ZrFsy1, a high-affinity fructose/H+ symporter from fructophilic yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria José Leandro

Full Text Available Zygosaccharomyces rouxii is a fructophilic yeast than can grow at very high sugar concentrations. We have identified an ORF encoding a putative fructose/H(+ symporter in the Z. rouxii CBS 732 genome database. Heterologous expression of this ORF in a S. cerevisiae strain lacking its own hexose transporters (hxt-null and subsequent kinetic characterization of its sugar transport activity showed it is a high-affinity low-capacity fructose/H(+ symporter, with Km 0.45 ± 0.07 mM and Vmax 0.57 ± 0.02 mmol h(-1 (gdw(-1. We named it ZrFsy1. This protein also weakly transports xylitol and sorbose, but not glucose or other hexoses. The expression of ZrFSY1 in Z. rouxii is higher when the cells are cultivated at extremely low fructose concentrations (<0.2% and on non-fermentable carbon sources such as mannitol and xylitol, where the cells have a prolonged lag phase, longer duplication times and change their microscopic morphology. A clear phenotype was determined for the first time for the deletion of a fructose/H(+ symporter in the genome where it occurs naturally. The effect of the deletion of ZrFSY1 in Z. rouxii cells is only evident when the cells are cultivated at very low fructose concentrations, when the ZrFsy1 fructose symporter is the main active fructose transporter system.

Pyrrolidinium FSI and TFSI-Based Polymerized Ionic Liquids as Electrolytes for High-Temperature Lithium-Ion Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manfred Kerner

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Promising electrochemical and dynamical properties, as well as high thermal stability, have been the driving forces behind application of ionic liquids (ILs and polymerized ionic liquids (PILs as electrolytes for high-temperature lithium-ion batteries (HT-LIBs. Here, several ternary lithium-salt/IL/PIL electrolytes (PILel have been investigated for synergies of having both FSI and TFSI anions present, primarily in terms of physico-chemical properties, for unique application in HT-LIBs operating at 80 °C. All of the electrolytes tested have low Tg and are thermally stable ≥100 °C, and with TFSI as the exclusive anion the electrolytes (set A have higher thermal stabilities ≥125 °C. Ionic conductivities are in the range of 1 mS/cm at 100 °C and slightly higher for set A PILel, which, however, have lower oxidation stabilities than set B PILel with both FSI and TFSI anions present: 3.4–3.7 V vs. 4.2 V. The evolution of the interfacial resistance increases for all PILel during the first 40 h, but are much lower for set B PILel and generally decrease with increasing Li-salt content. The higher interfacial resistances only influence the cycling performance at high C-rates (1 C, where set B PILel with high Li-salt content performs better, while the discharge capacities at the 0.1 C rate are comparable. Long-term cycling at 0.5 C, however, shows stable discharge capacities for 100 cycles, with the exception of the set B PILel with high Li-salt content. Altogether, the presence of both FSI and TFSI anions in the PILel results in lower ionic conductivities and decreased thermal stabilities, but also higher oxidation stabilities and reduced interfacial resistances and, in total, result in an improved rate capability, but compromised long-term capacity retention. Overall, these electrolytes open for novel designs of HT-LIBs.

DTK C/Fortran Interface Development for NEAMS FSI Simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Slattery, Stuart R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lebrun-Grandie, Damien T. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-09-19

This report documents the development of DataTransferKit (DTK) C and Fortran interfaces for fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) simulations in NEAMS. In these simulations, the codes Nek5000 and Diablo are being coupled within the SHARP framework to study flow-induced vibration (FIV) in reactor steam generators. We will review the current Nek5000/Diablo coupling algorithm in SHARP and the current state of the solution transfer scheme used in this implementation. We will then present existing DTK algorithms which may be used instead to provide an improvement in both flexibility and scalability of the current SHARP implementation. We will show how these can be used within the current FSI scheme using a new set of interfaces to the algorithms developed by this work. These new interfaces currently expose the mesh-free solution transfer algorithms in DTK, a C++ library, and are written in C and Fortran to enable coupling of both Nek5000 and Diablo in their native Fortran language. They have been compiled and tested on Cooley, the test-bed machine for Mira at ALCF.

Comparison of MRI-based and CT/MRI fusion-based postimplant dosimetric analysis of prostate brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Osamu; Hayashi, Shinya; Matsuo, Masayuki; Sakurai, Kota; Nakano, Masahiro; Maeda, Sunaho; Kajita, Kimihiro R.T.; Deguchi, Takashi; Hoshi, Hiroaki

2006-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based and computed tomography (CT)/MRI fusion-based postimplant dosimetry methods in permanent prostate brachytherapy. Methods and Materials: Between October 2004 and March 2006, a total of 52 consecutive patients with prostate cancer were treated by brachytherapy, and postimplant dosimetry was performed using CT/MRI fusion. The accuracy and reproducibility were prospectively compared between MRI-based dosimetry and CT/MRI fusion-based dosimetry based on the dose-volume histogram (DVH) related parameters as recommended by the American Brachytherapy Society. Results: The prostate volume was 15.97 ± 6.17 cc (mean ± SD) in MRI-based dosimetry, and 15.97 ± 6.02 cc in CT/MRI fusion-based dosimetry without statistical difference. The prostate V100 was 94.5% and 93.0% in MRI-based and CT/MRI fusion-based dosimetry, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.002). The prostate D90 was 119.4% and 114.4% in MRI-based and CT/MRI fusion-based dosimetry, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Our current results suggested that, as with fusion images, MR images allowed accurate contouring of the organs, but they tended to overestimate the analysis of postimplant dosimetry in comparison to CT/MRI fusion images. Although this MRI-based dosimetric discrepancy was negligible, MRI-based dosimetry was acceptable and reproducible in comparison to CT-based dosimetry, because the difference between MRI-based and CT/MRI fusion-based results was smaller than that between CT-based and CT/MRI fusion-based results as previously reported

Acoustic frequency filter based on anisotropic topological phononic crystals

KAUST Repository

Chen, Zeguo

2017-11-02

We present a design of acoustic frequency filter based on a two-dimensional anisotropic phononic crystal. The anisotropic band structure exhibits either a directional or a combined (global + directional) bandgap at certain frequency regions, depending on the geometry. When the time-reversal symmetry is broken, it may introduce a topologically nontrivial bandgap. The induced nontrivial bandgap and the original directional bandgap result in various interesting wave propagation behaviors, such as frequency filter. We develop a tight-binding model to characterize the effective Hamiltonian of the system, from which the contribution of anisotropy is explicitly shown. Different from the isotropic cases, the Zeeman-type splitting is not linear and the anisotropic bandgap makes it possible to achieve anisotropic propagation characteristics along different directions and at different frequencies.

Acoustic frequency filter based on anisotropic topological phononic crystals

KAUST Repository

Chen, Zeguo; Zhao, Jiajun; Mei, Jun; Wu, Ying

2017-01-01

We present a design of acoustic frequency filter based on a two-dimensional anisotropic phononic crystal. The anisotropic band structure exhibits either a directional or a combined (global + directional) bandgap at certain frequency regions, depending on the geometry. When the time-reversal symmetry is broken, it may introduce a topologically nontrivial bandgap. The induced nontrivial bandgap and the original directional bandgap result in various interesting wave propagation behaviors, such as frequency filter. We develop a tight-binding model to characterize the effective Hamiltonian of the system, from which the contribution of anisotropy is explicitly shown. Different from the isotropic cases, the Zeeman-type splitting is not linear and the anisotropic bandgap makes it possible to achieve anisotropic propagation characteristics along different directions and at different frequencies.

Anisotropic Diffusion based Brain MRI Segmentation and 3D Reconstruction

OpenAIRE

M. Arfan Jaffar; Sultan Zia; Ghaznafar Latif; AnwarM. Mirza; Irfan Mehmood; Naveed Ejaz; Sung Wook Baik

2012-01-01

In medical field visualization of the organs is very imperative for accurate diagnosis and treatment of any disease. Brain tumor diagnosis and surgery also required impressive 3D visualization of the brain to the radiologist. Detection and 3D reconstruction of brain tumors from MRI is a computationally time consuming and error-prone task. Proposed system detects and presents a 3D visualization model of the brain and tumor inside which greatly helps the radiologist to effectively diagnose and ...

Cardiac re-entry dynamics and self-termination in DT-MRI based model of Human Foetal Heart

Science.gov (United States)

Biktasheva, Irina V.; Anderson, Richard A.; Holden, Arun V.; Pervolaraki, Eleftheria; Wen, Fen Cai

2018-02-01

The effect of human foetal heart geometry and anisotropy on anatomy induced drift and self-termination of cardiac re-entry is studied here in MRI based 2D slice and 3D whole heart computer simulations. Isotropic and anisotropic models of 20 weeks of gestational age human foetal heart obtained from 100μm voxel diffusion tensor MRI data sets were used in the computer simulations. The fiber orientation angles of the heart were obtained from the orientation of the DT-MRI primary eigenvectors. In a spatially homogeneous electrophysiological monodomain model with the DT-MRI based heart geometries, cardiac re-entry was initiated at a prescribed location in a 2D slice, and in the 3D whole heart anatomy models. Excitation was described by simplified FitzHugh-Nagumo kinetics. In a slice of the heart, with propagation velocity twice as fast along the fibres than across the fibers, DT-MRI based fiber anisotropy changes the re-entry dynamics from pinned to an anatomical re-entry. In the 3D whole heart models, the fiber anisotropy changes cardiac re-entry dynamics from a persistent re-entry to the re-entry self-termination. The self-termination time depends on the re-entry’s initial position. In all the simulations with the DT-MRI based cardiac geometry, the anisotropy of the myocardial tissue shortens the time to re-entry self-termination several folds. The numerical simulations depend on the validity of the DT-MRI data set used. The ventricular wall showed the characteristic transmural rotation of the helix angle of the developed mammalian heart, while the fiber orientation in the atria was irregular.

Anisotropic conductivity imaging with MREIT using equipotential projection algorithm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Degirmenci, Evren [Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mersin University, Mersin (Turkey); Eyueboglu, B Murat [Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06531, Ankara (Turkey)

2007-12-21

Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) combines magnetic flux or current density measurements obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and surface potential measurements to reconstruct images of true conductivity with high spatial resolution. Most of the biological tissues have anisotropic conductivity; therefore, anisotropy should be taken into account in conductivity image reconstruction. Almost all of the MREIT reconstruction algorithms proposed to date assume isotropic conductivity distribution. In this study, a novel MREIT image reconstruction algorithm is proposed to image anisotropic conductivity. Relative anisotropic conductivity values are reconstructed iteratively, using only current density measurements without any potential measurement. In order to obtain true conductivity values, only either one potential or conductivity measurement is sufficient to determine a scaling factor. The proposed technique is evaluated on simulated data for isotropic and anisotropic conductivity distributions, with and without measurement noise. Simulation results show that the images of both anisotropic and isotropic conductivity distributions can be reconstructed successfully.

General PFG signal attenuation expressions for anisotropic anomalous diffusion by modified-Bloch equations

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Guoxing

2018-05-01

Anomalous diffusion exists widely in polymer and biological systems. Pulsed-field gradient (PFG) anomalous diffusion is complicated, especially in the anisotropic case where limited research has been reported. A general PFG signal attenuation expression, including the finite gradient pulse (FGPW) effect for free general anisotropic fractional diffusion { 0 integral modified-Bloch equation, were extended to obtain general PFG signal attenuation expressions for anisotropic anomalous diffusion. Various cases of PFG anisotropic anomalous diffusion were investigated, including coupled and uncoupled anisotropic anomalous diffusion. The continuous-time random walk (CTRW) simulation was also carried out to support the theoretical results. The theory and the CTRW simulation agree with each other. The obtained signal attenuation expressions and the three-dimensional fractional modified-Bloch equations are important for analyzing PFG anisotropic anomalous diffusion in NMR and MRI.

Tunable waveguide bends with graphene-based anisotropic metamaterials

KAUST Repository

Chen, Zhao-xian; Chen, Ze-guo; Ming, Yang; Wu, Ying; Lu, Yan-qing

2016-01-01

We design tunable waveguide bends filled with graphene-based anisotropic metamaterials to achieve a nearly perfect bending effect. The anisotropic properties of the metamaterials can be described by the effective medium theory. The nearly perfect bending effect is demonstrated by finite element simulations of various structures with different bending curvatures and shapes. This effect is attributed to zero effective permittivity along the direction of propagation and matched effective impedance at the interfaces between the bending part and the dielectric waveguides. We envisage that the design will be applicable in the far-infrared and terahertz frequency ranges owing to the tunable dielectric responses of graphene.

Tunable waveguide bends with graphene-based anisotropic metamaterials

KAUST Repository

Chen, Zhao-xian

2016-01-15

We design tunable waveguide bends filled with graphene-based anisotropic metamaterials to achieve a nearly perfect bending effect. The anisotropic properties of the metamaterials can be described by the effective medium theory. The nearly perfect bending effect is demonstrated by finite element simulations of various structures with different bending curvatures and shapes. This effect is attributed to zero effective permittivity along the direction of propagation and matched effective impedance at the interfaces between the bending part and the dielectric waveguides. We envisage that the design will be applicable in the far-infrared and terahertz frequency ranges owing to the tunable dielectric responses of graphene.

A dual model HU conversion from MRI intensity values within and outside of bone segment for MRI-based radiotherapy treatment planning of prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korhonen, Juha, E-mail: juha.p.korhonen@hus.fi [Clinical Research Institute Helsinki University Central Hospital Ltd., POB-700, 00029 HUS, Finland and Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, POB-180, 00029 HUS (Finland); Kapanen, Mika [Clinical Research Institute Helsinki University Central Hospital Ltd., POB-700, 00029 HUS (Finland); Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, POB-180, 00029 HUS (Finland); Department of Medical Physics, Tampere University Hospital, POB-2000, 33521 Tampere (Finland); Keyriläinen, Jani; Seppälä, Tiina; Tenhunen, Mikko [Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, POB-180, 00029 HUS (Finland)

2014-01-15

Purpose: The lack of electron density information in magnetic resonance images (MRI) poses a major challenge for MRI-based radiotherapy treatment planning (RTP). In this study the authors convert MRI intensity values into Hounsfield units (HUs) in the male pelvis and thus enable accurate MRI-based RTP for prostate cancer patients with varying tissue anatomy and body fat contents. Methods: T{sub 1}/T{sub 2}*-weighted MRI intensity values and standard computed tomography (CT) image HUs in the male pelvis were analyzed using image data of 10 prostate cancer patients. The collected data were utilized to generate a dual model HU conversion technique from MRI intensity values of the single image set separately within and outside of contoured pelvic bones. Within the bone segment local MRI intensity values were converted to HUs by applying a second-order polynomial model. This model was tuned for each patient by two patient-specific adjustments: MR signal normalization to correct shifts in absolute intensity level and application of a cutoff value to accurately represent low density bony tissue HUs. For soft tissues, such as fat and muscle, located outside of the bone contours, a threshold-based segmentation method without requirements for any patient-specific adjustments was introduced to convert MRI intensity values into HUs. The dual model HU conversion technique was implemented by constructing pseudo-CT images for 10 other prostate cancer patients. The feasibility of these images for RTP was evaluated by comparing HUs in the generated pseudo-CT images with those in standard CT images, and by determining deviations in MRI-based dose distributions compared to those in CT images with 7-field intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with the anisotropic analytical algorithm and 360° volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with the Voxel Monte Carlo algorithm. Results: The average HU differences between the constructed pseudo-CT images and standard CT images of each

Illusion thermal device based on material with constant anisotropic thermal conductivity for location camouflage

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Quanwen; Zhao, Xiaopeng; Meng, Tong; Liu, Cunliang

2016-09-01

Thermal metamaterials and devices based on transformation thermodynamics often require materials with anisotropic and inhomogeneous thermal conductivities. In this study, still based on the concept of transformation thermodynamics, we designed a planar illusion thermal device, which can delocalize a heat source in the device such that the temperature profile outside the device appears to be produced by a virtual source at another position. This device can be constructed by only one kind of material with constant anisotropic thermal conductivity. The condition which should be satisfied by the device is provided, and the required anisotropic thermal conductivity is then deduced theoretically. This study may be useful for the designs of metamaterials or devices since materials with constant anisotropic parameters have great facility in fabrication. A prototype device has been fabricated based on a composite composed by two naturally occurring materials. The experimental results validate the effectiveness of the device.

An optimization-based framework for anisotropic simplex mesh adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Yano, Masayuki; Darmofal, David L.

2012-09-01

We present a general framework for anisotropic h-adaptation of simplex meshes. Given a discretization and any element-wise, localizable error estimate, our adaptive method iterates toward a mesh that minimizes error for a given degrees of freedom. Utilizing mesh-metric duality, we consider a continuous optimization problem of the Riemannian metric tensor field that provides an anisotropic description of element sizes. First, our method performs a series of local solves to survey the behavior of the local error function. This information is then synthesized using an affine-invariant tensor manipulation framework to reconstruct an approximate gradient of the error function with respect to the metric tensor field. Finally, we perform gradient descent in the metric space to drive the mesh toward optimality. The method is first demonstrated to produce optimal anisotropic meshes minimizing the L2 projection error for a pair of canonical problems containing a singularity and a singular perturbation. The effectiveness of the framework is then demonstrated in the context of output-based adaptation for the advection-diffusion equation using a high-order discontinuous Galerkin discretization and the dual-weighted residual (DWR) error estimate. The method presented provides a unified framework for optimizing both the element size and anisotropy distribution using an a posteriori error estimate and enables efficient adaptation of anisotropic simplex meshes for high-order discretizations.

MRI-based preplanning in low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Osamu; Hayashi, Shinya; Matsuo, Masayuki; Nakano, Masahiro; Kubota, Yasuaki; Maeda, Sunaho; Ohtakara, Kazuhiro; Deguchi, Takashi; Hoshi, Hiroaki

2008-01-01

Purpose: To compare the dosimetric results between MRI-based and TRUS-based preplanning in permanent prostate brachytherapy, and to estimate the accuracy of MRI-based preplanning by comparing with CT/MRI fusion-based postimplant dosimetry. Methods and materials: Twenty-one patients were entered in this prospective study with written informed consent. MRI-based and TRUS-based preplanning were performed. The seed and needle locations were identical according to MRI-based and TRUS-based preplanning. MRI-based and TRUS-based preplanning were compared using DVH-related parameters. Following brachytherapy, the accuracy of the MRI-based preplanning was evaluated by comparing it with CT/MRI fusion-based postimplant dosimetry. Results: Mean MRI-based prostate volume was slightly underestimated (0.73 cc in mean volume) in comparison to TRUS-based volume. There were no significant differences in the mean DVH-related parameters except with rectal V 100 (cc) between TRUS-based and MRI-based preplanning. Mean rectal V 100 (cc) was 0.74 cc in TRUS-based and 0.29 cc in MRI-based preplanning, respectively, and the values demonstrated a statistical difference. There was no statistical difference in mean rectal V 150 (cc), and rectal V 100 (cc) between MRI-based preplanning and CT/MRI fusion-based postimplant dosimetry. Conclusion: Prostate volume estimation and DVH-related parameters in MRI-based preplanning were almost identical to TRUS-based preplanning. From the results of CT/MRI fusion-based postimplant dosimetry, MRI-based preplanning was therefore found to be a reliable and useful modality, as well as being helpful for TRUS-based preplanning. MRI-based preplanning can more accurately predict postimplant rectal dose than TRUS-based preplanning

Intraplaque hemorrhage is associated with higher structural stresses in human atherosclerotic plaques: an in vivo MRI-based 3D fluid-structure interaction study.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xueying; Teng, Zhongzhao; Canton, Gador; Ferguson, Marina; Yuan, Chun; Tang, Dalin

2010-12-31

Studies using medical images have shown that intraplaque hemorrhage may accelerate plaque progression and may produce a stimulus for atherosclerosis development by increasing lipid core and plaque volume and creating new destabilizing factors. Image-based 3D computational models with fluid-structure interactions (FSI) will be used to perform plaque mechanical analysis and investigate possible associations between intraplaque hemorrhage and both plaque wall stress (PWS) and flow shear stress (FSS). In vivo MRI data of carotid plaques from 5 patients with intraplaque hemorrhage confirmed by histology were acquired. 3D multi-component FSI models were constructed for each plaque to obtain mechanical stresses. Plaque Wall Stress (PWS) and Flow Shear Stress (FSS) were extracted from all nodal points on the lumen surface of each plaque for analysis. The mean PWS value from all hemorrhage nodes of the 5 plaques combined was higher than that from non-hemorrhage nodes (75.6 versus 68.1 kPa, P = 0.0003). The mean PWS values from hemorrhage nodes for each of the 5 plaques were all significantly higher (5 out of 5) than those from non-hemorrhage nodes (P shear stress values from individual cases showed mixed results: only one out of five plaques showed mean FSS value from hemorrhage nodes was higher than that from non-hemorrhage nodes; three out of five plaques showed that their mean FSS values from hemorrhage nodes were lower than those from non-hemorrhage nodes; and one plaque showed that the difference had no statistical significance. The results of this study suggested that intraplaque hemorrhage nodes were associated with higher plaque wall stresses. Compared to flow shear stress, plaque wall stress has a better correlation with plaque component feature (hemorrhage) linked to plaque progression and vulnerability. With further validation, plaque stress analysis may provide additional stress indicators for image-based vulnerability assessment.

Statistical analysis of MRI-only based dose planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Korsholm, M. E.; Waring, L. W.; Paulsen, Rasmus Reinhold

2012-01-01

. MRIonly based RT eliminates these errors and reduce the time and costs of a CT scan. The aim of this study is to investigate the dosimetric differences of a treatment plan when the dose calculation is based on MRI as compared to CT. Materials and Methods: Four diagnostic groups are investigated; 12...... as a clinically approved treatment plan. The treatment planning software is Eclipse v.10.0 (Varian Medical Systems). The dose calculation based on MRI data is evaluated in two different ways; a homogeneous density assigned MRI (MRI unit), where the entire body is assigned an HU equal to water and a heterogeneous...... density assigned MRI (MRI bulk) where in addition the CT segmented bone is transferred to the MRI and assigned an age dependent HU based on ICRU report 46. The CT based clinical treatment plan and structure set are registered to the corresponding MRI unit and MRI bulk. The body is outlined on both the MRI...

Performance of a reduced-order FSI model for flow-induced vocal fold vibration

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Haoxiang; Chang, Siyuan; Chen, Ye; Rousseau, Bernard; PhonoSim Team

2017-11-01

Vocal fold vibration during speech production involves a three-dimensional unsteady glottal jet flow and three-dimensional nonlinear tissue mechanics. A full 3D fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model is computationally expensive even though it provides most accurate information about the system. On the other hand, an efficient reduced-order FSI model is useful for fast simulation and analysis of the vocal fold dynamics, which can be applied in procedures such as optimization and parameter estimation. In this work, we study performance of a reduced-order model as compared with the corresponding full 3D model in terms of its accuracy in predicting the vibration frequency and deformation mode. In the reduced-order model, we use a 1D flow model coupled with a 3D tissue model that is the same as in the full 3D model. Two different hyperelastic tissue behaviors are assumed. In addition, the vocal fold thickness and subglottal pressure are varied for systematic comparison. The result shows that the reduced-order model provides consistent predictions as the full 3D model across different tissue material assumptions and subglottal pressures. However, the vocal fold thickness has most effect on the model accuracy, especially when the vocal fold is thin.

Fluid-Induced Vibration Analysis for Reactor Internals Using Computational FSI Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Jong Sung; Yi, Kun Woo; Sung, Ki Kwang; Im, In Young; Choi, Taek Sang [KEPCO E and C, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

This paper introduces a fluid-induced vibration analysis method which calculates the response of the RVI to both deterministic and random loads at once and utilizes more realistic pressure distribution using the computational Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) method. As addressed above, the FIV analysis for the RVI was carried out using the computational FSI method. This method calculates the response to deterministic and random turbulence loads at once. This method is also a simple and integrative method to get structural dynamic responses of reactor internals to various flow-induced loads. Because the analysis of this paper omitted the bypass flow region and Inner Barrel Assembly (IBA) due to the limitation of computer resources, it is necessary to find an effective way to consider all regions in the RV for the FIV analysis in the future. Reactor coolant flow makes Reactor Vessel Internals (RVI) vibrate and may affect the structural integrity of them. U. S. NRC Regulatory Guide 1.20 requires the Comprehensive Vibration Assessment Program (CVAP) to verify the structural integrity of the RVI for Fluid-Induced Vibration (FIV). The hydraulic forces on the RVI of OPR1000 and APR1400 were computed from the hydraulic formulas and the CVAP measurements in Palo Verde Unit 1 and Yonggwang Unit 4 for the structural vibration analyses. In this method, the hydraulic forces were divided into deterministic and random turbulence loads and were used for the excitation forces of the separate structural analyses. These forces are applied to the finite element model and the responses to them were combined into the resultant stresses.

The Family Socialization Interview—Revised (FSI-R): a Comprehensive Assessment of Parental Disciplinary Behaviors

OpenAIRE

O’Dor, Sarah L.; Grasso, Damion J.; Forbes, Danielle; Bates, John E.; McCarthy, Kimberly J.; Wakschlag, Lauren S.; Briggs-Gowan, Margaret J.

2017-01-01

Elucidating the complex mechanisms by which harsh parenting increases risk of child psychopathology is key to targeted prevention. This requires nuanced methods that capture the varied perceptions and experiences of diverse families. The Family Socialization Interview—Revised (FSI-R), adapted from an interview developed by Dodge et al. (Child Development, 65,649–665,1994), is a comprehensive, semi-structured interview for characterizing methods of parental discipline used with young children....

Software Toolbox for Low-Frequency Conductivity and Current Density Imaging Using MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Sajib, Saurav Z K; Katoch, Nitish; Kim, Hyung Joong; Kwon, Oh In; Woo, Eung Je

2017-11-01

Low-frequency conductivity and current density imaging using MRI includes magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT), diffusion tensor MREIT (DT-MREIT), conductivity tensor imaging (CTI), and magnetic resonance current density imaging (MRCDI). MRCDI and MREIT provide current density and isotropic conductivity images, respectively, using current-injection phase MRI techniques. DT-MREIT produces anisotropic conductivity tensor images by incorporating diffusion weighted MRI into MREIT. These current-injection techniques are finding clinical applications in diagnostic imaging and also in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), and electroporation where treatment currents can function as imaging currents. To avoid adverse effects of nerve and muscle stimulations due to injected currents, conductivity tensor imaging (CTI) utilizes B1 mapping and multi-b diffusion weighted MRI to produce low-frequency anisotropic conductivity tensor images without injecting current. This paper describes numerical implementations of several key mathematical functions for conductivity and current density image reconstructions in MRCDI, MREIT, DT-MREIT, and CTI. To facilitate experimental studies of clinical applications, we developed a software toolbox for these low-frequency conductivity and current density imaging methods. This MR-based conductivity imaging (MRCI) toolbox includes 11 toolbox functions which can be used in the MATLAB environment. The MRCI toolbox is available at http://iirc.khu.ac.kr/software.html . Its functions were tested by using several experimental datasets, which are provided together with the toolbox. Users of the toolbox can focus on experimental designs and interpretations of reconstructed images instead of developing their own image reconstruction softwares. We expect more toolbox functions to be added from future research outcomes. Low-frequency conductivity and current density imaging using MRI includes

Anisotropic ray trace

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Wai Sze Tiffany

anisotropic ray tracing. x. Chapter 4 presents the data reduction of the P matrix of a crystal waveplate. The diattenuation is embedded in the singular values of P. The retardance is divided into two parts: (A) The physical retardance induced by OPLs and surface interactions, and (B) the geometrical transformation induced by geometry of a ray path, which is calculated by the geometrical transform Q matrix. The Q matrix of an anisotropic intercept is derived from the generalization of s- and p-bases at the anisotropic intercept; the p basis is not confined to the plane of incidence due to the anisotropic refraction or reflection. Chapter 5 shows how the multiple P matrices associated with the eigenmodes resulting from propagation through multiple anisotropic surfaces can be combined into one P matrix when the multiple modes interfere in their overlapping regions. The resultant P matrix contains diattenuation induced at each surface interaction as well as the retardance due to ray propagation and total internal reflections. The polarization aberrations of crystal waveplates and crystal polarizers are studied in Chapter 6 and Chapter 7. A wavefront simulated by a grid of rays is traced through the anisotropic system and the resultant grid of rays is analyzed. The analysis is complicated by the ray doubling effects and the partially overlapping eigen-wavefronts propagating in various directions. The wavefront and polarization aberrations of each eigenmode can be evaluated from the electric field distributions. The overall polarization at the plane of interest or the image quality at the image plane are affected by each of these eigen-wavefronts. Isotropic materials become anisotropic due to stress, strain, or applied electric or magnetic fields. In Chapter 8, the P matrix for anisotropic materials is extended to ray tracing in stress birefringent materials which are treated as spatially varying anisotropic materials. Such simulations can predict the spatial retardance variation

Computational Study of Subdural Cortical Stimulation: Effects of Simulating Anisotropic Conductivity on Activation of Cortical Neurons.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyeon Seo

Full Text Available Subdural cortical stimulation (SuCS is an appealing method in the treatment of neurological disorders, and computational modeling studies of SuCS have been applied to determine the optimal design for electrotherapy. To achieve a better understanding of computational modeling on the stimulation effects of SuCS, the influence of anisotropic white matter conductivity on the activation of cortical neurons was investigated in a realistic head model. In this paper, we constructed pyramidal neuronal models (layers 3 and 5 that showed primary excitation of the corticospinal tract, and an anatomically realistic head model reflecting complex brain geometry. The anisotropic information was acquired from diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI and then applied to the white matter at various ratios of anisotropic conductivity. First, we compared the isotropic and anisotropic models; compared to the isotropic model, the anisotropic model showed that neurons were activated in the deeper bank during cathodal stimulation and in the wider crown during anodal stimulation. Second, several popular anisotropic principles were adapted to investigate the effects of variations in anisotropic information. We observed that excitation thresholds varied with anisotropic principles, especially with anodal stimulation. Overall, incorporating anisotropic conductivity into the anatomically realistic head model is critical for accurate estimation of neuronal responses; however, caution should be used in the selection of anisotropic information.

Efficient Wavefield Extrapolation In Anisotropic Media

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq; Ma, Xuxin; Waheed, Umair bin; Zuberi, Mohammad Akbar Hosain

2014-01-01

Various examples are provided for wavefield extrapolation in anisotropic media. In one example, among others, a method includes determining an effective isotropic velocity model and extrapolating an equivalent propagation of an anisotropic, poroelastic or viscoelastic wavefield. The effective isotropic velocity model can be based upon a kinematic geometrical representation of an anisotropic, poroelastic or viscoelastic wavefield. Extrapolating the equivalent propagation can use isotopic, acoustic or elastic operators based upon the determined effective isotropic velocity model. In another example, non-transitory computer readable medium stores an application that, when executed by processing circuitry, causes the processing circuitry to determine the effective isotropic velocity model and extrapolate the equivalent propagation of an anisotropic, poroelastic or viscoelastic wavefield. In another example, a system includes processing circuitry and an application configured to cause the system to determine the effective isotropic velocity model and extrapolate the equivalent propagation of an anisotropic, poroelastic or viscoelastic wavefield.

Efficient Wavefield Extrapolation In Anisotropic Media

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq

2014-07-03

Various examples are provided for wavefield extrapolation in anisotropic media. In one example, among others, a method includes determining an effective isotropic velocity model and extrapolating an equivalent propagation of an anisotropic, poroelastic or viscoelastic wavefield. The effective isotropic velocity model can be based upon a kinematic geometrical representation of an anisotropic, poroelastic or viscoelastic wavefield. Extrapolating the equivalent propagation can use isotopic, acoustic or elastic operators based upon the determined effective isotropic velocity model. In another example, non-transitory computer readable medium stores an application that, when executed by processing circuitry, causes the processing circuitry to determine the effective isotropic velocity model and extrapolate the equivalent propagation of an anisotropic, poroelastic or viscoelastic wavefield. In another example, a system includes processing circuitry and an application configured to cause the system to determine the effective isotropic velocity model and extrapolate the equivalent propagation of an anisotropic, poroelastic or viscoelastic wavefield.

Interference between PET and MRI sub-systems in a silicon-photomultiplier-based PET/MRI system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Watabe, Hiroshi; Kanai, Yasukazu; Hatazawa, Jun; Aoki, Masaaki; Sugiyama, Eiji; Watabe, Tadashi; Imaizumi, Masao; Shimosegawa, Eku

2011-01-01

The silicon-photomultiplier (Si-PM) is a promising photodetector, especially for integrated PET/MRI systems, due to its small size, high gain, and low sensitivity to static magnetic fields. The major problem using a Si-PM-based PET system within the MRI system is the interference between the PET and MRI units. We measured the interference by combining a Si-PM-based PET system with a permanent-magnet MRI system. When the RF signal-induced pulse height exceeded the lower energy threshold level of the PET system, interference between the Si-PM-based PET system and MRI system was detected. The prompt as well as the delayed coincidence count rates of the Si-PM-based PET system increased significantly. These noise counts produced severe artifacts on the reconstructed images of the Si-PM-based PET system. In terms of the effect of the Si-PM-based PET system on the MRI system, although no susceptibility artifact was observed on the MR images, electronic noise from the PET detector ring was detected by the RF coil and reduced the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the MR images. The S/N degradation of the MR images was reduced when the distance between the RF coil and the Si-PM-based PET system was increased. We conclude that reducing the interference between the PET and MRI systems is essential for achieving the optimum performance of integrated Si-PM PET/MRI systems.

3D anisotropic modeling and identification for airborne EM systems based on the spectral-element method

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xin; Yin, Chang-Chun; Cao, Xiao-Yue; Liu, Yun-He; Zhang, Bo; Cai, Jing

2017-09-01

The airborne electromagnetic (AEM) method has a high sampling rate and survey flexibility. However, traditional numerical modeling approaches must use high-resolution physical grids to guarantee modeling accuracy, especially for complex geological structures such as anisotropic earth. This can lead to huge computational costs. To solve this problem, we propose a spectral-element (SE) method for 3D AEM anisotropic modeling, which combines the advantages of spectral and finite-element methods. Thus, the SE method has accuracy as high as that of the spectral method and the ability to model complex geology inherited from the finite-element method. The SE method can improve the modeling accuracy within discrete grids and reduce the dependence of modeling results on the grids. This helps achieve high-accuracy anisotropic AEM modeling. We first introduced a rotating tensor of anisotropic conductivity to Maxwell's equations and described the electrical field via SE basis functions based on GLL interpolation polynomials. We used the Galerkin weighted residual method to establish the linear equation system for the SE method, and we took a vertical magnetic dipole as the transmission source for our AEM modeling. We then applied fourth-order SE calculations with coarse physical grids to check the accuracy of our modeling results against a 1D semi-analytical solution for an anisotropic half-space model and verified the high accuracy of the SE. Moreover, we conducted AEM modeling for different anisotropic 3D abnormal bodies using two physical grid scales and three orders of SE to obtain the convergence conditions for different anisotropic abnormal bodies. Finally, we studied the identification of anisotropy for single anisotropic abnormal bodies, anisotropic surrounding rock, and single anisotropic abnormal body embedded in an anisotropic surrounding rock. This approach will play a key role in the inversion and interpretation of AEM data collected in regions with anisotropic

Intraplaque hemorrhage is associated with higher structural stresses in human atherosclerotic plaques: an in vivo MRI-based 3d fluid-structure interaction study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Canton Gador

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies using medical images have shown that intraplaque hemorrhage may accelerate plaque progression and may produce a stimulus for atherosclerosis development by increasing lipid core and plaque volume and creating new destabilizing factors. Image-based 3D computational models with fluid-structure interactions (FSI will be used to perform plaque mechanical analysis and investigate possible associations between intraplaque hemorrhage and both plaque wall stress (PWS and flow shear stress (FSS. Methods In vivo MRI data of carotid plaques from 5 patients with intraplaque hemorrhage confirmed by histology were acquired. 3D multi-component FSI models were constructed for each plaque to obtain mechanical stresses. Plaque Wall Stress (PWS and Flow Shear Stress (FSS were extracted from all nodal points on the lumen surface of each plaque for analysis. Results The mean PWS value from all hemorrhage nodes of the 5 plaques combined was higher than that from non-hemorrhage nodes (75.6 versus 68.1 kPa, P = 0.0003. The mean PWS values from hemorrhage nodes for each of the 5 plaques were all significantly higher (5 out of 5 than those from non-hemorrhage nodes (P 2, P = 0.0002. However, the mean flow shear stress values from individual cases showed mixed results: only one out of five plaques showed mean FSS value from hemorrhage nodes was higher than that from non-hemorrhage nodes; three out of five plaques showed that their mean FSS values from hemorrhage nodes were lower than those from non-hemorrhage nodes; and one plaque showed that the difference had no statistical significance. Conclusion The results of this study suggested that intraplaque hemorrhage nodes were associated with higher plaque wall stresses. Compared to flow shear stress, plaque wall stress has a better correlation with plaque component feature (hemorrhage linked to plaque progression and vulnerability. With further validation, plaque stress analysis may provide

Shearing Box Simulations of the MRI in a Collisionless Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Prateek; Hammett, Gregory W.; Quataert, Eliot; Stone, James M.

2005-01-01

We describe local shearing box simulations of turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in a collisionless plasma. Collisionless effects may be important in radiatively inefficient accretion flows, such as near the black hole in the Galactic Center. The MHD version of ZEUS is modified to evolve an anisotropic pressure tensor. A fluid closure approximation is used to calculate heat conduction along magnetic field lines. The anisotropic pressure tensor provides a qualitatively new mechanism for transporting angular momentum in accretion flows (in addition to the Maxwell and Reynolds stresses). We estimate limits on the pressure anisotropy due to pitch angle scattering by kinetic instabilities. Such instabilities provide an effective ''collision'' rate in a collisionless plasma and lead to more MHD-like dynamics. We find that the MRI leads to efficient growth of the magnetic field in a collisionless plasma, with saturation amplitudes comparable to those in MHD. In the saturated state, the anisotropic stress is comparable to the Maxwell stress, implying that the rate of angular momentum transport may be moderately enhanced in a collisionless plasma

Whole-body bone segmentation from MRI for PET/MRI attenuation correction using shape-based averaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arabi, Hossein; Zaidi, H.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The authors evaluate the performance of shape-based averaging (SBA) technique for whole-body bone segmentation from MRI in the context of MRI-guided attenuation correction (MRAC) in hybrid PET/MRI. To enhance the performance of the SBA scheme, the authors propose to combine it with stati......Purpose: The authors evaluate the performance of shape-based averaging (SBA) technique for whole-body bone segmentation from MRI in the context of MRI-guided attenuation correction (MRAC) in hybrid PET/MRI. To enhance the performance of the SBA scheme, the authors propose to combine...... it with statistical atlas fusion techniques. Moreover, a fast and efficient shape comparisonbased atlas selection scheme was developed and incorporated into the SBA method. Methods: Clinical studies consisting of PET/CT and MR images of 21 patients were used to assess the performance of the SBA method. In addition...... voting (MV) atlas fusion scheme was also evaluated as a conventional and commonly used method. MRI-guided attenuation maps were generated using the different segmentation methods. Thereafter, quantitative analysis of PET attenuation correction was performed using CT-based attenuation correction...

Joint eigenvector estimation from mutually anisotropic tensors improves susceptibility tensor imaging of the brain, kidney, and heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Dibb, Russell; Liu, Chunlei

2017-06-01

To develop a susceptibility-based MRI technique for probing microstructure and fiber architecture of magnetically anisotropic tissues-such as central nervous system white matter, renal tubules, and myocardial fibers-in three dimensions using susceptibility tensor imaging (STI) tools. STI can probe tissue microstructure, but is limited by reconstruction artifacts because of absent phase information outside the tissue and noise. STI accuracy may be improved by estimating a joint eigenvector from mutually anisotropic susceptibility and relaxation tensors. Gradient-recalled echo image data were simulated using a numerical phantom and acquired from the ex vivo mouse brain, kidney, and heart. Susceptibility tensor data were reconstructed using STI, regularized STI, and the proposed algorithm of mutually anisotropic and joint eigenvector STI (MAJESTI). Fiber map and tractography results from each technique were compared with diffusion tensor data. MAJESTI reduced the estimated susceptibility tensor orientation error by 30% in the phantom, 36% in brain white matter, 40% in the inner medulla of the kidney, and 45% in myocardium. This improved the continuity and consistency of susceptibility-based fiber tractography in each tissue. MAJESTI estimation of the susceptibility tensors yields lower orientation errors for susceptibility-based fiber mapping and tractography in the intact brain, kidney, and heart. Magn Reson Med 77:2331-2346, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

fs-i "2004" : linnamängud värvidega ja ilma / Maija Burima ; inglise keelest tlk. Silver Rattasepp

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Burima, Maija

2007-01-01

Artiklis analüüsitakse fs-i luulekogu "2004" venekeelse tõlke põhjal. Artikli aluseks on ingliskeelne ettekanne Underi ja Tuglase Kirjanduskeskuse seminaril "Turn of the Century, Turns in Literature II : Estonian and Latvian Literature in the European Context at the Turn of the 20th/21st Centuries" Viinistus 22.-23. mail 2007

Human brain functional MRI and DTI visualization with virtual reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bin; Moreland, John; Zhang, Jingyu

2011-12-01

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional MRI (fMRI) are two active research areas in neuroimaging. DTI is sensitive to the anisotropic diffusion of water exerted by its macromolecular environment and has been shown useful in characterizing structures of ordered tissues such as the brain white matter, myocardium, and cartilage. The diffusion tensor provides two new types of information of water diffusion: the magnitude and the spatial orientation of water diffusivity inside the tissue. This information has been used for white matter fiber tracking to review physical neuronal pathways inside the brain. Functional MRI measures brain activations using the hemodynamic response. The statistically derived activation map corresponds to human brain functional activities caused by neuronal activities. The combination of these two methods provides a new way to understand human brain from the anatomical neuronal fiber connectivity to functional activities between different brain regions. In this study, virtual reality (VR) based MR DTI and fMRI visualization with high resolution anatomical image segmentation and registration, ROI definition and neuronal white matter fiber tractography visualization and fMRI activation map integration is proposed. Rationale and methods for producing and distributing stereoscopic videos are also discussed.

AP1000 Shield Building Dynamic Response for Different Water Levels of PCCWST Subjected to Seismic Loading considering FSI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daogang Lu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Huge water storage tank on the top of many buildings may affect the safety of the structure caused by fluid-structure interaction (FSI under the earthquake. AP1000 passive containment cooling system water storage tank (PCCWST placed at the top of shield building is a key component to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities. Under seismic loading, water will impact the wall of PCCWST, which may pose a threat to the integrity of the shield building. In the present study, an FE model of AP1000 shield building is built for the modal and transient seismic analysis considering the FSI. Six different water levels in PCCWST were discussed by comparing the modal frequency, seismic acceleration response, and von Mises stress distribution. The results show the maximum von Mises stress emerges at the joint of shield building roof and water around the air inlet. However, the maximum von Mises stress is below the yield strength of reinforced concrete. The results may provide a reference for design of the AP1000 and CAP1400 in the future.

A new anisotropic mesh adaptation method based upon hierarchical a posteriori error estimates

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Weizhang; Kamenski, Lennard; Lang, Jens

2010-03-01

A new anisotropic mesh adaptation strategy for finite element solution of elliptic differential equations is presented. It generates anisotropic adaptive meshes as quasi-uniform ones in some metric space, with the metric tensor being computed based on hierarchical a posteriori error estimates. A global hierarchical error estimate is employed in this study to obtain reliable directional information of the solution. Instead of solving the global error problem exactly, which is costly in general, we solve it iteratively using the symmetric Gauß-Seidel method. Numerical results show that a few GS iterations are sufficient for obtaining a reasonably good approximation to the error for use in anisotropic mesh adaptation. The new method is compared with several strategies using local error estimators or recovered Hessians. Numerical results are presented for a selection of test examples and a mathematical model for heat conduction in a thermal battery with large orthotropic jumps in the material coefficients.

SU-E-J-239: IMRT Planning of Prostate Cancer for a MRI-Linac Based On MRI Only

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, X; Prior, P; Paulson, E; Lawton, C; Li, X [Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: : To investigate dosimetric differences between MRI- and CT-based IMRT planning for prostate cancer, the impact of a magnetic field in a MRI-Linac, and to explore the feasibility of IMRT planning based on MRI alone. Methods: IMRT plans were generated based on CT and MRI images acquired on two representative prostate-cancer patients using clinical dose volume constraints. A research planning system (Monaco, Elekta), which employs a Monte Carlo dose engine and includes a perpendicular magnetic field of 1.5T from an MRI-Linac, was used. Bulk electron density assignments based on organ-specific values from ICRU 46 were used to convert MRI (T2) to pseudo CT. With the same beam configuration as in the original CT plan, 5 additional plans were generated based on CT or MRI, with or without optimization (i.e., just recalculation) and with or without the magnetic field. The plan quality in terms of commonly used dose volume (DV) parameters for all plans was compared. The statistical uncertainty on dose was < 1%. Results: For plans with the same contour set but without re-optimization, the DV parameters were different from those for the original CT plan, mostly less than 5% with a few exceptions. These differences were reduced to mostly less than 3% when the plans were re-optimized. For plans with contours from MRI, the differences in the DV parameters varied depending on the difference in the contours as compared to CT. For the optimized plans with contours from MR, the differences for PTV were less than 3%. Conclusion: The prostate IMRT plans based on MRI-only for a MR-Linac were practically similar as compared to the CT plan under the same beam and optimization configuration if the difference on the structure delineation is excluded, indicating the feasibility of using MRI-only for prostate IMRT.

Transient anisotropic magnetic field calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jesenik, Marko; Gorican, Viktor; Trlep, Mladen; Hamler, Anton; Stumberger, Bojan

2006-01-01

For anisotropic magnetic material, nonlinear magnetic characteristics of the material are described with magnetization curves for different magnetization directions. The paper presents transient finite element calculation of the magnetic field in the anisotropic magnetic material based on the measured magnetization curves for different magnetization directions. For the verification of the calculation method some results of the calculation are compared with the measurement

A Variational Approach to Perturbed Discrete Anisotropic Equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amjad Salari

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We continue the study of discrete anisotropic equations and we will provide new multiplicity results of the solutions for a discrete anisotropic equation. We investigate the existence of infinitely many solutions for a perturbed discrete anisotropic boundary value problem. The approach is based on variational methods and critical point theory.

WE-G-BRD-07: Automated MR Image Standardization and Auto-Contouring Strategy for MRI-Based Adaptive Brachytherapy for Cervix Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleh, H Al; Erickson, B; Paulson, E

2015-01-01

Purpose: MRI-based adaptive brachytherapy (ABT) is an emerging treatment modality for patients with gynecological tumors. However, MR image intensity non-uniformities (IINU) can vary from fraction to fraction, complicating image interpretation and auto-contouring accuracy. We demonstrate here an automated MR image standardization and auto-contouring strategy for MRI-based ABT of cervix cancer. Methods: MR image standardization consisted of: 1) IINU correction using the MNI N3 algorithm, 2) noise filtering using anisotropic diffusion, and 3) signal intensity normalization using the volumetric median. This post-processing chain was implemented as a series of custom Matlab and Java extensions in MIM (v6.4.5, MIM Software) and was applied to 3D T2 SPACE images of six patients undergoing MRI-based ABT at 3T. Coefficients of variation (CV=σ/µ) were calculated for both original and standardized images and compared using Mann-Whitney tests. Patient-specific cumulative MR atlases of bladder, rectum, and sigmoid contours were constructed throughout ABT, using original and standardized MR images from all previous ABT fractions. Auto-contouring was performed in MIM two ways: 1) best-match of one atlas image to the daily MR image, 2) multi-match of all previous fraction atlas images to the daily MR image. Dice’s Similarity Coefficients (DSCs) were calculated for auto-generated contours relative to reference contours for both original and standardized MR images and compared using Mann-Whitney tests. Results: Significant improvements in CV were detected following MR image standardization (p=0.0043), demonstrating an improvement in MR image uniformity. DSCs consistently increased for auto-contoured bladder, rectum, and sigmoid following MR image standardization, with the highest DSCs detected when the combination of MR image standardization and multi-match cumulative atlas-based auto-contouring was utilized. Conclusion: MR image standardization significantly improves MR image

WE-G-BRD-07: Automated MR Image Standardization and Auto-Contouring Strategy for MRI-Based Adaptive Brachytherapy for Cervix Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saleh, H Al; Erickson, B; Paulson, E [Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: MRI-based adaptive brachytherapy (ABT) is an emerging treatment modality for patients with gynecological tumors. However, MR image intensity non-uniformities (IINU) can vary from fraction to fraction, complicating image interpretation and auto-contouring accuracy. We demonstrate here an automated MR image standardization and auto-contouring strategy for MRI-based ABT of cervix cancer. Methods: MR image standardization consisted of: 1) IINU correction using the MNI N3 algorithm, 2) noise filtering using anisotropic diffusion, and 3) signal intensity normalization using the volumetric median. This post-processing chain was implemented as a series of custom Matlab and Java extensions in MIM (v6.4.5, MIM Software) and was applied to 3D T2 SPACE images of six patients undergoing MRI-based ABT at 3T. Coefficients of variation (CV=σ/µ) were calculated for both original and standardized images and compared using Mann-Whitney tests. Patient-specific cumulative MR atlases of bladder, rectum, and sigmoid contours were constructed throughout ABT, using original and standardized MR images from all previous ABT fractions. Auto-contouring was performed in MIM two ways: 1) best-match of one atlas image to the daily MR image, 2) multi-match of all previous fraction atlas images to the daily MR image. Dice’s Similarity Coefficients (DSCs) were calculated for auto-generated contours relative to reference contours for both original and standardized MR images and compared using Mann-Whitney tests. Results: Significant improvements in CV were detected following MR image standardization (p=0.0043), demonstrating an improvement in MR image uniformity. DSCs consistently increased for auto-contoured bladder, rectum, and sigmoid following MR image standardization, with the highest DSCs detected when the combination of MR image standardization and multi-match cumulative atlas-based auto-contouring was utilized. Conclusion: MR image standardization significantly improves MR image

Anisotropic ferromagnetic behaviors in highly orientated epitaxial NiO-based thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Jun Zhang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Antiferromagnetic materials attract a great amount of attention recently for promising antiferromagnet-based spintronics applications. NiO is a conventional antiferromagnetic semiconductor material and can show ferromagnetism by doping other magnetic elements. In this work, we synthesized epitaxial Fe-doped NiO thin films on SrTiO3 substrates with various crystal orientations by pulsed laser deposition. The room-temperature ferromagnetism of these films is anisotropic, including the saturated magnetization and the coercive field. The anisotropic magnetic behaviors of Fe-doped NiO diluted magnetic oxide system should be closely correlated to the magnetic structure of antiferromagnetic NiO base. Within the easy plane of NiO, the coercive field of the films becomes smaller, and larger coercive field while tested out of the easy plane of NiO. The saturated magnetization anisotropy is due to different strain applied by different substrates. These results lead us to more abundant knowledge of the exchange interactions in this conventional antiferromagnetic system.

The anisotropic tunneling behavior of spin transport in graphene-based magnetic tunneling junction

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Mengchun; Li, Peisen; Qiu, Weicheng; Zhao, Jianqiang; Peng, Junping; Hu, Jiafei; Hu, Jinghua; Tian, Wugang; Hu, Yueguo; Chen, Dixiang; Wu, Xuezhong; Xu, Zhongjie; Yuan, Xuefeng

2018-05-01

Due to the theoretical prediction of large tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), graphene-based magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) has become an important branch of high-performance spintronics device. In this paper, the non-collinear spin filtering and transport properties of MTJ with the Ni/tri-layer graphene/Ni structure were studied in detail by utilizing the non-equilibrium Green's formalism combined with spin polarized density functional theory. The band structure of Ni-C bonding interface shows that Ni-C atomic hybridization facilitates the electronic structure consistency of graphene and nickel, which results in a perfect spin filtering effect for tri-layer graphene-based MTJ. Furthermore, our theoretical results show that the value of tunneling resistance changes with the relative magnetization angle of two ferromagnetic layers, displaying the anisotropic tunneling behavior of graphene-based MTJ. This originates from the resonant conduction states which are strongly adjusted by the relative magnetization angles. In addition, the perfect spin filtering effect is demonstrated by fitting the anisotropic conductance with the Julliere's model. Our work may serve as guidance for researches and applications of graphene-based spintronics device.

MRI-Based Nonrigid Motion Correction in Simultaneous PET/MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, Se Young; Reese, Timothy G.; Ouyang, Jinsong; Guerin, Bastien; Catana, Ciprian; Zhu, Xuping; Alpert, Nathaniel M.; El Fakhri, Georges

2014-01-01

Respiratory and cardiac motion is the most serious limitation to whole-body PET, resulting in spatial resolution close to 1 cm. Furthermore, motion-induced inconsistencies in the attenuation measurements often lead to significant artifacts in the reconstructed images. Gating can remove motion artifacts at the cost of increased noise. This paper presents an approach to respiratory motion correction using simultaneous PET/MRI to demonstrate initial results in phantoms, rabbits, and nonhuman primates and discusses the prospects for clinical application. Methods Studies with a deformable phantom, a free-breathing primate, and rabbits implanted with radioactive beads were performed with simultaneous PET/MRI. Motion fields were estimated from concurrently acquired tagged MR images using 2 B-spline nonrigid image registration methods and incorporated into a PET list-mode ordered-subsets expectation maximization algorithm. Using the measured motion fields to transform both the emission data and the attenuation data, we could use all the coincidence data to reconstruct any phase of the respiratory cycle. We compared the resulting SNR and the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) detection signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the motion-corrected reconstruction with the results obtained from standard gating and uncorrected studies. Results Motion correction virtually eliminated motion blur without reducing SNR, yielding images with SNR comparable to those obtained by gating with 5–8 times longer acquisitions in all studies. The CHO study in dynamic phantoms demonstrated a significant improvement (166%–276%) in lesion detection SNR with MRI-based motion correction as compared with gating (P < 0.001). This improvement was 43%–92% for large motion compared with lesion detection without motion correction (P < 0.001). CHO SNR in the rabbit studies confirmed these results. Conclusion Tagged MRI motion correction in simultaneous PET/MRI significantly improves lesion detection

Highly Sensitive Flexible Magnetic Sensor Based on Anisotropic Magnetoresistance Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhiguang; Wang, Xinjun; Li, Menghui; Gao, Yuan; Hu, Zhongqiang; Nan, Tianxiang; Liang, Xianfeng; Chen, Huaihao; Yang, Jia; Cash, Syd; Sun, Nian-Xiang

2016-11-01

A highly sensitive flexible magnetic sensor based on the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect is fabricated. A limit of detection of 150 nT is observed and excellent deformation stability is achieved after wrapping of the flexible sensor, with bending radii down to 5 mm. The flexible AMR sensor is used to read a magnetic pattern with a thickness of 10 μm that is formed by ferrite magnetic inks. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nonlinear constitutive relations for anisotropic elastic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Sokolova, Marina; Khristich, Dmitrii

2018-03-01

A general approach to constructing of nonlinear variants of connection between stresses and strains in anisotropic materials with different types of symmetry of properties is considered. This approach is based on the concept of elastic proper subspaces of anisotropic materials introduced in the mechanics of solids by J. Rychlewski and on the particular postulate of isotropy proposed by A. A. Il’yushin. The generalization of the particular postulate on the case of nonlinear anisotropic materials is formulated. Systems of invariants of deformations as lengths of projections of the strain vector into proper subspaces are developed. Some variants of nonlinear constitutive relations for anisotropic materials are offered. The analysis of these relations from the point of view of their satisfaction to general and limit forms of generalization of partial isotropy postulate on anisotropic materials is performed. The relations for particular cases of anisotropy are written.

MRI-based decision tree model for diagnosis of biliary atresia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong Hee; Kim, Myung-Joon; Shin, Hyun Joo; Yoon, Haesung; Han, Seok Joo; Koh, Hong; Roh, Yun Ho; Lee, Mi-Jung

2018-02-23

To evaluate MRI findings and to generate a decision tree model for diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA) in infants with jaundice. We retrospectively reviewed features of MRI and ultrasonography (US) performed in infants with jaundice between January 2009 and June 2016 under approval of the institutional review board, including the maximum diameter of periportal signal change on MRI (MR triangular cord thickness, MR-TCT) or US (US-TCT), visibility of common bile duct (CBD) and abnormality of gallbladder (GB). Hepatic subcapsular flow was reviewed on Doppler US. We performed conditional inference tree analysis using MRI findings to generate a decision tree model. A total of 208 infants were included, 112 in the BA group and 96 in the non-BA group. Mean age at the time of MRI was 58.7 ± 36.6 days. Visibility of CBD, abnormality of GB and MR-TCT were good discriminators for the diagnosis of BA and the MRI-based decision tree using these findings with MR-TCT cut-off 5.1 mm showed 97.3 % sensitivity, 94.8 % specificity and 96.2 % accuracy. MRI-based decision tree model reliably differentiates BA in infants with jaundice. MRI can be an objective imaging modality for the diagnosis of BA. • MRI-based decision tree model reliably differentiates biliary atresia in neonatal cholestasis. • Common bile duct, gallbladder and periportal signal changes are the discriminators. • MRI has comparable performance to ultrasonography for diagnosis of biliary atresia.

A theory for the anisotropic interaction between two substitutional magnetic impurities and the magnetic anisotropic effect in dilute magnetic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satter, M.A.

1990-08-01

In this paper, a formalism for studying the anisotropic interaction between two substitutional magnetic impurities and the magnetic anisotropic effect in a dilute noble metal- transition metal magnetic alloy has been developed from relativistic scattering theory. The theoretical development and the computational techniques of this formalism are based on relativistic spin-polarized scattering theory and relativistic band structure frameworks. For studying the magnetic anisotropic effect a convenient ''working'' frame of reference with its axes oriented along the fcc crystal axes is set up. This formalism is applied to study the situation for two Fe impurities in paramagnetic Au hosts. For AuFe dilute alloy, the two impurity site interaction as a function of separation is not oscillatory and the anisotropic effect is found to be less than the two site interaction itself only by an order of magnitude. Apart from the anisotropic coupling of the two impurity spins to the separation vector, for the first time, another weak anisotropic coupling to the crystal axes is also contained in the two site interaction. These anisotropic effects are the results of the relativistic spin-orbit interaction which are incorporated into the formalism. (author). 22 refs, 5 figs

Analysis of electromagnetic scattering by uniaxial anisotropic bispheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zheng-Jun; Wu, Zhen-Sen; Li, Hai-Ying

2011-02-01

Based on the generalized multiparticle Mie theory and the Fourier transformation approach, electromagnetic (EM) scattering of two interacting homogeneous uniaxial anisotropic spheres with parallel primary optical axes is investigated. By introducing the Fourier transformation, the EM fields in the uniaxial anisotropic spheres are expanded in terms of the spherical vector wave functions. The interactive scattering coefficients and the expansion coefficients of the internal fields are derived through the continuous boundary conditions on which the interaction of the bispheres is considered. Some selected calculations on the effects of the size parameter, the uniaxial anisotropic absorbing dielectric, and the sphere separation distance are described. The backward radar cross section of two uniaxial anisotropic spheres with a complex permittivity tensor changing with the sphere separation distance is numerically studied. The authors are hopeful that the work in this paper will help provide an effective calibration for further research on the scattering characteristic of an aggregate of anisotropic spheres or other shaped anisotropic particles.

Anisotropic evaluation of synthetic surgical meshes.

Science.gov (United States)

Saberski, E R; Orenstein, S B; Novitsky, Y W

2011-02-01

The material properties of meshes used in hernia repair contribute to the overall mechanical behavior of the repair. The anisotropic potential of synthetic meshes, representing a difference in material properties (e.g., elasticity) in different material axes, is not well defined to date. Haphazard orientation of anisotropic mesh material can contribute to inconsistent surgical outcomes. We aimed to characterize and compare anisotropic properties of commonly used synthetic meshes. Six different polypropylene (Trelex(®), ProLite™, Ultrapro™), polyester (Parietex™), and PTFE-based (Dualmesh(®), Infinit) synthetic meshes were selected. Longitudinal and transverse axes were defined for each mesh, and samples were cut in each axis orientation. Samples underwent uniaxial tensile testing, from which the elastic modulus (E) in each axis was determined. The degree of anisotropy (λ) was calculated as a logarithmic expression of the ratio between the elastic modulus in each axis. Five of six meshes displayed significant anisotropic behavior. Ultrapro™ and Infinit exhibited approximately 12- and 20-fold differences between perpendicular axes, respectively. Trelex(®), ProLite™, and Parietex™ were 2.3-2.4 times. Dualmesh(®) was the least anisotropic mesh, without marked difference between the axes. Anisotropy of synthetic meshes has been underappreciated. In this study, we found striking differences between elastic properties of perpendicular axes for most commonly used synthetic meshes. Indiscriminate orientation of anisotropic mesh may adversely affect hernia repairs. Proper labeling of all implants by manufacturers should be mandatory. Understanding the specific anisotropic behavior of synthetic meshes should allow surgeons to employ rational implant orientation to maximize outcomes of hernia repair.

A review of anisotropic conductivity models of brain white matter based on diffusion tensor imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhanxiong; Liu, Yang; Hong, Ming; Yu, Xiaohui

2018-06-01

The conductivity of brain tissues is not only essential for electromagnetic source estimation (ESI), but also a key reflector of the brain functional changes. Different from the other brain tissues, the conductivity of whiter matter (WM) is highly anisotropic and a tensor is needed to describe it. The traditional electrical property imaging methods, such as electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT), usually fail to image the anisotropic conductivity tensor of WM with high spatial resolution. The diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a newly developed technique that can fulfill this purpose. This paper reviews the existing anisotropic conductivity models of WM based on the DTI and discusses their advantages and disadvantages, as well as identifies opportunities for future research on this subject. It is crucial to obtain the linear conversion coefficient between the eigenvalues of anisotropic conductivity tensor and diffusion tensor, since they share the same eigenvectors. We conclude that the electrochemical model is suitable for ESI analysis because the conversion coefficient can be directly obtained from the concentration of ions in extracellular liquid and that the volume fraction model is appropriate to study the influence of WM structural changes on electrical conductivity. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Patch-based generation of a pseudo CT from conventional MRI sequences for MRI-only radiotherapy of the brain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Daniel; Van Leemput, Koen; Hansen, Rasmus H.

2015-01-01

scans. In this study, we investigate the potential of a patch-based method for creating a pCT based on conventional T1-weighted MRI scans without using deformable registrations. We compare this method against two state-of-the-art methods within the voxel-based and atlas-based categories. Methods...... based on water equivalent path lengths was carried out, comparing the upper hemisphere of the head in the pCT and the real CT. Finally, the dosimetric accuracy was tested and compared for a photon treatment plan. Results:The pCTs produced with the patch-based method had the best voxel-wise, geometric......Purpose: In radiotherapy (RT) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the only modality, the information on electron density must be derived from the MRI scan by creating a so-called pseudo computed tomography (pCT). This is a nontrivial task, since the voxel-intensities in an MRI scan...

Aptamer-fluorescent silica nanoparticles bioconjugates based dual-color flow cytometry for specific detection of Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiaoxiao; Li, Yuhong; He, Dinggen; Wang, Kemin; Shangguan, Jingfang; Shi, Hui

2014-07-01

This paper describes a sensitive and specific determination strategy for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) detection using aptamer recognition and fluorescent silica nanoparticles (FSiNPs) label based dual-color flow cytometry assay (Aptamer/FSiNPs-DCFCM). In the protocol, an aptamer, having high affinity to S. aureus, was first covalently immobilized onto chloropropyl functionalized FSiNPs through a click chemistry approach to generate aptamer-nanoparticles bioconjugates (Aptamer/FSiNPs). Next, S. aureus was incubated with Aptamer/FSiNPs, and then stained with SYBR Green I (a special staining material for the duplex DNA). Upon target binding and nucleic acid staining with SYBR Green I, the S. aureus was determined using two-color flow cytometry. The method took advantage of the specificity of aptamer, signal amplification of FSiNPs label and decreased false positives of two-color flow cytometry assay. It was demonstrated that these Aptamer/FSiNPs could efficiently recognize and fluorescently label target S. aureus. Through multiparameter determination with flow cytometry, this assay allowed for detection of as low as 1.5 x 10(2) and 7.6 x 10(2) cells mL(-1) S. aureus in buffer and spiked milk, respectively, with higher sensitivity than the Aptamer/FITC based flow cytometry.

Anisotropic behavior of quantum transport in graphene superlattices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Jesper Goor; Cummings, Aron W.; Roche, Stephan

2014-01-01

We report on the possibility to generate highly anisotropic quantum conductivity in disordered graphene-based superlattices. Our quantum simulations, based on an efficient real-space implementation of the Kubo-Greenwood formula, show that in disordered graphene superlattices the strength of multi......We report on the possibility to generate highly anisotropic quantum conductivity in disordered graphene-based superlattices. Our quantum simulations, based on an efficient real-space implementation of the Kubo-Greenwood formula, show that in disordered graphene superlattices the strength...

Resting-State Seed-Based Analysis: An Alternative to Task-Based Language fMRI and Its Laterality Index.

Science.gov (United States)

Smitha, K A; Arun, K M; Rajesh, P G; Thomas, B; Kesavadas, C

2017-06-01

Language is a cardinal function that makes human unique. Preservation of language function poses a great challenge for surgeons during resection. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of resting-state fMRI in the lateralization of language function in healthy subjects to permit its further testing in patients who are unable to perform task-based fMRI. Eighteen healthy right-handed volunteers were prospectively evaluated with resting-state fMRI and task-based fMRI to assess language networks. The laterality indices of Broca and Wernicke areas were calculated by using task-based fMRI via a voxel-value approach. We adopted seed-based resting-state fMRI connectivity analysis together with parameters such as amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF). Resting-state fMRI connectivity maps for language networks were obtained from Broca and Wernicke areas in both hemispheres. We performed correlation analysis between the laterality index and the z scores of functional connectivity, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, and fALFF. Pearson correlation analysis between signals obtained from the z score of fALFF and the laterality index yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.849 ( P laterality index yielded an R 2 value of 0.721, indicating that 72.1% of the variance in the laterality index of task-based fMRI could be predicted from the fALFF of resting-state fMRI. The present study demonstrates that fALFF can be used as an alternative to task-based fMRI for assessing language laterality. There was a strong positive correlation between the fALFF of the Broca area of resting-state fMRI with the laterality index of task-based fMRI. Furthermore, we demonstrated the efficacy of fALFF for predicting the laterality of task-based fMRI. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

TU-F-BRB-00: MRI-Based Motion Management for RT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

The current clinical standard of organ respiratory imaging, 4D-CT, is fundamentally limited by poor soft-tissue contrast and imaging dose. These limitations are potential barriers to beneficial “4D” radiotherapy methods which optimize the target and OAR dose-volume considering breathing motion but rely on a robust motion characterization. Conversely, MRI imparts no known radiation risk and has excellent soft-tissue contrast. MRI-based motion management is therefore highly desirable and holds great promise to improve radiotherapy of moving cancers, particularly in the abdomen. Over the past decade, MRI techniques have improved significantly, making MR-based motion management clinically feasible. For example, cine MRI has high temporal resolution up to 10 f/s and has been used to track and/or characterize tumor motion, study correlation between external and internal motions. New MR technologies, such as 4D-MRI and MRI hybrid treatment machines (i.e. MR-linac or MR-Co60), have been recently developed. These technologies can lead to more accurate target volume determination and more precise radiation dose delivery via direct tumor gating or tracking. Despite all these promises, great challenges exist and the achievable clinical benefit of MRI-based tumor motion management has yet to be fully explored, much less realized. In this proposal, we will review novel MR-based motion management methods and technologies, the state-of-the-art concerning MRI development and clinical application and the barriers to more widespread adoption. Learning Objectives: Discuss the need of MR-based motion management for improving patient care in radiotherapy. Understand MR techniques for motion imaging and tumor motion characterization. Understand the current state of the art and future steps for clinical integration. Henry Ford Health System holds research agreements with Philips Healthcare. Research sponsored in part by a Henry Ford Health System Internal Mentored Grant

TU-F-BRB-00: MRI-Based Motion Management for RT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2015-06-15

The current clinical standard of organ respiratory imaging, 4D-CT, is fundamentally limited by poor soft-tissue contrast and imaging dose. These limitations are potential barriers to beneficial “4D” radiotherapy methods which optimize the target and OAR dose-volume considering breathing motion but rely on a robust motion characterization. Conversely, MRI imparts no known radiation risk and has excellent soft-tissue contrast. MRI-based motion management is therefore highly desirable and holds great promise to improve radiotherapy of moving cancers, particularly in the abdomen. Over the past decade, MRI techniques have improved significantly, making MR-based motion management clinically feasible. For example, cine MRI has high temporal resolution up to 10 f/s and has been used to track and/or characterize tumor motion, study correlation between external and internal motions. New MR technologies, such as 4D-MRI and MRI hybrid treatment machines (i.e. MR-linac or MR-Co60), have been recently developed. These technologies can lead to more accurate target volume determination and more precise radiation dose delivery via direct tumor gating or tracking. Despite all these promises, great challenges exist and the achievable clinical benefit of MRI-based tumor motion management has yet to be fully explored, much less realized. In this proposal, we will review novel MR-based motion management methods and technologies, the state-of-the-art concerning MRI development and clinical application and the barriers to more widespread adoption. Learning Objectives: Discuss the need of MR-based motion management for improving patient care in radiotherapy. Understand MR techniques for motion imaging and tumor motion characterization. Understand the current state of the art and future steps for clinical integration. Henry Ford Health System holds research agreements with Philips Healthcare. Research sponsored in part by a Henry Ford Health System Internal Mentored Grant.

EIT forward problem parallel simulation environment with anisotropic tissue and realistic electrode models.

Science.gov (United States)

De Marco, Tommaso; Ries, Florian; Guermandi, Marco; Guerrieri, Roberto

2012-05-01

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is an imaging technology based on impedance measurements. To retrieve meaningful insights from these measurements, EIT relies on detailed knowledge of the underlying electrical properties of the body. This is obtained from numerical models of current flows therein. The nonhomogeneous and anisotropic electric properties of human tissues make accurate modeling and simulation very challenging, leading to a tradeoff between physical accuracy and technical feasibility, which at present severely limits the capabilities of EIT. This work presents a complete algorithmic flow for an accurate EIT modeling environment featuring high anatomical fidelity with a spatial resolution equal to that provided by an MRI and a novel realistic complete electrode model implementation. At the same time, we demonstrate that current graphics processing unit (GPU)-based platforms provide enough computational power that a domain discretized with five million voxels can be numerically modeled in about 30 s.

MRI-based N-staging in esophageal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krupski, G.; Lorenzen, J.; Nicolas, V.; Adam, G.; Gawad, K.; Izbicki, J.R.

2002-01-01

Purpose: For planning the therapeutic strategies and estimating the prognosis in esophageal cancer, N-staging is very important. To date, MRI still is of minor importance as imaging modality of the mediastinum despite promising developments in the past, like ECG-gating or 'averaging' sequences, e.g. LOTA (Long-term averaging), which facilitate mediastinal and thoracic MR-imaging. In a prospective approach, the value of MRI based N-staging was examined with respect to LOTA-sequences. Material and Methods: Within from weeks prior to esophagectomy, standardized MRI of the esophagus was performed in 15 patients (10 squamous-cell-carcinomas and 5 adenocarcinomas) using a 1.5 T whole body scanner. Imaging quality was classified based on depiction of aortic wall or tracheal wall layers. Criteria for malignant infiltration were a diameter of more than 15 mm or a round appearance of a lymph node together with GD-DTPA enhancement. All data were blinded and separately read by two radiologists. The data of the study were compared with those from the pathological workup of the resected specimen. Results: MRI had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 78% for lymph node metastases. Due to incomplete depiction of the celiac trunk (M1), nodal metastasis in a non-enlarged node was missed. Conclusion: With modern MRI, N-staging is almost as accurate as the gold standard endoscopic ultrasound and should particularly be used in patients not suited for an endoscopic ultrasound examination. (orig.) [de

A flexible strain gauge exhibiting reversible piezoresistivity based on an anisotropic magnetorheological polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mietta, José L; Martín Negri, R; Jorge, Guillermo

2014-01-01

A flexible, anisotropic and portable stress sensor (logarithmic reversible response between 40–350 kPa) was fabricated, in which i) the sensing material, ii) the electrical contacts and iii) the encapsulating material, were based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites. The sensing material is a slide of an anisotropic magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), formed by dispersing silver-covered magnetite particles (Fe 3 O 4 @Ag) in PDMS and by curing in the presence of a uniform magnetic field. Thus, the MRE is a structure of electrically conducting pseudo-chains (needles) aligned in a specific direction, in which electrical conductivity increases when stress is exclusively applied in the direction of the needles. Electrical conductivity appears only between contact points that face each other at both sides of the MRE slide. An array of electrical contacts was implemented based on PDMS-silver paint metallic composites. The array was encapsulated with PDMS. Using Fe 3 O 4 superparamagnetic nanoparticles also opens up possibilities for a magnetic field sensor, due to the magnetoresistance effects. (paper)

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance driven by magnetic phase transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, X Z; Feng, J F; Wang, Z C; Zhang, J; Zhong, X Y; Song, C; Jin, L; Zhang, B; Li, F; Jiang, M; Tan, Y Z; Zhou, X J; Shi, G Y; Zhou, X F; Han, X D; Mao, S C; Chen, Y H; Han, X F; Pan, F

2017-09-06

The independent control of two magnetic electrodes and spin-coherent transport in magnetic tunnel junctions are strictly required for tunneling magnetoresistance, while junctions with only one ferromagnetic electrode exhibit tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance dependent on the anisotropic density of states with no room temperature performance so far. Here, we report an alternative approach to obtaining tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance in α'-FeRh-based junctions driven by the magnetic phase transition of α'-FeRh and resultantly large variation of the density of states in the vicinity of MgO tunneling barrier, referred to as phase transition tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance. The junctions with only one α'-FeRh magnetic electrode show a magnetoresistance ratio up to 20% at room temperature. Both the polarity and magnitude of the phase transition tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance can be modulated by interfacial engineering at the α'-FeRh/MgO interface. Besides the fundamental significance, our finding might add a different dimension to magnetic random access memory and antiferromagnet spintronics.Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance is promising for next generation memory devices but limited by the low efficiency and functioning temperature. Here the authors achieved 20% tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance at room temperature in magnetic tunnel junctions with one α'-FeRh magnetic electrode.

Anisotropic energy-gaps of iron-based superconductivity from intra-band quasiparticle interference in LiFeAs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rost, A.W. [LASSP, Department of Physics, Cornell, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, Univ. of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Allan, M.P. [LASSP, Department of Physics, Cornell, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, Univ. of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); CMPMS Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Mackenzie, A.P. [SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, Univ. of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Xie, Y. [CMPMS Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Davis, J.C. [LASSP, Department of Physics, Cornell, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, Univ. of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); CMPMS Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Kihou, K.; Lee, C.H.; Iyo, A.; Eisaki, H. [AIST, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Chuang, T.M. [LASSP, Department of Physics, Cornell, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); CMPMS Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Inst. of Physics, Academica Sinica, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan (China)

2012-07-01

Cooper pairing in the Fe-based superconductors is thought to occur due to the projection of the antiferromagnetic interactions between iron atoms onto the complex momentum-space electronic structure. A key consequence is that distinct anisotropic energy gaps {Delta}{sub i}(k) with specific relative orientations should occur on the different electronic bands i. To determine this previously unresolved gap structure high-precision spectroscopy is required. Here we introduce the STM technique of intra-band Bogolyubov quasiparticle scattering interference (QPI) to iron-based superconductor studies, focusing on LiFeAs. We identify the QPI signatures of three hole-like dispersions and, by introducing a new QPI technique, determine the magnitude and relative orientations of corresponding anisotropic {Delta}{sub i}(k). Intra-band Bogolyubov QPI therefore yields the spectroscopic information required to identify the mechanism of superconductivity in Fe-based superconductors.

MRI/TRUS fusion software-based targeted biopsy: the new standard of care?

Science.gov (United States)

Manfredi, M; Costa Moretti, T B; Emberton, M; Villers, A; Valerio, M

2015-09-01

The advent of multiparametric MRI has made it possible to change the way in which prostate biopsy is done, allowing to direct biopsies to suspicious lesions rather than randomly. The subject of this review relates to a computer-assisted strategy, the MRI/US fusion software-based targeted biopsy, and to its performance compared to the other sampling methods. Different devices with different methods to register MR images to live TRUS are currently in use to allow software-based targeted biopsy. Main clinical indications of MRI/US fusion software-based targeted biopsy are re-biopsy in men with persistent suspicious of prostate cancer after first negative standard biopsy and the follow-up of patients under active surveillance. Some studies have compared MRI/US fusion software-based targeted versus standard biopsy. In men at risk with MRI-suspicious lesion, targeted biopsy consistently detects more men with clinically significant disease as compared to standard biopsy; some studies have also shown decreased detection of insignificant disease. Only two studies directly compared MRI/US fusion software-based targeted biopsy with MRI/US fusion visual targeted biopsy, and the diagnostic ability seems to be in favor of the software approach. To date, no study comparing software-based targeted biopsy against in-bore MRI biopsy is available. The new software-based targeted approach seems to have the characteristics to be added in the standard pathway for achieving accurate risk stratification. Once reproducibility and cost-effectiveness will be verified, the actual issue will be to determine whether MRI/TRUS fusion software-based targeted biopsy represents anadd-on test or a replacement to standard TRUS biopsy.

A Morphing framework to couple non-local and local anisotropic continua

KAUST Repository

Azdoud, Yan

2013-05-01

In this article, we develop a method to couple anisotropic local continua with anisotropic non-local continua with central long-range forces. First, we describe anisotropic non-local models based on spherical harmonic descriptions. We then derive compatible classic continuum models. Finally, we apply the morphing method to these anisotropic non-local models and present three-dimensional numerical examples to validate the efficiency of the technique. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anisotropic Conductivity Tensor Imaging of In Vivo Canine Brain Using DT-MREIT.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Woo Chul; Sajib, Saurav Z K; Katoch, Nitish; Kim, Hyung Joong; Kwon, Oh In; Woo, Eung Je

2017-01-01

We present in vivo images of anisotropic electrical conductivity tensor distributions inside canine brains using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (DT-MREIT). The conductivity tensor is represented as a product of an ion mobility tensor and a scale factor of ion concentrations. Incorporating directional mobility information from water diffusion tensors, we developed a stable process to reconstruct anisotropic conductivity tensor images from measured magnetic flux density data using an MRI scanner. Devising a new image reconstruction algorithm, we reconstructed anisotropic conductivity tensor images of two canine brains with a pixel size of 1.25 mm. Though the reconstructed conductivity values matched well in general with those measured by using invasive probing methods, there were some discrepancies as well. The degree of white matter anisotropy was 2 to 4.5, which is smaller than previous findings of 5 to 10. The reconstructed conductivity value of the cerebrospinal fluid was about 1.3 S/m, which is smaller than previous measurements of about 1.8 S/m. Future studies of in vivo imaging experiments with disease models should follow this initial trial to validate clinical significance of DT-MREIT as a new diagnostic imaging modality. Applications in modeling and simulation studies of bioelectromagnetic phenomena including source imaging and electrical stimulation are also promising.

Cortical fibers orientation mapping using in-vivo whole brain 7 T diffusion MRI

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gulban, Omer F; De Martino, Federico; Vu, An T; Yacoub, Essa; Uğurbil, Kamil; Lenglet, Christophe

Diffusion MRI of the cortical gray matter is challenging because the micro-environment probed by water molecules is much more complex than within the white matter. High spatial and angular resolutions are therefore necessary to uncover anisotropic diffusion patterns and laminar structures, which

Anisotropic gravitational instability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polyachenko, V.L.; Fridman, A.M.

1988-01-01

Exact solutions of stability problems are obtained for two anisotropic gravitational systems of different geometries - a layer of finite thickness at rest and a rotating cylinder of finite radius. It is shown that the anisotropic gravitational instability which develops in both cases is of Jeans type. However, in contrast to the classical aperiodic Jeans instability, this instability is oscillatory. The physics of the anisotropic gravitational instability is investigated. It is shown that in a gravitating layer this instability is due, in particular, to excitation of previously unknown interchange-Jeans modes. In the cylinder, the oscillatory Jeans instability is associated with excitation of a rotational branch, this also being responsible for the beam gravitational instability. This is the reason why this instability and the anisotropic gravitational instability have so much in common

A Novel Marker Based Method to Teeth Alignment in MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Luukinen, Jean-Marc; Aalto, Daniel; Malinen, Jarmo; Niikuni, Naoko; Saunavaara, Jani; Jääsaari, Päivi; Ojalammi, Antti; Parkkola, Riitta; Soukka, Tero; Happonen, Risto-Pekka

2018-04-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can precisely capture the anatomy of the vocal tract. However, the crowns of teeth are not visible in standard MRI scans. In this study, a marker-based teeth alignment method is presented and evaluated. Ten patients undergoing orthognathic surgery were enrolled. Supraglottal airways were imaged preoperatively using structural MRI. MRI visible markers were developed, and they were attached to maxillary teeth and corresponding locations on the dental casts. Repeated measurements of intermarker distances in MRI and in a replica model was compared using linear regression analysis. Dental cast MRI and corresponding caliper measurements did not differ significantly. In contrast, the marker locations in vivo differed somewhat from the dental cast measurements likely due to marker placement inaccuracies. The markers were clearly visible in MRI and allowed for dental models to be aligned to head and neck MRI scans.

Numerical simulations with a FSI-calibrated actuator disk model of wind turbines operating in stratified ABLs

Science.gov (United States)

Gohari, S. M. Iman; Sarkar, Sutanu; Korobenko, Artem; Bazilevs, Yuri

2017-11-01

Numerical simulations of wind turbines operating under different regimes of stability are performed using LES. A reduced model, based on the generalized actuator disk model (ADM), is implemented to represent the wind turbines within the ABL. Data from the fluid-solid interaction (FSI) simulations of wind turbines have been used to calibrate and validate the reduced model. The computational cost of this method to include wind turbines is affordable and incurs an overhead as low as 1.45%. Using this reduced model, we study the coupling of unsteady turbulent flow with the wind turbine under different ABL conditions: (i) A neutral ABL with zero heat-flux and inversion layer at 350m, in which the incoming wind has the maximum mean shear between the heights of upper-tip and lower-tip; (2) A shallow ABL with surface cooling rate of -1 K/hr wherein the low level jet occurs at the wind turbine hub height. We will discuss how the differences in the unsteady flow between the two ABL regimes impact the wind turbine performance.

Anisotropic constant-roll inflation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ito, Asuka; Soda, Jiro [Kobe University, Department of Physics, Kobe (Japan)

2018-01-15

We study constant-roll inflation in the presence of a gauge field coupled to an inflaton. By imposing the constant anisotropy condition, we find new exact anisotropic constant-roll inflationary solutions which include anisotropic power-law inflation as a special case. We also numerically show that the new anisotropic solutions are attractors in the phase space. (orig.)

Intraplaque hemorrhage is associated with higher structural stresses in human atherosclerotic plaques: an in vivo MRI-based 3d fluid-structure interaction study

OpenAIRE

Huang, Xueying; Teng, Zhongzhao; Canton, Gador; Ferguson, Marina; Yuan, Chun; Tang, Dalin

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Studies using medical images have shown that intraplaque hemorrhage may accelerate plaque progression and may produce a stimulus for atherosclerosis development by increasing lipid core and plaque volume and creating new destabilizing factors. Image-based 3D computational models with fluid-structure interactions (FSI) will be used to perform plaque mechanical analysis and investigate possible associations between intraplaque hemorrhage and both plaque wall stress (PWS) and...

An iterative, fast-sweeping-based eikonal solver for 3D tilted anisotropic media

KAUST Repository

Waheed, Umair bin; Yarman, Can Evren; Flagg, Garret

2015-01-01

Computation of first-arrival traveltimes for quasi-P waves in the presence of anisotropy is important for high-end near-surface modeling, microseismic-source localization, and fractured-reservoir characterization - and it requires solving an anisotropic eikonal equation. Anisotropy deviating from elliptical anisotropy introduces higher order nonlinearity into the eikonal equation, which makes solving the eikonal equation a challenge. We addressed this challenge by iteratively solving a sequence of simpler tilted elliptically anisotropic eikonal equations. At each iteration, the source function was updated to capture the effects of the higher order nonlinear terms. We used Aitken's extrapolation to speed up convergence rate of the iterative algorithm. The result is an algorithm for computing first-arrival traveltimes in tilted anisotropic media. We evaluated the applicability and usefulness of our method on tilted transversely isotropic media and tilted orthorhombic media. Our numerical tests determined that the proposed method matches the first arrivals obtained by wavefield extrapolation, even for strongly anisotropic and highly complex subsurface structures. Thus, for the cases where two-point ray tracing fails, our method can be a potential substitute for computing traveltimes. The approach presented here can be easily extended to compute first-arrival traveltimes for anisotropic media with lower symmetries, such as monoclinic or even the triclinic media.

An iterative, fast-sweeping-based eikonal solver for 3D tilted anisotropic media

KAUST Repository

Waheed, Umair bin

2015-03-30

Computation of first-arrival traveltimes for quasi-P waves in the presence of anisotropy is important for high-end near-surface modeling, microseismic-source localization, and fractured-reservoir characterization - and it requires solving an anisotropic eikonal equation. Anisotropy deviating from elliptical anisotropy introduces higher order nonlinearity into the eikonal equation, which makes solving the eikonal equation a challenge. We addressed this challenge by iteratively solving a sequence of simpler tilted elliptically anisotropic eikonal equations. At each iteration, the source function was updated to capture the effects of the higher order nonlinear terms. We used Aitken\\'s extrapolation to speed up convergence rate of the iterative algorithm. The result is an algorithm for computing first-arrival traveltimes in tilted anisotropic media. We evaluated the applicability and usefulness of our method on tilted transversely isotropic media and tilted orthorhombic media. Our numerical tests determined that the proposed method matches the first arrivals obtained by wavefield extrapolation, even for strongly anisotropic and highly complex subsurface structures. Thus, for the cases where two-point ray tracing fails, our method can be a potential substitute for computing traveltimes. The approach presented here can be easily extended to compute first-arrival traveltimes for anisotropic media with lower symmetries, such as monoclinic or even the triclinic media.

Anisotropic Concrete Compressive Strength

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gustenhoff Hansen, Søren; Jørgensen, Henrik Brøner; Hoang, Linh Cao

2017-01-01

When the load carrying capacity of existing concrete structures is (re-)assessed it is often based on compressive strength of cores drilled out from the structure. Existing studies show that the core compressive strength is anisotropic; i.e. it depends on whether the cores are drilled parallel...

Co-occurrence of Local Anisotropic Gradient Orientations (CoLlAGe): A new radiomics descriptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasanna, Prateek; Tiwari, Pallavi; Madabhushi, Anant

2016-11-22

In this paper, we introduce a new radiomic descriptor, Co-occurrence of Local Anisotropic Gradient Orientations (CoLlAGe) for capturing subtle differences between benign and pathologic phenotypes which may be visually indistinguishable on routine anatomic imaging. CoLlAGe seeks to capture and exploit local anisotropic differences in voxel-level gradient orientations to distinguish similar appearing phenotypes. CoLlAGe involves assigning every image voxel an entropy value associated with the co-occurrence matrix of gradient orientations computed around every voxel. The hypothesis behind CoLlAGe is that benign and pathologic phenotypes even though they may appear similar on anatomic imaging, will differ in their local entropy patterns, in turn reflecting subtle local differences in tissue microarchitecture. We demonstrate CoLlAGe's utility in three clinically challenging classification problems: distinguishing (1) radiation necrosis, a benign yet confounding effect of radiation treatment, from recurrent tumors on T1-w MRI in 42 brain tumor patients, (2) different molecular sub-types of breast cancer on DCE-MRI in 65 studies and (3) non-small cell lung cancer (adenocarcinomas) from benign fungal infection (granulomas) on 120 non-contrast CT studies. For each of these classification problems, CoLlAGE in conjunction with a random forest classifier outperformed state of the art radiomic descriptors (Haralick, Gabor, Histogram of Gradient Orientations).

Anisotropic rectangular metric for polygonal surface remeshing

KAUST Repository

Pellenard, Bertrand

2013-06-18

We propose a new method for anisotropic polygonal surface remeshing. Our algorithm takes as input a surface triangle mesh. An anisotropic rectangular metric, defined at each triangle facet of the input mesh, is derived from both a user-specified normal-based tolerance error and the requirement to favor rectangle-shaped polygons. Our algorithm uses a greedy optimization procedure that adds, deletes and relocates generators so as to match two criteria related to partitioning and conformity.

Anisotropic rectangular metric for polygonal surface remeshing

KAUST Repository

Pellenard, Bertrand; Morvan, Jean-Marie; Alliez, Pierre

2013-01-01

We propose a new method for anisotropic polygonal surface remeshing. Our algorithm takes as input a surface triangle mesh. An anisotropic rectangular metric, defined at each triangle facet of the input mesh, is derived from both a user-specified normal-based tolerance error and the requirement to favor rectangle-shaped polygons. Our algorithm uses a greedy optimization procedure that adds, deletes and relocates generators so as to match two criteria related to partitioning and conformity.

Development of seismic analysis method considered FSI effect on a neutron reflector for APWR reactor internals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hideyuki, Morika; Tomomichi, Nakamura [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Takasago R and D Center, Hyogo (Japan); Toshio, Ichikawa; Kazuo, Hirota; Hiroyuki, Murakiso [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Kobe Shipyard and Machinery Works, Hyogo, Kobe (Japan); Minoru, Murota [Japan Atomic Power Co., Tokyo (Japan)

2004-07-01

A Neutron Reflector (NR) is a new structure designed for improving the structure reliability of Advanced Pressurized Water Reactors (APWR,). The NR is placed in a narrow gap between the NR and a Core Barrel (CB). In the case of a structure surrounded by liquid in a narrow gap, the added fluid mass and the damping increases compared with in the air. This effect is famous for Fluid-Structure Interaction effect (FSI effect) in the narrow gap and it depends on the vibration displacement of the structure. A new method to estimate the added fluid damping for this case has been introduced by some of the authors in 2001, which is based on a narrow passage flow theory (Morita et al., 2001). Following this theory, a vibration test was performed to assess the appropriateness of the analysis method employed to measure the response of the NR during an earthquake (Nakamura et al., 2002). In this paper, results of a model test are shown comparing the data with the calculated ones based on the new analysis method that is combined the above method with the ANSYS computer code. As a result, a new seismic analysis method using the above theory was developed. The analytical results are in good agreement with the test results. (authors)

Elastic properties of spherically anisotropic piezoelectric composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

En-Bo, Wei; Guo-Qing, Gu; Ying-Ming, Poon

2010-01-01

Effective elastic properties of spherically anisotropic piezoelectric composites, whose spherically anisotropic piezoelectric inclusions are embedded in an infinite non-piezoelectric matrix, are theoretically investigated. Analytical solutions for the elastic displacements and the electric potentials under a uniform external strain are derived exactly. Taking into account of the coupling effects of elasticity, permittivity and piezoelectricity, the formula is derived for estimating the effective elastic properties based on the average field theory in the dilute limit. An elastic response mechanism is revealed, in which the effective elastic properties increase as inclusion piezoelectric properties increase and inclusion dielectric properties decrease. Moreover, a piezoelectric response mechanism, of which the effective piezoelectric response vanishes due to the symmetry of spherically anisotropic composite, is also disclosed. (condensed matter: structure, thermal and mechanical properties)

Graph-based network analysis of resting-state functional MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinhui Wang

2010-06-01

Full Text Available In the past decade, resting-state functional MRI (R-fMRI measures of brain activity have attracted considerable attention. Based on changes in the blood oxygen level-dependent signal, R-fMRI offers a novel way to assess the brain’s spontaneous or intrinsic (i.e., task-free activity with both high spatial and temporal resolutions. The properties of both the intra- and inter-regional connectivity of resting-state brain activity have been well documented, promoting our understanding of the brain as a complex network. Specifically, the topological organization of brain networks has been recently studied with graph theory. In this review, we will summarize the recent advances in graph-based brain network analyses of R-fMRI signals, both in typical and atypical populations. Application of these approaches to R-fMRI data has demonstrated non-trivial topological properties of functional networks in the human brain. Among these is the knowledge that the brain’s intrinsic activity is organized as a small-world, highly efficient network, with significant modularity and highly connected hub regions. These network properties have also been found to change throughout normal development, aging and in various pathological conditions. The literature reviewed here suggests that graph-based network analyses are capable of uncovering system-level changes associated with different processes in the resting brain, which could provide novel insights into the understanding of the underlying physiological mechanisms of brain function. We also highlight several potential research topics in the future.

Graph-based network analysis of resting-state functional MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jinhui; Zuo, Xinian; He, Yong

2010-01-01

In the past decade, resting-state functional MRI (R-fMRI) measures of brain activity have attracted considerable attention. Based on changes in the blood oxygen level-dependent signal, R-fMRI offers a novel way to assess the brain's spontaneous or intrinsic (i.e., task-free) activity with both high spatial and temporal resolutions. The properties of both the intra- and inter-regional connectivity of resting-state brain activity have been well documented, promoting our understanding of the brain as a complex network. Specifically, the topological organization of brain networks has been recently studied with graph theory. In this review, we will summarize the recent advances in graph-based brain network analyses of R-fMRI signals, both in typical and atypical populations. Application of these approaches to R-fMRI data has demonstrated non-trivial topological properties of functional networks in the human brain. Among these is the knowledge that the brain's intrinsic activity is organized as a small-world, highly efficient network, with significant modularity and highly connected hub regions. These network properties have also been found to change throughout normal development, aging, and in various pathological conditions. The literature reviewed here suggests that graph-based network analyses are capable of uncovering system-level changes associated with different processes in the resting brain, which could provide novel insights into the understanding of the underlying physiological mechanisms of brain function. We also highlight several potential research topics in the future.

Plane-wave diffraction by periodic structures with artificial anisotropic dielectrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazerooni, Azadeh Semsar; Shahabadi, Mahmoud

2010-01-01

Periodic structures with artificial anisotropic dielectrics are studied. The artificial anisotropic dielectric material in this work is made of two alternating isotropic dielectric layers. By a proper choice of the dielectric constant of the layers, we can realize a uniaxial anisotropic medium with controllable anisotropy. The artificial anisotropic dielectric is then used in periodic structures. For these structures, the optical axis of the artificial dielectric is assumed to be parallel or perpendicular to the period of the structure. Diffraction of plane waves by these structures is analyzed by a fully vectorial rigorous matrix method based on a generalized transmission line (TL) formulation. The propagation constants and field distributions are computed and diffraction properties of such structures are studied to show that, by a proper choice of structural parameters, these periodic structures with artificial anisotropic dielectrics can be used as polarizers or polarizing mirrors

Turbulent Output-Based Anisotropic Adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Michael A.; Carlson, Jan-Renee

2010-01-01

Controlling discretization error is a remaining challenge for computational fluid dynamics simulation. Grid adaptation is applied to reduce estimated discretization error in drag or pressure integral output functions. To enable application to high O(10(exp 7)) Reynolds number turbulent flows, a hybrid approach is utilized that freezes the near-wall boundary layer grids and adapts the grid away from the no slip boundaries. The hybrid approach is not applicable to problems with under resolved initial boundary layer grids, but is a powerful technique for problems with important off-body anisotropic features. Supersonic nozzle plume, turbulent flat plate, and shock-boundary layer interaction examples are presented with comparisons to experimental measurements of pressure and velocity. Adapted grids are produced that resolve off-body features in locations that are not known a priori.

Nano-anisotropic surface coating based on drug immobilized pendant polymer to suppress macrophage adhesion response.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaladhar, K; Renz, H; Sharma, C P

2015-04-01

Exploring drug molecules for material design, to harness concepts of nano-anisotropy and ligand-receptor interactions, are rather elusive. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the bottom-up design of a single-step and bio-interactive polymeric surface coating, based on drug based pendant polymer. This can be applied on to polystyrene (PS) substrates, to suppress macrophage adhesion and spreading. The drug molecule is used in this coating for two purposes. The first one is drug as a "pendant" group, to produce nano-anisotropic properties that can enable adhesion of the coatings to the substrate. The second purpose is to use the drug as a "ligand", to produce ligand-receptor interaction, between the bound ligand and receptors of albumin, to develop a self-albumin coat over the surface, by the preferential binding of albumin in biological environment, to reduce macrophage adhesion. Our in silico studies show that, diclofenac (DIC) is an ideal drug based "ligand" for albumin. This can also act as a "pendant" group with planar aryl groups. The combination of these two factors can help to harness, both nano-anisotropic properties and biological functions to the polymeric coating. Further, the drug, diclofenac (DIC) is immobilized to the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), to develop the pendant polymer (PVA-DIC). The interaction of bound DIC with the albumin is a ligand-receptor based interaction, as per the studies by circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry, and SDS-PAGE. The non-polar π-π* interactions are regulating; the interactions between PVA bound DIC-DIC interactions, leading to "nano-anisotropic condensation" to form distinct "nano-anisotropic segments" inside the polymeric coating. This is evident from, the thermo-responsiveness and uniform size of nanoparticles, as well as regular roughness in the surface coating, with similar properties as that of nanoparticles. In addition, the hydrophobic DIC-polystyrene (PS) interactions, between the PVA

Efficient Modeling and Migration in Anisotropic Media Based on Prestack Exploding Reflector Model and Effective Anisotropy

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hui

2014-05-01

This thesis addresses the efficiency improvement of seismic wave modeling and migration in anisotropic media. This improvement becomes crucial in practice as the process of imaging complex geological structures of the Earth\\'s subsurface requires modeling and migration as building blocks. The challenge comes from two aspects. First, the underlying governing equations for seismic wave propagation in anisotropic media are far more complicated than that in isotropic media which demand higher computational costs to solve. Second, the usage of whole prestack seismic data still remains a burden considering its storage volume and the existing wave equation solvers. In this thesis, I develop two approaches to tackle the challenges. In the first part, I adopt the concept of prestack exploding reflector model to handle the whole prestack data and bridge the data space directly to image space in a single kernel. I formulate the extrapolation operator in a two-way fashion to remove he restriction on directions that waves propagate. I also develop a generic method for phase velocity evaluation within anisotropic media used in this extrapolation kernel. The proposed method provides a tool for generating prestack images without wavefield cross correlations. In the second part of this thesis, I approximate the anisotropic models using effective isotropic models. The wave phenomena in these effective models match that in anisotropic models both kinematically and dynamically. I obtain the effective models through equating eikonal equations and transport equations of anisotropic and isotropic models, thereby in the high frequency asymptotic approximation sense. The wavefields extrapolation costs are thus reduced using isotropic wave equation solvers while the anisotropic effects are maintained through this approach. I benchmark the two proposed methods using synthetic datasets. Tests on anisotropic Marmousi model and anisotropic BP2007 model demonstrate the applicability of my

Anisotropic contrast optical microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Peev, D; Hofmann, T; Kananizadeh, N; Beeram, S; Rodriguez, E; Wimer, S; Rodenhausen, K B; Herzinger, C M; Kasputis, T; Pfaunmiller, E; Nguyen, A; Korlacki, R; Pannier, A; Li, Y; Schubert, E; Hage, D; Schubert, M

2016-11-01

An optical microscope is described that reveals contrast in the Mueller matrix images of a thin, transparent, or semi-transparent specimen located within an anisotropic object plane (anisotropic filter). The specimen changes the anisotropy of the filter and thereby produces contrast within the Mueller matrix images. Here we use an anisotropic filter composed of a semi-transparent, nanostructured thin film with sub-wavelength thickness placed within the object plane. The sample is illuminated as in common optical microscopy but the light is modulated in its polarization using combinations of linear polarizers and phase plate (compensator) to control and analyze the state of polarization. Direct generalized ellipsometry data analysis approaches permit extraction of fundamental Mueller matrix object plane images dispensing with the need of Fourier expansion methods. Generalized ellipsometry model approaches are used for quantitative image analyses. These images are obtained from sets of multiple images obtained under various polarizer, analyzer, and compensator settings. Up to 16 independent Mueller matrix images can be obtained, while our current setup is limited to 11 images normalized by the unpolarized intensity. We demonstrate the anisotropic contrast optical microscope by measuring lithographically defined micro-patterned anisotropic filters, and we quantify the adsorption of an organic self-assembled monolayer film onto the anisotropic filter. Comparison with an isotropic glass slide demonstrates the image enhancement obtained by our method over microscopy without the use of an anisotropic filter. In our current instrument, we estimate the limit of detection for organic volumetric mass within the object plane of ≈49 fg within ≈7 × 7 μm 2 object surface area. Compared to a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation instrumentation, where contemporary limits require a total load of ≈500 pg for detection, the instrumentation demonstrated here improves

New MRI technologies. Diffusion MRI and its application to functional neuroimaging and analyses of white matter integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Tetsuo

2010-01-01

Described is the technological aspect of MRI, MR diffusion-weighted imaging (MR-DWI), principles of its measurement and application for imaging the cerebral function and for aiding the quantitative diagnosis of brain diseases. The author explains the principle of MR imaging process; diffusion properties of water molecules, MR-DWI based on them and DW-fMRI of the brain; MR-diffusion tensor imaging (MR-DTI), its analysis and color acquisition, and tracking of white matter nerve fibers; analysis of white matter lesions by the tracking; and the new tracking method at the chiasm of nerve fascicles. The usual fMRI reflects the blood oxygen level depending (BOLD) signals whereas recently attracted DW-fMRI, the volume changes of nerve cells concomitant to nerve activation accompanying apparent changes of water diffusion coefficients in and out of cells which occur faster than BOLD signs, resulting in higher resolution of time and space. However, DWI requires the higher intensity of static magnetic field like 3T. MR-DTI acquires the anisotropic diffusion of water molecules using MR-DWI technique with application of 6 or more motion probing gradients, thus makes it possible to track the running directions of nerve fibers and capillary vessels, and is proposed to be a useful mean of specific fiber tracking in the white matter when displayed by 3 different colors exhibiting the directions like the right/left (x axis, red), anterior/posterior (y, green) and upper/lower (z, blue) sides of head. Recently, MR-DWI and MR-DTI have been found usable for pathogenic studies of brain diseases such as dementia. Tensor anisotropy is apparently lowered at the chiasm of nerve fascicles, the cause of tracking error, for which authors have developed a new method using the similarity of directional vector, not of tensor, before and behind the chiasm. As exemplified, MRI technology is further advancing even at present. (T.T.)

Simple types of anisotropic inflation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrow, John D.; Hervik, Sigbjoern

2010-01-01

We display some simple cosmological solutions of gravity theories with quadratic Ricci curvature terms added to the Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian which exhibit anisotropic inflation. The Hubble expansion rates are constant and unequal in three orthogonal directions. We describe the evolution of the simplest of these homogeneous and anisotropic cosmological models from its natural initial state and evaluate the deviations they will create from statistical isotropy in the fluctuations produced during a period of anisotropic inflation. The anisotropic inflation is not a late-time attractor in these models but the rate of approach to a final isotropic de Sitter state is slow and is conducive to the creation of observable anisotropic statistical effects in the microwave background. The statistical anisotropy would not be scale invariant and the level of statistical anisotropy will grow with scale.

Precise MRI-based stereotaxic surgery in large animal models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glud, Andreas Nørgaard; Bech, Johannes; Tvilling, Laura

BACKGROUND: Stereotaxic neurosurgery in large animals is used widely in different sophisticated models, where precision is becoming more crucial as desired anatomical target regions are becoming smaller. Individually calculated coordinates are necessary in large animal models with cortical...... and subcortical anatomical differences. NEW METHOD: We present a convenient method to make an MRI-visible skull fiducial for 3D MRI-based stereotaxic procedures in larger experimental animals. Plastic screws were filled with either copper-sulphate solution or MRI-visible paste from a commercially available...... cranial head marker. The screw fiducials were inserted in the animal skulls and T1 weighted MRI was performed allowing identification of the inserted skull marker. RESULTS: Both types of fiducial markers were clearly visible on the MRÍs. This allows high precision in the stereotaxic space. COMPARISON...

A stable partitioned FSI algorithm for incompressible flow and deforming beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, L.; Henshaw, W.D.; Banks, J.W.; Schwendeman, D.W.; Main, A.

2016-01-01

An added-mass partitioned (AMP) algorithm is described for solving fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problems coupling incompressible flows with thin elastic structures undergoing finite deformations. The new AMP scheme is fully second-order accurate and stable, without sub-time-step iterations, even for very light structures when added-mass effects are strong. The fluid, governed by the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations, is solved in velocity-pressure form using a fractional-step method; large deformations are treated with a mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian approach on deforming composite grids. The motion of the thin structure is governed by a generalized Euler–Bernoulli beam model, and these equations are solved in a Lagrangian frame using two approaches, one based on finite differences and the other on finite elements. The key AMP interface condition is a generalized Robin (mixed) condition on the fluid pressure. This condition, which is derived at a continuous level, has no adjustable parameters and is applied at the discrete level to couple the partitioned domain solvers. Special treatment of the AMP condition is required to couple the finite-element beam solver with the finite-difference-based fluid solver, and two coupling approaches are described. A normal-mode stability analysis is performed for a linearized model problem involving a beam separating two fluid domains, and it is shown that the AMP scheme is stable independent of the ratio of the mass of the fluid to that of the structure. A traditional partitioned (TP) scheme using a Dirichlet–Neumann coupling for the same model problem is shown to be unconditionally unstable if the added mass of the fluid is too large. A series of benchmark problems of increasing complexity are considered to illustrate the behavior of the AMP algorithm, and to compare the behavior with that of the TP scheme. The results of all these benchmark problems verify the stability and accuracy of the AMP scheme. Results for

A stable partitioned FSI algorithm for incompressible flow and deforming beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, L., E-mail: lil19@rpi.edu [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Henshaw, W.D., E-mail: henshw@rpi.edu [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Banks, J.W., E-mail: banksj3@rpi.edu [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Schwendeman, D.W., E-mail: schwed@rpi.edu [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Main, A., E-mail: amain8511@gmail.com [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States)

2016-05-01

An added-mass partitioned (AMP) algorithm is described for solving fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problems coupling incompressible flows with thin elastic structures undergoing finite deformations. The new AMP scheme is fully second-order accurate and stable, without sub-time-step iterations, even for very light structures when added-mass effects are strong. The fluid, governed by the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations, is solved in velocity-pressure form using a fractional-step method; large deformations are treated with a mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian approach on deforming composite grids. The motion of the thin structure is governed by a generalized Euler–Bernoulli beam model, and these equations are solved in a Lagrangian frame using two approaches, one based on finite differences and the other on finite elements. The key AMP interface condition is a generalized Robin (mixed) condition on the fluid pressure. This condition, which is derived at a continuous level, has no adjustable parameters and is applied at the discrete level to couple the partitioned domain solvers. Special treatment of the AMP condition is required to couple the finite-element beam solver with the finite-difference-based fluid solver, and two coupling approaches are described. A normal-mode stability analysis is performed for a linearized model problem involving a beam separating two fluid domains, and it is shown that the AMP scheme is stable independent of the ratio of the mass of the fluid to that of the structure. A traditional partitioned (TP) scheme using a Dirichlet–Neumann coupling for the same model problem is shown to be unconditionally unstable if the added mass of the fluid is too large. A series of benchmark problems of increasing complexity are considered to illustrate the behavior of the AMP algorithm, and to compare the behavior with that of the TP scheme. The results of all these benchmark problems verify the stability and accuracy of the AMP scheme. Results for

Inverse treatment planning based on MRI for HDR prostate brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Citrin, Deborah; Ning, Holly; Guion, Peter; Li Guang; Susil, Robert C.; Miller, Robert W.; Lessard, Etienne; Pouliot, Jean; Xie Huchen; Capala, Jacek; Coleman, C. Norman; Camphausen, Kevin; Menard, Cynthia

2005-01-01

Purpose: To develop and optimize a technique for inverse treatment planning based solely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during high-dose-rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Methods and materials: Phantom studies were performed to verify the spatial integrity of treatment planning based on MRI. Data were evaluated from 10 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who had undergone two high-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy boosts under MRI guidance before and after pelvic radiotherapy. Treatment planning MRI scans were systematically evaluated to derive a class solution for inverse planning constraints that would reproducibly result in acceptable target and normal tissue dosimetry. Results: We verified the spatial integrity of MRI for treatment planning. MRI anatomic evaluation revealed no significant displacement of the prostate in the left lateral decubitus position, a mean distance of 14.47 mm from the prostatic apex to the penile bulb, and clear demarcation of the neurovascular bundles on postcontrast imaging. Derivation of a class solution for inverse planning constraints resulted in a mean target volume receiving 100% of the prescribed dose of 95.69%, while maintaining a rectal volume receiving 75% of the prescribed dose of <5% (mean 1.36%) and urethral volume receiving 125% of the prescribed dose of <2% (mean 0.54%). Conclusion: Systematic evaluation of image spatial integrity, delineation uncertainty, and inverse planning constraints in our procedure reduced uncertainty in planning and treatment

Resting-State Functional Connectivity-Based Biomarkers and Functional MRI-Based Neurofeedback for Psychiatric Disorders: A Challenge for Developing Theranostic Biomarkers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Takashi; Hashimoto, Ryu-Ichiro; Yahata, Noriaki; Ichikawa, Naho; Yoshihara, Yujiro; Okamoto, Yasumasa; Kato, Nobumasa; Takahashi, Hidehiko; Kawato, Mitsuo

2017-10-01

Psychiatric research has been hampered by an explanatory gap between psychiatric symptoms and their neural underpinnings, which has resulted in poor treatment outcomes. This situation has prompted us to shift from symptom-based diagnosis to data-driven diagnosis, aiming to redefine psychiatric disorders as disorders of neural circuitry. Promising candidates for data-driven diagnosis include resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI)-based biomarkers. Although biomarkers have been developed with the aim of diagnosing patients and predicting the efficacy of therapy, the focus has shifted to the identification of biomarkers that represent therapeutic targets, which would allow for more personalized treatment approaches. This type of biomarker (i.e., "theranostic biomarker") is expected to elucidate the disease mechanism of psychiatric conditions and to offer an individualized neural circuit-based therapeutic target based on the neural cause of a condition. To this end, researchers have developed rs-fcMRI-based biomarkers and investigated a causal relationship between potential biomarkers and disease-specific behavior using functional MRI (fMRI)-based neurofeedback on functional connectivity. In this review, we introduce a recent approach for creating a theranostic biomarker, which consists mainly of 2 parts: (1) developing an rs-fcMRI-based biomarker that can predict diagnosis and/or symptoms with high accuracy, and (2) the introduction of a proof-of-concept study investigating the relationship between normalizing the biomarker and symptom changes using fMRI-based neurofeedback. In parallel with the introduction of recent studies, we review rs-fcMRI-based biomarker and fMRI-based neurofeedback, focusing on the technological improvements and limitations associated with clinical use. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

SU-E-J-193: Feasibility of MRI-Only Based IMRT Planning for Pancreatic Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prior, P; Botros, M; Chen, X; Paulson, E; Erickson, B; Li, X

2014-01-01

Purpose: With the increasing use of MRI simulation and the advent of MRI-guided delivery, it is desirable to use MRI only for treatment planning. In this study, we assess the dosimetric difference between MRI- and CTbased IMRT planning for pancreatic cancer. Methods: Planning CTs and MRIs acquired for a representative pancreatic cancer patient were used. MRI-based planning utilized forced relative electron density (rED) assignment of organ specific values from IRCU report 46, where rED = 1.029 for PTV and a rED = 1.036 for non-specified tissue (NST). Six IMRT plans were generated with clinical dose-volume (DV) constraints using a research Monaco planning system employing Monte Carlo dose calculation with optional perpendicular magnetic field (MF) of 1.5T. The following five plans were generated and compared with the planning CT: 1.) CT plan with MF and dose recalculation without optimization; 2.) MRI (T2) plan with target and OARs redrawn based on MRI, forced rED, no MF, and recalculation without optimization; 3.) Similar as in 2 but with MF; 4.) MRI plan with MF but without optimization; and 5.) Similar as in 4 but with optimization. Results: Generally, noticeable differences in PTV point doses and DV parameters (DVPs) between the CT-and MRI-based plans with and without the MF were observed. These differences between the optimized plans were generally small, mostly within 2%. Larger differences were observed in point doses and mean doses for certain OARs between the CT and MRI plan, mostly due to differences between image acquisition times. Conclusion: MRI only based IMRT planning for pancreatic cancer is feasible. The differences observed between the optimized CT and MRI plans with or without the MF were practically negligible if excluding the differences between MRI and CT defined structures

Atlas-based deformable image registration for MRI-guided prostate radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dowling, J.; Fripp, J.; Salvado, O.; Lambert, J.; Denham, J.W.; Capp, A.; Grer, P.B.; Parker, J.

2010-01-01

Full text: To develop atlas-based deformable image registration methods to automatically segment organs and map electron densities to pelvic MRI scans for MRI-guided radiation therapy. Methods An MRT pelvic atlas and corresponding CT atlas were developed based on whole pelvic T 2 MRI scans and CT scans for 39 patients. Expert manual segmentations on both MRI and CT scans were obtained. The atlas was deformably registered to the individual patient MRI scans for automatic prostate, rectum, bladder and bone segmentation. These were compared to the manual segmentations using the Dice overlap coefficient. The same deformation vectors were then applied to the CT-atlas to produce pseudo-CT scans that correspond to the patient MRI scan anatomy but are populated with Hounsfield units. The original patient plan was recalculated on the pseudo-CT and compared to the original CT plan and bulk density plans on the MRI scans. Results Dice coefficient results were high (>0.8) for bone and prostate but lower (<0.7) for bladder and rectum which exhibit greater changes in shape and volume. Doses calculated on pseudo-CT scans were within 3% of original patient plans. Two sources of discrepancy were found; MR anatomy differences from CT due to patient setup differences at the MR scanner. and Hounsfield unit differences for bone in the pseudo-CT from original CT. Patient setup will be adressed with a

Textile-templated electrospun anisotropic scaffolds for regenerative cardiac tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Şenel Ayaz, H Gözde; Perets, Anat; Ayaz, Hasan; Gilroy, Kyle D; Govindaraj, Muthu; Brookstein, David; Lelkes, Peter I

2014-10-01

For patients with end-stage heart disease, the access to heart transplantation is limited due to the shortage of donor organs and to the potential for rejection of the donated organ. Therefore, current studies focus on bioengineering approaches for creating biomimetic cardiac patches that will assist in restoring cardiac function, by repairing and/or regenerating the intrinsically anisotropic myocardium. In this paper we present a simplified, straightforward approach for creating bioactive anisotropic cardiac patches, based on a combination of bioengineering and textile-manufacturing techniques in concert with nano-biotechnology based tissue-engineering stratagems. Using knitted conventional textiles, made of cotton or polyester yarns as template targets, we successfully electrospun anisotropic three-dimensional scaffolds from poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA), and thermoplastic polycarbonate-urethane (PCU, Bionate(®)). The surface topography and mechanical properties of textile-templated anisotropic scaffolds significantly differed from those of scaffolds electrospun from the same materials onto conventional 2-D flat-target electrospun scaffolds. Anisotropic textile-templated scaffolds electrospun from both PLGA and PCU, supported the adhesion and proliferation of H9C2 cardiac myoblasts cell line, and guided the cardiac tissue-like anisotropic organization of these cells in vitro. All cell-seeded PCU scaffolds exhibited mechanical properties comparable to those of a human heart, but only the cells on the polyester-templated scaffolds exhibited prolonged spontaneous synchronous contractility on the entire engineered construct for 10 days in vitro at a near physiologic frequency of ∼120 bpm. Taken together, the methods described here take advantage of straightforward established textile manufacturing strategies as an efficient and cost-effective approach to engineering 3D anisotropic, elastomeric PCU scaffolds that can serve as a cardiac patch. Copyright �

Transformed model fitting. A straightforward approach to evaluation of anisotropic SANS from nickel-base single-crystal superalloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strunz, P.

1999-01-01

Schematic description of a special evaluation procedure for data treatment of anisotropic Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) is presented. The use of the discussed procedure is demonstrated on a data taken from investigation of precipitation in single-crystal nickel-base superalloys. (author)

Edge Probability and Pixel Relativity-Based Speckle Reducing Anisotropic Diffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Deepak; Chaudhury, Santanu; Sarkar, Mukul; Soin, Arvinder Singh; Sharma, Vivek

2018-02-01

Anisotropic diffusion filters are one of the best choices for speckle reduction in the ultrasound images. These filters control the diffusion flux flow using local image statistics and provide the desired speckle suppression. However, inefficient use of edge characteristics results in either oversmooth image or an image containing misinterpreted spurious edges. As a result, the diagnostic quality of the images becomes a concern. To alleviate such problems, a novel anisotropic diffusion-based speckle reducing filter is proposed in this paper. A probability density function of the edges along with pixel relativity information is used to control the diffusion flux flow. The probability density function helps in removing the spurious edges and the pixel relativity reduces the oversmoothing effects. Furthermore, the filtering is performed in superpixel domain to reduce the execution time, wherein a minimum of 15% of the total number of image pixels can be used. For performance evaluation, 31 frames of three synthetic images and 40 real ultrasound images are used. In most of the experiments, the proposed filter shows a better performance as compared to the state-of-the-art filters in terms of the speckle region's signal-to-noise ratio and mean square error. It also shows a comparative performance for figure of merit and structural similarity measure index. Furthermore, in the subjective evaluation, performed by the expert radiologists, the proposed filter's outputs are preferred for the improved contrast and sharpness of the object boundaries. Hence, the proposed filtering framework is suitable to reduce the unwanted speckle and improve the quality of the ultrasound images.

Development and clinical implementation of a new template for MRI-based intracavitary/interstitial gynecologic brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer: from CT-based MUPIT to the MRI compatible Template Benidorm. Ten years of experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Rodríguez Villalba

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose : To study outcome and toxicity in 59 patients with locally advanced cervix carcinoma treated with computed tomography (CT-based Martinez universal perineal interstitial template (MUPIT and the new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-compatible template Benidorm (TB. Material and methods: From December 2005 to October 2015, we retrospectively analyzed 34 patients treated with MUPIT and 25 treated with the TB. Six 4 Gy fractions were prescribed to the clinical target volume (CTV combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT. The organs at risk (OARs and the CTV were delineated by CT scan in the MUPIT implants and by MRI in the TB implants. Dosimetry was CT-based for MUPIT and exclusively MRI-based for TB. Dose values were biologically normalized to equivalent doses in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2. Results : Median CTV volumes were 163.5 cm3 for CT-based MUPIT (range 81.8-329.4 cm3 and 91.9 cm3 for MRI-based TB (range 26.2-161 cm3. Median D90 CTV (EBRT + BT was 75.8 Gy for CT-based MUPIT (range 69-82 Gy and 78.6 Gy for MRI-based TB (range 62.5-84.2. Median D2cm3 for the rectum was 75.3 Gy for CT-based MUPIT (range 69.8-132.1 Gy and 69.9 Gy for MRI-based TB (range 58.3-83.7 Gy. Median D2cm3 for the bladder was 79.8 Gy for CT-based MUPIT (range 71.2-121.1 Gy and 77.1 Gy for MRI-based TB (range 60.5-90.8 Gy. Local control (LC was 88%. Overall survival (OS, disease free survival (DFS, and LC were not statistically significant in either group. Patients treated with CT-based MUPIT had a significantly higher percentage of rectal bleeding G3 (p = 0.040 than those treated with MRI-based TB, 13% vs. 2%. Conclusions : Template Benidorm treatment using MRI-based dosimetry provides advantages of MRI volume definition, and allows definition of smaller volumes that result in statistically significant decreased rectal toxicity compared to that seen with CT-based MUPIT treatment.

Anisotropically Swelling Gels Attained through Axis-Dependent Crosslinking of MOF Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishiwata, Takumi; Kokado, Kenta; Sada, Kazuki

2017-03-01

Anisotropically deforming objects have attracted considerable interest for use in molecular machines and artificial muscles. Herein, we focus on a new approach based on the crystal crosslinking of organic ligands in a pillared-layer metal-organic framework (PLMOF). The approach involves the transformation from crosslinked PLMOF to polymer gels through hydrolysis of the coordination bonds between the organic ligands and metal ions, giving a network polymer that exhibits anisotropic swelling. The anisotropic monomer arrangement in the PLMOF underwent axis-dependent crosslinking to yield anisotropically swelling gels. Therefore, the crystal crosslinking of MOFs should be a useful method for creating actuators with designable deformation properties. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

LES with acoustics and FSI for deforming plates in gas flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsson, Per, E-mail: pnilsson@tuv-nord.com [European Spallation Source, Lund (Sweden); Lillberg, Eric [Westinghouse, Vaesteras (Sweden); Wikstroem, Niklas [FS Dynamics, Stockholm (Sweden)

2012-12-15

This concerns Flow Induced Vibrations (FIV) in nuclear reactors and numerical analysis of such. Special attention is paid to structural excitation by sound generated remotely and turbulent flow around the structure. One hypothesis was that these phenomena can interact, so that the structure accumulates more energy from the flow if it also excited by sound from another source. In the studies, Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) is simulated with Large Eddy Simulations (LESs). It is shown possible to simulate excitation due to both acoustic and turbulence loads using the reported methods, at least qualitatively. The excitation levels are even of the right order of magnitude in some parts. However, there are some shortcomings in the modeling. The most important is perhaps the lack of non-reflecting boundary conditions. Another problem is the strong numerical damping in combination with demanding numerics for the selected solid solution methodology. Three cases are simulated, two for validation and one applied about steam dryers. For the applied case, it is concluded unlikely that excitation by the acoustic and turbulence loads can interact. The main reason is that the flow is controlled more by static geometrical factors, such as solid rotation sharp edges, than small deformations due to vibrations.

MRI-based treatment planning for radiotherapy: Dosimetric verification for prostate IMRT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Lili; Price, Robert A.; Wang Lu; Li Jinsheng; Qin Lihong; McNeeley, Shawn; Ma, C.-M. Charlie; Freedman, Gary M.; Pollack, Alan

2004-01-01

Purpose: Magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) image fusion with CT-based dose calculation is the gold standard for prostate treatment planning. MR and CT fusion with CT-based dose calculation has become a routine procedure for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment planning at Fox Chase Cancer Center. The use of MRI alone for treatment planning (or MRI simulation) will remove any errors associated with image fusion. Furthermore, it will reduce treatment cost by avoiding redundant CT scans and save patient, staff, and machine time. The purpose of this study is to investigate the dosimetric accuracy of MRI-based treatment planning for prostate IMRT. Methods and materials: A total of 30 IMRT plans for 15 patients were generated using both MRI and CT data. The MRI distortion was corrected using gradient distortion correction (GDC) software provided by the vendor (Philips Medical System, Cleveland, OH). The same internal contours were used for the paired plans. The external contours were drawn separately between CT-based and MR imaging-based plans to evaluate the effect of any residual distortions on dosimetric accuracy. The same energy, beam angles, dose constrains, and optimization parameters were used for dose calculations for each paired plans using a treatment optimization system. The resulting plans were compared in terms of isodose distributions and dose-volume histograms (DVHs). Hybrid phantom plans were generated for both the CT-based plans and the MR-based plans using the same leaf sequences and associated monitor units (MU). The physical phantom was then irradiated using the same leaf sequences to verify the dosimetry accuracy of the treatment plans. Results: Our results show that dose distributions between CT-based and MRI-based plans were equally acceptable based on our clinical criteria. The absolute dose agreement for the planning target volume was within 2% between CT-based and MR-based plans and 3% between measured dose

The relevance of MRI for patient modeling in head and neck hyperthermia treatment planning: A comparison of CT and CT-MRI based tissue segmentation on simulated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verhaart, René F.; Paulides, Margarethus M.; Fortunati, Valerio; Walsum, Theo van; Veenland, Jifke F.; Verduijn, Gerda M.; Lugt, Aad van der

2014-01-01

Purpose: In current clinical practice, head and neck (H and N) hyperthermia treatment planning (HTP) is solely based on computed tomography (CT) images. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides superior soft-tissue contrast over CT. The purpose of the authors’ study is to investigate the relevance of using MRI in addition to CT for patient modeling in H and N HTP. Methods: CT and MRI scans were acquired for 11 patients in an immobilization mask. Three observers manually segmented on CT, MRI T1 weighted (MRI-T1w), and MRI T2 weighted (MRI-T2w) images the following thermo-sensitive tissues: cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, myelum, sclera, lens, vitreous humor, and the optical nerve. For these tissues that are used for patient modeling in H and N HTP, the interobserver variation of manual tissue segmentation in CT and MRI was quantified with the mean surface distance (MSD). Next, the authors compared the impact of CT and CT and MRI based patient models on the predicted temperatures. For each tissue, the modality was selected that led to the lowest observer variation and inserted this in the combined CT and MRI based patient model (CT and MRI), after a deformable image registration. In addition, a patient model with a detailed segmentation of brain tissues (including white matter, gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid) was created (CT and MRI db ). To quantify the relevance of MRI based segmentation for H and N HTP, the authors compared the predicted maximum temperatures in the segmented tissues (T max ) and the corresponding specific absorption rate (SAR) of the patient models based on (1) CT, (2) CT and MRI, and (3) CT and MRI db . Results: In MRI, a similar or reduced interobserver variation was found compared to CT (maximum of median MSD in CT: 0.93 mm, MRI-T1w: 0.72 mm, MRI-T2w: 0.66 mm). Only for the optical nerve the interobserver variation is significantly lower in CT compared to MRI (median MSD in CT: 0.58 mm, MRI-T1w: 1.27 mm, MRI-T2w: 1.40 mm). Patient

The relevance of MRI for patient modeling in head and neck hyperthermia treatment planning: A comparison of CT and CT-MRI based tissue segmentation on simulated temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verhaart, René F., E-mail: r.f.verhaart@erasmusmc.nl; Paulides, Margarethus M. [Hyperthermia Unit, Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC - Cancer Institute, Groene Hilledijk 301, Rotterdam 3008 AE (Netherlands); Fortunati, Valerio; Walsum, Theo van; Veenland, Jifke F. [Biomedical Imaging Group of Rotterdam, Department of Medical Informatics and Radiology, Erasmus MC, Dr. Molewaterplein 50/60, Rotterdam 3015 GE (Netherlands); Verduijn, Gerda M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC - Cancer Institute, Groene Hilledijk 301, Rotterdam 3008 AE (Netherlands); Lugt, Aad van der [Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, Dr. Molewaterplein 50/60, Rotterdam 3015 GE (Netherlands)

2014-12-15

Purpose: In current clinical practice, head and neck (H and N) hyperthermia treatment planning (HTP) is solely based on computed tomography (CT) images. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides superior soft-tissue contrast over CT. The purpose of the authors’ study is to investigate the relevance of using MRI in addition to CT for patient modeling in H and N HTP. Methods: CT and MRI scans were acquired for 11 patients in an immobilization mask. Three observers manually segmented on CT, MRI T1 weighted (MRI-T1w), and MRI T2 weighted (MRI-T2w) images the following thermo-sensitive tissues: cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, myelum, sclera, lens, vitreous humor, and the optical nerve. For these tissues that are used for patient modeling in H and N HTP, the interobserver variation of manual tissue segmentation in CT and MRI was quantified with the mean surface distance (MSD). Next, the authors compared the impact of CT and CT and MRI based patient models on the predicted temperatures. For each tissue, the modality was selected that led to the lowest observer variation and inserted this in the combined CT and MRI based patient model (CT and MRI), after a deformable image registration. In addition, a patient model with a detailed segmentation of brain tissues (including white matter, gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid) was created (CT and MRI{sub db}). To quantify the relevance of MRI based segmentation for H and N HTP, the authors compared the predicted maximum temperatures in the segmented tissues (T{sub max}) and the corresponding specific absorption rate (SAR) of the patient models based on (1) CT, (2) CT and MRI, and (3) CT and MRI{sub db}. Results: In MRI, a similar or reduced interobserver variation was found compared to CT (maximum of median MSD in CT: 0.93 mm, MRI-T1w: 0.72 mm, MRI-T2w: 0.66 mm). Only for the optical nerve the interobserver variation is significantly lower in CT compared to MRI (median MSD in CT: 0.58 mm, MRI-T1w: 1.27 mm, MRI-T2w: 1.40 mm

MRI-based diagnostic imaging of the intratemporal facial nerve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kress, B.; Baehren, W.

2001-01-01

Detailed imaging of the five sections of the full intratemporal course of the facial nerve can be achieved by MRI and using thin tomographic section techniques and surface coils. Contrast media are required for tomographic imaging of pathological processes. Established methods are available for diagnostic evaluation of cerebellopontine angle tumors and chronic Bell's palsy, as well as hemifacial spasms. A method still under discussion is MRI for diagnostic evaluation of Bell's palsy in the presence of fractures of the petrous bone, when blood volumes in the petrous bone make evaluation even more difficult. MRI-based diagnostic evaluation of the idiopatic facial paralysis currently is subject to change. Its usual application cannot be recommended for routine evaluation at present. However, a quantitative analysis of contrast medium uptake of the nerve may be an approach to improve the prognostic value of MRI in acute phases of Bell's palsy. (orig./CB) [de

Hybrid anisotropic materials for wind power turbine blades

CERN Document Server

Golfman, Yosif

2012-01-01

Based on rapid technological developments in wind power, governments and energy corporations are aggressively investing in this natural resource. Illustrating some of the crucial new breakthroughs in structural design and application of wind energy generation machinery, Hybrid Anisotropic Materials for Wind Power Turbine Blades explores new automated, repeatable production techniques that expand the use of robotics and process controls. These practices are intended to ensure cheaper fabrication of less-defective anisotropic material composites used to manufacture power turbine blades. This boo

3D controlled-source electromagnetic modeling in anisotropic medium using edge-based finite element method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cai, Hongzhu; Xiong, Bin; Han, Muran

2014-01-01

This paper presents a linear edge-based finite element method for numerical modeling of 3D controlled-source electromagnetic data in an anisotropic conductive medium. We use a nonuniform rectangular mesh in order to capture the rapid change of diffusive electromagnetic field within the regions of...... are in a good agreement with the solutions obtained by the integral equation method....

3-D direct current resistivity anisotropic modelling by goal-oriented adaptive finite element methods

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Zhengyong; Qiu, Lewen; Tang, Jingtian; Wu, Xiaoping; Xiao, Xiao; Zhou, Zilong

2018-01-01

Although accurate numerical solvers for 3-D direct current (DC) isotropic resistivity models are current available even for complicated models with topography, reliable numerical solvers for the anisotropic case are still an open question. This study aims to develop a novel and optimal numerical solver for accurately calculating the DC potentials for complicated models with arbitrary anisotropic conductivity structures in the Earth. First, a secondary potential boundary value problem is derived by considering the topography and the anisotropic conductivity. Then, two a posteriori error estimators with one using the gradient-recovery technique and one measuring the discontinuity of the normal component of current density are developed for the anisotropic cases. Combing the goal-oriented and non-goal-oriented mesh refinements and these two error estimators, four different solving strategies are developed for complicated DC anisotropic forward modelling problems. A synthetic anisotropic two-layer model with analytic solutions verified the accuracy of our algorithms. A half-space model with a buried anisotropic cube and a mountain-valley model are adopted to test the convergence rates of these four solving strategies. We found that the error estimator based on the discontinuity of current density shows better performance than the gradient-recovery based a posteriori error estimator for anisotropic models with conductivity contrasts. Both error estimators working together with goal-oriented concepts can offer optimal mesh density distributions and highly accurate solutions.

The relevance of MRI for patient modeling in head and neck hyperthermia treatment planning: a comparison of CT and CT-MRI based tissue segmentation on simulated temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Verhaart, René F; Fortunati, Valerio; Verduijn, Gerda M; van der Lugt, Aad; van Walsum, Theo; Veenland, Jifke F; Paulides, Margarethus M

2014-12-01

In current clinical practice, head and neck (H&N) hyperthermia treatment planning (HTP) is solely based on computed tomography (CT) images. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides superior soft-tissue contrast over CT. The purpose of the authors' study is to investigate the relevance of using MRI in addition to CT for patient modeling in H&N HTP. CT and MRI scans were acquired for 11 patients in an immobilization mask. Three observers manually segmented on CT, MRI T1 weighted (MRI-T1w), and MRI T2 weighted (MRI-T2w) images the following thermo-sensitive tissues: cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, myelum, sclera, lens, vitreous humor, and the optical nerve. For these tissues that are used for patient modeling in H&N HTP, the interobserver variation of manual tissue segmentation in CT and MRI was quantified with the mean surface distance (MSD). Next, the authors compared the impact of CT and CT and MRI based patient models on the predicted temperatures. For each tissue, the modality was selected that led to the lowest observer variation and inserted this in the combined CT and MRI based patient model (CT and MRI), after a deformable image registration. In addition, a patient model with a detailed segmentation of brain tissues (including white matter, gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid) was created (CT and MRIdb). To quantify the relevance of MRI based segmentation for H&N HTP, the authors compared the predicted maximum temperatures in the segmented tissues (Tmax) and the corresponding specific absorption rate (SAR) of the patient models based on (1) CT, (2) CT and MRI, and (3) CT and MRIdb. In MRI, a similar or reduced interobserver variation was found compared to CT (maximum of median MSD in CT: 0.93 mm, MRI-T1w: 0.72 mm, MRI-T2w: 0.66 mm). Only for the optical nerve the interobserver variation is significantly lower in CT compared to MRI (median MSD in CT: 0.58 mm, MRI-T1w: 1.27 mm, MRI-T2w: 1.40 mm). Patient models based on CT (Tmax: 38.0 °C) and CT and MRI

How one institution overcame the challenges to start an MRI-based brachytherapy program for cervical cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew M. Harkenrider

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose : Adaptive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-based brachytherapy results in improved local control and decreased high-grade toxicities compared to historical controls. Incorporating MRI into the workflow of a department can be a major challenge when initiating an MRI-based brachytherapy program. This project aims to describe the goals, challenges, and solutions when initiating an MRI-based cervical cancer brachytherapy program at our institution. Material and methods : We describe the 6-month multi-disciplinary planning phase to initiate an MRI-based brachytherapy program. We describe the specific challenges that were encountered prior to treating our first patient. Results : We describe the solutions that were realized and executed to solve the challenges that we faced to establish our MRI-based brachytherapy program. We emphasize detailed coordination of care, planning, and communication to make the workflow feasible. We detail the imaging and radiation physics solutions to safely deliver MRI-based brachytherapy. The focus of these efforts is always on the delivery of optimal, state of the art patient care and treatment delivery within the context of our available institutional resources. Conclusions : Previous publications have supported a transition to MRI-based brachytherapy, and this can be safely and efficiently accomplished as described in this manuscript.

On the Anisotropic Nature of MRI-driven Turbulence in Astrophysical Disks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murphy, Gareth; Pessah, Martin E.

2015-01-01

-periodic way on timescales comparable to ∼10 inverse angular frequencies, motivating the temporal analysis of its anisotropy. We introduce a 3D tensor invariant analysis to quantify and classify the evolution of the anisotropy of the turbulent flow. This analysis shows a continuous high level of anisotropy......, with brief sporadic transitions toward two- and three-component isotropic turbulent flow. This temporal-dependent anisotropy renders standard shell averaging especially when used simultaneously with long temporal averages, inadequate for characterizing MRI-driven turbulence. We propose an alternative way...

An Example-Based Brain MRI Simulation Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Qing; Roy, Snehashis; Jog, Amod; Pham, Dzung L

2015-02-21

The simulation of magnetic resonance (MR) images plays an important role in the validation of image analysis algorithms such as image segmentation, due to lack of sufficient ground truth in real MR images. Previous work on MRI simulation has focused on explicitly modeling the MR image formation process. However, because of the overwhelming complexity of MR acquisition these simulations must involve simplifications and approximations that can result in visually unrealistic simulated images. In this work, we describe an example-based simulation framework, which uses an "atlas" consisting of an MR image and its anatomical models derived from the hard segmentation. The relationships between the MR image intensities and its anatomical models are learned using a patch-based regression that implicitly models the physics of the MR image formation. Given the anatomical models of a new brain, a new MR image can be simulated using the learned regression. This approach has been extended to also simulate intensity inhomogeneity artifacts based on the statistical model of training data. Results show that the example based MRI simulation method is capable of simulating different image contrasts and is robust to different choices of atlas. The simulated images resemble real MR images more than simulations produced by a physics-based model.

Towards open sharing of task-based fMRI data: The OpenfMRI project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Russell A Poldrack

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The large-scale sharing of task-based functional neuroimaging data has the potential to allow novel insights into the organization of mental function in the brain, but the field of neuroimaging has lagged behind other areas of bioscience in the development of data sharing resources. This paper describes the OpenFMRI project (accessible online at http://www.openfmri.org, which aims to provide the neuroimaging community with a resource to support open sharing of task-based fMRI studies. We describe the motivation behind the project, focusing particularly on how this project addresses some of the well-known challenges to sharing of task-based fMRI data. Results from a preliminary analysis of the current database are presented, which demonstrate the ability to classify between task contrasts with high generalization accuracy across subjects, and the ability to identify individual subjects from their activation maps with moderately high accuracy. Clustering analyses show that the similarity relations between statistical maps have a somewhat orderly relation to the mental functions engaged by the relevant tasks. These results highlight the potential of the project to support large-scale multivariate analyses of the relation between mental processes and brain function.

Validation of a numerical FSI simulation of an aortic BMHV by in vitro PIV experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Annerel, S; Claessens, T; Degroote, J; Segers, P; Vierendeels, J

2014-08-01

In this paper, a validation of a recently developed fluid-structure interaction (FSI) coupling algorithm to simulate numerically the dynamics of an aortic bileaflet mechanical heart valve (BMHV) is performed. This validation is done by comparing the numerical simulation results with in vitro experiments. For the in vitro experiments, the leaflet kinematics and flow fields are obtained via the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. Subsequently, the same case is numerically simulated by the coupling algorithm and the resulting leaflet kinematics and flow fields are obtained. Finally, the results are compared, revealing great similarity in leaflet motion and flow fields between the numerical simulation and the experimental test. Therefore, it is concluded that the developed algorithm is able to capture very accurately all the major leaflet kinematics and dynamics and can be used to study and optimize the design of BMHVs. Copyright © 2014 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Three dimensional, numerical analysis of an elasto hydrodynamic lubrication using fluid structure interaction (FSI) approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hanoca, P.; Ramakrishna, H. V.

2018-03-01

This work is related to develop a methodology to model and simulate the TEHD using the sequential application of CFD and CSD. The FSI analyses are carried out using ANSYS Workbench. In this analysis steady state, 3D Navier-Stoke equations along with energy equation are solved. Liquid properties are introduced where the viscosity and density are the function of pressure and temperature. The cavitation phenomenon is adopted in the analysis. Numerical analysis has been carried at different speeds and surfaces temperatures. During the analysis, it was found that as speed increases, hydrodynamic pressures will also increases. The pressure profile obtained from the Roelands equation is more sensitive to the temperature as compared to the Barus equation. The stress distributions specify the significant positions in the bearing structure. The developed method is capable of giving latest approaching into the physics of elasto hydrodynamic lubrication.

Thermodynamic analysis on an anisotropically superhydrophobic surface with a hierarchical structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Jieliang [Division of Intelligent and Biomechanical Systems, State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Room 3407, Building 9003, 100084 Beijing (China); Su, Zhengliang [Division of Intelligent and Biomechanical Systems, State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Room 3407, Building 9003, 100084 Beijing (China); Department of Automotive Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Yan, Shaoze, E-mail: yansz@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [Division of Intelligent and Biomechanical Systems, State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Room 3407, Building 9003, 100084 Beijing (China)

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We model the superhydrophobic surface with anisotropic and hierarchical structure. • Anisotropic wetting only shows in noncomposite state (not in composite state). • Transition from noncomposite to composite state on dual-scale structure is hard. • Droplets tend to roll in the particular direction. • Droplets tend to stably remain in one preferred thermodynamic state. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces, which refer to the surfaces with contact angle higher than 150° and hysteresis less than 10°, have been reported in various studies. However, studies on the superhydrophobicity of anisotropic, hierarchical surfaces are limited and the corresponding thermodynamic mechanisms could not be explained thoroughly. Here we propose a simplified surface model of anisotropic patterned surface with dual scale roughness. Based on the thermodynamic method, we calculate the equilibrium contact angle (ECA) and the contact angle hysteresis (CAH) on the given surface. We show here that the hierarchical structure has much better anisotropic wetting properties than the single-scale one, and the results shed light on the potential application in controllable micro-/nano-fluidic systems. Our studies can be potentially applied for the fabrication of anisotropically superhydrophobic surfaces.

Thermodynamic analysis on an anisotropically superhydrophobic surface with a hierarchical structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Jieliang; Su, Zhengliang; Yan, Shaoze

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We model the superhydrophobic surface with anisotropic and hierarchical structure. • Anisotropic wetting only shows in noncomposite state (not in composite state). • Transition from noncomposite to composite state on dual-scale structure is hard. • Droplets tend to roll in the particular direction. • Droplets tend to stably remain in one preferred thermodynamic state. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces, which refer to the surfaces with contact angle higher than 150° and hysteresis less than 10°, have been reported in various studies. However, studies on the superhydrophobicity of anisotropic, hierarchical surfaces are limited and the corresponding thermodynamic mechanisms could not be explained thoroughly. Here we propose a simplified surface model of anisotropic patterned surface with dual scale roughness. Based on the thermodynamic method, we calculate the equilibrium contact angle (ECA) and the contact angle hysteresis (CAH) on the given surface. We show here that the hierarchical structure has much better anisotropic wetting properties than the single-scale one, and the results shed light on the potential application in controllable micro-/nano-fluidic systems. Our studies can be potentially applied for the fabrication of anisotropically superhydrophobic surfaces.

Thermal fluctuations and critical behavior in a magnetized, anisotropic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazeltine, R. D.; Mahajan, S. M.

2013-01-01

Thermal fluctuations in a magnetized, anisotropic plasma are studied by applying standard methods, based on the Einstein rule, to the known thermodynamic potential of the system. It is found in particular that magnetic fluctuations become critical when the anisotropy p ∥ −p ⊥ changes sign. By examining the critical region, additional insight on the equations of state for near-critical anisotropic plasma is obtained

Content Based Medical Image Retrieval for Histopathological, CT and MRI Images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Swarnambiga AYYACHAMY

2013-09-01

Full Text Available A content based approach is followed for medical images. The purpose of this study is to access the stability of these methods for medical image retrieval. The methods used in color based retrieval for histopathological images are color co-occurrence matrix (CCM and histogram with meta features. For texture based retrieval GLCM (gray level co-occurrence matrix and local binary pattern (LBP were used. For shape based retrieval canny edge detection and otsu‘s method with multivariable threshold were used. Texture and shape based retrieval were implemented using MRI (magnetic resonance images. The most remarkable characteristics of the article are its content based approach for each medical imaging modality. Our efforts were focused on the initial visual search. From our experiment, histogram with meta features in color based retrieval for histopathological images shows a precision of 60 % and recall of 30 %. Whereas GLCM in texture based retrieval for MRI images shows a precision of 70 % and recall of 20 %. Shape based retrieval for MRI images shows a precision of 50% and recall of 25 %. The retrieval results shows that this simple approach is successful.

Molecular MRI based on hyper-polarized xenon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tassali, Nawal

2012-01-01

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has a high importance in medicine as it enables the observation of the organs inside the body without the use of radiative or invasive techniques. However it is known to suffer from poor sensitivity. To circumvent this limitation, a key solution resides in the use of hyper-polarized species. Among the entities with which we can drastically increase nuclear polarization, xenon has very specific properties through its interactions with its close environment that lead to a wide chemical shift bandwidth. The goal is thus to use it as a tracer. This PhD thesis focuses on the concept of 129 Xe MRI-based sensors for the detection of biological events. In this approach, hyper-polarized xenon is vectorized to biological targets via functionalized host systems, and then localized thanks to fast dedicated MRI sequences. The conception and set-up of a spin-exchange optical pumping device is first described. Then studies about the interaction of the hyper-polarized noble gas with new cryptophanes susceptible to constitute powerful host molecules are detailed. Also the implementation of recent MRI sequences optimized for the transient character of the hyper-polarization and taking profit of the xenon in-out exchange is described. Applications of this approach for the detection of metallic ions and cellular receptors are studied. Finally, our first in vivo results on a small animal model are presented. (author) [fr

Three-dimensional anisotropy contrast MRI and functional MRI of the human brain. Clinical application to assess pyramidal tract in patients with brain tumor and infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morikawa, Minoru; Kaminogo, Makio; Ishimaru, Hideki; Nakashima, Kazuaki; Kitagawa, Naoki; Ochi, Makoto; Hayashi, Kuniaki; Shibata, Shobu; Kabasawa, Hiroyuki

2001-01-01

We describe and evaluate the findings of three-dimensional anisotropy contrast MR axonography (3DAC MRX) and functional MRI (fMRI) in brain tumor and infarction. We obtained diffusion-weighted images (DWI) in 28 patients including 23 brain tumors and 15 acute infarctions located in or near pyramidal tract. Three anisotropic DWIs were transformed into graduations color-coded as red, green and blue, and then composed to form a combined color 3DAC MRX. We also performed functional MRI in 7 of the 28 patients and compared with cortical mapping of 3DAC MRX. 3DAC MRX with 23 brain tumors showed that the ipsilateral pyramidal tract was either discontinuous due to impaired anisotropy (n=8) or compressed due to mass effect (n=15). In 10 patients of acute infarction with motor impairment, pyramidal tract involvement was visually more conspicuous on 3DAC MRX compared to standard DWI. On functional MRI, hand motor activation was observed between blue vertical directional colors of pre- and post central gyrus. In conclusion, 3DAC MRX is a new noninvasive approach for visualization of the white matter neuronal tract and provides the information concerning pyramidal tract involvement. (author)

Ultra-wideband reflective polarization converter based on anisotropic metasurface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Jia-Liang; Lin Bao-Qin; Da Xin-Yu

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose an ultra-wideband reflective linear cross-polarization converter based on anisotropic metasurface. Its unit cell is composed of a square-shaped resonator with intersectant diagonal and metallic ground sheet separated by dielectric substrate. Simulated results show that the converter can generate resonances at four frequencies under normal incident electromagnetic (EM) wave, leading to the bandwidth expansion of cross-polarization reflection. For verification, the designed polarization converter is fabricated and measured. The measured and simulated results agree well with each other, showing that the fabricated converter can convert x - or y -polarized incident wave into its cross polarized wave in a frequency range from 7.57 GHz to 20.46 GHz with a relative bandwidth of 91.2%, and the polarization conversion efficiency is greater than 90%. The proposed polarization converter has a simple geometry but an ultra wideband compared with the published designs, and hence possesses potential applications in novel polarization-control devices. (paper)

Dynamical anisotropic response of black phosphorus under magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xuefeng; Lu, Wei; Zhou, Xiaoying; Zhou, Yang; Zhang, Chenglong; Lai, Jiawei; Ge, Shaofeng; Sekhar, M. Chandra; Jia, Shuang; Chang, Kai; Sun, Dong

2018-04-01

Black phosphorus (BP) has emerged as a promising material candidate for next generation electronic and optoelectronic devices due to its high mobility, tunable band gap and highly anisotropic properties. In this work, polarization resolved ultrafast mid-infrared transient reflection spectroscopy measurements are performed to study the dynamical anisotropic optical properties of BP under magnetic fields up to 9 T. The relaxation dynamics of photoexcited carrier is found to be insensitive to the applied magnetic field due to the broadening of the Landau levels and large effective mass of carriers. While the anisotropic optical response of BP decreases with increasing magnetic field, its enhancement due to the excitation of hot carriers is similar to that without magnetic field. These experimental results can be well interpreted by the magneto-optical conductivity of the Landau levels of BP thin film, based on an effective k · p Hamiltonian and linear response theory. These findings suggest attractive possibilities of multi-dimensional control of anisotropic response (AR) of BP with light, electric and magnetic field, which further introduces BP to the fantastic magnetic field sensitive applications.

Quantitative multi-waves migration in elastic anisotropic media; Migration quantitative multi-ondes en milieu elastique anisotrope

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borgne, H.

2004-12-01

modelling of waves propagation in anisotropic media. With the approximations of ray theory, 1 develop an expression of the geometrical spreading, the amplitude, and their reciprocity relations. I set up imaging formulas in order to reconstruct the reflection coefficients of the subsurface in elastic anisotropic media. In a first time, 1 salve the direct problem, by expressing the integral relation between the scattered wave field recorded by the receivers and the subsurface reflection coefficients. In a second time, 1 apply an elastic anisotropic quantitative migration method, based on the properties of the inverse Radon transforms (Beylkin's approach), in order to express the reflection coefficient in 2D, 2.5D and 3D media. 1 implemented these formulas in a new preserved amplitude migration algorithm, where the images are sorted by angle classes. At last, 1 apply these theoretical results to synthetic and real datasets. 1 show that migration is able to reconstruct the correct A V A behavior of anisotropic reflection coefficients if hath. modifications are achieved. Then, 1 degrade the process, by keeping an anisotropic ray tracing but using the classical isotropic imaging formula. F'or this commonly used configuration, 1 evaluate the error that can be expected in the A V A response of the migrated reflection coefficient. Methodological applications show the sensibility of the migration results to the velocity model smoothing and to an error on the anisotropic axis. (author)

FAST DISCRETE CURVELET TRANSFORM BASED ANISOTROPIC FEATURE EXTRACTION FOR IRIS RECOGNITION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amol D. Rahulkar

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The feature extraction plays a very important role in iris recognition. Recent researches on multiscale analysis provide good opportunity to extract more accurate information for iris recognition. In this work, a new directional iris texture features based on 2-D Fast Discrete Curvelet Transform (FDCT is proposed. The proposed approach divides the normalized iris image into six sub-images and the curvelet transform is applied independently on each sub-image. The anisotropic feature vector for each sub-image is derived using the directional energies of the curvelet coefficients. These six feature vectors are combined to create the resultant feature vector. During recognition, the nearest neighbor classifier based on Euclidean distance has been used for authentication. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been tested on two different databases namely UBIRIS and MMU1. Experimental results show the superiority of the proposed approach.

A Fabry-Perot Interferometry Based MRI-Compatible Miniature Uniaxial Force Sensor for Percutaneous Needle Placement

OpenAIRE

Shang, Weijian; Su, Hao; Li, Gang; Furlong, Cosme; Fischer, Gregory S.

2013-01-01

Robot-assisted surgical procedures, taking advantage of the high soft tissue contrast and real-time imaging of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are developing rapidly. However, it is crucial to maintain tactile force feedback in MRI-guided needle-based procedures. This paper presents a Fabry-Perot interference (FPI) based system of an MRI-compatible fiber optic sensor which has been integrated into a piezoelectrically actuated robot for prostate cancer biopsy and brachytherapy in 3T MRI scan...

Investigate the effect of anisotropic order parameter on the specific heat of anisotropic two-band superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Udomsamuthirun, P.; Peamsuwan, R.; Kumvongsa, C.

2009-01-01

The effect of anisotropic order parameter on the specific heat of anisotropic two-band superconductors in BCS weak-coupling limit is investigated. An analytical specific heat jump and the numerical specific heat are shown by using anisotropic order parameters, and the electron-phonon interaction and non-electron-phonon interaction. The two models of anisotropic order parameters are used for numerical calculation that we find little effect on the numerical results. The specific heat jump of MgB 2 , Lu 2 Fe 3 Si 5 and Nb 3 Sn superconductors can fit well with both of them. By comparing the experimental data with overall range of temperature, the best fit is Nb 3 Sn, MgB 2 , and Lu 2 Fe 3 Si 5 superconductors.

A patch-based pseudo-CT approach for MRI-only radiotherapy in the pelvis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andreasen, Daniel, E-mail: dana@dtu.dk [Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark and Radiotherapy Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Gentofte and Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 2730 Herlev (Denmark); Van Leemput, Koen [Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark and A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129 (United States); Edmund, Jens M. [Radiotherapy Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Gentofte and Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 2730 Herlev (Denmark)

2016-08-15

Purpose: In radiotherapy based only on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), knowledge about tissue electron densities must be derived from the MRI. This can be achieved by converting the MRI scan to the so-called pseudo-computed tomography (pCT). An obstacle is that the voxel intensities in conventional MRI scans are not uniquely related to electron density. The authors previously demonstrated that a patch-based method could produce accurate pCTs of the brain using conventional T{sub 1}-weighted MRI scans. The method was driven mainly by local patch similarities and relied on simple affine registrations between an atlas database of the co-registered MRI/CT scan pairs and the MRI scan to be converted. In this study, the authors investigate the applicability of the patch-based approach in the pelvis. This region is challenging for a method based on local similarities due to the greater inter-patient variation. The authors benchmark the method against a baseline pCT strategy where all voxels inside the body contour are assigned a water-equivalent bulk density. Furthermore, the authors implement a parallelized approximate patch search strategy to speed up the pCT generation time to a more clinically relevant level. Methods: The data consisted of CT and T{sub 1}-weighted MRI scans of 10 prostate patients. pCTs were generated using an approximate patch search algorithm in a leave-one-out fashion and compared with the CT using frequently described metrics such as the voxel-wise mean absolute error (MAE{sub vox}) and the deviation in water-equivalent path lengths. Furthermore, the dosimetric accuracy was tested for a volumetric modulated arc therapy plan using dose–volume histogram (DVH) point deviations and γ-index analysis. Results: The patch-based approach had an average MAE{sub vox} of 54 HU; median deviations of less than 0.4% in relevant DVH points and a γ-index pass rate of 0.97 using a 1%/1 mm criterion. The patch-based approach showed a significantly better

Features of the electric-field distribution in anisotropic semiconductor wafers in a transverse magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filippov, V. V.; Bormontov, E. N.

2013-01-01

A macroscopic model of the Hall effects and magnetoresistance in anisotropic semiconductor wafers is developed. The results obtained by solving the electrodynamic boundary problem allow the potential and eddy currents in anisotropic semiconductors to be calculated at different current-contact locations, depending on the parameters of the sample material’s anisotropy. The results of this study are of great practical importance for investigating the physical properties of anisotropic semiconductors and simulating the electron-transport phenomena in devices based on anisotropic semiconductors

Features of the electric-field distribution in anisotropic semiconductor wafers in a transverse magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filippov, V. V., E-mail: wwfilippow@mail.ru [Lipetsk State Pedagogical University (Russian Federation); Bormontov, E. N. [Voronezh State University (Russian Federation)

2013-07-15

A macroscopic model of the Hall effects and magnetoresistance in anisotropic semiconductor wafers is developed. The results obtained by solving the electrodynamic boundary problem allow the potential and eddy currents in anisotropic semiconductors to be calculated at different current-contact locations, depending on the parameters of the sample material's anisotropy. The results of this study are of great practical importance for investigating the physical properties of anisotropic semiconductors and simulating the electron-transport phenomena in devices based on anisotropic semiconductors.

Veselago focusing of anisotropic massless Dirac fermions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shu-Hui; Yang, Wen; Peeters, F. M.

2018-05-01

Massless Dirac fermions (MDFs) emerge as quasiparticles in various novel materials such as graphene and topological insulators, and they exhibit several intriguing properties, of which Veselago focusing is an outstanding example with a lot of possible applications. However, up to now Veselago focusing merely occurred in p-n junction devices based on the isotropic MDF, which lacks the tunability needed for realistic applications. Here, motivated by the emergence of novel Dirac materials, we investigate the propagation behaviors of anisotropic MDFs in such a p-n junction structure. By projecting the Hamiltonian of the anisotropic MDF to that of the isotropic MDF and deriving an exact analytical expression for the propagator, precise Veselago focusing is demonstrated without the need for mirror symmetry of the electron source and its focusing image. We show a tunable focusing position that can be used in a device to probe masked atom-scale defects. This study provides an innovative concept to realize Veselago focusing relevant for potential applications, and it paves the way for the design of novel electron optics devices by exploiting the anisotropic MDF.

Preconditioned conjugate gradient technique for the analysis of symmetric anisotropic structures

Science.gov (United States)

Noor, Ahmed K.; Peters, Jeanne M.

1987-01-01

An efficient preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) technique and a computational procedure are presented for the analysis of symmetric anisotropic structures. The technique is based on selecting the preconditioning matrix as the orthotropic part of the global stiffness matrix of the structure, with all the nonorthotropic terms set equal to zero. This particular choice of the preconditioning matrix results in reducing the size of the analysis model of the anisotropic structure to that of the corresponding orthotropic structure. The similarities between the proposed PCG technique and a reduction technique previously presented by the authors are identified and exploited to generate from the PCG technique direct measures for the sensitivity of the different response quantities to the nonorthotropic (anisotropic) material coefficients of the structure. The effectiveness of the PCG technique is demonstrated by means of a numerical example of an anisotropic cylindrical panel.

Anisotropic elastic plates

CERN Document Server

Hwu, Chyanbin

2010-01-01

As structural elements, anisotropic elastic plates find wide applications in modern technology. The plates here are considered to be subjected to not only in plane load but also transverse load. In other words, both plane and plate bending problems as well as the stretching-bending coupling problems are all explained in this book. In addition to the introduction of the theory of anisotropic elasticity, several important subjects have are discussed in this book such as interfaces, cracks, holes, inclusions, contact problems, piezoelectric materials, thermoelastic problems and boundary element a

MRI evaluation of a new scaffold-based allogenic chondrocyte implantation for cartilage repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhollander, A.A.M.; Huysse, W.C.J.; Verdonk, P.C.M.; Verstraete, K.L.; Verdonk, R.; Verbruggen, G.; Almqvist, K.F.

2010-01-01

Aim: The present study was designed to evaluate the implantation of alginate beads containing human mature allogenic chondrocytes for the treatment of symptomatic cartilage defects of the knee. MRI was used for the morphological analysis of cartilage repair. The correlation between MRI findings and clinical outcome was also studied. Methods: A biodegradable, alginate-based biocompatible scaffold containing human mature allogenic chondrocytes was used for the treatment of symptomatic chondral and osteochondral lesions in the knee. Twenty-one patients were prospectively evaluated with use of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain preoperatively and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of follow-up. Of the 21 patients, 12 had consented to follow the postoperative MRI evaluation protocol. MRI data were analyzed based on the original MOCART (Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue) and modified MOCART scoring system. The correlation between the clinical outcome and MRI findings was evaluated. Results: A statistically significant clinical improvement became apparent after 6 months and patients continued to improve during the 12 months of follow-up. One of the two MRI scoring systems that were used, showed a statistically significant deterioration of the repair tissue at 1 year of follow-up. Twelve months after the operation complete filling or hypertrophy was found in 41.6%. Bone-marrow edema and effusion were seen in 41.7% and 25% of the study patients, respectively. We did not find a consistent correlation between the MRI criteria and the clinical results. Discussion: The present study confirmed the primary role of MRI in the evaluation of cartilage repair. Two MOCART-based scoring systems were used in a longitudinal fashion and allowed a practical and morphological evaluation of the repair tissue. However, the correlation between clinical outcome and MRI findings was poor. Further

MRI evaluation of a new scaffold-based allogenic chondrocyte implantation for cartilage repair

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhollander, A.A.M., E-mail: Aad.Dhollander@Ugent.b [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 1P5, B9000 Gent (Belgium); Huysse, W.C.J., E-mail: Wouter.Huysse@Ugent.b [Department of Radiology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, -1K12 IB, B9000 Gent (Belgium); Verdonk, P.C.M., E-mail: pverdonk@yahoo.co [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 1P5, B9000 Gent (Belgium); Verstraete, K.L., E-mail: Koenraad.Verstraete@Ugent.b [Department of Radiology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, -1K12 IB, B9000 Gent (Belgium); Verdonk, R., E-mail: Rene.Verdonk@Ugent.b [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 1P5, B9000 Gent (Belgium); Verbruggen, G., E-mail: Gust.Verbruggen@Ugent.b [Laboratory of Connective Tissue Biology, Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, Ghent (Belgium); Almqvist, K.F., E-mail: Fredrik.Almqvist@Ugent.b [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 1P5, B9000 Gent (Belgium)

2010-07-15

Aim: The present study was designed to evaluate the implantation of alginate beads containing human mature allogenic chondrocytes for the treatment of symptomatic cartilage defects of the knee. MRI was used for the morphological analysis of cartilage repair. The correlation between MRI findings and clinical outcome was also studied. Methods: A biodegradable, alginate-based biocompatible scaffold containing human mature allogenic chondrocytes was used for the treatment of symptomatic chondral and osteochondral lesions in the knee. Twenty-one patients were prospectively evaluated with use of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain preoperatively and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of follow-up. Of the 21 patients, 12 had consented to follow the postoperative MRI evaluation protocol. MRI data were analyzed based on the original MOCART (Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue) and modified MOCART scoring system. The correlation between the clinical outcome and MRI findings was evaluated. Results: A statistically significant clinical improvement became apparent after 6 months and patients continued to improve during the 12 months of follow-up. One of the two MRI scoring systems that were used, showed a statistically significant deterioration of the repair tissue at 1 year of follow-up. Twelve months after the operation complete filling or hypertrophy was found in 41.6%. Bone-marrow edema and effusion were seen in 41.7% and 25% of the study patients, respectively. We did not find a consistent correlation between the MRI criteria and the clinical results. Discussion: The present study confirmed the primary role of MRI in the evaluation of cartilage repair. Two MOCART-based scoring systems were used in a longitudinal fashion and allowed a practical and morphological evaluation of the repair tissue. However, the correlation between clinical outcome and MRI findings was poor. Further

Implementing MRI-based target delineation for cervical cancer treatment within a rapid workflow environment for image-guided brachytherapy: A practical approach for centers without in-room MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Trifiletti, Daniel M; Libby, Bruce; Feuerlein, Sebastian; Kim, Taeho; Garda, Allison; Watkins, W Tyler; Erickson, Sarah; Ornan, Afshan; Showalter, Timothy N

2015-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based intracavitary brachytherapy offers several advantages over computed tomography (CT)-based brachytherapy, but many centers are unable to offer it at the time of brachytherapy because of logistic and/or financial considerations. We have implemented a method of integrating MRI into a CT-guided, high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy workflow in clinics that do not have immediately available MRI capability. At our institution, patients receiving high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy as a component of the definitive treatment of cervical cancer have a Smit sleeve placed during the first brachytherapy fraction in a dedicated suite with in-room CT-on-rails. After the first fraction of brachytherapy, an MRI is obtained with the Smit sleeve, but no applicator, in place. For each subsequent fraction, CT scans are coregistered to the MRI scan by the Smit sleeve. The gross target volume is defined by MRI and overlaid on the CT images for each brachytherapy treatment for dose optimization. This MRI-integrated workflow adds workflow is a feasible compromise to preserve an efficient workflow while integrating MRI target delineation, and it provides many of the advantages of both MRI- and CT-based brachytherapy. The future collection and analysis of clinical data will serve to compare the proposed approach to non-MRI containing techniques. Copyright © 2015 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of copper foil polycrystalline structure on graphene anisotropic etching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Kamal P. [Department of Frontier Materials, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan); Mahyavanshi, Rakesh D. [Department of Physical Science and Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan); Kalita, Golap, E-mail: kalita.golap@nitech.ac.jp [Department of Frontier Materials, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan); Department of Physical Science and Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan); Tanemura, Masaki [Department of Frontier Materials, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan); Department of Physical Science and Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan)

2017-01-30

Graphical abstract: Hexagonal hole formation with anisotropic etching independent of the stripes and wrinkles in the synthesized graphene. We also observed variation in etched pattern of the graphene depending on the base Cu grain orientations, attributing to difference in nucleation and growth process. - Highlights: • Reveal the influence of copper polycrystalline structure on anisotropic etching of graphene. • Hexagonal hole formation with etching is observed to be independent of stripes and wrinkles in graphene. • Variation in etched pattern of graphene depending on the base Cu grain is confirmed. • This finding will help to understand the nature of microscopic etched pattern in graphene. - Abstract: Anisotropic etching of graphene and other two dimensional materials is an important tool to understand the growth process as well as enabling fabrication of various well-defined structures. Here, we reveal the influence of copper foil polycrystalline structure on anisotropic etching process of as-synthesized graphene. Graphene crystals were synthesized on the polycrystalline Cu foil by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) system. Microscopic analysis shows difference in shape, size and stripes alignment of graphene crystals with dissimilar nucleation within closure vicinity of neighboring Cu grains. Post-growth etching of such graphene crystals also significantly affected by the crystallographic nature of Cu grains as observed by the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis. Hexagonal hole formation with anisotropic etching is observed to be independent of the stripes and wrinkles in the synthesized graphene. We also observed variation in etched pattern of the graphene depending on the base Cu grain orientations, attributing to difference in nucleation and growth process. The findings can facilitate to understand the nature of microscopic etched pattern depending on metal

Influence of copper foil polycrystalline structure on graphene anisotropic etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Kamal P.; Mahyavanshi, Rakesh D.; Kalita, Golap; Tanemura, Masaki

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: Hexagonal hole formation with anisotropic etching independent of the stripes and wrinkles in the synthesized graphene. We also observed variation in etched pattern of the graphene depending on the base Cu grain orientations, attributing to difference in nucleation and growth process. - Highlights: • Reveal the influence of copper polycrystalline structure on anisotropic etching of graphene. • Hexagonal hole formation with etching is observed to be independent of stripes and wrinkles in graphene. • Variation in etched pattern of graphene depending on the base Cu grain is confirmed. • This finding will help to understand the nature of microscopic etched pattern in graphene. - Abstract: Anisotropic etching of graphene and other two dimensional materials is an important tool to understand the growth process as well as enabling fabrication of various well-defined structures. Here, we reveal the influence of copper foil polycrystalline structure on anisotropic etching process of as-synthesized graphene. Graphene crystals were synthesized on the polycrystalline Cu foil by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) system. Microscopic analysis shows difference in shape, size and stripes alignment of graphene crystals with dissimilar nucleation within closure vicinity of neighboring Cu grains. Post-growth etching of such graphene crystals also significantly affected by the crystallographic nature of Cu grains as observed by the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis. Hexagonal hole formation with anisotropic etching is observed to be independent of the stripes and wrinkles in the synthesized graphene. We also observed variation in etched pattern of the graphene depending on the base Cu grain orientations, attributing to difference in nucleation and growth process. The findings can facilitate to understand the nature of microscopic etched pattern depending on metal

Effective Medium Theory for Anisotropic Metamaterials

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiujuan

2017-11-12

This dissertation includes the study of effective medium theories (EMTs) and their applications in describing wave propagation in anisotropic metamaterials, which can guide the design of metamaterials. An EMT based on field averaging is proposed to describe a peculiar anisotropic dispersion relation that is linear along the symmetry line but quadratic in the perpendicular direction. This dispersion relation is associated with the topological transition of the iso-frequency contours (IFCs), suggesting interesting wave propagation behaviors from beam shaping to beam splitting. In the framework of coherent potential approximation, an analytical EMT is further developed, with the ability to build a direct connection between the microscopic structure and the macroscopic material properties, which overcomes the requirement of prior knowledge of the field distributions. The derived EMT is valid beyond the long-wavelength limit. Using the EMT, an anisotropic zero-index metamaterial is designed. Moreover, the derived EMT imposes a condition that no scattered wave is generated in the ambient medium, which suggests the input signal cannot detect any object that might exist, making it invisible. Such correspondence between the EMT and the invisibilityinspires us to explore the wave cloaking in the same framework of coherent potential approximation. To further broaden the application realm of EMT, an EMT using the parameter retrieval method is studied in the regimes where the previously-developed EMTs are no longer accurate. Based on this study, in conjunction with the EMT mentioned above, a general scheme to realize coherent perfect absorption (CPA) in anisotropic metamaterials is proposed. As an exciting area in metamaterials, the field of metasurfaces has drawn great attention recently. As an easily attainable device, a grating may be the simplest version of metasurfaces. Here, an analytical EMT for gratings made of cylinders is developed by using the multiple scattering

Generation of a Four-Class Attenuation Map for MRI-Based Attenuation Correction of PET Data in the Head Area Using a Novel Combination of STE/Dixon-MRI and FCM Clustering.

Science.gov (United States)

Khateri, Parisa; Saligheh Rad, Hamidreza; Jafari, Amir Homayoun; Fathi Kazerooni, Anahita; Akbarzadeh, Afshin; Shojae Moghadam, Mohsen; Aryan, Arvin; Ghafarian, Pardis; Ay, Mohammad Reza

2015-12-01

The aim of this study is to generate a four-class magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based attenuation map (μ-map) for attenuation correction of positron emission tomography (PET) data of the head area using a novel combination of short echo time (STE)/Dixon-MRI and a dedicated image segmentation method. MR images of the head area were acquired using STE and two-point Dixon sequences. μ-maps were derived from MRI images based on a fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering method along with morphologic operations. Quantitative assessment was performed to evaluate generated MRI-based μ-maps compared to X-ray computed tomography (CT)-based μ-maps. The voxel-by-voxel comparison of MR-based and CT-based segmentation results yielded an average of more than 95 % for accuracy and specificity in the cortical bone, soft tissue, and air region. MRI-based μ-maps show a high correlation with those derived from CT scans (R (2) > 0.95). Results indicate that STE/Dixon-MRI data in combination with FCM-based segmentation yields precise MR-based μ-maps for PET attenuation correction in hybrid PET/MRI systems.

Anisotropic surface chemistry properties and adsorption behavior of silicate mineral crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Longhua; Tian, Jia; Wu, Houqin; Fang, Shuai; Lu, Zhongyuan; Ma, Caifeng; Sun, Wei; Hu, Yuehua

2018-03-07

Anisotropic surface properties of minerals play an important role in a variety of fields. With a focus on the two most intensively investigated silicate minerals (i.e., phyllosilicate minerals and pegmatite aluminosilicate minerals), this review highlights the research on their anisotropic surface properties based on their crystal structures. Four surface features comprise the anisotropic surface chemistry of minerals: broken bonds, energy, wettability, and charge. Analysis of surface broken bond and energy anisotropy helps to explain the cleavage and growth properties of mineral crystals, and understanding surface wettability and charge anisotropy is critical to the analysis of minerals' solution behavior, such as their flotation performance and rheological properties. In a specific reaction, the anisotropic surface properties of minerals are reflected in the adsorption strengths of reagents on different mineral surfaces. Combined with the knowledge of mineral crushing and grinding, a thorough understanding of the anisotropic surface chemistry properties and the anisotropic adsorption behavior of minerals will lead to the development of effective relational models comprising their crystal structure, surface chemistry properties, and targeted reagent adsorption. Overall, such a comprehensive approach is expected to firmly establish the connection between selective cleavage of mineral crystals for desired surfaces and designing novel reagents selectively adsorbed on the mineral surfaces. As tools to characterize the anisotropic surface chemistry properties of minerals, DLVO theory, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are also reviewed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of anisotropic mechanical properties for aeronautical PMMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Shang

Full Text Available For the properties of polymer are relative to its structure, the main purpose of the present work is to investigate the mechanical properties of the aeronautical PMMA which has been treated by the directional tensile technology. Isodyne images reveal the stress state in directional PMMA. And then, an anisotropic mechanical model is established. Furthermore, all mechanical parameters are measured by the digital image correlation method. Finally, based on the anisotropic mechanical model and mechanical parameters, the FEM numerical simulation and experimental methods are applied to analyze the fracture mechanical properties along different directions.

Cracking on anisotropic neutron stars

Science.gov (United States)

Setiawan, A. M.; Sulaksono, A.

2017-07-01

We study the effect of cracking of a local anisotropic neutron star (NS) due to small density fluctuations. It is assumed that the neutron star core consists of leptons, nucleons and hyperons. The relativistic mean field model is used to describe the core of equation of state (EOS). For the crust, we use the EOS introduced by Miyatsu et al. [1]. Furthermore, two models are used to describe pressure anisotropic in neutron star matter. One is proposed by Doneva-Yazadjiev (DY) [2] and the other is proposed by Herrera-Barreto (HB) [3]. The anisotropic parameter of DY and HB models are adjusted in order the predicted maximum mass compatible to the mass of PSR J1614-2230 [4] and PSR J0348+0432 [5]. We have found that cracking can potentially present in the region close to the neutron star surface. The instability due cracking is quite sensitive to the NS mass and anisotropic parameter used.

Robust preprocessing for stimulus-based functional MRI of the moving fetus.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Wonsang; Evangelou, Iordanis E; Zun, Zungho; Andescavage, Nickie; Limperopoulos, Catherine

2016-04-01

Fetal motion manifests as signal degradation and image artifact in the acquired time series of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. We present a robust preprocessing pipeline to specifically address fetal and placental motion-induced artifacts in stimulus-based fMRI with slowly cycled block design in the living fetus. In the proposed pipeline, motion correction is optimized to the experimental paradigm, and it is performed separately in each phase as well as in each region of interest (ROI), recognizing that each phase and organ experiences different types of motion. To obtain the averaged BOLD signals for each ROI, both misaligned volumes and noisy voxels are automatically detected and excluded, and the missing data are then imputed by statistical estimation based on local polynomial smoothing. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed pipeline was effective in mitigating the motion-induced artifacts in stimulus-based fMRI data of the fetal brain and placenta.

Newton–Hooke-type symmetry of anisotropic oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, P.M.; Horvathy, P.A.; Andrzejewski, K.; Gonera, J.; Kosiński, P.

2013-01-01

Rotation-less Newton–Hooke-type symmetry, found recently in the Hill problem, and instrumental for explaining the center-of-mass decomposition, is generalized to an arbitrary anisotropic oscillator in the plane. Conversely, the latter system is shown, by the orbit method, to be the most general one with such a symmetry. Full Newton–Hooke symmetry is recovered in the isotropic case. Star escape from a galaxy is studied as an application. -- Highlights: ► Rotation-less Newton–Hooke (NH) symmetry is generalized to an arbitrary anisotropic oscillator. ► The orbit method is used to find the most general case for rotation-less NH symmetry. ► The NH symmetry is decomposed into Heisenberg algebras based on chiral decomposition

A Java-based fMRI processing pipeline evaluation system for assessment of univariate general linear model and multivariate canonical variate analysis-based pipelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jing; Liang, Lichen; Anderson, Jon R; Gatewood, Lael; Rottenberg, David A; Strother, Stephen C

2008-01-01

As functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) becomes widely used, the demands for evaluation of fMRI processing pipelines and validation of fMRI analysis results is increasing rapidly. The current NPAIRS package, an IDL-based fMRI processing pipeline evaluation framework, lacks system interoperability and the ability to evaluate general linear model (GLM)-based pipelines using prediction metrics. Thus, it can not fully evaluate fMRI analytical software modules such as FSL.FEAT and NPAIRS.GLM. In order to overcome these limitations, a Java-based fMRI processing pipeline evaluation system was developed. It integrated YALE (a machine learning environment) into Fiswidgets (a fMRI software environment) to obtain system interoperability and applied an algorithm to measure GLM prediction accuracy. The results demonstrated that the system can evaluate fMRI processing pipelines with univariate GLM and multivariate canonical variates analysis (CVA)-based models on real fMRI data based on prediction accuracy (classification accuracy) and statistical parametric image (SPI) reproducibility. In addition, a preliminary study was performed where four fMRI processing pipelines with GLM and CVA modules such as FSL.FEAT and NPAIRS.CVA were evaluated with the system. The results indicated that (1) the system can compare different fMRI processing pipelines with heterogeneous models (NPAIRS.GLM, NPAIRS.CVA and FSL.FEAT) and rank their performance by automatic performance scoring, and (2) the rank of pipeline performance is highly dependent on the preprocessing operations. These results suggest that the system will be of value for the comparison, validation, standardization and optimization of functional neuroimaging software packages and fMRI processing pipelines.

Crystal plasticity-based modeling for predicting anisotropic behaviour and formability of metallic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham, Son; Jeong, Youngung; Creuziger, Adam; Iadicola, Mark; Foecke, Tim; Rollett, Anthony

2016-01-01

Metallic materials often exhibit anisotropic behaviour under complex load paths because of changes in microstructure, e.g., dislocations and crystallographic texture. In this study, we present the development of constitutive model based on dislocations, point defects and texture in order to predict anisotropic response under complex load paths. In detail, dislocation/solute atom interactions were considered to account for strain aging and static recovery. A hardening matrix based on the interaction of dislocations was built to represent the cross-hardening of different slip systems. Clear differentiation between forward and backward slip directions of dislocations was made to describe back stresses during path changes. In addition, we included dynamic recovery in order to better account for large plastic deformation. The model is validated against experimental data for AA5754-O with path changes, e.g., Figure 1 [1] Another effort is to include microstructure in forming predictions with a minimal increase in computational time. This effort enables comprehensive investigations of the influence of texture-induced anisotropy on formability [2]. Application of these improvements to predict forming limits of various BCC textures, such as γ, ρ, α, η and ϵ fibers and a random (R) texture. These simulations demonstrate that the crystallographic texture has significant (both positive and negative) effects on the forming limit diagrams (Figure 2). For example, the y fiber texture, that is often sought through thermo-mechanical processing due to high r-value, had the highest forming limit in the balanced biaxial strain path but the lowest forming limit under the plane strain path among textures under consideration. (paper)

Qualification test of a MPPC-based PET module for future MRI-PET scanners

Science.gov (United States)

Kurei, Y.; Kataoka, J.; Kato, T.; Fujita, T.; Funamoto, H.; Tsujikawa, T.; Yamamoto, S.

2014-11-01

We have developed a high-resolution, compact Positron Emission Tomography (PET) module for future use in MRI-PET scanners. The module consists of large-area, 4×4 ch MPPC arrays (Hamamatsu S11827-3344MG) optically coupled with Ce:LYSO scintillators fabricated into 12×12 matrices of 1×1 mm2 pixels. At this stage, a pair of module and coincidence circuits was assembled into an experimental prototype gantry arranged in a ring of 90 mm in diameter to form the MPPC-based PET system. The PET detector ring was then positioned around the RF coil of the 4.7 T MRI system. We took an image of a point 22Na source under fast spin echo (FSE) and gradient echo (GE), in order to measure interference between the MPPC-based PET and the MRI. We only found a slight degradation in the spatial resolution of the PET image from 1.63 to 1.70 mm (FWHM; x-direction), or 1.48-1.55 mm (FWHM; y-direction) when operating with the MRI, while the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the MRI image was only degraded by 5%. These results encouraged us to develop a more advanced version of the MRI-PET gantry with eight MPPC-based PET modules, whose detailed design and first qualification test are also presented in this paper.

Multi-atlas and label fusion approach for patient-specific MRI based skull estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Torrado-Carvajal, Angel; Herraiz, Joaquin L; Hernandez-Tamames, Juan A; San Jose-Estepar, Raul; Eryaman, Yigitcan; Rozenholc, Yves; Adalsteinsson, Elfar; Wald, Lawrence L; Malpica, Norberto

2016-04-01

MRI-based skull segmentation is a useful procedure for many imaging applications. This study describes a methodology for automatic segmentation of the complete skull from a single T1-weighted volume. The skull is estimated using a multi-atlas segmentation approach. Using a whole head computed tomography (CT) scan database, the skull in a new MRI volume is detected by nonrigid image registration of the volume to every CT, and combination of the individual segmentations by label-fusion. We have compared Majority Voting, Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE), Shape Based Averaging (SBA), and the Selective and Iterative Method for Performance Level Estimation (SIMPLE) algorithms. The pipeline has been evaluated quantitatively using images from the Retrospective Image Registration Evaluation database (reaching an overlap of 72.46 ± 6.99%), a clinical CT-MR dataset (maximum overlap of 78.31 ± 6.97%), and a whole head CT-MRI pair (maximum overlap 78.68%). A qualitative evaluation has also been performed on MRI acquisition of volunteers. It is possible to automatically segment the complete skull from MRI data using a multi-atlas and label fusion approach. This will allow the creation of complete MRI-based tissue models that can be used in electromagnetic dosimetry applications and attenuation correction in PET/MR. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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).

A spatiotemporal-based scheme for efficient registration-based segmentation of thoracic 4-D MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Y; Van Reeth, E; Poh, C L; Tan, C H; Tham, I W K

2014-05-01

Dynamic three-dimensional (3-D) (four-dimensional, 4-D) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is gaining importance in the study of pulmonary motion for respiratory diseases and pulmonary tumor motion for radiotherapy. To perform quantitative analysis using 4-D MR images, segmentation of anatomical structures such as the lung and pulmonary tumor is required. Manual segmentation of entire thoracic 4-D MRI data that typically contains many 3-D volumes acquired over several breathing cycles is extremely tedious, time consuming, and suffers high user variability. This requires the development of new automated segmentation schemes for 4-D MRI data segmentation. Registration-based segmentation technique that uses automatic registration methods for segmentation has been shown to be an accurate method to segment structures for 4-D data series. However, directly applying registration-based segmentation to segment 4-D MRI series lacks efficiency. Here we propose an automated 4-D registration-based segmentation scheme that is based on spatiotemporal information for the segmentation of thoracic 4-D MR lung images. The proposed scheme saved up to 95% of computation amount while achieving comparable accurate segmentations compared to directly applying registration-based segmentation to 4-D dataset. The scheme facilitates rapid 3-D/4-D visualization of the lung and tumor motion and potentially the tracking of tumor during radiation delivery.

Anisotropic Weyl invariance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Nadal, Guillem [Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2017-07-15

We consider a non-relativistic free scalar field theory with a type of anisotropic scale invariance in which the number of coordinates ''scaling like time'' is generically greater than one. We propose the Cartesian product of two curved spaces, the metric of each space being parameterized by the other space, as a notion of curved background to which the theory can be extended. We study this type of geometries, and find a family of extensions of the theory to curved backgrounds in which the anisotropic scale invariance is promoted to a local, Weyl-type symmetry. (orig.)

Hepatocyte Aggregate Formation on Chitin-Based Anisotropic Microstructures of Butterfly Wings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelrahman Elbaz

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Scaffold nanotopography plays the most significant role in the mimicry of the in vivo microenvironment of the hepatocytes. Several attempts have been made to develop methods and substrates suited to growing hepatocytes into aggregates. Functional biomaterials, particularly biodegradable polymers, have been used in several studies aimed to develop improved scaffolds with ordered geometry and nanofibrous architecture for tissue engineering. However, there are still some limitation in their fabrication: it is not cost-efficient, is time-consuming, and exhibits some technological complications. The synthetic scaffolds are usually non-biodegradable and can be non-biocompatible compared to the naturally derived biomaterials. Here, we utilized a simple, cost-effective, and green method with two-step chemical treatment to get more selected hydrophilic butterfly wings from Morpho menelaus, Papilio ulysses telegonus, and Ornithoptera croesus lydius as a chitin-based natural scaffolds to growing hepatocyte aggregates. We established a three-dimensional (3D in vitro model for culture of HepG2 cells and aggregate formation that maintained the hepatocytes function on these natural anisotropic microstructures. Cells cultured on these substrates show higher viability than those cultured on a two-dimensional (2D culture plate. Methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT assay results revealed excellent viability of HepG2 cells on P. u. telegonus wings (fibrous area. The results also demonstrated appropriate cell activity, cell retention, and stable and functional expression in terms of albumin secretion and urea synthesis activity compared to the 2D monolayer culture of hepatocytes on the culture dish surface. With a slightly different degree, the other substrates also shown similar results. We anticipate that these natural anisotropic, biodegradable, and biocompatible substrates can maintain long-term hepatic culture as an in vitro 3D model for potential

Evaluation of an internet-based animated preparatory video for children undergoing non-sedated MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

McGlashan, Hannah L; Dineen, Rob A; Szeszak, Sofia; Whitehouse, William P; Chow, Gabriel; Love, Andrew; Langmack, Gill; Wharrad, Heather

2018-05-10

We evaluate the value of an internet-based educational animated video designed to prepare children for MRI scans, and whether this video reduces scan-related anxiety in children with a neurological disorder, and healthy controls. Participants completed a pre- and post-scan questionnaire evaluating participant online viewing behaviour, understanding of the MRI procedure, anxiety regarding the MRI, impact of animation in preparing the child and whether the child's expectation of the MRI scan matched their experience. 21 children were recruited (12 healthy controls) ranging in age from 6.5 to 11.5 years. The animation was successfully accessed by participants on a range of digital devices and had high levels of approval. Children who viewed the animation had a good understanding of the MRI procedure and low anxiety levels prior to the scan, and reported that their expectations broadly matched the real-life MRI experience. Children reported that the animation positively impacted on their preparation with similar ratings before and after the scan, and the impact on preparation was rated greater by younger children. There were no group differences between healthy children and those with the neurological disorder for ratings of anxiety, impact on preparation and expectation of the experience. This evaluation demonstrates accessibility, acceptability and relevance of internet-based educational animation for typically developing children, and children with a neurodisability aged 6 to 11 years, with positive impact on preparation for MRI. Advances in knowledge: The internet-based educational animation provides a widely accessible tool to support preparation of children for non-sedated MRI.

Analytical Method and Semianalytical Method for Analysis of Scattering by Anisotropic Sphere: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Wan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The history of methods for the electromagnetic scattering by an anisotropic sphere has been reviewed. Two main methods, angular expansion method and T-matrix method, which are widely used for the anisotropic sphere, are expressed in Cartesian coordinate firstly. The comparison of those and the further exploration on the scattering field are illustrated afterwards. Based on the most general form concluded by variable separation method, the coupled electric field and magnetic field of radial anisotropic sphere can be derived. By simplifying the condition, simpler case of uniaxial anisotropic media is expressed with confirmed coefficients for the internal and external field. Details of significant phenomenon are presented.

Citrus Quality Control: An NMR/MRI Problem-Based Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Erhart, Sarah E.; McCarrick, Robert M.; Lorigan, Gary A.; Yezierski, Ellen J.

2016-01-01

An experiment seated in an industrial context can provide an engaging framework and unique learning opportunity for an upper-division physical chemistry laboratory. An experiment that teaches NMR/MRI through a problem-based quality control of citrus products was developed. In this experiment, using a problem-based learning (PBL) approach, students…

Comparison of SPECT/CT, MRI and CT in diagnosis of skull base bone invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shu-xu; Han, Peng-hui; Zhang, Guo-qian; Wang, Rui-hao; Ge, Yong-bin; Ren, Zhi-gang; Li, Jian-sheng; Fu, Wen-hai

2014-01-01

Early detection of skull base invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is crucial for correct staging, assessing treatment response and contouring the tumor target in radiotherapy planning, as well as improving the patient's prognosis. To compare the diagnostic efficacy of single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) for the detection of skull base invasion in NPC. Sixty untreated patients with histologically proven NPC underwent SPECT/CT imaging, contrast-enhanced MRI and CT. Of the 60 patients, 30 had skull base invasion confirmed by the final results of contrast-enhanced MRI, CT and six-month follow-up imaging (MRI and CT). The diagnostic efficacy of the three imaging modalities in detecting skull base invasion was evaluated. The rates of positive findings of skull base invasion for SPECT/CT, MRI and CT were 53.3%, 48.3% and 33.3%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 93.3%, 86.7% and 90.0% for SPECT/CT fusion imaging, 96.7%, 100.0% and 98.3% for contrast-enhanced MRI, and 66.7%, 100.0% and 83.3% for contrast-enhanced CT. MRI showed the best performance for the diagnosis of skull base invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, followed closely by SPECT/CT. SPECT/CT had poorer specificity than that of both MRI and CT, while CT had the lowest sensitivity.

MRI Volume Fusion Based on 3D Shearlet Decompositions.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Chang; Wang, Shuai; Wang, Xue Gang; Huang, Qi Hong

2014-01-01

Nowadays many MRI scans can give 3D volume data with different contrasts, but the observers may want to view various contrasts in the same 3D volume. The conventional 2D medical fusion methods can only fuse the 3D volume data layer by layer, which may lead to the loss of interframe correlative information. In this paper, a novel 3D medical volume fusion method based on 3D band limited shearlet transform (3D BLST) is proposed. And this method is evaluated upon MRI T2* and quantitative susceptibility mapping data of 4 human brains. Both the perspective impression and the quality indices indicate that the proposed method has a better performance than conventional 2D wavelet, DT CWT, and 3D wavelet, DT CWT based fusion methods.

MRI Volume Fusion Based on 3D Shearlet Decompositions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chang Duan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays many MRI scans can give 3D volume data with different contrasts, but the observers may want to view various contrasts in the same 3D volume. The conventional 2D medical fusion methods can only fuse the 3D volume data layer by layer, which may lead to the loss of interframe correlative information. In this paper, a novel 3D medical volume fusion method based on 3D band limited shearlet transform (3D BLST is proposed. And this method is evaluated upon MRI T2* and quantitative susceptibility mapping data of 4 human brains. Both the perspective impression and the quality indices indicate that the proposed method has a better performance than conventional 2D wavelet, DT CWT, and 3D wavelet, DT CWT based fusion methods.

Ultra-wideband reflective polarization converter based on anisotropic metasurface

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jia-Liang; Lin, Bao-Qin; Da, Xin-Yu

2016-08-01

In this paper, we propose an ultra-wideband reflective linear cross-polarization converter based on anisotropic metasurface. Its unit cell is composed of a square-shaped resonator with intersectant diagonal and metallic ground sheet separated by dielectric substrate. Simulated results show that the converter can generate resonances at four frequencies under normal incident electromagnetic (EM) wave, leading to the bandwidth expansion of cross-polarization reflection. For verification, the designed polarization converter is fabricated and measured. The measured and simulated results agree well with each other, showing that the fabricated converter can convert x- or y-polarized incident wave into its cross polarized wave in a frequency range from 7.57 GHz to 20.46 GHz with a relative bandwidth of 91.2%, and the polarization conversion efficiency is greater than 90%. The proposed polarization converter has a simple geometry but an ultra wideband compared with the published designs, and hence possesses potential applications in novel polarization-control devices. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61471387, 61271250, and 61571460).

Continuum mechanics of anisotropic materials

CERN Document Server

Cowin, Stephen C

2013-01-01

Continuum Mechanics of Anisotropic Materials(CMAM) presents an entirely new and unique development of material anisotropy in the context of an appropriate selection and organization of continuum mechanics topics. These features will distinguish this continuum mechanics book from other books on this subject. Textbooks on continuum mechanics are widely employed in engineering education, however, none of them deal specifically with anisotropy in materials. For the audience of Biomedical, Chemical and Civil Engineering students, these materials will be dealt with more frequently and greater accuracy in their analysis will be desired. Continuum Mechanics of Anisotropic Materials' author has been a leader in the field of developing new approaches for the understanding of anisotropic materials.

Dynamics of anisotropic tissue growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bittig, Thomas; Juelicher, Frank [Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Noethnitzer Strasse 38, 01187 Dresden (Germany); Wartlick, Ortrud; Kicheva, Anna; Gonzalez-Gaitan, Marcos [Department of Biochemistry and Department of Molecular Biology, Geneva University, Sciences II, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva 4 (Switzerland)], E-mail: Marcos.Gonzalez@biochem.unige.ch, E-mail: julicher@pks.mpg.de

2008-06-15

We study the mechanics of tissue growth via cell division and cell death (apoptosis). The rearrangements of cells can on large scales and times be captured by a continuum theory which describes the tissue as an effective viscous material with active stresses generated by cell division. We study the effects of anisotropies of cell division on cell rearrangements and show that average cellular trajectories exhibit anisotropic scaling behaviors. If cell division and apoptosis balance, there is no net growth, but for anisotropic cell division the tissue undergoes spontaneous shear deformations. Our description is relevant for the study of developing tissues such as the imaginal disks of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, which grow anisotropically.

Estimation of trabecular bone parameters in children from multisequence MRI using texture-based regression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lekadir, Karim, E-mail: karim.lekadir@upf.edu; Hoogendoorn, Corné [Center for Computational Imaging and Simulation Technologies in Biomedicine, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08018 (Spain); Armitage, Paul [The Academic Unit of Radiology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2JF (United Kingdom); Whitby, Elspeth [The Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2SF (United Kingdom); King, David [The Academic Unit of Child Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TH (United Kingdom); Dimitri, Paul [The Mellanby Centre for Bone Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX (United Kingdom); Frangi, Alejandro F. [Center for Computational Imaging and Simulation Technologies in Biomedicine, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

Purpose: This paper presents a statistical approach for the prediction of trabecular bone parameters from low-resolution multisequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children, thus addressing the limitations of high-resolution modalities such as HR-pQCT, including the significant exposure of young patients to radiation and the limited applicability of such modalities to peripheral bones in vivo. Methods: A statistical predictive model is constructed from a database of MRI and HR-pQCT datasets, to relate the low-resolution MRI appearance in the cancellous bone to the trabecular parameters extracted from the high-resolution images. The description of the MRI appearance is achieved between subjects by using a collection of feature descriptors, which describe the texture properties inside the cancellous bone, and which are invariant to the geometry and size of the trabecular areas. The predictive model is built by fitting to the training data a nonlinear partial least square regression between the input MRI features and the output trabecular parameters. Results: Detailed validation based on a sample of 96 datasets shows correlations >0.7 between the trabecular parameters predicted from low-resolution multisequence MRI based on the proposed statistical model and the values extracted from high-resolution HRp-QCT. Conclusions: The obtained results indicate the promise of the proposed predictive technique for the estimation of trabecular parameters in children from multisequence MRI, thus reducing the need for high-resolution radiation-based scans for a fragile population that is under development and growth.

Characterization of Anisotropic Behavior for High Grade Pipes

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Kun; Huo, Chunyong; Ji, Lingkang; Li, Yang; Zhang, Jiming; Ma, Qiurong

With the developing requirement of nature gas, the property needs of steel for pipe line are higher and higher, especially in strength and toughness. It is necessary to improve the steel grade in order to ensure economic demand and safety. However, with the rise of steel grade, the differences on properties in different orientations (anisotropic behaviors) become more and more obvious after the process of hot rolling, which may affect the prediction of fracture for the pipes seriously (Thinking of isotropic mechanical properties for material in traditional predict way). In order to get the reason for anisotropic mechanics, a series of tests are carried out for high grade steel pipes, including not only mechanical properties but also microstructures. Result indicates that there are obviously anisotropic behaviors for high grade steel pipes in two orientations (rolling orientation and transverse orientation). Strength is better in T orientation because Rm is higher and Rt 0.5 rises more in T orientation, and toughness is better in L orientation because of the higher Akv and SA in L orientation under a same temperature. Banded structures are formed in T orientation, and the spatial distribution of inclusion and precipitated phases are different in T, L and S orientation. The anisotropic arrangement for the matrix in space (banded structures), which is formed after the process of hot rolling, may affect the mechanical properties in different orientation. Moreover, the elasticity modulus of particles is different from the elasticity modulus of matrix, deformation between particles and matrix may cause stress concentration, and damage forms in this place. Because of the different distribution of particles in space, the level of damage is anisotropic in different orientations, and the anisotropic mechanical properties occur finally. Therefore, the anisotropic mechanical properties are determined by the anisotropic microstructures, both the anisotropic of matrix and the

A Versatile Software Package for Inter-subject Correlation Based Analyses of fMRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jukka-Pekka eKauppi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the inter-subject correlation (ISC based analysis of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI data, the extent of shared processing across subjects during the experiment is determined by calculating correlation coefficients between the fMRI time series of the subjects in the corresponding brain locations. This implies that ISC can be used to analyze fMRI data without explicitly modelling the stimulus and thus ISC is a potential method to analyze fMRI data acquired under complex naturalistic stimuli. Despite of the suitability of ISC based approach to analyze complex fMRI data, no generic software tools have been made available for this purpose, limiting a widespread use of ISC based analysis techniques among neuroimaging community. In this paper, we present a graphical user interface (GUI based software package, ISC Toolbox, implemented in Matlab for computing various ISC based analyses. Many advanced computations such as comparison of ISCs between different stimuli, time window ISC, and inter-subject phase synchronization are supported by the toolbox. The analyses are coupled with re-sampling based statistical inference. The ISC based analyses are data and computation intensive and the ISC toolbox is equipped with mechanisms to execute the parallel computations in a cluster environment automatically and with an automatic detection of the cluster environment in use. Currently, SGE-based (Oracle Grid Engine, Son of a Grid Engine or Open Grid Scheduler and Slurm environments are supported. In this paper, we present a detailed account on the methods behind the ISC Toolbox, the implementation of the toolbox and demonstrate the possible use of the toolbox by summarizing selected example applications. We also report the computation time experiments both using a single desktop computer and two grid environments demonstrating that parallelization effectively reduces the computing time. The ISC Toolbox is available in https://code.google.com/p/isc-toolbox/.

A versatile software package for inter-subject correlation based analyses of fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Kauppi, Jukka-Pekka; Pajula, Juha; Tohka, Jussi

2014-01-01

In the inter-subject correlation (ISC) based analysis of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, the extent of shared processing across subjects during the experiment is determined by calculating correlation coefficients between the fMRI time series of the subjects in the corresponding brain locations. This implies that ISC can be used to analyze fMRI data without explicitly modeling the stimulus and thus ISC is a potential method to analyze fMRI data acquired under complex naturalistic stimuli. Despite of the suitability of ISC based approach to analyze complex fMRI data, no generic software tools have been made available for this purpose, limiting a widespread use of ISC based analysis techniques among neuroimaging community. In this paper, we present a graphical user interface (GUI) based software package, ISC Toolbox, implemented in Matlab for computing various ISC based analyses. Many advanced computations such as comparison of ISCs between different stimuli, time window ISC, and inter-subject phase synchronization are supported by the toolbox. The analyses are coupled with re-sampling based statistical inference. The ISC based analyses are data and computation intensive and the ISC toolbox is equipped with mechanisms to execute the parallel computations in a cluster environment automatically and with an automatic detection of the cluster environment in use. Currently, SGE-based (Oracle Grid Engine, Son of a Grid Engine, or Open Grid Scheduler) and Slurm environments are supported. In this paper, we present a detailed account on the methods behind the ISC Toolbox, the implementation of the toolbox and demonstrate the possible use of the toolbox by summarizing selected example applications. We also report the computation time experiments both using a single desktop computer and two grid environments demonstrating that parallelization effectively reduces the computing time. The ISC Toolbox is available in https://code.google.com/p/isc-toolbox/

Finite-volume scheme for anisotropic diffusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Es, Bram van, E-mail: bramiozo@gmail.com [Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, P.O. Box 94079, 1090GB Amsterdam (Netherlands); FOM Institute DIFFER, Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research, The Netherlands" 1 (Netherlands); Koren, Barry [Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands); Blank, Hugo J. de [FOM Institute DIFFER, Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research, The Netherlands" 1 (Netherlands)

2016-02-01

In this paper, we apply a special finite-volume scheme, limited to smooth temperature distributions and Cartesian grids, to test the importance of connectivity of the finite volumes. The area of application is nuclear fusion plasma with field line aligned temperature gradients and extreme anisotropy. We apply the scheme to the anisotropic heat-conduction equation, and compare its results with those of existing finite-volume schemes for anisotropic diffusion. Also, we introduce a general model adaptation of the steady diffusion equation for extremely anisotropic diffusion problems with closed field lines.

Analysis of an aggregation-based algebraic two-grid method for a rotated anisotropic diffusion problem

KAUST Repository

Chen, Meng-Huo; Greenbaum, Anne

2015-01-01

Summary: A two-grid convergence analysis based on the paper [Algebraic analysis of aggregation-based multigrid, by A. Napov and Y. Notay, Numer. Lin. Alg. Appl. 18 (2011), pp. 539-564] is derived for various aggregation schemes applied to a finite element discretization of a rotated anisotropic diffusion equation. As expected, it is shown that the best aggregation scheme is one in which aggregates are aligned with the anisotropy. In practice, however, this is not what automatic aggregation procedures do. We suggest approaches for determining appropriate aggregates based on eigenvectors associated with small eigenvalues of a block splitting matrix or based on minimizing a quantity related to the spectral radius of the iteration matrix. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Analysis of an aggregation-based algebraic two-grid method for a rotated anisotropic diffusion problem

KAUST Repository

Chen, Meng-Huo

2015-03-18

Summary: A two-grid convergence analysis based on the paper [Algebraic analysis of aggregation-based multigrid, by A. Napov and Y. Notay, Numer. Lin. Alg. Appl. 18 (2011), pp. 539-564] is derived for various aggregation schemes applied to a finite element discretization of a rotated anisotropic diffusion equation. As expected, it is shown that the best aggregation scheme is one in which aggregates are aligned with the anisotropy. In practice, however, this is not what automatic aggregation procedures do. We suggest approaches for determining appropriate aggregates based on eigenvectors associated with small eigenvalues of a block splitting matrix or based on minimizing a quantity related to the spectral radius of the iteration matrix. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tungsten based anisotropic metamaterial as an ultra-broadband absorber

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lin, Yinyue; Cui, Yanxia; Ding, Fei

2017-01-01

: We show theoretically that an array of tungsten/germanium anisotropic nano-cones placed on top of a reflective substrate can absorb light at the wavelength range from 0.3 μm to 9 μm with an average absorption efficiency approaching 98%. It is found that the excitation of multiple orders of slow...... of the nano-cones and the interaction between neighboring nano-cones is quite weak. Our proposal has some potential applications in the areas of solar energy harvesting and thermal emitters....

Buckling Analysis for Stiffened Anisotropic Circular Cylinders Based on Sanders Nonlinear Shell Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Nemeth, Michael P.

2014-01-01

Nonlinear and bifurcation buckling equations for elastic, stiffened, geometrically perfect, right-circular cylindrical, anisotropic shells subjected to combined loads are presented that are based on Sanders' shell theory. Based on these equations, a three-parameter approximate Rayleigh-Ritz solution and a classical solution to the buckling problem are presented for cylinders with simply supported edges. Extensive comparisons of results obtained from these solutions with published results are also presented for a wide range of cylinder constructions. These comparisons include laminated-composite cylinders with a wide variety of shell-wall orthotropies and anisotropies. Numerous results are also given that show the discrepancies between the results obtained by using Donnell's equations and variants of Sanders' equations. For some cases, nondimensional parameters are identified and "master" curves are presented that facilitate the concise representation of results.

Probabilistic atlas-based segmentation of combined T1-weighted and DUTE MRI for calculation of head attenuation maps in integrated PET/MRI scanners.

Science.gov (United States)

Poynton, Clare B; Chen, Kevin T; Chonde, Daniel B; Izquierdo-Garcia, David; Gollub, Randy L; Gerstner, Elizabeth R; Batchelor, Tracy T; Catana, Ciprian

2014-01-01

We present a new MRI-based attenuation correction (AC) approach for integrated PET/MRI systems that combines both segmentation- and atlas-based methods by incorporating dual-echo ultra-short echo-time (DUTE) and T1-weighted (T1w) MRI data and a probabilistic atlas. Segmented atlases were constructed from CT training data using a leave-one-out framework and combined with T1w, DUTE, and CT data to train a classifier that computes the probability of air/soft tissue/bone at each voxel. This classifier was applied to segment the MRI of the subject of interest and attenuation maps (μ-maps) were generated by assigning specific linear attenuation coefficients (LACs) to each tissue class. The μ-maps generated with this "Atlas-T1w-DUTE" approach were compared to those obtained from DUTE data using a previously proposed method. For validation of the segmentation results, segmented CT μ-maps were considered to the "silver standard"; the segmentation accuracy was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively through calculation of the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). Relative change (RC) maps between the CT and MRI-based attenuation corrected PET volumes were also calculated for a global voxel-wise assessment of the reconstruction results. The μ-maps obtained using the Atlas-T1w-DUTE classifier agreed well with those derived from CT; the mean DSCs for the Atlas-T1w-DUTE-based μ-maps across all subjects were higher than those for DUTE-based μ-maps; the atlas-based μ-maps also showed a lower percentage of misclassified voxels across all subjects. RC maps from the atlas-based technique also demonstrated improvement in the PET data compared to the DUTE method, both globally as well as regionally.

Modeling and experimental investigations of Lamb waves focusing in anisotropic plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapuis, Bastien; Terrien, Nicolas; Royer, Daniel

2011-01-01

The phenomenon of Lamb waves focusing in anisotropic plates is theoretically and experimentally investigated. An analysis based on a far field approximation of the Green's function shows that Lamb waves focusing is analog to the phonon focusing effect. In highly anisotropic structures like composite plates the focusing of A 0 and S 0 mode is strong; the energy propagates preferentially in the fibre directions, which are minima of the slowness. This has to be taken into account when developing, for example, a transducer array for structural health monitoring systems based on Lamb waves in order to avoid dead zones.

Anisotropic elliptic optical fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Soon Ahm

1991-05-01

The exact characteristic equation for an anisotropic elliptic optical fiber is obtained for odd and even hybrid modes in terms of infinite determinants utilizing Mathieu and modified Mathieu functions. A simplified characteristic equation is obtained by applying the weakly guiding approximation such that the difference in the refractive indices of the core and the cladding is small. The simplified characteristic equation is used to compute the normalized guide wavelength for an elliptical fiber. When the anisotropic parameter is equal to unity, the results are compared with the previous research and they are in close agreement. For a fixed value normalized cross-section area or major axis, the normalized guide wavelength lambda/lambda(sub 0) for an anisotropic elliptic fiber is small for the larger value of anisotropy. This condition indicates that more energy is carried inside of the fiber. However, the geometry and anisotropy of the fiber have a smaller effect when the normalized cross-section area is very small or very large.

TH-CD-206-09: Learning-Based MRI-CT Prostate Registration Using Spare Patch-Deformation Dictionary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, X; Jani, A; Rossi, P; Mao, H; Curran, W; Liu, T

2016-01-01

Purpose: To enable MRI-guided prostate radiotherapy, MRI-CT deformable registration is required to map the MRI-defined tumor and key organ contours onto the CT images. Due to the intrinsic differences in grey-level intensity characteristics between MRI and CT images, the integration of MRI into CT-based radiotherapy is very challenging. We are developing a learning-based registration approach to address this technical challenge. Methods: We propose to estimate the deformation between MRI and CT images in a patch-wise fashion by using the sparse representation technique. Specifically, we assume that two image patches should follow the same deformation if their patch-wise appearance patterns are similar. We first extract a set of key points in the new CT image. Then, for each key point, we adaptively construct a coupled dictionary from the training MRI-CT images, where each coupled element includes both appearance and deformation of the same image patch. After calculating the sparse coefficients in representing the patch appearance of each key point based on the constructed dictionary, we can predict the deformation for this point by applying the same sparse coefficients to the respective deformations in the dictionary. Results: This registration technique was validated with 10 prostate-cancer patients’ data and its performance was compared with the commonly used free-form-deformation-based registration. Several landmarks in both images were identified to evaluate the accuracy of our approach. Overall, the averaged target registration error of the intensity-based registration and the proposed method was 3.8±0.4 mm and 1.9±0.3 mm, respectively. Conclusion: We have developed a novel prostate MR-CT registration approach based on patch-deformation dictionary, demonstrated its clinical feasibility, and validated its accuracy. This technique will either reduce or compensate for the effect of patient-specific treatment variation measured during the course of

TH-CD-206-09: Learning-Based MRI-CT Prostate Registration Using Spare Patch-Deformation Dictionary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, X; Jani, A; Rossi, P; Mao, H; Curran, W; Liu, T [Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To enable MRI-guided prostate radiotherapy, MRI-CT deformable registration is required to map the MRI-defined tumor and key organ contours onto the CT images. Due to the intrinsic differences in grey-level intensity characteristics between MRI and CT images, the integration of MRI into CT-based radiotherapy is very challenging. We are developing a learning-based registration approach to address this technical challenge. Methods: We propose to estimate the deformation between MRI and CT images in a patch-wise fashion by using the sparse representation technique. Specifically, we assume that two image patches should follow the same deformation if their patch-wise appearance patterns are similar. We first extract a set of key points in the new CT image. Then, for each key point, we adaptively construct a coupled dictionary from the training MRI-CT images, where each coupled element includes both appearance and deformation of the same image patch. After calculating the sparse coefficients in representing the patch appearance of each key point based on the constructed dictionary, we can predict the deformation for this point by applying the same sparse coefficients to the respective deformations in the dictionary. Results: This registration technique was validated with 10 prostate-cancer patients’ data and its performance was compared with the commonly used free-form-deformation-based registration. Several landmarks in both images were identified to evaluate the accuracy of our approach. Overall, the averaged target registration error of the intensity-based registration and the proposed method was 3.8±0.4 mm and 1.9±0.3 mm, respectively. Conclusion: We have developed a novel prostate MR-CT registration approach based on patch-deformation dictionary, demonstrated its clinical feasibility, and validated its accuracy. This technique will either reduce or compensate for the effect of patient-specific treatment variation measured during the course of

Simulation of spatiotemporal CT data sets using a 4D MRI-based lung motion model.

Science.gov (United States)

Marx, Mirko; Ehrhardt, Jan; Werner, René; Schlemmer, Heinz-Peter; Handels, Heinz

2014-05-01

Four-dimensional CT imaging is widely used to account for motion-related effects during radiotherapy planning of lung cancer patients. However, 4D CT often contains motion artifacts, cannot be used to measure motion variability, and leads to higher dose exposure. In this article, we propose using 4D MRI to acquire motion information for the radiotherapy planning process. From the 4D MRI images, we derive a time-continuous model of the average patient-specific respiratory motion, which is then applied to simulate 4D CT data based on a static 3D CT. The idea of the motion model is to represent the average lung motion over a respiratory cycle by cyclic B-spline curves. The model generation consists of motion field estimation in the 4D MRI data by nonlinear registration, assigning respiratory phases to the motion fields, and applying a B-spline approximation on a voxel-by-voxel basis to describe the average voxel motion over a breathing cycle. To simulate a patient-specific 4D CT based on a static CT of the patient, a multi-modal registration strategy is introduced to transfer the motion model from MRI to the static CT coordinates. Differences between model-based estimated and measured motion vectors are on average 1.39 mm for amplitude-based binning of the 4D MRI data of three patients. In addition, the MRI-to-CT registration strategy is shown to be suitable for the model transformation. The application of our 4D MRI-based motion model for simulating 4D CT images provides advantages over standard 4D CT (less motion artifacts, radiation-free). This makes it interesting for radiotherapy planning.

3-D waveform tomography sensitivity kernels for anisotropic media

KAUST Repository

Djebbi, Ramzi

2014-01-01

The complications in anisotropic multi-parameter inversion lie in the trade-off between the different anisotropy parameters. We compute the tomographic waveform sensitivity kernels for a VTI acoustic medium perturbation as a tool to investigate this ambiguity between the different parameters. We use dynamic ray tracing to efficiently handle the expensive computational cost for 3-D anisotropic models. Ray tracing provides also the ray direction information necessary for conditioning the sensitivity kernels to handle anisotropy. The NMO velocity and η parameter kernels showed a maximum sensitivity for diving waves which results in a relevant choice of those parameters in wave equation tomography. The δ parameter kernel showed zero sensitivity; therefore it can serve as a secondary parameter to fit the amplitude in the acoustic anisotropic inversion. Considering the limited penetration depth of diving waves, migration velocity analysis based kernels are introduced to fix the depth ambiguity with reflections and compute sensitivity maps in the deeper parts of the model.

Detection of Human Impacts by an Adaptive Energy-Based Anisotropic Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Prado-Velasco

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Boosted by health consequences and the cost of falls in the elderly, this work develops and tests a novel algorithm and methodology to detect human impacts that will act as triggers of a two-layer fall monitor. The two main requirements demanded by socio-healthcare providers—unobtrusiveness and reliability—defined the objectives of the research. We have demonstrated that a very agile, adaptive, and energy-based anisotropic algorithm can provide 100% sensitivity and 78% specificity, in the task of detecting impacts under demanding laboratory conditions. The algorithm works together with an unsupervised real-time learning technique that addresses the adaptive capability, and this is also presented. The work demonstrates the robustness and reliability of our new algorithm, which will be the basis of a smart falling monitor. This is shown in this work to underline the relevance of the results.

Views on the Anisotropic Nature of Ilva Valley Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GABRIELA-ALINA MUREŞAN

2012-01-01

Full Text Available There are two concepts important for the authors of this article: anisotropic region and anisotropic space. Anisotropic region is defined by A. Dauphiné, the geographer (-mathematician, as a territorial unit whose structure results from the organisation of space along one or more axes. From the point of view of a territorial system, this type of region has some characteristics which differentiate it both from the homogeneous region and from the polarised one. These specificities have been analysed for Ilva Valley. The region of Ilva Valley is formed along the morphological axis represented by the Ilva River. The aim is to identify these specificities or their absence within this region. In this way we can determine whether this region is an anisotropic one or just an anisotropic space, namely whether it can be considered as evolving towards an anisotropic region, not yet complying with all characteristics of anisotropic regions.

Effective medium theory for anisotropic metamaterials

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiujuan

2015-01-20

Materials with anisotropic material parameters can be utilized to fabricate many fascinating devices, such as hyperlenses, metasolids, and one-way waveguides. In this study, we analyze the effects of geometric anisotropy on a two-dimensional metamaterial composed of a rectangular array of elliptic cylinders and derive an effective medium theory for such a metamaterial. We find that it is possible to obtain a closed-form analytical solution for the anisotropic effective medium parameters, provided the aspect ratio of the lattice and the eccentricity of the elliptic cylinder satisfy certain conditions. The derived effective medium theory not only recovers the well-known Maxwell-Garnett results in the quasi-static regime, but is also valid beyond the long-wavelength limit, where the wavelength in the host medium is comparable to the size of the lattice so that previous anisotropic effective medium theories fail. Such an advance greatly broadens the applicable realm of the effective medium theory and introduces many possibilities in the design of structures with desired anisotropic material characteristics. A real sample of a recently theoretically proposed anisotropic medium, with a near-zero index to control the flux, is achieved using the derived effective medium theory, and control of the electromagnetic waves in the sample is clearly demonstrated.

Characterization of highly anisotropic three-dimensionally nanostructured surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, Daniel

2014-01-01

Generalized ellipsometry, a non-destructive optical characterization technique, is employed to determine geometrical structure parameters and anisotropic dielectric properties of highly spatially coherent three-dimensionally nanostructured thin films grown by glancing angle deposition. The (piecewise) homogeneous biaxial layer model approach is discussed, which can be universally applied to model the optical response of sculptured thin films with different geometries and from diverse materials, and structural parameters as well as effective optical properties of the nanostructured thin films are obtained. Alternative model approaches for slanted columnar thin films, anisotropic effective medium approximations based on the Bruggeman formalism, are presented, which deliver results comparable to the homogeneous biaxial layer approach and in addition provide film constituent volume fraction parameters as well as depolarization or shape factors. Advantages of these ellipsometry models are discussed on the example of metal slanted columnar thin films, which have been conformally coated with a thin passivating oxide layer by atomic layer deposition. Furthermore, the application of an effective medium approximation approach to in-situ growth monitoring of this anisotropic thin film functionalization process is presented. It was found that structural parameters determined with the presented optical model equivalents for slanted columnar thin films agree very well with scanning electron microscope image estimates. - Highlights: • Summary of optical model strategies for sculptured thin films with arbitrary geometries • Application of the rigorous anisotropic Bruggeman effective medium applications • In-situ growth monitoring of atomic layer deposition on biaxial metal slanted columnar thin film

Large-scale transmission-type multifunctional anisotropic coding metasurfaces in millimeter-wave frequencies

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Tie Jun; Wu, Rui Yuan; Wu, Wei; Shi, Chuan Bo; Li, Yun Bo

2017-10-01

We propose fast and accurate designs to large-scale and low-profile transmission-type anisotropic coding metasurfaces with multiple functions in the millimeter-wave frequencies based on the antenna-array method. The numerical simulation of an anisotropic coding metasurface with the size of 30λ × 30λ by the proposed method takes only 20 min, which however cannot be realized by commercial software due to huge memory usage in personal computers. To inspect the performance of coding metasurfaces in the millimeter-wave band, the working frequency is chosen as 60 GHz. Based on the convolution operations and holographic theory, the proposed multifunctional anisotropic coding metasurface exhibits different effects excited by y-polarized and x-polarized incidences. This study extends the frequency range of coding metasurfaces, filling the gap between microwave and terahertz bands, and implying promising applications in millimeter-wave communication and imaging.

Osteochondroma of the skull base: MRI and histological correlation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, K.; Kodera, T.; Kitai, R.; Kubota, T.

1996-01-01

A skull base osteochondroma (benign exostosis) in a 38-year-old man is reported. MRI was not only very useful for determining the extent of the tumour, but also showed its far content and, on contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed images, its vascularity. (orig.)

A numerical homogenization method for heterogeneous, anisotropic elastic media based on multiscale theory

KAUST Repository

Gao, Kai

2015-06-05

The development of reliable methods for upscaling fine-scale models of elastic media has long been an important topic for rock physics and applied seismology. Several effective medium theories have been developed to provide elastic parameters for materials such as finely layered media or randomly oriented or aligned fractures. In such cases, the analytic solutions for upscaled properties can be used for accurate prediction of wave propagation. However, such theories cannot be applied directly to homogenize elastic media with more complex, arbitrary spatial heterogeneity. Therefore, we have proposed a numerical homogenization algorithm based on multiscale finite-element methods for simulating elastic wave propagation in heterogeneous, anisotropic elastic media. Specifically, our method used multiscale basis functions obtained from a local linear elasticity problem with appropriately defined boundary conditions. Homogenized, effective medium parameters were then computed using these basis functions, and the approach applied a numerical discretization that was similar to the rotated staggered-grid finite-difference scheme. Comparisons of the results from our method and from conventional, analytical approaches for finely layered media showed that the homogenization reliably estimated elastic parameters for this simple geometry. Additional tests examined anisotropic models with arbitrary spatial heterogeneity in which the average size of the heterogeneities ranged from several centimeters to several meters, and the ratio between the dominant wavelength and the average size of the arbitrary heterogeneities ranged from 10 to 100. Comparisons to finite-difference simulations proved that the numerical homogenization was equally accurate for these complex cases.

Finite frequency traveltime sensitivity kernels for acoustic anisotropic media: Angle dependent bananas

KAUST Repository

Djebbi, Ramzi

2013-08-19

Anisotropy is an inherent character of the Earth subsurface. It should be considered for modeling and inversion. The acoustic VTI wave equation approximates the wave behavior in anisotropic media, and especially it\\'s kinematic characteristics. To analyze which parts of the model would affect the traveltime for anisotropic traveltime inversion methods, especially for wave equation tomography (WET), we drive the sensitivity kernels for anisotropic media using the VTI acoustic wave equation. A Born scattering approximation is first derived using the Fourier domain acoustic wave equation as a function of perturbations in three anisotropy parameters. Using the instantaneous traveltime, which unwraps the phase, we compute the kernels. These kernels resemble those for isotropic media, with the η kernel directionally dependent. They also have a maximum sensitivity along the geometrical ray, which is more realistic compared to the cross-correlation based kernels. Focusing on diving waves, which is used more often, especially recently in waveform inversion, we show sensitivity kernels in anisotropic media for this case.

Radiation of planar electromagnetic waves by a line source in anisotropic metamaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Qiang; Jiang Weixiang; Cui Tiejun

2010-01-01

We show experimentally that a line source in an anisotropic metamaterial directly radiates planar electromagnetic waves instead of cylindrical waves, when one component of the permeability tensor approaches zero. The impedance of this material can be perfectly matched to that of free space, which can significantly reduce the reflections between the source and the superstrate, as in traditional highly directive antennas based on zero index metamaterials. Such a unique property determines the two-way propagation of electromagnetic waves excited by a line source, instead of all-way propagation. From this feature, a highly directive emission of electromagnetic waves is achieved using the anisotropic metamaterial with arbitrary shape. We have designed and fabricated the anisotropic metamaterial in the microwave region, and observed the generation of plane waves and their highly directive emission. The proposed plane-wave emission is independent of the shape variance of the anisotropic metamaterial, which can be utilized in the design of conformal antennas.

Finite frequency traveltime sensitivity kernels for acoustic anisotropic media: Angle dependent bananas

KAUST Repository

Djebbi, Ramzi; Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2013-01-01

Anisotropy is an inherent character of the Earth subsurface. It should be considered for modeling and inversion. The acoustic VTI wave equation approximates the wave behavior in anisotropic media, and especially it's kinematic characteristics. To analyze which parts of the model would affect the traveltime for anisotropic traveltime inversion methods, especially for wave equation tomography (WET), we drive the sensitivity kernels for anisotropic media using the VTI acoustic wave equation. A Born scattering approximation is first derived using the Fourier domain acoustic wave equation as a function of perturbations in three anisotropy parameters. Using the instantaneous traveltime, which unwraps the phase, we compute the kernels. These kernels resemble those for isotropic media, with the η kernel directionally dependent. They also have a maximum sensitivity along the geometrical ray, which is more realistic compared to the cross-correlation based kernels. Focusing on diving waves, which is used more often, especially recently in waveform inversion, we show sensitivity kernels in anisotropic media for this case.

A voxel-based investigation for MRI-only radiotherapy of the brain using ultra short echo times

Science.gov (United States)

Edmund, Jens M.; Kjer, Hans M.; Van Leemput, Koen; Hansen, Rasmus H.; Andersen, Jon AL; Andreasen, Daniel

2014-12-01

Radiotherapy (RT) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the only modality, so-called MRI-only RT, would remove the systematic registration error between MR and computed tomography (CT), and provide co-registered MRI for assessment of treatment response and adaptive RT. Electron densities, however, need to be assigned to the MRI images for dose calculation and patient setup based on digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs). Here, we investigate the geometric and dosimetric performance for a number of popular voxel-based methods to generate a so-called pseudo CT (pCT). Five patients receiving cranial irradiation, each containing a co-registered MRI and CT scan, were included. An ultra short echo time MRI sequence for bone visualization was used. Six methods were investigated for three popular types of voxel-based approaches; (1) threshold-based segmentation, (2) Bayesian segmentation and (3) statistical regression. Each approach contained two methods. Approach 1 used bulk density assignment of MRI voxels into air, soft tissue and bone based on logical masks and the transverse relaxation time T2 of the bone. Approach 2 used similar bulk density assignments with Bayesian statistics including or excluding additional spatial information. Approach 3 used a statistical regression correlating MRI voxels with their corresponding CT voxels. A similar photon and proton treatment plan was generated for a target positioned between the nasal cavity and the brainstem for all patients. The CT agreement with the pCT of each method was quantified and compared with the other methods geometrically and dosimetrically using both a number of reported metrics and introducing some novel metrics. The best geometrical agreement with CT was obtained with the statistical regression methods which performed significantly better than the threshold and Bayesian segmentation methods (excluding spatial information). All methods agreed significantly better with CT than a reference water MRI

An anisotropic elastoplasticity model implemented in FLAG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buechler, Miles Allen [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Canfield, Thomas R. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-10-12

Many metals, including Tantalum and Zirconium, exhibit anisotropic elastoplastic behavior at the single crystal level, and if components are manufactured from these metals through forming processes the polycrystal (component) may also exhibit anisotropic elastoplastic behavior. This is because the forming can induce a preferential orientation of the crystals in the polycrystal. One example is a rolled plate of Uranium where the sti /strong orientation of the crystal (c-axis) tends to align itself perpendicular to the rolling direction. If loads are applied to this plate in di erent orientations the sti ness as well as the ow strength of the material will be greater in the through thickness direction than in other directions. To better accommodate simulations of such materials, an anisotropic elastoplasticity model has been implemented in FLAG. The model includes an anisotropic elastic stress model as well as an anisotropic plasticity model. The model could represent single crystals of any symmetry, though it should not be confused with a high- delity crystal plasticity model with multiple slip planes and evolutions. The model is most appropriate for homogenized polycrystalline materials. Elastic rotation of the material due to deformation is captured, so the anisotropic models are appropriate for arbitrary large rotations, but currently they do not account for signi cant change in material texture beyond the elastic rotation of the entire polycrystal.

Cost Analysis of MRI Services in Iran: An Application of Activity Based Costing Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayati, Mohsen; Mahboub Ahari, Alireza; Badakhshan, Abbas; Gholipour, Mahin; Joulaei, Hassan

2015-01-01

Considerable development of MRI technology in diagnostic imaging, high cost of MRI technology and controversial issues concerning official charges (tariffs) have been the main motivations to define and implement this study. The present study aimed to calculate the unit-cost of MRI services using activity-based costing (ABC) as a modern cost accounting system and to fairly compare calculated unit-costs with official charges (tariffs). We included both direct and indirect costs of MRI services delivered in fiscal year 2011 in Shiraz Shahid Faghihi hospital. Direct allocation method was used for distribution of overhead costs. We used micro-costing approach to calculate unit-cost of all different MRI services. Clinical cost data were retrieved from the hospital registering system. Straight-line method was used for depreciation cost estimation. To cope with uncertainty and to increase the robustness of study results, unit costs of 33 MRI services was calculated in terms of two scenarios. Total annual cost of MRI activity center (AC) was calculated at USD 400,746 and USD 532,104 based on first and second scenarios, respectively. Ten percent of the total cost was allocated from supportive departments. The annual variable costs of MRI center were calculated at USD 295,904. Capital costs measured at USD 104,842 and USD 236, 200 resulted from the first and second scenario, respectively. Existing tariffs for more than half of MRI services were above the calculated costs. As a public hospital, there are considerable limitations in both financial and administrative databases of Shahid Faghihi hospital. Labor cost has the greatest share of total annual cost of Shahid Faghihi hospital. The gap between unit costs and tariffs implies that the claim for extra budget from health providers may not be relevant for all services delivered by the studied MRI center. With some adjustments, ABC could be implemented in MRI centers. With the settlement of a reliable cost accounting system

Cost Analysis of MRI Services in Iran: An Application of Activity Based Costing Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayati, Mohsen; Mahboub Ahari, Alireza; Badakhshan, Abbas; Gholipour, Mahin; Joulaei, Hassan

2015-10-01

Considerable development of MRI technology in diagnostic imaging, high cost of MRI technology and controversial issues concerning official charges (tariffs) have been the main motivations to define and implement this study. The present study aimed to calculate the unit-cost of MRI services using activity-based costing (ABC) as a modern cost accounting system and to fairly compare calculated unit-costs with official charges (tariffs). We included both direct and indirect costs of MRI services delivered in fiscal year 2011 in Shiraz Shahid Faghihi hospital. Direct allocation method was used for distribution of overhead costs. We used micro-costing approach to calculate unit-cost of all different MRI services. Clinical cost data were retrieved from the hospital registering system. Straight-line method was used for depreciation cost estimation. To cope with uncertainty and to increase the robustness of study results, unit costs of 33 MRI services was calculated in terms of two scenarios. Total annual cost of MRI activity center (AC) was calculated at USD 400,746 and USD 532,104 based on first and second scenarios, respectively. Ten percent of the total cost was allocated from supportive departments. The annual variable costs of MRI center were calculated at USD 295,904. Capital costs measured at USD 104,842 and USD 236, 200 resulted from the first and second scenario, respectively. Existing tariffs for more than half of MRI services were above the calculated costs. As a public hospital, there are considerable limitations in both financial and administrative databases of Shahid Faghihi hospital. Labor cost has the greatest share of total annual cost of Shahid Faghihi hospital. The gap between unit costs and tariffs implies that the claim for extra budget from health providers may not be relevant for all services delivered by the studied MRI center. With some adjustments, ABC could be implemented in MRI centers. With the settlement of a reliable cost accounting system

A receptor-based model for dopamine-induced fMRI signal

Science.gov (United States)

Mandeville, Joseph. B.; Sander, Christin Y. M.; Jenkins, Bruce G.; Hooker, Jacob M.; Catana, Ciprian; Vanduffel, Wim; Alpert, Nathaniel M.; Rosen, Bruce R.; Normandin, Marc D.

2013-01-01

This report describes a multi-receptor physiological model of the fMRI temporal response and signal magnitude evoked by drugs that elevate synaptic dopamine in basal ganglia. The model is formulated as a summation of dopamine’s effects at D1-like and D2-like receptor families, which produce functional excitation and inhibition, respectively, as measured by molecular indicators like adenylate cyclase or neuroimaging techniques like fMRI. Functional effects within the model are described in terms of relative changes in receptor occupancies scaled by receptor densities and neuro-vascular coupling constants. Using literature parameters, the model reconciles many discrepant observations and interpretations of pre-clinical data. Additionally, we present data showing that amphetamine stimulation produces fMRI inhibition at low doses and a biphasic response at higher doses in the basal ganglia of non-human primates (NHP), in agreement with model predictions based upon the respective levels of evoked dopamine. Because information about dopamine release is required to inform the fMRI model, we simultaneously acquired PET 11C-raclopride data in several studies to evaluate the relationship between raclopride displacement and assumptions about dopamine release. At high levels of dopamine release, results suggest that refinements of the model will be required to consistently describe the PET and fMRI data. Overall, the remarkable success of the model in describing a wide range of preclinical fMRI data indicate that this approach will be useful for guiding the design and analysis of basic science and clinical investigations and for interpreting the functional consequences of dopaminergic stimulation in normal subjects and in populations with dopaminergic neuroadaptations. PMID:23466936

Theoretical and numerical study of highly anisotropic turbulent flows

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biferale, L.; Daumont, I.; Lanotte, A.; Toschi, F.

2004-01-01

We present a detailed numerical study of anisotropic statistical fluctuations in stationary, homogeneous turbulent flows. We address both problems of intermittency in anisotropic sectors, and the relative importance of isotropic and anisotropic fluctuations at different scales on a direct numerical

Numerical simulation of anisotropic polymeric foams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volnei Tita

Full Text Available This paper shows in detail the modelling of anisotropic polymeric foam under compression and tension loadings, including discussions on isotropic material models and the entire procedure to calibrate the parameters involved. First, specimens of poly(vinyl chloride (PVC foam were investigated through experimental analyses in order to understand the mechanical behavior of this anisotropic material. Then, isotropic material models available in the commercial software AbaqusTM were investigated in order to verify their ability to model anisotropic foams and how the parameters involved can influence the results. Due to anisotropy, it is possible to obtain different values for the same parameter in the calibration process. The obtained set of parameters are used to calibrate the model according to the application of the structure. The models investigated showed minor and major limitations to simulate the mechanical behavior of anisotropic PVC foams under compression, tension and multi-axial loadings. Results show that the calibration process and the choice of the material model applied to the polymeric foam can provide good quantitative results and save project time. Results also indicate what kind and order of error one will get if certain choices are made throughout the modelling process. Finally, even though the developed calibration procedure is applied to specific PVC foam, it still outlines a very broad drill to analyze other anisotropic cellular materials.

A new noise erosion operator for anisotropic diffusion

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

蔡超; 丁名跃; 周成平; 张天序

2004-01-01

A noise erosion operator based on partial differential equation (PDE) is introduced, which has an excellent ability of noise removal and edge preservation for two-dimensional (2D) gradient data. The operator is applied to estimate a new diffusion coefficient. Experimental results demonstrate that anisotropic diffusion based on this new erosion operator can efficiently reduce noise and sharpen object boundaries.

New PDE-based methods for image enhancement using SOM and Bayesian inference in various discretization schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karras, D A; Mertzios, G B

2009-01-01

A novel approach is presented in this paper for improving anisotropic diffusion PDE models, based on the Perona–Malik equation. A solution is proposed from an engineering perspective to adaptively estimate the parameters of the regularizing function in this equation. The goal of such a new adaptive diffusion scheme is to better preserve edges when the anisotropic diffusion PDE models are applied to image enhancement tasks. The proposed adaptive parameter estimation in the anisotropic diffusion PDE model involves self-organizing maps and Bayesian inference to define edge probabilities accurately. The proposed modifications attempt to capture not only simple edges but also difficult textural edges and incorporate their probability in the anisotropic diffusion model. In the context of the application of PDE models to image processing such adaptive schemes are closely related to the discrete image representation problem and the investigation of more suitable discretization algorithms using constraints derived from image processing theory. The proposed adaptive anisotropic diffusion model illustrates these concepts when it is numerically approximated by various discretization schemes in a database of magnetic resonance images (MRI), where it is shown to be efficient in image filtering and restoration applications

CT reconstruction from few-views with anisotropic edge-guided total variance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rong, Junyan; Liu, Wenlei; Gao, Peng; Liao, Qimei; Jiao, Chun; Ma, Jianhua; Lu, Hongbing

2016-01-01

To overcome the oversmoothing drawback in the edge areas when reconstructing few-view CT with total variation (TV) minimization, in this paper, we propose an anisotropic edge-guided TV minimization framework for few-view CT reconstruction. In the framework, anisotropic TV is summed with pre-weighted image gradient and then used as the object function for minimizing. It includes edge-guided TV minimization (EGTV) and edge-guided adaptive-weighted TV minimization (EGAwTV) algorithms. For EGTV algorithm, the weights of the TV discretization term are updated by anisotropic edge information detected from the image, whereas the weights for EGAwTV are determined based on edge information and local image-intensity gradients. To solve the minimization problem of the proposed algorithm, a similar TV-based minimization implementation is developed to address the raw data fidelity and other constraints. The evaluation results using both computer simulations with the Shepp-Logan phantom and experimental data from a physical phantom demonstrate that the proposed algorithms exhibit noticeable gains in the merits of spatial resolution compared with the conventional TV and other modified TV algorithms.

EKG-based detection of deep brain stimulation in fMRI studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiveland, Eric; Madhavan, Radhika; Prusik, Julia; Linton, Renee; Dimarzio, Marisa; Ashe, Jeffrey; Pilitsis, Julie; Hancu, Ileana

2018-04-01

To assess the impact of synchronization errors between the assumed functional MRI paradigm timing and the deep brain stimulation (DBS) on/off cycling using a custom electrocardiogram-based triggering system METHODS: A detector for measuring and predicting the on/off state of cycling deep brain stimulation was developed and tested in six patients in office visits. Three-electrode electrocardiogram measurements, amplified by a commercial bio-amplifier, were used as input for a custom electronics box (e-box). The e-box transformed the deep brain stimulation waveforms into transistor-transistor logic pulses, recorded their timing, and propagated it in time. The e-box was used to trigger task-based deep brain stimulation functional MRI scans in 5 additional subjects; the impact of timing accuracy on t-test values was investigated in a simulation study using the functional MRI data. Following locking to each patient's individual waveform, the e-box was shown to predict stimulation onset with an average absolute error of 112 ± 148 ms, 30 min after disconnecting from the patients. The subsecond accuracy of the e-box in predicting timing onset is more than adequate for our slow varying, 30-/30-s on/off stimulation paradigm. Conversely, the experimental deep brain stimulation onset prediction accuracy in the absence of the e-box, which could be off by as much as 4 to 6 s, could significantly decrease activation strength. Using this detector, stimulation can be accurately synchronized to functional MRI acquisitions, without adding any additional hardware in the MRI environment. Magn Reson Med 79:2432-2439, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Anisotropic wave-equation traveltime and waveform inversion

KAUST Repository

Feng, Shihang; Schuster, Gerard T.

2016-01-01

The wave-equation traveltime and waveform inversion (WTW) methodology is developed to invert for anisotropic parameters in a vertical transverse isotropic (VTI) meidum. The simultaneous inversion of anisotropic parameters v0, ε and δ is initially

A digital 3D atlas of the marmoset brain based on multi-modal MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Cirong; Ye, Frank Q; Yen, Cecil Chern-Chyi; Newman, John D; Glen, Daniel; Leopold, David A; Silva, Afonso C

2018-04-01

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a New-World monkey of growing interest in neuroscience. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an essential tool to unveil the anatomical and functional organization of the marmoset brain. To facilitate identification of regions of interest, it is desirable to register MR images to an atlas of the brain. However, currently available atlases of the marmoset brain are mainly based on 2D histological data, which are difficult to apply to 3D imaging techniques. Here, we constructed a 3D digital atlas based on high-resolution ex-vivo MRI images, including magnetization transfer ratio (a T1-like contrast), T2w images, and multi-shell diffusion MRI. Based on the multi-modal MRI images, we manually delineated 54 cortical areas and 16 subcortical regions on one hemisphere of the brain (the core version). The 54 cortical areas were merged into 13 larger cortical regions according to their locations to yield a coarse version of the atlas, and also parcellated into 106 sub-regions using a connectivity-based parcellation method to produce a refined atlas. Finally, we compared the new atlas set with existing histology atlases and demonstrated its applications in connectome studies, and in resting state and stimulus-based fMRI. The atlas set has been integrated into the widely-distributed neuroimaging data analysis software AFNI and SUMA, providing a readily usable multi-modal template space with multi-level anatomical labels (including labels from the Paxinos atlas) that can facilitate various neuroimaging studies of marmosets. Published by Elsevier Inc.

1-D DC Resistivity Modeling and Interpretation in Anisotropic Media Using Particle Swarm Optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Pekşen, Ertan; Yas, Türker; Kıyak, Alper

2014-09-01

We examine the one-dimensional direct current method in anisotropic earth formation. We derive an analytic expression of a simple, two-layered anisotropic earth model. Further, we also consider a horizontally layered anisotropic earth response with respect to the digital filter method, which yields a quasi-analytic solution over anisotropic media. These analytic and quasi-analytic solutions are useful tests for numerical codes. A two-dimensional finite difference earth model in anisotropic media is presented in order to generate a synthetic data set for a simple one-dimensional earth. Further, we propose a particle swarm optimization method for estimating the model parameters of a layered anisotropic earth model such as horizontal and vertical resistivities, and thickness. The particle swarm optimization is a naturally inspired meta-heuristic algorithm. The proposed method finds model parameters quite successfully based on synthetic and field data. However, adding 5 % Gaussian noise to the synthetic data increases the ambiguity of the value of the model parameters. For this reason, the results should be controlled by a number of statistical tests. In this study, we use probability density function within 95 % confidence interval, parameter variation of each iteration and frequency distribution of the model parameters to reduce the ambiguity. The result is promising and the proposed method can be used for evaluating one-dimensional direct current data in anisotropic media.

Anisotropic Failure Strength of Shale with Increasing Confinement: Behaviors, Factors and Mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Cheng; Li, Xiao; Qian, Haitao

2017-11-15

Some studies reported that the anisotropic failure strength of shale will be weakened by increasing confinement. In this paper, it is found that there are various types of anisotropic strength behaviors. Four types of anisotropic strength ratio ( S A 1 ) behaviors and three types of anisotropic strength difference ( S A 2 ) behaviors have been classified based on laboratory experiments on nine groups of different shale samples. The cohesion c w and friction angle ϕ w of the weak planes are proven to be two dominant factors according to a series of bonded-particle discrete element modelling analyses. It is observed that shale is more prone to a slight increase of S A 1 and significant increase of S A 2 with increasing confinement for higher cohesion c w and lower to medium friction angle ϕ w . This study also investigated the mechanism of the anisotropic strength behaviors with increasing confinement. Owing to different contributions of c w and ϕ w under different confinements, different combinations of c w and ϕ w may have various types of influences on the minimum failure strength with the increasing confinement; therefore, different types of anisotropic behaviors occur for different shale specimens as the confinement increases. These findings are very important to understand the stability of wellbore and underground tunneling in the shale rock mass, and should be helpful for further studies on hydraulic fracture propagations in the shale reservoir.

Development of an Optical Fiber-Based MR Compatible Gamma Camera for SPECT/MRI Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Watabe, Tadashi; Kanai, Yasukazu; Watabe, Hiroshi; Hatazawa, Jun

2015-02-01

Optical fiber is a promising material for integrated positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) PET/MRI systems. Because its material is plastic, it has no interference between MRI. However, it is unclear whether this material can also be used for a single photon emission tomography (SPECT)/MRI system. For this purpose, we developed an optical fiber-based block detector for a SPECT/MRI system and tested its performance by combining 1.2 ×1.2 ×6 mm Y2SiO5 (YSO) pixels into a 15 ×15 block and was coupled it to an optical fiber image guide that used was 0.5-mm in diameter with 80-cm long double clad fibers. The image guide had 22 ×22 mm rectangular input and an equal size output. The input of the optical fiber-based image guide was bent at 90 degrees, and the output was optically coupled to a 1-in square high quantum efficiency position sensitive photomultiplier tube (HQE-PSPMT). The parallel hole, 7-mm-thick collimator made of tungsten plastic was mounted on a YSO block. The diameter of the collimator holes was 0.8 mm which was positioned one-to-one coupled to the YSO pixels. We evaluated the intrinsic and system performances. We resolved most of the YSO pixels in a two-dimensional histogram for Co-57 gamma photons (122-keV) with an average peak-to-value ratio of 1.5. The energy resolution was 38% full-width at half-maximum (FWHM). The system resolution was 1.7-mm FWHM, 1.5 mm from the collimator surface, and the sensitivity was 0.06%. Images of a Co-57 point source could be successfully obtained inside 0.3 T MRI without serious interference. We conclude that the developed optical fiber-based YSO block detector is promising for SPECT/MRI systems.

In vivo estimation of normal amygdala volume from structural MRI scans with anatomical-based segmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Siozopoulos, Achilleas; Thomaidis, Vasilios; Prassopoulos, Panos; Fiska, Aliki

2018-02-01

Literature includes a number of studies using structural MRI (sMRI) to determine the volume of the amygdala, which is modified in various pathologic conditions. The reported values vary widely mainly because of different anatomical approaches to the complex. This study aims at estimating of the normal amygdala volume from sMRI scans using a recent anatomical definition described in a study based on post-mortem material. The amygdala volume has been calculated in 106 healthy subjects, using sMRI and anatomical-based segmentation. The resulting volumes have been analyzed for differences related to hemisphere, sex, and age. The mean amygdalar volume was estimated at 1.42 cm 3 . The mean right amygdala volume has been found larger than the left, but the difference for the raw values was within the limits of the method error. No intersexual differences or age-related alterations have been observed. The study provides a method for determining the boundaries of the amygdala in sMRI scans based on recent anatomical considerations and an estimation of the mean normal amygdala volume from a quite large number of scans for future use in comparative studies.

Obtuse triangle suppression in anisotropic meshes

KAUST Repository

Sun, Feng; Choi, Yi King; Wang, Wen Ping; Yan, Dongming; Liu, Yang; Lé vy, Bruno L.

2011-01-01

Anisotropic triangle meshes are used for efficient approximation of surfaces and flow data in finite element analysis, and in these applications it is desirable to have as few obtuse triangles as possible to reduce the discretization error. We present a variational approach to suppressing obtuse triangles in anisotropic meshes. Specifically, we introduce a hexagonal Minkowski metric, which is sensitive to triangle orientation, to give a new formulation of the centroidal Voronoi tessellation (CVT) method. Furthermore, we prove several relevant properties of the CVT method with the newly introduced metric. Experiments show that our algorithm produces anisotropic meshes with much fewer obtuse triangles than using existing methods while maintaining mesh anisotropy. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Obtuse triangle suppression in anisotropic meshes

KAUST Repository

Sun, Feng

2011-12-01

Anisotropic triangle meshes are used for efficient approximation of surfaces and flow data in finite element analysis, and in these applications it is desirable to have as few obtuse triangles as possible to reduce the discretization error. We present a variational approach to suppressing obtuse triangles in anisotropic meshes. Specifically, we introduce a hexagonal Minkowski metric, which is sensitive to triangle orientation, to give a new formulation of the centroidal Voronoi tessellation (CVT) method. Furthermore, we prove several relevant properties of the CVT method with the newly introduced metric. Experiments show that our algorithm produces anisotropic meshes with much fewer obtuse triangles than using existing methods while maintaining mesh anisotropy. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Technique for Generating Volumetric Cine MRI (VC-MRI)

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Wendy; Ren, Lei; Cai, Jing; Zhang, You; Chang, Zheng; Yin, Fang-Fang

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a technique to generate on-board volumetric-cine MRI (VC-MRI) using patient prior images, motion modeling and on-board 2D-cine MRI. Methods One phase of a 4D-MRI acquired during patient simulation is used as patient prior images. 3 major respiratory deformation patterns of the patient are extracted from 4D-MRI based on principal-component-analysis. The on-board VC-MRI at any instant is considered as a deformation of the prior MRI. The deformation field is represented as a linear combination of the 3 major deformation patterns. The coefficients of the deformation patterns are solved by the data fidelity constraint using the acquired on-board single 2D-cine MRI. The method was evaluated using both XCAT simulation of lung cancer patients and MRI data from four real liver cancer patients. The accuracy of the estimated VC-MRI was quantitatively evaluated using Volume-Percent-Difference(VPD), Center-of-Mass-Shift(COMS), and target tracking errors. Effects of acquisition orientation, region-of-interest(ROI) selection, patient breathing pattern change and noise on the estimation accuracy were also evaluated. Results Image subtraction of ground-truth with estimated on-board VC-MRI shows fewer differences than image subtraction of ground-truth with prior image. Agreement between profiles in the estimated and ground-truth VC-MRI was achieved with less than 6% error for both XCAT and patient data. Among all XCAT scenarios, the VPD between ground-truth and estimated lesion volumes was on average 8.43±1.52% and the COMS was on average 0.93±0.58mm across all time-steps for estimation based on the ROI region in the sagittal cine images. Matching to ROI in the sagittal view achieved better accuracy when there was substantial breathing pattern change. The technique was robust against noise levels up to SNR=20. For patient data, average tracking errors were less than 2 mm in all directions for all patients. Conclusions Preliminary studies demonstrated the

SU-E-J-232: Feasibility of MRI-Based Preplan On Low Dose Rate Prostate Brachytherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Y; Tward, J; Rassiah-Szegedi, P; Zhao, H; Sarkar, V; Huang, L; Szegedi, M; Kokeny, K; Salter, B [University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of using MRI-based preplan for low dose rate prostate brachytherapy. Methods: 12 patients who received transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate brachytherapy with Pd-103 were retrospectively studied. Our care-standard of the TRUS-based preplan served as the control. One or more prostate T2-weighted wide and/or narrow-field of view MRIs obtained within the 3 months prior to the implant were imported into the MIM Symphony software v6.3 (MIM Software Inc., Cleveland, OH) for each patient. In total, 37 MRI preplans (10 different image sequences with average thickness of 4.8mm) were generated. The contoured prostate volume and the seed counts required to achieve adequate dosimetric coverage from TRUS and MRI preplans were compared for each patient. The effects of different MRI sequences and image thicknesses were also investigated statistically using Student’s t-test. Lastly, the nomogram from the MRI preplan and TRUS preplan from our historical treatment data were compared. Results: The average prostate volume contoured on the TRUS and MRI were 26.6cc (range: 12.6∼41.3cc), and 27.4 cc (range: 14.3∼50.0cc), respectively. Axial MRI thicknesses (range: 3.5∼8.1mm) did not significantly affect the contoured volume or the number of seeds required on the preplan (R2 = 0.0002 and 0.0012, respectively). Four of the MRI sequences (AX-T2, AX-T2-Whole-Pelvis, AX-T2-FSE, and AXIALT2- Hi-Res) showed statistically significant better prostate volume agreement with TRUS than the other seven sequences (P <0.01). Nomogram overlay between the MRI and TRUS preplans showed good agreement; indicating volumes contoured on MRI preplan scan reliably predict how many seeds are needed for implant. Conclusion: Although MRI does not allow for determination of the actual implant geometry, it can give reliable volumes for seed ordering purposes. Our future work will investigate if MRI is sufficient to reliably replace TRUS preplanning in patients

MRI assessment program. Consensus statement on clinical efficacy of MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-05-01

This consensus statement is largely based on the experience gained at the MRI units at the four hospitals which have operated scanners in the MRI program. It reflects the considered opinion of the radiologists responsible for the MRI services at those hospitals. Account has also been taken of relevant overseas data. This collection of opinion relates particularly to comparison with other imaging modalities. The specific comments will require further consideration as technical developments with MRI become available, additional experience is gained with gadolinium contrast material and additional data are obtained on the influence of MRI on patient management. MRI, at present, is used either to improve diagnostic accuracy when other tests are negative or equivocal, when there is strong clinical suspicion of disease, or to improve surgical or other management planning when the diagnosis known. In some situations (eg syringomyelia, congenital spinal disease, posterior fossa/cerebello-pontine angle tumours) it may entirely replace other tests (eg myelography, air contrast, CT) which are substantially less accurate and/or more invasive. In other situations (eg hemispheric brain tumours, lumbar disc protrusions) when other tests, such as CT, can be as accurate, MRI is not usually or initially indicated because it is currently more expensive and of limited availability. However, balanced against this is the fact that it does not expose the patient to potentially harmful ionising radiation. It is also stressed that MRI images depend on complex, widely variable and, as yet, incompletely understood parameters. There is concern that this may result in false positive diagnoses, especially where MRI is used alone as a screening test, or used as the initial test. For several reasons (availability, cost, medical and diagnostic efficacy), the specific comments on indications for MRI presented are based upon the assumption that MRI is a tertiary and complementary imaging examination

Band gaps in periodically magnetized homogeneous anisotropic media

Science.gov (United States)

Merzlikin, A. M.; Levy, M.; Vinogradov, A. P.; Wu, Z.; Jalali, A. A.

2010-11-01

In [A. M. Merzlikin, A. P. Vinogradov, A. V. Dorofeenko, M. Inoue, M. Levy, A. B. Granovsky, Physica B 394 (2007) 277] it is shown that in anisotropic magnetophotonic crystal made of anisotropic dielectric layers and isotropic magneto-optical layers the magnetization leads to formation of additional band gaps (BG) inside the Brillouin zones. Due to the weakness of the magneto-optical effects the width of these BG is much smaller than that of usual BG forming on the boundaries of Brillouin zones. In the present communication we show that though the anisotropy suppresses magneto-optical effects. An anisotropic magnetophotonic crystal made of anisotropic dielectric layers and anisotropic magneto-optical; the width of additional BG may be much greater than the width of the usual Brillouin BG. Anisotropy tends to suppress Brillouin zone boundary band gap formation because the anisotropy suppresses magneto-optical properties, while degenerate band gap formation occurs around points of effective isotropy and is not suppressed.

Monte carlo simulation of anisotropic grain growth in liquid phase sintering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Yoon Soo; Kim, Do Kyung

2003-01-01

One of the key techniques in modern engineering ceramic system is microstructural control of anisotropic grain growth because grain orientation and shape proved to have an influence on mechanic, dielectric and electric behavior of ceramics. But until now, computer simulation for grain growth has not sufficiently addressed to this subject. The reason is that simulation algorithm was laborious because it has to contain mass transfer through liquid phase and especially anisotropic grain growth has to be considered based on interfacial properties in real system. The goal of present study is simulation of anisotropic grain growth in liquid phase by Q-states model. To give anisotropic inherency to grains, constraint on mobility to specific boundaries was applied. For comparison, we measured grain size distribution and deduced grain growth kinetics from relation ship between average grain size and time. As a result, the grain size distribution functions become broader and the peak height decreases as the anisotropy is increased. The growth exponent 0.67 and 0.47 found by linear fitting have slightly different values in comparison with work of Grest et al. but similar is trend to the decrease of exponent with anisotropy

Modeling of digestive processes in the stomach as a Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) phenomenon

Science.gov (United States)

Acharya, Shashank; Kou, Wenjun; Kahrilas, Peter J.; Pandolfino, John E.; Patankar, Neelesh A.

2017-11-01

The process of digestion in the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract is a complex mechanical and chemical process. Digestion in the stomach involves substantial mixing and breakup of food into smaller particles by muscular activity. In this work, we have developed a fully resolved model of the stomach (along with the esophagus) and its various muscle groups that deform the wall to agitate the contents inside. We use the Immersed Boundary finite-element method to model this FSI problem. From the resulting simulations, the mixing intensity is analyzed as a function of muscle deformation. As muscle deformation is controlled by changing the intensity of the neural signal, the material properties of the stomach wall will have a significant effect on the resultant kinematics. Thus, the model is then used to identify the source of common GI tract motility pathologies by replicating irregular motions as a consequence of varying the mechanical properties of the wall and the related activation signal patterns. This approach gives us an in-silico framework that can be used to study the effect of tissue properties & muscle activity on the mechanical response of the stomach wall. This work is supported by NIH Grant 5R01DK079902-09.

Multilevel Thresholding Method Based on Electromagnetism for Accurate Brain MRI Segmentation to Detect White Matter, Gray Matter, and CSF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Sandhya

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This work explains an advanced and accurate brain MRI segmentation method. MR brain image segmentation is to know the anatomical structure, to identify the abnormalities, and to detect various tissues which help in treatment planning prior to radiation therapy. This proposed technique is a Multilevel Thresholding (MT method based on the phenomenon of Electromagnetism and it segments the image into three tissues such as White Matter (WM, Gray Matter (GM, and CSF. The approach incorporates skull stripping and filtering using anisotropic diffusion filter in the preprocessing stage. This thresholding method uses the force of attraction-repulsion between the charged particles to increase the population. It is the combination of Electromagnetism-Like optimization algorithm with the Otsu and Kapur objective functions. The results obtained by using the proposed method are compared with the ground-truth images and have given best values for the measures sensitivity, specificity, and segmentation accuracy. The results using 10 MR brain images proved that the proposed method has accurately segmented the three brain tissues compared to the existing segmentation methods such as K-means, fuzzy C-means, OTSU MT, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO, Bacterial Foraging Algorithm (BFA, Genetic Algorithm (GA, and Fuzzy Local Gaussian Mixture Model (FLGMM.

Spectral changes in stochastic anisotropic electromagnetic beams propagating through turbulent ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Miaomiao; Zhao, Daomu

2014-02-01

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the unified theory of coherence and polarization of light, the spectral changes of stochastic anisotropic electromagnetic beams propagating through oceanic turbulence are revealed. As an example, some numerical calculations are illustrated for an anisotropic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam propagating in a homogeneous and isotropic turbulent ocean. It is shown that, under the influence of oceanic turbulence, the on-axis spectrum is always blue-shifted along with the propagation distance, however, for the off-axis positions, red-blue spectral switch can be found.

Magnetostatics of anisotropic superconducting ellipsoid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saif, A.G.

1987-09-01

The magnetization and the magnetic field distribution inside (outside) an anisotropic type II superconducting ellipsoid, with filamentary structure, is formulated. We have shown that the magnetic field in this case is different from that of the general anisotropic one. The nucleations of the flux lines for specimens with large demagnetization factors are theoretically studied. We have shown that the nucleations of the flux lines, for specimens with large demagnetization factor, appears at a field larger than that of ellipsoidal shape. (author). 15 refs

Anisotropic Thermoelectric Devices Made from Single-Crystal Semimetal Microwires in Glass Coating

Science.gov (United States)

Konopko, L. A.; Nikolaeva, A. A.; Kobylianskaya, A. K.; Huber, T. E.

2018-04-01

Thermoelectric heat conversion based on the Seebeck and Peltier effects generated at the junction between two materials of type-n and type-p is well known. Here, we present a demonstration of an unconventional thermoelectric energy conversion that is based on a single element made of an anisotropic material. In such materials, a heat flow generates a transverse thermoelectric electric field lying across the heat flow. Potentially, in applications involving miniature devices, the anisotropic thermoelectric (AT) effect has the advantage over traditional thermoelectrics that it simplifies the thermoelectric generator architecture. This is because the generator can be made of a single thermoelectric material without the complexity of a series of contacts forming a pile. A feature of anisotropic thermoelectrics is that the thermoelectric voltage is proportional to the element length and inversely proportional to the effective thickness. The AT effect has been demonstrated with artificial anisotropic thin film consisting of layers of alternating thermoelectric type, but there has been no demonstration of this effect in a long single-crystal. Electronic transport measurements have shown that the semimetal bismuth is highly anisotropic. We have prepared an experimental sample consisting of a 10-m-long glass-insulated single-crystal tin-doped bismuth microwire (d = 4 μm). Crucial for this experiment is the ability to grow the microwire as a single-crystal using a technique of recrystallization with laser heating and under a strong electric field. The sample was wound as a spiral, bonded to a copper disk, and used in various experiments. The sensitivity of the sample to heat flow is as high as 10-2 V/W with a time constant τ of about 0.5 s.

Anisotropic Thermoelectric Devices Made from Single-Crystal Semimetal Microwires in Glass Coating

Science.gov (United States)

Konopko, L. A.; Nikolaeva, A. A.; Kobylianskaya, A. K.; Huber, T. E.

2018-06-01

Thermoelectric heat conversion based on the Seebeck and Peltier effects generated at the junction between two materials of type- n and type- p is well known. Here, we present a demonstration of an unconventional thermoelectric energy conversion that is based on a single element made of an anisotropic material. In such materials, a heat flow generates a transverse thermoelectric electric field lying across the heat flow. Potentially, in applications involving miniature devices, the anisotropic thermoelectric (AT) effect has the advantage over traditional thermoelectrics that it simplifies the thermoelectric generator architecture. This is because the generator can be made of a single thermoelectric material without the complexity of a series of contacts forming a pile. A feature of anisotropic thermoelectrics is that the thermoelectric voltage is proportional to the element length and inversely proportional to the effective thickness. The AT effect has been demonstrated with artificial anisotropic thin film consisting of layers of alternating thermoelectric type, but there has been no demonstration of this effect in a long single-crystal. Electronic transport measurements have shown that the semimetal bismuth is highly anisotropic. We have prepared an experimental sample consisting of a 10-m-long glass-insulated single-crystal tin-doped bismuth microwire ( d = 4 μm). Crucial for this experiment is the ability to grow the microwire as a single-crystal using a technique of recrystallization with laser heating and under a strong electric field. The sample was wound as a spiral, bonded to a copper disk, and used in various experiments. The sensitivity of the sample to heat flow is as high as 10-2 V/W with a time constant τ of about 0.5 s.

Comparison between MRI-based attenuation correction methods for brain PET in dementia patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabello, Jorge; Lukas, Mathias; Pyka, Thomas; Nekolla, Stephan G.; Ziegler, Sibylle I.; Rota Kops, Elena; Shah, N. Jon; Ribeiro, Andre; Yakushev, Igor

2016-01-01

The combination of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in hybrid PET/MRI scanners offers a number of advantages in investigating brain structure and function. A critical step of PET data reconstruction is attenuation correction (AC). Accounting for bone in attenuation maps (μ-map) was shown to be important in brain PET studies. While there are a number of MRI-based AC methods, no systematic comparison between them has been performed so far. The aim of this work was to study the different performance obtained by some of the recent methods presented in the literature. To perform such a comparison, we focused on [ 18 F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/MRI neurodegenerative dementing disorders, which are known to exhibit reduced levels of glucose metabolism in certain brain regions. Four novel methods were used to calculate μ-maps from MRI data of 15 patients with Alzheimer's dementia (AD). The methods cover two atlas-based methods, a segmentation method, and a hybrid template/segmentation method. Additionally, the Dixon-based and a UTE-based method, offered by a vendor, were included in the comparison. Performance was assessed at three levels: tissue identification accuracy in the μ-map, quantitative accuracy of reconstructed PET data in specific brain regions, and precision in diagnostic images at identifying hypometabolic areas. Quantitative regional errors of -20-10 % were obtained using the vendor's AC methods, whereas the novel methods produced errors in a margin of ±5 %. The obtained precision at identifying areas with abnormally low levels of glucose uptake, potentially regions affected by AD, were 62.9 and 79.5 % for the two vendor AC methods, the former ignoring bone and the latter including bone information. The precision increased to 87.5-93.3 % in average for the four new methods, exhibiting similar performances. We confirm that the AC methods based on the Dixon and UTE sequences provided by the vendor are inferior

Comparison between MRI-based attenuation correction methods for brain PET in dementia patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cabello, Jorge; Lukas, Mathias; Pyka, Thomas; Nekolla, Stephan G.; Ziegler, Sibylle I. [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Nuklearmedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich (Germany); Rota Kops, Elena; Shah, N. Jon [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4, Medical Imaging Physics, Juelich (Germany); Ribeiro, Andre [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4, Medical Imaging Physics, Juelich (Germany); Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Lisbon (Portugal); Yakushev, Igor [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Nuklearmedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich (Germany); Institute TUM Neuroimaging Center (TUM-NIC), Munich (Germany)

2016-11-15

The combination of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in hybrid PET/MRI scanners offers a number of advantages in investigating brain structure and function. A critical step of PET data reconstruction is attenuation correction (AC). Accounting for bone in attenuation maps (μ-map) was shown to be important in brain PET studies. While there are a number of MRI-based AC methods, no systematic comparison between them has been performed so far. The aim of this work was to study the different performance obtained by some of the recent methods presented in the literature. To perform such a comparison, we focused on [{sup 18}F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/MRI neurodegenerative dementing disorders, which are known to exhibit reduced levels of glucose metabolism in certain brain regions. Four novel methods were used to calculate μ-maps from MRI data of 15 patients with Alzheimer's dementia (AD). The methods cover two atlas-based methods, a segmentation method, and a hybrid template/segmentation method. Additionally, the Dixon-based and a UTE-based method, offered by a vendor, were included in the comparison. Performance was assessed at three levels: tissue identification accuracy in the μ-map, quantitative accuracy of reconstructed PET data in specific brain regions, and precision in diagnostic images at identifying hypometabolic areas. Quantitative regional errors of -20-10 % were obtained using the vendor's AC methods, whereas the novel methods produced errors in a margin of ±5 %. The obtained precision at identifying areas with abnormally low levels of glucose uptake, potentially regions affected by AD, were 62.9 and 79.5 % for the two vendor AC methods, the former ignoring bone and the latter including bone information. The precision increased to 87.5-93.3 % in average for the four new methods, exhibiting similar performances. We confirm that the AC methods based on the Dixon and UTE sequences provided by the vendor are

BOLDSync: a MATLAB-based toolbox for synchronized stimulus presentation in functional MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Jitesh; Saharan, Sumiti; Mandal, Pravat K

2014-02-15

Precise and synchronized presentation of paradigm stimuli in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is central to obtaining accurate information about brain regions involved in a specific task. In this manuscript, we present a new MATLAB-based toolbox, BOLDSync, for synchronized stimulus presentation in fMRI. BOLDSync provides a user friendly platform for design and presentation of visual, audio, as well as multimodal audio-visual (AV) stimuli in functional imaging experiments. We present simulation experiments that demonstrate the millisecond synchronization accuracy of BOLDSync, and also illustrate the functionalities of BOLDSync through application to an AV fMRI study. BOLDSync gains an advantage over other available proprietary and open-source toolboxes by offering a user friendly and accessible interface that affords both precision in stimulus presentation and versatility across various types of stimulus designs and system setups. BOLDSync is a reliable, efficient, and versatile solution for synchronized stimulus presentation in fMRI study. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MRI-Based Computed Tomography Metal Artifact Correction Method for Improving Proton Range Calculation Accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Peter C.; Schreibmann, Eduard; Roper, Justin; Elder, Eric; Crocker, Ian; Fox, Tim; Zhu, X. Ronald; Dong, Lei; Dhabaan, Anees

2015-01-01

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) artifacts can severely degrade dose calculation accuracy in proton therapy. Prompted by the recently increased popularity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the radiation therapy clinic, we developed an MRI-based CT artifact correction method for improving the accuracy of proton range calculations. Methods and Materials: The proposed method replaces corrupted CT data by mapping CT Hounsfield units (HU number) from a nearby artifact-free slice, using a coregistered MRI. MRI and CT volumetric images were registered with use of 3-dimensional (3D) deformable image registration (DIR). The registration was fine-tuned on a slice-by-slice basis by using 2D DIR. Based on the intensity of paired MRI pixel values and HU from an artifact-free slice, we performed a comprehensive analysis to predict the correct HU for the corrupted region. For a proof-of-concept validation, metal artifacts were simulated on a reference data set. Proton range was calculated using reference, artifactual, and corrected images to quantify the reduction in proton range error. The correction method was applied to 4 unique clinical cases. Results: The correction method resulted in substantial artifact reduction, both quantitatively and qualitatively. On respective simulated brain and head and neck CT images, the mean error was reduced from 495 and 370 HU to 108 and 92 HU after correction. Correspondingly, the absolute mean proton range errors of 2.4 cm and 1.7 cm were reduced to less than 2 mm in both cases. Conclusions: Our MRI-based CT artifact correction method can improve CT image quality and proton range calculation accuracy for patients with severe CT artifacts

Anisotropic surface hole-transport property of triphenylamine-derivative single crystal prepared by solution method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Umeda, Minoru, E-mail: mumeda@vos.nagaokaut.ac.jp [Nagaoka University of Technology, Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188 (Japan); Katagiri, Mitsuhiko; Shironita, Sayoko [Nagaoka University of Technology, Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188 (Japan); Nagayama, Norio [Nagaoka University of Technology, Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2188 (Japan); Ricoh Company, Ltd., Nishisawada, Numazu, Shizuoka 410-0007 (Japan)

2016-12-01

Highlights: • A hole transport molecule was investigated based on its electrochemical redox characteristics. • The solubility and supersolubility curves of the molecule were measured in order to prepare a large crystal. • The polarization micrograph and XRD results revealed that a single crystal was obtained. • An anisotropic surface conduction, in which the long-axis direction exceeds that of the amorphous layer, was observed. • The anisotropic surface conduction was well explained by the molecular stacked structure. - Abstract: This paper reports the anisotropic hole transport at the triphenylamine-derivative single crystal surface prepared by a solution method. Triphenylamine derivatives are commonly used in a hole-transport material for organic photoconductors of laser-beam printers, in which the materials are used as an amorphous form. For developing organic photovoltaics using the photoconductor’s technology, preparation of a single crystal seems to be a specific way by realizing the high mobility of an organic semiconductor. In this study, a single crystal of 4-(2,2-diphenylethenyl)-N,N-bis(4-methylphenyl)-benzenamine (TPA) was prepared and its anisotropic hole-transport property measured. First, the hole-transport property of the TPA was investigated based on its chemical structure and electrochemical redox characteristics. Next, a large-scale single crystal formation at a high rate was developed by employing a solution method based on its solubility and supersolubility curves. The grown TPA was found to be a single crystal based on the polarization micrograph observation and crystallographic analysis. For the TPA single crystal, an anisotropic surface conduction was found, which was well explained by its molecular stack structure. The measured current in the long-axis direction is one order of magnitude greater than that of amorphous TPA.

Regression and statistical shape model based substitute CT generation for MRI alone external beam radiation therapy from standard clinical MRI sequences

Science.gov (United States)

Ghose, Soumya; Greer, Peter B.; Sun, Jidi; Pichler, Peter; Rivest-Henault, David; Mitra, Jhimli; Richardson, Haylea; Wratten, Chris; Martin, Jarad; Arm, Jameen; Best, Leah; Dowling, Jason A.

2017-11-01

In MR only radiation therapy planning, generation of the tissue specific HU map directly from the MRI would eliminate the need of CT image acquisition and may improve radiation therapy planning. The aim of this work is to generate and validate substitute CT (sCT) scans generated from standard T2 weighted MR pelvic scans in prostate radiation therapy dose planning. A Siemens Skyra 3T MRI scanner with laser bridge, flat couch and pelvic coil mounts was used to scan 39 patients scheduled for external beam radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer. For sCT generation a whole pelvis MRI (1.6 mm 3D isotropic T2w SPACE sequence) was acquired. Patients received a routine planning CT scan. Co-registered whole pelvis CT and T2w MRI pairs were used as training images. Advanced tissue specific non-linear regression models to predict HU for the fat, muscle, bladder and air were created from co-registered CT-MRI image pairs. On a test case T2w MRI, the bones and bladder were automatically segmented using a novel statistical shape and appearance model, while other soft tissues were separated using an Expectation-Maximization based clustering model. The CT bone in the training database that was most ‘similar’ to the segmented bone was then transformed with deformable registration to create the sCT component of the test case T2w MRI bone tissue. Predictions for the bone, air and soft tissue from the separate regression models were successively combined to generate a whole pelvis sCT. The change in monitor units between the sCT-based plans relative to the gold standard CT plan for the same IMRT dose plan was found to be 0.3%+/-0.9% (mean  ±  standard deviation) for 39 patients. The 3D Gamma pass rate was 99.8+/-0.00 (2 mm/2%). The novel hybrid model is computationally efficient, generating an sCT in 20 min from standard T2w images for prostate cancer radiation therapy dose planning and DRR generation.

Identification of Anisotropic Criteria for Stratified Soil Based on Triaxial Tests Results

Science.gov (United States)

Tankiewicz, Matylda; Kawa, Marek

2017-09-01

The paper presents the identification methodology of anisotropic criteria based on triaxial test results. The considered material is varved clay - a sedimentary soil occurring in central Poland which is characterized by the so-called "layered microstructure". The strength examination outcomes were identified by standard triaxial tests. The results include the estimated peak strength obtained for a wide range of orientations and confining pressures. Two models were chosen as potentially adequate for the description of the tested material, namely Pariseau and its conjunction with the Jaeger weakness plane. Material constants were obtained by fitting the model to the experimental results. The identification procedure is based on the least squares method. The optimal values of parameters are searched for between specified bounds by sequentially decreasing the distance between points and reducing the length of the searched range. For both considered models the optimal parameters have been obtained. The comparison of theoretical and experimental results as well as the assessment of the suitability of selected criteria for the specified range of confining pressures are presented.

A Fabry-Perot Interferometry Based MRI-Compatible Miniature Uniaxial Force Sensor for Percutaneous Needle Placement

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Weijian; Su, Hao; Li, Gang; Furlong, Cosme; Fischer, Gregory S.

2014-01-01

Robot-assisted surgical procedures, taking advantage of the high soft tissue contrast and real-time imaging of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are developing rapidly. However, it is crucial to maintain tactile force feedback in MRI-guided needle-based procedures. This paper presents a Fabry-Perot interference (FPI) based system of an MRI-compatible fiber optic sensor which has been integrated into a piezoelectrically actuated robot for prostate cancer biopsy and brachytherapy in 3T MRI scanner. The opto-electronic sensing system design was minimized to fit inside an MRI-compatible robot controller enclosure. A flexure mechanism was designed that integrates the FPI sensor fiber for measuring needle insertion force, and finite element analysis was performed for optimizing the correct force-deformation relationship. The compact, low-cost FPI sensing system was integrated into the robot and calibration was conducted. The root mean square (RMS) error of the calibration among the range of 0–10 Newton was 0.318 Newton comparing to the theoretical model which has been proven sufficient for robot control and teleoperation. PMID:25126153

Generative embedding for model-based classification of fMRI data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kay H Brodersen

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Decoding models, such as those underlying multivariate classification algorithms, have been increasingly used to infer cognitive or clinical brain states from measures of brain activity obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. The practicality of current classifiers, however, is restricted by two major challenges. First, due to the high data dimensionality and low sample size, algorithms struggle to separate informative from uninformative features, resulting in poor generalization performance. Second, popular discriminative methods such as support vector machines (SVMs rarely afford mechanistic interpretability. In this paper, we address these issues by proposing a novel generative-embedding approach that incorporates neurobiologically interpretable generative models into discriminative classifiers. Our approach extends previous work on trial-by-trial classification for electrophysiological recordings to subject-by-subject classification for fMRI and offers two key advantages over conventional methods: it may provide more accurate predictions by exploiting discriminative information encoded in 'hidden' physiological quantities such as synaptic connection strengths; and it affords mechanistic interpretability of clinical classifications. Here, we introduce generative embedding for fMRI using a combination of dynamic causal models (DCMs and SVMs. We propose a general procedure of DCM-based generative embedding for subject-wise classification, provide a concrete implementation, and suggest good-practice guidelines for unbiased application of generative embedding in the context of fMRI. We illustrate the utility of our approach by a clinical example in which we classify moderately aphasic patients and healthy controls using a DCM of thalamo-temporal regions during speech processing. Generative embedding achieves a near-perfect balanced classification accuracy of 98% and significantly outperforms conventional activation-based and

Jet quenching in a strongly coupled anisotropic plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Chernicoff, Mariano; Fernández, Daniel; Mateos, David; Trancanelli, Diego

2012-08-01

The jet quenching parameter of an anisotropic plasma depends on the relative orientation between the anisotropic direction, the direction of motion of the parton, and the direction along which the momentum broadening is measured. We calculate the jet quenching parameter of an anisotropic, strongly coupled {N} = 4 plasma by means of its gravity dual. We present the results for arbitrary orientations and arbitrary values of the anisotropy. The anisotropic value can be larger or smaller than the isotropic one, and this depends on whether the comparison is made at equal temperatures or at equal entropy densities. We compare our results to analogous calculations for the real-world quark-gluon plasma and find agreement in some cases and disagreement in others.

Converting from CT- to MRI-only-based target definition in radiotherapy of localized prostate cancer: A comparison between two modalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Seppälä, Tiina; Visapää, Harri; Collan, Juhani; Kapanen, Mika; Beule, Annette; Kouri, Mauri; Tenhunen, Mikko; Saarilahti, Kauko

2015-11-01

To investigate the conversion of prostate cancer radiotherapy (RT) target definition from CT-based planning into an MRI-only-based planning procedure. Using the CT- and MRI-only-based RT planning protocols, 30 prostate cancer patients were imaged in the RT fixation position. Two physicians delineated the prostate in both CT and T2-weighted MRI images. The CT and MRI images were coregistered based on gold seeds and anatomic borders of the prostate. The uncertainty of the coregistration, as well as differences in target volumes and uncertainty of contour delineation were investigated. Conversion of margins and dose constraints from CT- to MRI-only-based treatment planning was assessed. On average, the uncertainty of image coregistration was 0.4 ± 0.5 mm (one standard deviation, SD), 0.9 ± 0.8 mm and 0.9 ± 0.9 mm in the lateral, anterior-posterior and base-apex direction, respectively. The average ratio of the prostate volume between CT and MRI was 1.20 ± 0.15 (one SD). Compared to the CT-based contours, the MRI-based contours were on average 2-7 mm smaller in the apex, 0-1 mm smaller in the rectal direction and 1-4 mm smaller elsewhere. When converting from a CT-based planning procedure to an MRI-based one, the overall planning target volumes (PTV) are prominently reduced only in the apex. The prostate margins and dose constraints can be retained by this conversion.

Development and validation of an MRI reference criterion for defining a positive SIJ MRI in spondyloarthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weber, Ulrich; Zubler, Veronika; Pedersen, Susanne J

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To validate an MRI reference criterion for a positive SIJ MRI based on the level of confidence in classification of spondyloarthritis (SpA) by expert MRI readers. METHODS: Four readers assessed SIJ MRI in two inception cohorts (A/B) of 157 consecutive back pain patients ≤50 years, and ...... using two inception cohorts and comparing clinical and MRI-based classification supports the case for including both erosion and BME to define a positive SIJ MRI for the classification of axial SpA. © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.......OBJECTIVE: To validate an MRI reference criterion for a positive SIJ MRI based on the level of confidence in classification of spondyloarthritis (SpA) by expert MRI readers. METHODS: Four readers assessed SIJ MRI in two inception cohorts (A/B) of 157 consecutive back pain patients ≤50 years......, and in 20 healthy controls. Patients were classified according to clinical examination and pelvic radiography as having non-radiographic axial SpA (n=51), ankylosing spondylitis (n=34), or non-specific back pain (n=72). Readers recorded their level of confidence in the classification of SpA on a 0-10 scale...

Anisotropic solutions by gravitational decoupling

Science.gov (United States)

Ovalle, J.; Casadio, R.; da Rocha, R.; Sotomayor, A.

2018-02-01

We investigate the extension of isotropic interior solutions for static self-gravitating systems to include the effects of anisotropic spherically symmetric gravitational sources by means of the gravitational decoupling realised via the minimal geometric deformation approach. In particular, the matching conditions at the surface of the star with the outer Schwarzschild space-time are studied in great detail, and we describe how to generate, from a single physically acceptable isotropic solution, new families of anisotropic solutions whose physical acceptability is also inherited from their isotropic parent.

Anisotropic solutions by gravitational decoupling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ovalle, J. [Silesian University in Opava, Institute of Physics and Research Centre of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Philosophy and Science, Opava (Czech Republic); Universidad Simon Bolivar, Departamento de Fisica, Caracas (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Casadio, R. [Alma Mater Universita di Bologna, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Bologna (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Bologna (Italy); Rocha, R. da [Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), Centro de Matematica, Computacao e Cognicao, Santo Andre, SP (Brazil); Sotomayor, A. [Universidad de Antofagasta, Departamento de Matematicas, Antofagasta (Chile)

2018-02-15

We investigate the extension of isotropic interior solutions for static self-gravitating systems to include the effects of anisotropic spherically symmetric gravitational sources by means of the gravitational decoupling realised via the minimal geometric deformation approach. In particular, the matching conditions at the surface of the star with the outer Schwarzschild space-time are studied in great detail, and we describe how to generate, from a single physically acceptable isotropic solution, new families of anisotropic solutions whose physical acceptability is also inherited from their isotropic parent. (orig.)

Patch-based anisotropic diffusion scheme for fluorescence diffuse optical tomography—part 1: technical principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correia, Teresa; Arridge, Simon

2016-01-01

Fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (fDOT) provides 3D images of fluorescence distributions in biological tissue, which represent molecular and cellular processes. The image reconstruction problem is highly ill-posed and requires regularisation techniques to stabilise and find meaningful solutions. Quadratic regularisation tends to either oversmooth or generate very noisy reconstructions, depending on the regularisation strength. Edge preserving methods, such as anisotropic diffusion regularisation (AD), can preserve important features in the fluorescence image and smooth out noise. However, AD has limited ability to distinguish an edge from noise. In this two-part paper, we propose a patch-based anisotropic diffusion regularisation (PAD), where regularisation strength is determined by a weighted average according to the similarity between patches around voxels within a search window, instead of a simple local neighbourhood strategy. However, this method has higher computational complexity and, hence, we wavelet compress the patches (PAD-WT) to speed it up, while simultaneously taking advantage of the denoising properties of wavelet thresholding. The proposed method combines the nonlocal means (NLM), AD and wavelet shrinkage methods, which are image processing methods. Therefore, in this first paper, we used a denoising test problem to analyse the performance of the new method. Our results show that the proposed PAD-WT method provides better results than the AD or NLM methods alone. The efficacy of the method for fDOT image reconstruction problem is evaluated in part 2. (paper)

Jets in a strongly coupled anisotropic plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fadafan, Kazem Bitaghsir [Shahrood University of Technology, Faculty of Physics, Shahrood (Iran, Islamic Republic of); University of Southampton, STAG Research Centre Physics and Astronomy, Southampton (United Kingdom); Morad, Razieh [University of Cape Town, Department of Physics, Rondebosch (South Africa)

2018-01-15

In this paper, we study the dynamics of the light quark jet moving through the static, strongly coupled N = 4, anisotropic plasma with and without charge. The light quark is presented by a 2-parameters point-like initial condition falling string in the context of the AdS/CFT. We calculate the stopping distance of the light quark in the anisotropic medium and compare it with its isotropic value. We study the dependency of the stopping distance to the both string initial conditions and background parameters such as anisotropy parameter or chemical potential. Although the typical behavior of the string in the anisotropic medium is similar to the one in the isotropic AdS-Sch background, the string falls faster to the horizon depending on the direction of moving. Particularly, the enhancement of quenching is larger in the beam direction. We find that the suppression of stopping distance is more prominent when the anisotropic plasma have the same temperature as the isotropic plasma. (orig.)

Effective wavefield extrapolation in anisotropic media: Accounting for resolvable anisotropy

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2014-04-30

Spectral methods provide artefact-free and generally dispersion-free wavefield extrapolation in anisotropic media. Their apparent weakness is in accessing the medium-inhomogeneity information in an efficient manner. This is usually handled through a velocity-weighted summation (interpolation) of representative constant-velocity extrapolated wavefields, with the number of these extrapolations controlled by the effective rank of the original mixed-domain operator or, more specifically, by the complexity of the velocity model. Conversely, with pseudo-spectral methods, because only the space derivatives are handled in the wavenumber domain, we obtain relatively efficient access to the inhomogeneity in isotropic media, but we often resort to weak approximations to handle the anisotropy efficiently. Utilizing perturbation theory, I isolate the contribution of anisotropy to the wavefield extrapolation process. This allows us to factorize as much of the inhomogeneity in the anisotropic parameters as possible out of the spectral implementation, yielding effectively a pseudo-spectral formulation. This is particularly true if the inhomogeneity of the dimensionless anisotropic parameters are mild compared with the velocity (i.e., factorized anisotropic media). I improve on the accuracy by using the Shanks transformation to incorporate a denominator in the expansion that predicts the higher-order omitted terms; thus, we deal with fewer terms for a high level of accuracy. In fact, when we use this new separation-based implementation, the anisotropy correction to the extrapolation can be applied separately as a residual operation, which provides a tool for anisotropic parameter sensitivity analysis. The accuracy of the approximation is high, as demonstrated in a complex tilted transversely isotropic model. © 2014 European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers.

Effective wavefield extrapolation in anisotropic media: Accounting for resolvable anisotropy

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2014-01-01

Spectral methods provide artefact-free and generally dispersion-free wavefield extrapolation in anisotropic media. Their apparent weakness is in accessing the medium-inhomogeneity information in an efficient manner. This is usually handled through a velocity-weighted summation (interpolation) of representative constant-velocity extrapolated wavefields, with the number of these extrapolations controlled by the effective rank of the original mixed-domain operator or, more specifically, by the complexity of the velocity model. Conversely, with pseudo-spectral methods, because only the space derivatives are handled in the wavenumber domain, we obtain relatively efficient access to the inhomogeneity in isotropic media, but we often resort to weak approximations to handle the anisotropy efficiently. Utilizing perturbation theory, I isolate the contribution of anisotropy to the wavefield extrapolation process. This allows us to factorize as much of the inhomogeneity in the anisotropic parameters as possible out of the spectral implementation, yielding effectively a pseudo-spectral formulation. This is particularly true if the inhomogeneity of the dimensionless anisotropic parameters are mild compared with the velocity (i.e., factorized anisotropic media). I improve on the accuracy by using the Shanks transformation to incorporate a denominator in the expansion that predicts the higher-order omitted terms; thus, we deal with fewer terms for a high level of accuracy. In fact, when we use this new separation-based implementation, the anisotropy correction to the extrapolation can be applied separately as a residual operation, which provides a tool for anisotropic parameter sensitivity analysis. The accuracy of the approximation is high, as demonstrated in a complex tilted transversely isotropic model. © 2014 European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers.

A urinary biomarker-based risk score correlates with multiparametric MRI for prostate cancer detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendriks, Rianne J; van der Leest, Marloes M G; Dijkstra, Siebren; Barentsz, Jelle O; Van Criekinge, Wim; Hulsbergen-van de Kaa, Christina A; Schalken, Jack A; Mulders, Peter F A; van Oort, Inge M

2017-10-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnostics would greatly benefit from more accurate, non-invasive techniques for the detection of clinically significant disease, leading to a reduction of over-diagnosis and over-treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the association between a novel urinary biomarker-based risk score (SelectMDx), multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) outcomes, and biopsy results for PCa detection. This retrospective observational study used data from the validation study of the SelectMDx score, in which urine was collected after digital rectal examination from men undergoing prostate biopsies. A subset of these patients also underwent a mpMRI scan of the prostate. The indications for performing mpMRI were based on persistent clinical suspicion of PCa or local staging after PCa was found upon biopsy. All mpMRI images were centrally reviewed in 2016 by an experienced radiologist blinded for the urine test results and biopsy outcome. The PI-RADS version 2 was used. In total, 172 patients were included for analysis. Hundred (58%) patients had PCa detected upon prostate biopsy, of which 52 (52%) had high-grade disease correlated with a significantly higher SelectMDx score (P < 0.01). The median SelectMDx score was significantly higher in patients with a suspicious significant lesion on mpMRI compared to no suspicion of significant PCa (P < 0.01). For the prediction of mpMRI outcome, the area-under-the-curve of SelectMDx was 0.83 compared to 0.66 for PSA and 0.65 for PCA3. There was a positive association between SelectMDx score and the final PI-RADS grade. There was a statistically significant difference in SelectMDx score between PI-RADS 3 and 4 (P < 0.01) and between PI-RADS 4 and 5 (P < 0.01). The novel urinary biomarker-based SelectMDx score is a promising tool in PCa detection. This study showed promising results regarding the correlation between the SelectMDx score and mpMRI outcomes, outperforming PCA3. Our results suggest that this risk

MU-SYNTHESIS BASED ACTIVE ROBUST VIBRATION CONTROL OF AN MRI INLET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atta Oveisi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a robust control technique based on μ-synthesis is employed in order to investigate the vibration control of a funnel-shaped structure that is used as the inlet of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI device. MRI devices are widely subjected to the vibration of the magnetic gradient coil which then propagates to acoustic noise and leads to a series of clinical and mechanical problems. In order to address this issue and as a part of noise cancellation study in MRI devices, distributed piezo-transducers are bounded on the top surface of the funnel as functional sensor/actuator modules. Then, a reduced order linear time-invariant (LTI model of the piezolaminated structure in the state-space representation is estimated by means of a predictive error minimization (PEM algorithm as a subspace identification method based on the trust-region-reflective technique. The reduced order model is expanded by the introduction of appropriate frequency-dependent weighting functions that address the unmodeled dynamics and the augmented multiplicative modeling uncertainties of the system. Then, the standard D-K iteration algorithm as an output-feedback control method is used based on the nominal model with the subordinate uncertainty elements from the previous step. Finally, the proposed control system implemented experimentally on the real structure is to evaluate the robust vibration attenuation performance of the closed-loop system.

Tablet-Based Functional MRI of the Trail Making Test: Effect of Tablet Interaction Mode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahta Karimpoor

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The Trail Making Test (TMT is widely used for assessing executive function, frontal lobe abilities, and visual motor skills. Part A of this pen-and-paper test (TMT-A involves linking numbers randomly distributed in space, in ascending order. Part B (TMT-B alternates between linking numbers and letters. TMT-B is more demanding than TMT-A, but the mental processing that supports the performance of this test remains incompletely understood. Functional MRI (fMRI may help to clarify the relationship between TMT performance and brain activity, but providing an environment that supports real-world pen-and-paper interactions during fMRI is challenging. Previously, an fMRI-compatible tablet system was developed for writing and drawing with two modes of interaction: the original cursor-based, proprioceptive approach, and a new mode involving augmented reality to provide visual feedback of hand position (VFHP for enhanced user interaction. This study characterizes the use of the tablet during fMRI of young healthy adults (n = 22, with half of the subjects performing TMT with VFHP and the other half performing TMT without VFHP. Activation maps for both TMT-A and TMT-B performance showed considerable overlap between the two tablet modes, and no statistically differences in brain activity were detected when contrasting TMT-B vs. TMT-A for the two tablet modes. Behavioral results also showed no statistically different interaction effects for TMT-B vs. TMT-A for the two tablet modes. Tablet-based TMT scores showed reasonable convergent validity with those obtained by administering the standard pen-and-paper TMT to the same subjects. Overall, the results suggest that despite the slightly different mechanisms involved for the two modes of tablet interaction, both are suitable for use in fMRI studies involving TMT performance. This study provides information for using tablet-based TMT methods appropriately in future fMRI studies involving patients and healthy

Wavelet-based de-noising algorithm for images acquired with parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delakis, Ioannis; Hammad, Omer; Kitney, Richard I

2007-01-01

Wavelet-based de-noising has been shown to improve image signal-to-noise ratio in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) while maintaining spatial resolution. Wavelet-based de-noising techniques typically implemented in MRI require that noise displays uniform spatial distribution. However, images acquired with parallel MRI have spatially varying noise levels. In this work, a new algorithm for filtering images with parallel MRI is presented. The proposed algorithm extracts the edges from the original image and then generates a noise map from the wavelet coefficients at finer scales. The noise map is zeroed at locations where edges have been detected and directional analysis is also used to calculate noise in regions of low-contrast edges that may not have been detected. The new methodology was applied on phantom and brain images and compared with other applicable de-noising techniques. The performance of the proposed algorithm was shown to be comparable with other techniques in central areas of the images, where noise levels are high. In addition, finer details and edges were maintained in peripheral areas, where noise levels are low. The proposed methodology is fully automated and can be applied on final reconstructed images without requiring sensitivity profiles or noise matrices of the receiver coils, therefore making it suitable for implementation in a clinical MRI setting

SU-G-JeP2-14: MRI-Based HDR Prostate Brachytherapy: A Phantom Study for Interstitial Catheter Reconstruction with 0.35T MRI Images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, S; Kamrava, M; Yang, Y

2016-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of interstitial catheter reconstruction with 0.35T MRI images for MRI-based HDR prostate brachytherapy. Methods: Recently, a real-time MRI-guided radiotherapy system combining a 0.35T MRI system and three cobalt 60 heads (MRIdian System, ViewRay, Cleveland, OH, USA) was installed in our department. A TrueFISP sequence for MRI acquisition at lower field on Viewray was chosen due to its fast speed and high signal-to-noise efficiency. Interstitial FlexiGuide needles were implanted into a tissue equivalent ultrasound prostate phantom (CIRS, Norfolk, Virginia, USA). After an initial 15s pilot MRI to confirm the location of the phantom, planning MRI was acquired with a 172s TrueFISP sequence. The pulse sequence parameters included: flip angle = 60 degree, echo time (TE) =1.45 ms, repetition time (TR) = 3.37 ms, slice thickness = 1.5 mm, field of view (FOV) =500 × 450mm. For a reference image, a CT scan was followed. The CT and MR scans were then fused with the MIM Maestro (MIM software Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA) and sent to the Oncentra Brachy planning system (Elekta, Veenendaal, Netherlands). Automatic catheter reconstruction using CT and MR image intensities followed by manual reconstruction was used to digitize catheters. The accuracy of catheter reconstruction was evaluated from the catheter tip location. Results: The average difference between the catheter tip locations reconstructed from the CT and MR in the transverse, anteroposterior, and craniocaudal directions was −0.1 ± 0.1 mm (left), 0.2 ± 0.2 mm (anterior), and −2.3 ± 0.5 mm (cranio). The average distance in 3D was 2.3 mm ± 0.5 mm. Conclusion: This feasibility study proved that interstitial catheters can be reconstructed with 0.35T MRI images. For more accurate catheter reconstruction which can affect final dose distribution, a systematic shift should be applied to the MR based catheter reconstruction in HDR prostate brachytherapy.

Many-dimensional anisotropic anharmonic oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turbiner, A.V.

1987-01-01

Precision calculation of energies of several first states at d=2 and first 17 states at d=3 has been performed within the framework of a unique method based on ''nonlinearization'' method for d-dimension anisotropic an harmonic oscillator. Spectrum behaviour within the limit d → ∞ has been investigated and problems of the given approach accuracy have been studied. For the first time properties of nodal surfaces of the given task have been investigated. Routine perturbation theory in degrees of a perturbation parameter has been constructed for several first states

AN/FSY-3 Space Fence System – Sensor Site One/Operations Center Integration Status and Sensor Site Two Planned Capability

Science.gov (United States)

Fonder, G. P.; Hack, P. J.; Hughes, M. R.

This paper covers two topics related to Space Fence System development: Sensor Site One / Operations Center construction and integration status including risk reduction integration and test efforts at the Moorestown, NJ Integrated Test Bed (ITB); and the planned capability of Sensor Site Two. The AN/FSY-3 Space Fence System is a ground-based system of S-band radars integrated with an Operations Center designed to greatly enhance the Air Force Space Surveillance network. The radar architecture is based on Digital Beam-forming. This capability permits tremendous user-defined flexibility to customize volume surveillance and track sectors instantaneously without impacting routine surveillance functions. Space Fence provides unprecedented sensitivity, coverage and tracking accuracy, and contributes to key mission threads with the ability to detect, track and catalog small objects in LEO, MEO and GEO. The system is net-centric and will seamlessly integrate into the existing Space Surveillance Network, providing services to external users—such as JSpOC—and coordinating handoffs to other SSN sites. Sensor Site One construction on the Kwajalein Atoll is in progress and nearing completion. The Operations Center in Huntsville, Alabama has been configured and will be integrated with Sensor Site One in the coming months. System hardware, firmware, and software is undergoing integration testing at the Mooretown, NJ ITB and will be deployed at Sensor Site One and the Operations Center. The preliminary design for Sensor Site Two is complete and will provide critical coverage, timeliness, and operational flexibility to the overall system.

Wireless energy transfer between anisotropic metamaterials shells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Díaz-Rubio, Ana; Carbonell, Jorge; Sánchez-Dehesa, José, E-mail: jsdehesa@upv.es

2014-06-15

The behavior of strongly coupled Radial Photonic Crystals shells is investigated as a potential alternative to transfer electromagnetic energy wirelessly. These sub-wavelength resonant microstructures, which are based on anisotropic metamaterials, can produce efficient coupling phenomena due to their high quality factor. A configuration of selected constitutive parameters (permittivity and permeability) is analyzed in terms of its resonant characteristics. The coupling to loss ratio between two coupled resonators is calculated as a function of distance, the maximum (in excess of 300) is obtained when the shells are separated by three times their radius. Under practical conditions an 83% of maximum power transfer has been also estimated. -- Highlights: •Anisotropic metamaterial shells exhibit high quality factors and sub-wavelength size. •Exchange of electromagnetic energy between shells with high efficiency is analyzed. •Strong coupling is supported with high wireless transfer efficiency. •End-to-end energy transfer efficiencies higher than 83% can be predicted.

Wireless energy transfer between anisotropic metamaterials shells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Díaz-Rubio, Ana; Carbonell, Jorge; Sánchez-Dehesa, José

2014-01-01

The behavior of strongly coupled Radial Photonic Crystals shells is investigated as a potential alternative to transfer electromagnetic energy wirelessly. These sub-wavelength resonant microstructures, which are based on anisotropic metamaterials, can produce efficient coupling phenomena due to their high quality factor. A configuration of selected constitutive parameters (permittivity and permeability) is analyzed in terms of its resonant characteristics. The coupling to loss ratio between two coupled resonators is calculated as a function of distance, the maximum (in excess of 300) is obtained when the shells are separated by three times their radius. Under practical conditions an 83% of maximum power transfer has been also estimated. -- Highlights: •Anisotropic metamaterial shells exhibit high quality factors and sub-wavelength size. •Exchange of electromagnetic energy between shells with high efficiency is analyzed. •Strong coupling is supported with high wireless transfer efficiency. •End-to-end energy transfer efficiencies higher than 83% can be predicted

Anisotropic plastic deformation by viscous flow in ion tracks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dillen, T; Polman, A; Onck, PR; van der Giessen, E

2005-01-01

A model describing the origin of ion beam-induced anisotropic plastic deformation is derived and discussed. It is based on a viscoelastic thermal spike model for viscous flow in single ion tracks derived by Trinkaus and Ryazanov. Deviatoric (shear) stresses, brought about by the rapid thermal

Multivariate statistical analysis of electron energy-loss spectroscopy in anisotropic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Xuerang; Sun Yuekui; Yuan Jun

2008-01-01

Recently, an expression has been developed to take into account the complex dependence of the fine structure in core-level electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in anisotropic materials on specimen orientation and spectral collection conditions [Y. Sun, J. Yuan, Phys. Rev. B 71 (2005) 125109]. One application of this expression is the development of a phenomenological theory of magic-angle electron energy-loss spectroscopy (MAEELS), which can be used to extract the isotropically averaged spectral information for materials with arbitrary anisotropy. Here we use this expression to extract not only the isotropically averaged spectral information, but also the anisotropic spectral components, without the restriction of MAEELS. The application is based on a multivariate statistical analysis of core-level EELS for anisotropic materials. To demonstrate the applicability of this approach, we have conducted a study on a set of carbon K-edge spectra of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) acquired with energy-loss spectroscopic profiling (ELSP) technique and successfully extracted both the averaged and dichroic spectral components of the wrapped graphite-like sheets. Our result shows that this can be a practical alternative to MAEELS for the study of electronic structure of anisotropic materials, in particular for those nanostructures made of layered materials

Contrast enhancement by lipid-based MRI contrast agents in mouse atherosclerotic plaques; a longitudinal study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

den Adel, Brigit; van der Graaf, Linda M.; Que, Ivo; Strijkers, Gustav J.; Löwik, Clemens W.; Poelmann, Robert E.; van der Weerd, Louise

2013-01-01

The use of contrast-enhanced MRI to enable in vivo specific characterization of atherosclerotic plaques is increasing. In this study the intrinsic ability of two differently sized gadolinium-based contrast agents to enhance atherosclerotic plaques in ApoE(-/-) mice was evaluated with MRI. We

Anisotropic power spectrum of refractive-index fluctuation in hypersonic turbulence.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiangting; Yang, Shaofei; Guo, Lixin; Cheng, Mingjian

2016-11-10

An anisotropic power spectrum of the refractive-index fluctuation in hypersonic turbulence was obtained by processing the experimental image of the hypersonic plasma sheath and transforming the generalized anisotropic von Kármán spectrum. The power spectrum suggested here can provide as good a fit to measured spectrum data for hypersonic turbulence as that recorded from the nano-planar laser scattering image. Based on the newfound anisotropic hypersonic turbulence power spectrum, Rytov approximation was employed to establish the wave structure function and the spatial coherence radius model of electromagnetic beam propagation in hypersonic turbulence. Enhancing the anisotropy characteristics of the hypersonic turbulence led to a significant improvement in the propagation performance of electromagnetic beams in hypersonic plasma sheath. The influence of hypersonic turbulence on electromagnetic beams increases with the increase of variance of the refractive-index fluctuation and the decrease of turbulence outer scale and anisotropy parameters. The spatial coherence radius was much smaller than that in atmospheric turbulence. These results are fundamental to understanding electromagnetic wave propagation in hypersonic turbulence.

Generalized Fractional Derivative Anisotropic Viscoelastic Characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harry H. Hilton

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Isotropic linear and nonlinear fractional derivative constitutive relations are formulated and examined in terms of many parameter generalized Kelvin models and are analytically extended to cover general anisotropic homogeneous or non-homogeneous as well as functionally graded viscoelastic material behavior. Equivalent integral constitutive relations, which are computationally more powerful, are derived from fractional differential ones and the associated anisotropic temperature-moisture-degree-of-cure shift functions and reduced times are established. Approximate Fourier transform inversions for fractional derivative relations are formulated and their accuracy is evaluated. The efficacy of integer and fractional derivative constitutive relations is compared and the preferential use of either characterization in analyzing isotropic and anisotropic real materials must be examined on a case-by-case basis. Approximate protocols for curve fitting analytical fractional derivative results to experimental data are formulated and evaluated.

Linearly polarized photoluminescence of anisotropically strained c-plane GaN layers on stripe-shaped cavity-engineered sapphire substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jongmyeong; Moon, Daeyoung; Lee, Seungmin; Lee, Donghyun; Yang, Duyoung; Jang, Jeonghwan; Park, Yongjo; Yoon, Euijoon

2018-05-01

Anisotropic in-plane strain and resultant linearly polarized photoluminescence (PL) of c-plane GaN layers were realized by using a stripe-shaped cavity-engineered sapphire substrate (SCES). High resolution X-ray reciprocal space mapping measurements revealed that the GaN layers on the SCES were under significant anisotropic in-plane strain of -0.0140% and -0.1351% along the directions perpendicular and parallel to the stripe pattern, respectively. The anisotropic in-plane strain in the GaN layers was attributed to the anisotropic strain relaxation due to the anisotropic arrangement of cavity-incorporated membranes. Linearly polarized PL behavior such as the observed angle-dependent shift in PL peak position and intensity comparable with the calculated value based on k.p perturbation theory. It was found that the polarized PL behavior was attributed to the modification of valence band structures induced by anisotropic in-plane strain in the GaN layers on the SCES.

Tunnelling anisotropic magnetoresistance due to antiferromagnetic CoO tunnel barriers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, Kai; Sanderink, Johannes G.M.; Bolhuis, Thijs; van der Wiel, Wilfred Gerard; de Jong, Machiel Pieter

2015-01-01

A new approach in spintronics is based on spin-polarized charge transport phenomena governed by antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach for AFM metals and semiconductors. We report tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) due to the

Electromagnetism on anisotropic fractal media

Science.gov (United States)

Ostoja-Starzewski, Martin

2013-04-01

Basic equations of electromagnetic fields in anisotropic fractal media are obtained using a dimensional regularization approach. First, a formulation based on product measures is shown to satisfy the four basic identities of the vector calculus. This allows a generalization of the Green-Gauss and Stokes theorems as well as the charge conservation equation on anisotropic fractals. Then, pursuing the conceptual approach, we derive the Faraday and Ampère laws for such fractal media, which, along with two auxiliary null-divergence conditions, effectively give the modified Maxwell equations. Proceeding on a separate track, we employ a variational principle for electromagnetic fields, appropriately adapted to fractal media, so as to independently derive the same forms of these two laws. It is next found that the parabolic (for a conducting medium) and the hyperbolic (for a dielectric medium) equations involve modified gradient operators, while the Poynting vector has the same form as in the non-fractal case. Finally, Maxwell's electromagnetic stress tensor is reformulated for fractal systems. In all the cases, the derived equations for fractal media depend explicitly on fractal dimensions in three different directions and reduce to conventional forms for continuous media with Euclidean geometries upon setting these each of dimensions equal to unity.

Waves and discontinuities in relativistic and anisotropic magnetohydrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cissoko, Mahdy

1975-01-01

This work is devoted to the relativistic study of a non-dissipative anisotropic fluid diagram of infinite conductivity. Such a fluid diagram is constructed in part one. Starting from a macroscopic viewpoint a hydrothermodynamic study of the fluid diagram considered is carried out and the fundamental differential system of anisotropic magnetohydrodynamics is deduced. Part two concerns the study of characteristic varieties and propagation of waves for a polytropic anisotropic fluid diagram. Three types of characteristic varieties are revealed: entropy waves (or material waves), magnetosonic waves and Alfven waves. The propagation rates of Alfven and magnetosonic waves are situated with respect to each other. The study of wave cones showed up on the one hand certain special features of wave propagation in anisotropic magnetohydrodynamics and on the other hand the hyperbolic nature of differential operators associated with the various waves [fr

Anisotropic interpolation theorems of Musielak-Orlicz type

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinxia Li

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Anisotropy is a common attribute of Nature, which shows different characterizations in different directions of all or part of the physical or chemical properties of an object. The anisotropic property, in mathematics, can be expressed by a fairly general discrete group of dilations { A k : k ∈ Z } $\\{A^{k}: k\\in\\mathbb{Z}\\}$ , where A is a real n × n $n\\times n$ matrix with all its eigenvalues λ satisfy | λ | > 1 $|\\lambda|>1$ . Let φ : R n × [ 0 , ∞ → [ 0 , ∞ $\\varphi: \\mathbb{R}^{n}\\times[0, \\infty\\to[0,\\infty$ be an anisotropic Musielak-Orlicz function such that φ ( x , ⋅ $\\varphi(x,\\cdot$ is an Orlicz function and φ ( ⋅ , t $\\varphi(\\cdot,t$ is a Muckenhoupt A ∞ ( A $\\mathbb {A}_{\\infty}(A$ weight. The aim of this article is to obtain two anisotropic interpolation theorems of Musielak-Orlicz type, which are weighted anisotropic extension of Marcinkiewicz interpolation theorems. The above results are new even for the isotropic weighted settings.

Methods for high-resolution anisotropic finite element modeling of the human head: automatic MR white matter anisotropy-adaptive mesh generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Won Hee; Kim, Tae-Seong

2012-01-01

This study proposes an advanced finite element (FE) head modeling technique through which high-resolution FE meshes adaptive to the degree of tissue anisotropy can be generated. Our adaptive meshing scheme (called wMesh) uses MRI structural information and fractional anisotropy maps derived from diffusion tensors in the FE mesh generation process, optimally reflecting electrical properties of the human brain. We examined the characteristics of the wMeshes through various qualitative and quantitative comparisons to the conventional FE regular-sized meshes that are non-adaptive to the degree of white matter anisotropy. We investigated numerical differences in the FE forward solutions that include the electrical potential and current density generated by current sources in the brain. The quantitative difference was calculated by two statistical measures of relative difference measure (RDM) and magnification factor (MAG). The results show that the wMeshes are adaptive to the anisotropic density of the WM anisotropy, and they better reflect the density and directionality of tissue conductivity anisotropy. Our comparison results between various anisotropic regular mesh and wMesh models show that there are substantial differences in the EEG forward solutions in the brain (up to RDM=0.48 and MAG=0.63 in the electrical potential, and RDM=0.65 and MAG=0.52 in the current density). Our analysis results indicate that the wMeshes produce different forward solutions that are different from the conventional regular meshes. We present some results that the wMesh head modeling approach enhances the sensitivity and accuracy of the FE solutions at the interfaces or in the regions where the anisotropic conductivities change sharply or their directional changes are complex. The fully automatic wMesh generation technique should be useful for modeling an individual-specific and high-resolution anisotropic FE head model incorporating realistic anisotropic conductivity distributions

Software-based PET-MR image coregistration: combined PET-MRI for the rest of us

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, Matthew S.; Liu, Xinyang; Vyas, Pranav K.; Safdar, Nabile M.; Plishker, William; Zaki, George F.; Shekhar, Raj

2016-01-01

With the introduction of hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI), a new imaging option to acquire multimodality images with complementary anatomical and functional information has become available. Compared with hybrid PET/computed tomography (CT), hybrid PET/MRI is capable of providing superior anatomical detail while removing the radiation exposure associated with CT. The early adoption of hybrid PET/MRI, however, has been limited. To provide a viable alternative to the hybrid PET/MRI hardware by validating a software-based solution for PET-MR image coregistration. A fully automated, graphics processing unit-accelerated 3-D deformable image registration technique was used to align PET (acquired as PET/CT) and MR image pairs of 17 patients (age range: 10 months-21 years, mean: 10 years) who underwent PET/CT and body MRI (chest, abdomen or pelvis), which were performed within a 28-day (mean: 10.5 days) interval. MRI data for most of these cases included single-station post-contrast axial T1-weighted images. Following registration, maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) values observed in coregistered PET (cPET) and the original PET were compared for 82 volumes of interest. In addition, we calculated the target registration error as a measure of the quality of image coregistration, and evaluated the algorithm's performance in the context of interexpert variability. The coregistration execution time averaged 97±45 s. The overall relative SUV max difference was 7% between cPET-MRI and PET/CT. The average target registration error was 10.7±6.6 mm, which compared favorably with the typical voxel size (diagonal distance) of 8.0 mm (typical resolution: 0.66 mm x 0.66 mm x 8 mm) for MRI and 6.1 mm (typical resolution: 3.65 mm x 3.65 mm x 3.27 mm) for PET. The variability in landmark identification did not show statistically significant differences between the algorithm and a typical expert. We have presented a software-based

Software-based PET-MR image coregistration: combined PET-MRI for the rest of us

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robertson, Matthew S.; Liu, Xinyang; Vyas, Pranav K.; Safdar, Nabile M. [Children' s National Health System, Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Washington, DC (United States); Plishker, William; Zaki, George F. [IGI Technologies, Inc., College Park, MD (United States); Shekhar, Raj [Children' s National Health System, Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Washington, DC (United States); IGI Technologies, Inc., College Park, MD (United States)

2016-10-15

With the introduction of hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI), a new imaging option to acquire multimodality images with complementary anatomical and functional information has become available. Compared with hybrid PET/computed tomography (CT), hybrid PET/MRI is capable of providing superior anatomical detail while removing the radiation exposure associated with CT. The early adoption of hybrid PET/MRI, however, has been limited. To provide a viable alternative to the hybrid PET/MRI hardware by validating a software-based solution for PET-MR image coregistration. A fully automated, graphics processing unit-accelerated 3-D deformable image registration technique was used to align PET (acquired as PET/CT) and MR image pairs of 17 patients (age range: 10 months-21 years, mean: 10 years) who underwent PET/CT and body MRI (chest, abdomen or pelvis), which were performed within a 28-day (mean: 10.5 days) interval. MRI data for most of these cases included single-station post-contrast axial T1-weighted images. Following registration, maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) values observed in coregistered PET (cPET) and the original PET were compared for 82 volumes of interest. In addition, we calculated the target registration error as a measure of the quality of image coregistration, and evaluated the algorithm's performance in the context of interexpert variability. The coregistration execution time averaged 97±45 s. The overall relative SUV{sub max} difference was 7% between cPET-MRI and PET/CT. The average target registration error was 10.7±6.6 mm, which compared favorably with the typical voxel size (diagonal distance) of 8.0 mm (typical resolution: 0.66 mm x 0.66 mm x 8 mm) for MRI and 6.1 mm (typical resolution: 3.65 mm x 3.65 mm x 3.27 mm) for PET. The variability in landmark identification did not show statistically significant differences between the algorithm and a typical expert. We have presented a software-based

MRI-based anatomical landmarks for the identification of thoracic vertebral levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connor, S.E.J.; Shah, A.; Latifoltojar, H.; Lung, P.

2013-01-01

Aim: To identify soft-tissue and bony anatomical landmarks on dedicated thoracic spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to assess their detectability, reproducibility, and accuracy in predicting specific thoracic vertebral levels. Materials and methods: One hundred dedicated thoracic MRI studies were retrospectively analysed by two radiologists independently. Ten bone and soft-tissue landmarks were localized to the adjacent vertebral level. The true numerical thoracic vertebral level was subsequently determined and recorded by cross referencing with a sagittal cervico-thoracic “counting scan”. Results: Six landmarks were defined in ≥98% cases; however, there was a low interobserver percentage agreement for the defined vertebral levels (>70% for only one landmark). The most useful landmark for defining a specific vertebral level was the most superior rib (98% detection, 95% interobserver agreement, 98% at a single vertebral level, 0.07 SD). Eight landmarks localized to a specific thoracic segment in only 16–44% of cases, with a standard deviation of >0.5 vertebral levels and with a range which was greater than four vertebral levels. Conclusion: The C2 vertebra must be identified and cross referenced to the dedicated thoracic spine MRI, as other MRI-based anatomical landmarks are unreliable in determining the correct thoracic vertebral level

Stability conditions for the Bianchi type II anisotropically inflating universes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kao, W.F.; Lin, Ing-Chen

2009-01-01

Stability conditions for a class of anisotropically inflating solutions in the Bianchi type II background space are shown explicitly in this paper. These inflating solutions were known to break the cosmic no-hair theorem such that they do not approach the de Sitter universe at large times. It can be shown that unstable modes of the anisotropic perturbations always exist for this class of expanding solutions. As a result, we show that these set of anisotropically expanding solutions are unstable against anisotropic perturbations in the Bianchi type II space

Clinically viable magnetic poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) particles for MRI-based cell tracking

Science.gov (United States)

Granot, Dorit; Nkansah, Michael K.; Bennewitz, Margaret F.; Tang, Kevin S.; Markakis, Eleni A.; Shapiro, Erik M.

2013-01-01

Purpose To design, fabricate, characterize and in vivo assay clinically viable magnetic particles for MRI-based cell tracking. Methods PLGA encapsulated magnetic nano- and microparticles were fabricated. Multiple biologically relevant experiments were performed to assess cell viability, cellular performance and stem cell differentiation. In vivo MRI experiments were performed to separately test cell transplantation and cell migration paradigms, as well as in vivo biodegradation. Results Highly magnetic nano- (~100 nm) and microparticles (~1–2 μm) were fabricated. Magnetic cell labeling in culture occurred rapidly achieving 3–50 pg Fe/cell at 3 hrs for different particles types, and >100 pg Fe/cell after 10 hours, without the requirement of a transfection agent, and with no effect on cell viability. The capability of magnetically labeled mesenchymal or neural stem cells to differentiate down multiple lineages, or for magnetically labeled immune cells to release cytokines following stimulation, was uncompromised. An in vivo biodegradation study revealed that NPs degraded ~80% over the course of 12 weeks. MRI detected as few as 10 magnetically labeled cells, transplanted into the brains of rats. Also, these particles enabled the in vivo monitoring of endogenous neural progenitor cell migration in rat brains over 2 weeks. Conclusion The robust MRI properties and benign safety profile of these particles make them promising candidates for clinical translation for MRI-based cell tracking. PMID:23568825

Anisotropic hydrodynamics: Motivation and methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strickland, Michael

2014-06-15

In this proceedings contribution I review recent progress in our understanding of the bulk dynamics of relativistic systems that possess potentially large local rest frame momentum-space anisotropies. In order to deal with these momentum-space anisotropies, a reorganization of relativistic viscous hydrodynamics can be made around an anisotropic background, and the resulting dynamical framework has been dubbed “anisotropic hydrodynamics”. I also discuss expectations for the degree of momentum-space anisotropy of the quark–gluon plasma generated in relativistic heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC from second-order viscous hydrodynamics, strong-coupling approaches, and weak-coupling approaches.

A voxel-based investigation for MRI-only radiotherapy of the brain using ultra short echo times

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edmund, Jens Morgenthaler; Kjer, Hans Martin; Van Leemput, Koen

2014-01-01

including or excluding additional spatial information. Approach 3 used a statistical regression correlating MRI voxels with their corresponding CT voxels. A similar photon and proton treatment plan was generated for a target positioned between the nasal cavity and the brainstem for all patients. The CT...... receiving cranial irradiation, each containing a co-registered MRI and CT scan, were included. An ultra short echo time MRI sequence for bone visualization was used. Six methods were investigated for three popular types of voxel-based approaches; (1) threshold-based segmentation, (2) Bayesian segmentation...... significantly better than the threshold and Bayesian segmentation methods (excluding spatial information). All methods agreed significantly better with CT than a reference water MRI comparison. The mean dosimetric deviation for photons and protons compared to the CT was about 2% and highest in the gradient dose...

Assessment of shear stress related parameters in the carotid bifurcation using mouse-specific FSI simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

De Wilde, David; Trachet, Bram; Debusschere, Nic; Iannaccone, Francesco; Swillens, Abigail; Degroote, Joris; Vierendeels, Jan; De Meyer, Guido R Y; Segers, Patrick

2016-07-26

The ApoE(-)(/)(-) mouse is a common small animal model to study atherosclerosis, an inflammatory disease of the large and medium sized arteries such as the carotid artery. It is generally accepted that the wall shear stress, induced by the blood flow, plays a key role in the onset of this disease. Wall shear stress, however, is difficult to derive from direct in vivo measurements, particularly in mice. In this study, we integrated in vivo imaging (micro-Computed Tomography-µCT and ultrasound) and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) modeling for the mouse-specific assessment of carotid hemodynamics and wall shear stress. Results were provided for 8 carotid bifurcations of 4 ApoE(-)(/)(-) mice. We demonstrated that accounting for the carotid elasticity leads to more realistic flow waveforms over the complete domain of the model due to volume buffering capacity in systole. The 8 simulated cases showed fairly consistent spatial distribution maps of time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) and relative residence time (RRT). Zones with reduced TAWSS and elevated RRT, potential indicators of atherosclerosis-prone regions, were located mainly at the outer sinus of the external carotid artery. In contrast to human carotid hemodynamics, no flow recirculation could be observed in the carotid bifurcation region. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MRI-based treatment plan simulation and adaptation for ion radiotherapy using a classification-based approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rank, Christopher M; Tremmel, Christoph; Hünemohr, Nora; Nagel, Armin M; Jäkel, Oliver; Greilich, Steffen

2013-01-01

In order to benefit from the highly conformal irradiation of tumors in ion radiotherapy, sophisticated treatment planning and simulation are required. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of MRI for ion radiotherapy treatment plan simulation and adaptation using a classification-based approach. Firstly, a voxelwise tissue classification was applied to derive pseudo CT numbers from MR images using up to 8 contrasts. Appropriate MR sequences and parameters were evaluated in cross-validation studies of three phantoms. Secondly, ion radiotherapy treatment plans were optimized using both MRI-based pseudo CT and reference CT and recalculated on reference CT. Finally, a target shift was simulated and a treatment plan adapted to the shift was optimized on a pseudo CT and compared to reference CT optimizations without plan adaptation. The derivation of pseudo CT values led to mean absolute errors in the range of 81 - 95 HU. Most significant deviations appeared at borders between air and different tissue classes and originated from partial volume effects. Simulations of ion radiotherapy treatment plans using pseudo CT for optimization revealed only small underdosages in distal regions of a target volume with deviations of the mean dose of PTV between 1.4 - 3.1% compared to reference CT optimizations. A plan adapted to the target volume shift and optimized on the pseudo CT exhibited a comparable target dose coverage as a non-adapted plan optimized on a reference CT. We were able to show that a MRI-based derivation of pseudo CT values using a purely statistical classification approach is feasible although no physical relationship exists. Large errors appeared at compact bone classes and came from an imperfect distinction of bones and other tissue types in MRI. In simulations of treatment plans, it was demonstrated that these deviations are comparable to uncertainties of a target volume shift of 2 mm in two directions indicating that especially

First-principle-based full-dispersion Monte Carlo simulation of the anisotropic phonon transport in the wurtzite GaN thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Ruikang; Hu, Run, E-mail: hurun@hust.edu.cn, E-mail: luoxb@hust.edu.cn; Luo, Xiaobing, E-mail: hurun@hust.edu.cn, E-mail: luoxb@hust.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion and Thermal Packaging Laboratory, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China)

2016-04-14

In this study, we developed a first-principle-based full-dispersion Monte Carlo simulation method to study the anisotropic phonon transport in wurtzite GaN thin film. The input data of thermal properties in MC simulations were calculated based on the first-principle method. The anisotropy of thermal conductivity in bulk wurtzite GaN is found to be strengthened by isotopic scatterings and reduced temperature, and the anisotropy reaches 40.08% for natural bulk GaN at 100 K. With the GaN thin film thickness decreasing, the anisotropy of the out-of-plane thermal conductivity is heavily reduced due to both the ballistic transport and the less importance of the low-frequency phonons with anisotropic group velocities. On the contrary, it is observed that the in-plane thermal conductivity anisotropy of the GaN thin film is strengthened by reducing the film thickness. And the anisotropy reaches 35.63% when the natural GaN thin film thickness reduces to 50 nm at 300 K with the degree of specularity being zero. The anisotropy is also improved by increasing the surface roughness of the GaN thin film.

Hydrodynamic cavitation in Stokes flow of anisotropic fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Stieger, Tillmann; Agha, Hakam; Schoen, Martin; Mazza, Marco G.; Sengupta, Anupam

2017-05-01

Cavitation, the nucleation of vapour in liquids, is ubiquitous in fluid dynamics, and is often implicated in a myriad of industrial and biomedical applications. Although extensively studied in isotropic liquids, corresponding investigations in anisotropic liquids are largely lacking. Here, by combining liquid crystal microfluidic experiments, nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical arguments, we report flow-induced cavitation in an anisotropic fluid. The cavitation domain nucleates due to sudden pressure drop upon flow past a cylindrical obstacle within a microchannel. For an anisotropic fluid, the inception and growth of the cavitation domain ensued in the Stokes regime, while no cavitation was observed in isotropic liquids flowing under similar hydrodynamic parameters. Using simulations we identify a critical value of the Reynolds number for cavitation inception that scales inversely with the order parameter of the fluid. Strikingly, the critical Reynolds number for anisotropic fluids can be 50% lower than that of isotropic fluids.

2.5D inversion of CSEM data in a vertically anisotropic earth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramananjaona, Christophe; MacGregor, Lucy

2010-01-01

The marine Controlled-Source Electromagnetic (CSEM) method is a low frequency (diffusive) electromagnetic subsurface imaging technique aimed at mapping the electric resistivity of the earth by measuring the response to a source dipole emitting an electromagnetic field in a marine environment. Although assuming isotropy for the inversion is the most straightforward approach, in many situations horizontal layering of the earth strata and grain alignment within earth materials creates electric anisotropy. Ignoring this during interpretation may create artifacts in the inversion results. Accounting for this effect therefore requires adequate forward modelling and inversion procedures. We present here an inversion algorithm for vertically anisotropic media based on finite element modelling, the use of Frechet derivatives, and different types of regularisation. Comparisons between isotropic and anisotropic inversion results are given for the characterisation of an anisotropic earth from data measured in line with the source dipole for both synthetic and real data examples.

Proton therapy of uveal melanomas. Intercomparison of MRI-based and conventional treatment planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marnitz, S.; Hinkelbein, W. [Dept. of Radiooncology, Charite Univ. Medicine, Berlin (Germany); Cordini, D.; Heufelder, J.; Simiantonakis, I.; Kluge, H. [Eye Tumor Therapy, Hahn-Meitner Inst., Berlin (Germany); Bendl, R. [Dept. of Medical Physics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Lemke, A.J. [Dept. of Diagnostic Radiology, Charite Univ. Medicine, Berlin (Germany); Bechrakis, N.E.; Foerster, M.H. [Dept. of Ophthalmology, Charite Univ. Medicine, Berlin (Germany)

2006-07-15

Background and purpose: proton therapy for uveal melanoma provides high-conformal dose application to the target volume and, thus, an optimal saving of the organs at risk nearby. Treatment planning is done with the model-based treatment-planning system eyeplan. Tumor reconstruction is based only on a fundus composite, which often leads to an overestimation of the clinical target volume (CTV). The purpose was to exploit MRI on trial in a proton therapy-planning system by using the novel image-based treatment-planning system octopus. Patients and methods: ten patients with uveal melanomas received both a high-resolution planning CT and MRI of the eye. MR examinations were made with an eye coil. Eyeplan requires eye geometry data for modeling, and tantalum marker clips for submillimeter positioning and additional information from ultrasound and 3-D imaging. By contrast, octopus provides the full integration of 3-D imaging (e.g., CT, MRI). CTVs were delineated in each slice. For all patients, CTVs (eyeplan vs. octopus) were compared intraindividually. Results: octopus planning led to a mean reduction of the target volume by a factor of 1.7 (T1-weighted [T1w]) and 2.2 (T2w) without compromising safety. The corresponding field size could be scaled down on average by a factor of 1.2 (T1w) and 1.4 (T2w), respectively. Conclusion: compared with the conventional eyeplan, MRI-based treatment planning of ocular tumors with octopus could be a powerful tool for reducing the CTV and, consequently, the treatment volume and the field size. This might be translated into a better patient compliance during treatment and a decreased late toxicity. (orig.)

Proton therapy of uveal melanomas. Intercomparison of MRI-based and conventional treatment planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marnitz, S.; Hinkelbein, W.; Cordini, D.; Heufelder, J.; Simiantonakis, I.; Kluge, H.; Bendl, R.; Lemke, A.J.; Bechrakis, N.E.; Foerster, M.H.

2006-01-01

Background and purpose: proton therapy for uveal melanoma provides high-conformal dose application to the target volume and, thus, an optimal saving of the organs at risk nearby. Treatment planning is done with the model-based treatment-planning system eyeplan. Tumor reconstruction is based only on a fundus composite, which often leads to an overestimation of the clinical target volume (CTV). The purpose was to exploit MRI on trial in a proton therapy-planning system by using the novel image-based treatment-planning system octopus. Patients and methods: ten patients with uveal melanomas received both a high-resolution planning CT and MRI of the eye. MR examinations were made with an eye coil. Eyeplan requires eye geometry data for modeling, and tantalum marker clips for submillimeter positioning and additional information from ultrasound and 3-D imaging. By contrast, octopus provides the full integration of 3-D imaging (e.g., CT, MRI). CTVs were delineated in each slice. For all patients, CTVs (eyeplan vs. octopus) were compared intraindividually. Results: octopus planning led to a mean reduction of the target volume by a factor of 1.7 (T1-weighted [T1w]) and 2.2 (T2w) without compromising safety. The corresponding field size could be scaled down on average by a factor of 1.2 (T1w) and 1.4 (T2w), respectively. Conclusion: compared with the conventional eyeplan, MRI-based treatment planning of ocular tumors with octopus could be a powerful tool for reducing the CTV and, consequently, the treatment volume and the field size. This might be translated into a better patient compliance during treatment and a decreased late toxicity. (orig.)

A continuum model for the anisotropic creep of single crystal nickel-based superalloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, Sharat C.; Rajagopal, K.R.; Rao, I.J.

2006-01-01

In this paper, we extend the constitutive theory developed by Prasad et al. [Prasad SC, Rao IJ, Rajagopal KR. A continuum model for the creep of single crystal nickel-base superalloys. Acta Mater 2005;53(3):669-79], to describe the creep anisotropy associated with crystallographic orientation in single crystal nickel-based superalloys. The constitutive theory is cast within a general thermodynamic framework that has been developed to describe the response of materials capable of existing in multiple stress free configurations ('natural configurations'). Central to the theory is the prescription of the forms for the stored energy and rate of dissipation functions. The stored energy reflects the fact that the elastic response exhibits cubic symmetry. The model takes into account the fact that the symmetry of single crystals does not change with inelastic deformation. The rate of dissipation function is also chosen to be anisotropic, in that it reflects invariance to transformations that belong to the cubic symmetry group. The model is used to simulate uniaxial creep of single crystal nickel-based superalloy CMSX-4 for loading along the , and orientations. The predictions of the theory agree well with the experimental data

Anisotropic densification of reference steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garner, F.A.; Bates, J.F.; Gilbert, E.R.

1975-09-01

A correlation is presented for the densification expected during neutron irradiation of 20 percent CW 316 stainless steel cladding of FTR specification. The densification is known to be a function of time, prior heat treatment, cold work level, irradiation temperature and minor element composition. For FTR fuel pin use, the temperature and carbon composition were chosen as the only relevant variables on which to base the correlation. The densification of FTR cladding is expected to be slightly anisotropic, leading to a diameter change somewhat less than that predicted by the isotropic relationship ΔD = -D 0 /3

A fiducial skull marker for precise MRI-based stereotaxic surgery in large animal models.

Science.gov (United States)

Glud, Andreas Nørgaard; Bech, Johannes; Tvilling, Laura; Zaer, Hamed; Orlowski, Dariusz; Fitting, Lise Moberg; Ziedler, Dora; Geneser, Michael; Sangill, Ryan; Alstrup, Aage Kristian Olsen; Bjarkam, Carsten Reidies; Sørensen, Jens Christian Hedemann

2017-06-15

Stereotaxic neurosurgery in large animals is used widely in different sophisticated models, where precision is becoming more crucial as desired anatomical target regions are becoming smaller. Individually calculated coordinates are necessary in large animal models with cortical and subcortical anatomical differences. We present a convenient method to make an MRI-visible skull fiducial for 3D MRI-based stereotaxic procedures in larger experimental animals. Plastic screws were filled with either copper-sulfate solution or MRI-visible paste from a commercially available cranial head marker. The screw fiducials were inserted in the animal skulls and T1 weighted MRI was performed allowing identification of the inserted skull marker. Both types of fiducial markers were clearly visible on the MRÍs. This allows high precision in the stereotaxic space. The use of skull bone based fiducial markers gives high precision for both targeting and evaluation of stereotaxic systems. There are no metal artifacts and the fiducial is easily removed after surgery. The fiducial marker can be used as a very precise reference point, either for direct targeting or in evaluation of other stereotaxic systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anisotropic nanomaterials preparation, properties, and applications

CERN Document Server

Li, Quan

2015-01-01

In this book anisotropic one-dimensional and two-dimensional nanoscale building blocks and their assembly into fascinating and qualitatively new functional structures embracing both hard and soft components are explained. Contributions from leading experts regarding important aspects like synthesis, assembly, properties and applications of the above materials are compiled into a reference book. The anisotropy, i.e. the direction-dependent physical properties, of materials is fascinating and elegant and has sparked the quest for anisotropic materials with useful properties. With such a curiosi

WE-G-BRD-06: Volumetric Cine MRI (VC-MRI) Estimated Based On Prior Knowledge for On-Board Target Localization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, W; Yin, F; Cai, J; Zhang, Y; Ren, L

2015-01-01

Purpose: To develop a technique to generate on-board VC-MRI using patient prior 4D-MRI, motion modeling and on-board 2D-cine MRI for real-time 3D target verification of liver and lung radiotherapy. Methods: The end-expiration phase images of a 4D-MRI acquired during patient simulation are used as patient prior images. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to extract 3 major respiratory deformation patterns from the Deformation Field Maps (DFMs) generated between end-expiration phase and all other phases. On-board 2D-cine MRI images are acquired in the axial view. The on-board VC-MRI at any instant is considered as a deformation of the prior MRI at the end-expiration phase. The DFM is represented as a linear combination of the 3 major deformation patterns. The coefficients of the deformation patterns are solved by matching the corresponding 2D slice of the estimated VC-MRI with the acquired single 2D-cine MRI. The method was evaluated using both XCAT (a computerized patient model) simulation of lung cancer patients and MRI data from a real liver cancer patient. The 3D-MRI at every phase except end-expiration phase was used to simulate the ground-truth on-board VC-MRI at different instances, and the center-tumor slice was selected to simulate the on-board 2D-cine images. Results: Image subtraction of ground truth with estimated on-board VC-MRI shows fewer differences than image subtraction of ground truth with prior image. Excellent agreement between profiles was achieved. The normalized cross correlation coefficients between the estimated and ground-truth in the axial, coronal and sagittal views for each time step were >= 0.982, 0.905, 0.961 for XCAT data and >= 0.998, 0.911, 0.9541 for patient data. For XCAT data, the maximum-Volume-Percent-Difference between ground-truth and estimated tumor volumes was 1.6% and the maximum-Center-of-Mass-Shift was 0.9 mm. Conclusion: Preliminary studies demonstrated the feasibility to estimate real-time VC-MRI for on

WE-G-BRD-06: Volumetric Cine MRI (VC-MRI) Estimated Based On Prior Knowledge for On-Board Target Localization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, W; Yin, F; Cai, J; Zhang, Y; Ren, L [Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To develop a technique to generate on-board VC-MRI using patient prior 4D-MRI, motion modeling and on-board 2D-cine MRI for real-time 3D target verification of liver and lung radiotherapy. Methods: The end-expiration phase images of a 4D-MRI acquired during patient simulation are used as patient prior images. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to extract 3 major respiratory deformation patterns from the Deformation Field Maps (DFMs) generated between end-expiration phase and all other phases. On-board 2D-cine MRI images are acquired in the axial view. The on-board VC-MRI at any instant is considered as a deformation of the prior MRI at the end-expiration phase. The DFM is represented as a linear combination of the 3 major deformation patterns. The coefficients of the deformation patterns are solved by matching the corresponding 2D slice of the estimated VC-MRI with the acquired single 2D-cine MRI. The method was evaluated using both XCAT (a computerized patient model) simulation of lung cancer patients and MRI data from a real liver cancer patient. The 3D-MRI at every phase except end-expiration phase was used to simulate the ground-truth on-board VC-MRI at different instances, and the center-tumor slice was selected to simulate the on-board 2D-cine images. Results: Image subtraction of ground truth with estimated on-board VC-MRI shows fewer differences than image subtraction of ground truth with prior image. Excellent agreement between profiles was achieved. The normalized cross correlation coefficients between the estimated and ground-truth in the axial, coronal and sagittal views for each time step were >= 0.982, 0.905, 0.961 for XCAT data and >= 0.998, 0.911, 0.9541 for patient data. For XCAT data, the maximum-Volume-Percent-Difference between ground-truth and estimated tumor volumes was 1.6% and the maximum-Center-of-Mass-Shift was 0.9 mm. Conclusion: Preliminary studies demonstrated the feasibility to estimate real-time VC-MRI for on

An approach to anisotropic cosmologies. 6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raychaudhuri, A.K.

1989-01-01

In this paper the motivation for the study of anisotropic cosmological models is set out. Then the mathematical basis for the study of such models as well as the description of some of the exact solutions of this genre are given. Killing vectors that spell out spacetime symmetries, are defined and the Bianchi classification of spacetimes based on the structure of the Killing vectors described. After a consideration of the kinematics of matter flow some of the known solutions are presented and their properties described. (author)

Development of a MPPC-based prototype gantry for future MRI-PET scanners

Science.gov (United States)

Kurei, Y.; Kataoka, J.; Kato, T.; Fujita, T.; Ohshima, T.; Taya, T.; Yamamoto, S.

2014-12-01

We have developed a high spatial resolution, compact Positron Emission Tomography (PET) module designed for small animals and intended for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. This module consists of large-area, 4 × 4 ch MPPC arrays (S11830-3344MF; Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.) optically coupled with Ce-doped (Lu,Y)2(SiO4)O (Ce:LYSO) scintillators fabricated into 16 × 16 matrices of 0.5 × 0.5 mm2 pixels. We set the temperature sensor (LM73CIMK-0; National Semiconductor Corp.) at the rear of the MPPC acceptance surface, and apply optimum voltage to maintain the gain. The eight MPPC-based PET modules and coincidence circuits were assembled into a gantry arranged in a ring 90 mm in diameter to form the MPPC-based PET system. We have developed two types PET gantry: one made of non-magnetic metal and the other made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins. The PET gantry was positioned around the RF coil of the 4.7 T MRI system. We took an image of a point }22Na source under fast spin echo (FSE) and gradient echo (GE), in order to measure the interference between the MPPC-based PET and MRI. The spatial resolution of PET imaging in a transaxial plane of about 1 mm (FWHM) was achieved in all cases. Operating with PET made of ABS has no effect on MR images, while operating with PET made of non-magnetic metal has a significant detrimental effect on MR images. This paper describes our quantitative evaluations of PET images and MR images, and presents a more advanced version of the gantry for future MRI/DOI-PET systems.

Multiresolution, Multi-Scale Target Identification and Tracking using the Anisotropic Diffusion Pyramid

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Acton, Scott

1998-01-01

...: the anisotropic diffusion pyramid and the morphological pyramid. Coarse-to-fine target searches are implemented within the image pyramids, providing a lOOX improvement in computational expense over standard correlation-based approaches...

Modeling of CMUTs with Multiple Anisotropic Layers and Residual Stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engholm, Mathias; Thomsen, Erik Vilain

2014-01-01

Usually the analytical approach for modeling CMUTs uses the single layer plate equation to obtain the deflection and does not take anisotropy and residual stress into account. A highly accurate model is developed for analytical characterization of CMUTs taking an arbitrary number of layers...... and residual stress into account. Based on the stress-strain relation of each layer and balancing stress resultants and bending moments, a general multilayered anisotropic plate equation is developed for plates with an arbitrary number of layers. The exact deflection profile is calculated for a circular...... clamped plate of anisotropic materials with residual bi-axial stress. From the deflection shape the critical stress for buckling is calculated and by using the Rayleigh-Ritz method the natural frequency is estimated....

Anisotropic Born-Mayer potential in lattice dynamics of Vanadium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onwuagba, B.N.

1988-01-01

A microscopic theory of the lattice dynamics of the transition metal vanadium is developed based on the Animalu's transition metal model potential (TMMP). The Born-Mayer potential associated with the distribution of the transition metal d-electrons is treated as anisotropic. Good agreement with experimental phonon dispersion curves longitudinal branches in the [111] direction

MRI in psychiatry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulert, Christoph; Shenton, Martha E.

2014-01-01

This is the first comprehensive textbook on the use of MRI in psychiatry covering imaging techniques, brain systems and a review of findings in different psychiatric disorders. The book is divided into three sections, the first of which covers in detail all the major MRI-based methodological approaches available today, including fMRI, EEG-fMRI, DTI, and MR spectroscopy. In addition, the role of MRI in imaging genetics and combined brain stimulation and imaging is carefully explained. The second section provides an overview of the different brain systems that are relevant for psychiatric disorders, including the systems for perception, emotion, cognition, and reward. The final part of the book presents the MRI findings that are obtained in all the major psychiatric disorders using the previously discussed techniques. Numerous carefully chosen images support the informative text, making this an ideal reference work for all practitioners and trainees with an interest in this flourishing field.

MRI in psychiatry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mulert, Christoph [UKE, Hamburg (Germany). Psychiatry Neuroimaging Branch; Shenton, Martha E. (ed.) [Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States). Dept. of Psychiatry and Radiology

2014-07-01

This is the first comprehensive textbook on the use of MRI in psychiatry covering imaging techniques, brain systems and a review of findings in different psychiatric disorders. The book is divided into three sections, the first of which covers in detail all the major MRI-based methodological approaches available today, including fMRI, EEG-fMRI, DTI, and MR spectroscopy. In addition, the role of MRI in imaging genetics and combined brain stimulation and imaging is carefully explained. The second section provides an overview of the different brain systems that are relevant for psychiatric disorders, including the systems for perception, emotion, cognition, and reward. The final part of the book presents the MRI findings that are obtained in all the major psychiatric disorders using the previously discussed techniques. Numerous carefully chosen images support the informative text, making this an ideal reference work for all practitioners and trainees with an interest in this flourishing field.

Functional MRI of the patellofemoral joint: comparison of ultrafast MRI, motion-triggered cine MRI and static MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muhle, C. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Brossmann, J. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Melchert, U.H. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Schroeder, C. [Radiologische Abt., Universitaets-Kinderklinik, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet, Kiel (Germany); Boer, R. de [Philips Medical Systems, Best (Netherlands); Spielmann, R.P. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany); Heller, M. [Klinik fuer Radiologische Diagnostik, Univ. Kiel (Germany)

1995-12-31

To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of ultrafast MRI (u), patellar tracking from 30 of flexion to knee extension (0 ) was analysed and compared with motion-triggered cine MRI (m) and a static MRI technique (s). The different imaging methods were compared in respect of the patellofemoral relationship, the examination time and image quality. Eight healthy subjects and four patients (in total 18 joints) with patellar subluxation or luxation were examined. Significant differences between the static MRI series without quadriceps contraction and the functional MRI studies (motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI) were found for the patellar tilt angle. In the dynamic joint studies there was no statistical difference of the regression coefficients between the motion-triggered cine MRI studies and the ultrafast MRI studies. The findings of the functional MRI studies compared with the static MRI images were significantly different for the lateralisation of the patella, expressed by the lateral patellar displacement and bisect offset. No significant differences in patellar lateralisation were found between motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI. Ultrafast MRI was superior to motion-triggered cine MRI in terms of the reduction in imaging time and improvement of the image quality. (orig.)

Functional MRI of the patellofemoral joint: comparison of ultrafast MRI, motion-triggered cine MRI and static MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhle, C.; Brossmann, J.; Melchert, U.H.; Schroeder, C.; Boer, R. de; Spielmann, R.P.; Heller, M.

1995-01-01

To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of ultrafast MRI (u), patellar tracking from 30 of flexion to knee extension (0 ) was analysed and compared with motion-triggered cine MRI (m) and a static MRI technique (s). The different imaging methods were compared in respect of the patellofemoral relationship, the examination time and image quality. Eight healthy subjects and four patients (in total 18 joints) with patellar subluxation or luxation were examined. Significant differences between the static MRI series without quadriceps contraction and the functional MRI studies (motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI) were found for the patellar tilt angle. In the dynamic joint studies there was no statistical difference of the regression coefficients between the motion-triggered cine MRI studies and the ultrafast MRI studies. The findings of the functional MRI studies compared with the static MRI images were significantly different for the lateralisation of the patella, expressed by the lateral patellar displacement and bisect offset. No significant differences in patellar lateralisation were found between motion-triggered cine MRI and ultrafast MRI. Ultrafast MRI was superior to motion-triggered cine MRI in terms of the reduction in imaging time and improvement of the image quality. (orig.)

Anisotropic Intervalley Plasmon Excitations in Graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jian; Xu Huai-Zhe

2015-01-01

We investigate theoretically the intervalley plasmon excitations (IPEs) in graphene monolayer within the random-phase approximation. We derive an analytical expression of the real part of the dielectric function. We find a low-energy plasmon mode with a linear anisotropic dispersion which depends on the Fermi energy and the dielectric constant of substrate. The IPEs show strongly anisotropic behavior, which becomes significant around the zigzag crystallographic direction. More interestingly, the group velocity of IPE varies from negative to positive, and vanishes at special energy. (paper)

Modelling of CMUTs with Anisotropic Plates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

la Cour, Mette Funding; Christiansen, Thomas Lehrmann; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2012-01-01

Traditionally, CMUTs are modelled using the isotropic plate equation and this leads to deviations between analytical calculations and FEM simulations. In this paper, the deflection profile and material parameters are calculated using the anisotropic plate equation. It is shown that the anisotropic...... calculations match perfectly with FEM while an isotropic approach causes up to 10% deviations in deflection profile. Furthermore, we show how commonly used analytic modelling methods such as static calculations of the pull-in voltage and dynamic modelling through an equivalent circuit representation can...

Markov random field and Gaussian mixture for segmented MRI-based partial volume correction in PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bousse, Alexandre; Thomas, Benjamin A; Erlandsson, Kjell; Hutton, Brian F; Pedemonte, Stefano; Ourselin, Sébastien; Arridge, Simon

2012-01-01

In this paper we propose a segmented magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior-based maximum penalized likelihood deconvolution technique for positron emission tomography (PET) images. The model assumes the existence of activity classes that behave like a hidden Markov random field (MRF) driven by the segmented MRI. We utilize a mean field approximation to compute the likelihood of the MRF. We tested our method on both simulated and clinical data (brain PET) and compared our results with PET images corrected with the re-blurred Van Cittert (VC) algorithm, the simplified Guven (SG) algorithm and the region-based voxel-wise (RBV) technique. We demonstrated our algorithm outperforms the VC algorithm and outperforms SG and RBV corrections when the segmented MRI is inconsistent (e.g. mis-segmentation, lesions, etc) with the PET image. (paper)

Anisotropic carrier mobility in single- and bi-layer C3N sheets

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xueyan; Li, Qingfang; Wang, Haifeng; Gao, Yan; Hou, Juan; Shao, Jianxin

2018-05-01

Based on the density functional theory combined with the Boltzmann transport equation with relaxation time approximation, we investigate the electronic structure and predict the carrier mobility of single- and bi-layer newly fabricated 2D carbon nitrides C3N. Although C3N sheets possess graphene-like planar hexagonal structure, the calculated carrier mobility is remarkably anisotropic, which is found mainly induced by the anisotropic effective masses and deformation potential constants. Importantly, we find that both the electron and hole mobilities are considerable high, for example, the hole mobility along the armchair direction of single-layer C3N sheets can arrive as high as 1.08 ×104 cm2 V-1 s-1, greatly larger than that of C2N-h2D and many other typical 2D materials. Owing to the high and anisotropic carrier mobility and appropriate band gap, single- and bi-layer semiconducting C3N sheets may have great potential applications in high performance electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Ultrasonic Beam Propagation in Highly Anisotropic Materials Simulated by Multi-Gaussian Beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Hyun Jo; Schmerr, Lester W.

2007-01-01

The necessity of nondestructively inspecting fiber-reinforced composites, austenitic steels, and other inherently anisotropic materials has stimulated considerable interest in developing beam models for anisotropic media. The properties of slowness surface play key role in the beam models based on the paraxial approximation. In this paper, we apply a modular multi-Gaussian beam (MMGB) model to study the effects of material anisotropy on ultrasonic beam profile. It is shown that the anisotropic effects of beam skew and excess beam divergence enter into the MMGB model through parameters defining the slope and curvature of the slowness surface. The overall beam profile is found when the quasi longitudinal (qL) beam propagates in the symmetry plane of a transversely isotropic gr/ep composite. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the effects of these parameters on ultrasonic beam diffraction and beam skew. The MMGB calculations are also checked by comparing the anisotropy factor and beam skew angle with other analytical solutions

Anisotropic surface acoustic waves in tungsten/lithium niobate phononic crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jia-Hong; Yu, Yuan-Hai

2018-02-01

Phononic crystals (PnC) were known for acoustic band gaps for different acoustic waves. PnCs were already applied in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices as reflective gratings based on the band gaps. In this paper, another important property of PnCs, the anisotropic propagation, was studied. PnCs made of circular tungsten films on a lithium niobate substrate were analyzed by finite element method. Dispersion curves and equal frequency contours of surface acoustic waves in PnCs of various dimensions were calculated to study the anisotropy. The non-circular equal frequency contours and negative refraction of group velocity were observed. Then PnC was applied as an acoustic lens based on the anisotropic propagation. Trajectory of SAW passing PnC lens was calculated and transmission of SAW was optimized by selecting proper layers of lens and applying tapered PnC. The result showed that PnC lens can suppress diffraction of surface waves effectively and improve the performance of SAW devices.

On Pokrovskii's anisotropic gap equations in superconductivity theory

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yisong

2003-11-01

An existence and uniqueness theorem for Pokrovskii's zero-temperature anisotropic gap equation is proved. Furthermore, it is shown that Pokrovskii's finite-temperature equation is inconsistent with the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory. A reformulation of the anisotropic gap equation is presented along the line of Pokrovskii and it is shown that the new equation is consistent with the BCS theory for the whole temperature range. As an application, the Markowitz-Kadanoff model for anisotropic superconductivity is considered and a rigorous proof of the half-integer-exponent isotope effect is obtained. Furthermore, a sharp estimate of the gap solution near the transition temperature is established.

Support vector machine learning-based fMRI data group analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ze; Childress, Anna R; Wang, Jiongjiong; Detre, John A

2007-07-15

To explore the multivariate nature of fMRI data and to consider the inter-subject brain response discrepancies, a multivariate and brain response model-free method is fundamentally required. Two such methods are presented in this paper by integrating a machine learning algorithm, the support vector machine (SVM), and the random effect model. Without any brain response modeling, SVM was used to extract a whole brain spatial discriminance map (SDM), representing the brain response difference between the contrasted experimental conditions. Population inference was then obtained through the random effect analysis (RFX) or permutation testing (PMU) on the individual subjects' SDMs. Applied to arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion fMRI data, SDM RFX yielded lower false-positive rates in the null hypothesis test and higher detection sensitivity for synthetic activations with varying cluster size and activation strengths, compared to the univariate general linear model (GLM)-based RFX. For a sensory-motor ASL fMRI study, both SDM RFX and SDM PMU yielded similar activation patterns to GLM RFX and GLM PMU, respectively, but with higher t values and cluster extensions at the same significance level. Capitalizing on the absence of temporal noise correlation in ASL data, this study also incorporated PMU in the individual-level GLM and SVM analyses accompanied by group-level analysis through RFX or group-level PMU. Providing inferences on the probability of being activated or deactivated at each voxel, these individual-level PMU-based group analysis methods can be used to threshold the analysis results of GLM RFX, SDM RFX or SDM PMU.

Data-driven imaging in anisotropic media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volker, Arno; Hunter, Alan [TNO Stieltjes weg 1, 2600 AD, Delft (Netherlands)

2012-05-17

Anisotropic materials are being used increasingly in high performance industrial applications, particularly in the aeronautical and nuclear industries. Some important examples of these materials are composites, single-crystal and heavy-grained metals. Ultrasonic array imaging in these materials requires exact knowledge of the anisotropic material properties. Without this information, the images can be adversely affected, causing a reduction in defect detection and characterization performance. The imaging operation can be formulated in two consecutive and reciprocal focusing steps, i.e., focusing the sources and then focusing the receivers. Applying just one of these focusing steps yields an interesting intermediate domain. The resulting common focus point gather (CFP-gather) can be interpreted to determine the propagation operator. After focusing the sources, the observed travel-time in the CFP-gather describes the propagation from the focus point to the receivers. If the correct propagation operator is used, the measured travel-times should be the same as the time-reversed focusing operator due to reciprocity. This makes it possible to iteratively update the focusing operator using the data only and allows the material to be imaged without explicit knowledge of the anisotropic material parameters. Furthermore, the determined propagation operator can also be used to invert for the anisotropic medium parameters. This paper details the proposed technique and demonstrates its use on simulated array data from a specimen of Inconel single-crystal alloy commonly used in the aeronautical and nuclear industries.

Patch-based anisotropic diffusion scheme for fluorescence diffuse optical tomography--part 2: image reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Teresa; Koch, Maximilian; Ale, Angelique; Ntziachristos, Vasilis; Arridge, Simon

2016-02-21

Fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (fDOT) provides 3D images of fluorescence distributions in biological tissue, which represent molecular and cellular processes. The image reconstruction problem is highly ill-posed and requires regularisation techniques to stabilise and find meaningful solutions. Quadratic regularisation tends to either oversmooth or generate very noisy reconstructions, depending on the regularisation strength. Edge preserving methods, such as anisotropic diffusion regularisation (AD), can preserve important features in the fluorescence image and smooth out noise. However, AD has limited ability to distinguish an edge from noise. We propose a patch-based anisotropic diffusion regularisation (PAD), where regularisation strength is determined by a weighted average according to the similarity between patches around voxels within a search window, instead of a simple local neighbourhood strategy. However, this method has higher computational complexity and, hence, we wavelet compress the patches (PAD-WT) to speed it up, while simultaneously taking advantage of the denoising properties of wavelet thresholding. Furthermore, structural information can be incorporated into the image reconstruction with PAD-WT to improve image quality and resolution. In this case, the weights used to average voxels in the image are calculated using the structural image, instead of the fluorescence image. The regularisation strength depends on both structural and fluorescence images, which guarantees that the method can preserve fluorescence information even when it is not structurally visible in the anatomical images. In part 1, we tested the method using a denoising problem. Here, we use simulated and in vivo mouse fDOT data to assess the algorithm performance. Our results show that the proposed PAD-WT method provides high quality and noise free images, superior to those obtained using AD.

The problem solution on wedge penetration in an initially anisotropic medium within the rigid-plastic scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Chanyshev, AI; Abdulin, IM

2018-03-01

Two problems are solved in the paper: on ultimate loads in the initial stage of indentation of an absolutely rigid smooth wedge into a layer of an initially anisotropic plastic medium and in the final stage when the tool penetrates through the layer. The problems are solved with Chanyshev’s constitutive relations of plasticity of the initially anisotropic medium based on use of the eigen elasticity tensors.

Can the Diagnostics of Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Lesions Be Improved by MRI-Based Soft-Tissue Reconstruction? An Imaging-Based Workup and Case Presentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, Niels; Hirschfeld, Ulrich; Strunz, Hendrik; Werner, Michael; Wolfskämpf, Thomas; Löffler, Sabine

2017-01-01

Introduction . The triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) provides both mobility and stability of the radiocarpal joint. TFCC lesions are difficult to diagnose due to the complex anatomy. The standard treatment for TFCC lesions is arthroscopy, posing surgery-related risks onto the patients. This feasibility study aimed at developing a workup for soft-tissue reconstruction using clinical imaging, to verify these results in retrospective patient data. Methods . Microcomputed tomography ( μ -CT), 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and plastination were used to visualize the TFCC in cadaveric specimens applying segmentation-based 3D reconstruction. This approach further trialed the MRI dataset of a patient with minor radiological TFCC alterations but persistent pain. Results . TFCC reconstruction was impossible using μ -CT only but feasible using MRI, resulting in an appreciation of its substructures, as seen in the plastinates. Applying this approach allowed for visualizing a Palmer 2C lesion in a patient, confirming ex postum the arthroscopy findings, being markedly different from MRI (Palmer 1B). Discussion . This preliminary study showed that image-based TFCC reconstruction may help to identify pathologies invisible in standard MRI. The combined approach of μ -CT, MRI, and plastination allowed for a three-dimensional appreciation of the TFCC. Image quality and time expenditure limit the approach's usefulness as a diagnostic tool.

Anisotropic characterization of magnetorheological materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dohmen, E., E-mail: eike.dohmen@tu-dresden.de; Modler, N.; Gude, M.

2017-06-01

For the development of energy efficient lightweight parts novel function integrating materials are needed. Concerning this field of application magnetorheological (MR) fluids, MR elastomers and MR composites are promising materials allowing the adjustment of mechanical properties by an external magnetic field. A key issue for operating such structures in praxis is the magneto-mechanical description. Most rheological properties are gathered at laboratory conditions for high magnetic flux densities and a single field direction, which does not correspond to real praxis conditions. Although anisotropic formation of superstructures can be observed in MR suspensions (Fig. 1) or experimenters intentionally polymerize MR elastomers with anisotropic superstructures these MR materials are usually described in an external magnetic field as uniform, isotropic materials. This is due to missing possibilities for experimentally measuring field angle dependent properties and ways of distinguishing between material properties and frictional effects. Just a few scientific works experimentally investigated the influence of different field angles (Ambacher et al., 1992; Grants et al., 1990; Kuzhir et al., 2003) or the influence of surface roughness on the shear behaviour of magnetic fluids (Tang and Conrad, 1996) . The aim of this work is the introduction of a novel field angle cell allowing the determination of anisotropic mechanical properties for various MR materials depending on the applied magnetic field angle. - Highlights: • Novel magnetic field angle testing device (MFATD) presented. • Determination of magnetic field dependent anisotropic mechanical properties. • Experimental data for different field directions shown for a commercial MR fluid. • Material description of MR fluids as transversal-isotropic solids. • Magnetic field angle dependent variations in shear stresses experimentally measured. • Determination of frictional coefficients between the MR fluid and

A unified theoretical and experimental study of anisotropic hardening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boehler, J.P.; Raclin, J.

1981-01-01

The purpose of this work is to develop a consistent formulation of the constitutive relations regarding anisotropic hardening materials. Attention is focused on the appearance and the evolution of mechanical anisotropies during irreversible processes, such as plastic forming and inelastic deformation of structures. The representation theorems for anisotropic tensor functions constitute a theoretical basis, allowing to reduce arbitrariness and to obtain a unified formulation of anisotropic hardening. In this approach, a general three-dimensional constitutive law is developed for prestrained initially orthotropic materials. Introduction of the plastic behavior results in the general forms of both the flow-law and the yield criterion. The developed theory is then specialized for the case of plane stress and different modes of anisotropic hardening are analyzed. A new generalization of the Von Mises criterion is proposed, in considering a homogeneous form of order two in stress and employing the simplest combinations of the basic invariants entering the general form of the yield condition. The proposed criterion involves specific terms accounting for the initial anisotropy, the deformation induced anisotropy and correlative terms between initial and induced anisotropy. The effects of prestrainings result in both isotropic and anisotropic hardening. An adequate experimental program, consisting of uniaxial tensile tests on oriented specimens of prestrained sheet-metal, was performed, in order to determine the specific form and the evolution of the anisotropic failure criterion for soft-steel subjected to different irreversible prestrainings. (orig.)

SU-G-BRA-03: PCA Based Imaging Angle Optimization for 2D Cine MRI Based Radiotherapy Guidance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, T; Yue, N; Jabbour, S; Zhang, M [Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop an imaging angle optimization methodology for orthogonal 2D cine MRI based radiotherapy guidance using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of target motion retrieved from 4DCT. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 4DCT of 6 patients with lung tumor. A radiation oncologist manually contoured the target volume at the maximal inhalation phase of the respiratory cycle. An object constrained deformable image registration (DIR) method has been developed to track the target motion along the respiration at ten phases. The motion of the center of the target mass has been analyzed using the PCA to find out the principal motion components that were uncorrelated with each other. Two orthogonal image planes for cineMRI have been determined using this method to minimize the through plane motion during MRI based radiotherapy guidance. Results: 3D target respiratory motion for all 6 patients has been efficiently retrieved from 4DCT. In this process, the object constrained DIR demonstrated satisfactory accuracy and efficiency to enable the automatic motion tracking for clinical application. The average motion amplitude in the AP, lateral, and longitudinal directions were 3.6mm (min: 1.6mm, max: 5.6mm), 1.7mm (min: 0.6mm, max: 2.7mm), and 5.6mm (min: 1.8mm, max: 16.1mm), respectively. Based on PCA, the optimal orthogonal imaging planes were determined for cineMRI. The average angular difference between the PCA determined imaging planes and the traditional AP and lateral imaging planes were 47 and 31 degrees, respectively. After optimization, the average amplitude of through plane motion reduced from 3.6mm in AP images to 2.5mm (min:1.3mm, max:3.9mm); and from 1.7mm in lateral images to 0.6mm (min: 0.2mm, max:1.5mm), while the principal in plane motion amplitude increased from 5.6mm to 6.5mm (min: 2.8mm, max: 17mm). Conclusion: DIR and PCA can be used to optimize the orthogonal image planes of cineMRI to minimize the through plane motion during radiotherapy

SU-G-BRA-03: PCA Based Imaging Angle Optimization for 2D Cine MRI Based Radiotherapy Guidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, T; Yue, N; Jabbour, S; Zhang, M

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop an imaging angle optimization methodology for orthogonal 2D cine MRI based radiotherapy guidance using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of target motion retrieved from 4DCT. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 4DCT of 6 patients with lung tumor. A radiation oncologist manually contoured the target volume at the maximal inhalation phase of the respiratory cycle. An object constrained deformable image registration (DIR) method has been developed to track the target motion along the respiration at ten phases. The motion of the center of the target mass has been analyzed using the PCA to find out the principal motion components that were uncorrelated with each other. Two orthogonal image planes for cineMRI have been determined using this method to minimize the through plane motion during MRI based radiotherapy guidance. Results: 3D target respiratory motion for all 6 patients has been efficiently retrieved from 4DCT. In this process, the object constrained DIR demonstrated satisfactory accuracy and efficiency to enable the automatic motion tracking for clinical application. The average motion amplitude in the AP, lateral, and longitudinal directions were 3.6mm (min: 1.6mm, max: 5.6mm), 1.7mm (min: 0.6mm, max: 2.7mm), and 5.6mm (min: 1.8mm, max: 16.1mm), respectively. Based on PCA, the optimal orthogonal imaging planes were determined for cineMRI. The average angular difference between the PCA determined imaging planes and the traditional AP and lateral imaging planes were 47 and 31 degrees, respectively. After optimization, the average amplitude of through plane motion reduced from 3.6mm in AP images to 2.5mm (min:1.3mm, max:3.9mm); and from 1.7mm in lateral images to 0.6mm (min: 0.2mm, max:1.5mm), while the principal in plane motion amplitude increased from 5.6mm to 6.5mm (min: 2.8mm, max: 17mm). Conclusion: DIR and PCA can be used to optimize the orthogonal image planes of cineMRI to minimize the through plane motion during radiotherapy

SU-F-J-171: Robust Atlas Based Segmentation of the Prostate and Peripheral Zone Regions On MRI Utilizing Multiple MRI System Vendors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Padgett, K; Pollack, A; Stoyanova, R; Swallen, A; Nelson, A

2016-01-01

Purpose: Automatically generated prostate MRI contours can be used to aid in image registration with CT or ultrasound and to reduce the burden of contouring for radiation treatment planning. In addition, prostate and zonal contours can assist to automate quantitative imaging features extraction and the analyses of longitudinal MRI studies. These potential gains are limited if the solutions are not compatible across different MRI vendors. The goal of this study is to characterize an atlas based automatic segmentation procedure of the prostate collected on MRI systems from multiple vendors. Methods: The prostate and peripheral zone (PZ) were manually contoured by an expert radiation oncologist on T2-weighted scans acquired on both GE (n=31) and Siemens (n=33) 3T MRI systems. A leave-one-out approach was utilized where the target subject is removed from the atlas before the segmentation algorithm is initiated. The atlas-segmentation method finds the best nine matched atlas subjects and then performs a normalized intensity-based free-form deformable registration of these subjects to the target subject. These nine contours are then merged into a single contour using Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE). Contour comparisons were made using Dice similarity coefficients (DSC) and Hausdorff distances. Results: Using the T2 FatSat (FS) GE datasets the atlas generated contours resulted in an average DSC of 0.83±0.06 for prostate, 0.57±0.12 for PZ and 0.75±0.09 for CG. Similar results were found when using the Siemens data with a DSC of 0.79±0.14 for prostate, 0.54±0.16 and 0.70±0.9. Contrast between prostate and surrounding anatomy and between the PZ and CG contours for both vendors demonstrated superior contrast separation; significance was found for all comparisons p-value < 0.0001. Conclusion: Atlas-based segmentation yielded promising results for all contours compared to expertly defined contours in both Siemens and GE 3T systems providing

SU-F-J-171: Robust Atlas Based Segmentation of the Prostate and Peripheral Zone Regions On MRI Utilizing Multiple MRI System Vendors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padgett, K; Pollack, A; Stoyanova, R [University of Miami, Miami, Florida (United States); Swallen, A; Nelson, A [MIM Software Inc., Cleveland, OH (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Automatically generated prostate MRI contours can be used to aid in image registration with CT or ultrasound and to reduce the burden of contouring for radiation treatment planning. In addition, prostate and zonal contours can assist to automate quantitative imaging features extraction and the analyses of longitudinal MRI studies. These potential gains are limited if the solutions are not compatible across different MRI vendors. The goal of this study is to characterize an atlas based automatic segmentation procedure of the prostate collected on MRI systems from multiple vendors. Methods: The prostate and peripheral zone (PZ) were manually contoured by an expert radiation oncologist on T2-weighted scans acquired on both GE (n=31) and Siemens (n=33) 3T MRI systems. A leave-one-out approach was utilized where the target subject is removed from the atlas before the segmentation algorithm is initiated. The atlas-segmentation method finds the best nine matched atlas subjects and then performs a normalized intensity-based free-form deformable registration of these subjects to the target subject. These nine contours are then merged into a single contour using Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE). Contour comparisons were made using Dice similarity coefficients (DSC) and Hausdorff distances. Results: Using the T2 FatSat (FS) GE datasets the atlas generated contours resulted in an average DSC of 0.83±0.06 for prostate, 0.57±0.12 for PZ and 0.75±0.09 for CG. Similar results were found when using the Siemens data with a DSC of 0.79±0.14 for prostate, 0.54±0.16 and 0.70±0.9. Contrast between prostate and surrounding anatomy and between the PZ and CG contours for both vendors demonstrated superior contrast separation; significance was found for all comparisons p-value < 0.0001. Conclusion: Atlas-based segmentation yielded promising results for all contours compared to expertly defined contours in both Siemens and GE 3T systems providing

Description and assessment of a registration-based approach to include bones for attenuation correction of whole-body PET/MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Harry R; Patrick, John; Laidley, David; Prato, Frank S; Butler, John; Théberge, Jean; Thompson, R Terry; Stodilka, Robert Z

2013-08-01

Attenuation correction for whole-body PET/MRI is challenging. Most commercial systems compute the attenuation map from MRI using a four-tissue segmentation approach. Bones, the most electron-dense tissue, are neglected because they are difficult to segment. In this work, the authors build on this segmentation approach by adding bones using a registration technique and assessing its performance on human PET images. Twelve oncology patients were imaged with FDG PET/CT and MRI using a Turbo-FLASH pulse sequence. A database of 121 attenuation correction quality CT scans was also collected. Each patient MRI was compared to the CT database via weighted heuristic measures to find the "most similar" CT in terms of body geometry. The similar CT was aligned to the MRI with a deformable registration method. Two MRI-based attenuation maps were computed. One was a standard four-tissue segmentation (air, lung, fat, and lean tissue) using basic image processing techniques. The other was identical, except the bones from the aligned CT were added. The PET data were reconstructed with the patient's CT-based attenuation map (the silver standard) and both MRI-based attenuation maps. The relative errors of the MRI-based attenuation corrections were computed in 14 standardized volumes of interest, in lesions, and over whole tissues. The squared Pearson correlation coefficient was also calculated over whole tissues. Statistical testing was done with ANOVAs and paired t-tests. The MRI-based attenuation correction ignoring bone had relative errors ranging from -37% to -8% in volumes of interest containing bone. By including bone, the magnitude of the relative error was reduced in all cases (pbone was improved from a mean of -7.5% to 2% (pbone reduced the magnitude of relative error in three cases (pbone slightly increased relative error in lung from 7.7% to 8.0% (p=0.002), in fat from 8.5% to 9.2% (pbone from -14.6% to 1.3% (pbone was included or not. The approach to include bones in MRI-based

Anisotropic magnetoresistance and piezoelectric effect in GaAs Hall samples

Science.gov (United States)

Ciftja, Orion

2017-02-01

Application of a strong magnetic field perpendicular to a two-dimensional electron system leads to a variety of quantum phases ranging from incompressible quantum Hall liquid to Wigner solid, charge density wave, and exotic non-Abelian states. A few quantum phases seen in past experiments on GaAs Hall samples of electrons show pronounced anisotropic magnetoresistance values at certain weak magnetic fields. We argue that this might be due to the piezoelectric effect that is inherent in a semiconductor host such as GaAs. Such an effect has the potential to create a sufficient in-plane internal strain that will be felt by electrons and will determine the direction of high and low resistance. When Wigner solid, charge density wave, and isotropic liquid phases are very close in energy, the overall stability of the system is very sensitive to local order and, thus, can be strongly influenced even by a weak perturbation such as the piezoelectric-induced effective electron-electron interaction, which is anisotropic. In this work, we argue that an anisotropic interaction potential may stabilize anisotropic liquid phases of electrons even in a strong magnetic field regime where normally one expects to see only isotropic quantum Hall or isotropic Fermi liquid states. We use this approach to support a theoretical framework that envisions the possibility of an anisotropic liquid crystalline state of electrons in the lowest Landau level. In particular, we argue that an anisotropic liquid state of electrons may stabilize in the lowest Landau level close to the liquid-solid transition region at filling factor ν =1 /6 for a given anisotropic Coulomb interaction potential. Quantum Monte Carlo simulations for a liquid crystalline state with broken rotational symmetry indicate stability of liquid crystalline order consistent with the existence of an anisotropic liquid state of electrons stabilized by anisotropy at filling factor ν =1 /6 of the lowest Landau level.

Graph cut-based method for segmenting the left ventricle from MRI or echocardiographic images.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernier, Michael; Jodoin, Pierre-Marc; Humbert, Olivier; Lalande, Alain

2017-06-01

In this paper, we present a fast and interactive graph cut method for 3D segmentation of the endocardial wall of the left ventricle (LV) adapted to work on two of the most widely used modalities: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography. Our method accounts for the fundamentally different nature of both modalities: 3D echocardiographic images have a low contrast, a poor signal-to-noise ratio and frequent signal drop, while MR images are more detailed but also cluttered and contain highly anisotropic voxels. The main characteristic of our method is to work in a 3D Bezier coordinate system instead of the original Euclidean space. This comes with several advantages, including an implicit shape prior and a result guarantied not to have any holes in it. The proposed method is made of 4 steps. First, a 3D sampling of the LV cavity is made based on a Bezier coordinate system. This allows to warp the input 3D image to a Bezier space in which a plane corresponds to an anatomically plausible 3D Euclidean bullet shape. Second, a 3D graph is built and an energy term (which is based on the image gradient and a 3D probability map) is assigned to each edge of the graph, some of which being given an infinite energy to ensure the resulting 3D structure passes through key anatomical points. Third, a max-flow min-cut procedure is executed on the energy graph to delineate the endocardial surface. And fourth, the resulting surface is projected back to the Euclidean space where a post-processing convex hull algorithm is applied on every short axis slice to remove local concavities. Results obtained on two datasets reveal that our method takes between 2 and 5s to segment a 3D volume, it has better results overall than most state-of-the-art methods on the CETUS echocardiographic dataset and is statistically as good as a human operator on MR images. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deep learning predictions of survival based on MRI in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Burgh, Hannelore K; Schmidt, Ruben; Westeneng, Henk-Jan; de Reus, Marcel A; van den Berg, Leonard H; van den Heuvel, Martijn P

2017-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neuromuscular disease, with large variation in survival between patients. Currently, it remains rather difficult to predict survival based on clinical parameters alone. Here, we set out to use clinical characteristics in combination with MRI data to predict survival of ALS patients using deep learning, a machine learning technique highly effective in a broad range of big-data analyses. A group of 135 ALS patients was included from whom high-resolution diffusion-weighted and T1-weighted images were acquired at the first visit to the outpatient clinic. Next, each of the patients was monitored carefully and survival time to death was recorded. Patients were labeled as short, medium or long survivors, based on their recorded time to death as measured from the time of disease onset. In the deep learning procedure, the total group of 135 patients was split into a training set for deep learning (n = 83 patients), a validation set (n = 20) and an independent evaluation set (n = 32) to evaluate the performance of the obtained deep learning networks. Deep learning based on clinical characteristics predicted survival category correctly in 68.8% of the cases. Deep learning based on MRI predicted 62.5% correctly using structural connectivity and 62.5% using brain morphology data. Notably, when we combined the three sources of information, deep learning prediction accuracy increased to 84.4%. Taken together, our findings show the added value of MRI with respect to predicting survival in ALS, demonstrating the advantage of deep learning in disease prognostication.

Transient finite element magnetic field calculation method in the anisotropic magnetic material based on the measured magnetization curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jesenik, M.; Gorican, V.; Trlep, M.; Hamler, A.; Stumberger, B.

2006-01-01

A lot of magnetic materials are anisotropic. In the 3D finite element method calculation, anisotropy of the material is taken into account. Anisotropic magnetic material is described with magnetization curves for different magnetization directions. The 3D transient calculation of the rotational magnetic field in the sample of the round rotational single sheet tester with circular sample considering eddy currents is made and compared with the measurement to verify the correctness of the method and to analyze the magnetic field in the sample

Development of laser ablation plasma by anisotropic self-radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ohnishi Naofumi

2013-11-01

Full Text Available We have proposed a method for reproducing an accurate solution of low-density ablation plasma by properly treating anisotropic radiation. Monte-Carlo method is employed for estimating Eddington tensor with limited number of photon samples in each fluid time step. Radiation field from ablation plasma is significantly affected by the anisotropic Eddington tensor. Electron temperature around the ablation surface changes with the radiation field and is responsible for the observed emission. An accurate prediction of the light emission from the laser ablation plasma requires a careful estimation of the anisotropic radiation field.

Development of an MRI-compatible digital SiPM detector stack for simultaneous PET/MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Düppenbecker, Peter M; Weissler, Bjoern; Gebhardt, Pierre; Schug, David; Wehner, Jakob; Marsden, Paul K; Schulz, Volkmar

2016-02-01

Advances in solid-state photon detectors paved the way to combine positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into highly integrated, truly simultaneous, hybrid imaging systems. Based on the most recent digital SiPM technology, we developed an MRI-compatible PET detector stack, intended as a building block for next generation simultaneous PET/MRI systems. Our detector stack comprises an array of 8 × 8 digital SiPM channels with 4 mm pitch using Philips Digital Photon Counting DPC 3200-22 devices, an FPGA for data acquisition, a supply voltage control system and a cooling infrastructure. This is the first detector design that allows the operation of digital SiPMs simultaneously inside an MRI system. We tested and optimized the MRI-compatibility of our detector stack on a laboratory test bench as well as in combination with a Philips Achieva 3 T MRI system. Our design clearly reduces distortions of the static magnetic field compared to a conventional design. The MRI static magnetic field causes weak and directional drift effects on voltage regulators, but has no direct impact on detector performance. MRI gradient switching initially degraded energy and timing resolution. Both distortions could be ascribed to voltage variations induced on the bias and the FPGA core voltage supply respectively. Based on these findings, we improved our detector design and our final design shows virtually no energy or timing degradations, even during heavy and continuous MRI gradient switching. In particular, we found no evidence that the performance of the DPC 3200-22 digital SiPM itself is degraded by the MRI system.

Anisotropic inflation with derivative couplings

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Jonathan; Kanno, Sugumi; Zavala, Ivonne

2018-05-01

We study anisotropic power-law inflationary solutions when the inflaton and its derivative couple to a vector field. This type of coupling is motivated by D-brane inflationary models, in which the inflaton, and a vector field living on the D-brane, couple disformally (derivatively). We start by studying a phenomenological model where we show the existence of anisotropic solutions and demonstrate their stability via a dynamical system analysis. Compared to the case without a derivative coupling, the anisotropy is reduced and thus can be made consistent with current limits, while the value of the slow-roll parameter remains almost unchanged. We also discuss solutions for more general cases, including D-brane-like couplings.

Anisotropic charged generalized polytropic models

Science.gov (United States)

Nasim, A.; Azam, M.

2018-06-01

In this paper, we found some new anisotropic charged models admitting generalized polytropic equation of state with spherically symmetry. An analytic solution of the Einstein-Maxwell field equations is obtained through the transformation introduced by Durgapal and Banerji (Phys. Rev. D 27:328, 1983). The physical viability of solutions corresponding to polytropic index η =1/2, 2/3, 1, 2 is analyzed graphically. For this, we plot physical quantities such as radial and tangential pressure, anisotropy, speed of sound which demonstrated that these models achieve all the considerable physical conditions required for a relativistic star. Further, it is mentioned here that previous results for anisotropic charged matter with linear, quadratic and polytropic equation of state can be retrieved.

Technical Note: Is bulk electron density assignment appropriate for MRI-only based treatment planning for lung cancer?

Science.gov (United States)

Prior, Phil; Chen, Xinfeng; Gore, Elizabeth; Johnstone, Candice; Li, X Allen

2017-07-01

MRI-based treatment planning in radiation therapy (RT) is prohibitive, in part, due to the lack of electron density (ED) information within the image. The dosimetric differences between MRI- and CT-based planning for intensity modulated RT (IMRT) of lung cancer were investigated to assess the appropriateness of bulk ED assignment. Planning CTs acquired for six representative lung cancer patients were used to generate bulk ED IMRT plans. To avoid the effect of anatomic differences between CT and MRI, "simulated MRI-based plans" were generated by forcing the relative ED (rED) to water on CT-delineated structures using organ specific values from the ICRU Report 46 and using the mean rED value of the internal target volume (ITV) from the planning CT. The "simulated MRI-based plans" were generated using a research planning system (Monaco v5.09.07a, Elekta, AB) and employing Monte Carlo dose calculation. The following dose-volume-parameters (DVPs) were collected from both the "simulated MRI-based plans" and the original planning CT: D 95 , the dose delivered to 95% of the ITV & planning target volume (PTV), D 5 and V 5 , the volume of normal lung irradiated ≥5 Gy. The percent point difference and relative dose difference were used for comparison with the CT based plan for V 5 and D 95 respectively. A total of five plans per patient were generated; three with the ITV rED (rED ITV ) = 1.06, 1.0 and the mean value from the planning CT while the lung rED (rED lung ) was fixed at the ICRU value of 0.26 and two with rED lung = 0.1 and 0.5 while the rED ITV was fixed to the mean value from the planning CT. Noticeable differences in the ITV and PTV DVPs were observed. Variations of the normal lung V 5 can be as large as 9.6%. In some instances, varying the rED ITV between rED mean and 1.06 resulted in D 95 increases ranging from 3.9% to 6.3%. Bulk rED assignment on normal lung affected the DVPs of the ITV and PTV by 4.0-9.8% and 0.3-19.6% respectively. Dose volume histograms

Volume based DCE-MRI breast cancer detection with 3D visualization system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chia, F.K.; Sim, K.S.; Chong, S.S.; Tan, S.T.; Ting, H.Y.; Abbas, S.F.; Omar, S.

2011-01-01

In this paper, a computer aided design auto probing system is presented to detect breast lesions based on Dynamic contrast enhanced Magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) images. The system is proposed in order to aid the radiologists and doctors in the interpretation of MRI breast images and enhance the detection accuracy. A series of approaches are presented to enhance the detection accuracy and refine the breast region of interest (Roil) automatically. Besides, a semi-quantitative analysis is used to segment the breast lesions from selected breast Roil and classify the detected tumour is whether benign, suspicious or malignant. The entire breast Roil including the detected tumour will display in 3D. The methodology has been applied on 104 sets of digital imaging and communications in medicine (Dico) breast MRI datasets images. The biopsy results are verified by 2 radiologists from Hospital Malaysia. The experimental results are demonstrated the proposed scheme can precisely identify breast cancer regions with 93% accuracy. (author)

Pulse splitting in nonlinear media with anisotropic dispersion properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergé, L.; Juul Rasmussen, J.; Schmidt, M.R.

1998-01-01

The nonlinear self-focusing of beams in media with anisotropic (mix-signed) dispersion is investigated. Theoretical predictions employing virial-type arguments and self-similar techniques suggest that a pulse propagating in a nonlinear medium with anisotropic dispersion will not collapse...

An update on risk factors for cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis assessed using MRI-based semiquantitative grading methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alizai, Hamza [Boston University School of Medicine, Quantitative Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha (Qatar); University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Department of Radiology, San Antonio, TX (United States); Roemer, Frank W. [Boston University School of Medicine, Quantitative Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha (Qatar); University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Radiology, Erlangen (Germany); Hayashi, Daichi [Boston University School of Medicine, Quantitative Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha (Qatar); Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT (United States); Crema, Michel D. [Boston University School of Medicine, Quantitative Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha (Qatar); Hospital do Coracao and Teleimagem, Department of Radiology, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Felson, David T. [Boston University School of Medicine, Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit, Boston, MA (United States); Guermazi, Ali [Boston University School of Medicine, Quantitative Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha (Qatar); Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA (United States)

2014-11-07

Arthroscopy-based semiquantitative scoring systems such as Outerbridge and Noyes' scores were the first to be developed for the purpose of grading cartilage defects. As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) became available faor evaluation of the osteoarthritic knee joint, these systems were adapted for use with MRI. Later on, grading methods such as the Whole Organ Magnetic Resonance Score, the Boston-Leeds Osteoarthritis Knee Score and the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score were designed specifically for performing whole-organ assessment of the knee joint structures, including cartilage. Cartilage grades on MRI obtained with these scoring systems represent optimal outcome measures for longitudinal studies, and are designed to enhance understanding of the knee osteoarthritis disease process. The purpose of this narrative review is to describe cartilage assessment in knee osteoarthritis using currently available MRI-based semiquantitative whole-organ scoring systems, and to provide an update on the risk factors for cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis as assessed with these scoring systems. (orig.)

An update on risk factors for cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis assessed using MRI-based semiquantitative grading methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alizai, Hamza; Roemer, Frank W.; Hayashi, Daichi; Crema, Michel D.; Felson, David T.; Guermazi, Ali

2015-01-01

Arthroscopy-based semiquantitative scoring systems such as Outerbridge and Noyes' scores were the first to be developed for the purpose of grading cartilage defects. As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) became available faor evaluation of the osteoarthritic knee joint, these systems were adapted for use with MRI. Later on, grading methods such as the Whole Organ Magnetic Resonance Score, the Boston-Leeds Osteoarthritis Knee Score and the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score were designed specifically for performing whole-organ assessment of the knee joint structures, including cartilage. Cartilage grades on MRI obtained with these scoring systems represent optimal outcome measures for longitudinal studies, and are designed to enhance understanding of the knee osteoarthritis disease process. The purpose of this narrative review is to describe cartilage assessment in knee osteoarthritis using currently available MRI-based semiquantitative whole-organ scoring systems, and to provide an update on the risk factors for cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis as assessed with these scoring systems. (orig.)

Automatic Segmenting Structures in MRI's Based on Texture Analysis and Fuzzy Logic

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Mandeep; Rattan, Munish; Singh, Pushpinder

2017-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to present the variational method for geometric contours which helps the level set function remain close to the sign distance function, therefor it remove the need of expensive re-initialization procedure and thus, level set method is applied on magnetic resonance images (MRI) to track the irregularities in them as medical imaging plays a substantial part in the treatment, therapy and diagnosis of various organs, tumors and various abnormalities. It favors the patient with more speedy and decisive disease controlling with lesser side effects. The geometrical shape, the tumor's size and tissue's abnormal growth can be calculated by the segmentation of that particular image. It is still a great challenge for the researchers to tackle with an automatic segmentation in the medical imaging. Based on the texture analysis, different images are processed by optimization of level set segmentation. Traditionally, optimization was manual for every image where each parameter is selected one after another. By applying fuzzy logic, the segmentation of image is correlated based on texture features, to make it automatic and more effective. There is no initialization of parameters and it works like an intelligent system. It segments the different MRI images without tuning the level set parameters and give optimized results for all MRI's.

Temperature-Responsive Anisotropic Slippery Surface for Smart Control of the Droplet Motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, By Lili; Heng, Liping; Jiang, Lei

2018-02-28

Development of stimulus-responsive anisotropic slippery surfaces is important because of the high demand for such materials in the field of liquid directional-driven systems. However, current studies in the field of slippery surfaces are mainly conducted to prepare isotropic slippery surfaces. Although we have developed electric-responsive anisotropic slippery surfaces that enable smart control of the droplet motion, there remain challenges for designing temperature-responsive anisotropic slippery surfaces to control the liquid droplet motion on the surface and in the tube. In this work, temperature-responsive anisotropic slippery surfaces have been prepared by using paraffin, a thermo-responsive phase-transition material, as a lubricating fluid and directional porous polystyrene (PS) films as the substrate. The smart regulation of the droplet motion of several liquids on this surface was accomplished by tuning the substrate temperature. The uniqueness of this surface lies in the use of an anisotropic structure and temperature-responsive lubricating fluids to achieve temperature-driven smart control of the anisotropic motion of the droplets. Furthermore, this surface was used to design temperature-driven anisotropic microreactors and to manipulate liquid transfer in tubes. This work advances the understanding of the principles underlying anisotropic slippery surfaces and provides a promising material for applications in the biochip and microreactor system.

[Fusion of MRI, fMRI and intraoperative MRI data. Methods and clinical significance exemplified by neurosurgical interventions].

Science.gov (United States)

Moche, M; Busse, H; Dannenberg, C; Schulz, T; Schmitgen, A; Trantakis, C; Winkler, D; Schmidt, F; Kahn, T

2001-11-01

The aim of this work was to realize and clinically evaluate an image fusion platform for the integration of preoperative MRI and fMRI data into the intraoperative images of an interventional MRI system with a focus on neurosurgical procedures. A vertically open 0.5 T MRI scanner was equipped with a dedicated navigation system enabling the registration of additional imaging modalities (MRI, fMRI, CT) with the intraoperatively acquired data sets. These merged image data served as the basis for interventional planning and multimodal navigation. So far, the system has been used in 70 neurosurgical interventions (13 of which involved image data fusion--requiring 15 minutes extra time). The augmented navigation system is characterized by a higher frame rate and a higher image quality as compared to the system-integrated navigation based on continuously acquired (near) real time images. Patient movement and tissue shifts can be immediately detected by monitoring the morphological differences between both navigation scenes. The multimodal image fusion allowed a refined navigation planning especially for the resection of deeply seated brain lesions or pathologies close to eloquent areas. Augmented intraoperative orientation and instrument guidance improve the safety and accuracy of neurosurgical interventions.

MRI of the Chest

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... MRI scanners are air-conditioned and well-lit. Music may be played through the headphones to help ... used in MRI exams is less likely to produce an allergic reaction than the iodine-based contrast ...

Flip-angle based ratiometric approach for pulsed CEST-MRI pH imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Arena, Francesca; Irrera, Pietro; Consolino, Lorena; Colombo Serra, Sonia; Zaiss, Moritz; Longo, Dario Livio

2018-02-01

Several molecules have been exploited for developing MRI pH sensors based on the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) technique. A ratiometric approach, based on the saturation of two exchanging pools at the same saturation power, or by varying the saturation power levels on the same pool, is usually needed to rule out the concentration term from the pH measurement. However, all these methods have been demonstrated by using a continuous wave saturation scheme that limits its translation to clinical scanners. This study shows a new ratiometric CEST-MRI pH-mapping approach based on a pulsed CEST saturation scheme for a radiographic contrast agent (iodixanol) possessing a single chemical exchange site. This approach is based on the ratio of the CEST contrast effects at two different flip angles combinations (180°/360° and 180°/720°), keeping constant the mean irradiation RF power (Bavg power). The proposed ratiometric approach index is concentration independent and it showed good pH sensitivity and accuracy in the physiological range between 6.0 and 7.4.

Combined fMRI- and eye movement-based decoding of bistable plaid motion perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilbertz, Gregor; Ketkar, Madhura; Guggenmos, Matthias; Sterzer, Philipp

2018-05-01

The phenomenon of bistable perception, in which perception alternates spontaneously despite constant sensory stimulation, has been particularly useful in probing the neural bases of conscious perception. The study of such bistability requires access to the observer's perceptual dynamics, which is usually achieved via active report. This report, however, constitutes a confounding factor in the study of conscious perception and can also be biased in the context of certain experimental manipulations. One approach to circumvent these problems is to track perceptual alternations using signals from the eyes or the brain instead of observers' reports. Here we aimed to optimize such decoding of perceptual alternations by combining eye and brain signals. Eye-tracking and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in twenty participants while they viewed a bistable visual plaid motion stimulus and reported perceptual alternations. Multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) for fMRI was combined with eye-tracking in a Support vector machine to decode participants' perceptual time courses from fMRI and eye-movement signals. While both measures individually already yielded high decoding accuracies (on average 86% and 88% correct, respectively) classification based on the two measures together further improved the accuracy (91% correct). These findings show that leveraging on both fMRI and eye movement data may pave the way for optimized no-report paradigms through improved decodability of bistable motion perception and hence for a better understanding of the neural correlates of consciousness. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-order dynamic lattice method for seismic simulation in anisotropic media

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiaolin; Jia, Xiaofeng

2018-03-01

The discrete particle-based dynamic lattice method (DLM) offers an approach to simulate elastic wave propagation in anisotropic media by calculating the anisotropic micromechanical interactions between these particles based on the directions of the bonds that connect them in the lattice. To build such a lattice, the media are discretized into particles. This discretization inevitably leads to numerical dispersion. The basic lattice unit used in the original DLM only includes interactions between the central particle and its nearest neighbours; therefore, it represents the first-order form of a particle lattice. The first-order lattice suffers from numerical dispersion compared with other numerical methods, such as high-order finite-difference methods, in terms of seismic wave simulation. Due to its unique way of discretizing the media, the particle-based DLM no longer solves elastic wave equations; this means that one cannot build a high-order DLM by simply creating a high-order discrete operator to better approximate a partial derivative operator. To build a high-order DLM, we carry out a thorough dispersion analysis of the method and discover that by adding more neighbouring particles into the lattice unit, the DLM will yield different spatial accuracy. According to the dispersion analysis, the high-order DLM presented here can adapt the requirement of spatial accuracy for seismic wave simulations. For any given spatial accuracy, we can design a corresponding high-order lattice unit to satisfy the accuracy requirement. Numerical tests show that the high-order DLM improves the accuracy of elastic wave simulation in anisotropic media.

Proposed biopsy performance benchmarks for MRI based on an audit of a large academic center.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedora Román, Neda I; Mehta, Tejas S; Sharpe, Richard E; Slanetz, Priscilla J; Venkataraman, Shambhavi; Fein-Zachary, Valerie; Dialani, Vandana

2018-05-01

Performance benchmarks exist for mammography (MG); however, performance benchmarks for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are not yet fully developed. The purpose of our study was to perform an MRI audit based on established MG and screening MRI benchmarks and to review whether these benchmarks can be applied to an MRI practice. An IRB approved retrospective review of breast MRIs was performed at our center from 1/1/2011 through 12/31/13. For patients with biopsy recommendation, core biopsy and surgical pathology results were reviewed. The data were used to derive mean performance parameter values, including abnormal interpretation rate (AIR), positive predictive value (PPV), cancer detection rate (CDR), percentage of minimal cancers and axillary node negative cancers and compared with MG and screening MRI benchmarks. MRIs were also divided by screening and diagnostic indications to assess for differences in performance benchmarks amongst these two groups. Of the 2455 MRIs performed over 3-years, 1563 were performed for screening indications and 892 for diagnostic indications. With the exception of PPV2 for screening breast MRIs from 2011 to 2013, PPVs were met for our screening and diagnostic populations when compared to the MRI screening benchmarks established by the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 5 Atlas ® . AIR and CDR were lower for screening indications as compared to diagnostic indications. New MRI screening benchmarks can be used for screening MRI audits while the American College of Radiology (ACR) desirable goals for diagnostic MG can be used for diagnostic MRI audits. Our study corroborates established findings regarding differences in AIR and CDR amongst screening versus diagnostic indications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adaptive smoothing based on Gaussian processes regression increases the sensitivity and specificity of fMRI data.

Science.gov (United States)

Strappini, Francesca; Gilboa, Elad; Pitzalis, Sabrina; Kay, Kendrick; McAvoy, Mark; Nehorai, Arye; Snyder, Abraham Z

2017-03-01

Temporal and spatial filtering of fMRI data is often used to improve statistical power. However, conventional methods, such as smoothing with fixed-width Gaussian filters, remove fine-scale structure in the data, necessitating a tradeoff between sensitivity and specificity. Specifically, smoothing may increase sensitivity (reduce noise and increase statistical power) but at the cost loss of specificity in that fine-scale structure in neural activity patterns is lost. Here, we propose an alternative smoothing method based on Gaussian processes (GP) regression for single subjects fMRI experiments. This method adapts the level of smoothing on a voxel by voxel basis according to the characteristics of the local neural activity patterns. GP-based fMRI analysis has been heretofore impractical owing to computational demands. Here, we demonstrate a new implementation of GP that makes it possible to handle the massive data dimensionality of the typical fMRI experiment. We demonstrate how GP can be used as a drop-in replacement to conventional preprocessing steps for temporal and spatial smoothing in a standard fMRI pipeline. We present simulated and experimental results that show the increased sensitivity and specificity compared to conventional smoothing strategies. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1438-1459, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preliminary results of a new workflow for MRI/CT-based image-guided brachytherapy in cervical carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemoto, Miho Watanabe; Iwai, Yuma; Togasaki, Gentaro; Kurokawa, Marie; Harada, Rintarou; Kobayashi, Hiroki; Uno, Takashi

2017-12-01

We propose a method of image-guided brachytherapy (IGBT) that combines MRI-based target volume delineation for the first fraction with CT datasets of subsequent fractions, using an automatic, applicator-based co-registration, and report our preliminary experience. The MRI of the first fraction was used for the first brachytherapy planning. For each subsequent brachytherapy fraction, after the same applicator insertion, a new CT scan with the applicator in place was obtained. The MR image set was registered to the subsequent brachytherapy treatment planning CT using the applicator for rigid body registration. To demonstrate the registration quality, we used here the Dice index as a measurement of tandem delineation overlap between CT and MRI. The median Dice index was 0.879 (range 0.610-0.932), which indicated that the contours on CT and MRI fitted well. With this combination method, the median D90 of HR CTV and the calculated D2 cm 3 of the bladder, rectum, and sigmoid in each fraction were 7.2 (4.0-10.4), 5.9 (2.3-7.7), 4.0 (1.9-6.7), and 3.8 (0.6-7.2) Gy, respectively. Our described method of MRI-guided IGBT offers a practical option for the benefits of target delineation.

Anisotropic wave-equation traveltime and waveform inversion

KAUST Repository

Feng, Shihang

2016-09-06

The wave-equation traveltime and waveform inversion (WTW) methodology is developed to invert for anisotropic parameters in a vertical transverse isotropic (VTI) meidum. The simultaneous inversion of anisotropic parameters v0, ε and δ is initially performed using the wave-equation traveltime inversion (WT) method. The WT tomograms are then used as starting background models for VTI full waveform inversion. Preliminary numerical tests on synthetic data demonstrate the feasibility of this method for multi-parameter inversion.

Anisotropic microporous supports impregnated with polymeric ion-exchange materials

Science.gov (United States)

Friesen, Dwayne; Babcock, Walter C.; Tuttle, Mark

1985-05-07

Novel ion-exchange media are disclosed, the media comprising polymeric anisotropic microporous supports containing polymeric ion-exchange or ion-complexing materials. The supports are anisotropic, having small exterior pores and larger interior pores, and are preferably in the form of beads, fibers and sheets.

Can the Diagnostics of Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Lesions Be Improved by MRI-Based Soft-Tissue Reconstruction? An Imaging-Based Workup and Case Presentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niels Hammer

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC provides both mobility and stability of the radiocarpal joint. TFCC lesions are difficult to diagnose due to the complex anatomy. The standard treatment for TFCC lesions is arthroscopy, posing surgery-related risks onto the patients. This feasibility study aimed at developing a workup for soft-tissue reconstruction using clinical imaging, to verify these results in retrospective patient data. Methods. Microcomputed tomography (μ-CT, 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, and plastination were used to visualize the TFCC in cadaveric specimens applying segmentation-based 3D reconstruction. This approach further trialed the MRI dataset of a patient with minor radiological TFCC alterations but persistent pain. Results. TFCC reconstruction was impossible using μ-CT only but feasible using MRI, resulting in an appreciation of its substructures, as seen in the plastinates. Applying this approach allowed for visualizing a Palmer 2C lesion in a patient, confirming ex postum the arthroscopy findings, being markedly different from MRI (Palmer 1B. Discussion. This preliminary study showed that image-based TFCC reconstruction may help to identify pathologies invisible in standard MRI. The combined approach of μ-CT, MRI, and plastination allowed for a three-dimensional appreciation of the TFCC. Image quality and time expenditure limit the approach’s usefulness as a diagnostic tool.

Disadvantage factor for anisotropic scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saad, E.A.; Abdel Krim, M.S.; EL-Dimerdash, A.A.

1990-01-01

The invariant embedding method is used to solve the problem for a two region reactor with anisotropic scattering and to compute the disadvantage factor necessary for calculating some reactor parameters

Phase-based vascular input function: Improved quantitative DCE-MRI of atherosclerotic plaques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hoof, R. H. M.; Hermeling, E.; Truijman, M. T. B.; van Oostenbrugge, R. J.; Daemen, J. W. H.; van der Geest, R. J.; van Orshoven, N. P.; Schreuder, A. H.; Backes, W. H.; Daemen, M. J. A. P.; Wildberger, J. E.; Kooi, M. E.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Quantitative pharmacokinetic modeling of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI can be used to assess atherosclerotic plaque microvasculature, which is an important marker of plaque vulnerability. Purpose of the present study was (1) to compare magnitude-versus phase-based vascular input

SU-E-J-153: MRI Based, Daily Adaptive Radiotherapy for Rectal Cancer: Contour Adaptation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kleijnen, J; Burbach, M; Verbraeken, T; Weggers, R; Zoetelief, A; Reerink, O; Lagendijk, J; Raaymakers, B; Asselen, B

2014-01-01

Purpose: A major hurdle in adaptive radiotherapy is the adaptation of the planning MRI's delineations to the daily anatomy. We therefore investigate the accuracy and time needed for online clinical target volume (CTV) adaptation by radiation therapists (RTT), to be used in MRI-guided adaptive treatments on a MRI-Linac (MRL). Methods: Sixteen patients, diagnosed with early stage rectal cancer, underwent a T2-weighted MRI prior to each fraction of short-course radiotherapy, resulting in 4–5 scans per patient. On these scans, the CTV was delineated according to guidelines by an experienced radiation oncologist (RO) and considered to be the gold standard. For each patient, the first MRI was considered as the planning MRI and matched on bony anatomy to the 3–4 daily MRIs. The planning MRI's CTV delineation was rigidly propagated to the daily MRI scans as a proposal for adaptation. Three RTTs in training started the adaptation of the CTV conform guidelines, after a two hour training lecture and a two patient (n=7) training set. To assess the inter-therapist variation, all three RTTs altered delineations of 3 patients (n=12). One RTT altered the CTV delineations (n=53) of the remaining 11 patients. Time needed for adaptation of the CTV to guidelines was registered.As a measure of agreement, the conformity index (CI) was determined between the RTTs' delineations as a group. Dice similarity coefficients were determined between delineations of the RTT and the RO. Results: We found good agreement between RTTs' and RO's delineations (average Dice=0.91, SD=0.03). Furthermore, the inter-observer agreement between the RTTs was high (average CI=0.94, SD=0.02). Adaptation time reduced from 10:33 min (SD= 3:46) to 2:56 min (SD=1:06) between the first and last ten delineations, respectively. Conclusion: Daily CTV adaptation by RTTs, seems a feasible and safe way to introduce daily, online MRI-based plan adaptation for a MRL

Adaptive weighted anisotropic diffusion for computed tomography denoising

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Zhi; Silver, Michael D. [Toshiba Medical Research Institute USA, Inc., Vernon Hills, IL (United States); Noshi, Yasuhiro [Toshiba Medical System Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)

2011-07-01

With increasing awareness of radiation safety, dose reduction has become an important task of modern CT system development. This paper proposes an adaptive weighted anisotropic diffusion method and an adaptive weighted sharp source anisotropic diffusion method as image domain filters to potentially help dose reduction. Different from existing anisotropic diffusion methods, the proposed methods incorporate an edge-sensitive adaptive source term as part of the diffusion iteration. It provides better edge and detail preservation. Visual evaluation showed that the new methods can reduce noise substantially without apparent edge and detail loss. The quantitative evaluations also showed over 50% of noise reduction in terms of noise standard deviations, which is equivalent to over 75% of dose reduction for a normal dose image quality. (orig.)

Squeeze-film flow between a flat impermeable bearing and an anisotropic porous bed

Science.gov (United States)

Karmakar, Timir; Raja Sekhar, G. P.

2018-04-01

We consider a theoretical model of the squeeze film in the presence of a porous bed. The gap between the porous bed and the bearing is assumed to be filled with a Newtonian fluid. We use the Navier-Stokes equation in the fluid region and the Darcy equation in the fluid filled porous region. Lubrication approximation is used to derive the corresponding evolution equation for the film thickness. We use G. S. Beavers and D. D. Joseph ["Boundary conditions at a naturally permeable wall," J. Fluid. Mech. 30, 197-207 (1967)] and M. Le Bars and M. G. Worster ["Interfacial conditions between a pure fluid and a porous medium: Implications for binary alloy solidification," J. Fluid. Mech. 550, 149-173 (2006)] condition at the liquid porous interface and present a detailed analysis on the corresponding impact. We assume that the porous bed is anisotropic in nature with permeabilities K2 and K1 along the principal axes. Accordingly, the anisotropic angle ϕ is taken as the angle between the horizontal direction and principal axis with permeability K2. We show that the anisotropic permeability ratio and the anisotropic angle make a significant influence on the contact time, flux, velocity, etc. Contact time to meet the porous bed when a bearing approaches under a constant prescribed load is estimated. We present some important findings (relevant to the knee joint) based on the anisotropic properties of the human cartilage. For a prescribed constant load, we have estimated the time duration, during which a healthy human knee remains fluid lubricated.

Diffusion, confusion and functional MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Bihan, Denis

2012-01-01

Diffusion MRI has been introduced in 1985 and has had a very successful life on its own. While it has become a standard for imaging stroke and white matter disorders, the borders between diffusion MRI and the general field of fMRI have always remained fuzzy. First, diffusion MRI has been used to obtain images of brain function, based on the idea that diffusion MRI could also be made sensitive to blood flow, through the intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) concept. Second, the IVIM concept helped better understand the contribution from different vasculature components to the BOLD fMRI signal. Third, it has been shown recently that a genuine fMRI signal can be obtained with diffusion MRI. This 'DfMRI' signal is notably different from the BOLD fMRI signal, especially for its much faster response to brain activation both at onset and offset, which points out to structural changes in the neural tissues, perhaps such as cell swelling, occurring in activated neural tissue. This short article reviews the major steps which have paved the way for this exciting development, underlying how technical progress with MRI equipment has each time been instrumental to expand the horizon of diffusion MRI toward the field of fMRI. (authors)

Highly Enhanced Many-Body Interactions in Anisotropic 2D Semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Ankur; Yan, Han; Zhang, Linglong; Sun, Xueqian; Liu, Boqing; Lu, Yuerui

2018-05-15

dynamics of excitons, trions, and biexcitons in reduced dimensions and fundamental many body interactions. We begin by explaining the fundamental reasons for the highly enhanced interactions in the 2D systems influenced by dielectric screening, resulting in high binding energies of excitons and trions, which are supported by theoretical calculations and experimental observations. Phosphorene has shown much higher binding energies of excitons and trions than TMD monolayers, which allows robust quasi-particles in anisotropic materials at room temperature. We also discuss the role of extrinsic defects induced in phosphorene, resulting in localized excitonic emissions in the near-infrared range, making it suitable for optical telecommunication applications. Finally, we present our vision of the exciting device applications based on the highly enhanced many body interactions in phosphorene, including exciton-polariton devices, polariton lasers, single-photon emitters, and tunable light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Microstructure and anisotropic mechanical behavior of friction stir welded AA2024 alloy sheets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Zhihan [State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Friction Welding Technologies, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an 710072, Shaanxi (China); Li, Wenya, E-mail: liwy@nwpu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Friction Welding Technologies, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an 710072, Shaanxi (China); Li, Jinglong [State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Friction Welding Technologies, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an 710072, Shaanxi (China); Chao, Y.J. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Vairis, A. [Mechanical Engineering Department, TEI of Crete, Heraklion, Crete 71004 (Greece)

2015-09-15

The anisotropic mechanical properties of friction stir welded (FSW) AA2024-T3 alloy joints were investigated based on the uniaxial tensile tests. The joint microstructure was examined by using electron back-scattered diffraction and transmission electron microscope. Results show that the evident anisotropic failure and yielding are present in the FSW joints. With the increase of loading angle from 0° to 90° the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the specimens consistently decrease, or at first decrease and then increase, depending on the FSW process parameters. The specimen cut from the weld direction, i.e. a loading angle of 0°, exhibits the highest strength and elongation. - Highlights: • Microstructure and anisotropy of friction stir welded joints were studied. • The evident anisotropic failure and yielding are present in joints. • The lowest yield stress and UTS are at 45° and 60° loadings, respectively. • Rotation speed heavily impact on the anisotropy of joints.

Microstructure and anisotropic mechanical behavior of friction stir welded AA2024 alloy sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhihan; Li, Wenya; Li, Jinglong; Chao, Y.J.; Vairis, A.

2015-01-01

The anisotropic mechanical properties of friction stir welded (FSW) AA2024-T3 alloy joints were investigated based on the uniaxial tensile tests. The joint microstructure was examined by using electron back-scattered diffraction and transmission electron microscope. Results show that the evident anisotropic failure and yielding are present in the FSW joints. With the increase of loading angle from 0° to 90° the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the specimens consistently decrease, or at first decrease and then increase, depending on the FSW process parameters. The specimen cut from the weld direction, i.e. a loading angle of 0°, exhibits the highest strength and elongation. - Highlights: • Microstructure and anisotropy of friction stir welded joints were studied. • The evident anisotropic failure and yielding are present in joints. • The lowest yield stress and UTS are at 45° and 60° loadings, respectively. • Rotation speed heavily impact on the anisotropy of joints

Chiral magnetic effect in the anisotropic quark-gluon plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali-Akbari, Mohammad; Taghavi, Seyed Farid

2015-01-01

An anisotropic thermal plasma phase of a strongly coupled gauge theory can be holographically modelled by an anisotropic AdS black hole. The temperature and anisotropy parameter of the AdS black hole background of interest http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2011)054 is specified by the location of the horizon and the value of the Dilaton field at the horizon. Interestingly, for the first time, we obtain two functions for the values of the horizon and Dilaton field in terms of the temperature and anisotropy parameter. Then by introducing a number of spinning probe D7-branes in the anisotropic background, we compute the value of the chiral magnetic effect (CME). We observe that in the isotropic and anisotropic plasma the value of the CME is equal for the massless quarks. However, at fixed temperature, raising the anisotropy in the system will increase the value of the CME for the massive quarks.

Modelling of anisotropic compact stars of embedding class one

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhar, Piyali [Government General Degree College, Department of Mathematics, Singur, Hooghly, West Bengal (India); Maurya, S.K. [University of Nizwa, Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, College of Arts and Science, Nizwa (Oman); Gupta, Y.K. [Raj Kumar Goel Institute of Technology, Department of Mathematics, Ghaziabad, U.P. (India); Manna, Tuhina [St. Xavier' s College, Department of Commerce (Evening), Kolkata, West Bengal (India)

2016-10-15

In the present article, we have constructed static anisotropic compact star models of Einstein field equations for the spherical symmetric metric of embedding class one. By assuming the particular form of the metric function ν, we have solved the Einstein field equations for anisotropic matter distribution. The anisotropic models represent the realistic compact objects such as SAX J 1808.4-3658 (SS1), Her X-1, Vela X-12, PSR J1614-2230 and Cen X-3. We have reported our results in details for the compact star Her X-1 on the ground of physical properties such as pressure, density, velocity of sound, energy conditions, TOV equation and red-shift etc. Along with these, we have also discussed about the stability of the compact star models. Finally we made a comparison between our anisotropic stars with the realistic objects on the key aspects as central density, central pressure, compactness and surface red-shift. (orig.)

Microseismic Full Waveform Modeling in Anisotropic Media with Moment Tensor Implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Peidong; Angus, Doug; Nowacki, Andy; Yuan, Sanyi; Wang, Yanyan

2018-03-01

Seismic anisotropy which is common in shale and fractured rocks will cause travel-time and amplitude discrepancy in different propagation directions. For microseismic monitoring which is often implemented in shale or fractured rocks, seismic anisotropy needs to be carefully accounted for in source location and mechanism determination. We have developed an efficient finite-difference full waveform modeling tool with an arbitrary moment tensor source. The modeling tool is suitable for simulating wave propagation in anisotropic media for microseismic monitoring. As both dislocation and non-double-couple source are often observed in microseismic monitoring, an arbitrary moment tensor source is implemented in our forward modeling tool. The increments of shear stress are equally distributed on the staggered grid to implement an accurate and symmetric moment tensor source. Our modeling tool provides an efficient way to obtain the Green's function in anisotropic media, which is the key of anisotropic moment tensor inversion and source mechanism characterization in microseismic monitoring. In our research, wavefields in anisotropic media have been carefully simulated and analyzed in both surface array and downhole array. The variation characteristics of travel-time and amplitude of direct P- and S-wave in vertical transverse isotropic media and horizontal transverse isotropic media are distinct, thus providing a feasible way to distinguish and identify the anisotropic type of the subsurface. Analyzing the travel-times and amplitudes of the microseismic data is a feasible way to estimate the orientation and density of the induced cracks in hydraulic fracturing. Our anisotropic modeling tool can be used to generate and analyze microseismic full wavefield with full moment tensor source in anisotropic media, which can help promote the anisotropic interpretation and inversion of field data.

Surface-Based fMRI-Driven Diffusion Tractography in the Presence of Significant Brain Pathology: A Study Linking Structure and Function in Cerebral Palsy

Science.gov (United States)

Cunnington, Ross; Boyd, Roslyn N.; Rose, Stephen E.

2016-01-01

Diffusion MRI (dMRI) tractography analyses are difficult to perform in the presence of brain pathology. Automated methods that rely on cortical parcellation for structural connectivity studies often fail, while manually defining regions is extremely time consuming and can introduce human error. Both methods also make assumptions about structure-function relationships that may not hold after cortical reorganisation. Seeding tractography with functional-MRI (fMRI) activation is an emerging method that reduces these confounds, but inherent smoothing of fMRI signal may result in the inclusion of irrelevant pathways. This paper describes a novel fMRI-seeded dMRI-analysis pipeline based on surface-meshes that reduces these issues and utilises machine-learning to generate task specific white matter pathways, minimising the requirement for manually-drawn ROIs. We directly compared this new strategy to a standard voxelwise fMRI-dMRI approach, by investigating correlations between clinical scores and dMRI metrics of thalamocortical and corticomotor tracts in 31 children with unilateral cerebral palsy. The surface-based approach successfully processed more participants (87%) than the voxel-based approach (65%), and provided significantly more-coherent tractography. Significant correlations between dMRI metrics and five clinical scores of function were found for the more superior regions of these tracts. These significant correlations were stronger and more frequently found with the surface-based method (15/20 investigated were significant; R2 = 0.43–0.73) than the voxelwise analysis (2 sig. correlations; 0.38 & 0.49). More restricted fMRI signal, better-constrained tractography, and the novel track-classification method all appeared to contribute toward these differences. PMID:27487011

Application of probabilistically weighted graphs to image-based diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using diffusion MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Maryam, Syeda; McCrackin, Laura; Crowley, Mark; Rathi, Yogesh; Michailovich, Oleg

2017-03-01

The world's aging population has given rise to an increasing awareness towards neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimers Disease (AD). Treatment options for AD are currently limited, but it is believed that future success depends on our ability to detect the onset of the disease in its early stages. The most frequently used tools for this include neuropsychological assessments, along with genetic, proteomic, and image-based diagnosis. Recently, the applicability of Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) analysis for early diagnosis of AD has also been reported. The sensitivity of dMRI to the microstructural organization of cerebral tissue makes it particularly well-suited to detecting changes which are known to occur in the early stages of AD. Existing dMRI approaches can be divided into two broad categories: region-based and tract-based. In this work, we propose a new approach, which extends region-based approaches to the simultaneous characterization of multiple brain regions. Given a predefined set of features derived from dMRI data, we compute the probabilistic distances between different brain regions and treat the resulting connectivity pattern as an undirected, fully-connected graph. The characteristics of this graph are then used as markers to discriminate between AD subjects and normal controls (NC). Although in this preliminary work we omit subjects in the prodromal stage of AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), our method demonstrates perfect separability between AD and NC subject groups with substantial margin, and thus holds promise for fine-grained stratification of NC, MCI and AD populations.

Theory of Random Anisotropic Magnetic Alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindgård, Per-Anker

1976-01-01

A mean-field-crystal-field theory is developed for random, multicomponent, anisotropic magnetic alloys. It is specially applicable to rare-earth alloys. A discussion is given of multicritical points and phase transitions between various states characterized by order parameters with different...... spatial directions or different ordering wave vectors. Theoretical predictions based on known parameters for the phase diagrams and magnetic moments for the binary rare-earth alloys of Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er, Tb-Tm, Nd-Pr, and pure double-hcp Nd agree qualitatively with the experimental observations...... fluctuation corrections in the mean-field results is also discussed....

Accuracy of multiecho magnitude-based MRI (M-MRI) for estimation of hepatic proton density fat fraction (PDFF) in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Zand, Kevin A; Shah, Amol; Heba, Elhamy; Wolfson, Tanya; Hamilton, Gavin; Lam, Jessica; Chen, Joshua; Hooker, Jonathan C; Gamst, Anthony C; Middleton, Michael S; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B; Sirlin, Claude B

2015-11-01

To assess accuracy of magnitude-based magnetic resonance imaging (M-MRI) in children to estimate hepatic proton density fat fraction (PDFF) using two to six echoes, with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) -measured PDFF as a reference standard. This was an IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant, single-center, cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of data collected prospectively between 2008 and 2013 in children with known or suspected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Two hundred eighty-six children (8-20 [mean 14.2 ± 2.5] years; 182 boys) underwent same-day MRS and M-MRI. Unenhanced two-dimensional axial spoiled gradient-recalled-echo images at six echo times were obtained at 3T after a single low-flip-angle (10°) excitation with ≥ 120-ms recovery time. Hepatic PDFF was estimated using the first two, three, four, five, and all six echoes. For each number of echoes, accuracy of M-MRI to estimate PDFF was assessed by linear regression with MRS-PDFF as reference standard. Accuracy metrics were regression intercept, slope, average bias, and R(2) . MRS-PDFF ranged from 0.2-40.4% (mean 13.1 ± 9.8%). Using three to six echoes, regression intercept, slope, and average bias were 0.46-0.96%, 0.99-1.01, and 0.57-0.89%, respectively. Using two echoes, these values were 2.98%, 0.97, and 2.72%, respectively. R(2) ranged 0.98-0.99 for all methods. Using three to six echoes, M-MRI has high accuracy for hepatic PDFF estimation in children. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Efficient Modeling and Migration in Anisotropic Media Based on Prestack Exploding Reflector Model and Effective Anisotropy

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hui

2014-01-01

This thesis addresses the efficiency improvement of seismic wave modeling and migration in anisotropic media. This improvement becomes crucial in practice as the process of imaging complex geological structures of the Earth's subsurface requires

An in vivo MRI Template Set for Morphometry, Tissue Segmentation, and fMRI Localization in Rats

Science.gov (United States)

Valdés-Hernández, Pedro Antonio; Sumiyoshi, Akira; Nonaka, Hiroi; Haga, Risa; Aubert-Vásquez, Eduardo; Ogawa, Takeshi; Iturria-Medina, Yasser; Riera, Jorge J.; Kawashima, Ryuta

2011-01-01

Over the last decade, several papers have focused on the construction of highly detailed mouse high field magnetic resonance image (MRI) templates via non-linear registration to unbiased reference spaces, allowing for a variety of neuroimaging applications such as robust morphometric analyses. However, work in rats has only provided medium field MRI averages based on linear registration to biased spaces with the sole purpose of approximate functional MRI (fMRI) localization. This precludes any morphometric analysis in spite of the need of exploring in detail the neuroanatomical substrates of diseases in a recent advent of rat models. In this paper we present a new in vivo rat T2 MRI template set, comprising average images of both intensity and shape, obtained via non-linear registration. Also, unlike previous rat template sets, we include white and gray matter probabilistic segmentations, expanding its use to those applications demanding prior-based tissue segmentation, e.g., statistical parametric mapping (SPM) voxel-based morphometry. We also provide a preliminary digitalization of latest Paxinos and Watson atlas for anatomical and functional interpretations within the cerebral cortex. We confirmed that, like with previous templates, forepaw and hindpaw fMRI activations can be correctly localized in the expected atlas structure. To exemplify the use of our new MRI template set, were reported the volumes of brain tissues and cortical structures and probed their relationships with ontogenetic development. Other in vivo applications in the near future can be tensor-, deformation-, or voxel-based morphometry, morphological connectivity, and diffusion tensor-based anatomical connectivity. Our template set, freely available through the SPM extension website, could be an important tool for future longitudinal and/or functional extensive preclinical studies. PMID:22275894

An in vivo MRI Template Set for Morphometry, Tissue Segmentation, and fMRI Localization in Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Valdés-Hernández, Pedro Antonio; Sumiyoshi, Akira; Nonaka, Hiroi; Haga, Risa; Aubert-Vásquez, Eduardo; Ogawa, Takeshi; Iturria-Medina, Yasser; Riera, Jorge J; Kawashima, Ryuta

2011-01-01

Over the last decade, several papers have focused on the construction of highly detailed mouse high field magnetic resonance image (MRI) templates via non-linear registration to unbiased reference spaces, allowing for a variety of neuroimaging applications such as robust morphometric analyses. However, work in rats has only provided medium field MRI averages based on linear registration to biased spaces with the sole purpose of approximate functional MRI (fMRI) localization. This precludes any morphometric analysis in spite of the need of exploring in detail the neuroanatomical substrates of diseases in a recent advent of rat models. In this paper we present a new in vivo rat T2 MRI template set, comprising average images of both intensity and shape, obtained via non-linear registration. Also, unlike previous rat template sets, we include white and gray matter probabilistic segmentations, expanding its use to those applications demanding prior-based tissue segmentation, e.g., statistical parametric mapping (SPM) voxel-based morphometry. We also provide a preliminary digitalization of latest Paxinos and Watson atlas for anatomical and functional interpretations within the cerebral cortex. We confirmed that, like with previous templates, forepaw and hindpaw fMRI activations can be correctly localized in the expected atlas structure. To exemplify the use of our new MRI template set, were reported the volumes of brain tissues and cortical structures and probed their relationships with ontogenetic development. Other in vivo applications in the near future can be tensor-, deformation-, or voxel-based morphometry, morphological connectivity, and diffusion tensor-based anatomical connectivity. Our template set, freely available through the SPM extension website, could be an important tool for future longitudinal and/or functional extensive preclinical studies.

Hydrodynamic cavitation in Stokes flow of anisotropic fluids

OpenAIRE

Stieger, Tillmann; Agha, Hakam; Schoen, Martin; Mazza, Marco G.; Sengupta, Anupam

2017-01-01

Cavitation, the nucleation of vapour in liquids, is ubiquitous in fluid dynamics, and is often implicated in a myriad of industrial and biomedical applications. Although extensively studied in isotropic liquids, corresponding investigations in anisotropic liquids are largely lacking. Here, by combining liquid crystal microfluidic experiments, nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical arguments, we report flow-induced cavitation in an anisotropic fluid. The cavitation domai...

Modeling of plates with multiple anisotropic layers and residual stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engholm, Mathias; Pedersen, Thomas; Thomsen, Erik Vilain

2016-01-01

Usually the analytical approach for modeling of plates uses the single layer plate equation to obtain the deflection and does not take anisotropy and residual stress into account. Based on the stress–strain relation of each layer and balancing stress resultants and bending moments, a general...... multilayered anisotropic plate equation is developed for plates with an arbitrary number of layers. The exact deflection profile is calculated for a circular clamped plate of anisotropic materials with residual bi-axial stress.From the deflection shape the critical stress for buckling is calculated......, and an excellent agreement between the two models is seen with a relative difference of less than 2% for all calculations. The model was also used to extract the cell capacitance, the parasitic capacitance and the residual stress of a pressure sensor composed of a multilayered plate of silicon and silicon oxide...

Acoustic anisotropic wavefields through perturbation theory

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2013-09-01

Solving the anisotropic acoustic wave equation numerically using finite-difference methods introduces many problems and media restriction requirements, and it rarely contributes to the ability to resolve the anisotropy parameters. Among these restrictions are the inability to handle media with η<0 and the presence of shear-wave artifacts in the solution. Both limitations do not exist in the solution of the elliptical anisotropic acoustic wave equation. Using perturbation theory in developing the solution of the anisotropic acoustic wave equation allows direct access to the desired limitation-free solutions, that is, solutions perturbed from the elliptical anisotropic background medium. It also provides a platform for parameter estimation because of the ability to isolate the wavefield dependency on the perturbed anisotropy parameters. As a result, I derive partial differential equations that relate changes in the wavefield to perturbations in the anisotropy parameters. The solutions of the perturbation equations represented the coefficients of a Taylor-series-type expansion of the wavefield as a function of the perturbed parameter, which is in this case η or the tilt of the symmetry axis. The expansion with respect to the symmetry axis allows use of an acoustic transversely isotropic media with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI) kernel to estimate the background wavefield and the corresponding perturbation coefficients. The VTI extrapolation kernel is about one-fourth the cost of the transversely isotropic model with a tilt in the symmetry axis kernel. Thus, for a small symmetry axis tilt, the cost of migration using a first-order expansion can be reduced. The effectiveness of the approach was demonstrated on the Marmousi model.

A SVM-based quantitative fMRI method for resting-state functional network detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xiaomu; Chen, Nan-kuei

2014-09-01

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) aims to measure baseline neuronal connectivity independent of specific functional tasks and to capture changes in the connectivity due to neurological diseases. Most existing network detection methods rely on a fixed threshold to identify functionally connected voxels under the resting state. Due to fMRI non-stationarity, the threshold cannot adapt to variation of data characteristics across sessions and subjects, and generates unreliable mapping results. In this study, a new method is presented for resting-state fMRI data analysis. Specifically, the resting-state network mapping is formulated as an outlier detection process that is implemented using one-class support vector machine (SVM). The results are refined by using a spatial-feature domain prototype selection method and two-class SVM reclassification. The final decision on each voxel is made by comparing its probabilities of functionally connected and unconnected instead of a threshold. Multiple features for resting-state analysis were extracted and examined using an SVM-based feature selection method, and the most representative features were identified. The proposed method was evaluated using synthetic and experimental fMRI data. A comparison study was also performed with independent component analysis (ICA) and correlation analysis. The experimental results show that the proposed method can provide comparable or better network detection performance than ICA and correlation analysis. The method is potentially applicable to various resting-state quantitative fMRI studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bryan's effect and anisotropic nonlinear damping

Science.gov (United States)

Joubert, Stephan V.; Shatalov, Michael Y.; Fay, Temple H.; Manzhirov, Alexander V.

2018-03-01

In 1890, G. H. Bryan discovered the following: "The vibration pattern of a revolving cylinder or bell revolves at a rate proportional to the inertial rotation rate of the cylinder or bell." We call this phenomenon Bryan's law or Bryan's effect. It is well known that any imperfections in a vibratory gyroscope (VG) affect Bryan's law and this affects the accuracy of the VG. Consequently, in this paper, we assume that all such imperfections are either minimised or eliminated by some known control method and that only damping is present within the VG. If the damping is isotropic (linear or nonlinear), then it has been recently demonstrated in this journal, using symbolic analysis, that Bryan's law remains invariant. However, it is known that linear anisotropic damping does affect Bryan's law. In this paper, we generalise Rayleigh's dissipation function so that anisotropic nonlinear damping may be introduced into the equations of motion. Using a mixture of numeric and symbolic analysis on the ODEs of motion of the VG, for anisotropic light nonlinear damping, we demonstrate (up to an approximate average), that Bryan's law is affected by any form of such damping, causing pattern drift, compromising the accuracy of the VG.

Anisotropic hydrodynamics for conformal Gubser flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strickland, Michael; Nopoush, Mohammad [Kent State University, Kent OH 44242 (United States); Ryblewski, Radoslaw [The H. Niewodniczański Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-31342 Kraków (Poland)

2016-12-15

In this proceedings contribution, we review the exact solution of the anisotropic hydrodynamics equations for a system subject to Gubser flow. For this purpose, we use the leading-order anisotropic hydrodynamics equations which assume that the distribution function is ellipsoidally symmetric in local-rest-frame momentum. We then prove that the SO(3){sub q} symmetry in de Sitter space constrains the anisotropy tensor to be of spheroidal form with only one independent anisotropy parameter remaining. As a consequence, the exact solution reduces to the problem of solving two coupled non-linear differential equations. We show that, in the limit that the relaxation time goes to zero, one obtains Gubser's ideal hydrodynamic solution and, in the limit that the relaxation time goes to infinity, one obtains the exact free streaming solution obtained originally by Denicol et al. For finite relaxation time, we solve the equations numerically and compare to the exact solution of the relaxation-time-approximation Boltzmann equation subject to Gubser flow. Using this as our standard, we find that anisotropic hydrodynamics describes the spatio-temporal evolution of the system better than all currently known dissipative hydrodynamics approaches.

Anisotropic hydrodynamics for conformal Gubser flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strickland, Michael; Nopoush, Mohammad; Ryblewski, Radoslaw

2016-01-01

In this proceedings contribution, we review the exact solution of the anisotropic hydrodynamics equations for a system subject to Gubser flow. For this purpose, we use the leading-order anisotropic hydrodynamics equations which assume that the distribution function is ellipsoidally symmetric in local-rest-frame momentum. We then prove that the SO(3)_q symmetry in de Sitter space constrains the anisotropy tensor to be of spheroidal form with only one independent anisotropy parameter remaining. As a consequence, the exact solution reduces to the problem of solving two coupled non-linear differential equations. We show that, in the limit that the relaxation time goes to zero, one obtains Gubser's ideal hydrodynamic solution and, in the limit that the relaxation time goes to infinity, one obtains the exact free streaming solution obtained originally by Denicol et al. For finite relaxation time, we solve the equations numerically and compare to the exact solution of the relaxation-time-approximation Boltzmann equation subject to Gubser flow. Using this as our standard, we find that anisotropic hydrodynamics describes the spatio-temporal evolution of the system better than all currently known dissipative hydrodynamics approaches.

Multi-feature-based plaque characterization in ex vivo MRI trained by registration to 3D histology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Engelen, Arna; Niessen, Wiro J; Klein, Stefan; De Bruijne, Marleen; Groen, Harald C; Wentzel, Jolanda J; Verhagen, Hence JM; Lugt, Aad van der

2012-01-01

We present a new method for automated characterization of atherosclerotic plaque composition in ex vivo MRI. It uses MRI intensities as well as four other types of features: smoothed, gradient magnitude and Laplacian images at several scales, and the distances to the lumen and outer vessel wall. The ground truth for fibrous, necrotic and calcified tissue was provided by histology and μCT in 12 carotid plaque specimens. Semi-automatic registration of a 3D stack of histological slices and μCT images to MRI allowed for 3D rotations and in-plane deformations of histology. By basing voxelwise classification on different combinations of features, we evaluated their relative importance. To establish whether training by 3D registration yields different results than training by 2D registration, we determined plaque composition using (1) a 2D slice-based registration approach for three manually selected MRI and histology slices per specimen, and (2) an approach that uses only the three corresponding MRI slices from the 3D-registered volumes. Voxelwise classification accuracy was best when all features were used (73.3 ± 6.3%) and was significantly better than when only original intensities and distance features were used (Friedman, p < 0.05). Although 2D registration or selection of three slices from the 3D set slightly decreased accuracy, these differences were non-significant. (paper)

{sup 18}F-FDG PET/MRI in patients suffering from lymphoma: how much MRI information is really needed?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirchner, Julian; Heusch, Philipp; Antoch, Gerald [University Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Dusseldorf (Germany); Deuschl, Cornelius; Grueneisen, Johannes; Forsting, Michael; Umutlu, Lale [University of Duisburg-Essen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen (Germany); Herrmann, Ken [University of Duisburg-Essen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Essen, Essen (Germany)

2017-06-15

To evaluate and compare the diagnostic potential of different reading protocols, entailing non-enhanced/contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted {sup 18}F-FDG PET/MR imaging for lesion detection and determination of the tumor stage in lymphoma patients. A total of 101 {sup 18}F-FDG PET/MRI datasets including a (1) transverse T2-w HASTE and {sup 18}F-FDG PET (PET/MRI{sub 1}), (2) with an additional contrast enhanced VIBE (PET/MRI{sub 2}), and (3) with additional diffusion-weighted imaging (PET/MRI{sub 3}) were evaluated. Scans were performed for initial staging, restaging during treatment, or at the end of treatment and under surveillance with suspicion for tumor relapse. In all datasets lymphoma manifestations as well as tumor stage in analogy to the revised criteria of the Ann Arbor staging system were determined. Furthermore, potential changes in therapy compared to the reference standard were evaluated. Hitherto performed PET/CT and all available follow-up and prior examinations as well as histopathology served as reference standard. PET/MRI{sub 1} correctly identified 53/55 patients with active lymphoma and 190/205 lesions. Respective values were 55/55, 202/205 for PET/MRI{sub 2} and 55/55, 205/205 for PET/MRI{sub 3}. PET/MRI{sub 1} determined correct tumor stage in 88 out of 101 examinations, and corresponding results for PET/MRI{sub 2} were 95 out of 101 and 96 out of 101 in PET/MRI{sub 3}. Relating to the reference standard changes in treatment would occur in 11% based on PET/MRI{sub 1}, in 6% based on PET/MRI{sub 2}, and in 3% based on PET/MRI{sub 3}. The additional application of contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted imaging to {sup 18}F-FDG PET/MRI resulted in higher diagnostic competence, particularly for initial staging and correct classification of the disease extent with potential impact on patient and therapy management. (orig.)

Visualization of suspicious lesions in breast MRI based on intelligent neural systems

Science.gov (United States)

Twellmann, Thorsten; Lange, Oliver; Nattkemper, Tim Wilhelm; Meyer-Bäse, Anke

2006-05-01

Intelligent medical systems based on supervised and unsupervised artificial neural networks are applied to the automatic visualization and classification of suspicious lesions in breast MRI. These systems represent an important component of future sophisticated computer-aided diagnosis systems and enable the extraction of spatial and temporal features of dynamic MRI data stemming from patients with confirmed lesion diagnosis. By taking into account the heterogenity of the cancerous tissue, these techniques reveal the malignant, benign and normal kinetic signals and and provide a regional subclassification of pathological breast tissue. Intelligent medical systems are expected to have substantial implications in healthcare politics by contributing to the diagnosis of indeterminate breast lesions by non-invasive imaging.

Specific MRI quality control: development and production of a multimodal test-object. Assessment of MRI sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dedieu, Veronique; Bard, Jean-Jacques; Bonnet, Jacques; Buchheit, Isabelle; Confort-Gouny, Sylviane; Certaines, Jacques de; Lacaze, Brigitte; Vincensini, Dominique; Joffre, Francis

2007-02-01

After a first part recalling the operation principle of a MRI imager and the modalities of acquisition of MRI images (base MNR experiment, image quality, technical issues, artefacts and main defects of MRI imagers), this document addresses the different types of quality control in MRI and regulatory issues. The third part presents the characteristics of a multimodal test-object which has been developed, the parameters of the specific quality control, and control procedures

Anisotropic, Mixed-Norm Lizorkin-Triebel Spaces and Diffeomorphic Maps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnsen, Jon; Hansen, Sabrina Munch; Sickel, Winfried

2014-01-01

This paper gives general results on invariance of anisotropic Lizorkin-Triebel spaces with mixed norms under coordinate transformations on Euclidean space, open sets, and cylindrical domains.......This paper gives general results on invariance of anisotropic Lizorkin-Triebel spaces with mixed norms under coordinate transformations on Euclidean space, open sets, and cylindrical domains....

The anisotropic Ising correlations as elliptic integrals: duality and differential equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCoy, B M; Maillard, J-M

2016-01-01

We present the reduction of the correlation functions of the Ising model on the anisotropic square lattice to complete elliptic integrals of the first, second and third kind, the extension of Kramers–Wannier duality to anisotropic correlation functions, and the linear differential equations for these anisotropic correlations. More precisely, we show that the anisotropic correlation functions are homogeneous polynomials of the complete elliptic integrals of the first, second and third kind. We give the exact dual transformation matching the correlation functions and the dual correlation functions. We show that the linear differential operators annihilating the general two-point correlation functions are factorized in a very simple way, in operators of decreasing orders. (paper)

An eigenvalue approach for the automatic scaling of unknowns in model-based reconstructions: Application to real-time phase-contrast flow MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Zhengguo; Hohage, Thorsten; Kalentev, Oleksandr; Joseph, Arun A; Wang, Xiaoqing; Voit, Dirk; Merboldt, K Dietmar; Frahm, Jens

2017-12-01

The purpose of this work is to develop an automatic method for the scaling of unknowns in model-based nonlinear inverse reconstructions and to evaluate its application to real-time phase-contrast (RT-PC) flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Model-based MRI reconstructions of parametric maps which describe a physical or physiological function require the solution of a nonlinear inverse problem, because the list of unknowns in the extended MRI signal equation comprises multiple functional parameters and all coil sensitivity profiles. Iterative solutions therefore rely on an appropriate scaling of unknowns to numerically balance partial derivatives and regularization terms. The scaling of unknowns emerges as a self-adjoint and positive-definite matrix which is expressible by its maximal eigenvalue and solved by power iterations. The proposed method is applied to RT-PC flow MRI based on highly undersampled acquisitions. Experimental validations include numerical phantoms providing ground truth and a wide range of human studies in the ascending aorta, carotid arteries, deep veins during muscular exercise and cerebrospinal fluid during deep respiration. For RT-PC flow MRI, model-based reconstructions with automatic scaling not only offer velocity maps with high spatiotemporal acuity and much reduced phase noise, but also ensure fast convergence as well as accurate and precise velocities for all conditions tested, i.e. for different velocity ranges, vessel sizes and the simultaneous presence of signals with velocity aliasing. In summary, the proposed automatic scaling of unknowns in model-based MRI reconstructions yields quantitatively reliable velocities for RT-PC flow MRI in various experimental scenarios. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A 3D finite element-based model order reduction method for parametric resonance and whirling analysis of anisotropic rotor-bearing systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuai; Wang, Yu; Zi, Yanyang; He, Zhengjia

2015-12-01

A generalized and efficient model for rotating anisotropic rotor-bearing systems is presented in this paper with full considerations of the system's anisotropy in stiffness, inertia and damping. Based on the 3D finite element model and the model order reduction method, the effects of anisotropy in shaft and bearings on the forced response and whirling of anisotropic rotor-bearing systems are systematically investigated. First, the coefficients of journal bearings are transformed from the fixed frame to the rotating one. Due to the anisotropy in shaft and bearings, the motion is governed by differential equations with periodically time-variant coefficients. Then, a free-interface complex component mode synthesis (CMS) method is employed to generate efficient reduced-order models (ROM) for the periodically time-variant systems. In order to solve the obtained equations, a variant of Hill's method for systems with multiple harmonic excitations is developed. Four dimensionless parameters are defined to quantify the types and levels of anisotropy of bearings. Finally, the effects of the four types of anisotropy on the forced response and whirl orbits are studied. Numerical results show that the anisotropy of bearings in stiffness splits the sole resonant peak into two isolated ones, but the anisotropy of bearings in damping coefficients mainly affect the response amplitudes. Moreover, the whirl orbits become much more complex when the shaft and bearings are both anisotropic. In addition, the cross-coupling stiffness coefficients of bearings significantly affect the dynamic behaviors of the systems and cannot be neglected, though they are often much smaller than the principle stiffness terms.

Permanent magnet-based MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, David Mitchell

1997-10-01

The principal goal of this project is to design and build a low-cost, imaging quality permanent magnet, together with the requisite shim, gradient, and radiofrequency coils, and to integrate the magnet with an existing imaging station. There are commercial products presently available that are very similar to this imager, but information about these products is proprietary. We present here all of the details concerning the design and the manufacturing process for constructing the permanent magnet, and include suggestions for improvement. Specifically, the prototype has a mass of about 150 kilograms and is therefore portable. It's C-type geometry allows maximum access to the imaging region, which is an oblate sphere about 0.5 inches in diameter centered in a 4.7 inch air gap between two seven-inch diameter polefaces. It is hoped that this imaging magnet will serve as the prototype for a series of larger versions that will be clinically useful and affordable to physicians in developing nations. To this end, scientists in the United States and Mexico have begun to collaborate with the intention to create an MRI institute in Mexico that will train new students in this discipline, and fabricate improved imagers. The prototype resulting from this work will seed the creation of this institute, and is intended to entice students into the study of MRI by enabling hands-on interaction with an otherwise prohibitively expensive instrument.

Hybrid localized waves supported by resonant anisotropic metasurfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bogdanov, A. A.; Yermakov, O. Y.; Ovcharenko, A. I.

2016-01-01

We study both theoretically and experimentally a new class of surface electromagnetic waves supported by resonant anisotropic metasurface. At certain frequency this type of metasurface demonstrates the topological transition from elliptical to hyperbolic regime.......We study both theoretically and experimentally a new class of surface electromagnetic waves supported by resonant anisotropic metasurface. At certain frequency this type of metasurface demonstrates the topological transition from elliptical to hyperbolic regime....

Prostatome: A combined anatomical and disease based MRI atlas of the prostate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rusu, Mirabela; Madabhushi, Anant, E-mail: anant.madabhushi@case.edu [Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States); Bloch, B. Nicolas; Jaffe, Carl C. [Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118 (United States); Genega, Elizabeth M. [Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215 (United States); Lenkinski, Robert E.; Rofsky, Neil M. [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75235 (United States); Feleppa, Ernest [Riverside Research Institute, New York, New York 10038 (United States)

2014-07-15

Purpose: In this work, the authors introduce a novel framework, the anatomically constrained registration (AnCoR) scheme and apply it to create a fused anatomic-disease atlas of the prostate which the authors refer to as the prostatome. The prostatome combines a MRI based anatomic and a histology based disease atlas. Statistical imaging atlases allow for the integration of information across multiple scales and imaging modalities into a single canonical representation, in turn enabling a fused anatomical-disease representation which may facilitate the characterization of disease appearance relative to anatomic structures. While statistical atlases have been extensively developed and studied for the brain, approaches that have attempted to combine pathology and imaging data for study of prostate pathology are not extant. This works seeks to address this gap. Methods: The AnCoR framework optimizes a scoring function composed of two surface (prostate and central gland) misalignment measures and one intensity-based similarity term. This ensures the correct mapping of anatomic regions into the atlas, even when regional MRI intensities are inconsistent or highly variable between subjects. The framework allows for creation of an anatomic imaging and a disease atlas, while enabling their fusion into the anatomic imaging-disease atlas. The atlas presented here was constructed using 83 subjects with biopsy confirmed cancer who had pre-operative MRI (collected at two institutions) followed by radical prostatectomy. The imaging atlas results from mapping thein vivo MRI into the canonical space, while the anatomic regions serve as domain constraints. Elastic co-registration MRI and corresponding ex vivo histology provides “ground truth” mapping of cancer extent on in vivo imaging for 23 subjects. Results: AnCoR was evaluated relative to alternative construction strategies that use either MRI intensities or the prostate surface alone for registration. The AnCoR framework

Prostatome: A combined anatomical and disease based MRI atlas of the prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusu, Mirabela; Madabhushi, Anant; Bloch, B. Nicolas; Jaffe, Carl C.; Genega, Elizabeth M.; Lenkinski, Robert E.; Rofsky, Neil M.; Feleppa, Ernest

2014-01-01

Purpose: In this work, the authors introduce a novel framework, the anatomically constrained registration (AnCoR) scheme and apply it to create a fused anatomic-disease atlas of the prostate which the authors refer to as the prostatome. The prostatome combines a MRI based anatomic and a histology based disease atlas. Statistical imaging atlases allow for the integration of information across multiple scales and imaging modalities into a single canonical representation, in turn enabling a fused anatomical-disease representation which may facilitate the characterization of disease appearance relative to anatomic structures. While statistical atlases have been extensively developed and studied for the brain, approaches that have attempted to combine pathology and imaging data for study of prostate pathology are not extant. This works seeks to address this gap. Methods: The AnCoR framework optimizes a scoring function composed of two surface (prostate and central gland) misalignment measures and one intensity-based similarity term. This ensures the correct mapping of anatomic regions into the atlas, even when regional MRI intensities are inconsistent or highly variable between subjects. The framework allows for creation of an anatomic imaging and a disease atlas, while enabling their fusion into the anatomic imaging-disease atlas. The atlas presented here was constructed using 83 subjects with biopsy confirmed cancer who had pre-operative MRI (collected at two institutions) followed by radical prostatectomy. The imaging atlas results from mapping thein vivo MRI into the canonical space, while the anatomic regions serve as domain constraints. Elastic co-registration MRI and corresponding ex vivo histology provides “ground truth” mapping of cancer extent on in vivo imaging for 23 subjects. Results: AnCoR was evaluated relative to alternative construction strategies that use either MRI intensities or the prostate surface alone for registration. The AnCoR framework

Microcomputer-based image processing system for CT/MRI scans II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwok, J.C.K.; Yu, P.K.N.; Cheng, A.Y.S.; Ho, W.C.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that a microcomputer-based image processing system is used to digitize and process serial sections of CT/MRI scan and reconstruct three-dimensional images of brain structures and brain lesions. The images grabbed also serve as templates and different vital regions with different risk values are also traced out for 3D reconstruction. A knowledge-based system employing rule-based programming has been built to help identifying brain lesions and to help planning trajectory for operations. The volumes of the lesions are also automatically determined. Such system is very useful for medical skills archival, tumor size monitoring, survival and outcome forecasting, and consistent neurosurgical planning

Hybrid ICA-Seed-Based Methods for fMRI Functional Connectivity Assessment: A Feasibility Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert E. Kelly

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Brain functional connectivity (FC is often assessed from fMRI data using seed-based methods, such as those of detecting temporal correlation between a predefined region (seed and all other regions in the brain; or using multivariate methods, such as independent component analysis (ICA. ICA is a useful data-driven tool, but reproducibility issues complicate group inferences based on FC maps derived with ICA. These reproducibility issues can be circumvented with hybrid methods that use information from ICA-derived spatial maps as seeds to produce seed-based FC maps. We report results from five experiments to demonstrate the potential advantages of hybrid ICA-seed-based FC methods, comparing results from regressing fMRI data against task-related a priori time courses, with “back-reconstruction” from a group ICA, and with five hybrid ICA-seed-based FC methods: ROI-based with (1 single-voxel, (2 few-voxel, and (3 many-voxel seed; and dual-regression-based with (4 single ICA map and (5 multiple ICA map seed.

Analyzing functional, structural, and anatomical correlation of hemispheric language lateralization in healthy subjects using functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, and voxel-based morphometry.

Science.gov (United States)

James, Jija S; Kumari, Sheela R; Sreedharan, Ruma Madhu; Thomas, Bejoy; Radhkrishnan, Ashalatha; Kesavadas, Chandrasekharan

2015-01-01

To evaluate the efficacy of diffusion fiber tractography (DFT) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) for lateralizing language in comparison with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to noninvasively assess hemispheric language lateralization in normal healthy volunteers. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the concordance of language lateralization obtained by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and VBM to fMRI, and thus to see whether there exists an anatomical correlate for language lateralization result obtained using fMRI. This is an advanced neuroimaging study conducted in normal healthy volunteers. Fifty-seven normal healthy subjects (39 males and 18 females; age range: 15-40 years) underwent language fMRI and 30 underwent direction DTI. fMRI language laterality index (LI), fiber tract asymmetry index (AI), and tract-based statistics of dorsal and ventral language pathways were calculated. The combined results were correlated with VBM-based volumetry of Heschl's gyrus (HG), planum temporale (PT), and insula for lateralization of language function. A linear regression analysis was done to study the correlation between fMRI, DTI, and VBM measurements. A good agreement was found between language fMRI LI and fiber tract AI, more specifically for arcuate fasciculus (ArcF) and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). The study demonstrated significant correlations (P based statistics, and PT and HG volumetry for determining language lateralization. A strong one-to-one correlation between fMRI, laterality index, DTI tractography measures, and VBM-based volumetry measures for determining language lateralization exists.

Dynamic transformation of self-assembled structures using anisotropic magnetized hydrogel microparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Satoru; Takinoue, Masahiro; Iwase, Eiji; Onoe, Hiroaki

2016-08-01

This paper describes a system through which the self-assembly of anisotropic hydrogel microparticles is achieved, which also enables dynamic transformation of the assembled structures. Using a centrifuge-based microfluidic device, anisotropic hydrogel microparticles encapsulating superparamagnetic materials on one side are fabricated, which respond to a magnetic field. We successfully achieve dynamic assembly using these hydrogel microparticles and realize three different self-assembled structures (single and double pearl chain structures, and close-packed structures), which can be transformed to other structures dynamically via tuning of the precessional magnetic field. We believe that the developed system has potential application as an effective platform for a dynamic cell manipulation and cultivation system, in biomimetic autonomous microrobot organization, and that it can facilitate further understanding of the self-organization and complex systems observed in nature.

Analysis of Electric Field Propagation in Anisotropically Absorbing and Reflecting Waveplates

Science.gov (United States)

Carnio, B. N.; Elezzabi, A. Y.

2018-04-01

Analytical expressions are derived for half-wave plates (HWPs) and quarter-wave plates (QWPs) based on uniaxial crystals. This general analysis describes the behavior of anisotropically absorbing and reflecting waveplates across the electromagnetic spectrum, which allows for correction to the commonly used equations determined assuming isotropic absorptions and reflections. This analysis is crucial to the design and implementation of HWPs and QWPs in the terahertz regime, where uniaxial crystals used for waveplates are highly birefringent and anisotropically absorbing. The derived HWP equations describe the rotation of linearly polarized light by an arbitrary angle, whereas the QWP analysis focuses on manipulating a linearly polarized electric field to obtain any ellipticity. The HWP and QWP losses are characterized by determining equations for the total electric field magnitude transmitted through these phase-retarding elements.

A new model for spherically symmetric anisotropic compact star

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maurya, S.K.; Dayanandan, Baiju [University of Nizwa, Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, College of Arts and Science, Nizwa (Oman); Gupta, Y.K. [Raj Kumar Goel Institute of Technology, Department of Mathematics, Ghaziabad, UP (India); Ray, Saibal [Government College of Engineering and Ceramic Technology, Department of Physics, Kolkata, West Bengal (India)

2016-05-15

In this article we obtain a new anisotropic solution for Einstein's field equations of embedding class one metric. The solution represents realistic objects such as Her X-1 and RXJ 1856-37. We perform a detailed investigation of both objects by solving numerically the Einstein field equations with anisotropic pressure. The physical features of the parameters depend on the anisotropic factor i.e. if the anisotropy is zero everywhere inside the star then the density and pressures will become zero and the metric turns out to be flat. We report our results and compare with the above mentioned two compact objects as regards a number of key aspects: the central density, the surface density onset and the critical scaling behaviour, the effective mass and radius ratio, the anisotropization with isotropic initial conditions, adiabatic index and red shift. Along with this we have also made a comparison between the classical limit and theoretical model treatment of the compact objects. Finally we discuss the implications of our findings for the stability condition in a relativistic compact star. (orig.)

Prestack exploding reflector modelling and migration for anisotropic media

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2014-10-09

The double-square-root equation is commonly used to image data by downward continuation using one-way depth extrapolation methods. A two-way time extrapolation of the double-square-root-derived phase operator allows for up and downgoing wavefields but suffers from an essential singularity for horizontally travelling waves. This singularity is also associated with an anisotropic version of the double-square-root extrapolator. Perturbation theory allows us to separate the isotropic contribution, as well as the singularity, from the anisotropic contribution to the operator. As a result, the anisotropic residual operator is free from such singularities and can be applied as a stand alone operator to correct for anisotropy. We can apply the residual anisotropy operator even if the original prestack wavefield was obtained using, for example, reverse-time migration. The residual correction is also useful for anisotropic parameter estimation. Applications to synthetic data demonstrate the accuracy of the new prestack modelling and migration approach. It also proves useful in approximately imaging the Vertical Transverse Isotropic Marmousi model.

Anisotropic light scattering of individual sickle red blood cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngchan; Higgins, John M; Dasari, Ramachandra R; Suresh, Subra; Park, YongKeun

2012-04-01

We present the anisotropic light scattering of individual red blood cells (RBCs) from a patient with sickle cell disease (SCD). To measure light scattering spectra along two independent axes of elongated-shaped sickle RBCs with arbitrary orientation, we introduce the anisotropic Fourier transform light scattering (aFTLS) technique and measured both the static and dynamic anisotropic light scattering. We observed strong anisotropy in light scattering patterns of elongated-shaped sickle RBCs along its major axes using static aFTLS. Dynamic aFTLS analysis reveals the significantly altered biophysical properties in individual sickle RBCs. These results provide evidence that effective viscosity and elasticity of sickle RBCs are significantly different from those of the healthy RBCs.

Modeling of charged anisotropic compact stars in general relativity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dayanandan, Baiju; Maurya, S.K.; T, Smitha T. [University of Nizwa, Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, College of Arts and Science, Nizwa (Oman)

2017-06-15

A charged compact star model has been determined for anisotropic fluid distribution. We have solved the Einstein-Maxwell field equations to construct the charged compact star model by using the radial pressure, the metric function e{sup λ} and the electric charge function. The generic charged anisotropic solution is verified by exploring different physical conditions like causality condition, mass-radius relation and stability of the solution (via the adiabatic index, TOV equations and the Herrera cracking concept). It is observed that the present charged anisotropic compact star model is compatible with the star PSR 1937+21. Moreover, we also presented the EOS ρ = f(p) for the present charged compact star model. (orig.)

Fabrication and evaluation of tumor-targeted positive MRI contrast agent based on ultrasmall MnO nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Haitao; Yue, Tao; Xu, Ke; Golzarian, Jafar; Yu, Jiahui; Huang, Jin

2015-07-01

Gd(III) chelate is currently used as positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent in clinical diagnosis, but generally induces the risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) due to the dissociated Gd(3+) from Gd(III) chelates. To develop a novel positive MRI contrast agent with low toxicity and high sensitivity, ultrasmall MnO nanoparticles were PEGylated via catechol-Mn chelation and conjugated with cRGD as active targeting function to tumor. Particularly, the MnO nanoparticles with a size of ca. 5nm were modified by α,β-poly(aspartic acid)-based graft polymer containing PEG and DOPA moieties and, meanwhile, conjugated with cRGD to produce the contrast agent with a size of ca. 100nm and a longitudinal relaxivity (r1) of 10.2mM(-1)S(-1). Such nanoscaled contrast agent integrated passive- and active-targeting function to tumor, and its efficient accumulation behavior in tumor was verified by in vivo distribution study. At the same time, the PEG moiety played a role of hydrophilic coating to improve the biocompatibility and stability under storing and physiological conditions, and especially might guarantee enough circulation time in blood. Moreover, in vivo MRI revealed a good and long-term effect of enhancing MRI signal for as-fabricated contrast agent while cell viability assay proved its acceptable cytotoxicity for MRI application. On the whole, the as-fabricated PEGylated and cRGD-functionalized contrast agent based on ultrasmall MnO nanoparticles showed a great potential to the T1-weighted MRI diagnosis of tumor. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anisotropic mechanical properties and Stone-Wales defects in graphene monolayer: A theoretical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, B.B.; Yang, X.B.; Zhang, R.

2010-01-01

We investigate the mechanical properties of graphene monolayer via the density functional theoretical (DFT) method. We find that the strain energies are anisotropic for the graphene under large strain. We attribute the anisotropic feature to the anisotropic sp 2 hybridization in the hexagonal lattice. We further identify that the formation energies of Stone-Wales (SW) defects in the graphene monolayer are determined by the defect concentration and also the direction of applied tensile strain, correlating with the anisotropic feature.

Aeroelastic modal dynamics of wind turbines including anisotropic effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisker Skjoldan, P.

2011-03-15

Several methods for aeroelastic modal analysis of a rotating wind turbine are developed and used to analyse the modal dynamics of two simplified models and a complex model in isotropic and anisotropic conditions. The Coleman transformation is used to enable extraction of the modal frequencies, damping, and periodic mode shapes of a rotating wind turbine by describing the rotor degrees of freedom in the inertial frame. This approach is valid only for an isotropic system. Anisotropic systems, e.g., with an unbalanced rotor or operating in wind shear, are treated with the general approaches of Floquet analysis or Hill's method which do not provide a unique reference frame for observing the modal frequency, to which any multiple of the rotor speed can be added. This indeterminacy is resolved by requiring that the periodic mode shape be as constant as possible in the inertial frame. The modal frequency is thus identified as the dominant frequency in the response of a pure excitation of the mode observed in the inertial frame. A modal analysis tool based directly on the complex aeroelastic wind turbine code BHawC is presented. It uses the Coleman approach in isotropic conditions and the computationally efficient implicit Floquet analysis in anisotropic conditions. The tool is validated against system identifications with the partial Floquet method on the nonlinear BHawC model of a 2.3 MW wind turbine. System identification results show that nonlinear effects on the 2.3 MW turbine in most cases are small, but indicate that the controller creates nonlinear damping. In isotropic conditions the periodic mode shape contains up to three harmonic components, but in anisotropic conditions it can contain an infinite number of harmonic components with frequencies that are multiples of the rotor speed. These harmonics appear in calculated frequency responses of the turbine. Extreme wind shear changes the modal damping when the flow is separated due to an interaction between

Anisotropic magnetotelluric inversion using a mutual information constraint

Science.gov (United States)

Mandolesi, E.; Jones, A. G.

2012-12-01

In recent years, several authors pointed that the electrical conductivity of many subsurface structures cannot be described properly by a scalar field. With the development of field devices and techniques, data quality improved to the point that the anisotropy in conductivity of rocks (microscopic anisotropy) and tectonic structures (macroscopic anisotropy) cannot be neglected. Therefore a correct use of high quality data has to include electrical anisotropy and a correct interpretation of anisotropic data characterizes directly a non-negligible part of the subsurface. In this work we test an inversion routine that takes advantage of the classic Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm to invert magnetotelluric (MT) data generated from a bi-dimensional (2D) anisotropic domain. The LM method is routinely used in inverse problems due its performance and robustness. In non-linear inverse problems -such the MT problem- the LM method provides a spectacular compromise betwee quick and secure convergence at the price of the explicit computation and storage of the sensitivity matrix. Regularization in inverse MT problems has been used extensively, due to the necessity to constrain model space and to reduce the ill-posedness of the anisotropic MT problem, which makes MT inversions extremely challenging. In order to reduce non-uniqueness of the MT problem and to reach a model compatible with other different tomographic results from the same target region, we used a mutual information (MI) based constraint. MI is a basic quantity in information theory that can be used to define a metric between images, and it is routinely used in fields as computer vision, image registration and medical tomography, to cite some applications. We -thus- inverted for the model that best fits the anisotropic data and that is the closest -in a MI sense- to a tomographic model of the target area. The advantage of this technique is that the tomographic model of the studied region may be produced by any

An anisotropic elasto-viscoplastic model for short-fiber reinforced polymers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amiri Rad, A.; Govaert, L.E.; van Dommelen, J.A.W.

2017-01-01

The influence of flow on the fiber orientation in injection molding of short-fiber composites leads to both anisotropy and inhomogeneity of the mechanical response. An anisotropic elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model is developed to capture the anisotropic and time-dependent behavior and

An Anisotropic Elasto-Viscoplastic Model for Short-Fiber Reinforced Polymers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amiri Rad, A.; Govaert, L.E.; van Dommelen, J.A.W.

2018-01-01

The influence of flow on the fiber orientation in injection molding of short-fiber composites leads to both anisotropy and inhomogeneity of the mechanical response. An anisotropic elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model is developed to capture the anisotropic and time-dependent behavior and

Bianchi-type II spacetime and anisotropic brane-world cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sevinc, O.

2010-01-01

Anisotropic generalization of Randall and Sundrum brane-world model is considered. I studied a bulk with an anisotropic space of motion of the brane, depending on both time and extra coordinate. Then I discussed possibility of obtaining the fine-tuning condition of Randall and Sundrum following the method of Andrei V. Frolov (Phys. Lett. B, 514,213).

Remarks on the relativistic magnetohydrodynamics of an anisotropic fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ignat, M.

1980-01-01

Considering a pressure tensor of a general form, a relativistic rarefied, anisotropic, infinite electrically conducting and nondissipative plasma is studied. For this purpose, the method of the orthonormal frame of reference is used. The choice of the frame of reference is made adequately to the problem. Some thermodynamical properties of such a relativistic, anisotropic plasma are also given. (author)

ICA-based artifact removal diminishes scan site differences in multi-center resting-state fMRI.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rogier Alexander Feis

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Resting-state fMRI (R-fMRI has shown considerable promise in providing potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and drug response across a range of diseases. Incorporating R-fMRI into multi-center studies is becoming increasingly popular, imposing technical challenges on data acquisition and analysis, as fMRI data is particularly sensitive to structured noise resulting from hardware, software and environmental differences. Here, we investigated whether a novel clean up tool for structured noise was capable of reducing center-related R-fMRI differences between healthy subjects.We analyzed 3 Tesla R-fMRI data from 72 subjects, half of whom were scanned with eyes closed in a Philips Achieva system in The Netherlands, and half of whom were scanned with eyes open in a Siemens Trio system in the UK. After pre-statistical processing and individual Independent Component Analysis (ICA, FMRIB’s ICA-based X-noiseifier (FIX was used to remove noise components from the data. GICA and dual regression were run and non-parametric statistics were used to compare spatial maps between groups before and after applying FIX.Large significant differences were found in all resting-state networks between study sites before using FIX, most of which were reduced to non-significant after applying FIX. The between-center difference in the medial/primary visual network, presumably reflecting a between-center difference in protocol, remained statistically different.FIX helps facilitate multi-center R-fMRI research by diminishing structured noise from R-fMRI data. In doing so, it improves combination of existing data from different centers in new settings and comparison of rare diseases and risk genes for which adequate sample size remains a challenge.

Anisotropic wetting characteristics versus roughness on machined surfaces of hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Yande; Shu, Liming; Natsu, Wataru; He, Fuben

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The aim is to investigate the influence of roughness on anisotropic wetting on machined surfaces. • The relationship between roughness and anisotropic wetting is modeled by thermodynamical analysis. • The effect of roughness on anisotropic wetting on hydrophilic materials is stronger than that on hydrophobic materials. • The energy barrier existing in the direction perpendicular to the lay is one of the main reasons for the anisotropic wetting. • The contact angle in the parallel direction is larger than that in the perpendicular direction. - Abstract: Anisotropic wetting of machined surfaces is widely applied in industries which can be greatly affected by roughness and solid's chemical properties. However, there has not been much work on it. A free-energy thermodynamic model is presented by analyzing geometry morphology of machined surfaces (2-D model surfaces), which demonstrates the influence of roughness on anisotropic wetting. It can be concluded that the energy barrier is one of the main reasons for the anisotropic wetting existing in the direction perpendicular to the lay. In addition, experiments in investigating anisotropic wetting, which was characterized by the static contact angle and droplet's distortion, were performed on machined surfaces with different roughness on hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials. The droplet's anisotropy found on machined surfaces increased with mean slope of roughness profile Kr. It indicates that roughness on anisotropic wetting on hydrophilic materials has a stronger effect than that on hydrophobic materials. Furthermore, the contact angles predicted by the model are basically consistent with the experimentally ones

Anisotropic plasma with flows in tokamak: Steady state and stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilgisonis, V.I.

1996-01-01

An adequate description of equilibrium and stability of anisotropic plasma with macroscopic flows in tokamaks is presented. The Chew-Goldberger-Low (CGL) approximation is consistently used to analyze anisotropic plasma dynamics. The admissible structure of a stationary flow is found to be the same as in the ideal magnetohydrodynamics with isotropic pressure (MHD), which means an allowance for the same relabeling symmetry as in ideal MHD systems with toroidally nested magnetic surfaces. A generalization of the Grad-Shafranov equation for the case of anisotropic plasma with flows confined in the axisymmetric magnetic field is derived. A variational principle was obtained, which allows for a stability analysis of anisotropic pressure plasma with flows, and takes into account the conservation laws resulting from the relabeling symmetry. This principle covers the previous stability criteria for static CGL plasma and for ideal MHD flows in isotropic plasma as well. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Fast algorithms for evaluating the stress field of dislocation lines in anisotropic elastic media

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, C.; Aubry, S.; Oppelstrup, T.; Arsenlis, A.; Darve, E.

2018-06-01

In dislocation dynamics (DD) simulations, the most computationally intensive step is the evaluation of the elastic interaction forces among dislocation ensembles. Because the pair-wise interaction between dislocations is long-range, this force calculation step can be significantly accelerated by the fast multipole method (FMM). We implemented and compared four different methods in isotropic and anisotropic elastic media: one based on the Taylor series expansion (Taylor FMM), one based on the spherical harmonics expansion (Spherical FMM), one kernel-independent method based on the Chebyshev interpolation (Chebyshev FMM), and a new kernel-independent method that we call the Lagrange FMM. The Taylor FMM is an existing method, used in ParaDiS, one of the most popular DD simulation softwares. The Spherical FMM employs a more compact multipole representation than the Taylor FMM does and is thus more efficient. However, both the Taylor FMM and the Spherical FMM are difficult to derive in anisotropic elastic media because the interaction force is complex and has no closed analytical formula. The Chebyshev FMM requires only being able to evaluate the interaction between dislocations and thus can be applied easily in anisotropic elastic media. But it has a relatively large memory footprint, which limits its usage. The Lagrange FMM was designed to be a memory-efficient black-box method. Various numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the convergence and the scalability of the four methods.

MRI-powered biomedical devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Hovet, Sierra; Ren, Hongliang; Xu, Sheng; Wood, Bradford; Tokuda, Junichi; Tse, Zion Tsz Ho

2017-11-16

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is beneficial for imaging-guided procedures because it provides higher resolution images and better soft tissue contrast than computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, and X-ray. MRI can be used to streamline diagnostics and treatment because it does not require patients to be repositioned between scans of different areas of the body. It is even possible to use MRI to visualize, power, and control medical devices inside the human body to access remote locations and perform minimally invasive procedures. Therefore, MR conditional medical devices have the potential to improve a wide variety of medical procedures; this potential is explored in terms of practical considerations pertaining to clinical applications and the MRI environment. Recent advancements in this field are introduced with a review of clinically relevant research in the areas of interventional tools, endovascular microbots, and closed-loop controlled MRI robots. Challenges related to technology and clinical feasibility are discussed, including MRI based propulsion and control, navigation of medical devices through the human body, clinical adoptability, and regulatory issues. The development of MRI-powered medical devices is an emerging field, but the potential clinical impact of these devices is promising.

Anisotropic thermal conductivity in epoxy-bonded magnetocaloric composites

Science.gov (United States)

Weise, Bruno; Sellschopp, Kai; Bierdel, Marius; Funk, Alexander; Bobeth, Manfred; Krautz, Maria; Waske, Anja

2016-09-01

Thermal management is one of the crucial issues in the development of magnetocaloric refrigeration technology for application. In order to ensure optimal exploitation of the materials "primary" properties, such as entropy change and temperature lift, thermal properties (and other "secondary" properties) play an important role. In magnetocaloric composites, which show an increased cycling stability in comparison to their bulk counterparts, thermal properties are strongly determined by the geometric arrangement of the corresponding components. In the first part of this paper, the inner structure of a polymer-bonded La(Fe, Co, Si)13-composite was studied by X-ray computed tomography. Based on this 3D data, a numerical study along all three spatial directions revealed anisotropic thermal conductivity of the composite: Due to the preparation process, the long-axis of the magnetocaloric particles is aligned along the xy plane which is why the in-plane thermal conductivity is larger than the thermal conductivity along the z-axis. Further, the study is expanded to a second aspect devoted to the influence of particle distribution and alignment within the polymer matrix. Based on an equivalent ellipsoids model to describe the inner structure of the composite, numerical simulation of the thermal conductivity in different particle arrangements and orientation distributions were performed. This paper evaluates the possibilities of microstructural design for inducing and adjusting anisotropic thermal conductivity in magnetocaloric composites.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -- Head

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... used in tattoos may contain iron and could heat up during an MRI scan, but this is ... imaging based on the electrical activity of the heart, such as electrocardiography (EKG). MRI generally is not ...

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -- Head

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... MRI scanners are air-conditioned and well-lit. Music may be played through the headphones to help ... used in MRI exams is less likely to produce an allergic reaction than the iodine-based contrast ...

Anisotropic Exciton Rabi Oscillation in Single Telecommunication-Band Quantum Dot

Science.gov (United States)

Toshiyuki Miyazawa,; Toshihiro Nakaoka,; Katsuyuki Watanabe,; Naoto Kumagai,; Naoki Yokoyama,; Yasuhiko Arakawa,

2010-06-01

Anisotropic Rabi oscillation in the exciton state in a single InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) was demonstrated in the telecommunication-band by selecting two orthogonal polarization angles of the excitation laser. Our InAs QDs were embedded in an intrinsic layer of an n-i-Schottky diode, which provides an electric field to extract photoexcited carriers from QDs. Owing to the potential anisotropy of QDs, the fine structure splitting (FSS) energy in the exciton state in single InAs QDs was ˜110 μeV, measured by polarization-resolved photocurrent spectroscopy. The ratio between two different Rabi frequencies, which reflect anisotropic dipole moments of two orthogonal exciton states, was estimated to be ˜1.2. This demonstrates that the selective control of two orthogonal polarized exciton states is a promising technique for exciton-based-quantum information devices compatible with fiber optics.

Anisotropic Ripple Deformation in Phosphorene.

Science.gov (United States)

Kou, Liangzhi; Ma, Yandong; Smith, Sean C; Chen, Changfeng

2015-05-07

Two-dimensional materials tend to become crumpled according to the Mermin-Wagner theorem, and the resulting ripple deformation may significantly influence electronic properties as observed in graphene and MoS2. Here, we unveil by first-principles calculations a new, highly anisotropic ripple pattern in phosphorene, a monolayer black phosphorus, where compression-induced ripple deformation occurs only along the zigzag direction in the strain range up to 10%, but not the armchair direction. This direction-selective ripple deformation mode in phosphorene stems from its puckered structure with coupled hinge-like bonding configurations and the resulting anisotropic Poisson ratio. We also construct an analytical model using classical elasticity theory for ripple deformation in phosphorene under arbitrary strain. The present results offer new insights into the mechanisms governing the structural and electronic properties of phosphorene crucial to its device applications.

Isotropic and anisotropic nanocrystalline NdFeB-based magnets prepared by spark plasma sintering and hot deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Z.W.; Huang, Y.L.; Huang, H.Y.; Zhong, X.C.; Yu, Y.H.; Zeng, D.C.

2011-01-01

Isotropic and anisotropic NdFeB permanent magnets were prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and SPS followed hot deformation (HD), respectively, using melt spun NdFeB ribbons with various compositions as starting materials. It is found that, based on RE-rich composition, SPSed magnets sintered at low temperatures (<700 C) almost maintained the uniform fine grain structure inherited from rapid quenching. At higher temperatures, a distinct two-zone (coarse grain and fine grain zones) structure was formed in the SPSed magnets. The SPS temperature and pressure have important effects on the grain structure, which led to the variations in the magnetic properties. By employing low SPS temperature and high pressure, high-density magnets with negligible coarse grain zone and an excellent combination of magnetic properties can be obtained. For single phase NdFeB alloy, because of the deficiency of Nd-rich phases, it is relatively difficult to consolidate micro-sized melt spun powders into high density bulk magnet, but generally a larger particle size is beneficial to achieve better magnetic properties. Anisotropic magnets with a maximum energy product of approx. equal to 38 MGOe were produced by the SPS+HD process. HD did not lead to obvious grain growth and the two-zone structure still existed in the hot deformed magnets. The results indicated that nanocrystalline NdFeB magnets without significant grain growth and with excellent properties could be obtained by SPS and HD processes. (author)

On cracking of charged anisotropic polytropes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azam, M. [Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Township Campus, Lahore-54590 (Pakistan); Mardan, S.A., E-mail: azam.math@ue.edu.pk, E-mail: syedalimardanazmi@yahoo.com [Department of Mathematics, University of the Management and Technology, C-II, Johar Town, Lahore-54590 (Pakistan)

2017-01-01

Recently in [1], the role of electromagnetic field on the cracking of spherical polytropes has been investigated without perturbing charge parameter explicitly. In this study, we have examined the occurrence of cracking of anisotropic spherical polytropes through perturbing parameters like anisotropic pressure, energy density and charge. We consider two different types of polytropes in this study. We discuss the occurrence of cracking in two different ways ( i ) by perturbing polytropic constant, anisotropy and charge parameter ( ii ) by perturbing polytropic index, anisotropy and charge parameter for each case. We conclude that cracking appears for a wide range of parameters in both cases. Also, our results are reduced to [2] in the absence of charge.

Windowed correlation: a suitable tool for providing dynamic fMRI-based functional connectivity neurofeedback on task difficulty.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Zilverstand

Full Text Available The goal of neurofeedback training is to provide participants with relevant information on their ongoing brain processes in order to enable them to change these processes in a meaningful way. Under the assumption of an intrinsic brain-behavior link, neurofeedback can be a tool to guide a participant towards a desired behavioral state, such as a healthier state in the case of patients. Current research in clinical neuroscience regarding the most robust indicators of pathological brain processes in psychiatric and neurological disorders indicates that fMRI-based functional connectivity measures may be among the most important biomarkers of disease. The present study therefore investigated the general potential of providing fMRI neurofeedback based on functional correlations, computed from short-window time course data at the level of single task periods. The ability to detect subtle changes in task performance with block-wise functional connectivity measures was evaluated based on imaging data from healthy participants performing a simple motor task, which was systematically varied along two task dimensions representing two different aspects of task difficulty. The results demonstrate that fMRI-based functional connectivity measures may provide a better indicator for an increase in overall (motor task difficulty than activation level-based measures. Windowed functional correlations thus seem to provide relevant and unique information regarding ongoing brain processes, which is not captured equally well by standard activation level-based neurofeedback measures. Functional connectivity markers, therefore, may indeed provide a valuable tool to enhance and monitor learning within an fMRI neurofeedback setup.

Anisotropic perturbations due to dark energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battye, Richard A.; Moss, Adam

2006-01-01

A variety of observational tests seem to suggest that the Universe is anisotropic. This is incompatible with the standard dogma based on adiabatic, rotationally invariant perturbations. We point out that this is a consequence of the standard decomposition of the stress-energy tensor for the cosmological fluids, and that rotational invariance need not be assumed, if there is elastic rigidity in the dark energy. The dark energy required to achieve this might be provided by point symmetric domain wall network with P/ρ=-2/3, although the concept is more general. We illustrate this with reference to a model with cubic symmetry and discuss various aspects of the model

Black Holes with Anisotropic Fluid in Lyra Scalar-Tensor Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melis ULU DOĞRU

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we investigate distribution of anisotropic fluid which is a resource of black holes in regard to Lyra scalar-tensor theory. As part of the theory, we obtain field equations of spherically symmetric space-time with anisotropic fluid. By using field equations, we suggest distribution of anisotropic fluid, responsible for space-time geometries such as Schwarzschild, Reissner-Nordström, Minkowski type, de Sitter type, Anti-de Sitter type, BTZ and charged BTZ black holes. Finally, we discuss obtained pressures and density of the fluid for different values of arbitrary constants, geometrically and physically.

A voxel-based MRI morphometric study of Alzheimer's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Jing; Li Kuncheng; Yang Yanhui; Wang Wei; Li Ke; Yan Bin; Shan Baoci

2005-01-01

Objective: To assess the diagnostic value of voxel-based Morphometry (VBM) in studying Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: Graymatter density were comprehensive assessed by means of VBM on T 1 -weighted MRI volume sets in 19 patients with AD and 15 healthy subjects of similar age and gender ratio, 15 healthy adults. The data were collected on Siemens 1.5 T Sonata MRI systems and analyzed by SPM 99 to generate gray matter density map. Results: Relative to healthy controls, significant clusters of reduced gray matter density were found to affect medial temporal lobe ( hippocampus) (P<0.001). For hippocampus, reduced gray matter density were 1529 in the right and 1281 in the left with right-sided predominance. Moreover, atrophy of right caudate head and left medial thalamus were showed. We demonstrate global asymmetrical cortical atrophy with sparing of the sensorimotor cortex, occipital lobe and cerebellum. Conclusion: The results from VBM are in perfect agreement with those of earlier neuroimaging, which confirmed its value in demonstrating neuroanatomy of AD. VBM, the simple and automatic approach providing a full-brain assessment of AD morphology, has a good clinical perspective. (authors)

Dendrimer-based Macromolecular MRI Contrast Agents: Characteristics and Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hisataka Kobayashi

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Numerous macromolecular MRI contrast agents prepared employing relatively simple chemistry may be readily available that can provide sufficient enhancement for multiple applications. These agents operate using a ~100-fold lower concentration of gadolinium ions in comparison to the necessary concentration of iodine employed in CT imaging. Herein, we describe some of the general potential directions of macromolecular MRI contrast agents using our recently reported families of dendrimer-based agents as examples. Changes in molecular size altered the route of excretion. Smaller-sized contrast agents less than 60 kDa molecular weight were excreted through the kidney resulting in these agents being potentially suitable as functional renal contrast agents. Hydrophilic and larger-sized contrast agents were found better suited for use as blood pool contrast agents. Hydrophobic variants formed with polypropylenimine diaminobutane dendrimer cores created liver contrast agents. Larger hydrophilic agents are useful for lymphatic imaging. Finally, contrast agents conjugated with either monoclonal antibodies or with avidin are able to function as tumor-specific contrast agents, which also might be employed as therapeutic drugs for either gadolinium neutron capture therapy or in conjunction with radioimmunotherapy.

Method for calculating anisotropic neutron transport using scattering kernel without polynomial expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Akito; Yamamoto, Junji; Ebisuya, Mituo; Sumita, Kenji

1979-01-01

A new method for calculating the anisotropic neutron transport is proposed for the angular spectral analysis of D-T fusion reactor neutronics. The method is based on the transport equation with new type of anisotropic scattering kernels formulated by a single function I sub(i) (μ', μ) instead of polynomial expansion, for instance, Legendre polynomials. In the calculation of angular flux spectra by using scattering kernels with the Legendre polynomial expansion, we often observe the oscillation with negative flux. But in principle this oscillation disappears by this new method. In this work, we discussed anisotropic scattering kernels of the elastic scattering and the inelastic scatterings which excite discrete energy levels. The other scatterings were included in isotropic scattering kernels. An approximation method, with use of the first collision source written by the I sub(i) (μ', μ) function, was introduced to attenuate the ''oscillations'' when we are obliged to use the scattering kernels with the Legendre polynomial expansion. Calculated results with this approximation showed remarkable improvement for the analysis of the angular flux spectra in a slab system of lithium metal with the D-T neutron source. (author)

An FDTD algorithm for simulating light propagation in anisotropic dynamic gain media

KAUST Repository

Al-Jabr, A. A.; San Roman Alerigi, Damian; Ooi, Boon S.; Alsunaidi, M. A.

2014-01-01

Simulating light propagation in anisotropic dynamic gain media such as semiconductors and solid-state lasers using the finite difference time-domain FDTD technique is a tedious process, as many variables need to be evaluated in the same instant of time. The algorithm has to take care of the laser dynamic gain, rate equations, anisotropy and dispersion. In this paper, to the best of our knowledge, we present the first algorithm that solves this problem. The algorithm is based on separating calculations into independent layers and hence solving each problem in a layer of calculations. The anisotropic gain medium is presented and tested using a one-dimensional set-up. The algorithm is then used for the analysis of a two-dimensional problem.

An FDTD algorithm for simulating light propagation in anisotropic dynamic gain media

KAUST Repository

Al-Jabr, A. A.

2014-05-02

Simulating light propagation in anisotropic dynamic gain media such as semiconductors and solid-state lasers using the finite difference time-domain FDTD technique is a tedious process, as many variables need to be evaluated in the same instant of time. The algorithm has to take care of the laser dynamic gain, rate equations, anisotropy and dispersion. In this paper, to the best of our knowledge, we present the first algorithm that solves this problem. The algorithm is based on separating calculations into independent layers and hence solving each problem in a layer of calculations. The anisotropic gain medium is presented and tested using a one-dimensional set-up. The algorithm is then used for the analysis of a two-dimensional problem.

CT- and MRI-based volumetry of resected liver specimen: Comparison to intraoperative volume and weight measurements and calculation of conversion factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlo, C.; Reiner, C.S.; Stolzmann, P.; Breitenstein, S.; Marincek, B.; Weishaupt, D.; Frauenfelder, T.

2010-01-01

Objective: To compare virtual volume to intraoperative volume and weight measurements of resected liver specimen and calculate appropriate conversion factors to reach better correlation. Methods: Preoperative (CT-group, n = 30; MRI-group, n = 30) and postoperative MRI (n = 60) imaging was performed in 60 patients undergoing partial liver resection. Intraoperative volume and weight of the resected liver specimen was measured. Virtual volume measurements were performed by two readers (R1,R2) using dedicated software. Conversion factors were calculated. Results: Mean intraoperative resection weight/volume: CT: 855 g/852 mL; MRI: 872 g/860 mL. Virtual resection volume: CT: 960 mL(R1), 982 mL(R2); MRI: 1112 mL(R1), 1115 mL(R2). Strong positive correlation for both readers between intraoperative and virtual measurements, mean of both readers: CT: R = 0.88(volume), R = 0.89(weight); MRI: R = 0.95(volume), R = 0.92(weight). Conversion factors: 0.85(CT), 0.78(MRI). Conclusion: CT- or MRI-based volumetry of resected liver specimen is accurate and recommended for preoperative planning. A conversion of the result is necessary to improve intraoperative and virtual measurement correlation. We found 0.85 for CT- and 0.78 for MRI-based volumetry the most appropriate conversion factors.

Validation of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) based on MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xueyu; Chen, Kewei; Guo, Xiaojuan; Yao, Li

2007-03-01

Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is an automated and objective image analysis technique for detecting differences in regional concentration or volume of brain tissue composition based on structural magnetic resonance (MR) images. VBM has been used widely to evaluate brain morphometric differences between different populations, but there isn't an evaluation system for its validation until now. In this study, a quantitative and objective evaluation system was established in order to assess VBM performance. We recruited twenty normal volunteers (10 males and 10 females, age range 20-26 years, mean age 22.6 years). Firstly, several focal lesions (hippocampus, frontal lobe, anterior cingulate, back of hippocampus, back of anterior cingulate) were simulated in selected brain regions using real MRI data. Secondly, optimized VBM was performed to detect structural differences between groups. Thirdly, one-way ANOVA and post-hoc test were used to assess the accuracy and sensitivity of VBM analysis. The results revealed that VBM was a good detective tool in majority of brain regions, even in controversial brain region such as hippocampus in VBM study. Generally speaking, much more severity of focal lesion was, better VBM performance was. However size of focal lesion had little effects on VBM analysis.

Spectral embedding based active contour (SEAC): application to breast lesion segmentation on DCE-MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Agner, Shannon C.; Xu, Jun; Rosen, Mark; Karthigeyan, Sudha; Englander, Sarah; Madabhushi, Anant

2011-03-01

Spectral embedding (SE), a graph-based manifold learning method, has previously been shown to be useful in high dimensional data classification. In this work, we present a novel SE based active contour (SEAC) segmentation scheme and demonstrate its applications in lesion segmentation on breast dynamic contrast enhance magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). In this work, we employ SE on DCE-MRI on a per voxel basis to embed the high dimensional time series intensity vector into a reduced dimensional space, where the reduced embedding space is characterized by the principal eigenvectors. The orthogonal eigenvector-based data representation allows for computation of strong tensor gradients in the spectrally embedded space and also yields improved region statistics that serve as optimal stopping criteria for SEAC. We demonstrate both analytically and empirically that the tensor gradients in the spectrally embedded space are stronger than the corresponding gradients in the original grayscale intensity space. On a total of 50 breast DCE-MRI studies, SEAC yielded a mean absolute difference (MAD) of 3.2+/-2.1 pixels and mean Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.74+/-0.13 compared to manual ground truth segmentation. An active contour in conjunction with fuzzy c-means (FCM+AC), a commonly used segmentation method for breast DCE-MRI, produced a corresponding MAD of 7.2+/-7.4 pixels and mean DSC of 0.58+/-0.32. In conjunction with a set of 6 quantitative morphological features automatically extracted from the SEAC derived lesion boundary, a support vector machine (SVM) classifier yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.73, for discriminating between 10 benign and 30 malignant lesions; the corresponding SVM classifier with the FCM+AC derived morphological features yielded an AUC of 0.65.

A Simple FDTD Algorithm for Simulating EM-Wave Propagation in General Dispersive Anisotropic Material

KAUST Repository

Al-Jabr, Ahmad Ali; Alsunaidi, Mohammad A.; Ng, Tien Khee; Ooi, Boon S.

2013-01-01

In this paper, an finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm for simulating propagation of EM waves in anisotropic material is presented. The algorithm is based on the auxiliary differential equation and the general polarization formulation. In anisotropic materials, electric fields are coupled and elements in the permittivity tensor are, in general, multiterm dispersive. The presented algorithm resolves the field coupling using a formulation based on electric polarizations. It also offers a simple procedure for the treatment of multiterm dispersion in the FDTD scheme. The algorithm is tested by simulating wave propagation in 1-D magnetized plasma showing excellent agreement with analytical solutions. Extension of the algorithm to multidimensional structures is straightforward. The presented algorithm is efficient and simple compared to other algorithms found in the literature. © 2012 IEEE.

A Simple FDTD Algorithm for Simulating EM-Wave Propagation in General Dispersive Anisotropic Material

KAUST Repository

Al-Jabr, Ahmad Ali

2013-03-01

In this paper, an finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm for simulating propagation of EM waves in anisotropic material is presented. The algorithm is based on the auxiliary differential equation and the general polarization formulation. In anisotropic materials, electric fields are coupled and elements in the permittivity tensor are, in general, multiterm dispersive. The presented algorithm resolves the field coupling using a formulation based on electric polarizations. It also offers a simple procedure for the treatment of multiterm dispersion in the FDTD scheme. The algorithm is tested by simulating wave propagation in 1-D magnetized plasma showing excellent agreement with analytical solutions. Extension of the algorithm to multidimensional structures is straightforward. The presented algorithm is efficient and simple compared to other algorithms found in the literature. © 2012 IEEE.

Anomalously large anisotropic magnetoresistance in a perovskite manganite

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Run-Wei; Wang, Huabing; Wang, Xuewen; Yu, X. Z.; Matsui, Y.; Cheng, Zhao-Hua; Shen, Bao-Gen; Plummer, E. Ward; Zhang, Jiandi

2009-01-01

The signature of correlated electron materials (CEMs) is the coupling between spin, charge, orbital and lattice resulting in exotic functionality. This complexity is directly responsible for their tunability. We demonstrate here that the broken symmetry, through cubic to orthorhombic distortion in the lattice structure in a prototype manganite single crystal, La0.69Ca0.31MnO3, leads to an anisotropic magneto-elastic response to an external field, and consequently to remarkable magneto-transport behavior. An anomalous anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) effect occurs close to the metal-insulator transition (MIT) in the system, showing a direct correlation with the anisotropic field-tuned MIT in the system and can be understood by means of a simple phenomenological model. A small crystalline anisotropy stimulates a “colossal” AMR near the MIT phase boundary of the system, thus revealing the intimate interplay between magneto- and electronic-crystalline couplings. PMID:19706504

3D knee segmentation based on three MRI sequences from different planes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, L; Chav, R; Cresson, T; Chartrand, G; de Guise, J

2016-08-01

In clinical practice, knee MRI sequences with 3.5~5 mm slice distance in sagittal, coronal, and axial planes are often requested for the knee examination since its acquisition is faster than high-resolution MRI sequence in a single plane, thereby reducing the probability of motion artifact. In order to take advantage of the three sequences from different planes, a 3D segmentation method based on the combination of three knee models obtained from the three sequences is proposed in this paper. In the method, the sub-segmentation is respectively performed with sagittal, coronal, and axial MRI sequence in the image coordinate system. With each sequence, an initial knee model is hierarchically deformed, and then the three deformed models are mapped to reference coordinate system defined by the DICOM standard and combined to obtain a patient-specific model. The experimental results verified that the three sub-segmentation results can complement each other, and their integration can compensate for the insufficiency of boundary information caused by 3.5~5 mm gap between consecutive slices. Therefore, the obtained patient-specific model is substantially more accurate than each sub-segmentation results.