral center. Reported maximal LV wall thickness was compared between the imaging techniques. Patients with ≥1 technique reporting massive hypertrophy received subset analysis. In total, 618 patients were evaluated from January 1, 2003, to December 21, 2012 (mean [SD] age, 53 [15] years; 381 men [62%]). In 75 patients (12%), reported maximal LV wall thickness was identical between MRI and TTE. Median difference in reported maximal LV wall thickness between the techniques was 3 mm (maximum difference, 17 mm). Of the 63 patients with ≥1 technique measuring maximal LV wall thickness ≥30 mm, 44 patients (70%) had discrepant classification regarding massive hypertrophy. MRI identified 52 patients (83%) with massive hypertrophy; TTE, 30 patients (48%). Although guidelines recommend MRI or TTE imaging to assess cardiac anatomy in HC, this study shows discrepancy between the techniques for maximal reported LV wall thickness assessment. In conclusion, because this measure clinically affects prognosis and therapeutic decision making, efforts to resolve these discrepancies are critical. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of left ventricular wall motion and function in patients with previous myocardial infarction by three-dimensional 99mTc-HSAD multigated cardiac pool imaging.

PubMed

Yamazaki, J; Naitou, K; Ishida, S; Uno, N; Saisho, K; Munakata, T; Morishita, T; Takano, M; Yabe, Y

1997-05-01

To evaluate left ventricular (LV) wall motion stereoscopically from all directions and to calculate the LV volume by three-dimensional (3D) imaging. 99mTc-DTPA human serum albumin-multigated cardiac pool-single photon emission computed tomography (99mTc-MUGA-SPECT) was performed. A new data processing program was developed with the Application Visualization System-Medical Viewer (AVS-MV) based on images obtained from 99mTc-MUGA-SPECT. In patients with previous myocardial infarction, LV function and LV wall motion were evaluated by 3D-99mTc-MUGA imaging. The LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and end-systolic volume (LVESV) were obtained from 3D-99mTc-MUGA images by the surface rendering method, and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was calculated at thresholds of 35% (T1), 40% (T2), 45% (T3), and 50% (T4). There was a strong correlation between the LV volume calculated by 3D-99mTc-MUGA imaging at a threshold of 40% and that determined by contrast left ventriculography (LVEDV: 194.7 +/- 36.0 ml vs. 198.7 +/- 39.1 ml, r = 0.791, p < 0.001; LVESV: 91.6 +/- 44.5 ml vs. 93.3 +/- 41.3 ml, r = 0.953, p < 0.001), respectively. When compared with the LVEF data obtained by left ventriculography, significant correlations were found for 3D images reconstructed at each threshold (T1: r = 0.966; T2: r = 0.962; T3: r = 0.958; and T4: r = 0.955). In addition, when LV wall motion obtained by 3D-99mTc-MUGA imaging (LAT and LAO views) was compared with the results obtained by left ventriculography (RAO and LAO views), there was good agreement. 3D-99mTc-MUGA imaging was superior in allowing evaluation of LV wall motion in all directions and in assessment of LV function, since data acquisition and image reconstruction could be done within a short time with the three-detector imaging system and AVS-MV. This method appears to be very useful for the observation of both LV wall motion and LV function in patients with ischemic heart disease, because it is a noninvasive examination.

Local and systemic effects of leg cycling training on arterial wall thickness in healthy humans.

PubMed

Thijssen, Dick H J; Dawson, Ellen A; van den Munckhof, Inge C L; Birk, Gurpreet K; Timothy Cable, N; Green, Daniel J

2013-08-01

Exercise training is associated with direct effects on conduit artery function and structure. Cross-sectional studies suggest the presence of systemic changes in wall thickness as a result of exercise in healthy subjects, but no previous study has examined this question in humans undertaking exercise training. To examine the change in superficial femoral (SFA, i.e. local effect) and carotid (CA, i.e. systemic effect) artery wall thickness across 8 weeks of lower limb cycle training in healthy young men. Fourteen healthy young male subjects were assigned to an 8-week training study of cycling exercise (n = 9) or a control period (n = 5). Before, during (2, 4 and 6 weeks) and after training, SFA and CA wall thickness was examined using automated edge-detection of high resolution ultrasound images. We also measured resting diameter and calculated the wall:lumen(W:L)-ratio. Exercise training did not alter CA or SFA baseline diameter (P = 0.14), but was associated with gradual, consistent and significant decreases in wall thickness and W:L-ratio in both the CA and SFA (P < 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). Two-way ANOVA revealed a comparable magnitude of decrease in wall thickness and W:L-ratio in both arteries across the 8-week period (interaction-effect; P = 0.29 and 0.12, respectively). No changes in artery diameter, wall thickness or W:L-ratio were apparent in controls (0.82, 0.38 and 0.52, respectively). We found that cycle exercise training in healthy young individuals is associated with modest, but significant, decreases in wall thickness in the superficial femoral and carotid arteries. These findings suggest that exercise training causes systemic adaptation of the arterial wall in healthy young subjects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modulated Excitation Imaging System for Intravascular Ultrasound.

PubMed

Qiu, Weibao; Wang, Xingying; Chen, Yan; Fu, Qiang; Su, Min; Zhang, Lining; Xia, Jingjing; Dai, Jiyan; Zhang, Yaonan; Zheng, Hairong

2017-08-01

Advances in methodologies and tools often lead to new insights into cardiovascular diseases. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a well-established diagnostic method that provides high-resolution images of the vessel wall and atherosclerotic plaques. High-frequency (>50 MHz) ultrasound enables the spatial resolution of IVUS to approach that of optical imaging methods. However, the penetration depth decreases when using higher imaging frequencies due to the greater acoustic attenuation. An imaging method that improves the penetration depth of high-resolution IVUS would, therefore, be of major clinical importance. Modulated excitation imaging is known to allow ultrasound waves to penetrate further. This paper presents an ultrasound system specifically for modulated-excitation-based IVUS imaging. The system incorporates a high-voltage waveform generator and an image processing board that are optimized for IVUS applications. In addition, a miniaturized ultrasound transducer has been constructed using a Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 single crystal to improve the ultrasound characteristics. The results show that the proposed system was able to provide increases of 86.7% in penetration depth and 9.6 dB in the signal-to-noise ratio for 60 MHz IVUS. In vitro tissue samples were also investigated to demonstrate the performance of the system.

Wall System Saves Initial HVAC Costs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modern Schools, 1976

1976-01-01

The superior insulating characteristics of an exterior wall system has enabled a Massachusetts school district to realize a savings on electric heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems. (Author/MLF)

Vessel-wall imaging and quantification of flow-mediated dilation using water-selective 3D SSFP-echo.

PubMed

Langham, Michael C; Li, Cheng; Englund, Erin K; Chirico, Erica N; Mohler, Emile R; Floyd, Thomas F; Wehrli, Felix W

2013-10-30

To introduce a new, efficient method for vessel-wall imaging of carotid and peripheral arteries by means of a flow-sensitive 3D water-selective SSFP-echo pulse sequence. Periodic applications of RF pulses will generate two transverse steady states, immediately after and before an RF pulse; the latter being referred to as the SSFP-echo. The SSFP-echo signal for water protons in blood is spoiled as a result of moving spins losing phase coherence in the presence of a gradient pulse along the flow direction. Bloch equation simulations were performed over a wide range of velocities to evaluate the flow sensitivity of the SSFP-echo signal. Vessel walls of carotid and femoral and popliteal arteries were imaged at 3 T. In two patients with peripheral artery disease the femoral arteries were imaged bilaterally to demonstrate method's potential to visualize atherosclerotic plaques. The method was also evaluated as a means to measure femoral artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in response to cuff-induced ischemia in four subjects. The SSFP-echo pulse sequence, which does not have a dedicated blood signal suppression preparation, achieved low blood signal permitting discrimination of the carotid and peripheral arterial walls with in-plane spatial resolution ranging from 0.5 to 0.69 mm and slice thickness of 2 to 3 mm, i.e. comparable to conventional 2D vessel-wall imaging techniques. The results of the simulations were in good agreement with analytical solution and observations for both vascular territories examined. Scan time ranged from 2.5 to 5 s per slice yielding a contrast-to-noise ratio between the vessel wall and lumen from 3.5 to 17. Mean femoral FMD in the four subjects was 9%, in good qualitative agreement with literature values. Water-selective 3D SSFP-echo pulse sequence is a potential alternative to 2D vessel-wall imaging. The proposed method is fast, robust, applicable to a wide range of flow velocities, and straightforward to implement.

Panelized wall system with foam core insulation

DOEpatents

Kosny, Jan [Oak Ridge, TN; Gaskin, Sally [Houston, TX

2009-10-20

A wall system includes a plurality of wall members, the wall members having a first metal panel, a second metal panel, and an insulating core between the first panel and the second panel. At least one of the first panel and the second panel include ridge portions. The insulating core can be a foam, such as a polyurethane foam. The foam can include at least one opacifier to improve the k-factor of the foam.

Tissue-mimicking bladder wall phantoms for evaluating acoustic radiation force-optical coherence elastography systems.

PubMed

Ejofodomi, O'tega A; Zderic, Vesna; Zara, Jason M

2010-04-01

Acoustic radiation force-optical coherence elastography (ARF-OCE) systems are novel imaging systems that have the potential to simultaneously quantify and characterize the optical and mechanical properties of in vivo tissues. This article presents the construction of bladder wall phantoms for use in ARF-OCE systems. Mechanical, acoustic, and optical properties are reported and compared to published values for the urinary bladder. The phantom consisted of 0.2000 +/- 0.0089 and 6.0000 +/- 0.2830 microm polystyrene microspheres (Polysciences Inc., Warrington, PA, Catalog Nos. 07304 and 07312), 7.5 +/- 1.5 microm copolymer microspheres composed of acrylonitrile and vinylidene chloride, (Expancel, Duluth, GA, Catalog No. 461 DU 20), and bovine serum albumin within a gelatin matrix. Young's modulus was measured by successive compression of the phantom and obtaining the slope of the resulting force-displacement data. Acoustic measurements were performed using the transmission method. The phantoms were submerged in a water bath and placed between transmitting and receiving 13 mm diameter unfocused transducers operating at a frequency of 3.5 MHz. A MATLAB algorithm to extract the optical scattering coefficient from optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of the phantom was used. The phantoms possess a Young's modulus of 17.12 +/- 2.72 kPa, a mass density of 1.05 +/- 0.02 g/cm3, an acoustic attenuation coefficient of 0.66 +/- 0.08 dB/cm/MHz, a speed of sound of 1591 +/- 8.76 m/s, and an optical scattering coefficient of 1.80 +/- 0.23 mm(-1). Ultrasound and OCT images of the bladder wall phantom are presented. A material that mimics the mechanical, optical, and acoustic properties of healthy bladder wall has been developed. This tissue-mimicking bladder wall phantom was developed as a control tool to investigate the feasibility of using ARF-OCE to detect the mechanical and optical changes that may be indicative of the onset or development of cancer in the urinary bladder

The library without walls: images, medical dictionaries, atlases, medical encyclopedias free on web.

PubMed

Giglia, E

2008-09-01

The aim of this article was to present the ''reference room'' of the Internet, a real library without walls. The reader will find medical encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, e-books, images, and will also learn something useful about the use and reuse of images in a text and in a web site, according to the copyright law.

The Real-Time Wall Interference Correction System of the NASA Ames 12-Foot Pressure Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulbrich, Norbert

1998-01-01

An improved version of the Wall Signature Method was developed to compute wall interference effects in three-dimensional subsonic wind tunnel testing of aircraft models in real-time. The method may be applied to a full-span or a semispan model. A simplified singularity representation of the aircraft model is used. Fuselage, support system, propulsion simulator, and separation wake volume blockage effects are represented by point sources and sinks. Lifting effects are represented by semi-infinite line doublets. The singularity representation of the test article is combined with the measurement of wind tunnel test reference conditions, wall pressure, lift force, thrust force, pitching moment, rolling moment, and pre-computed solutions of the subsonic potential equation to determine first order wall interference corrections. Second order wall interference corrections for pitching and rolling moment coefficient are also determined. A new procedure is presented that estimates a rolling moment coefficient correction for wings with non-symmetric lift distribution. Experimental data obtained during the calibration of the Ames Bipod model support system and during tests of two semispan models mounted on an image plane in the NASA Ames 12 ft. Pressure Wind Tunnel are used to demonstrate the application of the wall interference correction method.

A novel redox-sensitive system based on single-walled carbon nanotubes for chemo-photothermal therapy and magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Hou, Lin; Yang, Xiaomin; Ren, Junxiao; Wang, Yongchao; Zhang, Huijuan; Feng, Qianhua; Shi, Yuyang; Shan, Xiaoning; Yuan, Yujie; Zhang, Zhenzhong

2016-01-01

Recently, nanomaterials with multiple functions, such as drug carrier, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging, and photothermal therapy, have become more and more popular in cancer research. In this work, a novel redox-sensitive system constructed from hyaluronic acid (HA), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), doxorubicin (DOX), and gadolinium (Gd) was successfully developed. Herein, HA-modified SWCNTs (SWCNTs-HA) was first synthesized, and then DOX was conjugated with HA by disulfide bond (SWCNTs-HA-ss-DOX). Finally, MRI contrast agents, Gd(3+)-ion loading occurred through the sidewall defects of SWCNTs, whose cytotoxicity could be sequestered within the SWCNTs. In vitro release of DOX showed that this system accomplished much faster drug release under reducing condition. Confocal microscopy analysis confirmed that Gd/SWCNTs-HA-ss-DOX were capable of simultaneously delivering DOX and SWCNTs into Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 cells via HA receptor-mediated endocytosis followed by rapid transport of cargoes into the cytosol. Enhanced cytotoxicity of Gd/SWCNTs-HA-ss-DOX further proved that the sensitive system was more potent for intracellular drug delivery as compared with the insensitive control. Meanwhile, tumor cell killing potency was improved when Gd/SWCNTs-HA-ss-DOX were combined with near-infrared irradiation, with IC50 of 0.61 µg/mL at 48 hours. In vivo investigation demonstrated that Gd/SWCNTs-HA-ss-DOX could effectively accumulate in tumor sites and possessed the greatest synergistic antitumor efficacy, especially under the 808 nm laser irradiation. More importantly, this system could be used as a contrast agent for MRI to identify the location and extent of tumor tissues. These results suggested that Gd/SWCNTs-HA-ss-DOX might be a promising system for targeting chemo-photothermal therapy and MRI diagnosis in future clinical anticancer applications.

Intracranial vessel wall imaging for evaluation of steno-occlusive diseases and intracranial aneurysms.

PubMed

Brinjikji, Waleed; Mossa-Basha, Mahmud; Huston, John; Rabinstein, Alejandro A; Lanzino, Giuseppe; Lehman, Vance T

2017-03-01

Cerebrovascular diseases have traditionally been classified, diagnosed and managed based on their luminal characteristics. However, over the past several years, several advancements in MRI techniques have ushered in high-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI), enabling evaluation of intracranial vessel wall pathology. These advancements now allow us to differentiate diseases which have a common angiographic appearance but vastly different natural histories (i.e. moyamoya versus atherosclerosis, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome versus vasculitis, stable versus unstable intracranial aneurysms). In this review, we detail the anatomical, histopathological and imaging characteristics of various intracranial steno-occlusive diseases and types of intracranial aneurysms and describe the role that HR-VWI can play in diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Imaging Cell Wall Architecture in Single Zinnia elegans Tracheary Elements1[OA

PubMed Central

Lacayo, Catherine I.; Malkin, Alexander J.; Holman, Hoi-Ying N.; Chen, Liang; Ding, Shi-You; Hwang, Mona S.; Thelen, Michael P.

2010-01-01

The chemical and structural organization of the plant cell wall was examined in Zinnia elegans tracheary elements (TEs), which specialize by developing prominent secondary wall thickenings underlying the primary wall during xylogenesis in vitro. Three imaging platforms were used in conjunction with chemical extraction of wall components to investigate the composition and structure of single Zinnia TEs. Using fluorescence microscopy with a green fluorescent protein-tagged Clostridium thermocellum family 3 carbohydrate-binding module specific for crystalline cellulose, we found that cellulose accessibility and binding in TEs increased significantly following an acidified chlorite treatment. Examination of chemical composition by synchrotron radiation-based Fourier-transform infrared spectromicroscopy indicated a loss of lignin and a modest loss of other polysaccharides in treated TEs. Atomic force microscopy was used to extensively characterize the topography of cell wall surfaces in TEs, revealing an outer granular matrix covering the underlying meshwork of cellulose fibrils. The internal organization of TEs was determined using secondary wall fragments generated by sonication. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the resulting rings, spirals, and reticulate structures were composed of fibrils arranged in parallel. Based on these combined results, we generated an architectural model of Zinnia TEs composed of three layers: an outermost granular layer, a middle primary wall composed of a meshwork of cellulose fibrils, and inner secondary wall thickenings containing parallel cellulose fibrils. In addition to insights in plant biology, studies using Zinnia TEs could prove especially productive in assessing cell wall responses to enzymatic and microbial degradation, thus aiding current efforts in lignocellulosic biofuel production. PMID:20592039

Pulsed photoacoustic flow imaging with a handheld system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Berg, Pim J.; Daoudi, Khalid; Steenbergen, Wiendelt

2016-02-01

Flow imaging is an important technique in a range of disease areas, but estimating low flow speeds, especially near the walls of blood vessels, remains challenging. Pulsed photoacoustic flow imaging can be an alternative since there is little signal contamination from background tissue with photoacoustic imaging. We propose flow imaging using a clinical photoacoustic system that is both handheld and portable. The system integrates a linear array with 7.5 MHz central frequency in combination with a high-repetition-rate diode laser to allow high-speed photoacoustic imaging-ideal for this application. This work shows the flow imaging performance of the system in vitro using microparticles. Both two-dimensional (2-D) flow images and quantitative flow velocities from 12 to 75 mm/s were obtained. In a transparent bulk medium, flow estimation showed standard errors of ˜7% the estimated speed; in the presence of tissue-realistic optical scattering, the error increased to 40% due to limited signal-to-noise ratio. In the future, photoacoustic flow imaging can potentially be performed in vivo using fluorophore-filled vesicles or with an improved setup on whole blood.

Measurement of Zeta-Potential at Microchannel Wall by a Nanoscale Laser Induced Fluorescence Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazoe, Yutaka; Sato, Yohei

A nanoscale laser induced fluorescence imaging was proposed by using fluorescent dye and the evanescent wave with total internal reflection of a laser beam. The present study focused on the two-dimensional measurement of zeta-potential at the microchannel wall, which is an electrostatic potential at the wall surface and a dominant parameter of electroosmotic flow. The evanescent wave, which decays exponentially from the wall, was used as an excitation light of the fluorescent dye. The fluorescent intensity detected by a CCD camera is closely related to the zeta-potential. Two kinds of fluorescent dye solution at different ionic concentrations were injected into a T-shaped microchannel, and formed a mixing flow field in the junction area. The two-dimensional distribution of zeta-potential at the microchannel wall in the pressure-driven flow field was measured. The obtained zeta-potential distribution has a transverse gradient toward the mixing flow field and was changed by the difference in the averaged velocity of pressure-driven flow. To understand the ion motion in the mixing flow field, the three-dimensional flow structure was analyzed by the velocity measurement using micron-resolution particle image velocimetry and the numerical simulation. It is concluded that the two-dimensional distribution of zeta-potential at the microchannel wall was dependent on the ion motion in the flow field, which was governed by the convection and molecular diffusion.

Chest wall segmentation in automated 3D breast ultrasound scans.

PubMed

Tan, Tao; Platel, Bram; Mann, Ritse M; Huisman, Henkjan; Karssemeijer, Nico

2013-12-01

In this paper, we present an automatic method to segment the chest wall in automated 3D breast ultrasound images. Determining the location of the chest wall in automated 3D breast ultrasound images is necessary in computer-aided detection systems to remove automatically detected cancer candidates beyond the chest wall and it can be of great help for inter- and intra-modal image registration. We show that the visible part of the chest wall in an automated 3D breast ultrasound image can be accurately modeled by a cylinder. We fit the surface of our cylinder model to a set of automatically detected rib-surface points. The detection of the rib-surface points is done by a classifier using features representing local image intensity patterns and presence of rib shadows. Due to attenuation of the ultrasound signal, a clear shadow is visible behind the ribs. Evaluation of our segmentation method is done by computing the distance of manually annotated rib points to the surface of the automatically detected chest wall. We examined the performance on images obtained with the two most common 3D breast ultrasound devices in the market. In a dataset of 142 images, the average mean distance of the annotated points to the segmented chest wall was 5.59 ± 3.08 mm. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved black-blood imaging using DANTE-SPACE for simultaneous carotid and intracranial vessel wall evaluation.

PubMed

Xie, Yibin; Yang, Qi; Xie, Guoxi; Pang, Jianing; Fan, Zhaoyang; Li, Debiao

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a three-dimensional black blood imaging method for simultaneously evaluating the carotid and intracranial arterial vessel walls with high spatial resolution and excellent blood suppression with and without contrast enhancement. The delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE) preparation module was incorporated into three-dimensional variable flip angle turbo spin echo (SPACE) sequence to improve blood signal suppression. Simulations and phantom studies were performed to quantify image contrast variations induced by DANTE. DANTE-SPACE, SPACE, and two-dimensional turbo spin echo were compared for apparent signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, and morphometric measurements in 14 healthy subjects. Preliminary clinical validation was performed in six symptomatic patients. Apparent residual luminal blood was observed in five (pre-contrast) and nine (post-contrast) subjects with SPACE and only two (post-contrast) subjects with DANTE-SPACE. DANTE-SPACE showed 31% (pre-contrast) and 100% (post-contrast) improvement in wall-to-blood contrast-to-noise ratio over SPACE. Vessel wall area measured from SPACE was significantly larger than that from DANTE-SPACE due to possible residual blood signal contamination. DANTE-SPACE showed the potential to detect vessel wall dissection and identify plaque components in patients. DANTE-SPACE significantly improved arterial and venous blood suppression compared with SPACE. Simultaneous high-resolution carotid and intracranial vessel wall imaging to potentially identify plaque components was feasible with a scan time under 6 min. Magn Reson Med 75:2286-2294, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Athletic injuries of the lateral abdominal wall: review of anatomy and MR imaging appearance.

PubMed

Stensby, J Derek; Baker, Jonathan C; Fox, Michael G

2016-02-01

The lateral abdominal wall is comprised of three muscles, each with a different function and orientation. The transversus abdominus, internal oblique, and external oblique muscles span the abdominal cavity between the iliocostalis lumborum and quadratus lumborum posteriorly and the rectus abdominis anteriorly. The lateral abdominal wall is bound superiorly by the lower ribs and costal cartilages and inferiorly by the iliac crest and inguinal ligament. The lateral abdominal wall may be acutely or chronically injured in a variety of athletic endeavors, with occasional acute injuries in the setting of high-energy trauma such as motor vehicle collisions. Injuries to the lateral abdominal wall may result in lumbar hernia formation, unique for its high incarceration rate, and also Spigelian hernias. This article will review the anatomy, the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging approach, and the features and complications of lateral abdominal wall injuries.

Improving cervical region of interest by eliminating vaginal walls and cotton-swabs for automated image analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkataraman, Sankar; Li, Wenjing

2008-03-01

Image analysis for automated diagnosis of cervical cancer has attained high prominence in the last decade. Automated image analysis at all levels requires a basic segmentation of the region of interest (ROI) within a given image. The precision of the diagnosis is often reflected by the precision in detecting the initial region of interest, especially when some features outside the ROI mimic the ones within the same. Work described here discusses algorithms that are used to improve the cervical region of interest as a part of automated cervical image diagnosis. A vital visual aid in diagnosing cervical cancer is the aceto-whitening of the cervix after the application of acetic acid. Color and texture are used to segment acetowhite regions within the cervical ROI. Vaginal walls along with cottonswabs sometimes mimic these essential features leading to several false positives. Work presented here is focused towards detecting in-focus vaginal wall boundaries and then extrapolating them to exclude vaginal walls from the cervical ROI. In addition, discussed here is a marker-controlled watershed segmentation that is used to detect cottonswabs from the cervical ROI. A dataset comprising 50 high resolution images of the cervix acquired after 60 seconds of acetic acid application were used to test the algorithm. Out of the 50 images, 27 benefited from a new cervical ROI. Significant improvement in overall diagnosis was observed in these images as false positives caused by features outside the actual ROI mimicking acetowhite region were eliminated.

Quantification of wall shear stress in large blood vessels using Lagrangian interpolation functions with cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Cheng, Christopher P; Parker, David; Taylor, Charles A

2002-09-01

Arterial wall shear stress is hypothesized to be an important factor in the localization of atherosclerosis. Current methods to compute wall shear stress from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data do not account for flow profiles characteristic of pulsatile flow in noncircular vessel lumens. We describe a method to quantify wall shear stress in large blood vessels by differentiating velocity interpolation functions defined using cine phase-contrast MRI data on a band of elements in the neighborhood of the vessel wall. Validation was performed with software phantoms and an in vitro flow phantom. At an image resolution corresponding to in vivo imaging data of the human abdominal aorta, time-averaged, spatially averaged wall shear stress for steady and pulsatile flow were determined to be within 16% and 23% of the analytic solution, respectively. These errors were reduced to 5% and 8% with doubling in image resolution. For the pulsatile software phantom, the oscillation in shear stress was predicted to within 5%. The mean absolute error of circumferentially resolved shear stress for the nonaxisymmetric phantom decreased from 28% to 15% with a doubling in image resolution. The irregularly shaped phantom and in vitro investigation demonstrated convergence of the calculated values with increased image resolution. We quantified the shear stress at the supraceliac and infrarenal regions of a human abdominal aorta to be 3.4 and 2.3 dyn/cm2, respectively.

Intracranial arterial wall imaging using three-dimensional high isotropic resolution black blood MRI at 3.0 Tesla.

PubMed

Qiao, Ye; Steinman, David A; Qin, Qin; Etesami, Maryam; Schär, Michael; Astor, Brad C; Wasserman, Bruce A

2011-07-01

To develop a high isotropic-resolution sequence to evaluate intracranial vessels at 3.0 Tesla (T). Thirteen healthy volunteers and 4 patients with intracranial stenosis were imaged at 3.0T using 0.5-mm isotropic-resolution three-dimensional (3D) Volumetric ISotropic TSE Acquisition (VISTA; TSE, turbo spin echo), with conventional 2D-TSE for comparison. VISTA was repeated for 6 volunteers and 4 patients at 0.4-mm isotropic-resolution to explore the trade-off between SNR and voxel volume. Wall signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR(wall) ), wall-lumen contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR(wall-lumen) ), lumen area (LA), wall area (WA), mean wall thickness (MWT), and maximum wall thickness (maxWT) were compared between 3D-VISTA and 2D-TSE sequences, as well as 3D images acquired at both resolutions. Reliability was assessed by intraclass correlations (ICC). Compared with 2D-TSE measurements, 3D-VISTA provided 58% and 74% improvement in SNR(wall) and CNR(wall-lumen) , respectively. LA, WA, MWT and maxWT from 3D and 2D techniques highly correlated (ICCs of 0.96, 0.95, 0.96, and 0.91, respectively). CNR(wall-lumen) using 0.4-mm resolution VISTA decreased by 27%, compared with 0.5-mm VISTA but with reduced partial-volume-based overestimation of wall thickness. Reliability for 3D measurements was good to excellent. The 3D-VISTA provides SNR-efficient, highly reliable measurements of intracranial vessels at high isotropic-resolution, enabling broad coverage in a clinically acceptable time. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Quantification and Statistical Analysis Methods for Vessel Wall Components from Stained Images with Masson's Trichrome

PubMed Central

Hernández-Morera, Pablo; Castaño-González, Irene; Travieso-González, Carlos M.; Mompeó-Corredera, Blanca; Ortega-Santana, Francisco

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a digital image processing method to quantify structural components (smooth muscle fibers and extracellular matrix) in the vessel wall stained with Masson’s trichrome, and a statistical method suitable for small sample sizes to analyze the results previously obtained. Methods The quantification method comprises two stages. The pre-processing stage improves tissue image appearance and the vessel wall area is delimited. In the feature extraction stage, the vessel wall components are segmented by grouping pixels with a similar color. The area of each component is calculated by normalizing the number of pixels of each group by the vessel wall area. Statistical analyses are implemented by permutation tests, based on resampling without replacement from the set of the observed data to obtain a sampling distribution of an estimator. The implementation can be parallelized on a multicore machine to reduce execution time. Results The methods have been tested on 48 vessel wall samples of the internal saphenous vein stained with Masson’s trichrome. The results show that the segmented areas are consistent with the perception of a team of doctors and demonstrate good correlation between the expert judgments and the measured parameters for evaluating vessel wall changes. Conclusion The proposed methodology offers a powerful tool to quantify some components of the vessel wall. It is more objective, sensitive and accurate than the biochemical and qualitative methods traditionally used. The permutation tests are suitable statistical techniques to analyze the numerical measurements obtained when the underlying assumptions of the other statistical techniques are not met. PMID:26761643

Construction of Reference Data for Tissue Characterization of Arterial Wall Based on Elasticity Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inagaki, Jun; Hasegawa, Hideyuki; Kanai, Hiroshi; Ichiki, Masataka; Tezuka, Fumiaki

2005-06-01

Previously, we developed the phased tracking method [H. Kanai et al.: IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control 43 (1996) 791] for measuring the minute change in thickness during one heartbeat and the elasticity of the arterial wall. By comparing pathological images with elasticity images measured with ultrasound, elasticity distributions for respective tissues in the arterial wall were determined. We have already measured the elasticity distributions for lipids and fibrous tissues (mixtures of smooth-muscle and collagen fiber) [H. Kanai et al.: Circulation 107 (2003) 3018]. In this study, elasticity distributions were measured for blood clots and calcified tissues. We discuss whether these elasticity distributions, which were measuerd in vitro, can be used as reference data for classifying cross-sectional elasticity images measured in vivo into respective tissues. In addition to the measurement of elasticity distributions, correlations between collagen content and elasticity were investigated with respect to fibrous tissue to estimate the collagen and smooth-muscle content based on elasticity. Collagen and smooth-muscle content may be important factors in determining the stability of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic plaque. Therefore, correlations between elasticity and elements of the tissue in the arterial wall may provide useful information for the noninvasive diagnosis of plaque vulnerability.

A wall interference assessment/correction system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lo, Ching F.; Ulbrich, N.; Sickles, W. L.; Qian, Cathy X.

1992-01-01

A Wall Signature method, the Hackett method, has been selected to be adapted for the 12-ft Wind Tunnel wall interference assessment/correction (WIAC) system in the present phase. This method uses limited measurements of the static pressure at the wall, in conjunction with the solid wall boundary condition, to determine the strength and distribution of singularities representing the test article. The singularities are used in turn for estimating wall interferences at the model location. The Wall Signature method will be formulated for application to the unique geometry of the 12-ft Tunnel. The development and implementation of a working prototype will be completed, delivered and documented with a software manual. The WIAC code will be validated by conducting numerically simulated experiments rather than actual wind tunnel experiments. The simulations will be used to generate both free-air and confined wind-tunnel flow fields for each of the test articles over a range of test configurations. Specifically, the pressure signature at the test section wall will be computed for the tunnel case to provide the simulated 'measured' data. These data will serve as the input for the WIAC method-Wall Signature method. The performance of the WIAC method then may be evaluated by comparing the corrected parameters with those for the free-air simulation. Each set of wind tunnel/test article numerical simulations provides data to validate the WIAC method. A numerical wind tunnel test simulation is initiated to validate the WIAC methods developed in the project. In the present reported period, the blockage correction has been developed and implemented for a rectangular tunnel as well as the 12-ft Pressure Tunnel. An improved wall interference assessment and correction method for three-dimensional wind tunnel testing is presented in the appendix.

Revealing organization of cellulose in wood cell walls by Raman imaging

Treesearch

Umesh P. Agarwal; Sally A. Ralph

2007-01-01

Anisotropy of cellulose organization in mature black spruce wood cell wall was investigated by Raman imaging using a 1 [mu]m lateral-resolution capable confocal Raman microscope. In these studies, wood cross sections (CS) and radial longitudinal sections (LS) that were partially delignified by acid chlorite treatment were used. In the case of CS where latewood cells...

Systems and synthetic biology approaches to alter plant cell walls and reduce biomass recalcitrance.

PubMed

Kalluri, Udaya C; Yin, Hengfu; Yang, Xiaohan; Davison, Brian H

2014-12-01

Fine-tuning plant cell wall properties to render plant biomass more amenable to biofuel conversion is a colossal challenge. A deep knowledge of the biosynthesis and regulation of plant cell wall and a high-precision genome engineering toolset are the two essential pillars of efforts to alter plant cell walls and reduce biomass recalcitrance. The past decade has seen a meteoric rise in use of transcriptomics and high-resolution imaging methods resulting in fresh insights into composition, structure, formation and deconstruction of plant cell walls. Subsequent gene manipulation approaches, however, commonly include ubiquitous mis-expression of a single candidate gene in a host that carries an intact copy of the native gene. The challenges posed by pleiotropic and unintended changes resulting from such an approach are moving the field towards synthetic biology approaches. Synthetic biology builds on a systems biology knowledge base and leverages high-precision tools for high-throughput assembly of multigene constructs and pathways, precision genome editing and site-specific gene stacking, silencing and/or removal. Here, we summarize the recent breakthroughs in biosynthesis and remodelling of major secondary cell wall components, assess the impediments in obtaining a systems-level understanding and explore the potential opportunities in leveraging synthetic biology approaches to reduce biomass recalcitrance. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A coherent through-wall MIMO phased array imaging radar based on time-duplexed switching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Qingchao; Chetty, Kevin; Brennan, Paul; Lok, Lai Bun; Ritchie, Matthiew; Woodbridge, Karl

2017-05-01

Through-the-Wall (TW) radar sensors are gaining increasing interest for security, surveillance and search and rescue applications. Additionally, the integration of Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) techniques with phased array radar is allowing higher performance at lower cost. In this paper we present a 4-by-4 TW MIMO phased array imaging radar operating at 2.4 GHz with 200 MHz bandwidth. To achieve high imaging resolution in a cost-effective manner, the 4 Tx and 4 Rx elements are used to synthesize a uniform linear array (ULA) of 16 virtual elements. Furthermore, the transmitter is based on a single-channel 4-element time-multiplexed switched array. In transmission, the radar utilizes frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) waveforms that undergo de-ramping on receive to allow digitization at relatively low sampling rates, which then simplifies the imaging process. This architecture has been designed for the short-range TW scenarios envisaged, and permits sufficient time to switch between antenna elements. The paper first outlines the system characteristics before describing the key signal processing and imaging algorithms which are based on traditional Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) processing. These techniques are implemented in LabVIEW software. Finally, we report results from an experimental campaign that investigated the imaging capabilities of the system and demonstrated the detection of personnel targets. Moreover, we show that multiple targets within a room with greater than approximately 1 meter separation can be distinguished from one another.

Ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system and method

DOEpatents

Bylenok, Paul J.; Patmos, William M.; Wagner, Thomas A.; Martin, Francis H.

1992-08-04

An ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system uses an ultrasonic fsed beam probe for measuring thickness of an object, such as a wall of a tube, a computer for controlling movement of the probe in a scanning pattern within the tube and processing an analog signal produced by the probe which is proportional to the tube wall thickness in the scanning pattern, and a line scan recorder for producing a record of the tube wall thicknesses measured by the probe in the scanning pattern. The probe is moved in the scanning pattern to sequentially scan circumferentially the interior tube wall at spaced apart adjacent axial locations. The computer processes the analog signal by converting it to a digital signal and then quantifies the digital signal into a multiplicity of thickness points with each falling in one of a plurality of thickness ranges corresponding to one of a plurality of shades of grey. From the multiplicity of quantified thickness points, a line scan recorder connected to the computer generates a pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses with each quantified thickness point thus being obtained from a minute area, e.g. 0.010 inch by 0.010 inch, of tube wall and representing one pixel of the pictorial map. In the pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses, the pixels represent different wall thicknesses having different shades of grey.

Ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system and method

DOEpatents

Bylenok, Paul J.; Patmos, William M.; Wagner, Thomas A.; Martin, Francis H.

1992-01-01

An ultrasonic thickness measuring and imaging system uses an ultrasonic fsed beam probe for measuring thickness of an object, such as a wall of a tube, a computer for controlling movement of the probe in a scanning pattern within the tube and processing an analog signal produced by the probe which is proportional to the tube wall thickness in the scanning pattern, and a line scan recorder for producing a record of the tube wall thicknesses measured by the probe in the scanning pattern. The probe is moved in the scanning pattern to sequentially scan circumferentially the interior tube wall at spaced apart adjacent axial locations. The computer processes the analog signal by converting it to a digital signal and then quantifies the digital signal into a multiplicity of thickness points with each falling in one of a plurality of thickness ranges corresponding to one of a plurality of shades of grey. From the multiplicity of quantified thickness points, a line scan recorder connected to the computer generates a pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses with each quantified thickness point thus being obtained from a minute area, e.g. 0.010 inch by 0.010 inch, of tube wall and representing one pixel of the pictorial map. In the pictorial map of tube wall thicknesses, the pixels represent different wall thicknesses having different shades of grey.

Joint segmentation of lumen and outer wall from femoral artery MR images: Towards 3D imaging measurements of peripheral arterial disease.

PubMed

Ukwatta, Eranga; Yuan, Jing; Qiu, Wu; Rajchl, Martin; Chiu, Bernard; Fenster, Aaron

2015-12-01

Three-dimensional (3D) measurements of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) plaque burden extracted from fast black-blood magnetic resonance (MR) images have shown to be more predictive of clinical outcomes than PAD stenosis measurements. To this end, accurate segmentation of the femoral artery lumen and outer wall is required for generating volumetric measurements of PAD plaque burden. Here, we propose a semi-automated algorithm to jointly segment the femoral artery lumen and outer wall surfaces from 3D black-blood MR images, which are reoriented and reconstructed along the medial axis of the femoral artery to obtain improved spatial coherence between slices of the long, thin femoral artery and to reduce computation time. The developed segmentation algorithm enforces two priors in a global optimization manner: the spatial consistency between the adjacent 2D slices and the anatomical region order between the femoral artery lumen and outer wall surfaces. The formulated combinatorial optimization problem for segmentation is solved globally and exactly by means of convex relaxation using a coupled continuous max-flow (CCMF) model, which is a dual formulation to the convex relaxed optimization problem. In addition, the CCMF model directly derives an efficient duality-based algorithm based on the modern multiplier augmented optimization scheme, which has been implemented on a GPU for fast computation. The computed segmentations from the developed algorithm were compared to manual delineations from experts using 20 black-blood MR images. The developed algorithm yielded both high accuracy (Dice similarity coefficients ≥ 87% for both the lumen and outer wall surfaces) and high reproducibility (intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.95 for generating vessel wall area), while outperforming the state-of-the-art method in terms of computational time by a factor of ≈ 20. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phase-Imaging with a Sharpened Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube AFM Tip: Investigation of Low-k Dielectric Polymer Hybrids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Cattien V.; Stevens, Ramsey M.; Meyyappan, M.; Volksen, Willi; Miller, Robert D.

2005-01-01

Phase shift tapping mode scanning force microscopy (TMSFM) has evolved into a very powerful technique for the nanoscale surface characterization of compositional variations in heterogeneous samples. Phase shift signal measures the difference between the phase angle of the excitation signal and the phase angle of the cantilever response. The signal correlates to the tip-sample inelastic interactions, identifying the different chemical and/or physical property of surfaces. In general, the resolution and quality of scanning probe microscopic images are highly dependent on the size of the scanning probe tip. In improving AFM tip technology, we recently developed a technique for sharpening the tip of a multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) AFM tip, reducing the radius of curvature of the CNT tip to less than 5 nm while still maintaining the inherent stability of multi-walled CNT tips. Herein we report the use of sharpened (CNT) AFM tips for phase-imaging of polymer hybrids, a precursor for generating nanoporous low-k dielectrics for on-chip interconnect applications. Using sharpened CNT tips, we obtained phase-contrast images having domains less than 10 nm. In contrast, conventional Si tips and unsharpened CNT tips (radius greater than 15 nm) were not able to resolve the nanoscale domains in the polymer hybrid films. C1early, the size of the CNT tip contributes significantly to the resolution of phase-contrast imaging. In addition, a study on the nonlinear tapping dynamics of the multi-walled CNT tip indicates that the multi-walled CNT tip is immune to conventional imaging instabilities related to the coexistence of attractive and repulsive tapping regimes. This factor may also contribute to the phase-contrast image quality of multi-walled CNT AFM tips. This presentation will also offer data in support of the stability of the CNT tip for phase shift TMSFM.

Automated registration of multispectral MR vessel wall images of the carotid artery

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

Klooster, R. van 't; Staring, M.; Reiber, J. H. C.

2013-12-15

Purpose: Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of heart disease and stroke. The detailed assessment of atherosclerosis of the carotid artery requires high resolution imaging of the vessel wall using multiple MR sequences with different contrast weightings. These images allow manual or automated classification of plaque components inside the vessel wall. Automated classification requires all sequences to be in alignment, which is hampered by patient motion. In clinical practice, correction of this motion is performed manually. Previous studies applied automated image registration to correct for motion using only nondeformable transformation models and did not perform a detailed quantitative validation. The purposemore » of this study is to develop an automated accurate 3D registration method, and to extensively validate this method on a large set of patient data. In addition, the authors quantified patient motion during scanning to investigate the need for correction. Methods: MR imaging studies (1.5T, dedicated carotid surface coil, Philips) from 55 TIA/stroke patients with ipsilateral <70% carotid artery stenosis were randomly selected from a larger cohort. Five MR pulse sequences were acquired around the carotid bifurcation, each containing nine transverse slices: T1-weighted turbo field echo, time of flight, T2-weighted turbo spin-echo, and pre- and postcontrast T1-weighted turbo spin-echo images (T1W TSE). The images were manually segmented by delineating the lumen contour in each vessel wall sequence and were manually aligned by applying throughplane and inplane translations to the images. To find the optimal automatic image registration method, different masks, choice of the fixed image, different types of the mutual information image similarity metric, and transformation models including 3D deformable transformation models, were evaluated. Evaluation of the automatic registration results was performed by comparing the lumen segmentations of the fixed image

An intravascular loopless monopole antenna for vessel wall MR imaging at 3.0 T.

PubMed

Yuan, Hongyang; Lv, Xing; Ma, Xiaohai; Zhang, Rui; Fu, Youyi; Yang, Xuedong; Wang, Xiaoying; Zhang, Zhaoqi; Zhang, Jue; Fang, Jing

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a novel intravascular loopless monopole antenna (ILMA) design specifically for imaging of small vessel walls. The ILMA consisted of an unshielded, low-friction guide wire and a tuning/matching box. The material of the guide wire was nitinol and it was coated with polyurethane. Because the guide wire was unshielded, it could be made thinner than the coaxial cable-based loopless intravascular antenna design. The material of the box was aluminum. In this study, the diameter of the guide wire was 0.5 mm and the length was 58.7 mm. The ILMA was used as a receiving antenna and body coil for transmission. To verify the feasibility of the ILMA, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed on a 3.0-T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner. In vitro tests using the ILMA indicated that the proposed design could be used to image target vessel walls with a spatial resolution of 313 μm at the frequency coding direction and more than 100 mm of longitudinal coverage. In vivo tests demonstrated that the images showed the vessel walls clearly by using the ILMA and also indicated that the ILMA could be used for small vessels. The proposed antenna may therefore be utilized to promote MR-based diagnoses and therapeutic solutions for cardiovascular atherosclerotic diseases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Observation of hohlraum-wall motion with spectrally selective x-ray imaging at the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izumi, N.; Meezan, N. B.; Divol, L.; Hall, G. N.; Barrios, M. A.; Jones, O.; Landen, O. L.; Kroll, J. J.; Vonhof, S. A.; Nikroo, A.; Jaquez, J.; Bailey, C. G.; Hardy, C. M.; Ehrlich, R. B.; Town, R. P. J.; Bradley, D. K.; Hinkel, D. E.; Moody, J. D.

2016-11-01

The high fuel capsule compression required for indirect drive inertial confinement fusion requires careful control of the X-ray drive symmetry throughout the laser pulse. When the outer cone beams strike the hohlraum wall, the plasma ablated off the hohlraum wall expands into the hohlraum and can alter both the outer and inner cone beam propagations and hence the X-ray drive symmetry especially at the final stage of the drive pulse. To quantitatively understand the wall motion, we developed a new experimental technique which visualizes the expansion and stagnation of the hohlraum wall plasma. Details of the experiment and the technique of spectrally selective x-ray imaging are discussed.

Observation of hohlraum-wall motion with spectrally selective x-ray imaging at the National Ignition Facility.

PubMed

Izumi, N; Meezan, N B; Divol, L; Hall, G N; Barrios, M A; Jones, O; Landen, O L; Kroll, J J; Vonhof, S A; Nikroo, A; Jaquez, J; Bailey, C G; Hardy, C M; Ehrlich, R B; Town, R P J; Bradley, D K; Hinkel, D E; Moody, J D

2016-11-01

The high fuel capsule compression required for indirect drive inertial confinement fusion requires careful control of the X-ray drive symmetry throughout the laser pulse. When the outer cone beams strike the hohlraum wall, the plasma ablated off the hohlraum wall expands into the hohlraum and can alter both the outer and inner cone beam propagations and hence the X-ray drive symmetry especially at the final stage of the drive pulse. To quantitatively understand the wall motion, we developed a new experimental technique which visualizes the expansion and stagnation of the hohlraum wall plasma. Details of the experiment and the technique of spectrally selective x-ray imaging are discussed.

Label-free in situ Imaging of Lignification in Plant Cell Walls

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Martin; Perera, Pradeep; Schwartzberg, Adam M.; Adams, Paul D.; Schuck, P. James

2010-01-01

-destructive and comparatively inexpensive measurements with minimal sample preparation, giving insights into chemical composition and molecular structure in a close to native state. Chemical imaging by confocal Raman microscopy has been previously used for the visualization of the spatial distribution of cellulose and lignin in wood cell walls12-14. Based on these earlier results, we have recently adopted this method to compare lignification in wild type and lignin-deficient transgenic Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood) stem wood15. Analyzing the lignin Raman bands16,17 in the spectral region between 1,600 and 1,700 cm-1, lignin signal intensity and localization were mapped in situ. Our approach visualized differences in lignin content, localization, and chemical composition. Most recently, we demonstrated Raman imaging of cell wall polymers in Arabidopsis thaliana with lateral resolution that is sub-μm18. Here, this method is presented affording visualization of lignin in plant cell walls and comparison of lignification in different tissues, samples or species without staining or labeling of the tissues. PMID:21085100

Thoracic wall trauma—misdiagnosed lesions on radiographs and usefulness of ultrasound, multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

PubMed Central

Facenda, Catherine; Vaz, Nuno; Castañeda, Edgar Augusto; del Amo, Montserrat; Garcia-Diez, Ana Isabel; Pomes, Jaime

2017-01-01

Blunt injuries to the chest wall are an important chapter on emergency room (ER) departments, being the third most common injuries in trauma patients which ominous complications could appear. This article describes different types of traumatic events affecting the chest wall, which maybe misdiagnosed with conventional X-ray. Special emphasis has been done in computed tomography (CT) and multidetector CT (MDCT) imaging. This technique is considered the “gold-standard” for those traumatic patients, due to its fast acquisition covering the whole area of interest in axial plane, reconstructing multiplanar (2D, 3D) volume-rendered images with a superb quality and angiographic CT capabilities for evaluating vascular damage. Complementary techniques such as ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may improve the diagnostic accuracy due to its great capacity in visualising soft-tissue trauma (muscle-tendinous tears) and subtle fractures. All these imaging methods have an important role in quantifying the severity of chest wall trauma. The findings of this study have been exposed with cases of our archives in a didactic way. PMID:28932697

Systems Modeling of a Hypothetical SSME Channel-Wall Nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, William D.; Thames, Mignon P.; Polsgrove, Robert H.

2003-01-01

A future upgrade to the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) may be the replacement of the current regenerative cooled tube-wall nozzle with a nozzle using a regeneratively-cooled channel-wall design. The current tube-wall design represents the only major piece of SSME hardware that has not been dramatically updated throughout thc long history of the engine. There are a number of advantages to a channel-wall design including the promise of faster and lower cost fabrication and greater reliability in the field. The technical obstacles in the path of making this happen are many, particularly in the realms of metallurgy and manufacturing techniques. However, one technical area that can and should be addressed in the near term as part of the development of detailed component requirements is a systems type model of the fluid flow and heat transfer processes to which the new design will be exposed. This paper presents the results of an effort to develop a mathematical model of the internal flow for a generic channel-wall nozzle functioning as a direct replacement for the current tube-wall nozzle with a minimum of systems-level changes. Comparisons will be made to mathematical modeling results for the current tube-wall design and the results of various geometrical trade studies will be presented. It is the intent of this work to examine the feasibility of the concept of a direct replacement component with minimum systems-!eve impacts and to highlight potential areas of concern requiring further work in the future.

Sensitive enhancement of vessel wall imaging with an endoesophageal Wireless Amplified NMR Detector (WAND).

PubMed

Zeng, Xianchun; Barbic, Mladen; Chen, Liangliang; Qian, Chunqi

2017-11-01

To improve the imaging quality of vessel walls with an endoesophageal Wireless Amplified NMR Detector (WAND). A cylindrically shaped double-frequency resonator has been constructed with a single metal wire that is self-connected by a pair of nonlinear capacitors. The double-frequency resonator can convert wirelessly provided pumping power into amplified MR signals. This compact design makes the detector easily insertable into a rodent esophagus. The detector has good longitudinal and axial symmetry. Compared to an external surface coil, the WAND can enhance detection sensitivity by at least 5 times, even when the distance separation between the region of interest and the detector's cylindrical surface is twice the detector's own radius. Such detection capability enables us to observe vessel walls near the aortic arch and carotid bifurcation with elevated sensitivity. A cylindrical MRI detector integrated with a wireless-powered amplifier has been developed as an endoesophageal detector to enhance detection sensitivity of vessel walls. This detector can greatly improve the imaging quality for vessel regions that are susceptible to atherosclerotic lesions. Magn Reson Med 78:2048-2054, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Insight into plant cell wall chemistry and structure by combination of multiphoton microscopy with Raman imaging.

PubMed

Heiner, Zsuzsanna; Zeise, Ingrid; Elbaum, Rivka; Kneipp, Janina

2018-04-01

Spontaneous Raman scattering microspectroscopy, second harmonic generation (SHG) and 2-photon excited fluorescence (2PF) were used in combination to characterize the morphology together with the chemical composition of the cell wall in native plant tissues. As the data obtained with unstained sections of Sorghum bicolor root and leaf tissues illustrate, nonresonant as well as pre-resonant Raman microscopy in combination with hyperspectral analysis reveals details about the distribution and composition of the major cell wall constituents. Multivariate analysis of the Raman data allows separation of different tissue regions, specifically the endodermis, xylem and lumen. The orientation of cellulose microfibrils is obtained from polarization-resolved SHG signals. Furthermore, 2-photon autofluorescence images can be used to image lignification. The combined compositional, morphological and orientational information in the proposed coupling of SHG, Raman imaging and 2PF presents an extension of existing vibrational microspectroscopic imaging and multiphoton microscopic approaches not only for plant tissues. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Extended Plate and Beam Wall System: Concept Investigation and Initial Evaluation

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

Wiehagen, J.; Kochkin, V.

A new and innovative High-R wall design, referred to as the Extended Plate & Beam (EP&B), is under development. The EP&B system uniquely integrates foam sheathing insulation with wall framing such that wood structural panels are installed exterior of the foam sheathing, enabling the use of standard practices for installation of drainage plane, windows and doors, claddings, cavity insulation, and the standard exterior foam sheathing installation approach prone to damage of the foam during transportation of prefabricated wall panels. As part of the ongoing work, the EP&B wall system concept has undergone structural verification testing and has been positively vettedmore » by a group of industry stakeholders. Having passed these initial milestone markers, the advanced wall system design has been analyzed to assess cost implications relative to other advanced wall systems, undergone design assessment to develop construction details, and has been evaluated to develop representative prescriptive requirements for the building code. This report summarizes the assessment steps conducted to-date and provides details of the concept development.« less

Extended Plate and Beam Wall System: Concept Investigation and Initial Evaluation

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

Wiehagen, J.; Kochkin, V.

2015-08-01

A new and innovative High-R wall design, referred to as the Extended Plate & Beam (EP&B), is under development. The EP&B system uniquely integrates foam sheathing insulation with wall framing such that wood structural panels are installed exterior of the foam sheathing, enabling the use of standard practices for installation of drainage plane, windows and doors, claddings, cavity insulation, and the standard exterior foam sheathing installation approach prone to damage of the foam during transportation of prefabricated wall panels. As part of the ongoing work, the EP&B wall system concept has undergone structural verification testing and has been positively vettedmore » by a group of industry stakeholders. Having passed these initial milestone markers, the advanced wall system design has been analyzed to assess cost implications relative to other advanced wall systems, undergone design assessment to develop construction details, and has been evaluated to develop representative prescriptive requirements for the building code. This report summarizes the assessment steps conducted to-date and provides details of the concept development.« less

Synchrotron Time-Lapse Imaging of Lignocellulosic Biomass Hydrolysis: Tracking Enzyme Localization by Protein Autofluorescence and Biochemical Modification of Cell Walls by Microfluidic Infrared Microspectroscopy

PubMed Central

Devaux, Marie-Françoise; Jamme, Frédéric; André, William; Bouchet, Brigitte; Alvarado, Camille; Durand, Sylvie; Robert, Paul; Saulnier, Luc; Bonnin, Estelle; Guillon, Fabienne

2018-01-01

Tracking enzyme localization and following the local biochemical modification of the substrate should help explain the recalcitrance of lignocellulosic plant cell walls to enzymatic degradation. Time-lapse studies using conventional imaging require enzyme labeling and following the biochemical modifications of biopolymers found in plant cell walls, which cannot be easily achieved. In the present work, synchrotron facilities have been used to image the enzymatic degradation of lignocellulosic biomass without labeling the enzyme or the cell walls. Multichannel autofluorescence imaging of the protein and phenolic compounds after excitation at 275 nm highlighted the presence or absence of enzymes on cell walls and made it possible to track them during the reaction. Image analysis was used to quantify the fluorescence intensity variations. Consistent variations in the enzyme concentration were found locally for cell cavities and their surrounding cell walls. Microfluidic FT-IR microspectroscopy allowed for time-lapse tracking of local changes in the polysaccharides in cell walls during degradation. Hemicellulose degradation was found to occur prior to cellulose degradation using a Celluclast® preparation. Combining the fluorescence and FT-IR information yielded the conclusion that enzymes did not bind to lignified cell walls, which were consequently not degraded. Fluorescence multiscale imaging and FT-IR microspectroscopy showed an unexpected variability both in the initial biochemical composition and the degradation pattern, highlighting micro-domains in the cell wall of a given cell. Fluorescence intensity quantification showed that the enzymes were not evenly distributed, and their amount increased progressively on degradable cell walls. During degradation, adjacent cells were separated and the cell wall fragmented until complete degradation. PMID:29515611

Improved interior wall detection using designated dictionaries in compressive urban sensing problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagunas, Eva; Amin, Moeness G.; Ahmad, Fauzia; Nájar, Montse

2013-05-01

In this paper, we address sparsity-based imaging of building interior structures for through-the-wall radar imaging and urban sensing applications. The proposed approach utilizes information about common building construction practices to form an appropriate sparse representation of the building layout. With a ground based SAR system, and considering that interior walls are either parallel or perpendicular to the exterior walls, the antenna at each position would receive reflections from the walls parallel to the radar's scan direction as well as from the corners between two meeting walls. We propose a two-step approach for wall detection and localization. In the first step, a dictionary of possible wall locations is used to recover the positions of both interior and exterior walls that are parallel to the scan direction. A follow-on step uses a dictionary of possible corner reflectors to locate wall-wall junctions along the detected wall segments, thereby determining the true wall extents and detecting walls perpendicular to the scan direction. The utility of the proposed approach is demonstrated using simulated data.

Observation of hohlraum-wall motion with spectrally selective x-ray imaging at the National Ignition Facility

DOE PAGES

Izumi, N.; Meezan, N. B.; Divol, L.; ...

2016-08-12

The high fuel capsule compression required for indirect drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) requires careful control of the X-raydrive symmetry throughout the laser pulse. When the outer cone beams strike the hohlraum wall, the plasma ablated off the hohlraum wall expands into the hohlraum and can alter both the outer and inner cone beam propagation and hencethe X-raydrive symmetry especially at thefinal stage of the drive pulse. In order to quantitatively understand the wall motion, we developed a new experimental technique which visualizes the expansion and stagnation of the hohlraum wall plasma. Finally, we discuss details of the experiment andmore » the technique of spectrally selectivex-ray imaging.« less

Observation of hohlraum-wall motion with spectrally selective x-ray imaging at the National Ignition Facility

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

Izumi, N., E-mail: izumi2@llnl.gov; Meezan, N. B.; Divol, L.

The high fuel capsule compression required for indirect drive inertial confinement fusion requires careful control of the X-ray drive symmetry throughout the laser pulse. When the outer cone beams strike the hohlraum wall, the plasma ablated off the hohlraum wall expands into the hohlraum and can alter both the outer and inner cone beam propagations and hence the X-ray drive symmetry especially at the final stage of the drive pulse. To quantitatively understand the wall motion, we developed a new experimental technique which visualizes the expansion and stagnation of the hohlraum wall plasma. Details of the experiment and the techniquemore » of spectrally selective x-ray imaging are discussed.« less

Observation of hohlraum-wall motion with spectrally selective x-ray imaging at the National Ignition Facility

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

Izumi, N.; Meezan, N. B.; Divol, L.

The high fuel capsule compression required for indirect drive inertial confinement fusion (ICF) requires careful control of the X-raydrive symmetry throughout the laser pulse. When the outer cone beams strike the hohlraum wall, the plasma ablated off the hohlraum wall expands into the hohlraum and can alter both the outer and inner cone beam propagation and hencethe X-raydrive symmetry especially at thefinal stage of the drive pulse. In order to quantitatively understand the wall motion, we developed a new experimental technique which visualizes the expansion and stagnation of the hohlraum wall plasma. Finally, we discuss details of the experiment andmore » the technique of spectrally selectivex-ray imaging.« less

ECO-WALL SYSTEMS: USING RECYCLED MATERIAL IN THE DESIGN OF COMMERCIAL INTERIOR WALL SYSTEMS FOR BUILDINGS

EPA Science Inventory

This proposal describes an interdisciplinary project involving students from several academic departments at Miami University in the design of commercial wall systems to be manufactured from recycled materials. The goal of Phase I of the project is to develop and conduct prelimi...

Whole-brain intracranial vessel wall imaging at 3 Tesla using cerebrospinal fluid-attenuated T1-weighted 3D turbo spin echo.

PubMed

Fan, Zhaoyang; Yang, Qi; Deng, Zixin; Li, Yuxia; Bi, Xiaoming; Song, Shlee; Li, Debiao

2017-03-01

Although three-dimensional (3D) turbo spin echo (TSE) with variable flip angles has proven to be useful for intracranial vessel wall imaging, it is associated with inadequate suppression of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) signals and limited spatial coverage at 3 Tesla (T). This work aimed to modify the sequence and develop a protocol to achieve whole-brain, CSF-attenuated T 1 -weighted vessel wall imaging. Nonselective excitation and a flip-down radiofrequency pulse module were incorporated into a commercial 3D TSE sequence. A protocol based on the sequence was designed to achieve T 1 -weighted vessel wall imaging with whole-brain spatial coverage, enhanced CSF-signal suppression, and isotropic 0.5-mm resolution. Human volunteer and pilot patient studies were performed to qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrate the advantages of the sequence. Compared with the original sequence, the modified sequence significantly improved the T 1 -weighted image contrast score (2.07 ± 0.19 versus 3.00 ± 0.00, P = 0.011), vessel wall-to-CSF contrast ratio (0.14 ± 0.16 versus 0.52 ± 0.30, P = 0.007) and contrast-to-noise ratio (1.69 ± 2.18 versus 4.26 ± 2.30, P = 0.022). Significant improvement in vessel wall outer boundary sharpness was observed in several major arterial segments. The new 3D TSE sequence allows for high-quality T 1 -weighted intracranial vessel wall imaging at 3 T. It may potentially aid in depicting small arteries and revealing T 1 -mediated high-signal wall abnormalities. Magn Reson Med 77:1142-1150, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Extended Plate and Beam Wall System

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

Gunderson, Patti

Home Innovation Research Labs studied the extended plate and beam wall (EP&B) system during a two-year period from mid-2015 to mid-2017 to determine the wall’s structural performance, moisture durability, constructability, and costeffectiveness for use as a high-R enclosure system for energy code minimum and above-code performance in climate zones 4–8.

Non-invasive vascular radial/circumferential strain imaging and wall shear rate estimation using video images of diagnostic ultrasound.

PubMed

Wan, Jinjin; He, Fangli; Zhao, Yongfeng; Zhang, Hongmei; Zhou, Xiaodong; Wan, Mingxi

2014-03-01

The aim of this work was to develop a convenient method for radial/circumferential strain imaging and shear rate estimation that could be used as a supplement to the current routine screening for carotid atherosclerosis using video images of diagnostic ultrasound. A reflection model-based correction for gray-scale non-uniform distribution was applied to B-mode video images before strain estimation to improve the accuracy of radial/circumferential strain imaging when applied to vessel transverse cross sections. The incremental and cumulative radial/circumferential strain images can then be calculated based on the displacement field between consecutive B-mode images. Finally, the transverse Doppler spectra acquired at different depths along the vessel diameter were used to construct the spatially matched instantaneous wall shear values in a cardiac cycle. Vessel phantom simulation results revealed that the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of the radial and circumferential strain images were increased by 2.8 and 5.9 dB and by 2.3 and 4.4 dB, respectively, after non-uniform correction. Preliminary results for 17 patients indicated that the accuracy of radial/circumferential strain images was improved in the lateral direction after non-uniform correction. The peak-to-peak value of incremental strain and the maximum cumulative strain for calcified plaques are evidently lower than those for other plaque types, and the echolucent plaques had higher values, on average, than the mixed plaques. Moreover, low oscillating wall shear rate values, found near the plaque and stenosis regions, are closely related to plaque formation. In conclusion, the method described can provide additional valuable results as a supplement to the current routine ultrasound examination for carotid atherosclerosis and, therefore, has significant potential as a feasible screening method for atherosclerosis diagnosis in the future. Copyright © 2014 World Federation for Ultrasound in

Asbestos in Plaster and Wall Systems

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This collection of letters and clarification on final rules provides guidance on Asbestos National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for asbestos-containing join compounds, and asbestos-containing materials found in plaster and wall systems.

Teaching Introductory Mineralogy With the GeoWall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, C. D.; Haymon, R. M.

2003-12-01

Mineralogy, like many topics in Earth Sciences, contains inherently three-dimensional topics that are difficult to teach. Concepts such as crystal symmetry and forms, Miller indices, the polymerization of silica tetrahedra and resulting structures of silicate mineral groups, and the interaction of light and minerals are particularly difficult. Two-dimensional diagrams are limited in their effectiveness, and physical models, while effective, are expensive and do not work as well in large class settings. The GeoWall system brings the effectiveness of physical models to the large classroom. In Fall 2003, we will integrate the GeoWall into our introductory mineralogy classes at UCSB using a combination of commercial software, atomic structure models available on the web, and custom content created in-house. The commercial software SHAPE (www.shapesoftware.com) allows users to build and display crystal shapes and their symmetry. Though not designed for the GeoWall, the software's stereopair display mode works perfectly on the system. Using the Chime web browser plug-in (www.mdl.com), computer models of silicate minerals available from the Virtual Museum of Minerals and Molecules (www.soils.umn.eduvirtual_museum) provide an interactive display of silicate mineral structure that illustrates the tetrahedral framework. Again, while not developed for the GeoWall, the Chime plug-in works seamlessly with the GeoWall hardware. 3-D GeoWall images that display light paths through minerals, and reveal relationships between crystal symmetry and optical indicatrix properties, have been developed in-house using a combination of SHAPE and 3D modeling software. The 3-D GeoWall images should convey in an instant these difficult concepts that students historically have struggled to visualize. Initial assessment of the GeoWall's effectiveness as a mineralogy teaching aid at UCSB in Fall 2003 will come from the instructor's impressions and by comparing test scores with classes from

Label-free Chemical Imaging of Fungal Spore Walls by Raman Microscopy and Multivariate Curve Resolution Analysis

PubMed Central

Noothalapati, Hemanth; Sasaki, Takahiro; Kaino, Tomohiro; Kawamukai, Makoto; Ando, Masahiro; Hamaguchi, Hiro-o; Yamamoto, Tatsuyuki

2016-01-01

Fungal cell walls are medically important since they represent a drug target site for antifungal medication. So far there is no method to directly visualize structurally similar cell wall components such as α-glucan, β-glucan and mannan with high specificity, especially in a label-free manner. In this study, we have developed a Raman spectroscopy based molecular imaging method and combined multivariate curve resolution analysis to enable detection and visualization of multiple polysaccharide components simultaneously at the single cell level. Our results show that vegetative cell and ascus walls are made up of both α- and β-glucans while spore wall is exclusively made of α-glucan. Co-localization studies reveal the absence of mannans in ascus wall but are distributed primarily in spores. Such detailed picture is believed to further enhance our understanding of the dynamic spore wall architecture, eventually leading to advancements in drug discovery and development in the near future. PMID:27278218

Sci-Fri PM: Radiation Therapy, Planning, Imaging, and Special Techniques - 11: Quantification of chest wall motion during deep inspiration breast hold treatments using cine EPID images and a physics based algorithm

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

Alpuche Aviles, Jorge E.; VanBeek, Timothy

Purpose: This work presents an algorithm used to quantify intra-fraction motion for patients treated using deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH). The algorithm quantifies the position of the chest wall in breast tangent fields using electronic portal images. Methods: The algorithm assumes that image profiles, taken along a direction perpendicular to the medial border of the field, follow a monotonically and smooth decreasing function. This assumption is invalid in the presence of lung and can be used to calculate chest wall position. The algorithm was validated by determining the position of the chest wall for varying field edge positions in portalmore » images of a thoracic phantom. The algorithm was used to quantify intra-fraction motion in cine images for 7 patients treated with DIBH. Results: Phantom results show that changes in the distance between chest wall and field edge were accurate within 0.1 mm on average. For a fixed field edge, the algorithm calculates the position of the chest wall with a 0.2 mm standard deviation. Intra-fraction motion for DIBH patients was within 1 mm 91.4% of the time and within 1.5 mm 97.9% of the time. The maximum intra-fraction motion was 3.0 mm. Conclusions: A physics based algorithm was developed and can be used to quantify the position of chest wall irradiated in tangent portal images with an accuracy of 0.1 mm and precision of 0.6 mm. Intra-fraction motion for patients treated with DIBH at our clinic is less than 3 mm.« less

Design of embedded endoscopic ultrasonic imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ming; Zhou, Hao; Wen, Shijie; Chen, Xiodong; Yu, Daoyin

2008-12-01

Endoscopic ultrasonic imaging system is an important component in the endoscopic ultrasonography system (EUS). Through the ultrasonic probe, the characteristics of the fault histology features of digestive organs is detected by EUS, and then received by the reception circuit which making up of amplifying, gain compensation, filtering and A/D converter circuit, in the form of ultrasonic echo. Endoscopic ultrasonic imaging system is the back-end processing system of the EUS, with the function of receiving digital ultrasonic echo modulated by the digestive tract wall from the reception circuit, acquiring and showing the fault histology features in the form of image and characteristic data after digital signal processing, such as demodulation, etc. Traditional endoscopic ultrasonic imaging systems are mainly based on image acquisition and processing chips, which connecting to personal computer with USB2.0 circuit, with the faults of expensive, complicated structure, poor portability, and difficult to popularize. To against the shortcomings above, this paper presents the methods of digital signal acquisition and processing specially based on embedded technology with the core hardware structure of ARM and FPGA for substituting the traditional design with USB2.0 and personal computer. With built-in FIFO and dual-buffer, FPGA implement the ping-pong operation of data storage, simultaneously transferring the image data into ARM through the EBI bus by DMA function, which is controlled by ARM to carry out the purpose of high-speed transmission. The ARM system is being chosen to implement the responsibility of image display every time DMA transmission over and actualizing system control with the drivers and applications running on the embedded operating system Windows CE, which could provide a stable, safe and reliable running platform for the embedded device software. Profiting from the excellent graphical user interface (GUI) and good performance of Windows CE, we can not

Thermal control system and method for a passive solar storage wall

DOEpatents

Ortega, Joseph K. E.

1984-01-01

The invention provides a system and method for controlling the storing and elease of thermal energy from a thermal storage wall wherein said wall is capable of storing thermal energy from insolation of solar radiation. The system and method includes a device such as a plurality of louvers spaced a predetermined distance from the thermal wall for regulating the release of thermal energy from the thermal wall. This regulating device is made from a material which is substantially transparent to the incoming solar radiation so that when it is in any operative position, the thermal storage wall substantially receives all of the impacting solar radiation. The material in the regulating device is further capable of being substantially opaque to thermal energy so that when the device is substantially closed, thermal release of energy from the storage wall is substantially minimized. An adjustment device is interconnected with the regulating mechanism for selectively opening and closing it in order to regulate the release of thermal energy from the wall.

In vivo wall shear measurements within the developing zebrafish heart.

PubMed

Jamison, R Aidan; Samarage, Chaminda R; Bryson-Richardson, Robert J; Fouras, Andreas

2013-01-01

Physical forces can influence the embryonic development of many tissues. Within the cardiovascular system shear forces resulting from blood flow are known to be one of the regulatory signals that shape the developing heart. A key challenge in investigating the role of shear forces in cardiac development is the ability to obtain shear force measurements in vivo. Utilising the zebrafish model system we have developed a methodology that allows the shear force within the developing embryonic heart to be determined. Accurate wall shear measurement requires two essential pieces of information; high-resolution velocity measurements near the heart wall and the location and orientation of the heart wall itself. We have applied high-speed brightfield imaging to capture time-lapse series of blood flow within the beating heart between 3 and 6 days post-fertilization. Cardiac-phase filtering is applied to these time-lapse images to remove the heart wall and other slow moving structures leaving only the red blood cell movement. Using particle image velocimetry to calculate the velocity of red blood cells in different regions within the heart, and using the signal-to-noise ratio of the cardiac-phase filtered images to determine the boundary of blood flow, and therefore the position of the heart wall, we have been able to generate the necessary information to measure wall shear in vivo. We describe the methodology required to measure shear in vivo and the application of this technique to the developing zebrafish heart. We identify a reduction in shear at the ventricular-bulbar valve between 3 and 6 days post-fertilization and demonstrate that the shear environment of the ventricle during systole is constantly developing towards a more uniform level.

Imaging fluorescence detected linear dichroism of plant cell walls in laser scanning confocal microscope.

PubMed

Steinbach, Gábor; Pomozi, István; Zsiros, Ottó; Páy, Anikó; Horváth, Gábor V; Garab, Gyozo

2008-03-01

Anisotropy carries important information on the molecular organization of biological samples. Its determination requires a combination of microscopy and polarization spectroscopy tools. The authors constructed differential polarization (DP) attachments to a laser scanning microscope in order to determine physical quantities related to the anisotropic distribution of molecules in microscopic samples; here the authors focus on fluorescence-detected linear dichroism (FDLD). By modulating the linear polarization of the laser beam between two orthogonally polarized states and by using a demodulation circuit, the authors determine the associated transmitted and fluorescence intensity-difference signals, which serve the basis for LD (linear dichroism) and FDLD, respectively. The authors demonstrate on sections of Convallaria majalis root tissue stained with Acridin Orange that while (nonconfocal) LD images remain smeared and weak, FDLD images recorded in confocal mode reveal strong anisotropy of the cell wall. FDLD imaging is suitable for mapping the anisotropic distribution of transition dipoles in 3 dimensions. A mathematical model is proposed to account for the fiber-laminate ultrastructure of the cell wall and for the intercalation of the dye molecules in complex, highly anisotropic architecture. Copyright 2007 International Society for Analytical Cytology.

Smooth- and rough-wall boundary layer structure from high spatial range particle image velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Squire, D. T.; Morrill-Winter, C.; Hutchins, N.; Marusic, I.; Schultz, M. P.; Klewicki, J. C.

2016-10-01

Two particle image velocimetry arrangements are used to make true spatial comparisons between smooth- and rough-wall boundary layers at high Reynolds numbers across a very wide range of streamwise scales. Together, the arrangements resolve scales ranging from motions on the order of the Kolmogorov microscale to those longer than twice the boundary layer thickness. The rough-wall experiments were obtained above a continuous sandpaper sheet, identical to that used by Squire et al. [J. Fluid Mech. 795, 210 (2016), 10.1017/jfm.2016.196], and cover a range of friction and equivalent sand-grain roughness Reynolds numbers (12 000 ≲δ+≲ 18000, 62 ≲ks+≲104 ). The smooth-wall experiments comprise new and previously published data spanning 6500 ≲δ+≲17 000 . Flow statistics from all experiments show similar Reynolds number trends and behaviors to recent, well-resolved hot-wire anemometry measurements above the same rough surface. Comparisons, at matched δ+, between smooth- and rough-wall two-point correlation maps and two-point magnitude-squared coherence maps demonstrate that spatially the outer region of the boundary layer is the same between the two flows. This is apparently true even at wall-normal locations where the total (inner-normalized) energy differs between the smooth and rough wall. Generally, the present results provide strong support for Townsend's [The Structure of Turbulent Shear Flow (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1956), Vol. 1] wall-similarity hypothesis in high Reynolds number fully rough boundary layer flows.

Motion Tracking of the Carotid Artery Wall From Ultrasound Image Sequences: a Nonlinear State-Space Approach.

PubMed

Gao, Zhifan; Li, Yanjie; Sun, Yuanyuan; Yang, Jiayuan; Xiong, Huahua; Zhang, Heye; Liu, Xin; Wu, Wanqing; Liang, Dong; Li, Shuo

2018-01-01

The motion of the common carotid artery (CCA) wall has been established to be useful in early diagnosis of atherosclerotic disease. However, tracking the CCA wall motion from ultrasound images remains a challenging task. In this paper, a nonlinear state-space approach has been developed to track CCA wall motion from ultrasound sequences. In this approach, a nonlinear state-space equation with a time-variant control signal was constructed from a mathematical model of the dynamics of the CCA wall. Then, the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) was adopted to solve the nonlinear state transfer function in order to evolve the state of the target tissue, which involves estimation of the motion trajectory of the CCA wall from noisy ultrasound images. The performance of this approach has been validated on 30 simulated ultrasound sequences and a real ultrasound dataset of 103 subjects by comparing the motion tracking results obtained in this study to those of three state-of-the-art methods and of the manual tracing method performed by two experienced ultrasound physicians. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach is highly correlated with (intra-class correlation coefficient ≥ 0.9948 for the longitudinal motion and ≥ 0.9966 for the radial motion) and well agrees (the 95% confidence interval width is 0.8871 mm for the longitudinal motion and 0.4159 mm for the radial motion) with the manual tracing method on real data and also exhibits high accuracy on simulated data (0.1161 ~ 0.1260 mm). These results appear to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for motion tracking of the CCA wall.

Assessment of dyssynchronous wall motion during acute myocardial ischemia using velocity vector imaging.

PubMed

Masuda, Kasumi; Asanuma, Toshihiko; Taniguchi, Asuka; Uranishi, Ayumi; Ishikura, Fuminobu; Beppu, Shintaro

2008-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of velocity vector imaging (VVI) for detecting acute myocardial ischemia and whether VVI can accurately demonstrate the spatial extent of ischemic risk area. Using a tracking algorithm, VVI can display velocity vectors of regional wall motion overlaid onto the B-mode image and allows the quantitative assessment of myocardial mechanics. However, its efficacy for diagnosing myocardial ischemia has not been evaluated. In 18 dogs with flow-limiting stenosis and/or total occlusion of the coronary artery, peak systolic radial velocity (V(SYS)), radial velocity at mitral valve opening (V(MVO)), peak systolic radial strain, and the percent change in wall thickening (%WT) were measured in the normal and risk areas and compared to those at baseline. Sensitivity and specificity for detecting the stenosis and occlusion were analyzed in each parameter. The area of inward velocity vectors at mitral valve opening (MVO) detected by VVI was compared to the risk area derived from real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE). Twelve image clips were randomly selected from the baseline, stenosis, and occlusions to determine the intra- and inter-observer agreement for the VVI parameters. The left circumflex coronary flow was reduced by 44.3 +/- 9.0% during stenosis and completely interrupted during occlusion. During coronary artery occlusion, inward motion at MVO was observed in the risk area. Percent WT, peak systolic radial strain, V(SYS), and V(MVO) changed significantly from values at baseline. During stenosis, %WT, peak systolic radial strain, and V(SYS) did not differ from those at baseline; however, V(MVO) was significantly increased (-0.12 +/- 0.60 cm/s vs. -0.96 +/- 0.55 cm/s, p = 0.015). Sensitivity and specificity of V(MVO) for detecting ischemia were superior to those of other parameters. The spatial extent of inward velocity vectors at MVO correlated well with that of the risk area derived from MCE

Moisture Performance of High-R Wall Systems

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

Shah, Nay B.; Kochkin, Vladimir

High-performance homes offer improved comfort, lower utility bills, and assured durability. The next generation of building enclosures is a key step toward achieving high-performance goals through decreasing energy load demand and enabling advanced space-conditioning systems. Yet the adoption of high-R enclosures and particularly high-R walls has been a slow-growing trend because mainstream builders are hesitant to make the transition. In a survey of builders on this topic, one of the challenges identifi ed is an industry-wide concern about the long-term moisture performance of energy-effi cient walls. This study takes a step toward addressing this concern through direct monitoring of themore » moisture performance of high-R walls in occupied homes in several climate zones. In addition, the robustness of the design and modeling tools for selecting high-R wall solutions is evaluated using the monitored data from the field. The information and knowledge gained through this research will provide an objective basis for decision-making so that builders can implement advanced designs with confidence.« less

Accelerated whole brain intracranial vessel wall imaging using black blood fast spin echo with compressed sensing (CS-SPACE).

PubMed

Zhu, Chengcheng; Tian, Bing; Chen, Luguang; Eisenmenger, Laura; Raithel, Esther; Forman, Christoph; Ahn, Sinyeob; Laub, Gerhard; Liu, Qi; Lu, Jianping; Liu, Jing; Hess, Christopher; Saloner, David

2018-06-01

Develop and optimize an accelerated, high-resolution (0.5 mm isotropic) 3D black blood MRI technique to reduce scan time for whole-brain intracranial vessel wall imaging. A 3D accelerated T 1 -weighted fast-spin-echo prototype sequence using compressed sensing (CS-SPACE) was developed at 3T. Both the acquisition [echo train length (ETL), under-sampling factor] and reconstruction parameters (regularization parameter, number of iterations) were first optimized in 5 healthy volunteers. Ten patients with a variety of intracranial vascular disease presentations (aneurysm, atherosclerosis, dissection, vasculitis) were imaged with SPACE and optimized CS-SPACE, pre and post Gd contrast. Lumen/wall area, wall-to-lumen contrast ratio (CR), enhancement ratio (ER), sharpness, and qualitative scores (1-4) by two radiologists were recorded. The optimized CS-SPACE protocol has ETL 60, 20% k-space under-sampling, 0.002 regularization factor with 20 iterations. In patient studies, CS-SPACE and conventional SPACE had comparable image scores both pre- (3.35 ± 0.85 vs. 3.54 ± 0.65, p = 0.13) and post-contrast (3.72 ± 0.58 vs. 3.53 ± 0.57, p = 0.15), but the CS-SPACE acquisition was 37% faster (6:48 vs. 10:50). CS-SPACE agreed with SPACE for lumen/wall area, ER measurements and sharpness, but marginally reduced the CR. In the evaluation of intracranial vascular disease, CS-SPACE provides a substantial reduction in scan time compared to conventional T 1 -weighted SPACE while maintaining good image quality.

Industrial-scale separation of high-purity single-chirality single-wall carbon nanotubes for biological imaging

PubMed Central

Yomogida, Yohei; Tanaka, Takeshi; Zhang, Minfang; Yudasaka, Masako; Wei, Xiaojun; Kataura, Hiromichi

2016-01-01

Single-chirality, single-wall carbon nanotubes are desired due to their inherent physical properties and performance characteristics. Here, we demonstrate a chromatographic separation method based on a newly discovered chirality-selective affinity between carbon nanotubes and a gel containing a mixture of the surfactants. In this system, two different selectivities are found: chiral-angle selectivity and diameter selectivity. Since the chirality of nanotubes is determined by the chiral angle and diameter, combining these independent selectivities leads to high-resolution single-chirality separation with milligram-scale throughput and high purity. Furthermore, we present efficient vascular imaging of mice using separated single-chirality (9,4) nanotubes. Due to efficient absorption and emission, blood vessels can be recognized even with the use of ∼100-fold lower injected dose than the reported value for pristine nanotubes. Thus, 1 day of separation provides material for up to 15,000 imaging experiments, which is acceptable for industrial use. PMID:27350127

Project ME: A Report on the Learning Wall System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heilig, Morton L.

The learning wall system, which consists primarily of a special wall used instead of a screen for a variety of projection purposes, is described, shown diagrammatically, and pictured. Designed to provide visual perceptual motor training on a level that would fall between gross and fine motor performance for perceptually handicapped children, the…

The Layer Cake Walls of Valles Marineris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

This image of the northern wall of Coprates Chasma, in Valles Marineris, was taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) at 1227 UTC (8:27 a.m. EDT) on June 16, 2007, near 13.99 degrees south latitude, 303.09 degrees east longitude. CRISM's image was taken in 544 colors covering 0.36-3.92 micrometers, and shows features as small as 20 meters (66 feet) across. The region covered is just over 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) wide at its narrowest point.

Valles Marineris is a large canyon system straddling Mars' equator, with a total size approximating the Mediterranean Sea emptied of water. It is subdivided into several interconnected 'chasmata' each hundreds of kilometers wide and, in some cases, thousands of kilometers long. The walls of several of the chasmata, including Coprates Chasma, expose a section of Mars' upper crust about 5 kilometers (3 miles) in depth. Exposures like these show the layers of rock that record the formation of Mars' crust over geologic time, much as the walls of the Grand Canyon on Earth show part of our planet's history.

The upper panel of this montage shows the location of the CRISM image on a mosaic from the Mars Odyssey spacecraft's Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), taken in longer infrared wavelengths than measured by CRISM. The CRISM image samples the base of Coprates Chasma's wall, including a conspicuous horizontal band that continues along the wall for tens of kilometers to the east and west, and a topographic shelf just above that.

The middle two panels show the CRISM image in visible and infrared light. In the middle left panel, the red, green, and blue image planes show brightness at 0.59, 0.53, and 0.48 microns, similar to what the human eye would see. Color variations are subdued by the presence of dust on all exposed surfaces. In the middle right panel, the red, green, and blue image planes show brightness at 2.53, 1.51, and 1.08 microns. These three infrared wavelengths

Time-Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry Measurements with Wall Shear Stress and Uncertainty Quantification for the FDA Nozzle Model.

PubMed

Raben, Jaime S; Hariharan, Prasanna; Robinson, Ronald; Malinauskas, Richard; Vlachos, Pavlos P

2016-03-01

We present advanced particle image velocimetry (PIV) processing, post-processing, and uncertainty estimation techniques to support the validation of computational fluid dynamics analyses of medical devices. This work is an extension of a previous FDA-sponsored multi-laboratory study, which used a medical device mimicking geometry referred to as the FDA benchmark nozzle model. Experimental measurements were performed using time-resolved PIV at five overlapping regions of the model for Reynolds numbers in the nozzle throat of 500, 2000, 5000, and 8000. Images included a twofold increase in spatial resolution in comparison to the previous study. Data was processed using ensemble correlation, dynamic range enhancement, and phase correlations to increase signal-to-noise ratios and measurement accuracy, and to resolve flow regions with large velocity ranges and gradients, which is typical of many blood-contacting medical devices. Parameters relevant to device safety, including shear stress at the wall and in bulk flow, were computed using radial basis functions. In addition, in-field spatially resolved pressure distributions, Reynolds stresses, and energy dissipation rates were computed from PIV measurements. Velocity measurement uncertainty was estimated directly from the PIV correlation plane, and uncertainty analysis for wall shear stress at each measurement location was performed using a Monte Carlo model. Local velocity uncertainty varied greatly and depended largely on local conditions such as particle seeding, velocity gradients, and particle displacements. Uncertainty in low velocity regions in the sudden expansion section of the nozzle was greatly reduced by over an order of magnitude when dynamic range enhancement was applied. Wall shear stress uncertainty was dominated by uncertainty contributions from velocity estimations, which were shown to account for 90-99% of the total uncertainty. This study provides advancements in the PIV processing methodologies over

Indoor imagery with a 3D through-wall synthetic aperture radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sévigny, Pascale; DiFilippo, David J.; Laneve, Tony; Fournier, Jonathan

2012-06-01

Through-wall radar imaging is an emerging technology with great interest to military and police forces operating in an urban environment. A through-wall imaging radar can potentially provide interior room layouts as well as detection and localization of targets of interest within a building. In this paper, we present our through-wall radar system mounted on the side of a vehicle and driven along a path in front of a building of interest. The vehicle is equipped with a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and motion sensors that provide auxiliary information. The radar uses an ultra wideband frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) waveform to obtain high range resolution. Our system is composed of a vertical linear receive array to discriminate targets in elevation, and two transmit elements operated in a slow multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) configuration to increase the achievable elevation resolution. High resolution in the along-track direction is obtained through synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques. We present experimental results that demonstrate the 3-D capability of the radar. We further demonstrate target detection behind challenging walls, and imagery of internal wall features. Finally, we discuss future work.

Enhanced Raman Microprobe Imaging of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hadjiev, V. G.; Arepalli, S.; Nikolaev, P.; Jandl, S.; Yowell, L.

2003-01-01

We explore Raman microprobe capabilities to visualize single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Although this technique is limited to a micron scale, we demonstrate that images of individual SWCNTs, bundles or their agglomerates can be generated by mapping Raman active elementary excitations. We measured the Raman response from carbon vibrations in SWCNTs excited by confocal scanning of a focused laser beam. Carbon vibrations reveal key characteristics of SWCNTs as nanotube diameter distribution (radial breathing modes, RBM, 100-300 cm(exp -1)), presence of defects and functional groups (D-mode, 1300-1350 cm(exp -1)), strain and oxidation states of SWCNTs, as well as metallic or semiconducting character of the tubes encoded in the lineshape of the G-modes at 1520-1600 cm(exp - 1). In addition, SWCNTs are highly anisotropic scatterers. The Raman response from a SWCNT is maximal for incident light polarization parallel to the tube axis and vanishing for perpendicular directions. We show that the SWCNT bundle shape or direction can be determined, with some limitations, from a set of Raman images taken at two orthogonal directions of the incident light polarization.

A Time of Flight Fast Neutron Imaging System Design Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canion, Bonnie; Glenn, Andrew; Sheets, Steven; Wurtz, Ron; Nakae, Les; Hausladen, Paul; McConchie, Seth; Blackston, Matthew; Fabris, Lorenzo; Newby, Jason

2017-09-01

LLNL and ORNL are designing an active/passive fast neutron imaging system that is flexible to non-ideal detector positioning. It is often not possible to move an inspection object in fieldable imager applications such as safeguards, arms control treaty verification, and emergency response. Particularly, we are interested in scenarios which inspectors do not have access to all sides of an inspection object, due to interfering objects or walls. This paper will present the results of a simulation-based design parameter study, that will determine the optimum system design parameters for a fieldable system to perform time-of-flight based imaging analysis. The imaging analysis is based on the use of an associated particle imaging deuterium-tritium (API DT) neutron generator to get the time-of-flight of radiation induced within an inspection object. This design study will investigate the optimum design parameters for such a system (e.g. detector size, ideal placement, etc.), as well as the upper and lower feasible design parameters that the system can expect to provide results within a reasonable amount of time (e.g. minimum/maximum detector efficiency, detector standoff, etc.). Ideally the final prototype from this project will be capable of using full-access techniques, such as transmission imaging, when the measurement circumstances allow, but with the additional capability of producing results at reduced accessibility.

Advanced Extended Plate and Beam Wall System in a Cold-Climate House

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

Mallay, Dave; Wiehagen, Joseph; Kochkin, Vladimir

This report presents the design and evaluation of an innovative wall system. This highly insulated (high-R) light-frame wall system for use above grade in residential buildings is referred to as Extended Plate & Beam (EP&B). The EP&B design is the first of its kind to be featured in a new construction test house (NCTH) for the DOE Building America program. The EP&B wall design integrates standard building methods and common building products to construct a high-R wall that minimizes transition risks and costs to builders.

Motion and ranging sensor system for through-the-wall surveillance system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Black, Jeffrey D.

2002-08-01

A portable Through-the-Wall Surveillance System is being developed for law enforcement, counter-terrorism, and military use. The Motion and Ranging Sensor is a radar that operates in a frequency band that allows for surveillance penetration of most non-metallic walls. Changes in the sensed radar returns are analyzed to detect the human motion that would typically be present during a hostage or barricaded suspect scenario. The system consists of a Sensor Unit, a handheld Remote Display Unit, and an optional laptop computer Command Display Console. All units are battery powered and a wireless link provides command and data communication between units. The Sensor Unit is deployed close to the wall or door through which the surveillance is to occur. After deploying the sensor the operator may move freely as required by the scenario. Up to five Sensor Units may be deployed at a single location. A software upgrade to the Command Display Console is also being developed. This software upgrade will combine the motion detected by multiple Sensor Units and determine and track the location of detected motion in two dimensions.

Automatic plaque characterization and vessel wall segmentation in magnetic resonance images of atherosclerotic carotid arteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adame, Isabel M.; van der Geest, Rob J.; Wasserman, Bruce A.; Mohamed, Mona; Reiber, Johan H. C.; Lelieveldt, Boudewijn P. F.

2004-05-01

Composition and structure of atherosclerotic plaque is a primary focus of cardiovascular research. In vivo MRI provides a meanse to non-invasively image and assess the morphological features of athersclerotic and normal human carotid arteries. To quantitatively assess the vulnerability and the type of plaque, the contours of the lumen, outer boundary of the vessel wall and plaque components, need to be traced. To achieve this goal, we have developed an automated contou detection technique, which consists of three consecutive steps: firstly, the outer boundary of the vessel wall is detected by means of an ellipse-fitting procedure in order to obtain smoothed shapes; secondly, the lumen is segnented using fuzzy clustering. Thre region to be classified is that within the outer vessel wall boundary obtained from the previous step; finally, for plaque detection we follow the same approach as for lumen segmentation: fuzzy clustering. However, plaque is more difficult to segment, as the pixel gray value can differ considerably from one region to another, even when it corresponds to the same type of tissue. That makes further processing necessary. All these three steps might be carried out combining information from different sequences (PD-, T2-, T1-weighted images, pre- and post-contrast), to improve the contour detection. The algorithm has been validated in vivo on 58 high-resolution PD and T1 weighted MR images (19 patients). The results demonstrate excellent correspondence between automatic and manual area measurements: lumen (r=0.94), outer (r=0.92), and acceptable for fibrous cap thickness (r=0.76).

Evaluation of a KeyStone/Tensar geogrid retaining wall system : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-01-01

The KeyStone/Tensar Geogrid retaining wall system is an alternative to conventional reinforced concrete retaining wall structures. KeyStone concrete wall units, Tensar geogrid, and compacted soils are combined to form a reinforced soil mass that toge...

Pulsating Flows in a Tube with Expandable Wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raguso, Frank; Goushcha, Oleg

2017-11-01

A mean axial fluid flow inside a cardiovascular system has a periodic behavior driven by a heart. In one period, the flow through aorta is accelerated to a Reynolds number associated with turbulent flow and decelerated to nearly stagnant condition. The cyclic pressure in the aorta also exerts time-dependent forces on the walls of the cardiovascular system. Since walls are not rigid, they can expand under fluidic pressure. It is of interest to examine the effect of expandable walls on the flow regime transition. To achieve this, an experimental apparatus has been set up. The periodic mean axial flow inside the tubes is driven by a motor-controlled piston programmed to induce a periodic flow. A time-resolved particle image velocimetry method has been used to calculate the flow velocity field in two tubes: (1) a rigid tube and (2) a flexible tube with expandable walls. The velocity fields from two tubes were comparted to identify any differences in flow transition mechanisms.

Correction-free pyrometry in radiant wall furnaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Andrew S. W. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A specular, spherical, or near-spherical target is located within a furnace having inner walls and a viewing window. A pyrometer located outside the furnace 'views' the target through pyrometer optics and the window, and it is positioned so that its detector sees only the image of the viewing window on the target. Since this image is free of any image of the furnace walls, it is free from wall radiance, and correction-free target radiance is obtained. The pyrometer location is determined through a nonparaxial optical analysis employing differential optical ray tracing methods to derive a series of exact relations for the image location.

Visualization in aerospace research with a large wall display system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuo, Yuichi

2002-05-01

National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan has built a large- scale visualization system with a large wall-type display. The system has been operational since April 2001 and comprises a 4.6x1.5-meter (15x5-foot) rear projection screen with 3 BARCO 812 high-resolution CRT projectors. The reason we adopted the 3-gun CRT projectors is support for stereoscopic viewing, ease with color/luminosity matching and accuracy of edge-blending. The system is driven by a new SGI Onyx 3400 server of distributed shared-memory architecture with 32 CPUs, 64Gbytes memory, 1.5TBytes FC RAID disk and 6 IR3 graphics pipelines. Software is another important issue for us to make full use of the system. We have introduced some applications available in a multi- projector environment such as AVS/MPE, EnSight Gold and COVISE, and been developing some software tools that create volumetric images with using SGI graphics libraries. The system is mainly used for visualization fo computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation sin aerospace research. Visualized CFD results are of our help for designing an improved configuration of aerospace vehicles and analyzing their aerodynamic performances. These days we also use it for various collaborations among researchers.

Channel Wall Landslides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site]

The multiple landslides in this VIS image occur along a steep channel wall. Note the large impact crater in the context image. The formation of the crater may have initially weakened that area of the surface prior to channel formation.

Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -2.7, Longitude 324.8 East (35.2 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Photothermal optical coherence tomography for depth-resolved imaging of mesenchymal stem cells via single wall carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subhash, Hrebesh M.; Connolly, Emma; Murphy, Mary; Barron, Valerie; Leahy, Martin

2014-03-01

The progress in stem cell research over the past decade holds promise and potential to address many unmet clinical therapeutic needs. Tracking stem cell with modern imaging modalities are critically needed for optimizing stem cell therapy, which offers insight into various underlying biological processes such as cell migration, engraftment, homing, differentiation, and functions etc. In this study we report the feasibility of photothermal optical coherence tomography (PT-OCT) to image human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) labeled with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for in vitro cell tracking in three dimensional scaffolds. PT-OCT is a functional extension of conventional OCT with extended capability of localized detection of absorbing targets from scattering background to provide depth-resolved molecular contrast imaging. A 91 kHz line rate, spectral domain PT-OCT system at 1310nm was developed to detect the photothermal signal generated by 800nm excitation laser. In general, MSCs do not have obvious optical absorption properties and cannot be directly visualized using PT-OCT imaging. However, the optical absorption properties of hMSCs can me modified by labeling with SWNTs. Using this approach, MSC were labeled with SWNT and the cell distribution imaged in a 3D polymer scaffold using PT-OCT.

Automatic Delineation of the Myocardial Wall from CT Images via Shape Segmentation and Variational Region Growing

PubMed Central

Zhu, Liangjia; Gao, Yi; Appia, Vikram; Yezzi, Anthony; Arepalli, Chesnal; Faber, Tracy; Stillman, Arthur; Tannenbaum, Allen

2014-01-01

Prognosis and diagnosis of cardiac diseases frequently require quantitative evaluation of the ventricle volume, mass, and ejection fraction. The delineation of the myocardial wall is involved in all of these evaluations, which is a challenging task due to large variations in myocardial shapes and image quality. In this work, we present an automatic method for extracting the myocardial wall of the left and right ventricles from cardiac CT images. In the method, the left and right ventricles are located sequentially, in which each ventricle is detected by first identifying the endocardium and then segmenting the epicardium. To this end, the endocardium is localized by utilizing its geometric features obtained on-line from a CT image. After that, a variational region-growing model is employed to extract the epicardium of the ventricles. In particular, the location of the endocardium of the left ventricle is determined via using an active contour model on the blood-pool surface. To localize the right ventricle, the active contour model is applied on a heart surface extracted based on the left ventricle segmentation result. The robustness and accuracy of the proposed approach is demonstrated by experimental results from 33 human and 12 pig CT images. PMID:23744658

Size, Shape, and Arrangement of Cellulose Microfibril in Higher Plant Cell Walls

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

Ding, S. Y.

2013-01-01

Plant cell walls from maize (Zea mays L.) are imaged using atomic force microscopy (AFM) at the sub-nanometer resolution. We found that the size and shape of fundamental cellulose elementary fibril (CEF) is essentially identical in different cell wall types, i.e., primary wall (PW), parenchyma secondary wall (pSW), and sclerenchyma secondary wall (sSW), which is consistent with previously proposed 36-chain model (Ding et al., 2006, J. Agric. Food Chem.). The arrangement of individual CEFs in these wall types exhibits two orientations. In PW, CEFs are horizontally associated through their hydrophilic faces, and the planar faces are exposed, forming ribbon-like macrofibrils.more » In pSW and sSW, CEFs are vertically oriented, forming layers, in which hemicelluloses are interacted with the hydrophobic faces of the CEF and serve as spacers between CEFs. Lignification occurs between CEF-hemicelluloses layers in secondary walls. Furthermore, we demonstrated quantitative analysis of plant cell wall accessibility to and digestibility by different cellulase systems at real-time using chemical imaging (e.g., stimulated Raman scattering) and fluorescence microscopy of labeled cellulases (Ding et al., 2012, Science, in press).« less

In vivo assessment of aortic aneurysm wall integrity using elastin-specific molecular magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Botnar, René M; Wiethoff, Andrea J; Ebersberger, Ullrich; Lacerda, Sara; Blume, Ulrike; Warley, Alice; Jansen, Christian H P; Onthank, David C; Cesati, Richard R; Razavi, Reza; Marber, Michael S; Hamm, Bernd; Schaeffter, Tobias; Robinson, Simon P; Makowski, Marcus R

2014-07-01

The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has increased during the last decades. However, there is still controversy about the management of medium-sized AAAs. Therefore, novel biomarkers, besides aneurysmal diameter, are needed to assess aortic wall integrity and risk of rupture. Elastin is the key protein for maintaining aortic wall tensile strength and stability. The progressive breakdown of structural proteins, in particular, medial elastin, is responsible for the inability of the aortic wall to withstand intraluminal hemodynamic forces. Here, we evaluate the usefulness of elastin-specific molecular MRI for the in vivo characterization of AAAs. To induce AAAs, ApoE(-/-) mice were infused with angiotensin-II. An elastin-specific magnetic resonance molecular imaging agent (ESMA) was administered after 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks of angiotensin-II infusion to assess elastin composition of the aorta (n=8 per group). The high signal provided by ESMA allowed for imaging with high spatial resolution, resulting in an accurate assessment of ruptured elastic laminae and the compensatory expression of elastic fibers. In vivo contrast-to-noise ratios and R1-relaxation rates after ESMA administration were in good agreement with ex vivo histomorphometry (Elastica van Gieson stain) and gadolinium concentrations determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Electron microscopy confirmed colocalization of ESMA with elastic fibers. Changes in elastin content could be readily delineated and quantified at different stages of AAAs by elastin-specific molecular magnetic resonance imaging. ESMA-MRI offers potential for the noninvasive detection of the aortic rupture site prior to dilation of the aorta and the subsequent in vivo monitoring of compensatory repair processes during the progression of AAAs. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Luminescent single-walled carbon nanotube-sensitized europium nanoprobes for cellular imaging

PubMed Central

Avti, Pramod K; Sitharaman, Balaji

2012-01-01

Lanthanoid-based optical probes with excitation wavelengths in the ultra-violet (UV) range (300–325 nm) have been widely developed as imaging probes. Efficient cellular imaging requires that lanthanoid optical probes be excited at visible wavelengths, to avoid UV damage to cells. The efficacy of europium-catalyzed single-walled carbon nanotubes (Eu-SWCNTs), as visible nanoprobes for cellular imaging, is reported in this study. Confocal fluorescence microscopy images of breast cancer cells (SK-BR-3 and MCF-7) and normal cells (NIH 3T3), treated with Eu-SWCNT at 0.2 μg/mL concentration, showed bright red luminescence after excitation at 365 nm and 458 nm wavelengths. Cell viability analysis showed no cytotoxic effects after the incubation of cells with Eu-SWCNTs at this concentration. Eu-SWCNT uptake is via the endocytosis mechanism. Labeling efficiency, defined as the percentage of incubated cells that uptake Eu-SWCNT, was 95%–100% for all cell types. The average cellular uptake concentration was 6.68 ng Eu per cell. Intracellular localization was further corroborated by transmission electron microscopy and Raman microscopy. The results indicate that Eu-SWCNT shows potential as a novel cellular imaging probe, wherein SWCNT sensitizes Eu3+ ions to allow excitation at visible wavelengths, and stable time-resolved red emission. The ability to functionalize biomolecules on the exterior surface of Eu-SWCNT makes it an excellent candidate for targeted cellular imaging. PMID:22619533

Evaluation of a new breast-shaped compensation filter for a newly built breast imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Weixing; Ning, Ruola; Zhang, Yan; Conover, David

2007-03-01

A new breast-shaped compensation filter has been designed and fabricated for breast imaging using our newly built breast imaging (CBCTBI) system, which is able to scan an uncompressed breast with pendant geometry. The shape of this compensation filter is designed based on an average-sized breast phantom. Unlike conventional bow-tie compensation filters, its cross-sectional profile varies along the chest wall-to-nipple direction for better compensation for the shape of a breast. Breast phantoms of three different sizes are used to evaluate the performance of this compensation filter. The reconstruction image quality was studied and compared to that obtained without the compensation filter in place. The uniformity of linear attenuation coefficient and the uniformity of noise distribution are significantly improved, and the contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) of small lesions near the chest wall are increased as well. Multi-normal image method is used in the reconstruction process to correct compensation flood field and to reduce ring artifacts.

Continuous Mapping of Tunnel Walls in a Gnss-Denied Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Michael A.; Min, Cao; Zhang, Deijin

2016-06-01

The need for reliable systems for capturing precise detail in tunnels has increased as the number of tunnels (e.g., for cars and trucks, trains, subways, mining and other infrastructure) has increased and the age of these structures and, subsequent, deterioration has introduced structural degradations and eventual failures. Due to the hostile environments encountered in tunnels, mobile mapping systems are plagued with various problems such as loss of GNSS signals, drift of inertial measurements systems, low lighting conditions, dust and poor surface textures for feature identification and extraction. A tunnel mapping system using alternate sensors and algorithms that can deliver precise coordinates and feature attributes from surfaces along the entire tunnel path is presented. This system employs image bridging or visual odometry to estimate precise sensor positions and orientations. The fundamental concept is the use of image sequences to geometrically extend the control information in the absence of absolute positioning data sources. This is a non-trivial problem due to changes in scale, perceived resolution, image contrast and lack of salient features. The sensors employed include forward-looking high resolution digital frame cameras coupled with auxiliary light sources. In addition, a high frequency lidar system and a thermal imager are included to offer three dimensional point clouds of the tunnel walls along with thermal images for moisture detection. The mobile mapping system is equipped with an array of 16 cameras and light sources to capture the tunnel walls. Continuous images are produced using a semi-automated mosaicking process. Results of preliminary experimentation are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system for the generation of seamless precise tunnel maps.

Fluorescence multispectral imaging-based diagnostic system for atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Ho, Cassandra Su Lyn; Horiuchi, Toshikatsu; Taniguchi, Hiroaki; Umetsu, Araya; Hagisawa, Kohsuke; Iwaya, Keiichi; Nakai, Kanji; Azmi, Amalina; Zulaziz, Natasha; Azhim, Azran; Shinomiya, Nariyoshi; Morimoto, Yuji

2016-08-20

Composition of atherosclerotic arterial walls is rich in lipids such as cholesterol, unlike normal arterial walls. In this study, we aimed to utilize this difference to diagnose atherosclerosis via multispectral fluorescence imaging, which allows for identification of fluorescence originating from the substance in the arterial wall. The inner surface of extracted arteries (rabbit abdominal aorta, human coronary artery) was illuminated by 405 nm excitation light and multispectral fluorescence images were obtained. Pathological examination of human coronary artery samples were carried out and thickness of arteries were calculated by measuring combined media and intima thickness. The fluorescence spectra in atherosclerotic sites were different from those in normal sites. Multiple regions of interest (ROI) were selected within each sample and a ratio between two fluorescence intensity differences (where each intensity difference is calculated between an identifier wavelength and a base wavelength) from each ROI was determined, allowing for discrimination of atherosclerotic sites. Fluorescence intensity and thickness of artery were found to be significantly correlated. These results indicate that multispectral fluorescence imaging provides qualitative and quantitative evaluations of atherosclerosis and is therefore a viable method of diagnosing the disease.

Free-breathing black-blood CINE fast-spin echo imaging for measuring abdominal aortic wall distensibility: a feasibility study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Jyh-Miin; Patterson, Andrew J.; Chao, Tzu-Cheng; Zhu, Chengcheng; Chang, Hing-Chiu; Mendes, Jason; Chung, Hsiao-Wen; Gillard, Jonathan H.; Graves, Martin J.

2017-05-01

The paper reports a free-breathing black-blood CINE fast-spin echo (FSE) technique for measuring abdominal aortic wall motion. The free-breathing CINE FSE includes the following MR techniques: (1) variable-density sampling with fast iterative reconstruction; (2) inner-volume imaging; and (3) a blood-suppression preparation pulse. The proposed technique was evaluated in eight healthy subjects. The inner-volume imaging significantly reduced the intraluminal artifacts of respiratory motion (p  =  0.015). The quantitative measurements were a diameter of 16.3  ±  2.8 mm and wall distensibility of 2.0  ±  0.4 mm (12.5  ±  3.4%) and 0.7  ±  0.3 mm (4.1  ±  1.0%) for the anterior and posterior walls, respectively. The cyclic cross-sectional distensibility was 35  ±  15% greater in the systolic phase than in the diastolic phase. In conclusion, we developed a feasible CINE FSE method to measure the motion of the abdominal aortic wall, which will enable clinical scientists to study the elasticity of the abdominal aorta.

Imaging of endoscopic cystogastrostomy in pancreatic walled-off necrosis: what the radiologist needs to know.

PubMed

Abou Karam, Anthony; Bagherpour, Arya; Calleros, Jesus; Laks, Shaked

2018-04-04

Acute pancreatitis is a frequent entity encountered by radiologists. In 2012, the Atlanta criteria were revised to help radiologists use a common nomenclature when describing acute pancreatitis and its complications. One delayed complication of acute necrotizing pancreatitis in walled-off necrosis, a collection seen at least 4 weeks after an episode of acute pancreatic necrosis and/or acute peripancreatic necrosis. Multiple treatments have been adapted in the setting of walled-off necrosis, including endoscopic cystogastrostomy. The focus of this article is to familiarize the radiologist with the imaging appearance of this procedure as well as, review the outcomes and potential complications of endoscopic cystogastrostomy.

OSCILLATING LIGHT WALL ABOVE A SUNSPOT LIGHT BRIDGE

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

Yang, Shuhong; Zhang, Jun; Jiang, Fayu

With the high tempo-spatial Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph 1330 Å images, we find that many bright structures are rooted in the light bridge of NOAA 12192, forming a light wall. The light wall is brighter than the surrounding areas, and the wall top is much brighter than the wall body. The New Vacuum Solar Telescope Hα and the Solar Dynamics Observatory 171 and 131 Å images are also used to study the light-wall properties. In 1330, 171, and 131 Å, the top of the wall has a higher emission, while in the Hα line, the wall-top emission is very low.more » The wall body corresponds to bright areas in 1330 Å and dark areas in the other lines. The top of the light wall moves upward and downward successively, performing oscillations in height. The deprojected mean height, amplitude, oscillation velocity, and the dominant period are determined to be 3.6 Mm, 0.9 Mm, 15.4 km s{sup −1}, and 3.9 minutes, respectively. We interpret the oscillations of the light wall as the leakage of p-modes from below the photosphere. The constant brightness enhancement of the wall top implies the existence of some kind of atmospheric heating, e.g., via the persistent small-scale reconnection or the magneto-acoustic waves. In another series of 1330 Å images, we find that the wall top in the upward motion phase is significantly brighter than in the downward phase. This kind of oscillation may be powered by the energy released due to intermittent impulsive magnetic reconnection.« less

Imaging domain walls between nematic quantum Hall phases on the surface of bismuth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Hao; Randeria, Mallika T.; Feldman, Benjamin E.; Ji, Huiwen; Cava, Robert J.; Yazdani, Ali

The sensitivity of nematic electronic phases to disorder results in short range ordering and the formation of domains. Local probes are required to investigate the character of these domains and the boundaries between them, which remain hidden in global measurements that average over microscopic configurations. In this talk, I will describe measurements performed with a scanning tunneling microscope to study local nematic order on the surface of bismuth at high magnetic field. By imaging individual anisotropic cyclotron orbit wavefunctions that are pinned to atomic-scale surface defects, we directly resolve local nematic behavior and study the evolution of nematic states across a domain wall. Through spectroscopic mapping, we explore how the broken-symmetry Landau levels disperse across the domain wall, the influence of exchange interactions at such a boundary, and the formation of one-dimensional edge states.

Wall characterization for through-the-wall radar applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greneker, Gene; Rausch, E. O.

2008-04-01

There has been continuing interest in the penetration of multilayer building materials, such as wood walls with air gaps and concrete hollow core block, using through-the-wall (TTW) radar systems. TTW operational techniques and signal propagation paths vary depending on how the TTW system is intended to be operated. For example, the operator of a TTW radar may be required to place the radar against the intervening wall of interest while collecting data. Other operational doctrines allow the radar to be operated in a stand-off mode from the wall. The stand-off distances can vary from feet to hundreds of feet, depending on the type of radar being used. When a signal is propagated through a multilayer wall with air gaps between the material and the wall construction uses materials of radically different dielectric constants, attenuation may not be the only effect that the probing signal experiences passing through the wall. This paper presents measurements of a hollow core concrete block wall and the measurement of a standard wall constructed of siding and wallboard. Both types of walls are typically found in most U.S. homes. These limited measurements demonstrate that the type of wall being penetrated by a wideband signal can modify the probing signal.

Wall enhancement on high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging may predict an unsteady state of an intracranial saccular aneurysm.

PubMed

Hu, Peng; Yang, Qi; Wang, Dan-Dan; Guan, Shao-Chen; Zhang, Hong-Qi

2016-10-01

The aneurysm wall has been reported to play a critical role in the formation, development, and even rupture of an aneurysm. We used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) to investigate the aneurysm wall in an effort to identify evidence of inflammation invasion and define its relationship with aneurysm behavior. Patients with intracranial aneurysms who were prospectively evaluated using HRMRI between July 2013 and June 2014 were enrolled in this study. The aneurysm's wall enhancement and evidence of inflammation invasion were determined. In addition, the relationship between aneurysm wall enhancement and aneurysm size and symptoms, including ruptured aneurysms, giant unruputred intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) presenting as mass effect, progressively growing aneurysms, and aneurysms associated with neurological symptoms, was statistically analyzed. Twenty-five patients with 30 aneurysms were available for the current study. Fourteen aneurysms showed wall enhancement, including 6 ruptured and 8 unruptured aneurysms. Evidence of inflammation was identified directly through histological studies and indirectly through intraoperative investigations and clinical courses. The statistical analysis indicated no significant correlation between aneurysm wall enhancement and aneurysm size. However, there was a strong correlation between wall enhancement and aneurysm symptoms, with a kappa value of 0.86 (95 % CI 0.68-1). Aneurysm wall enhancement on HRMRI might be a sign of inflammatory change. Symptomatic aneurysms exhibited wall enhancement on HRMRI. Wall enhancement had a high consistent correlation of symptomatic aneurysms. Therefore, wall enhancement on HRMRI might predict an unsteady state of an intracranial saccular aneurysm.

Advanced Extended Plate and Beam Wall System in a Cold-Climate House

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

Mallay, Dave; Wiehagen, Joseph; Kochkin, Vladimir

This report presents the design and evaluation of an innovative wall system. This highly insulated (high-R) light-frame wall system for use above grade in residential buildings is referred to as Extended Plate & Beam (EP&B). The EP&B design is the first of its kind to be featured in a new construction test house (NCTH) for the DOE Building America program. The EP&B wall design integrates standard building methods and common building products to construct a high-R wall that minimizes transition risks and costs to builders. The EP&B design combines optimized framing with integrated rigid foam sheathing to increase the wallmore » system's R-value and reduce thermal bridging. The foam sheathing is installed between the wall studs and structural wood sheathing. The exterior wood sheathing is attached directly to a framing extension formed by extended top and bottom plates. The exterior wood sheathing can dry to the exterior and provides bracing, a clear drainage plane and flashing surface for window and door openings, and a nailing surface for siding attachment. With support of the DOE Building America program, Home Innovation Research Labs partnered with Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC) to build a NCTH in Lancaster, PA to demonstrate the EP&B wall design in a cold climate (IECC climate zone 5A). The results of the study confirmed the benefits of the systems and the viability of its integration into the house construction process.« less

Great Wall of China

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-07-21

This ASTER sub-image covers a 12 x 12 km area in northern Shanxi Province, China, and was acquired January 9, 2001. The low sun angle, and light snow cover highlight a section of the Great Wall, visible as a black line running diagonally through the image from lower left to upper right. The Great Wall is over 2000 years old and was built over a period of 1000 years. Stretching 4500 miles from Korea to the Gobi Desert it was first built to protect China from marauders from the north. This image is located at 40.2 degrees north latitude and 112.8 degrees east longitude. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02669

Development of a rocking R/C shear wall system implementing repairable structural fuses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsafar, Saeed; Moghadam, Abdolreza S.

2017-09-01

In the last decades, the concept of earthquake resilient structural systems is becoming popular in which the rocking structure is considered as a viable option for buildings in regions of high seismicity. To this end, a novel wall-base connection based on the " repairable structure" approach is proposed and evaluated. The proposed system is made of several steel plates and high strength bolts act as a friction connection. To achieve the desired rocking motion in the proposed system, short-slotted holes are used in vertical directions for connecting the steel plates to the shear wall (SW). The experimental and numerical studies were performed using a series of displacement control quasi-static cyclic tests on a reference model and four different configurations of the proposed connection installed at the wall corners. The seismic response of the proposed system is compared to the conventional SW in terms of energy dissipation and damage accumulation. In terms of energy dissipation, the proposed system depicted better performance with 95% more energy dissipation capability compared to conventional SW. In terms of damage accumulation, the proposed SW system is nearly undamaged compared to the conventional wall system, which was severely damaged at the wall-base region. Overall, the introduced concept presents a feasible solution for R/C structures when a low-damage design is targeted, which can improve the seismic performance of the structural system significantly.

Medical Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The MD Image System, a true-color image processing system that serves as a diagnostic aid and tool for storage and distribution of images, was developed by Medical Image Management Systems, Huntsville, AL, as a "spinoff from a spinoff." The original spinoff, Geostar 8800, developed by Crystal Image Technologies, Huntsville, incorporates advanced UNIX versions of ELAS (developed by NASA's Earth Resources Laboratory for analysis of Landsat images) for general purpose image processing. The MD Image System is an application of this technology to a medical system that aids in the diagnosis of cancer, and can accept, store and analyze images from other sources such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Cross-Sectional Elasticity Imaging of Arterial Wall by Comparing Measured Change in Thickness with Model Waveform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jiang; Hasegawa, Hideyuki; Kanai, Hiroshi

2005-06-01

For the assessment of the elasticity of the arterial wall, we have developed the phased tracking method [H. Kanai et al.: IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control 43 (1996) 791] for measuring the minute change in thickness due to heartbeats and the elasticity of the arterial wall with transcutaneous ultrasound. For various reasons, for example, an extremely small deformation of the wall, the minute change in wall thickness during one heartbeat is largely influenced by noise in these cases and the reliability of the elasticity distribution obtained from the maximum change in thickness deteriorates because the maximum value estimation is largely influenced by noise. To obtain a more reliable cross-sectional image of the elasticity of the arterial wall, in this paper, a matching method is proposed to evaluate the waveform of the measured change in wall thickness by comparing the measured waveform with a template waveform. The maximum deformation, which is used in the calculation of elasticity, was determined from the amplitude of the matched model waveform to reduce the influence of noise. The matched model waveform was obtained by minimizing the difference between the measured and template waveforms. Furthermore, a random error, which was obtained from the reproducibility among the heartbeats of the measured waveform, was considered useful for the evaluation of the reliability of the measured waveform.

Transmission XMCD-PEEM imaging of an engineered vertical FEBID cobalt nanowire with a domain wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wartelle, A.; Pablo-Navarro, J.; Staňo, M.; Bochmann, S.; Pairis, S.; Rioult, M.; Thirion, C.; Belkhou, R.; de Teresa, J. M.; Magén, C.; Fruchart, O.

2018-01-01

Using focused electron-beam-induced deposition, we fabricate a vertical, platinum-coated cobalt nanowire with a controlled three-dimensional structure. The latter is engineered to feature bends along the height: these are used as pinning sites for domain walls, which are obtained at remanence after saturation of the nanostructure in a horizontally applied magnetic field. The presence of domain walls is investigated using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) coupled to photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM). The vertical geometry of our sample combined with the low incidence of the x-ray beam produce an extended wire shadow which we use to recover the wire’s magnetic configuration. In this transmission configuration, the whole sample volume is probed, thus circumventing the limitation of PEEM to surfaces. This article reports on the first study of magnetic nanostructures standing perpendicular to the substrate with XMCD-PEEM. The use of this technique in shadow mode enabled us to confirm the presence of a domain wall without direct imaging of the nanowire.

Inverse measurement of wall pressure field in flexible-wall wind tunnels using global wall deformation data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Kenneth; Brown, Julian; Patil, Mayuresh; Devenport, William

2018-02-01

The Kevlar-wall anechoic wind tunnel offers great value to the aeroacoustics research community, affording the capability to make simultaneous aeroacoustic and aerodynamic measurements. While the aeroacoustic potential of the Kevlar-wall test section is already being leveraged, the aerodynamic capability of these test sections is still to be fully realized. The flexibility of the Kevlar walls suggests the possibility that the internal test section flow may be characterized by precisely measuring small deflections of the flexible walls. Treating the Kevlar fabric walls as tensioned membranes with known pre-tension and material properties, an inverse stress problem arises where the pressure distribution over the wall is sought as a function of the measured wall deflection. Experimental wall deformations produced by the wind loading of an airfoil model are measured using digital image correlation and subsequently projected onto polynomial basis functions which have been formulated to mitigate the impact of measurement noise based on a finite-element study. Inserting analytic derivatives of the basis functions into the equilibrium relations for a membrane, full-field pressure distributions across the Kevlar walls are computed. These inversely calculated pressures, after being validated against an independent measurement technique, can then be integrated along the length of the test section to give the sectional lift of the airfoil. Notably, these first-time results are achieved with a non-contact technique and in an anechoic environment.

[Evaluation of echocardiographic left ventricular wall motion analysis supported by internet picture viewing system].

PubMed

Hirano, Yutaka; Ikuta, Shin-Ichiro; Nakano, Manabu; Akiyama, Seita; Nakamura, Hajime; Nasu, Masataka; Saito, Futoshi; Nakagawa, Junichi; Matsuzaki, Masashi; Miyazaki, Shunichi

2007-02-01

Assessment of deterioration of regional wall motion by echocardiography is not only subjective but also features difficulties with interobserver agreement. Progress in digital communication technology has made it possible to send video images from a distant location via the Internet. The possibility of evaluating left ventricular wall motion using video images sent via the Internet to distant institutions was evaluated. Twenty-two subjects were randomly selected. Four sets of video images (parasternal long-axis view, parasternal short-axis view, apical four-chamber view, and apical two-chamber view) were taken for one cardiac cycle. The images were sent via the Internet to two institutions (observer C in facility A and observers D and E in facility B) for evaluation. Great care was taken to prevent disclosure of patient information to these observers. Parasternal long-axis images were divided into four segments, and the parasternal short-axis view, apical four-chamber view, and apical two-chamber view were divided into six segments. One of the following assessments, normokinesis, hypokinesis, akinesis, or dyskinesis, was assigned to each segment. The interobserver rates of agreement in judgments between observers C and D, observers C and E, and intraobserver agreement rate (for observer D) were calculated. The rate of interobserver agreement was 85.7% (394/460 segments; Kappa = 0.65) between observers C and D, 76.7% (353/460 segments; Kappa = 0.39) between observers D and E, and 76.3% (351/460 segments; Kappa = 0.36)between observers C and E, and intraobserver agreement was 94.3% (434/460; Kappa = 0.86). Segments of difference judgments between observers C and D were normokinesis-hypokinesis; 62.1%, hypokinesis-akinesis; 33.3%, akinesis-dyskinesis; 3.0%, and normokinesis-akinesis; 1.5%. Wall motion can be evaluated at remote institutions via the Internet.

Micro-Spectroscopic Imaging of Lignin-Carbohydrate Complexes in Plant Cell Walls and Their Migration During Biomass Pretreatment

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

Zeng, Yining; Zhao, Shuai; Wei, Hui

2015-04-27

In lignocellulosic biomass, lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer. In plant cell walls, lignin is associated with polysaccharides to form lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCC). LCC have been considered to be a major factor that negatively affects the process of deconstructing biomass to simple sugars by cellulosic enzymes. Here, we report a micro-spectroscopic approach that combines fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and Stimulated Raman Scattering microscopy to probe in situ lignin concentration and conformation at each cell wall layer. This technique does not require extensive sample preparation or any external labels. Using poplar as a feedstock, for example, we observe variation ofmore » LCC in untreated tracheid poplar cell walls. The redistribution of LCC at tracheid poplar cell wall layers is also investigated when the chemical linkages between lignin and hemicellulose are cleaved during pretreatment. Our study would provide new insights into further improvement of the biomass pretreatment process.« less

Portable hyperspectral imager with continuous wave green laser for identification and detection of untreated latent fingerprints on walls.

PubMed

Nakamura, Atsushi; Okuda, Hidekazu; Nagaoka, Takashi; Akiba, Norimitsu; Kurosawa, Kenji; Kuroki, Kenro; Ichikawa, Fumihiko; Torao, Akira; Sota, Takayuki

2015-09-01

Untreated latent fingerprints are known to exhibit fluorescence under UV laser excitation. Previously, the hyperspectral imager (HSI) has been primarily evaluated in terms of its potential to enhance the sensitivity of latent fingerprint detection following treatment by conventional chemical methods in the forensic science field. In this study however, the potential usability of the HSI for the visualization and detection of untreated latent fingerprints by measuring their inherent fluorescence under continuous wave (CW) visible laser excitation was examined. Its potential to undertake spectral separation of overlapped fingerprints was also evaluated. The excitation wavelength dependence of fluorescent images was examined using an untreated palm print on a steel based wall, and it was found that green laser excitation is superior to blue and yellow lasers' excitation for the production of high contrast fluorescence images. In addition, a spectral separation method for overlapped fingerprints/palm prints on a plaster wall was proposed using new images converted by the division and subtraction of two single wavelength images constructed based on measured hyperspectral data (HSD). In practical tests, the relative isolation of two overlapped fingerprints/palm prints was successful in twelve out of seventeen cases. Only one fingerprint/palm print was extracted for an additional three cases. These results revealed that the feasibility of overlapped fingerprint/palm print spectral separation depends on the difference in the temporal degeneration of each fluorescence spectrum. The present results demonstrate that a combination of a portable HSI and CW green laser has considerable potential for the identification and detection of untreated latent fingerprints/palm prints on the walls under study, while the use of HSD makes it practically possible for doubly overlapped fingerprints/palm prints to be separated spectrally. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

An evaluation of a partial-walled laminar-flow operating room

PubMed Central

Whyte, W.; Shaw, B. H.; Freeman, M. A. R.

1974-01-01

This paper contains an assessment of the physical performance of a permanently installed down-flow laminar-flow operating room at the London Hospital. This system employs partial walls extending 0·76 m (2·5 ft.) from the ceiling, from which the air is allowed to issue freely downwards at an initial velocity of about 0·4 m./sec. (80 ft./min.). The usefulness of the partial wall, as compared with a free issuing system, was demonstrated and a comparison made with a fully walled system. It was shown that a fully walled system would be more efficient than a partial-walled system as there was a loss in air velocity of about 20-25% with the partial wall due to the nonconstrained flow of air. This loss would be reflected in an increase in airborne bacterial count and would mean that an increase of 20-25% in the air volume would be required to obtain the same conditions as with the full-walled system. Entrainment of contaminated air was demonstrated but it was concluded that this would be of little consequence in the centre of the clean area, i.e. at the wound site. Sterile instruments, etc., however, on the outside of the clean area, would be more liable to airborne contamination. Bacterial and dust airborne counts taken during total hip operations gave a very low average figure (0·3 bacteria/ft.3 or 10·5/m.3) from which we conclude that the system was about 30 times cleaner in terms of airborne bacteria than a well ventilated conventional operating-room. We concluded that although the partial-walled system was slightly less efficacious than a normal full-walled system, the freedom of movement and of communication for the operating team could in some circumstances outweigh this disadvantage. Sound levels were such that normal conversation was possible with little or no awareness of background noise. ImagesFig. 2Fig. 3Plate 2Plate 2Plate 3Plate 3Plate 1 PMID:4529595

Myocardial wall thickening from gated magnetic resonance images using Laplace's equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, M.; Ramesh, A.; Kavanagh, P.; Gerlach, J.; Germano, G.; Berman, D. S.; Slomka, P. J.

2009-02-01

The aim of our work is to present a robust 3D automated method for measuring regional myocardial thickening using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on Laplace's equation. Multiple slices of the myocardium in short-axis orientation at end-diastolic and end-systolic phases were considered for this analysis. Automatically assigned 3D epicardial and endocardial boundaries were fitted to short-axis and long axis slices corrected for breathold related misregistration, and final boundaries were edited by a cardiologist if required. Myocardial thickness was quantified at the two cardiac phases by computing the distances between the myocardial boundaries over the entire volume using Laplace's equation. The distance between the surfaces was found by computing normalized gradients that form a vector field. The vector fields represent tangent vectors along field lines connecting both boundaries. 3D thickening measurements were transformed into polar map representation and 17-segment model (American Heart Association) regional thickening values were derived. The thickening results were then compared with standard 17-segment 6-point visual scoring of wall motion/wall thickening (0=normal; 5=greatest abnormality) performed by a consensus of two experienced imaging cardiologists. Preliminary results on eight subjects indicated a strong negative correlation (r=-0.8, p<0.0001) between the average thickening obtained using Laplace and the summed segmental visual scores. Additionally, quantitative ejection fraction measurements also correlated well with average thickening scores (r=0.72, p<0.0001). For segmental analysis, we obtained an overall correlation of -0.55 (p<0.0001) with higher agreement along the mid and apical regions (r=-0.6). In conclusion 3D Laplace transform can be used to quantify myocardial thickening in 3D.

Influence of proton-pump inhibitors on stomach wall uptake of 99mTc-tetrofosmin in cadmium-zinc-telluride SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging.

PubMed

Mouden, Mohamed; Rijkee, Karlijn S; Schreuder, Nanno; Timmer, Jorik R; Jager, Pieter L

2015-02-01

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) induce potentially interfering stomach wall activity in single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) with technetium-99m ((99m)Tc)-sestamibi. However, no data are available for (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin. We assessed the influence of prolonged (>2 weeks) PPI use on the stomach wall uptake of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin in patients referred for stress MPI with a cadmium-zinc-telluride-based SPECT camera and its relation with dyspepsia symptoms. Consecutive patients (n=127) underwent a 1-day adenosine stress-first SPECT-MPI with (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin, of whom 54 (43%) patients had been on PPIs for more than 2 weeks. Stomach wall activity was identified on stress SPECT using computed tomographic attenuation maps and was scored using a four-point grading scale into clinically relevant (scores 2 or 3) or nonrelevant (scores 0 or 1).Patients on PPIs had stomach wall uptake more frequently as compared with patients not using PPIs (22 vs. 7%, P=0.017). Dyspepsia was similar in both groups. Prolonged use of PPIs is associated with stomach wall uptake of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin in stress cadmium-zinc-telluride-SPECT images. Gastric symptoms were not associated with stomach wall uptake.

Visualizing domain wall and reverse domain superconductivity.

PubMed

Iavarone, M; Moore, S A; Fedor, J; Ciocys, S T; Karapetrov, G; Pearson, J; Novosad, V; Bader, S D

2014-08-28

In magnetically coupled, planar ferromagnet-superconductor (F/S) hybrid structures, magnetic domain walls can be used to spatially confine the superconductivity. In contrast to a superconductor in a uniform applied magnetic field, the nucleation of the superconducting order parameter in F/S structures is governed by the inhomogeneous magnetic field distribution. The interplay between the superconductivity localized at the domain walls and far from the walls leads to effects such as re-entrant superconductivity and reverse domain superconductivity with the critical temperature depending upon the location. Here we use scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to directly image the nucleation of superconductivity at the domain wall in F/S structures realized with Co-Pd multilayers and Pb thin films. Our results demonstrate that such F/S structures are attractive model systems that offer the possibility to control the strength and the location of the superconducting nucleus by applying an external magnetic field, potentially useful to guide vortices for computing application.

Visualizing domain wall and reverse domain superconductivity

PubMed Central

Iavarone, M.; Moore, S. A.; Fedor, J.; Ciocys, S. T.; Karapetrov, G.; Pearson, J.; Novosad, V.; Bader, S. D.

2014-01-01

In magnetically coupled, planar ferromagnet-superconductor (F/S) hybrid structures, magnetic domain walls can be used to spatially confine the superconductivity. In contrast to a superconductor in a uniform applied magnetic field, the nucleation of the superconducting order parameter in F/S structures is governed by the inhomogeneous magnetic field distribution. The interplay between the superconductivity localized at the domain walls and far from the walls leads to effects such as re-entrant superconductivity and reverse domain superconductivity with the critical temperature depending upon the location. Here we use scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to directly image the nucleation of superconductivity at the domain wall in F/S structures realized with Co-Pd multilayers and Pb thin films. Our results demonstrate that such F/S structures are attractive model systems that offer the possibility to control the strength and the location of the superconducting nucleus by applying an external magnetic field, potentially useful to guide vortices for computing application. PMID:25164004

Image intensifier-based volume tomographic angiography imaging system: system evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ning, Ruola; Wang, Xiaohui; Shen, Jianjun; Conover, David L.

1995-05-01

An image intensifier-based rotational volume tomographic angiography imaging system has been constructed. The system consists of an x-ray tube and an image intensifier that are separately mounted on a gantry. This system uses an image intensifier coupled to a TV camera as a two-dimensional detector so that a set of two-dimensional projections can be acquired for a direct three-dimensional reconstruction (3D). This system has been evaluated with two phantoms: a vascular phantom and a monkey head cadaver. One hundred eighty projections of each phantom were acquired with the system. A set of three-dimensional images were directly reconstructed from the projection data. The experimental results indicate that good imaging quality can be obtained with this system.

Single-walled carbon nanotube-loaded doxorubicin and Gd-DTPA for targeted drug delivery and magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Yan, Chenyu; Chen, Chengqun; Hou, Lin; Zhang, Huijuan; Che, Yingyu; Qi, Yuedong; Zhang, Xiaojian; Cheng, Jingliang; Zhang, Zhenzhong

2017-02-01

An aspargine-glycine-arginine (NGR) peptide modified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) system, developed by a simple non-covalent approach, could be loaded with the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). This DOX- and Gd-DTPA-loaded NGR functionalized SWCNTs (DOX/NGR-SWCNTs/Gd-DPTA) retained both cytotoxicity of DOX and MRI contrast effect of Gd-DPTA. This drug delivery system showed excellent stability in physiological solutions. This DOX/NGR-SWCNTs/Gd-DPTA system could accumulate in tumors and enter into tumor cells, which facilitated combination chemotherapy with diagnosis of tumor in one system. An excellent in vitro anti-tumor effect was shown in MCF-7 cells treated by DOX/NGR-SWCNTs/Gd-DPTA, compared with DOX solution, DOX/SWCNTs and DOX/SWCNTs/Gd-DPTA. In vivo data of DOX/NGR-SWCNTs/Gd-DPTA group in tumor-bearing mice further confirmed that this system performed much higher tumor targeting capacity and anti-tumor efficacy than other control groups.

Through-the-Wall Radar Simulations for Complex Room Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

obtained by combining images from different aspect angles. We demonstrate the advantages of using cross -polarization for detecting human targets. We...3. Numerical Results 6 3.1 SAR Images from a Ground-based Radar System ..........................................................6 3.2 Using Cross ...bottom row contains the cross -correlation between the images created by the two methods. ....................16 vi Acknowledgments This study

Raman imaging to investigate ultrastructure and composition of plant cell walls: distribution of lignin and cellulose in black spruce wood (Picea mariana).

PubMed

Agarwal, Umesh P

2006-10-01

A detailed understanding of the structural organization of the cell wall of vascular plants is important from both the perspectives of plant biology and chemistry and of commercial utilization. A state-of-the-art 633-nm laser-based confocal Raman microscope was used to determine the distribution of cell wall components in the cross section of black spruce wood in situ. Chemical information from morphologically distinct cell wall regions was obtained and Raman images of lignin and cellulose spatial distribution were generated. While cell corner (CC) lignin concentration was the highest on average, lignin concentration in compound middle lamella (CmL) was not significantly different from that in secondary wall (S2 and S2-S3). Images generated using the 1,650 cm(-1) band showed that coniferaldehyde and coniferyl alcohol distribution followed that of lignin and no particular cell wall layer/region was therefore enriched in the ethylenic residue. In contrast, cellulose distribution showed the opposite pattern-low concentration in CC and CmL and high in S2 regions. Nevertheless, cellulose concentration varied significantly in some areas, and concentrations of both lignin and cellulose were high in other areas. Though intensity maps of lignin and cellulose distributions are currently interpreted solely in terms of concentration differences, the effect of orientation needs to be carefully considered to reveal the organization of the wood cell wall.

Stereological estimation of cell wall density of DR12 tomato mutant using three-dimensional confocal imaging

PubMed Central

Legland, David; Guillon, Fabienne; Kiêu, Kiên; Bouchet, Brigitte; Devaux, Marie-Françoise

2010-01-01

Background and Aims The cellular structure of fleshy fruits is of interest to study fruit shape, size, mechanical behaviour or sensory texture. The cellular structure is usually not observed in the whole fruit but, instead, in a sample of limited size and volume. It is therefore difficult to extend measurements to the whole fruit and/or to a specific genotype, or to describe the cellular structure heterogeneity within the fruit. Methods An integrated method is presented to describe the cellular structure of the whole fruit from partial three-dimensional (3D) observations, involving the following steps: (1) fruit sampling, (2) 3D image acquisition and processing and (3) measurement and estimation of relevant 3D morphological parameters. This method was applied to characterize DR12 mutant and wild-type tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). Key Results The cellular structure was described using the total volume of the pericarp, the surface area of the cell walls and the ratio of cell-wall surface area to pericarp volume, referred to as the cell-wall surface density. The heterogeneity of cellular structure within the fruit was investigated by estimating variations in the cell-wall surface density with distance to the epidermis. Conclusions The DR12 mutant presents a greater pericarp volume and an increase of cell-wall surface density under the epidermis. PMID:19952012

Medical imaging systems

DOEpatents

Frangioni, John V [Wayland, MA

2012-07-24

A medical imaging system provides simultaneous rendering of visible light and fluorescent images. The system may employ dyes in a small-molecule form that remains in a subject's blood stream for several minutes, allowing real-time imaging of the subject's circulatory system superimposed upon a conventional, visible light image of the subject. The system may also employ dyes or other fluorescent substances associated with antibodies, antibody fragments, or ligands that accumulate within a region of diagnostic significance. In one embodiment, the system provides an excitation light source to excite the fluorescent substance and a visible light source for general illumination within the same optical guide that is used to capture images. In another embodiment, the system is configured for use in open surgical procedures by providing an operating area that is closed to ambient light. More broadly, the systems described herein may be used in imaging applications where a visible light image may be usefully supplemented by an image formed from fluorescent emissions from a fluorescent substance that marks areas of functional interest.

An arc control and protection system for the JET lower hybrid antenna based on an imaging system

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

Figueiredo, J., E-mail: joao.figueiredo@jet.efda.org; Mailloux, J.; Kirov, K.

Arcs are the potentially most dangerous events related to Lower Hybrid (LH) antenna operation. If left uncontrolled they can produce damage and cause plasma disruption by impurity influx. To address this issue an arc real time control and protection imaging system for the Joint European Torus (JET) LH antenna has been implemented. The LH system is one of the additional heating systems at JET. It comprises 24 microwave generators (klystrons, operating at 3.7 GHz) providing up to 5 MW of heating and current drive to the JET plasma. This is done through an antenna composed of an array of waveguidesmore » facing the plasma. The protection system presented here is based primarily on an imaging arc detection and real time control system. It has adapted the ITER like wall hotspot protection system using an identical CCD camera and real time image processing unit. A filter has been installed to avoid saturation and spurious system triggers caused by ionization light. The antenna is divided in 24 Regions Of Interest (ROIs) each one corresponding to one klystron. If an arc precursor is detected in a ROI, power is reduced locally with subsequent potential damage and plasma disruption avoided. The power is subsequently reinstated if, during a defined interval of time, arcing is confirmed not to be present by image analysis. This system was successfully commissioned during the restart phase and beginning of the 2013 scientific campaign. Since its installation and commissioning, arcs and related phenomena have been prevented. In this contribution we briefly describe the camera, image processing, and real time control systems. Most importantly, we demonstrate that an LH antenna arc protection system based on CCD camera imaging systems works. Examples of both controlled and uncontrolled LH arc events and their consequences are shown.« less

An arc control and protection system for the JET lower hybrid antenna based on an imaging system.

PubMed

Figueiredo, J; Mailloux, J; Kirov, K; Kinna, D; Stamp, M; Devaux, S; Arnoux, G; Edwards, J S; Stephen, A V; McCullen, P; Hogben, C

2014-11-01

Arcs are the potentially most dangerous events related to Lower Hybrid (LH) antenna operation. If left uncontrolled they can produce damage and cause plasma disruption by impurity influx. To address this issue an arc real time control and protection imaging system for the Joint European Torus (JET) LH antenna has been implemented. The LH system is one of the additional heating systems at JET. It comprises 24 microwave generators (klystrons, operating at 3.7 GHz) providing up to 5 MW of heating and current drive to the JET plasma. This is done through an antenna composed of an array of waveguides facing the plasma. The protection system presented here is based primarily on an imaging arc detection and real time control system. It has adapted the ITER like wall hotspot protection system using an identical CCD camera and real time image processing unit. A filter has been installed to avoid saturation and spurious system triggers caused by ionization light. The antenna is divided in 24 Regions Of Interest (ROIs) each one corresponding to one klystron. If an arc precursor is detected in a ROI, power is reduced locally with subsequent potential damage and plasma disruption avoided. The power is subsequently reinstated if, during a defined interval of time, arcing is confirmed not to be present by image analysis. This system was successfully commissioned during the restart phase and beginning of the 2013 scientific campaign. Since its installation and commissioning, arcs and related phenomena have been prevented. In this contribution we briefly describe the camera, image processing, and real time control systems. Most importantly, we demonstrate that an LH antenna arc protection system based on CCD camera imaging systems works. Examples of both controlled and uncontrolled LH arc events and their consequences are shown.

In-vessel calibration of the imaging diagnostics for the real-time protection of the JET ITER-like wall.

PubMed

Huber, V; Huber, A; Kinna, D; Balboa, I; Collins, S; Conway, N; Drewelow, P; Maggi, C F; Matthews, G F; Meigs, A G; Mertens, Ph; Price, M; Sergienko, G; Silburn, S; Wynn, A; Zastrow, K-D

2016-11-01

The in situ absolute calibration of the JET real-time protection imaging system has been performed for the first time by means of radiometric light source placed inside the JET vessel and operated by remote handling. High accuracy of the calibration is confirmed by cross-validation of the near infrared (NIR) cameras against each other, with thermal IR cameras, and with the beryllium evaporator, which lead to successful protection of the JET first wall during the last campaign. The operation temperature ranges of NIR protection cameras for the materials used on JET are Be 650-1600 °C, W coating 600-1320 °C, and W 650-1500 °C.

In-vessel calibration of the imaging diagnostics for the real-time protection of the JET ITER-like wall

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

Huber, V., E-mail: V.Huber@fz-juelich.de; Huber, A.; Mertens, Ph.

The in situ absolute calibration of the JET real-time protection imaging system has been performed for the first time by means of radiometric light source placed inside the JET vessel and operated by remote handling. High accuracy of the calibration is confirmed by cross-validation of the near infrared (NIR) cameras against each other, with thermal IR cameras, and with the beryllium evaporator, which lead to successful protection of the JET first wall during the last campaign. The operation temperature ranges of NIR protection cameras for the materials used on JET are Be 650-1600 °C, W coating 600-1320 °C, and W 650-1500 °C.

19. INTERIOR OF UTILITY ROOM SHOWING STUCCO WALL/DRYWALL WALL TRANSITION, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

19. INTERIOR OF UTILITY ROOM SHOWING STUCCO WALL/DRYWALL WALL TRANSITION, ELECTRICAL JUNCTION BOXES, BUILT-IN WALL CABINETRY, AND ELECTRICAL WALL HEATER. VIEW TO NORTHEAST. - Bishop Creek Hydroelectric System, Plant 4, Worker Cottage, Bishop Creek, Bishop, Inyo County, CA

A wall interference assessment/correction interface measurement system for the NASA/ARC 12-ft PWT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Development of complex air vehicle configurations is placing increasing demands on wind tunnel testing capabilities. A major area of concern is wall induced interference. Recent developments in wall interference technology provide a means for assessing and correcting for the wall induced interference using information contained in the distribution of flow variables measured at, or near, the wall. The restoration of the NASA-ARC 12-ft pressure wind tunnel (PWT) provides an opportunity to incorporate a measurement system with which wall interference assessment/correction (WIAC) technology can be applied. In this first phase of the development of a WIAC system for the PWT, the design criteria for the placement and the geometry of wall static pressure orifices were determined with a three step approach. First, the operational environment of the PWT was analyzed as to the requirements for the WIAC system. Second, appropriate wall interference theories were evaluated against the requirements determined from the operational environment. Third, the flow about representative models in the PWT was calculated and, specifically, the pressure signatures at the location of the test section wall were obtained. The number of discrete pressure measurements and their locations were determined by curve fitting the pressure distribution through the discrete measurements and evaluating the resulting error.

A SOLAR FLARE DISTURBING A LIGHT WALL ABOVE A SUNSPOT LIGHT BRIDGE

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

Hou, Yijun; Zhang, Jun; Li, Ting

With the high-resolution data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph , we detect a light wall above a sunspot light bridge in the NOAA active region (AR) 12403. In the 1330 Å slit-jaw images, the light wall is brighter than the ambient areas while the wall top and base are much brighter than the wall body, and it keeps oscillating above the light bridge. A C8.0 flare caused by a filament activation occurred in this AR with the peak at 02:52 UT on 2015 August 28, and the flare’s one ribbon overlapped the light bridge, which was the observational basemore » of the light wall. Consequently, the oscillation of the light wall was evidently disturbed. The mean projective oscillation amplitude of the light wall increased from 0.5 to 1.6 Mm before the flare and decreased to 0.6 Mm after the flare. We suggest that the light wall shares a group of magnetic field lines with the flare loops, which undergo a magnetic reconnection process, and they constitute a coupled system. When the magnetic field lines are pushed upward at the pre-flare stage, the light wall turns to the vertical direction, resulting in the increase of the light wall’s projective oscillation amplitude. After the magnetic reconnection takes place, a group of new field lines with smaller scales are formed underneath the reconnection site, and the light wall inclines. Thus, the projective amplitude notably decrease at the post-flare stage.« less

Spectrographic imaging system

DOEpatents

Morris, Michael D.; Treado, Patrick J.

1991-01-01

An imaging system for providing spectrographically resolved images. The system incorporates a one-dimensional spatial encoding mask which enables an image to be projected onto a two-dimensional image detector after spectral dispersion of the image. The dimension of the image which is lost due to spectral dispersion on the two-dimensional detector is recovered through employing a reverse transform based on presenting a multiplicity of different spatial encoding patterns to the image. The system is especially adapted for detecting Raman scattering of monochromatic light transmitted through or reflected from physical samples. Preferably, spatial encoding is achieved through the use of Hadamard mask which selectively transmits or blocks portions of the image from the sample being evaluated.

EDITORIAL: Imaging Systems and Techniques Imaging Systems and Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giakos, George; Yang, Wuqiang; Petrou, M.; Nikita, K. S.; Pastorino, M.; Amanatiadis, A.; Zentai, G.

2011-10-01

This special feature on Imaging Systems and Techniques comprises 27 technical papers, covering essential facets in imaging systems and techniques both in theory and applications, from research groups spanning three different continents. It mainly contains peer-reviewed articles from the IEEE International Conference on Imaging Systems and Techniques (IST 2011), held in Thessaloniki, Greece, as well a number of articles relevant to the scope of this issue. The multifaceted field of imaging requires drastic adaptation to the rapid changes in our society, economy, environment, and the technological revolution; there is an urgent need to address and propose dynamic and innovative solutions to problems that tend to be either complex and static or rapidly evolving with a lot of unknowns. For instance, exploration of the engineering and physical principles of new imaging systems and techniques for medical applications, remote sensing, monitoring of space resources and enhanced awareness, exploration and management of natural resources, and environmental monitoring, are some of the areas that need to be addressed with urgency. Similarly, the development of efficient medical imaging techniques capable of providing physiological information at the molecular level is another important area of research. Advanced metabolic and functional imaging techniques, operating on multiple physical principles, using high resolution and high selectivity nanoimaging techniques, can play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as well as provide efficient drug-delivery imaging solutions for disease treatment with increased sensitivity and specificity. On the other hand, technical advances in the development of efficient digital imaging systems and techniques and tomographic devices operating on electric impedance tomography, computed tomography, single-photon emission and positron emission tomography detection principles are anticipated to have a significant impact on a

Rhizobium sp. Degradation of Legume Root Hair Cell Wall at the Site of Infection Thread Origin

PubMed Central

Ridge, Robert W.; Rolfe, Barry G.

1985-01-01

Using a new microinoculation technique, we demonstrated that penetration of Rhizobium sp. into the host root hair cell occurs at 20 to 22 h after inoculation. It did this by dissolving the cell wall maxtrix, leaving a layer of depolymerized wall microfibrils. Colony growth pressure “stretched” the weakened wall, forming a bulge into an interfacial zone between the wall and plasmalemma. At the same time vesicular bodies, similar to plasmalemmasomes, accumulated at the penetration site in a manner which parallels host-pathogen systems. Images PMID:16346892

Stress-based control of magnetic nanowire domain walls in artificial multiferroic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dean, J.; Bryan, M. T.; Schrefl, T.; Allwood, D. A.

2011-01-01

Artificial multiferroic systems, which combine piezoelectric and piezomagnetic materials, offer novel methods of controlling material properties. Here, we use combined structural and magnetic finite element models to show how localized strains in a piezoelectric film coupled to a piezomagnetic nanowire can attract and pin magnetic domain walls. Synchronous switching of addressable contacts enables the controlled movement of pinning sites, and hence domain walls, in the nanowire without applied magnetic field or spin-polarized current, irrespective of domain wall structure. Conversely, domain wall-induced strain in the piezomagnetic material induces a local potential difference in the piezoelectric, providing a mechanism for sensing domain walls. This approach overcomes the problems in magnetic nanowire memories of domain wall structure-dependent behavior and high power consumption. Nonvolatile random access or shift register memories based on these effects can achieve storage densities >1 Gbit/In2, sub-10 ns switching times, and power consumption <100 keV per operation.

Pneumatic wall-locking geophone system

DOEpatents

Kuhlman, Harland L.; Cumerlato, Calvin L.; Tweeton, Daryl R.

1991-01-01

A seismic signal receiving system is provided for use in boreholes to receive seismic waves in carrying out geophysical investigations. The system includes three pairs of opposed plates, each of the pairs of plates including oppositely facing outer surfaces for engagement with opposite sides of a borehole. A seismic receiver is mounted on the inner surface of each of the plates for receiving seismic signals. A double-acting, fluid-operated actuator selectively causes relative movement of the plates of the pairs of plates away from each other to provide expansion thereof so as to enable the plates to engage the walls of a borehole and selectively causes relative movement of the plates of the pairs of plates toward each other to provide retraction thereof so as to enable the system to be removed from a borehole. The pairs of plates each comprise a relatively long plate and a relatively short plate. An expandable linkage interconnects the long plates at the distal ends thereof. The plates are mechanically biassed into the retracted state so that the plates return to this state in the event of a system failure.

Vessel wall characterization using quantitative MRI: what's in a number?

PubMed

Coolen, Bram F; Calcagno, Claudia; van Ooij, Pim; Fayad, Zahi A; Strijkers, Gustav J; Nederveen, Aart J

2018-02-01

The past decade has witnessed the rapid development of new MRI technology for vessel wall imaging. Today, with advances in MRI hardware and pulse sequences, quantitative MRI of the vessel wall represents a real alternative to conventional qualitative imaging, which is hindered by significant intra- and inter-observer variability. Quantitative MRI can measure several important morphological and functional characteristics of the vessel wall. This review provides a detailed introduction to novel quantitative MRI methods for measuring vessel wall dimensions, plaque composition and permeability, endothelial shear stress and wall stiffness. Together, these methods show the versatility of non-invasive quantitative MRI for probing vascular disease at several stages. These quantitative MRI biomarkers can play an important role in the context of both treatment response monitoring and risk prediction. Given the rapid developments in scan acceleration techniques and novel image reconstruction, we foresee the possibility of integrating the acquisition of multiple quantitative vessel wall parameters within a single scan session.

Biofiltration of airborne VOCs with green wall systems-Microbial and chemical dynamics.

PubMed

Mikkonen, A; Li, T; Vesala, M; Saarenheimo, J; Ahonen, V; Kärenlampi, S; Blande, J D; Tiirola, M; Tervahauta, A

2018-05-06

Botanical air filtration is a promising technology for reducing indoor air contaminants, but the underlying mechanisms need better understanding. Here, we made a set of chamber fumigation experiments of up to 16 weeks of duration, to study the filtration efficiencies for seven volatile organic compounds (VOCs; decane, toluene, 2-ethylhexanol, α-pinene, octane, benzene, and xylene) and to monitor microbial dynamics in simulated green wall systems. Biofiltration functioned on sub-ppm VOC levels without concentration-dependence. Airflow through the growth medium was needed for efficient removal of chemically diverse VOCs, and the use of optimized commercial growth medium further improved the efficiency compared with soil and Leca granules. Experimental green wall simulations using these components were immediately effective, indicating that initial VOC removal was largely abiotic. Golden pothos plants had a small additional positive impact on VOC filtration and bacterial diversity in the green wall system. Proteobacteria dominated the microbiota of rhizosphere and irrigation water. Airborne VOCs shaped the microbial communities, enriching potential VOC-utilizing bacteria (especially Nevskiaceae and Patulibacteraceae) in the irrigation water, where much of the VOC degradation capacity of the biofiltration systems resided. These results clearly show the benefits of active air circulation and optimized growth media in modern green wall systems. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ultrasonic Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Youngquist, Robert C. (Inventor); Moerk, Steven (Inventor)

1999-01-01

An imaging system is described which can be used to either passively search for sources of ultrasonics or as an active phase imaging system. which can image fires. gas leaks, or air temperature gradients. This system uses an array of ultrasonic receivers coupled to an ultrasound collector or lens to provide an electronic image of the ultrasound intensity in a selected angular region of space. A system is described which includes a video camera to provide a visual reference to a region being examined for ultrasonic signals.

Cells, walls, and endless forms.

PubMed

Monniaux, Marie; Hay, Angela

2016-12-01

A key question in biology is how the endless diversity of forms found in nature evolved. Understanding the cellular basis of this diversity has been aided by advances in non-model experimental systems, quantitative image analysis tools, and modeling approaches. Recent work in plants highlights the importance of cell wall and cuticle modifications for the emergence of diverse forms and functions. For example, explosive seed dispersal in Cardamine hirsuta depends on the asymmetric localization of lignified cell wall thickenings in the fruit valve. Similarly, the iridescence of Hibiscus trionum petals relies on regular striations formed by cuticular folds. Moreover, NAC transcription factors regulate the differentiation of lignified xylem vessels but also the water-conducting cells of moss that lack a lignified secondary cell wall, pointing to the origin of vascular systems. Other novel forms are associated with modified cell growth patterns, including oriented cell expansion or division, found in the long petal spurs of Aquilegia flowers, and the Sarracenia purpurea pitcher leaf, respectively. Another good example is the regulation of dissected leaf shape in C. hirsuta via local growth repression, controlled by the REDUCED COMPLEXITY HD-ZIP class I transcription factor. These studies in non-model species often reveal as much about fundamental processes of development as they do about the evolution of form. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fiber optic spectroscopic digital imaging sensor and method for flame properties monitoring

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

Zelepouga, Serguei A; Rue, David M; Saveliev, Alexei V

2011-03-15

A system for real-time monitoring of flame properties in combustors and gasifiers which includes an imaging fiber optic bundle having a light receiving end and a light output end and a spectroscopic imaging system operably connected with the light output end of the imaging fiber optic bundle. Focusing of the light received by the light receiving end of the imaging fiber optic bundle by a wall disposed between the light receiving end of the fiber optic bundle and a light source, which wall forms a pinhole opening aligned with the light receiving end.

IMAGES: An interactive image processing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, J. R.

1981-01-01

The IMAGES interactive image processing system was created specifically for undergraduate remote sensing education in geography. The system is interactive, relatively inexpensive to operate, almost hardware independent, and responsive to numerous users at one time in a time-sharing mode. Most important, it provides a medium whereby theoretical remote sensing principles discussed in lecture may be reinforced in laboratory as students perform computer-assisted image processing. In addition to its use in academic and short course environments, the system has also been used extensively to conduct basic image processing research. The flow of information through the system is discussed including an overview of the programs.

Light-frame wall and floor systems : analysis and performance

Treesearch

G. Sherwood; R. C. Moody

1989-01-01

This report describes methods of predicting the performance of light-frame wood structures with emphasis on floor and wall systems. Methods of predicting structural performance, fire safety, and environmental concerns including thermal, moisture, and acoustic performance are addressed in the three major sections.

Wall-crossing in coupled 2d-4d systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaiotto, Davide; Moore, Gregory W.; Neitzke, Andrew

2012-12-01

We introduce a new wall-crossing formula which combines and generalizes the Cecotti-Vafa and Kontsevich-Soibelman formulas for supersymmetric 2d and 4d systems respectively. This 2d-4d wall-crossing formula governs the wall-crossing of BPS states in an {N}=2 supersymmetric 4d gauge theory coupled to a supersymmetric surface defect. When the theory and defect are compactified on a circle, we get a 3d theory with a supersymmetric line operator, corresponding to a hyperholomorphic connection on a vector bundle over a hyperkähler space. The 2d-4d wall-crossing formula can be interpreted as a smoothness condition for this hyperholomorphic connection. We explain how the 2d-4d BPS spectrum can be determined for 4d theories of class {S} , that is, for those theories obtained by compactifying the six-dimensional (0, 2) theory with a partial topological twist on a punctured Riemann surface C. For such theories there are canonical surface defects. We illustrate with several examples in the case of A 1 theories of class {S} . Finally, we indicate how our results can be used to produce solutions to the A 1 Hitchin equations on the Riemann surface C.

MRI diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in pediatric small bowel Crohn disease: correlation with MRI findings of active bowel wall inflammation.

PubMed

Ream, Justin M; Dillman, Jonathan R; Adler, Jeremy; Khalatbari, Shokoufeh; McHugh, Jonathan B; Strouse, Peter J; Dhanani, Muhammad; Shpeen, Benjamin; Al-Hawary, Mahmoud M

2013-09-01

Restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences during magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) has been shown in segments of bowel affected by Crohn disease. However, the exact meaning of this finding, particularly within the pediatric Crohn disease population, is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the significance of bowel wall restricted diffusion in children with small bowel Crohn disease by correlating apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values with other MRI markers of disease activity. A retrospective review of pediatric patients (≤ 18 years of age) with Crohn disease terminal ileitis who underwent MRE with DWI at our institution between May 1, 2009 and May 31, 2011 was undertaken. All of the children had either biopsy-proven Crohn disease terminal ileitis or clinically diagnosed Crohn disease, including terminal ileal involvement by imaging. The mean minimum ADC value within the wall of the terminal ileum was determined for each examination. ADC values were tested for correlation/association with other MRI findings to determine whether a relationship exists between bowel wall restricted diffusion and disease activity. Forty-six MRE examinations with DWI in children with terminal ileitis were identified (23 girls and 23 boys; mean age, 14.3 years). There was significant negative correlation or association between bowel wall minimum ADC value and established MRI markers of disease activity, including degree of bowel wall thickening (R = (-)0.43; P = 0.003), striated pattern of arterial enhancement (P = 0.01), degree of arterial enhancement (P = 0.01), degree of delayed enhancement (P = 0.045), amount of mesenteric inflammatory changes (P < 0.0001) and presence of a stricture (P = 0.02). ADC values were not significantly associated with bowel wall T2-weighted signal intensity, length of disease involvement or mesenteric fibrofatty proliferation. Increasing bowel wall restricted diffusion

Light-Frame Wall Systems: Performance and Predictability.

Treesearch

David S. Gromala

1983-01-01

This paper compares results of all wall tests with analytical predictions of performance.Conventional wood-stud walls of one configuration failed at bending loads that were 4 to 6 times design load.The computer model overpredicted wall strength by and average of 10 percent and deflection by an average of 6 percent.

Video and thermal imaging system for monitoring interiors of high temperature reaction vessels

DOEpatents

Saveliev, Alexei V [Chicago, IL; Zelepouga, Serguei A [Hoffman Estates, IL; Rue, David M [Chicago, IL

2012-01-10

A system and method for real-time monitoring of the interior of a combustor or gasifier wherein light emitted by the interior surface of a refractory wall of the combustor or gasifier is collected using an imaging fiber optic bundle having a light receiving end and a light output end. Color information in the light is captured with primary color (RGB) filters or complimentary color (GMCY) filters placed over individual pixels of color sensors disposed within a digital color camera in a BAYER mosaic layout, producing RGB signal outputs or GMCY signal outputs. The signal outputs are processed using intensity ratios of the primary color filters or the complimentary color filters, producing video images and/or thermal images of the interior of the combustor or gasifier.

Medical imaging systems

DOEpatents

Frangioni, John V

2013-06-25

A medical imaging system provides simultaneous rendering of visible light and diagnostic or functional images. The system may be portable, and may include adapters for connecting various light sources and cameras in open surgical environments or laparascopic or endoscopic environments. A user interface provides control over the functionality of the integrated imaging system. In one embodiment, the system provides a tool for surgical pathology.

[Myocardial imaging in acute myocardial infarction using beta-methyl-p-(123I)-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid: comparison with 201Tl imaging and wall motion].

PubMed

Naruse, H; Itano, M; Kondo, T; Kogame, T; Yamamoto, J; Morita, M; Kawamoto, H; Fukutake, N; Ohyanagi, M; Iwasaki, T

1992-01-01

Myocardial imaging using beta-methyl-p-(123I)-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) was performed in 11 patients with acute myocardial infarction. The left ventricular images were divided into 12 segments, and myocardial imagings with BMIPP were compared with coronary angiography (CAG), thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy (TL) and wall motion obtained by two-dimensional echocardiography (WM). When the culprit lesion was at the proximal point of the left anterior descending artery (LAD), all segments showed depressed uptake. In 3 cases with single vessel disease of the LAD, inferior wall of the basis showed reduced uptake of BMIPP despite the location of the culprit lesion. In cases with discordant uptake between the two tracers, BMIPP frequently showed more severely depressed uptake than TL in the subacute phase, although the uptake of BMIPP correlated with that of TL (tau = 0.82, p less than 0.001). In such cases, the discordance was related to the improvement in WM from the acute phase to the convalescent phase. BMIPP uptake correlated with WM in the subacute phase (tau = 0.50, p less than 0.001). BMIPP showed more severely depressed uptake while WM showed mild asynergy in most cases in which discordance was found between the BMIPP and WM findings. However, there was no correlation between the change in WM from the acute to subacute phases, or the uptakes of BMIPP and TL alone. We concluded that the myocardial condition can be evaluated in detail in acute myocardial infarction by comparing the findings of BMIPP with those of TL and WM.

Detecting inflammation and fibrosis in bowel wall with photoacoustic imaging in a Crohn's disease animal model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Guan; Johnson, Laura A.; Hu, Jack; Dillman, Jonathan R.; Higgins, Peter D. R.; Wang, Xueding

2015-03-01

Crohn's disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease affecting 700,000 people in the United States. This condition may cause obstructing intestinal narrowings (strictures) due to inflammation, fibrosis (deposition of collagen), or a combination of both. Utilizing the unique strong optical absorption of hemoglobin at 532 nm and collagen at 1370 nm, this study investigated the feasibility of non-invasively characterizing intestinal strictures using photoacoustic imaging (PAI). Three normal controls, ten pure inflammation and 9 inflammation plus fibrosis rat bowel wall samples were imaged. Statistical analysis of the PA measurements has shown the capability of discriminating the purely inflammatory from mixed inflammatory and fibrotic strictures.

Intrathoracic airway wall detection using graph search and scanner PSF information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinhardt, Joseph M.; Park, Wonkyu; Hoffman, Eric A.; Sonka, Milan

1997-05-01

Measurements of the in vivo bronchial tree can be used to assess regional airway physiology. High-resolution CT (HRCT) provides detailed images of the lungs and has been used to evaluate bronchial airway geometry. Such measurements have been sued to assess diseases affecting the airways, such as asthma and cystic fibrosis, to measure airway response to external stimuli, and to evaluate the mechanics of airway collapse in sleep apnea. To routinely use CT imaging in a clinical setting to evaluate the in vivo airway tree, there is a need for an objective, automatic technique for identifying the airway tree in the CT images and measuring airway geometry parameters. Manual or semi-automatic segmentation and measurement of the airway tree from a 3D data set may require several man-hours of work, and the manual approaches suffer from inter-observer and intra- observer variabilities. This paper describes a method for automatic airway tree analysis that combines accurate airway wall location estimation with a technique for optimal airway border smoothing. A fuzzy logic, rule-based system is used to identify the branches of the 3D airway tree in thin-slice HRCT images. Raycasting is combined with a model-based parameter estimation technique to identify the approximate inner and outer airway wall borders in 2D cross-sections through the image data set. Finally, a 2D graph search is used to optimize the estimated airway wall locations and obtain accurate airway borders. We demonstrate this technique using CT images of a plexiglass tube phantom.

Instant images of the human heart using a new, whole-body MR imaging system.

PubMed

Rzedzian, R R; Pykett, I L

1987-08-01

An extremely rapid MR imaging technique is described, and its use on a new 2.0-T high-speed MR system is demonstrated. This implementation permits complete filling of the two-dimensional spatial-frequency domain (k-space) within an acquisition window of 26 msec. With this acquisition window placed under the spin-echo signal envelope generated by a 90-180 degree pulse pair, the image contrast is the same as that of a conventional spin-echo pulse sequence. Resultant proton images have a motion-independent voxel resolution of 0.08 cm3 and a signal-to-noise ratio for cardiac muscle of approximately 30:1 (for TE = 30 msec) with no signal averaging. The pulse sequence yields images that are chemical shift-resolved. The total proton density distribution is optionally presented with lipid and water signals displayed in two different colors. Cardiac function is observed by displaying multiple images, acquired at different times in successive cardiac periods, in a cyclic movie format. Such motion pictures are obtained within a single period of suspended respiration, thereby assuring freedom from respiratory related motion artifacts. As preliminary examples, we present MR images of the normal adult human heart that have total acquisition times of only 40 msec/image and that show the major cardiac anatomy. Frames from movie loops show contraction of cardiac chambers and left ventricular wall thickening. The extremely rapid acquisition time of this technique suggests that it may hold promise for the routine and cost-effective evaluation of cardiac anatomy and function.

High-resolution confocal imaging of wall ingrowth deposition in plant transfer cells: Semi-quantitative analysis of phloem parenchyma transfer cell development in leaf minor veins of Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Nguyen, Suong T T; McCurdy, David W

2015-04-23

Transfer cells (TCs) are trans-differentiated versions of existing cell types designed to facilitate enhanced membrane transport of nutrients at symplasmic/apoplasmic interfaces. This transport capacity is conferred by intricate wall ingrowths deposited secondarily on the inner face of the primary cell wall, hence promoting the potential trans-membrane flux of solutes and consequently assigning TCs as having key roles in plant growth and productivity. However, TCs are typically positioned deep within tissues and have been studied mostly by electron microscopy. Recent advances in fluorophore labelling of plant cell walls using a modified pseudo-Schiff-propidium iodide (mPS-PI) staining procedure in combination with high-resolution confocal microscopy have allowed visualization of cellular details of individual tissue layers in whole mounts, hence enabling study of tissue and cellular architecture without the need for tissue sectioning. Here we apply a simplified version of the mPS-PI procedure for confocal imaging of cellulose-enriched wall ingrowths in vascular TCs at the whole tissue level. The simplified mPS-PI staining procedure produced high-resolution three-dimensional images of individual cell types in vascular bundles and, importantly, wall ingrowths in phloem parenchyma (PP) TCs in minor veins of Arabidopsis leaves and companion cell TCs in pea. More efficient staining of tissues was obtained by replacing complex clearing procedures with a simple post-fixation bleaching step. We used this modified procedure to survey the presence of PP TCs in other tissues of Arabidopsis including cotyledons, cauline leaves and sepals. This high-resolution imaging enabled us to classify different stages of wall ingrowth development in Arabidopsis leaves, hence enabling semi-quantitative assessment of the extent of wall ingrowth deposition in PP TCs at the whole leaf level. Finally, we conducted a defoliation experiment as an example of using this approach to statistically

Spatial distribution of airway wall displacements during breathing and bronchoconstriction measured by ultrasound elastography using finite element image registration.

PubMed

Harvey, Brian C; Lutchen, Kenneth R; Barbone, Paul E

2017-03-01

With every breath, the airways within the lungs are strained. This periodic stretching is thought to play an important role in determining airway caliber in health and disease. Particularly, deep breaths can mitigate excessive airway narrowing in healthy subjects, but this beneficial effect is absent in asthmatics, perhaps due to an inability to stretch the airway smooth muscle (ASM) embedded within an airway wall. The heterogeneous composition throughout an airway wall likely modulates the strain felt by the ASM but the magnitude of ASM strain is difficult to measure directly. In this study, we optimized a finite element image registration method to measure the spatial distribution of displacements and strains throughout an airway wall during pressure inflation within the physiological breathing range before and after induced narrowing with acetylcholine (ACh). The method was shown to be repeatable, and displacements estimated from different image sequences of the same deformation agreed to within 5.3μm (0.77%). We found the magnitude and spatial distribution of displacements were radially and longitudinally heterogeneous. The region in the middle layer of the airway experienced the largest radial strain due to a transmural pressure (Ptm) increase simulating tidal breathing and a deep inspiration (DI), while the region containing the ASM (i.e., closest to the lumen) strained least. During induced narrowing with ACh, we observed temporal longitudinal heterogeneity of the airway wall. After constriction, the displacements and strain are much smaller than the relaxed airway and the pattern of strains changed, suggesting the airway stiffened heterogeneously. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magneto-optic gradient effect in domain-wall images: At the crossroads of magneto-optics and micromagnetics

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

Kambersky, V.; Schaefer, R.; Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069 Dresden

2011-07-15

An anomalous symmetry of magneto-optical images of ferromagnetic domain walls was reported by Schaefer and Hubert [Phys. Status Solidi A 118, 271 (1990)] and interpreted in terms of light amplitudes proportional to the magnetization gradient. We present analytic and numerical calculations supporting such proportionality under additional conditions implied by classical rules of micromagnetics and address some objections presented by Banno [Phys. Rev. A 77, 033818 (2008)] against such proportionality.

Comparative OCT imaging of the human esophagus: How well can we localize the muscularis mucosae?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cilesiz, Inci F.; Fockens, Paul; Kerindongo, Raphaela P.; Faber, Dirk J.; Tytgat, Guido N. J.; ten Kate, Febo; van Leeuwen, Ton G. J. M.

2002-06-01

Early diagnosis with esophageal cancer limited to the mucosa will allow for local endoscopic treatment and improve prognosis. We compared with histology OCT images of healthy human esophageal tissue from two systems operating at 800 and 1275 nm to investigate which wavelength was best suited for detailed OCT imaging of the esophageal wall, and to localize the muscularis mucosae. Within an hour of surgical resection, an esophageal specimen was cleaned of excess blood and soaked in formalin for a minimum of 48 hours. In order to precisely localize the different layers of the esophageal wall on an OCT image, well-defined structures within the esophageal wall were sought. Following OCT imaging the specimen was prepared for routine histology. We observed that our 1275 nm system with 12 micrometers resolution was superior in terms of penetration. As compared to histology, the 4 micrometers resolution of our 800 nm system made fine details more visible. Using either system, a minimally trained eye could recognize the muscularis mucosae as a hypo-reflective layer. Although different conditions may apply in vivo, our ex vivo study paves the path to precise interpretation of OCT images of the esophageal wall.

A Transcriptomic Analysis of Xylan Mutants Does Not Support the Existence of a Secondary Cell Wall Integrity System in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Faria-Blanc, Nuno; Mortimer, Jenny C.; Dupree, Paul

2018-01-01

Yeast have long been known to possess a cell wall integrity (CWI) system, and recently an analogous system has been described for the primary walls of plants (PCWI) that leads to changes in plant growth and cell wall composition. A similar system has been proposed to exist for secondary cell walls (SCWI). However, there is little data to support this. Here, we analyzed the stem transcriptome of a set of cell wall biosynthetic mutants in order to investigate whether cell wall damage, in this case caused by aberrant xylan synthesis, activates a signaling cascade or changes in cell wall synthesis gene expression. Our data revealed remarkably few changes to the transcriptome. We hypothesize that this is because cells undergoing secondary cell wall thickening have entered a committed programme leading to cell death, and therefore a SCWI system would have limited impact. The absence of transcriptomic responses to secondary cell wall alterations may facilitate engineering of the secondary cell wall of plants. PMID:29636762

A Transcriptomic Analysis of Xylan Mutants Does Not Support the Existence of a Secondary Cell Wall Integrity System in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Faria-Blanc, Nuno; Mortimer, Jenny C; Dupree, Paul

2018-01-01

Yeast have long been known to possess a cell wall integrity (CWI) system, and recently an analogous system has been described for the primary walls of plants (PCWI) that leads to changes in plant growth and cell wall composition. A similar system has been proposed to exist for secondary cell walls (SCWI). However, there is little data to support this. Here, we analyzed the stem transcriptome of a set of cell wall biosynthetic mutants in order to investigate whether cell wall damage, in this case caused by aberrant xylan synthesis, activates a signaling cascade or changes in cell wall synthesis gene expression. Our data revealed remarkably few changes to the transcriptome. We hypothesize that this is because cells undergoing secondary cell wall thickening have entered a committed programme leading to cell death, and therefore a SCWI system would have limited impact. The absence of transcriptomic responses to secondary cell wall alterations may facilitate engineering of the secondary cell wall of plants.

Image Processing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) is using a digital image processing system which employs NASA-developed technology. MIR's computer system is the largest radiology system in the world. It is used in diagnostic imaging. Blood vessels are injected with x-ray dye, and the images which are produced indicate whether arteries are hardened or blocked. A computer program developed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory known as Mini-VICAR/IBIS was supplied to MIR by COSMIC. The program provides the basis for developing the computer imaging routines for data processing, contrast enhancement and picture display.

Cardiac Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Although not available to all patients with narrowed arteries, balloon angioplasty has expanded dramatically since its introduction with an estimated further growth to 562,000 procedures in the U.S. alone by 1992. Growth has fueled demand for higher quality imaging systems that allow the cardiologist to be more accurate and increase the chances of a successful procedure. A major advance is the Digital Cardiac Imaging (DCI) System designed by Philips Medical Systems International, Best, The Netherlands and marketed in the U.S. by Philips Medical Systems North America Company. The key benefit is significantly improved real-time imaging and the ability to employ image enhancement techniques to bring out added details. Using a cordless control unit, the cardiologist can manipulate images to make immediate assessment, compare live x-ray and roadmap images by placing them side-by-side on monitor screens, or compare pre-procedure and post procedure conditions. The Philips DCI improves the cardiologist's precision by expanding the information available to him.

Polarization dependant in vivo second harmonic generation imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans vulval, pharynx, and body wall muscles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Psilodimitrakopoulos, Sotiris; Santos, Susana; Amat-Roldan, Ivan; Mathew, Manoj; Thayil K. N., Anisha; Artigas, David; Loza-Alvarez, Pablo

2008-02-01

Second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging has emerged in recent years as an important laboratory imaging technique since it can provide unique structural information with submicron resolution. It enjoys the benefits of non-invasive interaction establishing this imaging modality as ideal for in vivo investigation of tissue architectures. In this study we present, polarization dependant high resolution SHG images of Caenorhabditis elegans muscles in vivo. We imaged a variety of muscular structures such as body walls, pharynx and vulva. By fitting the experimental data into a cylindrical symmetry spatial model we mapped the corresponding signal distribution of the χ (2) tensor and identified its main axis orientation for different sarcomeres of the earth worm. The cylindrical symmetry was considered to arise from the thick filaments architecture of the inside active volume. Moreover, our theoretical analysis allowed calculating the mean orientation of harmonophores (myosin helical pitch). Ultimately, we recorded and analysed vulvae muscle dynamics, where SHG signal decreased during in vivo contraction.

Multipurpose Hyperspectral Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mao, Chengye; Smith, David; Lanoue, Mark A.; Poole, Gavin H.; Heitschmidt, Jerry; Martinez, Luis; Windham, William A.; Lawrence, Kurt C.; Park, Bosoon

2005-01-01

A hyperspectral imaging system of high spectral and spatial resolution that incorporates several innovative features has been developed to incorporate a focal plane scanner (U.S. Patent 6,166,373). This feature enables the system to be used for both airborne/spaceborne and laboratory hyperspectral imaging with or without relative movement of the imaging system, and it can be used to scan a target of any size as long as the target can be imaged at the focal plane; for example, automated inspection of food items and identification of single-celled organisms. The spectral resolution of this system is greater than that of prior terrestrial multispectral imaging systems. Moreover, unlike prior high-spectral resolution airborne and spaceborne hyperspectral imaging systems, this system does not rely on relative movement of the target and the imaging system to sweep an imaging line across a scene. This compact system (see figure) consists of a front objective mounted at a translation stage with a motorized actuator, and a line-slit imaging spectrograph mounted within a rotary assembly with a rear adaptor to a charged-coupled-device (CCD) camera. Push-broom scanning is carried out by the motorized actuator which can be controlled either manually by an operator or automatically by a computer to drive the line-slit across an image at a focal plane of the front objective. To reduce the cost, the system has been designed to integrate as many as possible off-the-shelf components including the CCD camera and spectrograph. The system has achieved high spectral and spatial resolutions by using a high-quality CCD camera, spectrograph, and front objective lens. Fixtures for attachment of the system to a microscope (U.S. Patent 6,495,818 B1) make it possible to acquire multispectral images of single cells and other microscopic objects.

Plant cell wall-mediated immunity: cell wall changes trigger disease resistance responses.

PubMed

Bacete, Laura; Mélida, Hugo; Miedes, Eva; Molina, Antonio

2018-02-01

Plants have evolved a repertoire of monitoring systems to sense plant morphogenesis and to face environmental changes and threats caused by different attackers. These systems integrate different signals into overreaching triggering pathways which coordinate developmental and defence-associated responses. The plant cell wall, a dynamic and complex structure surrounding every plant cell, has emerged recently as an essential component of plant monitoring systems, thus expanding its function as a passive defensive barrier. Plants have a dedicated mechanism for maintaining cell wall integrity (CWI) which comprises a diverse set of plasma membrane-resident sensors and pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). The PRRs perceive plant-derived ligands, such as peptides or wall glycans, known as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). These DAMPs function as 'danger' alert signals activating DAMP-triggered immunity (DTI), which shares signalling components and responses with the immune pathways triggered by non-self microbe-associated molecular patterns that mediate disease resistance. Alteration of CWI by impairment of the expression or activity of proteins involved in cell wall biosynthesis and/or remodelling, as occurs in some plant cell wall mutants, or by wall damage due to colonization by pathogens/pests, activates specific defensive and growth responses. Our current understanding of how these alterations of CWI are perceived by the wall monitoring systems is scarce and few plant sensors/PRRs and DAMPs have been characterized. The identification of these CWI sensors and PRR-DAMP pairs will help us to understand the immune functions of the wall monitoring system, and might allow the breeding of crop varieties and the design of agricultural strategies that would enhance crop disease resistance. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Aortic atherosclerotic plaque detection using a multiwavelength handheld photoacoustic imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirano, Susumu; Namita, Takeshi; Kondo, Kengo; Yamakawa, Makoto; Shiina, Tsuyoshi

2016-03-01

Patients affected by diseases caused by arteriosclerosis are increasing. Atherosclerosis, which is becoming an especially difficult health problem, forms plaques from lipids such as cholesterol located in walls of the aorta, cerebral artery, and coronary artery. Because lipid-rich plaques are vulnerable and because arterial rupture causes acute vascular occlusion, early detection is crucially important to prevent plaque growth and rupture. Ultrasound systems can detect plaques but cannot discriminate between vulnerable and equable plaques. To evaluate plaques non-invasively and easily, we developed a handheld photoacoustic imaging device. Its usefulness was verified in phantom experiments with a bovine aorta in which mimic plaque had been embedded. Photoacoustic images taken at wavelengths that produce high light absorbance by lipids show strong photoacoustic signals from the boundary of the mimic plaque. Results confirmed that our system can evaluate plaque properties by analysis with the photoacoustic spectrum. The effects of surrounding tissues and tissue components on plaque evaluation were investigated using a layered phantom. The mimic plaque located under a 6 mm blood layer was also evaluated. Results of these analyses demonstrate the system's usefulness.

Requirement of the CroRS Two-Component System for Resistance to Cell Wall-Targeting Antimicrobials in Enterococcus faecium.

PubMed

Kellogg, Stephanie L; Little, Jaime L; Hoff, Jessica S; Kristich, Christopher J

2017-05-01

Enterococci are serious opportunistic pathogens that are resistant to many cell wall-targeting antibiotics. The CroRS two-component signaling system responds to antibiotic-mediated cell wall stress and is critical for resistance to cell wall-targeting antibiotics in Enterococcus faecalis Here, we identify and characterize an orthologous two-component system found in Enterococcus faecium that is functionally equivalent to the CroRS system of E. faecalis Deletion of croRS in E. faecium resulted in marked susceptibility to cell wall-targeting agents including cephalosporins and bacitracin, as well as moderate susceptibility to ampicillin and vancomycin. As in E. faecalis , exposure to bacitracin and vancomycin stimulates signaling through the CroRS system in E. faecium Moreover, the CroRS system is critical in E. faecium for enhanced beta-lactam resistance mediated by overexpression of Pbp5. Expression of a Pbp5 variant that confers enhanced beta-lactam resistance cannot overcome the requirement for CroRS function. Thus, the CroRS system is a conserved signaling system that responds to cell wall stress to promote intrinsic resistance to important cell wall-targeting antibiotics in clinically relevant enterococci. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Requirement of the CroRS Two-Component System for Resistance to Cell Wall-Targeting Antimicrobials in Enterococcus faecium

PubMed Central

Kellogg, Stephanie L.; Little, Jaime L.; Hoff, Jessica S.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Enterococci are serious opportunistic pathogens that are resistant to many cell wall-targeting antibiotics. The CroRS two-component signaling system responds to antibiotic-mediated cell wall stress and is critical for resistance to cell wall-targeting antibiotics in Enterococcus faecalis. Here, we identify and characterize an orthologous two-component system found in Enterococcus faecium that is functionally equivalent to the CroRS system of E. faecalis. Deletion of croRS in E. faecium resulted in marked susceptibility to cell wall-targeting agents including cephalosporins and bacitracin, as well as moderate susceptibility to ampicillin and vancomycin. As in E. faecalis, exposure to bacitracin and vancomycin stimulates signaling through the CroRS system in E. faecium. Moreover, the CroRS system is critical in E. faecium for enhanced beta-lactam resistance mediated by overexpression of Pbp5. Expression of a Pbp5 variant that confers enhanced beta-lactam resistance cannot overcome the requirement for CroRS function. Thus, the CroRS system is a conserved signaling system that responds to cell wall stress to promote intrinsic resistance to important cell wall-targeting antibiotics in clinically relevant enterococci. PMID:28223383

Néel walls between tailored parallel-stripe domains in IrMn/CoFe exchange bias layers

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

Ueltzhöffer, Timo, E-mail: timo.ueltzhoeffer@physik.uni-kassel.de; Schmidt, Christoph; Ehresmann, Arno

Tailored parallel-stripe magnetic domains with antiparallel magnetizations in adjacent domains along the long stripe axis have been fabricated in an IrMn/CoFe Exchange Bias thin film system by 10 keV He{sup +}-ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning. Domain walls between these domains are of Néel type and asymmetric as they separate domains of different anisotropies. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism asymmetry images were obtained by x-ray photoelectron emission microscopy at the Co/Fe L{sub 3} edges at the synchrotron radiation source BESSY II. They revealed Néel-wall tail widths of 1 μm in agreement with the results of a model that was modified in order to describemore » such walls. Similarly obtained domain core widths show a discrepancy to values estimated from the model, but could be explained by experimental broadening. The rotation senses in adjacent walls were determined, yielding unwinding domain walls with non-interacting walls in this layer system.« less

Building and degradation of secondary cell walls: are there common patterns of lamellar assembly of cellulose microfibrils and cell wall delamination?

PubMed

De Micco, Veronica; Ruel, Katia; Joseleau, Jean-Paul; Aronne, Giovanna

2010-08-01

During cell wall formation and degradation, it is possible to detect cellulose microfibrils assembled into thicker and thinner lamellar structures, respectively, following inverse parallel patterns. The aim of this study was to analyse such patterns of microfibril aggregation and cell wall delamination. The thickness of microfibrils and lamellae was measured on digital images of both growing and degrading cell walls viewed by means of transmission electron microscopy. To objectively detect, measure and classify microfibrils and lamellae into thickness classes, a method based on the application of computerized image analysis combined with graphical and statistical methods was developed. The method allowed common classes of microfibrils and lamellae in cell walls to be identified from different origins. During both the formation and degradation of cell walls, a preferential formation of structures with specific thickness was evidenced. The results obtained with the developed method allowed objective analysis of patterns of microfibril aggregation and evidenced a trend of doubling/halving lamellar structures, during cell wall formation/degradation in materials from different origin and which have undergone different treatments.

Enhanced delineation of degradation in aortic walls through OCT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Real, Eusebio; Val-Bernal, José Fernando; Revuelta, José M.; Pontón, Alejandro; Calvo Díez, Marta; Mayorga, Marta; López-Higuera, José M.; Conde, Olga M.

2015-03-01

Degradation of the wall of human ascending thoracic aorta has been assessed through Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). OCT images of the media layer of the aortic wall exhibit micro-structure degradation in case of diseased aortas from aneurysmal vessels or in aortas prone to aortic dissections. The degeneration in vessel walls appears as low-reflectivity areas due to the invasive appearance of acidic polysaccharides and mucopolysaccharides within a typical ordered microstructure of parallel lamellae of smooth muscle cells, elastin and collagen fibers. An OCT indicator of wall degradation can be generated upon the spatial quantification of the extension of degraded areas in a similar way as conventional histopathology. This proposed OCT marker offers a real-time clinical insight of the vessel status to help cardiovascular surgeons in vessel repair interventions. However, the delineation of degraded areas on the B-scan image from OCT is sometimes difficult due to presence of speckle noise, variable SNR conditions on the measurement process, etc. Degraded areas could be outlined by basic thresholding techniques taking advantage of disorders evidences in B-scan images, but this delineation is not always optimum and requires complex additional processing stages. This work proposes an optimized delineation of degraded spots in vessel walls, robust to noisy environments, based on the analysis of the second order variation of image intensity of backreflection to determine the type of local structure. Results improve the delineation of wall anomalies providing a deeper physiological perception of the vessel wall conditions. Achievements could be also transferred to other clinical scenarios: carotid arteries, aorto-iliac or ilio-femoral sections, intracranial, etc.

Experimental investigation on the thermal performance of heat storage walls coupled with active solar systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Chunyu; You, Shijun; Zhu, Chunying; Yu, Wei

2016-12-01

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the performance of a system combining a low-temperature water wall radiant heating system and phase change energy storage technology with an active solar system. This system uses a thermal storage wall that is designed with multilayer thermal storage plates. The heat storage material is expanded graphite that absorbs a mixture of capric acid and lauric acid. An experiment is performed to study the actual effect. The following are studied under winter conditions: (1) the temperature of the radiation wall surface, (2) the melting status of the thermal storage material in the internal plate, (3) the density of the heat flux, and (4) the temperature distribution of the indoor space. The results reveal that the room temperature is controlled between 16 and 20 °C, and the thermal storage wall meets the heating and temperature requirements. The following are also studied under summer conditions: (1) the internal relationship between the indoor temperature distribution and the heat transfer within the regenerative plates during the day and (2) the relationship between the outlet air temperature and inlet air temperature in the thermal storage wall in cooling mode at night. The results indicate that the indoor temperature is approximately 27 °C, which satisfies the summer air-conditioning requirements.

Medical evacuation for unrecognized abdominal wall pain: a case series.

PubMed

Msonda, Hapu T; Laczek, Jeffrey T

2015-05-01

Chronic abdominal pain is a frequently encountered complaint in the primary care setting. The abdominal wall is the etiology of this pain in 10 to 30% of all cases of chronic abdominal pain. Abdominal cutaneous nerve entrapment at the lateral border of the rectus abdominis muscle has been attributed as a cause of this pain. In the military health care system, patients with unexplained abdominal pain are often transferred to military treatment facilities via the Military Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) system. We present two cases of patients who transferred via MEDEVAC to our facility for evaluation and treatment of chronic abdominal pain. Both patients had previously undergone extensive laboratory evaluation, imaging, and invasive procedures, such as esophagogastroduodenoscopy before transfer. Upon arrival, history and physical examinations suggested an abdominal wall source to their pain, and both patients experienced alleviation of their abdominal wall pain with lidocaine and corticosteroid injection. This case series highlights the need for military physicians to be aware of abdominal wall pain. Early diagnosis of abdominal cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome by eliciting Carnett's sign will limit symptom chronicity, avoid unnecessary testing, and even prevent medical evacuation. Reprint & Copyright © 2015 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

From Cave Walls to Clay Images

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Julie

2004-01-01

About 15,000 BC, the bison and other animals roamed the land and cave people, in their spare time, found colorful, chalky rocks with which to play. Over the course of time, they found that the chalky rocks would rub off on the cave walls, thus cave paintings and the pursuit of art was born. This article describes one fourth-grade classroom's…

Cross-tie walls and magnetic singularities on the surface of permalloy films (abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y.; Kueny, A.; Koymen, A. R.

1997-04-01

An understanding of the surface magnetic microstructure of thin polycrystalline permalloy films is important for the development of improved magnetoresistive sensors. Scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis (SEMPA) was used to image the surface magnetic domain structure of permalloy films in ultrahigh vacuum. The SEMPA system uses a compact Mott electron spin polarimeter with a Th foil (operating at 25 keV) that has been attached to the back of a hemispherical energy analyzer. Two orthogonal in-plane components of the electron spin polarization were measured to obtain magnetic domain images with excellent contrast. 350 Å Ni83Fe17 films, deposited by Honeywell-Micro Switch using dc magnetron sputtering, were studied. The samples were demagnetized along the easy axis by an ac magnetic field with decreasing amplitude. Using SEMPA, zigzag domain walls separating two large approximately head-on domains were observed. Cross-tie walls were observed with a periodic vortex structure along the straight edges of the zigzag domain walls. The cross-tie walls occur at the points where the magnetization is reversed by 180° across the straight edges of the wall. At high magnification, the elliptical and hyperbolic singularities at the cross-tie walls were clearly observed. In addition, the Néel part and the Bloch part of the cross-tie were distinguished This is a detailed study of cross-tie walls on sputter deposited thin permalloy films using SEMPA and our results are in good agreement with theoretical calculations.

Image reconstruction of dynamic infrared single-pixel imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Qi; Jiang, Yilin; Wang, Haiyan; Guo, Limin

2018-03-01

Single-pixel imaging technique has recently received much attention. Most of the current single-pixel imaging is aimed at relatively static targets or the imaging system is fixed, which is limited by the number of measurements received through the single detector. In this paper, we proposed a novel dynamic compressive imaging method to solve the imaging problem, where exists imaging system motion behavior, for the infrared (IR) rosette scanning system. The relationship between adjacent target images and scene is analyzed under different system movement scenarios. These relationships are used to build dynamic compressive imaging models. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can improve the reconstruction quality of IR image and enhance the contrast between the target and the background in the presence of system movement.

Tangible imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferwerda, James A.

2013-03-01

We are developing tangible imaging systems1-4 that enable natural interaction with virtual objects. Tangible imaging systems are based on consumer mobile devices that incorporate electronic displays, graphics hardware, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and digital cameras, in laptop or tablet-shaped form-factors. Custom software allows the orientation of a device and the position of the observer to be tracked in real-time. Using this information, realistic images of threedimensional objects with complex textures and material properties are rendered to the screen, and tilting or moving in front of the device produces realistic changes in surface lighting and material appearance. Tangible imaging systems thus allow virtual objects to be observed and manipulated as naturally as real ones with the added benefit that object properties can be modified under user control. In this paper we describe four tangible imaging systems we have developed: the tangiBook - our first implementation on a laptop computer; tangiView - a more refined implementation on a tablet device; tangiPaint - a tangible digital painting application; and phantoView - an application that takes the tangible imaging concept into stereoscopic 3D.

Spaceborne electronic imaging systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

Criteria and recommended practices for the design of the spaceborne elements of electronic imaging systems are presented. A spaceborne electronic imaging system is defined as a device that collects energy in some portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with detector(s) whose direct output is an electrical signal that can be processed (using direct transmission or delayed transmission after recording) to form a pictorial image. This definition encompasses both image tube systems and scanning point-detector systems. The intent was to collect the design experience and recommended practice of the several systems possessing the common denominator of acquiring images from space electronically and to maintain the system viewpoint rather than pursuing specialization in devices. The devices may be markedly different physically, but each was designed to provide a particular type of image within particular limitations. Performance parameters which determine the type of system selected for a given mission and which influence the design include: Sensitivity, Resolution, Dynamic range, Spectral response, Frame rate/bandwidth, Optics compatibility, Image motion, Radiation resistance, Size, Weight, Power, and Reliability.

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

PubMed

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

2009-01-01

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

Image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy for prostate cancer: Dose constraints for the anterior rectal wall to minimize rectal toxicity

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

Peterson, Jennifer L., E-mail: peterson.jennifer2@mayo.edu; Buskirk, Steven J.; Heckman, Michael G.

2014-04-01

Rectal adverse events (AEs) are a major concern with definitive radiotherapy (RT) treatment for prostate cancer. The anterior rectal wall is at the greatest risk of injury as it lies closest to the target volume and receives the highest dose of RT. This study evaluated the absolute volume of anterior rectal wall receiving a high dose to identify potential ideal dose constraints that can minimize rectal AEs. A total of 111 consecutive patients with Stage T1c to T3a N0 M0 prostate cancer who underwent image-guided intensity-modulated RT at our institution were included. AEs were graded according to the Common Terminologymore » Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. The volume of anterior rectal wall receiving 5 to 80 Gy in 2.5-Gy increments was determined. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to identify cut points in these volumes that led to an increased risk of early and late rectal AEs. Early AEs occurred in most patients (88%); however, relatively few of them (13%) were grade ≥2. At 5 years, the cumulative incidence of late rectal AEs was 37%, with only 5% being grade ≥2. For almost all RT doses, we identified a threshold of irradiated absolute volume of anterior rectal wall above which there was at least a trend toward a significantly higher rate of AEs. Most strikingly, patients with more than 1.29, 0.73, or 0.45 cm{sup 3} of anterior rectal wall exposed to radiation doses of 67.5, 70, or 72.5 Gy, respectively, had a significantly increased risk of late AEs (relative risks [RR]: 2.18 to 2.72; p ≤ 0.041) and of grade ≥ 2 early AEs (RR: 6.36 to 6.48; p = 0.004). Our study provides evidence that definitive image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) for prostate cancer is well tolerated and also identifies dose thresholds for the absolute volume of anterior rectal wall above which patients are at greater risk of early and late complications.« less

EDITORIAL: Imaging systems and techniques Imaging systems and techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wuqiang; Giakos, George; Nikita, Konstantina; Pastorino, Matteo; Karras, Dimitrios

2009-10-01

The papers in this special issue focus on providing the state-of-the-art approaches and solutions to some of the most challenging imaging areas, such as the design, development, evaluation and applications of imaging systems, measuring techniques, image processing algorithms and instrumentation, with an ultimate aim of enhancing the measurement accuracy and image quality. This special issue explores the principles, engineering developments and applications of new imaging systems and techniques, and encourages broad discussion of imaging methodologies, shaping the future and identifying emerging trends. The multi-faceted field of imaging requires drastic adaptation to the rapid changes in our society, economy, environment and technological evolution. There is an urgent need to address new problems, which tend to be either static but complex, or dynamic, e.g. rapidly evolving with time, with many unknowns, and to propose innovative solutions. For instance, the battles against cancer and terror, monitoring of space resources and enhanced awareness, management of natural resources and environmental monitoring are some of the areas that need to be addressed. The complexity of the involved imaging scenarios and demanding design parameters, e.g. speed, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), specificity, contrast, spatial resolution, scatter rejection, complex background and harsh environments, necessitate the development of a multi-functional, scalable and efficient imaging suite of sensors, solutions driven by innovation, and operation on diverse detection and imaging principles. Efficient medical imaging techniques capable of providing physiological information at the molecular level present another important research area. Advanced metabolic and functional imaging techniques, operating on multiple physical principles, and using high-resolution, high-selectivity nano-imaging methods, quantum dots, nanoparticles, biomarkers, nanostructures, nanosensors, micro-array imaging chips

Image analysis of pulmonary nodules using micro CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niki, Noboru; Kawata, Yoshiki; Fujii, Masashi; Kakinuma, Ryutaro; Moriyama, Noriyuki; Tateno, Yukio; Matsui, Eisuke

2001-07-01

We are developing a micro-computed tomography (micro CT) system for imaging pulmonary nodules. The purpose is to enhance the physician performance in accessing the micro- architecture of the nodule for classification between malignant and benign nodules. The basic components of the micro CT system consist of microfocus X-ray source, a specimen manipulator, and an image intensifier detector coupled to charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. 3D image reconstruction was performed by the slice. A standard fan- beam convolution and backprojection algorithm was used to reconstruct the center plane intersecting the X-ray source. The preprocessing of the 3D image reconstruction included the correction of the geometrical distortions and the shading artifact introduced by the image intensifier. The main advantage of the system is to obtain a high spatial resolution which ranges between b micrometers and 25 micrometers . In this work we report on preliminary studies performed with the micro CT for imaging resected tissues of normal and abnormal lung. Experimental results reveal micro architecture of lung tissues, such as alveolar wall, septal wall of pulmonary lobule, and bronchiole. From the results, the micro CT system is expected to have interesting potentials for high confidential differential diagnosis.

High Resolution X-Ray Micro-CT of Ultra-Thin Wall Space Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, Don J.; Rauser, R. W.; Bowman, Randy R.; Bonacuse, Peter; Martin, Richard E.; Locci, I. E.; Kelley, M.

2012-01-01

A high resolution micro-CT system has been assembled and is being used to provide optimal characterization for ultra-thin wall space components. The Glenn Research Center NDE Sciences Team, using this CT system, has assumed the role of inspection vendor for the Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) project at NASA. This article will discuss many aspects of the development of the CT scanning for this type of component, including CT system overview; inspection requirements; process development, software utilized and developed to visualize, process, and analyze results; calibration sample development; results on actual samples; correlation with optical/SEM characterization; CT modeling; and development of automatic flaw recognition software. Keywords: Nondestructive Evaluation, NDE, Computed Tomography, Imaging, X-ray, Metallic Components, Thin Wall Inspection

Real-Time Imaging of Plant Cell Wall Structure at Nanometer Scale, with Respect to Cellulase Accessibility and Degradation Kinetics (Presentation)

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

Ding, S. Y.

Presentation on real-time imaging of plant cell wall structure at nanometer scale. Objectives are to develop tools to measure biomass at the nanometer scale; elucidate the molecular bases of biomass deconstruction; and identify factors that affect the conversion efficiency of biomass-to-biofuels.

Evaluating the Potential of the GeoWall for Geographic Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slocum, Terry A.; Dunbar, Matthew D.; Egbert, Stephen L.

2007-01-01

This article discusses modern stereoscopic displays for geographic education, focusing on a large-format display--the GeoWall. To evaluate the potential of the GeoWall, geography instructors were asked to express their reactions to images viewed on the GeoWall during a focus group experiment. Instructors overwhelmingly supported using the GeoWall,…

Fluorescence Imaging Topography Scanning System for intraoperative multimodal imaging

PubMed Central

Quang, Tri T.; Kim, Hye-Yeong; Bao, Forrest Sheng; Papay, Francis A.; Edwards, W. Barry; Liu, Yang

2017-01-01

Fluorescence imaging is a powerful technique with diverse applications in intraoperative settings. Visualization of three dimensional (3D) structures and depth assessment of lesions, however, are oftentimes limited in planar fluorescence imaging systems. In this study, a novel Fluorescence Imaging Topography Scanning (FITS) system has been developed, which offers color reflectance imaging, fluorescence imaging and surface topography scanning capabilities. The system is compact and portable, and thus suitable for deployment in the operating room without disturbing the surgical flow. For system performance, parameters including near infrared fluorescence detection limit, contrast transfer functions and topography depth resolution were characterized. The developed system was tested in chicken tissues ex vivo with simulated tumors for intraoperative imaging. We subsequently conducted in vivo multimodal imaging of sentinel lymph nodes in mice using FITS and PET/CT. The PET/CT/optical multimodal images were co-registered and conveniently presented to users to guide surgeries. Our results show that the developed system can facilitate multimodal intraoperative imaging. PMID:28437441

Is the necrosis/wall ADC ratio useful for the differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions?

PubMed

Durur-Subasi, Irmak; Durur-Karakaya, Afak; Karaman, Adem; Seker, Mehmet; Demirci, Elif; Alper, Fatih

2017-05-01

To determine whether the necrosis/wall apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) ratio is useful for the malignant-benign differentiation of necrotic breast lesions. Breast MRI was performed using a 3-T system. In this retrospective study, calculation of the necrosis/wall ADC ratio was based on ADC values measured from the necrosis and from the wall of malignant and benign breast lesions by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). By synchronizing post-contrast T 1 weighted images, the separate parts of wall and necrosis were maintained. All the diagnoses were pathologically confirmed. Statistical analyses were conducted using an independent sample t-test and receiver operating characteristic analysis. The intraclass and interclass correlations were evaluated. A total of 66 female patients were enrolled, 38 of whom had necrotic breast carcinomas and 28 of whom had breast abscesses. The ADC values were obtained from both the wall and necrosis. The mean necrosis/wall ADC ratio (± standard deviation) was 1.61 ± 0.51 in carcinomas, and it was 0.65 ± 0.33 in abscesses. The area under the curve values for necrosis ADC, wall ADC and the necrosis/wall ADC ratio were 0.680, 0.068 and 0.942, respectively. A wall/necrosis ADC ratio cut-off value of 1.18 demonstrated a sensitivity of 97%, specificity of 93%, a positive-predictive value of 95%, a negative-predictive value of 96% and an accuracy of 95% in determining the malignant nature of necrotic breast lesions. There was a good intra- and interclass reliability for the ADC values of both necrosis and wall. The necrosis/wall ADC ratio appears to be a reliable and promising tool for discriminating breast carcinomas from abscesses using DWI. Advances in knowledge: ADC values of the necrosis obtained by DWI are valuable for malignant-benign differentiation in necrotic breast lesions. The necrosis/wall ADC ratio appears to be a reliable and promising tool in the breast imaging field.

Is the necrosis/wall ADC ratio useful for the differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions?

PubMed Central

Durur-Karakaya, Afak; Karaman, Adem; Seker, Mehmet; Demirci, Elif; Alper, Fatih

2017-01-01

Objective: To determine whether the necrosis/wall apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) ratio is useful for the malignant–benign differentiation of necrotic breast lesions. Methods: Breast MRI was performed using a 3-T system. In this retrospective study, calculation of the necrosis/wall ADC ratio was based on ADC values measured from the necrosis and from the wall of malignant and benign breast lesions by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). By synchronizing post-contrast T1 weighted images, the separate parts of wall and necrosis were maintained. All the diagnoses were pathologically confirmed. Statistical analyses were conducted using an independent sample t-test and receiver operating characteristic analysis. The intraclass and interclass correlations were evaluated. Results: A total of 66 female patients were enrolled, 38 of whom had necrotic breast carcinomas and 28 of whom had breast abscesses. The ADC values were obtained from both the wall and necrosis. The mean necrosis/wall ADC ratio (± standard deviation) was 1.61 ± 0.51 in carcinomas, and it was 0.65 ± 0.33 in abscesses. The area under the curve values for necrosis ADC, wall ADC and the necrosis/wall ADC ratio were 0.680, 0.068 and 0.942, respectively. A wall/necrosis ADC ratio cut-off value of 1.18 demonstrated a sensitivity of 97%, specificity of 93%, a positive-predictive value of 95%, a negative-predictive value of 96% and an accuracy of 95% in determining the malignant nature of necrotic breast lesions. There was a good intra- and interclass reliability for the ADC values of both necrosis and wall. Conclusion: The necrosis/wall ADC ratio appears to be a reliable and promising tool for discriminating breast carcinomas from abscesses using DWI. Advances in knowledge: ADC values of the necrosis obtained by DWI are valuable for malignant-benign differentiation in necrotic breast lesions. The necrosis/wall ADC ratio appears to be a reliable and promising tool in the breast imaging field. PMID

Strain-Encoded Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging as an Adjunct for Dobutamine Stress Testing. Incremental Value to Conventional Wall Motion Analysis

PubMed Central

Korosoglou, Grigorios; Lossnitzer, Dirk; Schellberg, Dieter; Lewien, Antje; Wochele, Angela; Schaeufele, Tim; Neizel, Mirja; Steen, Henning; Giannitsis, Evangelos; Katus, Hugo A.; Osman, Nael F.

2009-01-01

Background High-dose dobutamine stress magnetic resonance imaging (DS-MRI) is safe and feasible for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) in humans. However, the assessment of cine scans relies on the visual interpretation of regional wall motion, which is subjective. Recently, Strain-Encoded MRI (SENC) has been proposed for the direct color-coded visualization of myocardial strain. The purpose of our study was to compare the diagnostic value of SENC to that provided by conventional wall motion analysis for the detection of inducible ischemia during DS-MRI. Methods and Results Stress induced ischemia was assessed by wall motion analysis and by SENC in 101 patients with suspected or known CAD and in 17 healthy volunteers who underwent DS-MRI in a clinical 1.5T scanner. Quantitative coronary angiography deemed as the standard reference for the presence or absence of significant CAD (≥50% diameter stenosis). On a coronary vessel level, SENC detected inducible ischemia in 86/101 versus 71/101 diseased coronary vessels (p<0.01 versus cine), and showed normal strain response in 189/202 versus 194/202 vessels with <50% stenosis (p=NS versus cine). On a patient level, SENC detected inducible ischemia in 63/64 versus 55/64 patients with CAD (p<0.05 versus cine), and showed normal strain response in 32/37 versus 34/37 patients without CAD (p=NS versus cine).Quantification analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between strain rate reserve (SRreserve) and coronary artery stenosis severity (r²=0.56, p<0.001), and a cut-off value of SRreserve=1.64 deemed as a highly accurate marker for the detection of stenosis≥50% (AUC=0.96, SE=0.01, 95% CI = 0.94–0.98, p<0.001). Conclusions The direct color-coded visualization of strain on MR-images is a useful adjunct for DS-MRI, which provides incremental value for the detection of CAD compared to conventional wall motion readings on cine images. PMID:19808579

Traction reveals mechanisms of wall effects for microswimmers near boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Xinhui; Marcos, Fu, Henry C.

2017-03-01

The influence of a plane boundary on low-Reynolds-number swimmers has frequently been studied using image systems for flow singularities. However, the boundary effect can also be expressed using a boundary integral representation over the traction on the boundary. We show that examining the traction pattern on the boundary caused by a swimmer can yield physical insights into determining when far-field multipole models are accurate. We investigate the swimming velocities and the traction of a three-sphere swimmer initially placed parallel to an infinite planar wall. In the far field, the instantaneous effect of the wall on the swimmer is well approximated by that of a multipole expansion consisting of a force dipole and a force quadrupole. On the other hand, the swimmer close to the wall must be described by a system of singularities reflecting its internal structure. We show that these limits and the transition between them can be independently identified by examining the traction pattern on the wall, either using a quantitative correlation coefficient or by visual inspection. Last, we find that for nonconstant propulsion, correlations between swimming stroke motions and internal positions are important and not captured by time-averaged traction on the wall, indicating that care must be taken when applying multipole expansions to study boundary effects in cases of nonconstant propulsion.

Traction reveals mechanisms of wall effects for microswimmers near boundaries.

PubMed

Shen, Xinhui; Marcos; Fu, Henry C

2017-03-01

The influence of a plane boundary on low-Reynolds-number swimmers has frequently been studied using image systems for flow singularities. However, the boundary effect can also be expressed using a boundary integral representation over the traction on the boundary. We show that examining the traction pattern on the boundary caused by a swimmer can yield physical insights into determining when far-field multipole models are accurate. We investigate the swimming velocities and the traction of a three-sphere swimmer initially placed parallel to an infinite planar wall. In the far field, the instantaneous effect of the wall on the swimmer is well approximated by that of a multipole expansion consisting of a force dipole and a force quadrupole. On the other hand, the swimmer close to the wall must be described by a system of singularities reflecting its internal structure. We show that these limits and the transition between them can be independently identified by examining the traction pattern on the wall, either using a quantitative correlation coefficient or by visual inspection. Last, we find that for nonconstant propulsion, correlations between swimming stroke motions and internal positions are important and not captured by time-averaged traction on the wall, indicating that care must be taken when applying multipole expansions to study boundary effects in cases of nonconstant propulsion.

The development of a combined b-mode, ARFI, and spectral Doppler ultrasound imaging system for investigating cardiovascular stiffness and hemodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doherty, Joshua R.; Dumont, Douglas M.; Trahey, Gregg E.

2011-03-01

The progression of atherosclerotic disease, caused by the formation of plaques within arteries, is a complex process believed to be a function of the localized mechanical properties and hemodynamic loading associated with the arterial wall. It is hypothesized that measurements of vascular stiffness and wall-shear rate (WSR) may provide important information regarding vascular remodeling, endothelial function, and the growth of soft-lipid filled plaques that could help a clinician better diagnose a patient's risk of clinical events such as stroke. To that end, the approach taken in this work was to combine conventional B-mode, Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI), Shear Wave Elasticity Imaging (SWEI), and spectral Doppler techniques into a single imaging system capable of simultaneously measuring the tissue displacements and WSR throughout the cardiac cycle and over several heartbeats. Implemented on a conventional scanner, the carotid arteries of human subjects were scanned to demonstrate the initial in vivo feasibility of the method. Two non-invasive ultrasound based imaging methods, SAD-SWEI and SAD-Gated Imaging, were developed that measure ARF-induced on-axis tissue displacements, off-axis transverse wave velocities, and WSR throughout the cardiac cycle. Human carotid artery scans were performed in vivo on 5 healthy subjects. Statistical differences were observed in both on-axis proximal wall displacements and transverse wave velocities during diastole compared to systole.

Feasibility of imaging superficial palmar arch using micro-ultrasound, 7T and 3T magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Pruzan, Alison N; Kaufman, Audrey E; Calcagno, Claudia; Zhou, Yu; Fayad, Zahi A; Mani, Venkatesh

2017-02-28

To demonstrate feasibility of vessel wall imaging of the superficial palmar arch using high frequency micro-ultrasound, 7T and 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Four subjects (ages 22-50 years) were scanned on a micro-ultrasound system with a 45-MHz transducer (Vevo 2100, VisualSonics). Subjects' hands were then imaged on a 3T clinical MR scanner (Siemens Biograph MMR) using an 8-channel special purpose phased array carotid coil. Lastly, subjects' hands were imaged on a 7T clinical MR scanner (Siemens Magnetom 7T Whole Body Scanner) using a custom built 8-channel transmit receive carotid coil. All three imaging modalities were subjectively analyzed for image quality and visualization of the vessel wall. Results of this very preliminary study indicated that vessel wall imaging of the superficial palmar arch was feasible with a whole body 7T and 3T MRI in comparison with micro-ultrasound. Subjective analysis of image quality (1-5 scale, 1: poorest, 5: best) from B mode, ultrasound, 3T SPACE MRI and 7T SPACE MRI indicated that the image quality obtained at 7T was superior to both 3T MRI and micro-ultrasound. The 3D SPACE sequence at both 7T and 3T MRI with isotropic voxels allowed for multi-planar reformatting of images and allowed for less operator dependent results as compared to high frequency micro-ultrasound imaging. Although quantitative analysis revealed that there was no significant difference between the three methods, the 7T Tesla trended to have better visibility of the vessel and its wall. Imaging of smaller arteries at the 7T is feasible for evaluating atherosclerosis burden and may be of clinical relevance in multiple diseases.

Wall shear stress estimation in the aorta: Impact of wall motion, spatiotemporal resolution, and phase noise.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Judith; Demedts, Daniel; Mirzaee, Hanieh; Ewert, Peter; Stern, Heiko; Meierhofer, Christian; Menze, Bjoern; Hennemuth, Anja

2018-04-01

Wall shear stress (WSS) presents an important parameter for assessing blood flow characteristics and evaluating flow-mediated lesions in the aorta. To investigate the robustness of WSS and oscillatory shear index (OSI) estimation based on 4D flow MRI against vessel wall motion, spatiotemporal resolution, and velocity encoding (VENC). Simulated and prospective. Synthetic 4D flow MRI data of the aorta, simulated using the Lattice-Boltzmann method; in vivo 4D flow MRI data of the aorta from healthy volunteers (n = 11) and patients with congenital heart defects (n = 17). 1.5T; 4D flow MRI with PEAK-GRAPPA acceleration and prospective electrocardiogram triggering. Predicated upon 3D cubic B-splines interpolation of the image velocity field, WSS was estimated in mid-systole, early-diastole, and late-diastole and OSI was derived. We assessed the impact of spatiotemporal resolution and phase noise, and compared results based on tracked-using deformable registration-and static vessel wall location. Bland-Altman analysis to assess WSS/OSI differences; Hausdorff distance (HD) to assess wall motion; and Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC) to assess correlation of HD with WSS. Synthetic data results show systematic over-/underestimation of WSS when different spatial resolution (mean ± 1.96 SD up to -0.24 ± 0.40 N/m 2 and 0.5 ± 1.38 N/m 2 for 8-fold and 27-fold voxel size, respectively) and VENC-depending phase noise (mean ± 1.96 SD up to 0.31 ± 0.12 N/m 2 and 0.94 ± 0.28 N/m 2 for 2-fold and 4-fold VENC increase, respectively) are given. Neglecting wall motion when defining the vessel wall perturbs WSS estimates to a considerable extent (1.96 SD up to 1.21 N/m 2 ) without systematic over-/underestimation (Bland-Altman mean range -0.06 to 0.05). In addition to sufficient spatial resolution and velocity to noise ratio, accurate tracking of the vessel wall is essential for reliable image-based WSS estimation and should not be

High-resolution ophthalmic imaging system

DOEpatents

Olivier, Scot S.; Carrano, Carmen J.

2007-12-04

A system for providing an improved resolution retina image comprising an imaging camera for capturing a retina image and a computer system operatively connected to the imaging camera, the computer producing short exposures of the retina image and providing speckle processing of the short exposures to provide the improved resolution retina image. The system comprises the steps of capturing a retina image, producing short exposures of the retina image, and speckle processing the short exposures of the retina image to provide the improved resolution retina image.

Rapid dark-blood carotid vessel-wall imaging with random bipolar gradients in a radial SSFP acquisition.

PubMed

Lin, Hung-Yu; Flask, Chris A; Dale, Brian M; Duerk, Jeffrey L

2007-06-01

To investigate and evaluate a new rapid dark-blood vessel-wall imaging method using random bipolar gradients with a radial steady-state free precession (SSFP) acquisition in carotid applications. The carotid artery bifurcations of four asymptomatic volunteers (28-37 years old, mean age = 31 years) were included in this study. Dark-blood contrast was achieved through the use of random bipolar gradients applied prior to the signal acquisition of each radial projection in a balanced SSFP acquisition. The resulting phase variation for moving spins established significant destructive interference in the low-frequency region of k-space. This phase variation resulted in a net nulling of the signal from flowing spins, while the bipolar gradients had a minimal effect on the static spins. The net effect was that the regular SSFP signal amplitude (SA) in stationary tissues was preserved while dark-blood contrast was achieved for moving spins. In this implementation, application of the random bipolar gradient pulses along all three spatial directions nulled the signal from both in-plane and through-plane flow in phantom and in vivo studies. In vivo imaging trials confirmed that dark-blood contrast can be achieved with the radial random bipolar SSFP method, thereby substantially reversing the vessel-to-lumen contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of a conventional rectilinear SSFP "bright-blood" acquisition from bright blood to dark blood with only a modest increase in TR (approximately 4 msec) to accommodate the additional bipolar gradients. Overall, this sequence offers a simple and effective dark-blood contrast mechanism for high-SNR SSFP acquisitions in vessel wall imaging within a short acquisition time.

Imaging system design and image interpolation based on CMOS image sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yu-feng; Liang, Fei; Guo, Rui

2009-11-01

An image acquisition system is introduced, which consists of a color CMOS image sensor (OV9620), SRAM (CY62148), CPLD (EPM7128AE) and DSP (TMS320VC5509A). The CPLD implements the logic and timing control to the system. SRAM stores the image data, and DSP controls the image acquisition system through the SCCB (Omni Vision Serial Camera Control Bus). The timing sequence of the CMOS image sensor OV9620 is analyzed. The imaging part and the high speed image data memory unit are designed. The hardware and software design of the image acquisition and processing system is given. CMOS digital cameras use color filter arrays to sample different spectral components, such as red, green, and blue. At the location of each pixel only one color sample is taken, and the other colors must be interpolated from neighboring samples. We use the edge-oriented adaptive interpolation algorithm for the edge pixels and bilinear interpolation algorithm for the non-edge pixels to improve the visual quality of the interpolated images. This method can get high processing speed, decrease the computational complexity, and effectively preserve the image edges.

A magnetic resonance image-guided breast needle intervention robot system: overview and design considerations.

PubMed

Park, Samuel Byeongjun; Kim, Jung-Gun; Lim, Ki-Woong; Yoon, Chae-Hyun; Kim, Dong-Jun; Kang, Han-Sung; Jo, Yung-Ho

2017-08-01

We developed an image-guided intervention robot system that can be operated in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging gantry. The system incorporates a bendable needle intervention robot for breast cancer patients that overcomes the space limitations of the MR gantry. Most breast coil designs for breast MR imaging have side openings to allow manual localization. However, for many intervention procedures, the patient must be removed from the gantry. A robotic manipulation system with integrated image guidance software was developed. Our robotic manipulator was designed to be slim, so as to fit between the patient's side and the MR gantry wall. Only non-magnetic materials were used, and an electromagnetic shield was employed for cables and circuits. The image guidance software was built using open source libraries. In situ feasibility tests were performed in a 3-T MR system. One target point in the breast phantom was chosen by the clinician for each experiment, and our robot moved the needle close to the target point. Without image-guided feedback control, the needle end could not hit the target point (distance = 5 mm) in the first experiment. Using our robotic system, the needle hits the target lesion of the breast phantom at a distance of 2.3 mm from the same target point using image-guided feedback. The second experiment was performed using other target points, and the distance between the final needle end point and the target point was 0.8 mm. We successfully developed an MR-guided needle intervention robot for breast cancer patients. Further research will allow the expansion of these interventions.

FIZICS: fluorescent imaging zone identification system, a novel macro imaging system.

PubMed

Skwish, Stephen; Asensio, Francisco; King, Greg; Clarke, Glenn; Kath, Gary; Salvatore, Michael J; Dufresne, Claude

2004-12-01

Constantly improving biological assay development continues to drive technological requirements. Recently, a specification was defined for capturing white light and fluorescent images of agar plates ranging in size from the NUNC Omni tray (96-well footprint, 128 x 85 mm) to the NUNC Bio Assay Dish (245 x 245 mm). An evaluation of commercially available products failed to identify any system capable of fluorescent macroimaging with discrete wavelength selection. To address the lack of a commercially available system, a custom imaging system was designed and constructed. This system provides the same capabilities of many commercially available systems with the added ability to fluorescently image up to a 245 x 245 mm area using wavelengths in the visible light spectrum.

Implementation of the WICS Wall Interference Correction System at the National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iyer, Venkit; Everhart, Joel L.; Bir, Pamela J.; Ulbrich, Norbert

2000-01-01

The Wall Interference Correction System (WICS) is operational at the National Transonic Facility (NTF) of NASA Langley Research Center (NASA LaRC) for semispan and full span tests in the solid wall (slots covered) configuration. The method is based on the wall pressure signature method for computing corrections to the measured parameters. It is an adaptation of the WICS code operational at the 12 ft pressure wind tunnel (12ft PWT) of NASA Ames Research Center (NASA ARC). This paper discusses the details of implementation of WICS at the NTF including tunnel calibration, code modifications for tunnel and support geometry, changes made for the NTF wall orifices layout, details of interfacing with the tunnel data processing system, and post-processing of results. Example results of applying WICS to a semispan test and a full span test are presented. Comparison with classical correction results and an analysis of uncertainty in the corrections are also given. As a special application of the code, the Mach number calibration data from a centerline pipe test was computed by WICS. Finally, future work for expanding the applicability of the code including online implementation is discussed.

Implementation of the WICS Wall Interference Correction System at the National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iyer, Venkit; Martin, Lockheed; Everhart, Joel L.; Bir, Pamela J.; Ulbrich, Norbert

2000-01-01

The Wall Interference Correction System (WICS) is operational at the National Transonic Facility (NTF) of NASA Langley Research Center (NASA LaRC) for semispan and full span tests in the solid wall (slots covered) configuration, The method is based on the wall pressure signature method for computing corrections to the measured parameters. It is an adaptation of the WICS code operational at the 12 ft pressure wind tunnel (12ft PWT) of NASA Ames Research Center (NASA ARC). This paper discusses the details of implementation of WICS at the NTF including, tunnel calibration, code modifications for tunnel and support geometry, changes made for the NTF wall orifices layout, details of interfacing with the tunnel data processing system, and post-processing of results. Example results of applying WICS to a semispan test and a full span test are presented. Comparison with classical correction results and an analysis of uncertainty in the corrections are also given. As a special application of the code, the Mach number calibration data from a centerline pipe test was computed by WICS. Finally, future work for expanding the applicability of the code including online implementation is discussed.

Multi-channel medical imaging system

DOEpatents

Frangioni, John V

2013-12-31

A medical imaging system provides simultaneous rendering of visible light and fluorescent images. The system may employ dyes in a small-molecule form that remain in the subject's blood stream for several minutes, allowing real-time imaging of the subject's circulatory system superimposed upon a conventional, visible light image of the subject. The system may provide an excitation light source to excite the fluorescent substance and a visible light source for general illumination within the same optical guide used to capture images. The system may be configured for use in open surgical procedures by providing an operating area that is closed to ambient light. The systems described herein provide two or more diagnostic imaging channels for capture of multiple, concurrent diagnostic images and may be used where a visible light image may be usefully supplemented by two or more images that are independently marked for functional interest.

Multi-channel medical imaging system

DOEpatents

Frangioni, John V.

2016-05-03

A medical imaging system provides simultaneous rendering of visible light and fluorescent images. The system may employ dyes in a small-molecule form that remain in a subject's blood stream for several minutes, allowing real-time imaging of the subject's circulatory system superimposed upon a conventional, visible light image of the subject. The system may provide an excitation light source to excite the fluorescent substance and a visible light source for general illumination within the same optical guide used to capture images. The system may be configured for use in open surgical procedures by providing an operating area that is closed to ambient light. The systems described herein provide two or more diagnostic imaging channels for capture of multiple, concurrent diagnostic images and may be used where a visible light image may be usefully supplemented by two or more images that are independently marked for functional interest.

Parameter Sensitivity Study of the Wall Interference Correction System (WICS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Eric L.; Everhart, Joel L.; Iyer, Venkit

2001-01-01

An off-line version of the Wall Interference Correction System (WICS) has been implemented for the "NASA Langley National Transonic Facility. The correction capability is currently restricted to corrections for solid wall interference in the model pitch plane for Mach numbers, less than 0.45 due to a limitation in tunnel calibration data. A study to assess output sensitivity to the aerodynamic parameters of Reynolds number and Mach number was conducted on this code to further ensure quality during the correction process. In addition, this paper includes all investigation into possible correction due to a semispan test technique using a non metric standoff and all improvement to the standard data rejection algorithm.

Java-based remote viewing and processing of nuclear medicine images: toward "the imaging department without walls".

PubMed

Slomka, P J; Elliott, E; Driedger, A A

2000-01-01

In nuclear medicine practice, images often need to be reviewed and reports prepared from locations outside the department, usually in the form of hard copy. Although hard-copy images are simple and portable, they do not offer electronic data search and image manipulation capabilities. On the other hand, picture archiving and communication systems or dedicated workstations cannot be easily deployed at numerous locations. To solve this problem, we propose a Java-based remote viewing station (JaRViS) for the reading and reporting of nuclear medicine images using Internet browser technology. JaRViS interfaces to the clinical patient database of a nuclear medicine workstation. All JaRViS software resides on a nuclear medicine department server. The contents of the clinical database can be searched by a browser interface after providing a password. Compressed images with the Java applet and color lookup tables are downloaded on the client side. This paradigm does not require nuclear medicine software to reside on remote computers, which simplifies support and deployment of such a system. To enable versatile reporting of the images, color tables and thresholds can be interactively manipulated and images can be displayed in a variety of layouts. Image filtering, frame grouping (adding frames), and movie display are available. Tomographic mode displays are supported, including gated SPECT. The time to display 14 lung perfusion images in 128 x 128 matrix together with the Java applet and color lookup tables over a V.90 modem is <1 min. SPECT and PET slice reorientation is interactive (<1 s). JaRViS could run on a Windows 95/98/NT or a Macintosh platform with Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Intemet Explorer. The performance of Java code for bilinear interpolation, cine display, and filtering approaches that of a standard imaging workstation. It is feasible to set up a remote nuclear medicine viewing station using Java and an Internet or intranet browser. Images can be made

Identification of the layered morphology of the esophageal wall by optical coherence tomography

PubMed Central

Yokosawa, Satoshi; Koike, Tomoyuki; Kitagawa, Yasushi; Hatta, Waku; Uno, Kaname; Abe, Yasuhiko; Iijima, Katsunori; Imatani, Akira; Ohara, Shuichi; Shimosegawa, Tooru

2009-01-01

AIM: To assess each layer of the optical coherence tomography (OCT) image of the esophageal wall with reference to the histological structure. METHODS: Resected specimens of fresh pig esophagus was used as a model for the esophageal wall. We injected cyanoacrylate adhesive into the specimens to create a marker, and scanned them using a miniature OCT probe. The localization of these markers was assessed in the OCT images. Then we compared the OCT-imaged morphology with the corresponding histological section, guided by the cyanoacrylate adhesive markers. We prepared a second set of experiments using nylon sutures as markers. RESULTS: The OCT image of the esophageal specimen has a clear five-layered morphology. First, it consisted of a relatively less reflective layer; second, a more reflective layer; third, a less reflective layer; fourth, a more reflective layer; and fifth, a less reflective layer. Comparing the OCT images with marked histological sections showed that the first layer corresponded to stratified squamous epithelium; the second to lamina propria; the third to muscularis mucosa; fourth, submucosa; and fifth, muscularis propria with deeper structures of the esophageal wall. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the OCT image of the normal esophageal wall showed a five-layered morphology, which corresponds to histological esophageal wall components. PMID:19764091

Identification of the layered morphology of the esophageal wall by optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Yokosawa, Satoshi; Koike, Tomoyuki; Kitagawa, Yasushi; Hatta, Waku; Uno, Kaname; Abe, Yasuhiko; Iijima, Katsunori; Imatani, Akira; Ohara, Shuichi; Shimosegawa, Tooru

2009-09-21

To assess each layer of the optical coherence tomography (OCT) image of the esophageal wall with reference to the histological structure. Resected specimens of fresh pig esophagus was used as a model for the esophageal wall. We injected cyanoacrylate adhesive into the specimens to create a marker, and scanned them using a miniature OCT probe. The localization of these markers was assessed in the OCT images. Then we compared the OCT-imaged morphology with the corresponding histological section, guided by the cyanoacrylate adhesive markers. We prepared a second set of experiments using nylon sutures as markers. The OCT image of the esophageal specimen has a clear five-layered morphology. First, it consisted of a relatively less reflective layer; second, a more reflective layer; third, a less reflective layer; fourth, a more reflective layer; and fifth, a less reflective layer. Comparing the OCT images with marked histological sections showed that the first layer corresponded to stratified squamous epithelium; the second to lamina propria; the third to muscularis mucosa; fourth, submucosa; and fifth, muscularis propria with deeper structures of the esophageal wall. We demonstrated that the OCT image of the normal esophageal wall showed a five-layered morphology, which corresponds to histological esophageal wall components.

A novel x-ray imaging system and its imaging performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Chunyu; Chang, Benkang; Wang, Shiyun; Zhang, Junju; Yao, Xiao

2006-09-01

Since x-ray was discovered and applied to the imaging technology, the x-ray imaging techniques have experienced several improvements, from film-screen, x-ray image intensifier, CR to DR. To store and transmit the image information conveniently, the digital imaging is necessary for the imaging techniques in medicine and biology. Usually as the intensifying screen technique as for concerned, to get the digital image signals, the CCD was lens coupled directly to the screen, but which suffers from a loss of x-ray signal and resulted in the poor x-ray image perfonnance. Therefore, to improve the image performance, we joined the brightness intensifier, which, was named the Low Light Level (LLL) image intensifier in military affairs, between the intensifying screen and the CCD and designed the novel x-ray imaging system. This design method improved the image performance of the whole system thus decreased the x-ray dose. Comparison between two systems with and without the brightness intensifier was given in detail in this paper. Moreover, the main noise source of the image produced by the novel system was analyzed, and in this paper, the original images produced by the novel x-ray imaging system and the processed images were given respectively. It was clear that the image performance was satisfied and the x-ray imaging system can be used in security checking and many other nondestructive checking fields.

A low dimensional dynamical system for the wall layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aubry, N.; Keefe, L. R.

1987-01-01

Low dimensional dynamical systems which model a fully developed turbulent wall layer were derived.The model is based on the optimally fast convergent proper orthogonal decomposition, or Karhunen-Loeve expansion. This decomposition provides a set of eigenfunctions which are derived from the autocorrelation tensor at zero time lag. Via Galerkin projection, low dimensional sets of ordinary differential equations in time, for the coefficients of the expansion, were derived from the Navier-Stokes equations. The energy loss to the unresolved modes was modeled by an eddy viscosity representation, analogous to Heisenberg's spectral model. A set of eigenfunctions and eigenvalues were obtained from direct numerical simulation of a plane channel at a Reynolds number of 6600, based on the mean centerline velocity and the channel width flow and compared with previous work done by Herzog. Using the new eigenvalues and eigenfunctions, a new ten dimensional set of ordinary differential equations were derived using five non-zero cross-stream Fourier modes with a periodic length of 377 wall units. The dynamical system was integrated for a range of the eddy viscosity prameter alpha. This work is encouraging.

High-resolution 3D coronary vessel wall imaging with near 100% respiratory efficiency using epicardial fat tracking: reproducibility and comparison with standard methods.

PubMed

Scott, Andrew D; Keegan, Jennifer; Firmin, David N

2011-01-01

To quantitatively assess the performance and reproducibility of 3D spiral coronary artery wall imaging with beat-to-beat respiratory-motion-correction (B2B-RMC) compared to navigator gated 2D spiral and turbo-spin-echo (TSE) acquisitions. High-resolution (0.7 × 0.7 mm) cross-sectional right coronary wall acquisitions were performed in 10 subjects using four techniques (B2B-RMC 3D spiral with alternate (2RR) and single (1RR) R-wave gating, navigator-gated 2D spiral (2RR) and navigator-gated 2D TSE (2RR)) on two occasions. Wall thickness measurements were compared with repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Reproducibility was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). In all, 91% (73/80) of acquisitions were successful (failures: four TSE, two 3D spiral (1RR) and one 3D spiral (2RR)). Respiratory efficiency of the B2B-RMC was less variable and substantially higher than for navigator gating (99.6 ± 1.2% vs. 39.0 ± 7.5%, P < 0.0001). Coronary wall thicknesses (± standard deviation [SD]) were not significantly different: 1.10 ± 0.14 mm (3D spiral (2RR)), 1.20 ± 0.16 mm (3D spiral (1RR)), 1.14 ± 0.15 mm (2D spiral), and 1.21 ± 0.17 mm (TSE). Wall thickness reproducibility ranged from good (ICC = 0.65, 3D spiral (1RR)) to excellent (ICC = 0.87, 3D spiral (2RR)). High-resolution 3D spiral imaging with B2B-RMC permits coronary vessel wall assessment over multiple thin contiguous slices in a clinically feasible duration. Excellent reproducibility of the technique potentially enables studies of disease progression/regression. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Wall of Remembrance: Images and Themes of the Holocaust.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, William E.

This pilot study included a content analysis of the Wall of Remembrance (also known as the Childrens Tile Wall) on display at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, D.C. This artwork is composed of 3,324 six-inch square tiles depicting the impressions of children, adolescents and a few adults regarding the Holocaust.…

Color analysis of the human airway wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopalakrishnan, Deepa; McLennan, Geoffrey; Donnelley, Martin; Delsing, Angela; Suter, Melissa; Flaherty, Dawn; Zabner, Joseph; Hoffman, Eric A.; Reinhardt, Joseph M.

2002-04-01

A bronchoscope can be used to examine the mucosal surface of the airways for abnormalities associated with a variety of lung diseases. The diagnosis of these abnormalities through the process of bronchoscopy is based, in part, on changes in airway wall color. Therefore it is important to characterize the normal color inside the airways. We propose a standardized method to calibrate the bronchoscopic imaging system and to tabulate the normal colors of the airway. Our imaging system consists of a Pentium PC and video frame grabber, coupled with a true color bronchoscope. The calibration procedure uses 24 standard color patches. Images of these color patches at three different distances (1, 1.5, and 2 cm) were acquired using the bronchoscope in a darkened room, to assess repeatability and sensitivity to illumination. The images from the bronchoscope are in a device-dependent Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color space, which was converted to a tri-stimulus image and then into a device-independent color space sRGB image by a fixed polynomial transformation. Images were acquired from five normal human volunteer subjects, two cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and one normal heavy smoker subject. The hue and saturation values of regions within the normal airway were tabulated and these values were compared with the values obtained from regions within the airways of the CF patients and the normal heavy smoker. Repeated measurements of the same region in the airways showed no measurable change in hue or saturation.

X-Ray Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The FluoroScan Imaging System is a high resolution, low radiation device for viewing stationary or moving objects. It resulted from NASA technology developed for x-ray astronomy and Goddard application to a low intensity x-ray imaging scope. FlouroScan Imaging Systems, Inc, (formerly HealthMate, Inc.), a NASA licensee, further refined the FluoroScan System. It is used for examining fractures, placement of catheters, and in veterinary medicine. Its major components include an x-ray generator, scintillator, visible light image intensifier and video display. It is small, light and maneuverable.

Pulmonary Aspergillus chest wall involvement in chronic granulomatous disease: CT and MRI findings.

PubMed

Kawashima, A; Kuhlman, J E; Fishman, E K; Tempany, C M; Magid, D; Lederman, H M; Winkelstein, J A; Zerhouni, E A

1991-01-01

Pulmonary Aspergillus infection in patients with chronic granulomatous disease tends to involve the chest wall and consequently carries a high mortality rate. We report the findings of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in three such cases. One patient underwent both CT and MRI, one, CT only, and one, MRI only. In all three, both CT and MRI demonstrated pulmonary consolidations with direct extension to the adjacent chest wall. In both patients who were examined by CT, scans revealed permeative osteolytic changes of adjacent rib or spine compatible with osteomyelitis. In both patients who were examined by MRI, adjacent chest wall involvement was depicted on T1-weighted images and showed increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images. In one of these patients, the chest wall lesion was well defined on T2-weighted images, an appearance compatible with abscess. Epidural extension was demonstrated on MRI in the other patient, who later developed paraparesis. We suggest that CT and MRI have a complementary role in evaluating chest wall invasion by pulmonary Aspergillus infection in chronic granulomatous disease.

Ultrasound Imaging System Video

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

In this video, astronaut Peggy Whitson uses the Human Research Facility (HRF) Ultrasound Imaging System in the Destiny Laboratory of the International Space Station (ISS) to image her own heart. The Ultrasound Imaging System provides three-dimension image enlargement of the heart and other organs, muscles, and blood vessels. It is capable of high resolution imaging in a wide range of applications, both research and diagnostic, such as Echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart), abdominal, vascular, gynecological, muscle, tendon, and transcranial ultrasound.

7. INTERIOR, MAIN GARAGE, SOUTHERN WALL, FROM CLOSE TO WALL, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

7. INTERIOR, MAIN GARAGE, SOUTHERN WALL, FROM CLOSE TO WALL, LOOKING SOUTH, SHOWING 'GAMEWELL' FIRE ALARM TAPE CONTROL SYSTEM (TECHNOLOGY CIRCA 1910) AT CENTER, AND ENTRY TO OFFICE AT FAR RIGHT. - Oakland Naval Supply Center, Firehouse, East of Fourth Street, between A & B Streets, Oakland, Alameda County, CA

Imaging and quantitative data acquisition of biological cell walls with Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Acoustic Microscopy

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

Tittmann, B. R.; Xi, X.

This chapter demonstrates the feasibility of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and High Frequency Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (HF-SAM) as tools to characterize biological tissues. Both the AFM and the SAM have shown to provide imaging (with different resolution) and quantitative elasticity measuring abilities. Plant cell walls with minimal disturbance and under conditions of their native state have been examined with these two kinds of microscopy. After descriptions of both the SAM and AFM, their special features and the typical sample preparation is discussed. The sample preparation is focused here on epidermal peels of onion scales and celery epidermis cells which weremore » sectioned for the AFM to visualize the inner surface (closest to the plasma membrane) of the outer epidermal wall. The nm-wide cellulose microfibrils orientation and multilayer structure were clearly observed. The microfibril orientation and alignment tend to be more organized in older scales compared with younger scales. The onion epidermis cell wall was also used as a test analog to study cell wall elasticity by the AFM nanoindentation and the SAM V(z) feature. The novelty in this work was to demonstrate the capability of these two techniques to analyze isolated, single layered plant cell walls in their natural state. AFM nanoindentation was also used to probe the effects of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and calcium ion treatment to modify pectin networks in cell walls. The results suggest a significant modulus increase in the calcium ion treatment and a slight decrease in EDTA treatment. To complement the AFM measurements, the HF-SAM was used to obtain the V(z) signatures of the onion epidermis. These measurements were focused on documenting the effect of pectinase enzyme treatment. The results indicate a significant change in the V(z) signature curves with time into the enzyme treatment. Thus AFM and HF-SAM open the door to a systematic nondestructive structure and mechanical

Improved Interactive Medical-Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Muriel D.; Twombly, Ian A.; Senger, Steven

2003-01-01

An improved computational-simulation system for interactive medical imaging has been invented. The system displays high-resolution, three-dimensional-appearing images of anatomical objects based on data acquired by such techniques as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI). The system enables users to manipulate the data to obtain a variety of views for example, to display cross sections in specified planes or to rotate images about specified axes. Relative to prior such systems, this system offers enhanced capabilities for synthesizing images of surgical cuts and for collaboration by users at multiple, remote computing sites.

Search for domain wall dark matter with atomic clocks on board global positioning system satellites.

PubMed

Roberts, Benjamin M; Blewitt, Geoffrey; Dailey, Conner; Murphy, Mac; Pospelov, Maxim; Rollings, Alex; Sherman, Jeff; Williams, Wyatt; Derevianko, Andrei

2017-10-30

Cosmological observations indicate that dark matter makes up 85% of all matter in the universe yet its microscopic composition remains a mystery. Dark matter could arise from ultralight quantum fields that form macroscopic objects. Here we use the global positioning system as a ~ 50,000 km aperture dark matter detector to search for such objects in the form of domain walls. Global positioning system navigation relies on precision timing signals furnished by atomic clocks. As the Earth moves through the galactic dark matter halo, interactions with domain walls could cause a sequence of atomic clock perturbations that propagate through the satellite constellation at galactic velocities ~ 300 km s -1 . Mining 16 years of archival data, we find no evidence for domain walls at our current sensitivity level. This improves the limits on certain quadratic scalar couplings of domain wall dark matter to standard model particles by several orders of magnitude.

Image formation analysis and high resolution image reconstruction for plenoptic imaging systems.

PubMed

Shroff, Sapna A; Berkner, Kathrin

2013-04-01

Plenoptic imaging systems are often used for applications like refocusing, multimodal imaging, and multiview imaging. However, their resolution is limited to the number of lenslets. In this paper we investigate paraxial, incoherent, plenoptic image formation, and develop a method to recover some of the resolution for the case of a two-dimensional (2D) in-focus object. This enables the recovery of a conventional-resolution, 2D image from the data captured in a plenoptic system. We show simulation results for a plenoptic system with a known response and Gaussian sensor noise.

Injuries on British climbing walls.

PubMed Central

Limb, D

1995-01-01

A postal survey was carried out of the 90 most accessible climbing walls in England, Scotland and Wales to determine the incidence and nature of injuries requiring emergency treatment associated with their use. Over a two year period, representing 1.021 million visits to the 56 walls used by more than 30 climbers per week, 55 significant injuries were recorded. The rate of injury was not related to any identified design or safety feature of the walls, although upper limb injuries were proportionally more common in walls which provided thinner fixed landing mats rather than thicker, moveable crash mats. The overall rate of injury was very low and climbers seem to modify risk taking behaviour and thus compensate for the level of safety equipment available. It may be possible to reduce the injury rate further by providing seamless ground cover with matting of adequate energy absorbency. Images Figure 1 PMID:8800849

Skyrmion domain wall collision and domain wall-gated skyrmion logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Xiangjun; Pong, Philip W. T.; Zhou, Yan

2016-08-01

Skyrmions and domain walls are significant spin textures of great technological relevance to magnetic memory and logic applications, where they can be used as carriers of information. The unique topology of skyrmions makes them display emergent dynamical properties as compared with domain walls. Some studies have demonstrated that the two topologically inequivalent magnetic objects could be interconverted by using cleverly designed geometric structures. Here, we numerically address the skyrmion domain wall collision in a magnetic racetrack by introducing relative motion between the two objects based on a specially designed junction. An electric current serves as the driving force that moves a skyrmion toward a trapped domain wall pair. We see different types of collision dynamics depending on the driving parameters. Most importantly, the modulation of skyrmion transport using domain walls is realized in this system, allowing a set of domain wall-gated logical NOT, NAND, and NOR gates to be constructed. This work provides a skyrmion-based spin-logic architecture that is fully compatible with racetrack memories.

The Resistive-Wall Instability in Multipulse Linear Induction Accelerators

DOE PAGES

Ekdahl, Carl

2017-05-01

The resistive-wall instability results from the Lorentz force on the beam due to the beam image charge and current. If the beam pipe is perfectly conducting, the electric force due to the image charge attracts the beam to the pipe wall, and the magnetic force due to the image current repels the beam from the wall. For a relativistic beam, these forces almost cancel, leaving a slight attractive force, which is easily overcome by external magnetic focusing. However, if the beam pipe is not perfectly conducting, the magnetic field due to the image current decays on a magnetic-diffusion time scale.more » If the beam pulse is longer than the magnetic diffusion time, the repulsion of the beam tail will be weaker than the repulsion of the beam head. In the absence of an external focusing force, this causes a head-to-tail sweep of the beam toward the wall. This instability is usually thought to be a concern only for long-pulse relativistic electron beams. However, with the advent of multipulse, high current linear induction accelerators, the possibility of pulse-to-pulse coupling of this instability should be investigated. Lastly, we have explored pulse-to-pulse coupling using the linear accelerator model for Dual Axis Radiography for Hydrodynamic Testing beam dynamics code, and we present the results of this paper.« less

The Resistive-Wall Instability in Multipulse Linear Induction Accelerators

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

Ekdahl, Carl

The resistive-wall instability results from the Lorentz force on the beam due to the beam image charge and current. If the beam pipe is perfectly conducting, the electric force due to the image charge attracts the beam to the pipe wall, and the magnetic force due to the image current repels the beam from the wall. For a relativistic beam, these forces almost cancel, leaving a slight attractive force, which is easily overcome by external magnetic focusing. However, if the beam pipe is not perfectly conducting, the magnetic field due to the image current decays on a magnetic-diffusion time scale.more » If the beam pulse is longer than the magnetic diffusion time, the repulsion of the beam tail will be weaker than the repulsion of the beam head. In the absence of an external focusing force, this causes a head-to-tail sweep of the beam toward the wall. This instability is usually thought to be a concern only for long-pulse relativistic electron beams. However, with the advent of multipulse, high current linear induction accelerators, the possibility of pulse-to-pulse coupling of this instability should be investigated. Lastly, we have explored pulse-to-pulse coupling using the linear accelerator model for Dual Axis Radiography for Hydrodynamic Testing beam dynamics code, and we present the results of this paper.« less

Image-guided intervention in the human bile duct using scanning fiber endoscope system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seibel, Eric J.; Jo, Javier A.; Melville, C. David; Johnston, Richard S.; Naumann, Christopher R.; Saunders, Michael D.

2012-01-01

Bile duct cancers are increasing in frequency while being difficult to diagnose. Currently available endoscopic imaging devices used in the biliary tree are low resolution with poor image quality, leading to inadequate evaluation of indeterminate biliary strictures. However, a new ultrathin and flexible cholangioscope system has been successfully demonstrated in a human subject. This mini-cholangioscope system uses a scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) as a forward-imaging guidewire, dimensions of 1.2-mm diameter and 3-m length. Full color video (500-line resolution at 30Hz) is the standard SFE imaging mode using spiral scanning of red, green, and blue laser light at low power. Image-guided operation of the biopsy forceps was demonstrated in healthy human bile ducts with and without saline flushing. The laser-based video imaging can be switched to various modes to enhance tissue markers of disease, such as widefield fluorescence and enhanced spectral imaging. In parallel work, biochemical discrimination of tissue health in pig bile duct has been accomplished using fiberoptic delivery of pulsed UV illumination and time-resolved autofluorescence spectroscopic measurements. Implementation of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy for biochemical assessment of the bile duct wall is being done through a secondary endoscopic channel. Preliminary results indicate that adequate SNR levels (> 30 dB) can be achieved through a 50 micron fiber, which could serve as an optical biopsy probe. The SFE is an ideal mini-cholangioscope for integration of both tissue and molecular specific image contrast in the future. This will provide the physician with unprecedented abilities to target biopsy locations and perform endoscopically-guided therapies.

Multisensor Image Analysis System

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-15

AD-A263 679 II Uli! 91 Multisensor Image Analysis System Final Report Authors. Dr. G. M. Flachs Dr. Michael Giles Dr. Jay Jordan Dr. Eric...or decision, unless so designated by other documentation. 93-09739 *>ft s n~. now illlllM3lMVf Multisensor Image Analysis System Final...Multisensor Image Analysis System 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED FINAL: LQj&tt-Z JZOfVL 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 93 > 6. AUTHOR(S) Drs. Gerald

Electrochemical wall shear rate microscopy of collapsing bubbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reuter, Fabian; Mettin, Robert

2018-06-01

An electrochemical high-speed wall shear raster microscope is presented. It involves chronoamperometric measurements on a microelectrode that is flush-mounted in a submerged test specimen. Wall shear rates are derived from the measured microelectrode signal by numerically solving a convection-diffusion equation with an optimization approach. This way, the unsteady wall shear rates from the collapse of a laser pulse seeded cavitation bubble close to a substrate are measured. By planar scanning, they are resolved in high spatial resolution. The wall shear rates are related to the bubble dynamics via synchronized high-speed imaging of the bubble shape.

Virtual angioscopic visualization and analysis of coronary aneurysms using intravascular ultrasound images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayeni, Tina A.; Holmes, David R., III; Robb, Richard A.

2001-05-01

Kawasaki Disease is an inflammatory illness of young children that can seriously affect the cardiovascular system. The disease may cause coronary artery aneurysms, a thinning and dilation of the arterial wall when the wall is weakened by disease. Such aneurysms significantly increase the risk of rupture of the arterial wall, an event from which few patients survive. Due to the largely asymptotic nature of coronary aneurysms, diagnosis must be timely and accurate in order for treatment to be effective. Currently, aneurysms are detected primarily using X-ray angiography, MRI, and CT images. Increased insight into the disease and its effects on the arterial wall can be gained by multi-dimensional computerized visualization and quantitative analysis of diagnostic images made possible by the techniques of intravascular imaging and virtual endoscopy. Intravascular ultrasound images (IVUS) of a coronary artery exhibiting aneurysms were acquired from a patient with Kawasaki Disease. The disease is characterized by low luminescent in the IVUS images. Image segmentation of the abnormal, prominent anechoic regions branching from the lumen and originating within other layers of the arterial wall was performed and each region defined as a separate object. An object segmentation map was generated and used in perspective rendering of the original image volume set at successive locations along the length of the arterial segment, producing a 'fly-through' of the interior of the artery. The diseased region (aneurysm) of the wall was well defined by the differences in luminal size and by differences in appearance of the arterial wall shape observed during virtual angioscopic fly-throughs. Erosions of the endovascular surface caused pronounced horizontal and vertical ballooning of the lumen. Minute cracks within the unaffected luminal areas revealed possible early development of an aneurysm on the contralateral wall, originating in the medial section of the artery and spreading

Delayed Contrast-Enhanced MRI of the Coronary Artery Wall in Takayasu Arteritis

PubMed Central

Schneeweis, Christopher; Schnackenburg, Bernhard; Stuber, Matthias; Berger, Alexander; Schneider, Udo; Yu, Jing; Gebker, Rolf; Weiss, Robert G.; Fleck, Eckart; Kelle, Sebastian

2012-01-01

Background Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare form of chronic inflammatory granulomatous arteritis of the aorta and its major branches. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated its value for the detection of vessel wall alterations in TA. The aim of this study was to assess LGE of the coronary artery wall in patients with TA compared to patients with stable CAD. Methods We enrolled 9 patients (8 female, average age 46±13 years) with proven TA. In the CAD group 9 patients participated (8 male, average age 65±10 years). Studies were performed on a commercial 3T whole-body MR imaging system (Achieva; Philips, Best, The Netherlands) using a 3D inversion prepared navigator gated spoiled gradient-echo sequence, which was repeated 34–45 minutes after low-dose gadolinium administration. Results No coronary vessel wall enhancement was observed prior to contrast in either group. Post contrast, coronary LGE on IR scans was detected in 28 of 50 segments (56%) seen on T2-Prep scans in TA and in 25 of 57 segments (44%) in CAD patients. LGE quantitative assessment of coronary artery vessel wall CNR post contrast revealed no significant differences between the two groups (CNR in TA: 6.0±2.4 and 7.3±2.5 in CAD; p = 0.474). Conclusion Our findings suggest that LGE of the coronary artery wall seems to be common in patients with TA and similarly pronounced as in CAD patients. The observed coronary LGE seems to be rather unspecific, and differentiation between coronary vessel wall fibrosis and inflammation still remains unclear. PMID:23236382

Delayed contrast-enhanced MRI of the coronary artery wall in takayasu arteritis.

PubMed

Schneeweis, Christopher; Schnackenburg, Bernhard; Stuber, Matthias; Berger, Alexander; Schneider, Udo; Yu, Jing; Gebker, Rolf; Weiss, Robert G; Fleck, Eckart; Kelle, Sebastian

2012-01-01

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare form of chronic inflammatory granulomatous arteritis of the aorta and its major branches. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated its value for the detection of vessel wall alterations in TA. The aim of this study was to assess LGE of the coronary artery wall in patients with TA compared to patients with stable CAD. We enrolled 9 patients (8 female, average age 46±13 years) with proven TA. In the CAD group 9 patients participated (8 male, average age 65±10 years). Studies were performed on a commercial 3T whole-body MR imaging system (Achieva; Philips, Best, The Netherlands) using a 3D inversion prepared navigator gated spoiled gradient-echo sequence, which was repeated 34-45 minutes after low-dose gadolinium administration. No coronary vessel wall enhancement was observed prior to contrast in either group. Post contrast, coronary LGE on IR scans was detected in 28 of 50 segments (56%) seen on T2-Prep scans in TA and in 25 of 57 segments (44%) in CAD patients. LGE quantitative assessment of coronary artery vessel wall CNR post contrast revealed no significant differences between the two groups (CNR in TA: 6.0±2.4 and 7.3±2.5 in CAD; p = 0.474). Our findings suggest that LGE of the coronary artery wall seems to be common in patients with TA and similarly pronounced as in CAD patients. The observed coronary LGE seems to be rather unspecific, and differentiation between coronary vessel wall fibrosis and inflammation still remains unclear.

Thermostable luciferase from Luciola cruciate for imaging of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotubes carrying doxorubicin using in vivo imaging system.

PubMed

El-Sayed, Ramy; Eita, Mohamed; Barrefelt, Asa; Ye, Fei; Jain, Himanshu; Fares, Mona; Lundin, Arne; Crona, Mikael; Abu-Salah, Khalid; Muhammed, Mamoun; Hassan, Moustapha

2013-04-10

In the present study, we introduce a novel method for in vivo imaging of the biodistribution of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) labeled with recombinant thermo-stable Luciola cruciata luciferase (LcL). In addition, we highlight a new application for green fluorescent proteins in which they are utilized as imaging moieties for SWNTs. Carbon nanotubes show great positive potential compared to other drug nanocarriers with respect to loading capacity, cell internalization, and biodegradability. We have also studied the effect of binding mode (chemical conjugation and physical adsorption) on the chemiluminescence activity, decay rate, and half-life. We have shown that through proper chemical conjugation of LcL to CNTs, LcL remained biologically active for the catalysis of d-luciferin in the presence of ATP to release detectable amounts of photons for in vivo imaging. Chemiluminescence of LcL allows imaging of CNTs and their cargo in nonsuperficial locations at an organ resolution with no need of an excitation source. Loading LcL-CNTs with the antitumor antibiotic doxorubicin did not alter their biological activity for imaging. In vivo imaging of LcL-CNTs has been carried out using "IVIS spectrum" showing the uptake of LcL-CNTs by different organs in mice. We believe that the LcL-CNT system is an advanced powerful tool for in vivo imaging and therefore a step toward the advancement of the nanomedicine field.

Applications of Green Walls in Urban Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Virtudes, Ana; Manso, Maria

2016-10-01

Green walls are a choice towards achieving sustainable urban rehabilitation, due to the lack of free space in the consolidated urban fabric. Nowadays, green walls are considered to be an innovation in the fields of ecology, horticulture or buildings. Nevertheless, in the domain of urban design, they are still surprising and unexpected ideas. Thus, this research aims to reflect on green walls as a feature in urban design and rehabilitation, identifying the advantages of their utilization as an enhancement of the quality of city's image, especially in dense urban areas. It aims to demonstrate some practical applications of green walls in urban design proposals, showing model solutions and their real application in several architectural examples.

Molded Concrete Center Mine Wall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, E. V.

1987-01-01

Proposed semiautomatic system forms concrete-foam wall along middle of coal-mine passage. Wall helps support roof and divides passage into two conduits needed for ventilation of coal face. Mobile mold and concrete-foam generator form sections of wall in place.

Imaging the distribution of individual platinum-based anticancer drug molecules attached to single-wall carbon nanotubes

PubMed Central

Bhirde, Ashwin A; Sousa, Alioscka A; Patel, Vyomesh; Azari, Afrouz A; Gutkind, J Silvio; Leapman, Richard D; Rusling, James F

2009-01-01

Aims To image the distribution of drug molecules attached to single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Materials & methods Herein we report the use of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) for atomic scale visualization and quantitation of single platinum-based drug molecules attached to SWNTs designed for targeted drug delivery. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were used for characterization of the SWNT drug conjugates. Results Z-contrast STEM imaging enabled visualization of the first-line anticancer drug cisplatin on the nanotubes at single molecule level. The identity and presence of cisplatin on the nanotubes was confirmed using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. STEM tomography was also used to provide additional insights concerning the nanotube conjugates. Finally, our observations provide a rationale for exploring the use of SWNT bioconjugates to selectively target and kill squamous cancer cells. Conclusion Z-contrast STEM imaging provides a means for direct visualization of heavy metal containing molecules (i.e., cisplatin) attached to surfaces of carbon SWNTs along with distribution and quantitation. PMID:19839812

Elevated Cell Wall Serine in Pleiotropic Staphylococcal Mutants

PubMed Central

Korman, Ruth Z.

1966-01-01

Korman, Ruth Z. (Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.). Elevated cell wall serine in pleiotropic staphylococcal mutants. J. Bacteriol. 92:762–768. 1966.—Physically purified cell walls were prepared from two staphylococcal strains and from pleiotropic variants derived from them. The quantitative amino acid and amino sugar content of these walls is reported. The pleiotypes, which are identified culturally by their failure to elaborate coagulase, their resistance to bacteriophage, and their sensitivity to mannitol, have altered molar ratios of amino acids and amino sugars in their cell walls. In comparison with lysine content, the serine content of the mutant wall is elevated and the glycine content is reduced. The glucosamine content is reduced also. It is postulated that the pleiotropic mutants possess an altered cell wall biosynthetic pathway. Images PMID:5922547

Automated classification of LV regional wall motion based on spatio-temporal profiles from cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantilla, Juan; Garreau, Mireille; Bellanger, Jean-Jacques; Paredes, José Luis

2013-11-01

Assessment of the cardiac Left Ventricle (LV) wall motion is generally based on visual inspection or quantitative analysis of 2D+t sequences acquired in short-axis cardiac cine-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Most often, cardiac dynamic is globally analized from two particular phases of the cardiac cycle. In this paper, we propose an automated method to classify regional wall motion in LV function based on spatio-temporal pro les and Support Vector Machines (SVM). This approach allows to obtain a binary classi cation between normal and abnormal motion, without the need of pre-processing and by exploiting all the images of the cardiac cycle. In each short- axis MRI slice level (basal, median, and apical), the spatio-temporal pro les are extracted from the selection of a subset of diametrical lines crossing opposites LV segments. Initialized at end-diastole phase, the pro les are concatenated with their corresponding projections into the succesive temporal phases of the cardiac cycle. These pro les are associated to di erent types of information that derive from the image (gray levels), Fourier, Wavelet or Curvelet domains. The approach has been tested on a set of 14 abnormal and 6 healthy patients by using a leave-one-out cross validation and two kernel functions for SVM classi er. The best classi cation performance is yielded by using four-level db4 wavelet transform and SVM with a linear kernel. At each slice level the results provided a classi cation rate of 87.14% in apical level, 95.48% in median level and 93.65% in basal level.

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Advanced Extended Plate and Beam Wall System in a Cold-Climate House

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

None

2016-02-10

A zero energy ready home was recently completed that features an innovative wall system. This highly insulated (high-R) light-frame wall system, called the extended plate and beam, is for use above grade in residential buildings. The Building America research team Home Innovation Research Labs featured this system in a new construction test house.

New image-stabilizing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yuejin

1996-06-01

In this paper, a new method for image stabilization with a three-axis image- stabilizing reflecting prism assembly is presented, and the principle of image stabilization in this prism assembly, formulae for image stabilization and working formulae with an approximation up to the third power are given in detail. In this image-stabilizing system, a single chip microcomputer is used to calculate value of compensating angles and thus to control the prism assembly. Two gyroscopes act as sensors from which information of angular perturbation is obtained, three stepping motors drive the prism assembly to compensate for the movement of image produced by angular perturbation. The image-stabilizing device so established is a multifold system which involves optics, mechanics, electronics and computer.

Log law of the wall revisited in Taylor-Couette flows at intermediate Reynolds numbers.

PubMed

Singh, Harminder; Suazo, Claudio Alberto Torres; Liné, Alain

2016-11-01

We provide Reynolds averaged azimuthal velocity profiles, measured in a Taylor-Couette system in turbulent flow, at medium Reynolds (7800 < Re < 18000) number with particle image velocimetry technique. We find that in the wall regions, close to the inner and outer cylinders, the azimuthal velocity profile reveals a significant deviation from classical logarithmic law. In order to propose a new law of the wall, the profile of turbulent mixing length was estimated from data processing; it was shown to behave nonlinearly with the radial wall distance. Based on this turbulent mixing length expression, a law of the wall was proposed for the Reynolds averaged azimuthal velocity, derived from momentum balance and validated by comparison to different data. In addition, the profile of viscous dissipation rate was investigated and compared to the global power needed to maintain the inner cylinder in rotation.

Interactive Image Analysis System Design,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

This report describes a design for an interactive image analysis system (IIAS), which implements terrain data extraction techniques. The design... analysis system. Additionally, the system is fully capable of supporting many generic types of image analysis and data processing, and is modularly...employs commercially available, state of the art minicomputers and image display devices with proven software to achieve a cost effective, reliable image

Shear localization and effective wall friction in a wall bounded granular flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artoni, Riccardo; Richard, Patrick

2017-06-01

In this work, granular flow rheology is investigated by means of discrete numerical simulations of a torsional, cylindrical shear cell. Firstly, we focus on azimuthal velocity profiles and study the effect of (i) the confining pressure, (ii) the particle-wall friction coefficient, (iii) the rotating velocity of the bottom wall and (iv) the cell diameter. For small cell diameters, azimuthal velocity profiles are nearly auto-similar, i.e. they are almost linear with the radial coordinate. Different strain localization regimes are observed : shear can be localized at the bottom, at the top of the shear cell, or it can be even quite distributed. This behavior originates from the competition between dissipation at the sidewalls and dissipation in the bulk of the system. Then we study the effective friction at the cylindrical wall, and point out the strong link between wall friction, slip and fluctuations of forces and velocities. Even if the system is globally below the sliding threshold, force fluctuations trigger slip events, leading to a nonzero wall slip velocity and an effective wall friction coefficient different from the particle-wall one. A scaling law was found linking slip velocity, granular temperature in the main flow direction and effective friction. Our results suggest that fluctuations are an important ingredient for theories aiming to capture the interface rheology of granular materials.

Structural heat pipe. [for spacecraft wall thermal insulation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ollendorf, S. (Inventor)

1974-01-01

A combined structural reinforcing element and heat transfer member is disclosed for placement between a structural wall and an outer insulation blanket. The element comprises a heat pipe, one side of which supports the outer insulation blanket, the opposite side of which is connected to the structural wall. Heat penetrating through the outer insulation blanket directly reaches the heat pipe and is drawn off, thereby reducing thermal gradients in the structural wall. The element, due to its attachment to the structural wall, further functions as a reinforcing member.

Auto-Versioning Systems Image Manager

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

Pezzaglia, Larry

2013-08-01

The av_sys_image_mgr utility provides an interface for the creation, manipulation, and analysis of system boot images for computer systems. It is primarily intended to provide a convenient method for managing the introduction of changes to boot images for long-lived production HPC systems.

Bifurcating Particle Swarms in Smooth-Walled Fractures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pyrak-Nolte, L. J.; Sun, H.

2010-12-01

Particle swarms can occur naturally or from industrial processes where small liquid drops containing thousands to millions of micron-size to colloidal-size particles are released over time from seepage or leaks into fractured rock. The behavior of these particle swarms as they fall under gravity are affected by particle interactions as well as interactions with the walls of the fractures. In this paper, we present experimental results on the effect of fractures on the cohesiveness of the swarm and the formation of bifurcation structures as they fall under gravity and interact with the fracture walls. A transparent cubic sample (100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm) containing a synthetic fracture with uniform aperture distributions was optically imaged to quantify the effect of confinement within fractures on particle swarm formation, swarm velocity, and swarm geometry. A fracture with a uniform aperture distribution was fabricated from two polished rectangular prisms of acrylic. A series of experiments were performed to determine how swarm movement and geometry are affected as the walls of the fracture are brought closer together from 50 mm to 1 mm. During the experiments, the fracture was fully saturated with water. We created the swarms using two different particle sizes in dilute suspension (~ 1.0% by mass). The particles were 3 micron diameter fluorescent polymer beads and 25 micron diameter soda-lime glass beads. Experiments were performed using swarms that ranged in size from 5 µl to 60 µl. The swarm behavior was imaged using an optical fluorescent imaging system composed of a CCD camera illuminated by a 100 mW diode-pumped doubled YAG laser. As a swarm falls in an open-tank of water, it forms a torroidal shape that is stable as long as no ambient or background currents exist in the water tank. When a swarm is released into a fracture with an aperture less than 5 mm, the swarm forms the torroidal shape but it is distorted because of the presence of the walls. The

High-speed schlieren videography of vortex-ring impact on a wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kissner, Benjamin; Hargather, Michael; Settles, Gary

2011-11-01

Ring vortices of approximately 20 cm diameter are generated through the use of an Airzooka toy. To make the vortex visible, it is seeded with difluoroethane gas, producing a refractive-index difference with the air. A 1-meter-diameter, single-mirror, double-pass schlieren system is used to visualize the ring-vortex motion, and also to provide the wall with which the vortex collides. High-speed imaging is provided by a Photron SA-1 digital video camera. The Airzooka is fired toward the mirror almost along the optical axis of the schlieren system, so that the view of the vortex-mirror collision is normal to the path of vortex motion. Vortex-wall interactions similar to those first observed by Walker et al. (JFM 181, 1987) are recorded at high speed. The presentation will consist of a screening and discussion of these video results.

APPLEPIPS /Apple Personal Image Processing System/ - An interactive digital image processing system for the Apple II microcomputer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masuoka, E.; Rose, J.; Quattromani, M.

1981-01-01

Recent developments related to microprocessor-based personal computers have made low-cost digital image processing systems a reality. Image analysis systems built around these microcomputers provide color image displays for images as large as 256 by 240 pixels in sixteen colors. Descriptive statistics can be computed for portions of an image, and supervised image classification can be obtained. The systems support Basic, Fortran, Pascal, and assembler language. A description is provided of a system which is representative of the new microprocessor-based image processing systems currently on the market. While small systems may never be truly independent of larger mainframes, because they lack 9-track tape drives, the independent processing power of the microcomputers will help alleviate some of the turn-around time problems associated with image analysis and display on the larger multiuser systems.

Fabrication and Characterization of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT) and Ni-Coated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube (Ni-MWCNT) Repair Patches for Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Brienne; Caraccio, Anne; Tate, LaNetra; Jackson, Dionne

2011-01-01

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/epoxy and nickel-coated multi-walled carbon nanotube (Ni-MWCNT)/epoxy systems were fabricated into carbon fiber composite repair patches via vacuum resin infusion. Two 4 ply patches were manufactured with fiber orientations of [90/ 90/ 4590] and [0/90/ +45/ -45]. Prior to resin infusion, the MWCNT/Epoxy system and NiMWCNT/ epoxy systems were optimized for dispersion quality. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM) were used to determine the presence ofcarbon nanotubes and assess dispersion quality. Decomposition temperatures were determined via thermogravametric analysis (TGA). SEM and TGA were also used to evaluate the composite repair patches.

Wall Shear Stress, Wall Pressure and Near Wall Velocity Field Relationships in a Whirling Annular Seal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Gerald L.; Winslow, Robert B.; Thames, H. Davis, III

1996-01-01

The mean and phase averaged pressure and wall shear stress distributions were measured on the stator wall of a 50% eccentric annular seal which was whirling in a circular orbit at the same speed as the shaft rotation. The shear stresses were measured using flush mounted hot-film probes. Four different operating conditions were considered consisting of Reynolds numbers of 12,000 and 24,000 and Taylor numbers of 3,300 and 6,600. At each of the operating conditions the axial distribution (from Z/L = -0.2 to 1.2) of the mean pressure, shear stress magnitude, and shear stress direction on the stator wall were measured. Also measured were the phase averaged pressure and shear stress. These data were combined to calculate the force distributions along the seal length. Integration of the force distributions result in the net forces and moments generated by the pressure and shear stresses. The flow field inside the seal operating at a Reynolds number of 24,000 and a Taylor number of 6,600 has been measured using a 3-D laser Doppler anemometer system. Phase averaged wall pressure and wall shear stress are presented along with phase averaged mean velocity and turbulence kinetic energy distributions located 0.16c from the stator wall where c is the seal clearance. The relationships between the velocity, turbulence, wall pressure and wall shear stress are very complex and do not follow simple bulk flow predictions.

Inhomogeneity of Cellulose Microfibril Assembly in Plant Cell Walls Revealed with Sum Frequency Generation Microscopy.

PubMed

Huang, Shixin; Makarem, Mohamadamin; Kiemle, Sarah N; Hamedi, Hossein; Sau, Moujhuri; Cosgrove, Daniel J; Kim, Seong H

2018-05-17

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy can selectively detect and analyze noncentrosymmetric components interspersed in amorphous matrices; this principle has been used for studies of nanoscale structure and mesoscale assembly of cellulose in plant cell walls. However, the spectral information averaged over a large area or volume cannot provide regiospecific or tissue-specific information of different cells in plants. This study demonstrates spatially resolved SFG analysis and imaging by combining a broad-band SFG spectroscopy system with an optical microscope. The system was designed to irradiate both narrow-band 800 nm and broad-band tunable IR beams through a single reflective objective lens, but from opposite sides of the surface normal direction of the sample. The developed technique was used to reveal inhomogeneous distributions of cellulose microfibrils within single cell walls, such as cotton fibers and onion epidermis as well as among different tissues in Arabidopsis inflorescence stems and bamboo culms. SFG microscopy can be used for vibrational spectroscopic imaging of other biological systems in complement to conventional Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and confocal Raman microscopy.

Nuclear medicine imaging system

DOEpatents

Bennett, G.W.; Brill, A.B.; Bizais, Y.J.C.; Rowe, R.W.; Zubal, I.G.

1983-03-11

It is an object of this invention to provide a nuclear imaging system having the versatility to do positron annihilation studies, rotating single or opposed camera gamma emission studies, and orthogonal gamma emission studies. It is a further object of this invention to provide an imaging system having the capability for orthogonal dual multipinhole tomography. It is another object of this invention to provide a nuclear imaging system in which all available energy data, as well as patient physiological data, are acquired simultaneously in list mode.

A novel computer-aided detection system for pulmonary nodule identification in CT images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Hao; Li, Lihong; Wang, Huafeng; Zhang, Hao; Moore, William; Liang, Zhengrong

2014-03-01

Computer-aided detection (CADe) of pulmonary nodules from computer tomography (CT) scans is critical for assisting radiologists to identify lung lesions at an early stage. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for CADe of lung nodules using a two-stage vector quantization (VQ) scheme. The first-stage VQ aims to extract lung from the chest volume, while the second-stage VQ is designed to extract initial nodule candidates (INCs) within the lung volume. Then rule-based expert filtering is employed to prune obvious FPs from INCs, and the commonly-used support vector machine (SVM) classifier is adopted to further reduce the FPs. The proposed system was validated on 100 CT scans randomly selected from the 262 scans that have at least one juxta-pleural nodule annotation in the publicly available database - Lung Image Database Consortium and Image Database Resource Initiative (LIDC-IDRI). The two-stage VQ only missed 2 out of the 207 nodules at agreement level 1, and the INCs detection for each scan took about 30 seconds in average. Expert filtering reduced FPs more than 18 times, while maintaining a sensitivity of 93.24%. As it is trivial to distinguish INCs attached to pleural wall versus not on wall, we investigated the feasibility of training different SVM classifiers to further reduce FPs from these two kinds of INCs. Experiment results indicated that SVM classification over the entire set of INCs was in favor of, where the optimal operating of our CADe system achieved a sensitivity of 89.4% at a specificity of 86.8%.

Design of low noise imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Bo; Chen, Xiaolai

2017-10-01

In order to meet the needs of engineering applications for low noise imaging system under the mode of global shutter, a complete imaging system is designed based on the SCMOS (Scientific CMOS) image sensor CIS2521F. The paper introduces hardware circuit and software system design. Based on the analysis of key indexes and technologies about the imaging system, the paper makes chips selection and decides SCMOS + FPGA+ DDRII+ Camera Link as processing architecture. Then it introduces the entire system workflow and power supply and distribution unit design. As for the software system, which consists of the SCMOS control module, image acquisition module, data cache control module and transmission control module, the paper designs in Verilog language and drives it to work properly based on Xilinx FPGA. The imaging experimental results show that the imaging system exhibits a 2560*2160 pixel resolution, has a maximum frame frequency of 50 fps. The imaging quality of the system satisfies the requirement of the index.

Sensitivity Study of the Wall Interference Correction System (WICS) for Rectangular Tunnels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Eric L.; Everhart, Joel L.; Iyer, Venkit

2001-01-01

An off-line version of the Wall Interference Correction System (WICS) has been implemented for the NASA Langley National Transonic Facility. The correction capability is currently restricted to corrections for solid wall interference in the model pitch plane for Mach numbers less than 0.45 due to a limitation in tunnel calibration data. A study to assess output sensitivity to measurement uncertainty was conducted to determine standard operational procedures and guidelines to ensure data quality during the testing process. Changes to the current facility setup and design recommendations for installing the WICS code into a new facility are reported.

3D cardiac wall thickening assessment for acute myocardial infarction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalid, A.; Chan, B. T.; Lim, E.; Liew, Y. M.

2017-06-01

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most severe form of coronary artery disease leading to localized myocardial injury and therefore irregularities in the cardiac wall contractility. Studies have found very limited differences in global indices (such as ejection fraction, myocardial mass and volume) between healthy subjects and AMI patients, and therefore suggested regional assessment. Regional index, specifically cardiac wall thickness (WT) and thickening is closely related to cardiac function and could reveal regional abnormality due to AMI. In this study, we developed a 3D wall thickening assessment method to identify regional wall contractility dysfunction due to localized myocardial injury from infarction. Wall thickness and thickening were assessed from 3D personalized cardiac models reconstructed from cine MRI images by fitting inscribed sphere between endocardial and epicardial wall. The thickening analysis was performed in 5 patients and 3 healthy subjects and the results were compared against the gold standard 2D late-gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) images for infarct localization. The notable finding of this study is the highly accurate estimation and visual representation of the infarct size and location in 3D. This study provides clinicians with an intuitive way to visually and qualitatively assess regional cardiac wall dysfunction due to infarction in AMI patients.

Fine grained recognition of masonry walls for built heritage assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oses, N.; Dornaika, F.; Moujahid, A.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the ground work carried out to achieve automatic fine grained recognition of stone masonry. This is a necessary first step in the development of the analysis tool. The built heritage that will be assessed consists of stone masonry constructions and many of the features analysed can be characterized according to the geometry and arrangement of the stones. Much of the assessment is carried out through visual inspection. Thus, we apply image processing on digital images of the elements under inspection. The main contribution of the paper is the performance evaluation of the automatic categorization of masonry walls from a set of extracted straight line segments. The element chosen to perform this evaluation is the stone arrangement of masonry walls. The validity of the proposed framework is assessed on real images of masonry walls using machine learning paradigms. These include classifiers as well as automatic feature selection.

Research Advances on Fabricated Shear Wall System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xudong; Wang, Donghui; Wang, Sheng; Zhai, Yu

2018-03-01

With the rapid development of the construction industry, building energy consumption has been increasing, has become a problem that can not be ignored. It is imperative to develop energy-saving buildings. A new type of prefabricated shear wall is assembled and partially assembled by prefabricated parts, and some concrete is spliced together. The new structure has good integrity, seismic resistance and excellent energy saving and environmental protection performance. It reduces building energy consumption to a great extent. Therefore, the design method, manufacturing process, site assembly process and key technical problems of the system are discussed. For the construction industry gradually entered the energy conservation, environmental protection, safety and durability of sustainable development laid the foundation.

A Probabilistic Method for Estimation of Bowel Wall Thickness in MR Colonography

PubMed Central

Menys, Alex; Jaffer, Asif; Bhatnagar, Gauraang; Punwani, Shonit; Atkinson, David; Halligan, Steve; Hawkes, David J.; Taylor, Stuart A.

2017-01-01

MRI has recently been applied as a tool to quantitatively evaluate the response to therapy in patients with Crohn’s disease, and is the preferred choice for repeated imaging. Bowel wall thickness on MRI is an important biomarker of underlying inflammatory activity, being abnormally increased in the acute phase and reducing in response to successful therapy; however, a poor level of interobserver agreement of measured thickness is reported and therefore a system for accurate, robust and reproducible measurements is desirable. We propose a novel method for estimating bowel wall-thickness to improve the poor interobserver agreement of the manual procedure. We show that the variability of wall thickness measurement between the algorithm and observer measurements (0.25mm ± 0.81mm) has differences which are similar to observer variability (0.16mm ± 0.64mm). PMID:28072831

Steel Shear Walls, Behavior, Modeling and Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astaneh-Asl, Abolhassan

2008-07-01

In recent years steel shear walls have become one of the more efficient lateral load resisting systems in tall buildings. The basic steel shear wall system consists of a steel plate welded to boundary steel columns and boundary steel beams. In some cases the boundary columns have been concrete-filled steel tubes. Seismic behavior of steel shear wall systems during actual earthquakes and based on laboratory cyclic tests indicates that the systems are quite ductile and can be designed in an economical way to have sufficient stiffness, strength, ductility and energy dissipation capacity to resist seismic effects of strong earthquakes. This paper, after summarizing the past research, presents the results of two tests of an innovative steel shear wall system where the boundary elements are concrete-filled tubes. Then, a review of currently available analytical models of steel shear walls is provided with a discussion of capabilities and limitations of each model. We have observed that the tension only "strip model", forming the basis of the current AISC seismic design provisions for steel shear walls, is not capable of predicting the behavior of steel shear walls with length-to-thickness ratio less than about 600 which is the range most common in buildings. The main reasons for such shortcomings of the AISC seismic design provisions for steel shear walls is that it ignores the compression field in the shear walls, which can be significant in typical shear walls. The AISC method also is not capable of incorporating stresses in the shear wall due to overturning moments. A more rational seismic design procedure for design of shear walls proposed in 2000 by the author is summarized in the paper. The design method, based on procedures used for design of steel plate girders, takes into account both tension and compression stress fields and is applicable to all values of length-to-thickness ratios of steel shear walls. The method is also capable of including the effect of

Terahertz inline wall thickness monitoring system for plastic pipe extrusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauck, J.; Stich, D.; Heidemeyer, P.; Bastian, M.; Hochrein, T.

2014-05-01

Conventional and commercially available inline wall thickness monitoring systems for pipe extrusion are usually based on ultrasonic or x-ray technology. Disadvantages of ultrasonic systems are the usual need of water as a coupling media and the high damping in thick walled or foamed pipes. For x-ray systems special safety requirements have to be taken into account because of the ionizing radiation. The terahertz (THz) technology offers a novel approach to solve these problems. THz waves have many properties which are suitable for the non-destructive testing of plastics. The absorption of electrical isolators is typically very low and the radiation is non-ionizing in comparison to x-rays. Through the electromagnetic origin of the THz waves they can be used for contact free measurements. Foams show a much lower absorption in contrast to acoustic waves. The developed system uses THz pulses which are generated by stimulating photoconductive switches with femtosecond laser pulses. The time of flight of THz pulses can be determined with a resolution in the magnitude of several ten femtoseconds. Hence the thickness of an object like plastic pipes can be determined with a high accuracy by measuring the time delay between two reflections on materials interfaces e.g. at the pipe's inner and outer surface, similar to the ultrasonic technique. Knowing the refractive index of the sample the absolute layer thickness from the transit time difference can be calculated easily. This method in principle also allows the measurement of multilayer systems and the characterization of foamed pipes.

Fully automated chest wall line segmentation in breast MRI by using context information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Shandong; Weinstein, Susan P.; Conant, Emily F.; Localio, A. Russell; Schnall, Mitchell D.; Kontos, Despina

2012-03-01

Breast MRI has emerged as an effective modality for the clinical management of breast cancer. Evidence suggests that computer-aided applications can further improve the diagnostic accuracy of breast MRI. A critical and challenging first step for automated breast MRI analysis, is to separate the breast as an organ from the chest wall. Manual segmentation or user-assisted interactive tools are inefficient, tedious, and error-prone, which is prohibitively impractical for processing large amounts of data from clinical trials. To address this challenge, we developed a fully automated and robust computerized segmentation method that intensively utilizes context information of breast MR imaging and the breast tissue's morphological characteristics to accurately delineate the breast and chest wall boundary. A critical component is the joint application of anisotropic diffusion and bilateral image filtering to enhance the edge that corresponds to the chest wall line (CWL) and to reduce the effect of adjacent non-CWL tissues. A CWL voting algorithm is proposed based on CWL candidates yielded from multiple sequential MRI slices, in which a CWL representative is generated and used through a dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm to filter out inferior candidates, leaving the optimal one. Our method is validated by a representative dataset of 20 3D unilateral breast MRI scans that span the full range of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) fibroglandular density categorization. A promising performance (average overlay percentage of 89.33%) is observed when the automated segmentation is compared to manually segmented ground truth obtained by an experienced breast imaging radiologist. The automated method runs time-efficiently at ~3 minutes for each breast MR image set (28 slices).

Deep, noninvasive imaging and surgical guidance of submillimeter tumors using targeted M13-stabilized single-walled carbon nanotubes

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Debadyuti; Bagley, Alexander F.; Na, Young Jeong; Birrer, Michael J.; Bhatia, Sangeeta N.; Belcher, Angela M.

2014-01-01

Highly sensitive detection of small, deep tumors for early diagnosis and surgical interventions remains a challenge for conventional imaging modalities. Second-window near-infrared light (NIR2, 950–1,400 nm) is promising for in vivo fluorescence imaging due to deep tissue penetration and low tissue autofluorescence. With their intrinsic fluorescence in the NIR2 regime and lack of photobleaching, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are potentially attractive contrast agents to detect tumors. Here, targeted M13 virus-stabilized SWNTs are used to visualize deep, disseminated tumors in vivo. This targeted nanoprobe, which uses M13 to stably display both tumor-targeting peptides and an SWNT imaging probe, demonstrates excellent tumor-to-background uptake and exhibits higher signal-to-noise performance compared with visible and near-infrared (NIR1) dyes for delineating tumor nodules. Detection and excision of tumors by a gynecological surgeon improved with SWNT image guidance and led to the identification of submillimeter tumors. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the promise of targeted SWNT nanoprobes for noninvasive disease monitoring and guided surgery. PMID:25214538

Deep, noninvasive imaging and surgical guidance of submillimeter tumors using targeted M13-stabilized single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Ghosh, Debadyuti; Bagley, Alexander F; Na, Young Jeong; Birrer, Michael J; Bhatia, Sangeeta N; Belcher, Angela M

2014-09-23

Highly sensitive detection of small, deep tumors for early diagnosis and surgical interventions remains a challenge for conventional imaging modalities. Second-window near-infrared light (NIR2, 950-1,400 nm) is promising for in vivo fluorescence imaging due to deep tissue penetration and low tissue autofluorescence. With their intrinsic fluorescence in the NIR2 regime and lack of photobleaching, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are potentially attractive contrast agents to detect tumors. Here, targeted M13 virus-stabilized SWNTs are used to visualize deep, disseminated tumors in vivo. This targeted nanoprobe, which uses M13 to stably display both tumor-targeting peptides and an SWNT imaging probe, demonstrates excellent tumor-to-background uptake and exhibits higher signal-to-noise performance compared with visible and near-infrared (NIR1) dyes for delineating tumor nodules. Detection and excision of tumors by a gynecological surgeon improved with SWNT image guidance and led to the identification of submillimeter tumors. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the promise of targeted SWNT nanoprobes for noninvasive disease monitoring and guided surgery.

Correlation between spin structure oscillations and domain wall velocities

PubMed Central

Bisig, André; Stärk, Martin; Mawass, Mohamad-Assaad; Moutafis, Christoforos; Rhensius, Jan; Heidler, Jakoba; Büttner, Felix; Noske, Matthias; Weigand, Markus; Eisebitt, Stefan; Tyliszczak, Tolek; Van Waeyenberge, Bartel; Stoll, Hermann; Schütz, Gisela; Kläui, Mathias

2013-01-01

Magnetic sensing and logic devices based on the motion of magnetic domain walls rely on the precise and deterministic control of the position and the velocity of individual magnetic domain walls in curved nanowires. Varying domain wall velocities have been predicted to result from intrinsic effects such as oscillating domain wall spin structure transformations and extrinsic pinning due to imperfections. Here we use direct dynamic imaging of the nanoscale spin structure that allows us for the first time to directly check these predictions. We find a new regime of oscillating domain wall motion even below the Walker breakdown correlated with periodic spin structure changes. We show that the extrinsic pinning from imperfections in the nanowire only affects slow domain walls and we identify the magnetostatic energy, which scales with the domain wall velocity, as the energy reservoir for the domain wall to overcome the local pinning potential landscape. PMID:23978905

Life Cycle Assessment of Wall Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramachandran, Sriranjani

Natural resource depletion and environmental degradation are the stark realities of the times we live in. As awareness about these issues increases globally, industries and businesses are becoming interested in understanding and minimizing the ecological footprints of their activities. Evaluating the environmental impacts of products and processes has become a key issue, and the first step towards addressing and eventually curbing climate change. Additionally, companies are finding it beneficial and are interested in going beyond compliance using pollution prevention strategies and environmental management systems to improve their environmental performance. Life-cycle Assessment (LCA) is an evaluative method to assess the environmental impacts associated with a products' life-cycle from cradle-to-grave (i.e. from raw material extraction through to material processing, manufacturing, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and finally, disposal or recycling). This study focuses on evaluating building envelopes on the basis of their life-cycle analysis. In order to facilitate this analysis, a small-scale office building, the University Services Building (USB), with a built-up area of 148,101 ft2 situated on ASU campus in Tempe, Arizona was studied. The building's exterior envelope is the highlight of this study. The current exterior envelope is made of tilt-up concrete construction, a type of construction in which the concrete elements are constructed horizontally and tilted up, after they are cured, using cranes and are braced until other structural elements are secured. This building envelope is compared to five other building envelope systems (i.e. concrete block, insulated concrete form, cast-in-place concrete, steel studs and curtain wall constructions) evaluating them on the basis of least environmental impact. The research methodology involved developing energy models, simulating them and generating changes in energy consumption due to the above mentioned

Crater Wall in Van de Graaff

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-02-11

This image taken NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the wall of crater Van de Graaff C, where brighter material is exposed by more active processes associated with steeper slopes, recent small craters, and even individual rolling boulders.

IDAPS (Image Data Automated Processing System) System Description

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-24

This document describes the physical configuration and components used in the image processing system referred to as IDAPS (Image Data Automated ... Processing System). This system was developed by the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) for Eglin Air Force Base. The system is designed

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans pneumonia with chest and abdominal wall involvement.

PubMed

Storms, Iris; van den Brand, Marre; Schneeberger, Peter; van 't Hullenaar, Nico

2017-04-21

A 54-year-old man presented with a productive cough, chest pain, fever and weight loss. Initial analysis revealed a palpable chest wall mass and consolidation in the left lower lobe and pleural abnormalities on imaging. At that point no infectious cause or malignancy was identified. Microbiological analysis of a needle biopsy from a newly developed abdominal wall mass revealed growth of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans The patient was successfully treated with antibiotic therapy for 1 year. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a Gram-negative coccobacillus and is part of the normal oral flora. It is capable of causing infections in humans including periodontitis, soft tissue abscesses and systemic invasive infections, most commonly endocarditis. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Prognostic value of high-dose dobutamine stress magnetic resonance imaging in 1,493 consecutive patients: assessment of myocardial wall motion and perfusion.

PubMed

Korosoglou, Grigorios; Elhmidi, Yacine; Steen, Henning; Schellberg, Dieter; Riedle, Nina; Ahrens, Johannes; Lehrke, Stephanie; Merten, Constanze; Lossnitzer, Dirk; Radeleff, Jannis; Zugck, Christian; Giannitsis, Evangelos; Katus, Hugo A

2010-10-05

This study sought to determine the prognostic value of wall motion and perfusion assessment during high-dose dobutamine stress (DS) cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a large patient cohort. DS-MRI offers the possibility to integrate myocardial perfusion and wall motion analysis in a single examination for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 1,493 consecutive patients with suspected or known CAD underwent DS-MRI, using a standard protocol in a 1.5-T magnetic resonance scanner. Wall motion and perfusion were assessed at baseline and during stress, and outcome data including cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction ("hard events"), and "late" revascularization performed >90 days after the MR scans were collected during a 2 ± 1 year follow-up period. Fifty-three hard events, including 14 cardiac deaths and 39 nonfatal infarctions, occurred during the follow-up period, whereas 85 patients underwent "late" revascularization. Using multivariable regression analysis, an abnormal result for wall motion or perfusion during stress yielded the strongest independent prognostic value for both hard events and late revascularization, clearly surpassing that of clinical and baseline magnetic resonance parameters (for wall motion: adjusted hazard ratio [HR] of 5.9 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5 to 13.6] for hard events and of 3.1 [95% CI: 1.7 to 5.6] for late revascularization, and for perfusion: adjusted HR of 5.4 [95% CI: 2.3 to 12.9] for hard events and of 6.2 [95% CI: 3.3 to 11.3] for late revascularization, p < 0.001 for all). DS-MRI can accurately identify patients who are at increased risk for cardiac death and myocardial infarction, separating them from those with normal findings, who have very low risk for future cardiac events. (Prognostic Value of High Dose Dobutamine Stress Magnetic Resonance Imaging; NCT00837005). Copyright © 2010 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative luminescence imaging system

DOEpatents

Erwin, D.N.; Kiel, J.L.; Batishko, C.R.; Stahl, K.A.

1990-08-14

The QLIS images and quantifies low-level chemiluminescent reactions in an electromagnetic field. It is capable of real time nonperturbing measurement and simultaneous recording of many biochemical and chemical reactions such as luminescent immunoassays or enzyme assays. The system comprises image transfer optics, a low-light level digitizing camera with image intensifying microchannel plates, an image process or, and a control computer. The image transfer optics may be a fiber image guide with a bend, or a microscope, to take the light outside of the RF field. Output of the camera is transformed into a localized rate of cumulative digitalized data or enhanced video display or hard-copy images. The system may be used as a luminescent microdosimetry device for radiofrequency or microwave radiation, as a thermal dosimeter, or in the dosimetry of ultra-sound (sonoluminescence) or ionizing radiation. It provides a near-real-time system capable of measuring the extremely low light levels from luminescent reactions in electromagnetic fields in the areas of chemiluminescence assays and thermal microdosimetry, and is capable of near-real-time imaging of the sample to allow spatial distribution analysis of the reaction. It can be used to instrument three distinctly different irradiation configurations, comprising (1) RF waveguide irradiation of a small Petri-dish-shaped sample cell, (2) RF irradiation of samples in a microscope for the microscopic imaging and measurement, and (3) RF irradiation of small to human body-sized samples in an anechoic chamber. 22 figs.

Quantitative luminescence imaging system

DOEpatents

Erwin, David N.; Kiel, Johnathan L.; Batishko, Charles R.; Stahl, Kurt A.

1990-01-01

The QLIS images and quantifies low-level chemiluminescent reactions in an electromagnetic field. It is capable of real time nonperturbing measurement and simultaneous recording of many biochemical and chemical reactions such as luminescent immunoassays or enzyme assays. The system comprises image transfer optics, a low-light level digitizing camera with image intensifying microchannel plates, an image process or, and a control computer. The image transfer optics may be a fiber image guide with a bend, or a microscope, to take the light outside of the RF field. Output of the camera is transformed into a localized rate of cumulative digitalized data or enhanced video display or hard-copy images. The system may be used as a luminescent microdosimetry device for radiofrequency or microwave radiation, as a thermal dosimeter, or in the dosimetry of ultra-sound (sonoluminescence) or ionizing radiation. It provides a near-real-time system capable of measuring the extremely low light levels from luminescent reactions in electromagnetic fields in the areas of chemiluminescence assays and thermal microdosimetry, and is capable of near-real-time imaging of the sample to allow spatial distribution analysis of the reaction. It can be used to instrument three distinctly different irradiation configurations, comprising (1) RF waveguide irradiation of a small Petri-dish-shaped sample cell, (2) RF irradiation of samples in a microscope for the microscopie imaging and measurement, and (3) RF irradiation of small to human body-sized samples in an anechoic chamber.

Advanced imaging system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This document describes the Advanced Imaging System CCD based camera. The AIS1 camera system was developed at Photometric Ltd. in Tucson, Arizona as part of a Phase 2 SBIR contract No. NAS5-30171 from the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The camera project was undertaken as a part of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) project. This document is intended to serve as a complete manual for the use and maintenance of the camera system. All the different parts of the camera hardware and software are discussed and complete schematics and source code listings are provided.

Extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma of the abdominal wall

PubMed Central

Farhat, L. Ben; Ghariani, B.; Rabeh, A.; Dali, N.; Said, W.; Hendaoui, L.

2008-01-01

Abstract Ewing sarcoma is most commonly a bone tumour which has usually extended into the soft tissues at the time of diagnosis. Exceptionally, this tumour can have an extraskeletal origin. Clinical or imaging findings are non-specific and diagnosis is based on histology. We report a case of an extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma developed in the soft tissues of the abdominal wall in a 35-year-old woman who presented a painful abdominal wall tumefaction. Ultrasongraphy and computed tomography showed a large, well-defined soft tissue mass developed in the left anterolateral muscle group of the abdominal wall. Surgical biopsy was performed and an extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma was identified histologically. PMID:18818133

A study of the native cell wall structures of the marine alga Ventricaria ventricosa (Siphonocladales, Chlorophyceae) using atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Eslick, Enid M; Beilby, Mary J; Moon, Anthony R

2014-04-01

A substantial proportion of the architecture of the plant cell wall remains unknown with a few cell wall models being proposed. Moreover, even less is known about the green algal cell wall. Techniques that allow direct visualization of the cell wall in as near to its native state are of importance in unravelling the spatial arrangement of cell wall structures and hence in the development of cell wall models. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to image the native cell wall of living cells of Ventricaria ventricosa (V. ventricosa) at high resolution under physiological conditions. The cell wall polymers were identified mainly qualitatively via their structural appearance. The cellulose microfibrils (CMFs) were easily recognizable and the imaging results indicate that the V. ventricosa cell wall has a cross-fibrillar structure throughout. We found the native wall to be abundant in matrix polysaccharides existing in different curing states. The soft phase matrix polysaccharides susceptible by the AFM scanning tip existed as a glutinous fibrillar meshwork, possibly incorporating both the pectic- and hemicellulosic-type substances. The hard phase matrix producing clearer images, revealed coiled fibrillar structures associated with CMFs, sometimes being resolved as globular structures by the AFM tip. The coiling fibrillar structures were also seen in the images of isolated cell wall fragments. The mucilaginous component of the wall was discernible from the gelatinous cell wall matrix as it formed microstructural domains over the surface. AFM has been successful in imaging the native cell wall and revealing novel findings such as the 'coiling fibrillar structures' and cell wall components which have previously not been seen, that is, the gelatinous matrix phase.

Digital Fresnel reflection holography for high-resolution 3D near-wall flow measurement.

PubMed

Kumar, S Santosh; Hong, Jiarong

2018-05-14

We propose a novel backscatter holographic imaging system, as a compact and effective tool for 3D near-wall flow diagnostics at high resolutions, utilizing light reflected at the solid-liquid interface as a reference beam. The technique is fully calibrated, and is demonstrated in a densely seeded channel to achieve a spatial resolution of near-wall flows equivalent to or exceeding prior digital inline holographic measurements using local tracer seeding technique. Additionally, we examined the effects of seeding concentration and laser coherence on the measurement resolution and sample volume resolved, demonstrating the potential to manipulate sample domain by tuning the laser coherence profile.

A multi-component parallel-plate flow chamber system for studying the effect of exercise-induced wall shear stress on endothelial cells.

PubMed

Wang, Yan-Xia; Xiang, Cheng; Liu, Bo; Zhu, Yong; Luan, Yong; Liu, Shu-Tian; Qin, Kai-Rong

2016-12-28

In vivo studies have demonstrated that reasonable exercise training can improve endothelial function. To confirm the key role of wall shear stress induced by exercise on endothelial cells, and to understand how wall shear stress affects the structure and the function of endothelial cells, it is crucial to design and fabricate an in vitro multi-component parallel-plate flow chamber system which can closely replicate exercise-induced wall shear stress waveforms in artery. The in vivo wall shear stress waveforms from the common carotid artery of a healthy volunteer in resting and immediately after 30 min acute aerobic cycling exercise were first calculated by measuring the inner diameter and the center-line blood flow velocity with a color Doppler ultrasound. According to the above in vivo wall shear stress waveforms, we designed and fabricated a parallel-plate flow chamber system with appropriate components based on a lumped parameter hemodynamics model. To validate the feasibility of this system, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) line were cultured within the parallel-plate flow chamber under abovementioned two types of wall shear stress waveforms and the intracellular actin microfilaments and nitric oxide (NO) production level were evaluated using fluorescence microscope. Our results show that the trends of resting and exercise-induced wall shear stress waveforms, especially the maximal, minimal and mean wall shear stress as well as oscillatory shear index, generated by the parallel-plate flow chamber system are similar to those acquired from the common carotid artery. In addition, the cellular experiments demonstrate that the actin microfilaments and the production of NO within cells exposed to the two different wall shear stress waveforms exhibit different dynamic behaviors; there are larger numbers of actin microfilaments and higher level NO in cells exposed in exercise-induced wall shear stress condition than resting wall shear stress condition

Thinner regions of intracranial aneurysm wall correlate with regions of higher wall shear stress: a 7.0 tesla MRI

PubMed Central

Blankena, Roos; Kleinloog, Rachel; Verweij, Bon H.; van Ooij, Pim; ten Haken, Bennie; Luijten, Peter R.; Rinkel, Gabriel J.E.; Zwanenburg, Jaco J.M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a method for semi-quantitative wall thickness assessment on in vivo 7.0 tesla (7T) MRI images of intracranial aneurysms for studying the relation between apparent aneurysm wall thickness and wall shear stress. Materials and Methods Wall thickness was analyzed in 11 unruptured aneurysms in 9 patients, who underwent 7T MRI with a TSE based vessel wall sequence (0.8 mm isotropic resolution). A custom analysis program determined the in vivo aneurysm wall intensities, which were normalized to signal of nearby brain tissue and were used as measure for apparent wall thickness (AWT). Spatial wall thickness variation was determined as the interquartile range in AWT (the middle 50% of the AWT range). Wall shear stress was determined using phase contrast MRI (0.5 mm isotropic resolution). We performed visual and statistical comparisons (Pearson’s correlation) to study the relation between wall thickness and wall shear stress. Results 3D colored AWT maps of the aneurysms showed spatial AWT variation, which ranged from 0.07 to 0.53, with a mean variation of 0.22 (a variation of 1.0 roughly means a wall thickness variation of one voxel (0.8mm)). In all aneurysms, AWT was inversely related to WSS (mean correlation coefficient −0.35, P<0.05). Conclusions A method was developed to measure the wall thickness semi-quantitatively, using 7T MRI. An inverse correlation between wall shear stress and AWT was determined. In future studies, this non-invasive method can be used to assess spatial wall thickness variation in relation to pathophysiologic processes such as aneurysm growth and –rupture. PMID:26892986

Direct Validation of the Wall Interference Correction System of the Ames 11-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulbrich, Norbert; Boone, Alan R.

2003-01-01

Data from the test of a large semispan model was used to perform a direct validation of a wall interference correction system for a transonic slotted wall wind tunnel. At first, different sets of uncorrected aerodynamic coefficients were generated by physically changing the boundary condition of the test section walls. Then, wall interference corrections were computed and applied to all data points. Finally, an interpolation of the corrected aerodynamic coefficients was performed. This interpolation made sure that the corrected Mach number of a given run would be constant. Overall, the agreement between corresponding interpolated lift, drag, and pitching moment coefficient sets was very good. Buoyancy corrections were also investigated. These studies showed that the accuracy goal of one drag count may only be achieved if reliable estimates of the wall interference induced buoyancy correction are available during a test.

Intelligent web image retrieval system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Sungyong; Lee, Chungwoo; Nah, Yunmook

2001-07-01

Recently, the web sites such as e-business sites and shopping mall sites deal with lots of image information. To find a specific image from these image sources, we usually use web search engines or image database engines which rely on keyword only retrievals or color based retrievals with limited search capabilities. This paper presents an intelligent web image retrieval system. We propose the system architecture, the texture and color based image classification and indexing techniques, and representation schemes of user usage patterns. The query can be given by providing keywords, by selecting one or more sample texture patterns, by assigning color values within positional color blocks, or by combining some or all of these factors. The system keeps track of user's preferences by generating user query logs and automatically add more search information to subsequent user queries. To show the usefulness of the proposed system, some experimental results showing recall and precision are also explained.

Numerical investigations of cooling holes system role in the protection of the walls of a gas turbine combustion chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Sik Ali, Ahlem; Kriaa, Wassim; Mhiri, Hatem; Bournot, Philippe

2012-05-01

Numerical simulations in a gas turbine Swirl stabilized combustor were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a cooling system in the protection of combustor walls. The studied combustion chamber has a high degree of geometrical complexity related to the injection system as well as the cooling system based on a big distribution of small holes (about 3,390 holes) bored on the flame tube walls. Two cases were considered respectively the flame tube without and with its cooling system. The calculations were carried out using the industrial CFD code FLUENT 6.2. The various simulations made it possible to highlight the role of cooling holes in the protection of the flame tube walls against the high temperatures of the combustion products. In fact, the comparison between the results of the two studied cases demonstrated that the walls temperature can be reduced by about 800°C by the mean of cooling holes technique.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging-Derived Collagen Content and Maturity Correlates with Stress in the Aortic Wall of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Patients.

PubMed

Cheheltani, Rabee; Pichamuthu, Joseph E; Rao, Jayashree; Weinbaum, Justin S; Kiani, Mohammad F; Vorp, David A; Pleshko, Nancy

2017-03-01

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a degenerative disease of the aorta characterized by severe disruption of the structural integrity of the aortic wall and its major molecular constituents. From the early stages of disease, elastin in the aorta becomes highly degraded and is replaced by collagen. Questions persist as to the contribution of collagen content, quality and maturity to the potential for rupture. Here, using our recently developed Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS) method, we quantified collagen content and maturity in the wall of AAA tissues in pairs of specimens with different wall stresses. CT scans of AAAs from 12 patients were used to create finite element models to estimate stress in different regions of tissue. Each patient underwent elective repair of the AAA, and two segments of the AAA tissues from anatomic regions more proximal or distal with different wall stresses were evaluated by histology and FT-IRIS after excision. For each patient, collagen content was generally greater in the tissue location with lower wall stress, which corresponded to the more distal anatomic regions. The wall stress/collagen ratio was greater in the higher stress region compared to the lower stress region (1.01 ± 1.09 vs. 0.55 ± 0.084, p = 0.02). The higher stress region also corresponded to the location with reduced intraluminal thrombus thickness. Further, collagen maturity tended to decrease with increased collagen content (p = 0.068, R = 0.38). Together, these results suggest that an increase in less mature collagen content in AAA patients does not effectively compensate for the loss of elastin in the aortic wall, and results in a reduced capability to endure wall stresses.

Interactive radiographic image retrieval system.

PubMed

Kundu, Malay Kumar; Chowdhury, Manish; Das, Sudeb

2017-02-01

Content based medical image retrieval (CBMIR) systems enable fast diagnosis through quantitative assessment of the visual information and is an active research topic over the past few decades. Most of the state-of-the-art CBMIR systems suffer from various problems: computationally expensive due to the usage of high dimensional feature vectors and complex classifier/clustering schemes. Inability to properly handle the "semantic gap" and the high intra-class versus inter-class variability problem of the medical image database (like radiographic image database). This yields an exigent demand for developing highly effective and computationally efficient retrieval system. We propose a novel interactive two-stage CBMIR system for diverse collection of medical radiographic images. Initially, Pulse Coupled Neural Network based shape features are used to find out the most probable (similar) image classes using a novel "similarity positional score" mechanism. This is followed by retrieval using Non-subsampled Contourlet Transform based texture features considering only the images of the pre-identified classes. Maximal information compression index is used for unsupervised feature selection to achieve better results. To reduce the semantic gap problem, the proposed system uses a novel fuzzy index based relevance feedback mechanism by incorporating subjectivity of human perception in an analytic manner. Extensive experiments were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed CBMIR system on a subset of Image Retrieval in Medical Applications (IRMA)-2009 database consisting of 10,902 labeled radiographic images of 57 different modalities. We obtained overall average precision of around 98% after only 2-3 iterations of relevance feedback mechanism. We assessed the results by comparisons with some of the state-of-the-art CBMIR systems for radiographic images. Unlike most of the existing CBMIR systems, in the proposed two-stage hierarchical framework, main importance

Objective analysis of image quality of video image capture systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowberg, Alan H.

1990-07-01

As Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) technology has matured, video image capture has become a common way of capturing digital images from many modalities. While digital interfaces, such as those which use the ACR/NEMA standard, will become more common in the future, and are preferred because of the accuracy of image transfer, video image capture will be the dominant method in the short term, and may continue to be used for some time because of the low cost and high speed often associated with such devices. Currently, virtually all installed systems use methods of digitizing the video signal that is produced for display on the scanner viewing console itself. A series of digital test images have been developed for display on either a GE CT9800 or a GE Signa MRI scanner. These images have been captured with each of five commercially available image capture systems, and the resultant images digitally transferred on floppy disk to a PC1286 computer containing Optimast' image analysis software. Here the images can be displayed in a comparative manner for visual evaluation, in addition to being analyzed statistically. Each of the images have been designed to support certain tests, including noise, accuracy, linearity, gray scale range, stability, slew rate, and pixel alignment. These image capture systems vary widely in these characteristics, in addition to the presence or absence of other artifacts, such as shading and moire pattern. Other accessories such as video distribution amplifiers and noise filters can also add or modify artifacts seen in the captured images, often giving unusual results. Each image is described, together with the tests which were performed using them. One image contains alternating black and white lines, each one pixel wide, after equilibration strips ten pixels wide. While some systems have a slew rate fast enough to track this correctly, others blur it to an average shade of gray, and do not resolve the lines, or give

Dependence of Attenuation of Common Mode Radiation from Indoor Power Line Communication System on Structure of Reinforced Concrete Wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ifong; Ishigami, Shinobu; Gotoh, Kaoru; Matsumoto, Yasushi

The attenuation effect of the walls of a building on the electromagnetic (EM) field generated by an indoor power line communication (PLC) system is numerically investigated using the finite integration (FI) method. In particular, we focus on the frequency range 2-6MHz, for which the attenuation effect has not yet been sufficiently analyzed. We model a single, finite-sized wall instead of an entire house, to focus on the dependence of the EM field on the wall structure and also reduce the computational resources required. The EM field strength is evaluated at many points on a view plane 10m from the wall model, and the results are statistically processed to determine the attenuation effect of the wall. We show that the leakage of an EM field at 2-6MHz is suppressed by about 30dB by a reinforced concrete wall. We also show that the main contributor to the attenuation effect is the rebar in the wall. We then investigate the relation between the attenuation effect of a single-wall model and that of a house model. The results show that the attenuation effect of a house model is almost the same as that of a 15-m-wall model. We conclude that the use of a single-wall model instead of a house model is effective in determining the attenuation of the EM leakage. This simple structure reduces analytic space, time, and memory in the evaluation of the dependence on the wall structure of the EM leakage from indoor PLC systems.

RAPID COMMUNICATION: Magnetic resonance imaging inside metallic vessels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Hui; Balcom, Bruce J.

2010-10-01

We introduce magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements inside metallic vessels. Until now, MRI has been unusable inside metallic vessels because of eddy currents in the walls. We have solved the problem and generated high quality images by employing a magnetic field gradient monitoring method. The ability to image within metal enclosures and structures means many new samples and systems are now amenable to MRI. Most importantly this study will form the basis of new MRI-compatible metallic pressure vessels, which will permit MRI of macroscopic systems at high pressure.

Three-dimensional atrial wall thickness maps to inform catheter ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Bishop, Martin; Rajani, Ronak; Plank, Gernot; Gaddum, Nicholas; Carr-White, Gerry; Wright, Matt; O'Neill, Mark; Niederer, Steven

2016-03-01

Transmural lesion formation is critical to success in atrial fibrillation ablation and is dependent on left atrial wall thickness (LAWT). Pre- and peri-procedural planning may benefit from LAWT measurements. To calculate the LAWT, the Laplace equation was solved over a finite element mesh of the left atrium derived from the segmented computed tomographic angiography (CTA) dataset. Local LAWT was then calculated from the length of field lines derived from the Laplace solution that spanned the wall from the endocardium or epicardium. The method was validated on an atrium phantom and retrospectively applied to 10 patients who underwent routine coronary CTA for standard clinical indications at our institute. The Laplace wall thickness algorithm was validated on the left atrium phantom. Wall thickness measurements had errors of <0.2 mm for thicknesses of 0.5-5.0 mm that are attributed to image resolution and segmentation artefacts. Left atrial wall thickness measurements were performed on 10 patients. Successful comprehensive LAWT maps were generated in all patients from the coronary CTA images. Mean LAWT measurements ranged from 0.6 to 1.0 mm and showed significant inter and intra patient variability. Left atrial wall thickness can be measured robustly and efficiently across the whole left atrium using a solution of the Laplace equation over a finite element mesh of the left atrium. Further studies are indicated to determine whether the integration of LAWT maps into pre-existing 3D anatomical mapping systems may provide important anatomical information for guiding radiofrequency ablation. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Central Nervous System Vasculitis

MedlinePlus

... of Vasculitis / Central Nervous System (CNS) Vasculitis Central Nervous System (CNS) Vasculitis Swap out your current Facebook Profile ... Facebook personal page. Replace with this image. Central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis is inflammation of blood vessel walls ...

Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The 1100C Virtual Window is based on technology developed under NASA Small Business Innovation (SBIR) contracts to Ames Research Center. For example, under one contract Dimension Technologies, Inc. developed a large autostereoscopic display for scientific visualization applications. The Virtual Window employs an innovative illumination system to deliver the depth and color of true 3D imaging. Its applications include surgery and Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans, viewing for teleoperated robots, training, and in aviation cockpit displays.

A custom acoustic emission monitoring system for harsh environments: application to freezing-induced damage in alpine rock-walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girard, L.; Beutel, J.; Gruber, S.; Hunziker, J.; Lim, R.; Weber, S.

2012-06-01

We present a custom acoustic emission (AE) monitoring system designed to perform long-term measurements on high-alpine rock-walls. AE monitoring is a common technique for characterizing damage evolution in solid materials. The system is based on a two-channel AE sensor node (AE-node) integrated into a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) customized for operation in harsh environments. This wireless architecture offers flexibility in the deployment of AE-nodes at any position of the rock-wall that needs to be monitored, within a range of a few hundred meters from a core station connected to the internet. The system achieves near real-time data delivery and allows the user to remotely control the AE detection threshold. In order to protect AE sensors and capture acoustic signals from specific depths of the rock-wall, a special casing was developed. The monitoring system is completed by two probes that measure rock temperature and liquid water content, both probes being also integrated into the WSN. We report a first deployment of the monitoring system on a rock-wall at Jungfraujoch, 3500 m a.s.l., Switzerland. While this first deployment of the monitoring system aims to support fundamental research on processes that damage rock under cold climate, the system could serve a number of other applications, including rock-fall hazard surveillance or structural monitoring of concrete structures.

A custom acoustic emission monitoring system for harsh environments: application to freezing-induced damage in alpine rock walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girard, L.; Beutel, J.; Gruber, S.; Hunziker, J.; Lim, R.; Weber, S.

2012-11-01

We present a custom acoustic emission (AE) monitoring system designed to perform long-term measurements on high-alpine rock walls. AE monitoring is a common technique for characterizing damage evolution in solid materials. The system is based on a two-channel AE sensor node (AE-node) integrated into a wireless sensor network (WSN) customized for operation in harsh environments. This wireless architecture offers flexibility in the deployment of AE-nodes at any position of the rock wall that needs to be monitored, within a range of a few hundred meters from a core station connected to the internet. The system achieves near real-time data delivery and allows the user to remotely control the AE detection threshold. In order to protect AE sensors and capture acoustic signals from specific depths of the rock wall, a special casing was developed. The monitoring system is completed by two probes that measure rock temperature and liquid water content, both probes being also integrated into the WSN. We report a first deployment of the monitoring system on a rock wall at Jungfraujoch, 3500 m a.s.l., Switzerland. While this first deployment of the monitoring system aims to support fundamental research on processes that damage rock under cold climate, the system could serve a number of other applications, including rock fall hazard surveillance or structural monitoring of concrete structures.

A study on post impingement effects of urea-water solution spray on the heated wall of automotive SCR systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahariar, G. M. H.; Wardana, M. K. A.; Lim, O. T.

2018-04-01

The post impingement effects of urea-water solution spray on the heated wall of automotive SCR systems was numerically investigated in a constant volume chamber using STAR CCM+ CFD code. The turbulence flow was modelled by realizable k-ε two-layer model together with standard wall function and all y+ treatment was applied along with two-layer approach. The Eulerian-Lagrangian approach was used for the modelling of multi phase flow. Urea water solution (UWS) was injected onto the heated wall for the wall temperature of 338, 413, 473, 503 & 573 K. Spray development after impinging on the heated wall was visualized and measured. Droplet size distribution and droplet evaporation rates were also measured, which are vital parameters for the system performance but still not well researched. Specially developed user defined functions (UDF) are implemented to simulate the desired conditions and parameters. The investigation reveals that wall temperature has a great impact on spray development after impingement, droplet size distribution and evaporation. Increasing the wall temperature leads to longer spray front projection length, smaller droplet size and faster droplet evaporation which are preconditions for urea crystallization reduction. The numerical model and parameters are validated comparing with experimental data.

Backscatter absorption gas imaging system

DOEpatents

McRae, Jr., Thomas G.

1985-01-01

A video imaging system for detecting hazardous gas leaks. Visual displays of invisible gas clouds are produced by radiation augmentation of the field of view of an imaging device by radiation corresponding to an absorption line of the gas to be detected. The field of view of an imager is irradiated by a laser. The imager receives both backscattered laser light and background radiation. When a detectable gas is present, the backscattered laser light is highly attenuated, producing a region of contrast or shadow on the image. A flying spot imaging system is utilized to synchronously irradiate and scan the area to lower laser power requirements. The imager signal is processed to produce a video display.

Backscatter absorption gas imaging system

DOEpatents

McRae, T.G. Jr.

A video imaging system for detecting hazardous gas leaks. Visual displays of invisible gas clouds are produced by radiation augmentation of the field of view of an imaging device by radiation corresponding to an absorption line of the gas to be detected. The field of view of an imager is irradiated by a laser. The imager receives both backscattered laser light and background radiation. When a detectable gas is present, the backscattered laser light is highly attenuated, producing a region of contrast or shadow on the image. A flying spot imaging system is utilized to synchronously irradiate and scan the area to lower laser power requirements. The imager signal is processed to produce a video display.

Endoscopic trans-nasal approach for biopsy of orbital tumours using image-guided neuro-navigation system.

PubMed

Sieskiewicz, A; Lyson, T; Mariak, Z; Rogowski, M

2008-05-01

Histopathological diagnosis of intraorbital tumours is of crucial value for planning further therapy. The aim of the study was to explore clinical utility of image-guided endoscopy for biopsy of orbital tumours. Trans-nasal endoscopic biopsy of intraorbital mass lesions was performed in 6 patients using a neuro-navigation system (Medtronic Stealth Station Treon plus). The CT and MRI 1 mm slice images were fused by the system in order to visualise both bony and soft tissue structures. The anatomic fiducial registration protocol was used during the procedure. All lesions were precisely localised and the biopsies could be taken from the representative part of the pathological mass. None of the patients developed aggravation of ocular symptoms after the procedure. The operative corridor as well as the size of orbital wall fenestration could be limited to a minimum. The accuracy of neuro-navigation remained high and stable during the entire procedure. The image-guided neuro-navigation system facilitated endoscopic localisation and biopsy of intraorbital tumours and contributed to the reduction of surgical trauma during the procedure. The technique was particularly useful in small, medially located, retrobulbar tumours and in unclear situations when the structure of the lesion resembled surrounding intraorbital tissue.

Building America Case Study: Advanced Extended Plate and Beam Wall System in a Cold-Climate House, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania

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